I was assigned for hospital visits that week and I got to meet Mr See. Although it was my first time meeting him, my nerves settle down very quickly and I began to enjoy my conversation with him. We spent much time talking about quite a number of things and strange enough, he left a deep impression in me. Perhaps it was the strength he displayed or the joy that shone through despite his failing health. I made up my mind to visit him again next week although I was not on duty.
But the second visit did not materialise. Perhaps I was too busy, perhaps I was too 'lazy'. Perhaps I felt the inconvenience or perhaps I thought there was still time. The days passed quickly and I did not see him that Friday. "Thanks for visiting my dad", her daughter beamed. It was Sunday morning. Mr See had been discharged but unfortunately, he had shingles and so he was not able to attend church service in case the contagious disease spread. I was glad for him and I thought to myself, "Hopefully I'll get to see him in next week's service".
Monday morning. The news came that Mr See had passed away. He had been taken home to meet His Maker; a home that was prepared for him and for us that believed in Jesus. A place where there is no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain, no more sickness, no more conflicts, no more misunderstandings - a perfect home for a perfect body and mind. There will be singing, and dancing, and celebrations, and joy, and worship of God for Mr See. A loss on earth for us but a gain for him in heaven.
Time is not something we can buy. When it's gone, it's gone. I wish I have spoken to dear Mr See twice but it was not to be. Too many excuses I supposed. Our time on earth is really that short, but even an one-time encounter can make a difference and change things. Time really waits for no man. Seize the opportunity today. And let your light shine.
"When I think of him, he still impressed upon me what joy can do to the person who has it, and to the person who sees it" ~ Jason Lee.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Saturday, September 08, 2007
A loving, radical and balanced Christian & Church - Conclusion
Please read Part 1 to Part 3 before this post to my thoughts on a loving, radical and balanced Christian & Church.
Here's the conclusion and it's a writing on the Church, i.e. the followers of Christ.
The Church, the body of Christ
We are distinct yet inseparable
We are different yet united
We are unrelated yet one family
We have different gifts but the same work
We have different ministries but the same mission
We have different stories but the same God
The same God who loves us all
The same love that binds us all
The same bond that show us all
That all may know we are His disciples
That all may know His loving kindness
That all may know His name
To God be the glory
~ Jason Lee
Here's the conclusion and it's a writing on the Church, i.e. the followers of Christ.
The Church, the body of Christ
We are distinct yet inseparable
We are different yet united
We are unrelated yet one family
We have different gifts but the same work
We have different ministries but the same mission
We have different stories but the same God
The same God who loves us all
The same love that binds us all
The same bond that show us all
That all may know we are His disciples
That all may know His loving kindness
That all may know His name
To God be the glory
~ Jason Lee
A loving, radical and balanced Christian & Church - Part 3
I have read of Christians who bash the institutionalised church as unbiblical and even pagan, and calls for a return to 'New Testament styled' churches called house churches. I have heard of 'strange' teachings that promised good health and wealth to all Christians even though that is not truly the case. And there are many more 'controversies' or 'debates' from the Christian community today. How do we account for someone who has benefited and truly believe in Christ through some movements or churches with a 'controversial' theology? Is not God able to turned what is bad to good? Can not God preserve the spiritual health of a growing Christian by showing him the errors in the teachings he is receiving? God is sovereign and we can't really fathom why He allows certain things to happen but we all do know that He works all things together for good to those who love Him.
I feel that unless God has explicitly spoken of and shown His displeasure toward a certain form of ministry, movement or actions of a Christian, we should never judge it by attacking it or condemning it. It is dangerous. Imagined you are attacking or condeming a work that is truly from God - aren't you wasting your time and energy contending with God? And the worse part is you are saying what is pleasing to Him and originated by Him to be some sort of wrongs or evils. I implore you to read Acts 5:27 and Mark 3:22-30 before passing judgement.
To those who are contending that the speaking of tongues and/or spiritual gifts have ceased, please do not condemn such works that are happening today as demonic or unbiblical. And to those who are speaking in tongues and manifesting the gifts of the Holy Spirit, please do not judge churches who do not practice them as dead churches or inferior ones. This is especially so when both parties hold a bias view toward the other. How many of those who said speaking in tongues is gibberish and no longer valid had actually seen or heard for themselves tongues that are truly a foreign language praising God and not ecstatic utterances? How many of those who said gifts are no longer valid and unproven had actually seen a miraculous healing(that is supernatural) or experienced one themselves? How many of those who said the 'non-charismatic' churches are dead had actually seen how they lived their lives as exemplary witnesses for Christ? How many of those who said that 'dead' churches are inferior had actually seen how they devoted themselves to prayer and to a sacrificial work among the poor?
My dear brothers and sisters, let us love each other with an unbias view. After all, won't the above acts glorify God? If it does, why do we still contend with each other and try to strike each other down? Is not each individual accountable to God on that Day? Let us love God and love each other even if we have some differences; especially if those differences do not go as far as having a different gospel which will then require a separation. But love still remains. It will never fail and by our love for each other, all man will know that we are His disciples.
I feel that unless God has explicitly spoken of and shown His displeasure toward a certain form of ministry, movement or actions of a Christian, we should never judge it by attacking it or condemning it. It is dangerous. Imagined you are attacking or condeming a work that is truly from God - aren't you wasting your time and energy contending with God? And the worse part is you are saying what is pleasing to Him and originated by Him to be some sort of wrongs or evils. I implore you to read Acts 5:27 and Mark 3:22-30 before passing judgement.
To those who are contending that the speaking of tongues and/or spiritual gifts have ceased, please do not condemn such works that are happening today as demonic or unbiblical. And to those who are speaking in tongues and manifesting the gifts of the Holy Spirit, please do not judge churches who do not practice them as dead churches or inferior ones. This is especially so when both parties hold a bias view toward the other. How many of those who said speaking in tongues is gibberish and no longer valid had actually seen or heard for themselves tongues that are truly a foreign language praising God and not ecstatic utterances? How many of those who said gifts are no longer valid and unproven had actually seen a miraculous healing(that is supernatural) or experienced one themselves? How many of those who said the 'non-charismatic' churches are dead had actually seen how they lived their lives as exemplary witnesses for Christ? How many of those who said that 'dead' churches are inferior had actually seen how they devoted themselves to prayer and to a sacrificial work among the poor?
My dear brothers and sisters, let us love each other with an unbias view. After all, won't the above acts glorify God? If it does, why do we still contend with each other and try to strike each other down? Is not each individual accountable to God on that Day? Let us love God and love each other even if we have some differences; especially if those differences do not go as far as having a different gospel which will then require a separation. But love still remains. It will never fail and by our love for each other, all man will know that we are His disciples.
A loving, radical and balanced Christian & Church - Part 2
To this we might asked, "What is so radical about what you've just said?" You are right. It sounds 'ordinary' to us and it should be the norm for us, followers of Christ, but we are not really there yet(that is true at least for myself). Consider this:"A young man in Bible school offered to help David Wilkerson years ago when he was ministering on the streets of New York City. Wilkerson asked how much time he spent in prayer. The young man estimated about 20 minutes a day. Wilkerson told him, "Go back young man, Go back for a month and pray for two hours a day, every day for 30 days. When you have done that, come back. Come back, and I might consider turning you loose on the streets where there is murder, rape, violence, and danger. If I sent you out now on 20 minutes a day, I'll be sending a soldier into battle without any weapons, and you would get killed."
How much time do we actually spend praying(talking, pleading & listening) to God? Then someone says, "I spend 16 hours a day praying and doing nothing else!" Will we applaud this person for merely praying? I think not. I think as much as we strive to be radical for Jesus, we must not become extremists that have ideas that are far too lopsided. Praying without reading the word of God and without practising what the word says is not balanced nor radical for Christ in the truest sense; even if it meant the person prayed for 16 hours in one go.
How about someone who comes along and say, "I spend most of my time praying. But I also spend time reading the word of God and practising what it says although the ratio for the former is greater than the latter two." Will you then criticise or judge the person by saying, "You lazy bum! If you spend most of your time praying, who is going to reach out to those in the corporate world? Quit your miserable part time job and go get a real job!" I think too often we are guilty of judging because of our own bias. The above is exaggerated but there are cases that seemed to warrant a 'judgement' and for that, I am equally guilty of. I think having an open and balanced mindset is important.
No one should say "Marketplace ministry is the most effective way of reaching out to the lost" and hence neglect the jobless and marginalised. Nor should anyone say "We must help and give to the poor. They 'deserved' the gospel more than the rich" and hence neglect the people in the corporate world. The church must strike a balance in reaching out to both the rich and the poor because both parties need help and both parties are spiritually lost. Granted that some churches emphasize one over the other or focus more on one type, the church must still play its role of loving both parties wherever it is placed. This is similar for the individual. A person might spend more time praying but that does not excuse him for not reading the bible, doing good deeds and evangelising. There is no "Either...Or..." but "All" when it comes to what Christ has commanded us to obey and this is what I meant by being balanced. No one should speak critically of an individual or a church that is devoting more time towards certain areas of ministry unless they have become so extreme that they only do that and dropped everything else that Christ has commanded us and expected us to do.
How much time do we actually spend praying(talking, pleading & listening) to God? Then someone says, "I spend 16 hours a day praying and doing nothing else!" Will we applaud this person for merely praying? I think not. I think as much as we strive to be radical for Jesus, we must not become extremists that have ideas that are far too lopsided. Praying without reading the word of God and without practising what the word says is not balanced nor radical for Christ in the truest sense; even if it meant the person prayed for 16 hours in one go.
How about someone who comes along and say, "I spend most of my time praying. But I also spend time reading the word of God and practising what it says although the ratio for the former is greater than the latter two." Will you then criticise or judge the person by saying, "You lazy bum! If you spend most of your time praying, who is going to reach out to those in the corporate world? Quit your miserable part time job and go get a real job!" I think too often we are guilty of judging because of our own bias. The above is exaggerated but there are cases that seemed to warrant a 'judgement' and for that, I am equally guilty of. I think having an open and balanced mindset is important.
No one should say "Marketplace ministry is the most effective way of reaching out to the lost" and hence neglect the jobless and marginalised. Nor should anyone say "We must help and give to the poor. They 'deserved' the gospel more than the rich" and hence neglect the people in the corporate world. The church must strike a balance in reaching out to both the rich and the poor because both parties need help and both parties are spiritually lost. Granted that some churches emphasize one over the other or focus more on one type, the church must still play its role of loving both parties wherever it is placed. This is similar for the individual. A person might spend more time praying but that does not excuse him for not reading the bible, doing good deeds and evangelising. There is no "Either...Or..." but "All" when it comes to what Christ has commanded us to obey and this is what I meant by being balanced. No one should speak critically of an individual or a church that is devoting more time towards certain areas of ministry unless they have become so extreme that they only do that and dropped everything else that Christ has commanded us and expected us to do.
A loving, radical and balanced Christian & Church - Part 1
Of late, I've been reading up quite a bit on theological works and giving my brain a Question & Answer workout. There are too many things unanswered. Whether you are a scholar or not does not matter because there are things we can never be 100% sure of. The only thing we can be sure of is that God has given us His word and His word will tell us what we need to know and it is enough. What we really need to do is practice what the bible says, and not so much to contend over theological issues or questions that are tough(with no 'real' answers as the answers come from a bias view of the debater's anyway).
I feel that it is important for us to have a 'balanced' mind. A radical and yet balanced view of all the things that is happening in the Christian community. Radical as in unconforming to the patterns of the world, bracing oneself to adhere to the high standards of the bible, dying to self daily(sacrificing personal pleasure so that more time is spent praying, reading His word, ministering to believers and non-believers alike).
It is more than a fiery, passionate emotion with the notion of "I will do this for Christ!!!". Rather, this zealousness for His name must come from God Himself, not churned up by human self. It comes from understanding His words and the desire to see Him glorified among every people and nation. It is not the outward expressions that we so often associate with zealous people or those we termed "on fire for God" that will make a person truly radical for Jesus. It is often the secret moments he spent with the Lord - praying and meditating on His word day and night - that makes him a radical Jesus lover. It results in outward expressions that are more than just fist pumping and loud shouts of declaration; the outward expression is seen in the form of love - giving to those in need, mixing with the marginalised and outcasts, welcoming the weak and heavy laden, extending a helping hand and sharing life's journey with all man.
I feel that it is important for us to have a 'balanced' mind. A radical and yet balanced view of all the things that is happening in the Christian community. Radical as in unconforming to the patterns of the world, bracing oneself to adhere to the high standards of the bible, dying to self daily(sacrificing personal pleasure so that more time is spent praying, reading His word, ministering to believers and non-believers alike).
It is more than a fiery, passionate emotion with the notion of "I will do this for Christ!!!". Rather, this zealousness for His name must come from God Himself, not churned up by human self. It comes from understanding His words and the desire to see Him glorified among every people and nation. It is not the outward expressions that we so often associate with zealous people or those we termed "on fire for God" that will make a person truly radical for Jesus. It is often the secret moments he spent with the Lord - praying and meditating on His word day and night - that makes him a radical Jesus lover. It results in outward expressions that are more than just fist pumping and loud shouts of declaration; the outward expression is seen in the form of love - giving to those in need, mixing with the marginalised and outcasts, welcoming the weak and heavy laden, extending a helping hand and sharing life's journey with all man.
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