uth chronicle 2009-ii

8/14/2019 Uth Chronicle 2009-II

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Issue II 2009Apr - Jun


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Deputy Editor

Note

Heylo dear reader. =)

Welcome to the second issue of Uth Chronicle for 2009. As you may have noticed, this issue is arguably themost jam-packed issue weve had yet! Hopefully, you will nd much inside for your blessing and edication.

A quarter of the year is already gone and by the time this issue has run its course, it will be some time in June(though hopefully it wont take you that long to read everything!). Have the past three months found you closerto God through the study of His Word? Will the next three months to come nd us faithfully reading His Wordeverday? It is often all too easy to push aside the Bible in the face of the cares and temptations that we face eve-ryday work, studies and play seem to take up all of our time. It ought to be our prayer, then, to be more likePaul and to count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord (Phil 3:8).

The theme of Secrets has carried over from the YF March Retreat, but we promise that we arent as secretive inthis issue. =P One of the lengthier reads inside is a very interesting look at Freemasonry which is a secret soci-ety for men only contributed by Rev. Errol D. Stone, from Faith Presbyterian Church in Perth.

Also in line with the theme is an article on the Secrets of Sinning, not to educate us on how to sin (sadly, we al-ready know that all too well) but on the nature of it, and things that we should take note of in order to triumphover it.

On a lighter note, Isabellas mummy and daddy have also penned down some secrets that theyre willing to sharewith us! But make sure you dont let Isabella know about it just yet

Our Retrospect section has also received a wealth of wisdom with regards to dealing with temptation, and howto mortify the esh. Do take the time to read and digest it there are practical tips for all of us, and it denitelyhelps to learn from the experience of our elders in the faith.

On a parting note, remember that the battles we ght are not waged against esh and blood. As such, our weap-ons cannot be found in esh and blood our own strength cannot give us victory. The secret, then, to winning isto lean on Christ and to commit everything to Him in prayer, for we know that the effectual fervent prayer of arighteous man availeth much (James 5:16b). God bless your reading! =)

-BrianP.S. When you nish reading, dont waste this copy! Pass it on to someone else your parents, YFers from otherchurches, or even your friends in school or work. If you can share it, why not? :)

Cover page: http://www.icanhascheezburger.com .

Uth Team

Advisor Bro. Henry ChuaEditor Phoebe ChooDeputy Editor Brian LimSecretary Jonathan Tay

Layout Designer Yeda KoDeputy Designer Foo Yong HweeSpecial Ops Grace Auyong

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An Insight Into Freemasonry

Above: Freemason Initiation, 18th century. Picture: Wikipedia.

by Rev. Errol D. Stone

2 Corinthians 6:14 - 7:1

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unright-eousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? orwhat part hath he that believeth with an indel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them ; and I will betheir God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saiththe Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shallbe my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let uscleanse ourselves from all lthiness of the esh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Freemasonry is consideredas a Secret Society for menonly. Men join Freemasonryfor various reasons, somebecause they are either world leaders, national,state, local leaders or busi-nessmen with a good reputa-tion. Some also join Free-masonry because of the

status of joining an exclusive club, some becauseof the intrigue of being involved in a Secret Societyto find out the secrets. Others may join purely for personal gain and business advantage of such aprivileged network.

Freemasons are proud of the calibre of FamousMasons and often have their lists posted on theInternet, which have included names of Royalty,

most of the American Presidents and well knownnames in so-called Christian circles such as Nor-man Vincent Peale, Robert Schuller and Billy Gra-ham. The membership of some Lodges is noted asbeing for Judges, Lawyers and the Legal fraternity,Law Enforcement, Military etc.

This article is not denying the good works of Free-masonry, and it is certainly not aimed at individualpersonalities with any malice, as there are manydignified men, who have joined for unselfish rea-sons. This paper addresses some of the issues of Freemasonry with the Word of God and discussesfrom Gods Word the question, Can a Christian bea Freemason?

Freemasonry is a system that has drawn muchcontroversy regarding blood oaths, which are said

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with the hand upon the Bible and exclaiming So help me God. Contention has always been whether Freemasonry is a religion, or is religious in nature, whether it is a Secret Society or a Society with Secrets.Conversely whether it is a Cult, or has cultish practices, whether it is Occult, or implements occult practices.

Dealing with such issues is not a battle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against pow-ers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, (Eph.6:12). Speaking of the full armour of God against our adversary (Eph. 6:10-17) , Willmington said, Theseinclude the confidence of our right standing before God (righteousness, salvation), as well as the truth of Gods Word. Whatever specific roles the evil rulers or powers of darkness play in his army, Satan ispowerful and resourceful (6:1112). The believer is never told to attack the Devil, but the believer is told towithstand and resist him (6:11, 1314; see 1 Pet. 5:89): When tempted to do wrong, we should flee asJoseph did (see Gen. 39:723). But when attacked by Satan for doing right, we should stand firm as Dan-iels friends did (see Dan. 3:125) .

Characteristics of Freemasonry Freemasonry is described as a peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols andclaims to be based on the principles of, Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.(Masonic Ritual-Perth, hereafter referred to as the Masonic Ritual). The genesis of the Freemasonry which is also known as, Masonry,the Craft, the Brotherhood, or the Lodge, has caused much disagreement in the past.

Freemasonry is characterized by good and charitable works, including to its widows and orphans, who arepledged support. Establishing Aged homes, lists also amongst their activities, as well as community serviceand citizenship awards for the youth etc.Into its fold it claims to admit, Just, upright and free men, of mature age, sound judgment and strict morals,(Masonic Ritual). Freemasonry is often accused of being exclusive, racist, and avoids the handicapped,both physically and intellectually, but in recent years some of these things have changed.

Freemasonry knowingly excludes the family, as women and children are not welcome. This article dealswith Lodges for men, but there are Lodges exclusively for women with a commonly known one being theOrder of the Eastern Star.

Although the Blue Lodge, has 3 degrees, there are many forms of Freemasonry that have no connectionor authority over this Lodge. Each State or each Country may have a varied form of constitution, althougheach is considered as lawfully constituted. Freemasonrys many varied forms are not necessarily relatedincluding groups such as the York Rite, Scottish Rite, Illuminati, Knights of Malta, Bilderbergers, Klu KluxKlan, Skull and Bones, Rosicrucian Order, Druid Order, Shriners, etc. etc.

A well known and respected Masonic writer said that Masonry deliberately deceives its members in thelower degrees (Albert Pike). It must also be acknowledged that semantics and the issue of symbolismmakes Freemasonry illusive, and that not all Masons who speak on behalf of the Craft, have the authority or knowledge of it to do so.

The object of Freemasonry is a search for the truth. This truth is pursued from the first step of initiation, asthe Entered Apprentice begins seeking for the light which is symbolized by a WORD, itself only a symbol of Truth. As a Fellow-Craft he continues the search, still asking for more light. And the Master Mason, thinkingthat he has reached it, obtains only its substitute; for the True Word, Divine Truth, dwells not in the first tem-ple of our earthly life, but can be found only in the second temple of eternal life, (Albert Mackey).

In subsequent degrees, the missing Word that is being searched for is said to be found. It is said to be theTrue name of God, expressed in different ways by different cultures.

The History of Freemasonry As with all conspiracy theories, there are many theories propounded regarding the genesis of Freemasonryfrom its self-proclaimed authorities. Further confusion is added from those who have sought to discredit theCraft. The history of Freemasonry has more differences of opinion than any other issue and Mackey has



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listed 12 views of the origin. All of the suggested have had their zealous contenders, but there are manycases of fraudulent documents and deliberate deceit.

Freemasonry also records in its authoritative source to have originated through Moses who was learned inall wisdom of the Egyptians including their ancient mysteries, deriving its origin directly from those myster-ies of ancient Egypt. (Masonic Ritual). Freemasonry itself claims to be, Ancient no doubt having subsistedfrom time immemorial (Masonic Ritual).

The Rejection of a Christian Origin: Freemasonry, which is a society for men only, and is said by manyto have had its origin in 1717, in London (Dale Byers). Freemasonry was operative during the times of thebuilding of Temples and Cathedrals, when they had their guilds and special classes of skilled labour. Build-ings such as the Temple of King Solomon are noted as being significant in the history of Freemasonry.

As the decline of such buildings occurred, so the operative tradesman declined in number. To maintain anexclusive society the operative became symbolic, of which Freemasonry is today. Masonry is divided intotwo branches, an operative art and a speculative science. The operative art was practiced by the Stone-Masons of the Middle Ages. The speculative science is that which is practiced by Freemasons of the pre-sent day. It is sometimes defined as a speculative science founded on an operative art (Mackey).

Is Freemasonry A Religion?Many say that Freemasonry is a religion, possibly because Masons sing Hymns or Odes. They use the KingJames Bible, known as the Volume of the Sacred Law (VSL), which is open upon the altar whilst the Lodgeis in progress. Lodges are called Temples and they stand on holy ground, (Masonic Ritual). In the Temple,a Chaplain offers prayers during the ceremonies and during the openings and closing of degrees. SomeLodges in certain parts of the world, have their own funeral services, (Steven Tsoukalas).

The Masonic Ritual says, Our Lodges stand on Holy ground because the first Lodge of Jerusalem washeld upon a plot of land which was rendered holy. It continues, Firstly: Abrahams compliance to God tosacrifice Isaac, when it pleased the Almighty to accept an inferior offering instead (cf. Gen. 21:1-14). Sec-ondly: as pious prayers and sacrifices by King David which appeased the wrath of God...and numbered hismen, suffering a pestilence (cf. 2 Sam. 24:15). Thirdly: The many thanksgivings, oblations, burnt sacrifices,and costly sacrifices by Solomon, King of Israel made at the completion of the Temple at Jerusalem for Gods service (1 Kings 8:63)

Belief in God: Mackey says the letters G.O.D. represent the Hebrew words of D-Wisdom O-Strength, andG BeautyThus the initials conceal the true meaning. They seem to present almost the only reason thatcan reconcile a Mason to the use of the initial G (Tsoukalas). But to become a Freemason, a man mustbelieve in a Supreme being, in whatever form he has his belief. Pike said that, although the remains of Isisand Osiris might be entombedtheir divinity was impeached.

The Holy Bible: To the Freemason, the Bible is known and referred to as the Volume of the Sacred Law. It

is described in the Masonic Ritual as, The greatest of the three great lights in Freemasonry; by its teachingwe are instructed to rule and guide our faith and actions. Without it the L. (Lodge) is not just and without anopenly avowed belief in its divine author, no Can. (Candidate) can be lawfully initiated into our Order Incontrast Albert Pike, who is often described as the greatest Mason who ever lived, shows his contempt to-wards Christianity, and the Bible and said, There is no book of which so little is known as the Bible. To mostwho read it, it is as incomprehensible as the Sohar. It is said that during the dark periods in his life he medi-tated on the Hindu Vedas, and changed the course of American Scottish Freemasonry (Morey).The Bible is open upon the altar whilst the Lodge is open. To close the Bible, would be to intercept the raysof Divine light which emanate from it, and hence it is spread open, to indicate that the Lodge is not in dark-ness, but under the influence of its illuminating power.In the 1 st degree ceremony, the (VSL) is open to (Psalm 133) an eloquent description of brotherly love. Inthe 2 nd degree the (VSL) is open to (Amos 7:7-8) which is an allusion to the plumbline, an important em-

blem in that degree. In the 3 rd degree the (VSL) is open to (Eccl. 12:1-7) the description of old age anddeath, which is appropriately applied to the sacred object of this degree (Mackey).



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A Multiplicity of Bible Versions: Mackey said that the Bible is used among Masons as a symbol of the willof God, however it may be expressed. Therefore, whatever to any person expresses that will may be usedas a substitute for the Bible in a Masonic Lodge (Mackey). The members of Lodge Singapore, No. 7178(1964) had six Volumes of the Scared Law upon its altar, which included: The Bhagavad (Hindu), the Bible(Christian), the Bible OT portions (Jewish), Dhammapada (Budhist), the Khordeh Avesta (Zoroastrian), theKoran (Muslim), and the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh) (Lim Kuang Hui).

A Chaplain in the Lodge: At the Installation of Officers, which occurs at a predetermined time annually, thenewly initiated, or in some cases the reinvested Worshipful Master, installs his new team of Office Bearers.On this occasion the investiture of the Chaplain of the Lodge occurs, but there are always anomalies withregards to Masons in this position. Some may perform the duty for several years, and if a Lodge has aChaplain who is absent, for either a short or long period, the Worshipful Master will recite the prayers. TheWorshipful Master is the person who has attained the Chair of King Solomon and Mackey says in general inthe United States the position of Chaplain is conferred upon the Worshipful Master.

The conclusion of the Charge given to the Chaplain at the investiture of officers from the Masonic ritual is asfollows: Your place in the L. ( Lodge ) is on the right of the W.M. ( Worshipful Master ) and your duty is to offer up prayers to the G.A.O.T.U ( Great Architect Of The Universe ) and to invoke His aid on all our undertak-ings.

Worship in the Temple: Worship is conducted in the Lodge (Temple), as an ODE is sung, when the Lodgeis opened in the third degree as follows: God bless our noble Craft, shield and protect us, Teach us fer-vently to worship Thee. In Thine Omnipotence guide and direct us, God bless the Craft. So mote it be.

Singing Odes or Hymns: Odes or Hymns, are played in the Lodge with the recessional Hymn sung as theLodge is closed, titled ABIDE WITH ME. The difference at the conclusion is the Amen, is not sung but isreplaced with So mote it be, which is also used by witches to close a spell or incantation.

Members say it is a Religion: Dr. Albert Mackey, who is often considered one of the highest and bestauthorities said that, Masonry is pure theism and that The tendency of all true Masonry is toward relig-ion.

J.S.M. Ward a well known Freemason said, I consider Freemasonry is a sufficiently organized school of mysticism to be entitled to be called a religion. He continued Freemasonrytaught that each man can, byhimself, work out his own conception of God, and thereby achieve salvation. The Word of God clearly re-futes this point (Eph. 2:8, 9). Freemasonry holds that there be many paths that lead to the throne of the all-loving Father which all startfrom a common source. Ward believes that though these paths appear to branch off in various directions,yet they all reach the same ultimate goal, and that to some men, one path is better to others another. FrankHiggins wrote, It is true that Freemasonry is the parent of all religion. Mackey says that some of the moretimid brethren have been afraid to declare its religious character lest opponents of Masonry should usethis fact against the Lodge.

Is Freemasonry A Cult?Freemasonry is often accused of being a cult, or some would say having cultish practices. The ChambersDictionary describes a cult as being, a system of religious belief; a sect; an unorthodox or false religion; agreat often excessive, admiration for a person or idea; the person or idea giving rise to such admiration.Gordon Lewis describes the term cult as a religious group which claims authorization by Christ and the Bi-ble but neglects or distorts the gospel, the central message of the Savior and the Scripture. It must be notedthat Freemasonry does not recognize Jesus Christ, or use the name of Jesus Christ, as it is offensive tomany. The second part of the statement is violated as Masonry neglects and distorts the gospel message.

Identifying a Cult: The following is a 7 point list of theological issues, which assist in identifying a cult:1. Do you base your teachings on revelations or sacred writings other than the Bible?2. Is your primary task preaching the gospel?



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3. Do you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one of God who hascome in the flesh (I John 4:1-3) ?

4. Do you believe that Christs shed blood is the only basis for the forgiveness of your sins?5. Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead?6. Are you personally trusting Jesus Christ as your own redeemer and Lord?7. Do you depend upon some achievements of your own for your salvation, or is your trust exclusively in

Christ?

Examining Features of a Cult: Walter Martin said that most if not all cult systems vigorously oppose theChristian Church, particularly in the realm of Christology (Doctrine of Christ) and Soteriology (Doctrine of Salvation). He also adds that the great trend in religion is syncretistic, or a great type of homogenization of religions. Although it will be earnestly denied, Freemasonry has its own doctrine of salvation, which is re-vealed through its ceremonies and teachings.

A Counterfeit Religious Movement: Walter Martin commented that The average non-Christian cult owesits very existence to the fact that it has utilized the terminology of Christianity, has borrowed literally from theBible, almost always out of context, and sprinkled its format with evangelical clichs and terms wherever possible or advantageous.Martin added, a cult then is any religious movement which claims the backing of Christ or the Bible, but dis-torts the central message of Christianity by (1) an additional revelation, and (2) by displacing a fundamentaltenet of the faith with a secondary matter. It is one thing to define a cult but another to identify groups bythe term, as counterfeits always appear genuine, as does false money.

Freemason Joseph Fort Newton says, The Bible so rich in symbolism, is itself a symbolthus, bythe very honor which Masonry pays to the Bible, it teaches us to revere every book of faith in whichmen find help for today and hope for tomorrowJack Harris said a substitute Trinity is found in later degrees in the Craft.Pike said, Freemasonry does not affirm to the doctrine of the Trinity because to assert such a belief would mark it as a religious organization. He also said that Toleration, holding that every other manhas the same right to his opinion and faith that we have to ours; and liberality, holding as no human

being can with certainty say what is truth, or that he is surely in possession of it. Pike added, thatit is recorded that In the Royal Arch Degree, 2 Thess. 3:6-16 is read. In verse 6 and 12 the refer-ence to Christ is omitted, and on the following page, Mackey refers to this as a slight, but necessarymodification.

Masonry teaches its members they may reach heaven, life and immortality by a way apart from Je-sus Christ (EM Storms). Jesus Christ is not allowed to be mentioned in FM, but in the Rose CroixDegree the pelican is the symbol, derived from the common belief that the pelican feeds her youngwith her blood, as the Savior shed his blood for mankind (Mackey).Harris a former Mason, who is a Christian describes Masonry as, The Invisible Cult In Our Midst.Martin says that any article showing cults in a favourable light does nothing for Christianity, but toencourage weaker Christians (2 Cor. 8:9) to dabble in a dangerous hobby. The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod concluded that the Lodge is a religion--a Christless religion--and thus a cult, a culttotally incompatible with Christianity and to be avoided by every Christian. Finally, Ankerberg &Weldon, noted that Masonry amounts to the practice of idolatry.In the Blue Lodge, a belief in God is one of the requirements for membership, but no further religiousbelief is required. This means that all believers in deity, whether Christians, Jews, or Mohamme-dans, are equally eligible for membership (Mather).

In the Lodge, God is referred to as the (T.G.G.O.T.U.) The Grand Geometrician Of The Universe, or (G.A.O.T.U.) the Great Architect Of The Universe. God is also referred to as The Supreme Master, the All-Seeing Eye, and the Supreme Intelligence of the Universe.

Salvation In Freemasonry

Freemasonry has a doctrine of salvation by works, (which is a peculiar salvation only offered to those whohave attained a certain level of degrees within the Lodge).



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The doctrine of sin is neglected by Freemasonry which believes that man is able to improve in his moralcharacter, and behaviour in various ways, which include being charitable to others, living morally, and per-forming voluntary public duties. Mackey says that The ladder is a symbol of progressits three principalrounds, representing Faith, Hope and Charity, presents us with a means of advancing from earth to heaven,from death to life--from mortality to immortality. Hence its floor is placed on the ground floor of the Lodge,which is typical of the world, and its top rests on the covering of the Lodge which is symbolic of heaven.

It is believed that education is the means of which moral and spiritual education is discovered, and Freema-sonry provides the means by which these results can be achieved. The inference is that all Freemasonswho are buried are saved and will spend eternity in heaven.

Salvation Is Achieved by Members of the Lodge: Salvation to the Mason is not the salvation of the Bible.The way in which Masons hope to ascend to heaven is by the assistance of a ladder, in Scripture calledJacobs Ladder. Much of the ceremony follows a similar pattern to events recorded in the Bible, but withsome significant differences. In the ceremony of initiation a lambskin is placed upon the candidate. Thelambskin has been from time immemorial the universally acknowledged emblem of purity and innocence.This is to remind him of the purity of life which should distinguish a Freemason, and which is essential to hisgaining entry into the Grand Lodge above, where the blessed ever rest in eternal peace (Masonic Ritual).

The Masonic ritual gives the reasons why in preparation the candidate is hood winked or blind folded. Thiswas symbolic of the candidate being in a state of utter darkness respecting the secrets of Freemasonry, andto teach him to keep others in a similar state of darkness until brought to light. A cable tow was placedaround the neck, firstly as a means of restraint should such have been necessary, and symbolic of his beingin a state of bondage - the bondage of ignorance.The left breast was made bare to prove that he was notan impostor as to sex, for the rules forbid the admission of women. Also a sharp instrument (dagger) pre-sented to instruct on lessons of fidelity. The left knee was made bare in a token of humility, on it in the pres-ence of the G.A.O.T.U. was the solemn obligation made, never to disclose it. The right heel was slip shodas an allusion to (Ruth 4:7), concerning the redeeming and concerning the changing, to confirm all things.Jim Shaw and Tom McKenney, stated that all profane people (non-Masons) including godly genuine Chris-tians, are wretched, blind and lost in complete spiritual darkness. Only initiation into the degrees and mys-

teries of Masonry will bring them out of darkness and into the light, cleansing them and imparting new life.

Incipient Gnosticism: Incipient Gnosticism, was a deviant form of Christianity, whereby their views varied,and salvation was by means of their knowledge rather than by the Son of God who shed His blood on theCross. Such deceivers have their special secret knowledge. To the contrary, John writes that believers mayknow that they have eternal life in Jesus, the Son of God (1 John 5:13). He also warned those who werebeing caught up in Gnosticism, which is a threat to the believers faith. In 2 John 7-11 we see the deceiversconfess not Jesus Christ came in the flesh. John says This is a deceiver and an antichrist. The advicegiven is not to invite these people into your house neither bid them Godspeed (2 John 10). In ColossiansPaul the Apostle of faith encouraged deeper Christian living and wrote against the Colossian heresy whichwas an early form of Gnosticism.

Ungodly OathsThose eligible to join are just, upright and free men, of mature age, sound judgment and strict mor-alsWhen a male joins the Lodge, he is admitted blindfolded as a poor candidate in a state of darkness,who has been well and worthily recommended to be admitted to the mysteries and privileges of AncientFreemasonry. He hopes to obtain those privileges by the help of God being free and of good report (Ma-sonic Ritual).

After being assured of the fact in the vows there is nothing incompatible in the candidates civil, moral or re-ligious duties, the candidate then takes a blood oath that involves mutilation of the body for divulging any of the secrets. At the conclusion of repeating the oath the candidate whilst still blind-folded is commanded toseal the pledge with the lips on the Volume of The Sacred Law (VSL) in other words by kissing the Bible.

Concealing Secrets: Albert Pike who is one of Freemasons most decorated figures said, Masonry like allthe religions, all Mysteries, Hermeticism and Alchemy, conceals its secrets from all except the Adepts and



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Sages, or the Elect, and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those whodeserve only to be misled; to conceal the Truth which calls Light, from them, and to draw them away fromit. Pike adds, Truth is not for those who are unworthy or unable to receive it, or would pervert it. He con-tinues to denigrate Christianity, and says, So Masonry jealously conceals its secrets, and intentionallyleads conceited interpreters astray. Pike said that the first Masonic Legislator whose memory is preservedto us by history, was Buddha, who, about a thousand years before the Christian era reformed the religion of Manous.

Freemasons are Deliberately Deceived: According to Albert Pike, Freemasons are deliberately deceivedin the lower degrees. Consequently it is understandable that this deception which former 33 degree Mason,Jim Shaw calls the Deadly Deception, makes Masons irate.

This deception has its consequences, of which past, present and future are deadly. Such is the nature of Masonry, as a member in taking his oath swears he will never seek the secrets of a higher degree. He isadvised by a distinguished member that there is nothing incompatible to his religion and that he can never find out the secrets of a higher degree until he enters that degree. Sometimes because of searing of theconscience, and peer pressure, a Christian may compromise his stance, and even believe that there is noproblem. The unchristian oaths or obligations as follows, show the true nature of Freemasonry in it variousforms as a false religion, with cultish and occultish practises.

The Traditional Penalties of Freemasonry Remembering that wording may change slightly from one State or Country to another, but the message isbasically the same. The following penalties of obligation are the means by which Freemasonry protects itssecrets.

The First Degree: After swearing to conceal the secrets of the first degree of Freemasonry, a candidatecontinues the obligation, saying These several points I solemnly swear to observe without evasion, equivo-cation, or mental reservation of any kind, ever bearing in mind the Traditional Penalty, on the violation of any of them of having(Masonic Ritual). my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots, and my bodyburied in the rough sands of the sea, at low-water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four

hours(Duncans). After the oath is taken the candidate is instructed to kiss the Bible to seal the obligationor oath taken.

The Second Degree: In the second degree or Fellow Craft degree, the candidate swears that he will notreveal any of the secrets of this degree to an Entered Apprentice, or to the uninstructed world who are notFreemasons. The traditional penalty in this degree is, under no less penalty than of having my breast tornopenmy heart plucked out and

The Third Degree: In the third degree or Master Mason degree the obligation, in the presence of the MostHighthat my bshall be the sacred repository of his secrets when entrusted to my care as such-murder,treason, felony and all other offences contrary to the laws of God, and the ordinances of the realm, being atall times most especially exceptedI will not injure him myself, or knowingly suffer it to be done by others, if in my power to prevent it; but on the contrary will boldly repel the slanderer of his good name; and moststrictly respect the chastity of those nearest and dearest to him in the persons of his wife, his sister and hischild.ever bearing in mind the traditional penalty on the violation of any of them of(Masonic Ritual).

The penalty of the obligation is that of having my body severed in two, my bowels taken from thenceand burned to ashes, the ashes scattered before the four winds of heaven, that no more remembrancemight be had of so vile and wicked a wretch as I would be, should I ever, knowingly, violate this my Master Masons obligation, (Duncans). So help me the Most High, and keep me steadfast in this my s. o. (sol-emn obligation) of a M.M. (Masonic Ritual).

The penalty of Mark Master Degree: Speaking of the penalty of the obligation of the Mark Master De-gree, which occurs in Lodges that are above the Three Degrees, Harris declared, Binding myself under noless penalty than to have my right ear smitten off, that I may forever be unable to hear the words, and myright hand chopped offSo help me God



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Several days later with the Group, he visited President Pinochet in the Presidential Palace. Identification of a Freemason in a group of people is by a Pass-grip, (secret handshake) which varies according to the de-gree a person has attained. This allows identification, whether persons can speak the same language or not, or whether in light or darkness, as it has to do with pressure and position.

One of the Greatest Secrets: Although not known by Masons in the first three degrees, because they areforbidden to find out secrets of a higher degree, the Royal Arch degree claims to have restored the name of

the Triune God, which they said was once lost. Speaking of the Royal Arch degree, William Schnoebelensaid that the true name of God was JAH-BUL-ON. This is a disturbing situation for truly born again Biblebelieving Christians. JAH, (the first syllable) represents Yahweh or Jehovah, the name of the God of Abra-ham, Isaac and Jacob. BUL, represents the name of Baal or Bel. This is the name of the god of Jezebeland Ahab, perhaps the most wicked couple ever to sit on the throne of Israel (I Kings 16:29-33). ON, rep-resents the name of the Egyptian sun godthe god of the Pharaoh. This is an abomination to the Lord, whohas clearly said, in the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt have no other gods before meThou shalt not bow thyself down to them, nor serve them, (Ex. 20:3, 4).

A Christian PerspectiveThe Lodge unfortunately has deceived many sincere and respected people. When the candidate joins theLodge he is most often unaware of the character and nature of the oaths that he must take. At the time of taking this oath, there are so many well respected people seated in the midst, and in some cases peoplewho profess to be Christians, even some so-called Ministers. By the grace of God, the truly born again Biblebelieving Christian is given a way of escape through Gods Word, recorded in Lev. 5:4-6; cf. 1 John 1:5-20.

The oaths taken by Freemasons, are blasphemous, and especially for a person who professes to be aChristian. For the truly regenerated Christian (John 3:3, 7; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23) , his body is a temple of the HolySpirit (1 Cor. 6:19) and oaths such as these are an abomination. When oaths are taken the candidate isgenerally kneeling at the altar, on one knee. He will either have one or two hands upon the Open Bible(VSL). His seeking of Gods help to remain steadfast in such a sinful activity can only be deemed as un-godly, and un-Christian.

In the Blue Lodge the Worshipful Master, (who governs the Lodge) presides in the Chair of King Solomon,but even King Solomon himself cautioned against hasty vows (Eccl. 5: 1-7). The Apostle Paul faced incon-ceivable persecution from religious men and asked, Are they ministers of Christ? (2 Cor. 11:23). Such so-called professing Christians through their liberty have become stumbling blocks to younger or new Chris-tians (I Cor. 8:9), through a walk of disobedience. The prophet Samuel said Behold, to obey is better thansacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness isas iniquity and idolatry, (1 Sam. 15:22, 23a).

John R. Rice says that many Christian people are in the Lodges. They would like to feel that the Lodgesthemselves are Christian and that the Lodges make better Christians, or at least that there is nothing offen-sive to Christianity in the Lodges. Unthinking or unscriptural Church members often insist that the Lodgesare just as good as the Churches and are doing the same kind of work. Rice said his father became con-sumed with traveling night after night to lecture in Masonic Lodges, and his spiritual life became weak, andhe ceased preaching. His doctrine had changed, and he finally believed that sincere heathen people whohad a religion and earnestly tried to live up to their light were saved and did not need to be born again.

There are Church Constitutions that forbid Freemasons from becoming members because a Freemasoncannot be a truly born again Bible believing, God honouring Christian. Neither can a Freemason be servedthe Lords Supper. This is very significant as there are many so-called Ministers of Churches who areFreemasons and contrary to the Word of God they administer the Lords Supper. The Lords Supper is aspecial time of commemoration of the Lords crucifixion death and blood atonement for sin (Matt. 26:26-28;Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-21; John 13; 1 Cor. 11:25). It is only to be participated in by those who believein Jesus Christ by faith who are born again (1 Cor. 10:16, 17) , have confessed their sin and repented of them and have been baptized (Acts 2:41, 42; 1 Cor. 5:11; 11:20, 33, 34) . Likewise, they must be walking infellowship with God (1 Cor. 11:27-31). It is a special spiritual experience and must not be participated inwith a careless attitude.



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The Word of God warns of the person participating in an unworthy manner, as to do so brings Gods judg-ment on oneself, to be divinely judged with physical sickness and physical death. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of theLord, But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation (judgement) to himself, not discerning theLords body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep, (1 Cor. 11:27-30). Cal-vin says to eat unworthily, then, is to pervert the pure and right use of it by our abuse of it.

ConclusionIn todays society there are many cults,false religions, and false teachers. JesusChrist warned us that this would occur,and they will deceive many (Matt. 24). These false teachers offer a false gospelto their own destruction, for which both thefalse gospel and the person teaching thefalse gospel will be accursed (Gal. 1:8:9). They are believing and propounding afalse gospel that is leading themselvesand others to their own total destruction. If they be Ministers, they are leading peopleto Hell in the Church pew.

There is no doubting that Freemasonry isa religion, but a false or counterfeit relig-ion. Although many authors of Cult Ency-clopedias believe that Freemasonry is a

cult, there is no doubting that some of the varied forms of degrees have cult practices, likewise occultishpractices.

It is absurd to think of the joining of righteousness with unrighteousness, or the mixing of light with darkness(2 Cor. 6:14). A Christian must separate from apostasy and false teaching and reflect a life in accordancewith the God who saved him. Christians are commanded not to fellowship or create bonds of worship withthose who worship other gods, or worship God in another way. They are not to be unequally yoked in busi-ness, marriage or Ecclesiastically (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1), but come out from among them (2 Cor. 6:17). The

Apostle Paul said, have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. (Eph. 5:11, 12).

Harris said that Masons will lie in the face of angels about the rituals, rather than break their oath to exposethem. He continued, A practicing Mason, therefore, can never be trusted to tell the truth regarding the se-crets of Masonry.

The profound significance is that true believers were bought with the price of the blood of Jesus Christ onthe hill of Golgotha (Acts 20:28). It must be understood that goodliness without godliness is not acceptableto God. An organization has absolutely no authority from God to inflict penalties upon anyone.

The positions of leaders should be of divine appointment and not of human scheming, or the elevation of leaders before they should. A Christian Minister must be born again (John 3:3, 7; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23) , as Lead-ers require diligence and must apply the teachings of Gods Word to their lives. When the author of this arti-cle was a Freemason, for 10 years before becoming a Christian, he understood that Billy Graham was aFreemason as it was popularly claimed, but in writing to him in more recent years, his organization re-sponded with a standard letter disclaiming that he ever had or ever would be.



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It is unfortunate to note that of the Lodges of English origin, a member of the English Royal family is alwaysthe Patron and likewise the Royal family heads the Anglican Church. Consequently it would not be surpris-ing for the Anglican Church to have many Ministers and members who are Freemasons.

Salvation is for believers in the Living and True God, it is not automatically conferred upon a member of anyChurch or organisation. Neither is it obtained from sacraments/ordinances given by any Church, para-church organisation or religious institution.

Salvation involves understanding sin and recognizing that all men have sinned and come short of the gloryof God (Rom. 10:23), and that there is a penalty for sin as the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Also thatJesus Christ paid the debt as His blood was shed for the remission of our sins on the Cruel Cross of Cal-vary (Rom. 5:8). Through His grace and mercy God gave the gift of life through His Son Jesus Christ, tothose who believe. It is a gift from God to those who confess with their mouth the Lord Jesus and who be-lieve in their heart, that God hath raised Him from the dead, they shall be saved (Rom. 10:9-10).

Jesus Christ said, If ye love me, keep my commandments, (John 14:15). The Word of God says, And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him, (1 John 2:3, 4).

The Word of God says, Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hathrighteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receiveyou, (2 Cor. 6:14, 17). The Word of God is very clear that any person claiming to be a Christian and stay-ing in such an organization, will not be received by God.

BMC!!! Dear YFers,

Throughout the pages of this issue, youll find the BMC verses for the first term, with key words and phrasestaken out to serve as a little test or to refresh your memory, as well as verses from last years final term, withonly the references removed. Keep a look out for these gems and test yourself to know Gods Word better!

_______ 10:38

Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

_____ 4:14-15Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appearethfor a little time, and then vanisheth away.For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this,or that.

______ 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.



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The Secrets of Sinning What secrets does SIN hide; so short yet sharp,This word that preys on souls and hearts?Behold how Sin will soon devour,Victims with its covert power!

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are law-ful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

(1 st Corinthians 6:12)

One of the many secrets of SIN lies in its power. For it is right there; you csin anytime, anywhere! Think a thought, take a glance- there, youve doneSIN is yours. Did you walk down that road yesterday? Did you speak thatword today? Maybe you dont even remember now

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.! (Isaiah 64:6)

You will know your SINs, one day. If not on earth, than soon enough, whemeet our maker You will remember- and you will regret. And that is themate secret. Regret, for having grieved your loving Heavenly Father. Regr you suffer His wrath Remember that soft temptation, remember that spkling SIN? Then strive to remember too, that with SIN comes the black slof bitter medicine, the heart-wrenching lamentation that drains your eyes their colour, and sinks it all to the bags beneath.

The Secrets of Sinning 14


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! Beware Sins Power- It is the beginning of Regret.

Perhaps you cant quite relate to the regret yet- You have yet to encounter disastrous temptation, and you have been spared the wrecking guilt. Fight

keep it that way then, because SIN has more than one secret It has too mto name, though you should know a few: SIN is seductively beautiful, uniinably clever, and unbelievably sumptuous. Itll provide all the excuses yoneed.

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.! (2 nd Corinthians 11:14)

Though there exists not an exhaustive catalog of the twists and turns of th

Devils devices, be ever more on your guard, for you may be certain that bhind every gilded door, beneath every chocolate-coating, lies REGRET.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walkethabout, seeking whom he may devour:! (1 st Peter 5:8)

Regret is often dened as sorrow, aroused by circumstances beyond one'scontrol or power to repair. Fortunately, its not beyond God. God can x evrything! Have a problem with SIN? Go to Him now, and hurry. Get a life-from SIN.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and tocleanse us from all unrighteousness.(1 st John 1:9)

Joshua 1:___ This ____ of the ___ shall not ______ ___ of ___ _____; but thou shalt ________

_______ ___ and _____, that thou ______ _______ to __ _________ to all that is _______ _______: for then ____ _____ make ___ ___ __________, and then ____ _____ have ____ _______.Have not I _________ thee? Be ______ and __ _ ____ _______; be not ______, nei-ther be thou ________: for ___ ____ ___ ___ is with thee _____________ thou goest.

Psalms 139:___ _ ____, thou ____ ________ __, and _____ __ .Thou ________ my ___________ and mine ________, thou _____________ my

_______ ____ ___.

Thou __________ my ____ and my _____ ____, and ___ __________ with ___ __ ____.

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Secrets. We all have secrets; different ones at different phases of our lives. In late Sep-

tember last year, Adrian and I entered into the phase of parenthood. There was no turning

back, and there will be no respite from this phase until we are ready for retirement and

the kids are married out or have gained their wings of independence.

The experience of being first-time parents filled our hearts with many joys and of course,

just as many (if not more) fears. I guess for most of Isabelles childhood, these thoughts we

had are likely to be kept from her. After all, you cant expect a little child to understand and

appreciate the thoughts that parents have for them. We never did too, until we became

parents ourselves. Isnt that what our parents always say when they nag at us? You wait

till you have your own children, then youll understand! And so they were right after all,

unfortunately. And so, heres a unique privilege to take a peek at the secrets that Isa-

belles mummy (and daddy) harbour in their hearts...

Lets start at the very beginning. Daddy wished you were a boy. He even asked the gynaecologist to scan my tummy twice just to make sure that youre really a girl He used to lament that having to play masak-masak with you when youre older will be so boring. Instead, he wanted to play cars,

video games and other stuff that boys like to do.

12 Secrets of Isabelles Mummy (and Daddy)

...and Daddy

12 Secrets of Isabelles Mummy...

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He has this hope that one day in his old age, he can sit down on the sofa, relax and listen to youplay his favourite tunes on the piano. I hope you wont disappoint him in this.

Speaking of music, Daddy loves to sing songs about you. He came up with a song on the pang sai

queen: Isabelle, you are a pang sai queen.Isabelle, your butt is never clean;Rarely it isnt smelly;Your dirty nappyIs evidence to that

If I go home to be with the Lord earlier than Daddy, please take good care of him cos hell be very

lonely and probably wouldnt know what to do with himself. Thank God that you resemble me so youll remind him of me.

I dread the day that I will have to breathe down your neck and nag at you to do your homework.

Your grandma (my mother) hopes that youll have your fathers brains. In some sense thats good,because hes the sort that loves to study, unlike me. But I certainly hope you dont inherit his for-

getfulness!

Nothing warms our hearts more than seeing you smile at us when we smile at you. But even

though both daddy and mummy might always have a smile on their face, we have our worries too.Daddy worries about bringing back the dough whereas Mummy worries about whether youve had

enough to eat or whether youre gonna fall sick.

And finally, when you were young, Aunty Grace AY wanted to be like Abrahams servant and tried

match-making you to Paul LeongBut, as we will tell you when youre 16, theres a whole lot morefishes in the sea, so take your time to find the man who is both Gods choice and yours.

12 Secrets of Isabelles Mummy (and Daddy)

...and Daddy

12 Secrets of Isabelles Mummy...

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It is with a heavy heart that I pen this letter to you, urging you to take heed to what I am about to say. Nothing in this world is worth having if one were to lose his own soul, and it is a sad thing to see onesloved ones slipping into the perilous road of ungodliness without giving a thought to the consequencesof per dious living. So be attentive to the ramblings of an old man, for it has been said that history neverrepeats itself but only fools repeat history.

What do we have in this world that we can bring with us when we see our beloved Saviour Jesus Christ?Nothing. Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling. You came into this world naked- andnaked you will go back from it. Yet, how joyous it would be if we see our loved ones saved in the arms of Jesus when our pilgrimage on this world is over, and together sing the song of the Redeemed. Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kingsand priests: and we shall reign on the earth.Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that

sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. (Rev 5)

I will share my greatest regret in my erstwhile pilgrimage in this world. In one word worldliness, thecause of which was not taking heed to the Word, by not systematically studying His precious Word givento us truly studying it like a workman rightly dissecting the word and not just browsing over the wordsto appease ones conscience that he has done his daily reading of Scripture. I do not make any excusefor my laziness or indi erence. After all, I had access to the Bible and I even did a two-year study in Bibleknowledge in the mission school I was in. I did well in the examination but on hindsight I must admit thatit was head knowledge and super cial it was not mixed thoroughly with faith and I did not have thezeal to follow through with God. The world caught up with me and I lost my grip on the Word. So whatdefense did I have in this world, constantly bombarded by all the evil impulses to our unredeemed esh?

Nothing! I was totally naked.

Worldliness is a scary thing. First, you become more entrenched in it, more set in your terrible lustful hab-its. It builds a defense against all godly in uences that may change your ways. Return to me says our

Retrospect

r e t r o s p e c

t ret!ro!spect / !r "tr #$sp"kt/ [re-truh-spekt]

noun

1. contemplation of the past; a

survey of past time, events, etc.

verb (used without object)

2. to look back in thought; refer back (often fol. by to): to retro-

spect to a period in one's youth.

verb (used with object)

3. to look back upon; contemplate

retrospectively.

Idiom

4. in retrospect, in looking back on

past events; upon reflection.

19

By Uncle Arthur


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merciful God, but you may turn a deaf ear. Then as you start your adult life, you will raise your familycompletely void of God. His presence will be nowhere to be seen and the concomitant power of God thatwould steer the family to the vital path of godliness will be absent. You may have just enough religion inyou to avoid the stares and frowns of other godly church members, but you know that you are a hypo-crite. There is no reality in your profession. You are like Ephraim, a cake half turned.

So what should you do now? In biblical language Wherewithal (in what) shall a young man cleanse his

way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word. (Ps 119:9). In other words, be serious in your study of the Bible. Take time to look into His Word, read it, digest it, chew on it and apply it! This is not as hack-neyed as it sounds; be an over-comer of these evils and you will nd not only tremendous peace for yoursoul but a life of great joy and happiness; truly the godliness that you will exhibit will lead you to a roadof contentment which in Pauls words (1 Tim 6) is great gain. You would delight in your Lord your God, adelight that literally puts you in heavenliness, where you are in the very presence of God who delights tosee His child walking with Him.

And as you pour your heart and soul into His words and lead a sancti ed life powered by the HolyGhost, you would lead your family in the path of truth and righteousness. Here then is the secret of ahappy family the enshrining of the family altar that takes centre stage in your familys life. You wouldteach your children the Scriptures at a young age and impress upon their tender hearts the TRUTHS andREALITIES of the Gospel, that they are neither esoteric philosophies nor speculations of men but the reve-lations of God. Once convicted and convinced of these great truths they would learn to apply it as youhave shown them through your own upright life! They would real-ize that they have everything pertaining to life and godlinessthrough the knowledge of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whohas called them by His virtue and glory.

But how can you lead your family into the path of truth and right-eousness if you do not know God or His word? Can you leavethem to others, put them in Christian kindergartens or go tochurch and be fed only once a week? That is carnal thinking, for itis your responsibility to raise your family in the way of the Lord and this includes teaching them the Word of God diligently andconsistently. Do not rely on the fumes of your infantile Christianknowledge. Get to truly know God!

So study the word and prepare yourself for a life with God. Be diligent in setting up the family altar asGod blesses you with a family I cannot stress enough the importance of it. Remember that the church ismade up of a conglomeration of families. The Christ-exalting church may not be there because of manyreasons such as persecution or apostasy, but if the families of God remain godly and faithful there willalways be the true church dedicated to the glory of our God. Destroy the family and the church will go it is just a matter of time. This is why the Bible has emphasized so heavily on the family, and the responsi-

bility of the father in it. Where will be the deacons and elders be nominated from if not from godlyhomes? Smite the Shepherd and the sheep will scatter, so destroy the godly family and it will be huntingseason for the unprotected and helpless sheep! As a case in point, imagine the lth of the sodomiteswhereby they claim equal right to marital status and an adopted family. Some nations even allow its edu-cational process to show a picture of a family which includes two men or two women with children. Nowyou know why our Lord says one of the end time phenomena will be like the days of Noah and Lot!

Let me now touch upon eshly sexual makeup and the need to earn a living, in short sex and money.

Everyone has a sexual makeup, a sexual or biological impulse; indeed, sex is invented by God Himself!And everyone needs to earn a living, for God says if you do not work you do not eat. I am not saying youshould completely obliterate your sexual desires, nor am I saying you should be lazy and do only the

minimum amount of work to get by. What I am saying is that you should mortify (or kill) your inordinatesexual desires and covetousness.

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Sex and the Love of Money

SEX

What does the Bible say? The command is clearly given Mortify therefore your members which are uponthe earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate a ection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idola-try: For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.

I want to sh out the phrase inordinate a ection. (This is not to say the other things needing morti ca-tion like that of your speech (Col 3:8, 9) is of less importance.) Here the Apostle Paul is a realist. He is not

saying that we should kill all sexual impulses. He is not asking us to be a eunuch or a monk. There is nocommandment to kill our ORDINATE a ection. We are instructed in other parts of Scripture to regulateand govern our natural sexual desires, and the primary way to do so is to ee youthful lust. Flee, ee, ee!Control your bodily instinct, bu et your body as Paul says in 1 Cor 9 lest you be a castaway and of no useto God.

So do not tempt yourself with unsavory websites. Flee, do not even want to know the address of websitesor mix with ungodly crowds when sinners entice thee, consent thou not. (Prov 1:10) Do not put your-self in tempting, compromising situations. Do not go on holidays alone with your boyfriend or girlfriendeven if you feel capable of remaining chaste you are setting yourself up to the wiles and snares of thedevil, or what our Lord calls the depths of the devil (Rev 2). After all, we are all told to abstain from all ap-pearance of evil (1 st Thess 5). Inordinate a ections that nd its ful llment outside of marriage mortify it,kill it. That includes those in the mind. Kill the rst thought, the rst impulse of it.

The million dollar question is How? Am I to let go and let God do it, somewhat akin to the RCs dogmaof quietism? Scripture says di erently we are to EXERCISE ourselves unto godliness, 1 Tim 4:7. It does

not only mean we are justi ed by faith and sancti ed byworks, but that you are to put in e ort on your road to godli-ness. The Holy Spirit will energize your e orts to mortify theevil deeds of your body. (Rom 8:13)

Here I want to sh out the other word in Col 3:5 therefore.So we go back to the preceding verses, Col 3:1-4. (If ye thenbe risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, whereChrist sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your a ection onthings above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.4When Christ, who is our life,shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.) Inshort, you only can mortify the evil deeds of your bodythrough the Gospel!

Such pie-in-the-sky thinking, so unrealistic! O really? It may sound impractical or unrealistic, but remem-ber that the Gospel is reality, not some esoteric philosophy. The redeeming work of our Lord and SaviourJesus Christ is not a myth or invention of some desperate disciples the empty tomb and the 500-oddwitnesses attested to the Resurrection; the now reigning Christ is real, seated on the right hand of God asour glorious Advocate making intercession for us day and night, and the soon Returning Christ is real He will come again, hallelujah and Amen!

But how, you may ask, does believing in the Redeeming, Risen, Reigning and soon Returning Christ helpme in my morti cation of my inordinate a ections?

It is my experience and testimony that when confronted with any temptation or trial, you will ndstrength to overcome the temptation if you quickly ee from the unsavory situation and pray. Overcom-ing temptation is not using a check list of dos and donts, for if you are saved by faith you will be sancti -

ed by faith and not by law keeping. You can only mortify the evils deeds of your body through the Spiritof God (Rom 8:13). The Holy Spirit not only convicts you of sin but always points you to Christ and HisGospel. For example, Col 3:1-2: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, whereChrist sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your a ection on things above, not on things on the earth. I wouldpray accordingly: Our Father in heaven, thou who sees and knows the thoughts and intents of my heart,

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help me O Lord to overcome this evil that now besets me. Help me to realize that as I am in Christ, buriedwith Him into His death and hence as He died to pay the penalty of my sin to a broken law and so too Idied unto sin, and as He rose I rose with Him too to newness of life, sin should have no more dominionover me. I am risen with Thee, O Lord, help me by Thy resurrection power seek pure thoughts rather thanthis sinful impulse that now troubles me. Set my a ection, set my thinking on things in heaven where Thou art on the right hand of God the Father, exalted because of Thy nished work at Calvary, Thy pre-cious blood shed for me, exalted as Prince and Saviour with power over all hell and over all earth. Inter-cede for me that my faith fails not, O my Saviour, let me hide in Thee, O Lord of Ages, give me strength toovercome this temptation so that the Fathers Name will be glori ed. I pray in Jesus blessed Name,Amen.

Mortifying your inordinate sexual desires is not through drinking a bucket of cold water, taking a coldshower, sweating it out in the gym or in legalistic ticking o of dos and donts without understanding of the worthiness of your name as a Christian. It is not in some monastic hideaway or in some other forms of earthy asceticism, or in replacing one sin with another like getting drunk. But if ye through the Spirit domortify the deeds of the body, you shall live, not only eternal life but a life with vigour, power and peace.

There is no other way to mortify the esh except through the Gospel. One look at our Saviours face willnot only empower you to be conformed to His image but will give you deep joy as you commune withHim. It is a vital fellowship with our Lord that can truly satisfy and sanctify. We do not understand how amiracle works but miracles do happen in Scripture. Likewise we do not understand the process of sancti-

cation whereby we gaze at the face of Jesus as seen through His Word in the Bible and in prayer. Believeit, act on it in faith and you will be an over-comer. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass theglory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2nd Cor 3:18)

Money Makes the World Go Round

The caption exempli es what the world only thinks and lusts after money and more money. I am afraid the oft quoted warning in 1 Tim 6 the love of money is the root of all evils is becoming so familiar tous that it breeds contempt. It is like water rolling over aducks back. Look at the current mess the world is in,where banks are falling like nine-pins and governmentsare scrambling to put humpty dumpty together again,but to no avail. Scary losses are reported daily, amountingto trillions and trillions of dollars that send shivers downthe spines of most people and the scariest part is that

nobody sees it as a consequence of years of insatiablegreed and the misguided and wicked love a air with un-righteous mammon.

CEOs, in a bid to attain higher quarterly earnings andhigher share prices to fuel their ever fattening bonuses,are the ultimate examples of what unbridled greed can do to a man. Be careful of greed. It is the uncon-trolled desire of things innocuous at rst sight. Greed will make you a very unethical person. What youare doing may not be against the law of the land but because you put aside any ethical thoughts you willthink of ways and means to circumvent the law just to make a quick buck regardless of the dire conse-quence to others. I remember, early in my career as an investment banker, that we did not put a company

for public listing when we felt it against public interest you did not list a hospital because the pro t ob- jective will con ict against public good. Alas, the situation is di erent now. You can sell anything even if itis dubious so long as you declare it to be dubious. Thus even brothels listed in stock exchanges in theNetherlands now!

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Greed often starts o imperceptibly with a noble purpose; you may desire a better living standard foryourself and your family, a bigger at but not ostentatious, a more comfortable car, an occasional holiday. These are legitimate desires especially if you work hard for it. But desire, when uncontrolled, easily de-generates to greed. You become discontent with your lot and start comparing yourself with your moresuccessful peers. You want something and you want it in a hurry. And if you do not get what you want,you become bitter and discontent and worse of all you may even murmur against God!

This is exactly what the Psalmist Asaph felt as he penned in Ps 73. I love the Bible for it shows us that

whatever human frailties we su er from are not peculiar to me or to you, for the saints of old have gonethrough it and written it down for our learning. Asaph fretted over his situation and envied the apparent

carefree life of the wicked rich until he went into the sanctuary where the Lord revealed to him that theriches of the wicked is a judgment against them to set them onto the path of destruction (as they feelthey do not need God; but note this does not mean all rich men are unsaved). In contrast Asaph realizedthat he was continually upheld and guided by God even unto the day of his home going (Ps 73:23-24)and this led him to burst out in grateful praise Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is noneupon earth that I desire beside Thee. Let God be your strength, let Him be your portion, nd your entiresatisfaction in Him.

Learn the meaning of contentment which emanates from true godliness (which means being conformedto the image of Christ). This is indeed great gain. Contentment will guard you against being discontentwith the lot God has given to you, guard you against bitterness and worse of all against murmuringagainst God. Eccl 7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hathset the one over against the other, to the end that man should nd nothing after him . Your contentmentshould not be in things you possess or in the circumstances you nd yourself in whether in days of pros-perity or adversity. We cannot explain the vicissitudes of life they are in Gods hands. The only thing wecan do is to acknowledge, believe and praise the Lord that He is our all in all, our all su ciency, our satis-faction and our saving portion!

Of course being contented does not mean you are indolent, where there is no applying of yourself to thecalling that God has put you in be it even that of a humble but high calling of a housewife. It does notmean that you do not exercise yourself to make full use of the talent God has given to you. After all, theScripture has taught us to abound always in the things of God. We are exhorted to abound in love, toabound always in the work of the Lord how do you show forth diligence in spiritual things if you do nothave the mental attitude to do so in more earthly things? So work hard, work honestly and diligently,and to show forth your good conduct as a Christian so that the Name of God will be glori ed.

You may become wealthy if it be the will of God. But remember not to be high-handed in your dealingswith your brethren and be ready to share. Be ready to see a need in less fortunate brethren - stretch outwith an open hand a deep generosity as that which you have received from the Lord. Be always mindfulof the work of the Kingdom of God and be ready and willing to meet the needs. Indeed, you have to bemore conscious of the stewardship that God has placed in your hands and not consume it to your ownlusts by sel sh hoarding, or worse, in pro igate living.

Conversely if there comes a time when you are in need men born of a woman is full of troubles and of afew days says the Preacher remember you have a Lord who is the absolute Sovereign over all, even your

nancial a airs. You may be very distraught, anxious and even agitated with your family over trivialities,as you are frightened. The cares of this life seem overwhelming, but take heed of our Lord warning inLuke 21:34 lest at any time your heart be overcharged with it. It is the time when you should be mostwatchful and prayerful. Go on your knees, truly seek Him and abide in Him. Completely rely on His savingaction that has brought you into union with Christ. Like a branch in a vine simply rest in Him, trust thatHe knows what is best for His glory and for your good and let Him give you the sustaining and comfort-ing grace that you so desperately need. Remember precious verses like Isa 41:10 Fear thou not; for I amwith thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee

with the right hand of my righteousness. Remember that when the chips are down you are not to resort to short cuts. Do not let the great evil of covetousness set in. Instead, you are to mortify covetousness too. Covetousness is truly very heinous - it

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is likened to idolatry! Remember Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

This God is your God, your Lord in whom you owe grateful obedience to. He is our Father in heaven andwe His children by faith in His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Seek God, behold His beauty in allHis holiness and glory, enquire of Him in your secret place of prayer, pour out your wants, frustrations andanxieties to Him. Praise Him for His goodness and lovingkindness, that the Judge of all the earth willsurely do all things well.

! !

Conclusion

I hope this will galvanize you to seek the Lord in His word and prayer. Truly He has given us everythingpertaining to life and godliness. It is up to you to seize it. Do not be stubborn or slipshod. Literally tearyourself away from any compromising situation, ee and pray through the Gospel. Meditate upon Col 3and Rom 6, pray when you are confronted with temptation, seek the vital fellowship with a living God.

Guard your mind and do not have the mindset of the world or the esh. For if ye live after the esh ye

shall die, wrote Paul in Rom 8:13, i.e. IF YOU LIVE AFTER THE FLESH, YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE, SOMETHINGIS GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU. This is a solemn warning for those minding the esh. It is not talking of someone who repents, somebody struggling with sins. It is talking about the second death, a heartbeataway from hell so it is talking about a person accepted by fellow Christians but having not the Spirit of Christ.

Always examine yourself - are you in the esh or in the Spirit?

The answer is always found in your attitude towards the esh. If your esh is the governing principle inyour life, i.e. sin is no longer looked upon as an intruder, no longer some alien force trying to get into yoursoul but instead the captain of your soul, you are about to die. This is not talking about people who arestruggling with sin; it is talking of people not struggling with sin but embracing it.

This is an axiom, a truism, so take heed. Be lled with Spirit and you will sing in psalms and spiritualsongs making melody to the Lord in your heart.

! !

1 Corinthians ____ Which ______ also __ _____, not __ ___ _____ which ____ ______ ________, but which ___ ____ _____

_______; comparing ________ ______ with ________.

2 Corinthians 3:_ Ye are ___ _______ _______ in our ______, _____ and ____ of ___ ___:

2 Corinthians 4:__ _______ _______ about in the ____ the _____ of ___ ____ _____, that the ____ also of _____ might be ____ ________ in ___ ____.

Ephesians ____ And ______ not the ____ ______ of ___, whereby ye are ______ unto the ___ of __________.

1 Thessalonians ____ In _____ _____ give ______: for this is the ____ __ ___ in ______ _____ concerning you.

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YF 28th Anniversary

________ 6: 9-11How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a littleslumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, andthy want as an armed man.

______ 10: 14-15How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in himof whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they

preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospelof peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

! JAN 10, 2009

CPYF 28TH ANNIVERSARY

To be honest, when Danny first asked me if I could chair the YF Anniversary 2009 Committee, I wasscreaming in my head, Nooooooooo! However, my reply to Danny then was, I will think about it.

How am I going to cater for the 80-100 people that might be turning up while maintaining thebudget? What door gift am I going to make that would not be deemed boring? What if my com-mittee cant agree on a theme? How do I find people to participate in the special item? Thesethoughts raced through my mind. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more excuses I had not tochair this committee. The Anniversary was going to be held on the 10 th of January and I foresaw prob-lems coping with this commitment as I would be very busy with my internship and with my schoolmultimedia project.

After praying about it, I realised that my whole focus was way off and that all the anxiety I hadstemmed from reliance on myself. Why didnt I consider the spiritual aspect of this whole matter? Why am I rejecting an opportunity to serve the Lord? Fear began to ebb away as I recalled all the previouscommitments that I worried about and how the Lord had helped me.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I willhelp thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.- Isa 41:10

The Lord has once again proved His faithfulness by providing much help through Lingting, who was incharge of the special item and the food, Brian who was in charge of publicity, and my sister who was the postman when I was sick. I would like to thank those that agreedwithout hesitation to help in one way or another too.

In the future, most of us might be approached to serve in areas such as the YF camp/retreat, YF outing or YF Anniversary. Instead of being too quick to say no, I hope youwill remember this short sharing of mine and to keep in mind the spiritual aspect of the event that you are asked to plan. Without the spiritual aspect, we are merely justanother social club. Be careful not to fall into the sin of self-sufficiency (i.e. relying on

your own strength) or worry because

Our sufficiency is in God alone.! Joyce Auyong

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DONT BE ALARMED...... This article wont be written in code like the retreat timetable. =P

The March Retreat was a blessed time indeed, and Ithank God for the opportunity to have served in it,together with the rest of the Uth team. As with allthings, it was truly by His grace alone that everythingwent smoothly.

There was plenty of food (my goodness, the foodwas really plentiful) and laughter (what with theWhacko-variant we played), but most importantly,

there was plenty of spiritual feeding that came in theform of three messages and an unforgettable ses-sion on Christian character and etiquette.

The session on Christian character and etiquettewas conducted by Brother Michael and Sister Ee Na,drawing attention to why manners are important andhow we, as Christians, must be pleasant to be with,and not a pain. I think no one will soon forget thehilarious roleplay sessions we had, and the pointerson good manners that came after each scene. An-

other part of the session was rather instructional forboth guys and girls, as we found out what qualitiesare attractive to both genders.

On a somewhat relatednote: Guys, remember tolearn how to cook.

The messages were de-livered by Brother Henry,who covered the secretsof Joy, Wisdom and Hu-mility Christian virtues

that are often overlookedor poorly understood by aworld that wants only toseize everything it canand enjoy the now.

Here is a quick over-view of the messages,to refresh your memoryif you were there, andto share the blessing

with you if you werenot. =)

Personal Points

SECRETS 2009Retreat IC speaks...

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! by Brian Lim

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Secrets of Joy

Passage: 1 Peter 1:3 to 8

Out of the three, perhaps the one thing that is mostsought after by the world is joy, but what they domanage to nd is a eeting, hollow version of it.Brother Henry shared with us the secret to nding

true, lasting joy, and it lies in having our focus setrmly on Christ alone. True joy does not come fromwhat is around us and does not depend on our pre-sent state it is not circumstantial . Instead, it is posi- tional , where our relation with Christ is the source ofour joy. The knowledge that we are saved by Godand bought by Christ ! s precious blood, and promisedan eternal inheritance by a Guarantor who is perfectand never-changing, should be our cause for joy.With that focus, we can still nd

joy no matter what our situation,because while everything else issubject to change, our position has been secured by Christ, andour inheritance has been insuredby God, the same yesterday, to-day and forever.

Yet we sometimes misunderstandwhat it means to be joyful and be-lieve that if we have true joy, weshould be able to laugh in the faceof great calamity. This, however, is

not the case. The joy that comesfrom God is not a wild (or wow)

joy, but a quiet joy that is sub-dued and not usually expressed inwords.

Secrets of Wisdom

Passage: Proverbs 4: 7 to 9

Wisdom is something that people of the world seek,but their search is aimed at a different kind of wis-dom, and for a different purpose. The wisdom oftensought for pertains to earthly things, and aims tobenet the esh. True wisdom comes from God, andso the Bible is the only place we can go if we want toobtain wisdom. Yet, we have to do more that under-stand that wisdom comes from God we must trulybelieve that we can nd wisdom within the pages ofthe Bible.

Instead of being wise, we often fall into ignorance,not of the academic kind, but of the spiritual kindwhere we deny God and go our own way. This igno-rance is often both a cause and consequence of sin,which fuels a vicious cycle where ignorance brings inmore ignorance.

The solution is, of course, wisdom. Wisdom, Solo-

mon writes, is the principal thing that we shouldcrave for above all else, and for Christians, wisdomis a reverential fear of the Lord. Thus, wisdom givesus a right relationship with God, and this in turnrights our relationship with others. Wisdom teachesus prudence how to handle things in a mannerpleasing to God.

We are also told to exalt her (wisdom). Bro Henrydrew attention to the word exalt,noting that is means to give valueand honour to something that isnot usually deemed as somethingof high estate. The wisdom we areto seek after as Christians has lit-tle value with the world, so for usto exalt true wisdom, we requirean independence of mind from theworld ! s thinking, to be able to seekafter spiritual instead of materialthings.

It is clear, then, that the honour

mentioned in verse 8 refers tospiritual honour. With true wisdom,we will have the ability to riseabove the problems that bog downother less wise people.

As an example of the value of the crown of glorythat wisdom can deliver to us, Brother Henry drewattention to the fact that wisdom was to Solomon abetter crown than his physical, earthly throne. IfSolomon, who possessed an astonishing amount ofwealth, esteemed wisdom better than it all, then weshould learn from his testimony and seek after wis-dom above riches.

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Secrets of Humility

Passage: 1 Peter 5:5-7

As a note, humility features in our YF theme forthis year (Myself Aside, Jesus Inside) and wascovered by Brother Henry earlier in the year, dur-ing the rst cottage meeting of 2009.

Three stages of Christian humility were high-lighted in the message. Stage 1 is where theChristian has not yet been convinced of the ne-cessity of humility. Stage 2 is where humility be-gins to grow, but the Christian prays more that hewill be delivered from troubles that may develophumility. Finally, Stage 3 is where a Christian isfully matured in humility, as Paul demonstratedwhen he had a thorn in his esh.

As a Christian virtue, it must be noted that humilityis not weakness, neither is it timidity. Humility is, infact, that highest grace a Christian can have. It ison humility that other Christian graces are built,because thanks to it we know we cannot do any-thing by ourselves, and we depend on God in-stead of ourselves.

To keep our pride in check, we must rememberthat spiritually, we are bankrupt lower than beg-gars and even more helpless and disabled thanthey are, and we cannot save ourselves. It is only

through God!

s grace and mercy that we aresaved, and that we are blessed with all that wenow possess. Thus, the more we love God, themore we will understand our baseness and theless we will love self.

But we must also understand that humility is not atodds with greatness. Proverbs 22:4 tell us that Byhumility and the fear of the LORD are riches, andhonour, and life.

Finally, Brother Henry spoke on the wonder ofhumility, which is total reliance on God, and itleads us to live our life responsibly, being prudentand wise, all the while still being humble and giv-ing credit to God. To achieve this, we must alsolearn not to deal with things with our own strengthand ability, and instead cast all our care on Christ.

May we remember what we have learnt from theMarch Retreat, and apply it into our lives.

Personal Points

PERSONAL POINTSThis issue we have our newest Uth ChronicleMember, Samuel, and someone who thinks wipingtable is an excellent form of exercise, Hui Min!

Full NameSamuel Chia Soon Yee Is Currentlyon a very loooong holiday As aawe-inspiring relief teacher At the Age16 11/12 (Collator's note:as of 15/03/09)He LikesSport, Computer games,foodAnd Hopes to bea good Christain, a pro-mechanical engineer When the Rapture comes, he would most likelybe gorging myself with food.

Full Name Thong Hui MinIs Currently

Year One BioSci student atNTU :)As a studentAt the age 19She likes food, hiking, backpacking, beach, swimming,

to be of some help to others, jogging, beingalone at times, shopping for stuff I need, gal-frens, exploring places with rich heritage or culture, owers, guitar, learning somethingnew, chill out at coffee club, stayovers, beingindependent, dogs.And hopes to be a really good teacher and a great friend toher peersWhen the Rapture comes, she would most likelybe at some chill out places .

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My Brethren LiesOver The Ocean

Hark! Its Johan, from Perth, Australia!

Greetings to you all in the blessed name of our Lord and Sav-iour Jesus Christ!

Its been about a year and half since I came down under tocontinue with my tertiary education. God has really been good to me throughout my time here. Once again, I thank God for this opportunity to be here to study Physiotherapy. It hasbeen something that I wanted to do since I was 14. Despite my A level grades being only average, (or below average, I wouldsay), God has been so kind to open doors to alternate pathways for me to walk down the path to become a health professional.

Being in a foreign land alone is truly tough, especially when the place is filled with the vices of the world. However, the Lord has raised and sustained Faith Presbyterian Church, which Reverend Errol Stone is a pastor of. I thank and praise God for thechurch and Rev Stones family. They stand firm on Gods word and are a great bless-ing to every student that comes to study in Perth. I thank God also for the opportunity to be able to serve in the church in the audio-visual ministry, recording the message Sunday after Sunday. I also have the privilege of helping with the designing of thechurch website, which Im still working on.

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When I first started Year One of the courses last year, we were introduced to the manydifferent aspects of this profession. During some of our lectures, we were shown videosof certain types of patients going through different types of treatment. Sometimes, these videos got me thinking: is this really what I wanted to do? The course is reallyhard and the stress that I was going through didnt make things better. However, for one of my interview assignments, I was assigned to one of the community facilities where elderly cardiac patients undergo rehabilitation. My group and I were there throughout the whole of the session and I found the joy in interacting with these folks. Seeing the smiles that they have on their faces and seeing them getting better in termsof cardiac fitness warms me. This is just one of the things being a physiotherapist can do. And this is when I know that I have not chosen this path wrongly.

This year we start our proper clinical placements. Although for the first semester, wereonly there for visits, we are still expected to interact with the patients and reports are tobe written. It is kind of overwhelming for me

uth chronicle 2009-ii

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