World Without End (mini-series)

I finally managed to watch World Without End, the mini-series. It was quite a long while ago when I read the book and I do not remember much of what I read. As such, it was quite an enjoyable watch.

The plot was well paced for the eight-part series, and the development of the characters quite well done, and well played by the actors.





For one, the characterisation of Godwyn and his mother, Petranilla was very interesting. I'm amazed at how malicious and evil they can be, how they can justify lies and murders with religion, how they can justify their evil acts through which they obtain what they think is their right and privilege.



Of all the characters, the character development of King Edward III was the best. I had expected more from Merthin, but sadly he was quite disappointing. The king was more interesting as he struggled to first remove himself from his mother's apron, to take his rightful position as king, and finally to grow and mature in his reign.



The other character whom I really like was Gwenda. She's the only one with gumption and enough guts for a woman to outdo a man.

All in all, it was good entertainment, although I can't get through with the extent of evil some people can go to, but sadly that can be quite a reality in life.

pearlie

Interstellar

My hubby got home early this morning because his weekly golf game was a no-go as it was raining heavily. On a separate note, the fact it was raining this morning was really amusing to me because I actually told my colleagues yesterday that even though it is the raining season now, and even though it may rain in the mornings, it most probably will not. And it has to rain the very next, this morning! It is like God showing me who is God. Oops...

Anyway, my hubby got home early and suggested we go to the cinema and watch Interstellar. I'm glad we did--the movie was downright spectacular.

I did mention before that even though I am in the midst of two boys who are science fiction fans, and even if I don't mind it, I do not like it that much if it gets too technical.

But Interstellar has the people touch and the drama that really drew me into the story of the father and his daughter. I was so immersed in it and unlike most movies where I can mostly figure out what will happen next, this is one movie where I was held in anticipation right from the beginning as the plot unfolded itself.

However, talking about not liking it too technical, my hubby just related to me from an article where it was stated that Christopher Nolan had to dumb down the dialogue so that audiences will not get lost in the story! Well, I suppose this won him a larger mass of fans and positive reviews.

I am now a fan (and yes, I like it dumbed down) and this will definitely be one of those movies I will watch again and again.

pearlie

I've now done a full circle

I had an interesting day today because for once I was on the other side of a proposal meeting. I was on the consultant side before, bringing proposals to the prospective clients, whereas today, I was the client, taking a look at the presentations of three prospective vendors.

My take-away from this experience are these three points, which is really a no-brainer at all:
1. The expectation from the first vendor who presents is very high. I had extremely high expectations from the first vendor I met, but it was a letdown, bringing me to my next point.
2. The professionalism of the vendor counts a whole lot. The familiarity of the vendor on the subject matter count a whole lot more. You have to really know your stuff, and you need to give me the confidence that you can solve my problem and bring solutions.
3. You have to keep to the point, and even if you want to be creative and give me something fresh, it must hit the nail in the head. And this was the fault of one of the vendors. They wanted to be different but they failed to keep to scope and where they were on scope, they fell short.

This was interesting also because I had dinner with a good friend yesterday evening when I found that she is currently working with my ex-colleagues from the consulting firm I was in before.

She also described to me in brief what happened during the proposal meetings presented by the Big-4 firms, two of which were represented by my ex-colleagues. One lost because they just did not impress and did not seem to know what they were talking about. The other won the deal because they nailed every questions the client had even before they were asked.

It was intriguing for me to hear her stories, opinions and feelings as I had never been on the client side before. And today, seated on this side of the game, even though on a much, much smaller project compared to hers, I had a sense of satisfaction having completed a full circle as far as my own experience in this area is concerned.

pearlie

Roger E Olson's Blog

I can't remember whether or was a Calvinist who inadvertently introduced me to Roger E. Olson's blog or I have found it myself, but found it I did and it is an excellent find.

It comes highly recommended and so far here are a few of my favourite posts:

What’s Wrong with Calvinism?

Reading Is Fundamental (And Not Reading Is a Recipe for Failure)

Arminian Theology: Prevenient Grace and Total Depravity (Including a Review of a New Book about Prevenient Grace)

What Is a “Spirit-filled” and “Spirit-led” Church?
Part 1 and Part 2

(The only complaint I have are the many unnecessary and unbecoming advertisements and sponsored articles that accompany the blog.)

pearlie

Ignorance

We know not what we do not know
Oblivious we to life's mystery
We listen not what we ought to hear
We see not what we ought to see
The gold we hold so dear to heart
Is it gold? I say it is, you don't?
You hold to yours and I to mine
We seat ourselves on our own throne

We think we know what we know
Unawares we are to time's eternity
We think we hear what we hear
We think we see what we see
The gold we know but really do we?
We guard them with our mind's frailty
But so vast, so utterly vast it is
Beyond what we can ever think it to be

All rights reserved © 2014 Pearlie Ng

Bible Society Malaysia 30th Anniversary

pearlie

Prevenient Grace by W. Brian Shelton

Prevenient Grace, God's Provision for Fallen Humanity
by W. Brian Shelton
Description: If human nature is utterly sinful, how can any human being comprehend and respond to the gospel? This paradox has been debated by theologians for more than five hundred years, and Wesleyan-Arminians have answered that the Holy Spirit enables every human being to accept God's call to redemption. This concept of prevenient grace is the most significant difference betwen Calvinist and Arminian Christians.

I was reading Roger E. Olson's blog when he recommended a newly published book that is finally an indepth scriptural exegetical work on the subject of prevenient grace.

In the book, Olson said, "I am often asked to recommend a book explaining the Wesleyan-Arminian doctrine of prevenient grace. Until now I have not been able to. I am grateful to Brian Shelton for satisfying this greatly felt need. His book is erudite but easily understandable, convincing but irenic, and completely biblical and orthodox. From now on I will know exactly what book to recommend to people curious about prevenient grace."

In this same post, he said something I need to think and affirm in my mind. It is about my understanding of Total Depravity, which I need to review.

Olson said, "I have always defined “total depravity” as extensive, not intensive. That is, “total depravity” simply means that all parts of every persons, except Jesus Christ, since Adam are corrupted by sin—reason not excepted. I have gone out of my way to say that total depravity does not mean, either for Calvinists or Arminians, that every person is as evil as possible. I affirm total depravity as spiritual helplessness apart from a special operation of God’s grace—whether universal or particular. Calvinists typically describe total depravity as being totally dead spiritually. I prefer to define it as being totally helpless spiritually, left to oneself, without prevenient grace. That’s because I believe the image of God remains, however damaged, in every person. Saying, as Calvinists do, that they are “all dead” (before regeneration) implies that they are not God’s special, loved creatures, possessing dignity and worth above all animals.
I have always been one to embrace good theological words even if they are misused by others. I prefer to rescue them from the dustbin of theological vocabulary rather than discard them. “Total depravity” simply means that there is no spiritual good useful for salvation and developing a strong relationship with God in any person born of Adam’s race (except Christ) that is not a super-added gift of God. With Calvinists I can affirm that we are all spiritually dead apart from supernatural grace, but I add only that 1) even the spiritually dead possess the formal image of God, and 2) supernatural grace heals that deadness so that sinners can at least make a decision to repent and trust in God and Christ or not."

I just bought a copy of Prevenient Grace and I've started reading it and it certainly looks promising. I look forward to a good read in the next few days or week.

And I absolutely love the cover of the book!

pearlie

Jesus, Thank You by Sovereign Grace

I have not led worship for 4 years and finally I'm back to doing it this weekend, both for the Saturday and Sunday worship. It is something I enjoy doing and I'm privileged to be able to serve God in this ministry.

We used the above song Jesus, Thank You by Sovereign Grace, an excellent piece on the saving grace of our Lord Jesus.

pearlie

Book Review: Foundations of Wesleyan-Arminian Theology

Foundations of Wesleyan-Arminian Theology
by Mildred Bangs Wynkoop

Noel recommended me this book by a very brilliant writer, minister and PhD holder, Dr. Mildred Bangs Wynkoop (1905-1997).

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a short and summarised read of the life of James Arminius, and a brief history of how Calvinism and Arminianism came about, as well as their theological characteristics and differences.

I can't say enough that she was brilliant. I like how she brought out the historical background of these different thrusts of theology and insisted that one needs to know its history to fully understand where each is coming from. Failing which she referred it to as "confusion of mind which ignorance of historical fact engenders."

She also touched on Theological Provincialism where, "Lifting one aspect of doctrine into a central dominating position, away from its proper place in the whole doctrine, is provincialism. Such theological provincialisms are not necessarily untruths but they invariably distort the Christian gospel because they, apart from the whole gospel, are made to become themselves the judge of truth and actually the gospel."

She also said, "Can we read the Bible objectively? None of us is intellectually neutral. We are committed. Our personal prejudices can and do blind us to truth. We tend to find in the Bible, or in nature anywhere, about what we want to find. Our own fixed point of view “filters out” some of the truths we hear. In fact, our prejudices become the “filter” and hence the judge of truth. Or, to change the figure, the shadow of our own provincialism falls on the truth and we interpret the material according to the pattern formed by our prejudices."

This is so true and quite saddening for me to attend service today and have pastor preach on Limited Atonement, and why the cross of Christ is only for a selected groups of people rather than what is so clearly and simply stated in Scripture where Christ died:

1. For all (Isa. 53:6; Luke 19:10; Matt. 18:14; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; I Tim. 2:4, 6; 2 Pet 3:9)
2. For every man (Heb. 2:9)
3. For the world (John 3:16-17)
4. For the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2)
5. For the ungodly (Rom. 5:6)
6. For many (Matt. 20:28)
7. For the Church (Eph. 5:25)
8. For “me” (Gal. 2:20)

While I admit that I am wearing my own Arminian glasses and having my own filters but I believe I am seeing these verses in Scriptures as they were intended to be - for all, for the world, for the ungodly, for many, for the Church, for me. The words mean what they mean - all, world, ungodly, many, Church and me.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9 ESV), who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4 ESV)

I really encourage you to read Wynkoop's book. Here is a cross section of what she wrote on:

I. Background of the Doctrine of Personal Predestination
- Early Christian Ecumenicity
- Development of Divisions
- Theological Provincialism
- The Pelagian-Augustinian Controversy

II. The Development of the Doctrine of Personal Predestination
- Augustine’s Concepts
- Calvin’s Concept of Personal and Double Predestination
- Double Predestination and Divine Decrees
- Arminius’ Concept of Divine Decrees
- Summary of the Arminian Views

III. Theological Characteristics of Calvinism, Arminianism and Wesleyanism
- Synod of Dort
- High Calvinism
- Arminianism
- Wesleyanism
- Wesleyan-Arminianism

IV. Wesleyan Influence on Classical Theology
- Neo-Calvinism (Mild, or Low Calvinism)
- Wesleyan Calvinism
- Calvinistic Wesleyanism
- Doctrinal Differences in the Light of Biblical Interpretation

V. Theological Tensions Raised by the Doctrine of Particular Predestination
- God’s Will and Man’s Will
- God’s Will and God’s Grace
- God’s Grace and Man’s Sin
- Salvation by Decree or by Faith?

VI. Influence of the Wesleyan Doctrine of the Holy Spirit on Theology
- The Work of the Holy Spirit
- The Holy Spirit and Christian Assurance

pearlie

My overloaded inbox

Graphically speaking, my Outlook Inbox looks like this today. It is so full and brimming over the screen so much that I had to stay back at work to clear them all, on a Friday no less.

I managed to do that except for a large group of emails sent by a new staff of mine who has just been transferred to my team. He is an excellent worker, I'm so glad to have him.

And now, both of us need to sit down and talk about a better way than for him to send me a copy of every email he sends out.

pearlie
Photo: Keith Williamson

First day at work

Today is my son's first day at work under his school's Work Experience Programme. Students were given some options to choose from and my son chose one that is office-based that will allow him to try his hands on administrative work. Good for him!

He looked absolutely spiffy today but sorry I can't post pictures here because he won't allow it.

He spent the day in a three-hour meeting (already???!!!) and was asked to write something (wish I knew what; he won't tell me).

He felt it was a good first day of work, and I pray for many more good ones ahead to learn and experience what work is all about.

I did tell him to just enjoy it. Work is fun when you really enjoy what you do.

pearlie

Evangelical women writers

I was introduced to a book written by a lady minister and I was very impressed with her scholarly writing and knowledge.

This got me to think of how very few good women writers there are in the evangelical circle. The few that I have read and was impressed with are only these three:

1. Elizabeth Achtemeier
2. Mildred Bangs Wynkoop
3. Nancy Pearcey

I also wondered of all the books I have read, whatever genre they may be, how many of them are by women writers.

It is a good thing I have all my books listed out in goodreads.com and I did a calculation and came up with just 27%. The remaining 73% are all by men authors. However, this is only counting from when I started to list and keep track of my books, which is roughly from year 2000.

But most of the books I've read that are by women writers are either in the genre of fiction or Christian living. I've only read Pearcey, referenced Achtemeier and currently reading Wynkoop.

And I must say I that the late Dr Mildred Bangs Wynkoop was an excellent writer. I have just started on her book, The Foundations of Wesleyan-Arminian Theology but what I have read so far is just brilliant!

And talking about women, I was just asked a question in one of my blog post recently on my stand on women in ministry, if I hold on to an egalitarian or complementary stand.

In my reply, I took the complementary one, but in truth, I haven't made much study into it to be 100% sure of my stand. And so I am going hold it for now and not make a decision until I am fully sure of what I am.

I thought I should hold on to the order of creation, but as I now think about it, I'm not so sure anymore.

I shall have to shelve the matter for now and address it later when time and energy permit.

pearlie

A Thousand Words #158

pearlie
Photo Source:The Star

Book Review: The Prince (Sons of Encouragement)

The Prince - Jonathan (Sons of Encouragement)
by Francine Rivers

I was right. The Prince is a good read. Any book that makes me weep is surely good and this one did, not a lot and only at the end, but it was good enough for me to give it a thumbs up.

I suppose in comparison to The Priest and The Warrior, the main characters here in The Prince--Jonathan, Saul and David--were very engaging and I felt like I was there with them.

But I also realise that I am more attracted to books and stories about people and their relationships.

Anyway, I just took a look at all the books I have been reading this year and I think at the end of the year I shall put it all out in one go for I certainly see my life journey through them throughout 2014.

I'm looking forward to it!

pearlie

Book Review: The Priest & The Warrior (Sons of Encouragement)

The Priest - Aaron
The Warrior - Caleb
(Sons of Encouragement)
by Francine Rivers

I read Francine Rivers's Redeeming Love and Lineage of Grace and loved them so much that I also purchased her series of five books on the Sons of Encouragement.

I have read The Prophet (Aaron) some months ago and I have just finished reading The Warrior, which is on Caleb.

I wonder if it's just me but I didn't enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed the Lineage of Grace series especially the ones on Tamar, Rahab and Ruth.

Maybe I was already too familiar with the accounts of the exodus to find The Priest more than just a summary. And The Warrior was too much about wars and fighting to really engage me. In fact, Rivers's portrayal of the main characters were not as good as the ones she did with the ladies in the Lineage of Grace, at least in my opinion.

I'm now reading The Prince, the story of Jonathan, and so far I found it quite promising. Let's see how it will finally torn out.

pearlie

A good meet up day

Today was a good day. For one, I was able to catch up with a very dear sister in the Lord during lunch. She is serving in the church and will be moving on into pastoral ministry with another church in the coming months. We will then have even more to talk about and I look forward to our next catch up.

After lunch, I had the opportunity to arrange a meet up between my two Arminian mentors, and I was prepared to just sit and listen to them talk shop. These two gentlemen have a lot in common. Not only are they steep in their study of Scripture, Arminianism and apologetics, it was soon found out that they are both into chemistry as well! One a chemistry graduate and the other a chemistry professor no less. I'm not far from wrong when I said they're long lost brothers.

It was indeed a good day.

pearlie

Being gracious to each other

We had our first bible study on TULIP in CG today, beginning with Total Depravity of which I manage to correct some common misunderstanding about Arminianism, particularly the one where they equate it with Pelagianism or Semi-Pelagianism, and to state that Classical Arminians do not believe in self-salvation. And we do believe in Total Depravity, God's Sovereignty and grace but differently from Calvinists.

I am not a person who like to argue or debate but I have made it a point to read about both sides, and my next read will be Michael Horton's For Calvinism.

I only wish I am given the same respect as I believe I am giving. I like what this Calvinist say in Calvinists Sometimes Make the Worst Calvinists.

And of course I can say the same about Arminians, that Arminians sometimes make the worst Arminians.

We all need to be gracious to one another, as long as we both hold on to the Gospel of the cross of Christ.

pearlie

A Thousand Words #157

pearlie

Mariah Carey - The Elusive Chanteuse

I was invited by a friend to Mariah Carey's concert today at Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur.

I was quite excited since this would be my first ever concert, but it was quite miserable. Oh, not Mariah, she gave quite a cool show but it was raining the whole two hours we were seated there.

It didn't matter we had VVIP second row tickets, the rain though not heavy was relentlessly pouring down on us. Though we were all clad in raincoats, they were thin and sticky; it was miserably chilly, damp and wet.

Mariah's show was alright. OK, I'm not a fan but it was still cool being able to go to a concert of a world-class performer. She does have a good voice and she does nice faultless perfect pitch rolls.

But I was just not in awe, like I was back in 2007 when I attended an awesome concert by The Trinity College Choir.

Or maybe it was just the rain.

pearlie

Book Binging

I thought I have stopped book binging but here I go again, buying books just because I like having them. But I still think these are great buys as they make excellent reference, and both electronic mobile versions too. Excellent!


New International Version Archaeological Study Bible


Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts

pearlie