The origin of various cultures is found in the Book of Beginnings, Genesis. In the beginning, there was only one culture or human race (Gen 11:1). Mankind at that point in time thought that they could build an edifice and a name for themselves (Gen 11:4). Little did they realize their arrogance has provoked the God of heaven bringing about the confusion of languages among them (Babel). The diversity of human cultures was part of God’s plan as is also reflected in His other creation where there are an inordinate variety of flora and fauna. The world is a much better place with diversity and diverse cultures fit the pattern. Paul affirmed what God had intended at the very beginning when he spoke to the learned people gathered at Mars Hill in Athens, “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.” (Ac 17:26 NIV).
At the tower of Babel, there was the confusion of tongues bringing about a scattering of people. However, in the upper room where the 120 disciples prayed, it brought about a uniting of people from different races through a powerful act of the Holy Spirit (Ac 2:7-11). The day of Pentecost foreshadowed the work that God would do to bring people from different nationalities to His saving grace. John the apostle confirmed this in his vision: “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” (Rev 7:9). God loves the world – the Chinese, Indians, Malays, Eurasians, Arabs, Jews and so on. And as the song goes, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.
Culture is defined as the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another. Human culture is therefore a part of God’s creation. Culture in and of itself is good; it was designed to bring glory to God. Each culture or people group makes a contribution no other can make. However, cultures over the years have been corrupted by the evil one. For example, art forms and architecture once used to glorify God have become objects and edifices that glorify the principalities and powers of this world (Ac 17:29). To restore God’s original intention for each culture, we need to find out the redemptive gift of each culture. For instance, the Chinese culture is known for her industriousness and filial piety. These are biblical values enunciated by Paul, “Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.” (2 Th 3:12) and “Honor your father and mother — which is the first commandment with a promise.” (Eph 6:2).
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to learn how to appreciate our cultural heritage without compromising our faith. The issue of funeral rites and Chinese festivals would pose a great challenge to believers whose loved ones are non-believers. There are no easy answers to many of the issues that believers would face living in a time when there are many counter kingdom culture onslaughts. And as what Jesus said to the believers during times of persecution, we ought to rely on the wisdom of the Holy Spirit (Lk 21:14-15). Filial piety ought to be shown when our loved ones are around and helping them in the house, or taking care of them when they are old. The gospel of Christ ought to be seen and heard.
The lunar New Year is round the corner and many Chinese would be celebrating the spring festival. Many of the pagan practices whereby food and joss-sticks are offered to deities should have no place in a believer’s life. The giving of red packets and mandarin oranges would serve as a good leverage point to pay respects and make conversations. This encourages family bonding and togetherness, albeit it could be once a year for some families. One thing for sure, even though it’s the year of the rabbit in the Chinese zodiac, to us it’s the year of the Lord’s favour, because of the very fact we are living under grace.
Have a blessed lunar New Year!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The Call of God
I was meditating on Isaiah's commission in Isaiah 6 today. This event occurred at the end of the reign of King Uzziah around 740 BC. Uzziah, king of Judah, was generally considered a good king. However, towards the latter half of his reign, he grew powerful and proud, leading to his downfall. He wanted to assume the priesthood by burning incense in the temple of God till he was struck with leprosy and had to quickly vacate the temple (2 Chron 26:16-21). He remained leprous till the day of his death.
When Isaiah saw the Lord, He was seated on a throne, high and exalted. Though earthly kings and rulers may pass away, the Lord continues to rule on His throne in heaven. Isaiah was transported to the temple in heaven in a vision to capture this divine sight. God's self revelation of Himself was followed next by the sounds that Isaiah heard. It was the heavenly choir by the seraphs (a kind of angels) singing "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty ..." bringing a realisation to Isaiah that he was terribly unclean in the presence of a Holy God. He immediately confessed his sins and unworthiness, resulting in his cleansing by an angel.
The work of the Lord requires vessels that have clean hands and pure hearts. God has called all His children out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Pet 2:9), and this entails our sanctification. The general will of God for every believer is
i) our sanctification (1 Th 4:3-8) - being set apart for His use.
ii) our joyful, prayerful, thanksgiving attitude (1 Th 5:16-18) - we can take everything to the Lord in prayer; a powerful weapon God has put in our hands.
iii)our acts of kindness and obedience to God's laws (1 Pet 2:13-21) - if we live under God's authority we will walk in a higher plane of spiritual authority on earth.
iv) our witness of God (2 Pet 3:9) - He desires us to shine for Him wherever He placed us.
Despite the above, there is still a specific will of God for individuals called by Him to accomplish His purposes on earth like Moses, Isaiah
and Jeremiah. Such a call of God is clear and distinct, often being confirmed through many ways. Our Senior Pastor had no less than two prophetic word to confirm the vision he saw in the clouds. But rest assured that when God calls you, He would empower you for every good work. One of the ways we can equip ourselves is to read the Word of God daily (2 Tim 3:16-17) and to pray (Jn 16:24).
The call of God requires a response from us and Isaiah spoke simply, "Here am I send me!" Would you be willing to respond positively, if He calls you into His service? It could be into so-called full-time ministry like serving in a church or para-church organisation, or it could be to serve as a tentmaker like the apostle Paul in the market places where God puts you. The world in its various fields like government, media, education, family, religion, military, etc. needs servants of God to not only shine for Him but be effective in their area of influence. May you be such a person as you answer the call of God.
When Isaiah saw the Lord, He was seated on a throne, high and exalted. Though earthly kings and rulers may pass away, the Lord continues to rule on His throne in heaven. Isaiah was transported to the temple in heaven in a vision to capture this divine sight. God's self revelation of Himself was followed next by the sounds that Isaiah heard. It was the heavenly choir by the seraphs (a kind of angels) singing "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty ..." bringing a realisation to Isaiah that he was terribly unclean in the presence of a Holy God. He immediately confessed his sins and unworthiness, resulting in his cleansing by an angel.
The work of the Lord requires vessels that have clean hands and pure hearts. God has called all His children out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Pet 2:9), and this entails our sanctification. The general will of God for every believer is
i) our sanctification (1 Th 4:3-8) - being set apart for His use.
ii) our joyful, prayerful, thanksgiving attitude (1 Th 5:16-18) - we can take everything to the Lord in prayer; a powerful weapon God has put in our hands.
iii)our acts of kindness and obedience to God's laws (1 Pet 2:13-21) - if we live under God's authority we will walk in a higher plane of spiritual authority on earth.
iv) our witness of God (2 Pet 3:9) - He desires us to shine for Him wherever He placed us.
Despite the above, there is still a specific will of God for individuals called by Him to accomplish His purposes on earth like Moses, Isaiah
and Jeremiah. Such a call of God is clear and distinct, often being confirmed through many ways. Our Senior Pastor had no less than two prophetic word to confirm the vision he saw in the clouds. But rest assured that when God calls you, He would empower you for every good work. One of the ways we can equip ourselves is to read the Word of God daily (2 Tim 3:16-17) and to pray (Jn 16:24).
The call of God requires a response from us and Isaiah spoke simply, "Here am I send me!" Would you be willing to respond positively, if He calls you into His service? It could be into so-called full-time ministry like serving in a church or para-church organisation, or it could be to serve as a tentmaker like the apostle Paul in the market places where God puts you. The world in its various fields like government, media, education, family, religion, military, etc. needs servants of God to not only shine for Him but be effective in their area of influence. May you be such a person as you answer the call of God.
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Griefing Process
Each year there are deaths related to members of our church. Last year there were at least three that I know of. Death is not an easy subject to broach especially in Asian culture. However, the Bible does talk about death and our Saviour Himself suffered a cruel death on the cross for the sake of lost humanity. The good news is that He overcame death by resurrecting from the grave.
Death strikes each person differently. Some may be taken away cruelly through an accident or diaster, whether man-made or otherwise. Others suffer a slow and painful death due to sickness or possibly a quick one due to some form of debilitating illness such as a heart attack. Yet others choose to take things in their own hands by ending life sooner than later. For the majority of people, we would love to pass on peacefully.
The Bible admonishes us to remember that life passes swiftly and death often comes unexpectedly (see Jas 4:13-17). Our time on earth is short and we have to make the best use of opportunities available (Eccl 9:10) and ask God to teach us to number of days so that we may present to Him a heart of wisdom (Ps 90:12). When death does occur, it is the loved ones left behind who have to pick up the pieces after the funeral is over.
Taken from the book, Ministering to the Mourning by Warren & David Wiersbe, there are eight stages of grief that people go through after the death of a loved one.
1. Shock: an emotional numbness triggered by the body's grandular and nervous system. This is God's way of temporarily anesthetizing us so that we can face the reality of what has happened without falling apart.
2. Strong Emotion: Tears are always in order when the heart is broken. Abraham wept when his wife Sarah died (Gen 23:2); Jesus wept at the grave of His beloved friend Lazarus (Jn 11:35).
3. Depression: sometimes accompanied by a smothering feeling of loneliness and possibly physical symptoms such as headaches, sleeplessness, loss of appetite or the reverse, eating and sleeping too much.
4. Fear: that life would not be normal again; fear of driving or riding in a vehicle if the loved one died in a car accident.
5. Guilt: take blame for the death of loved one as a form of penance - "If only ..." True forgiveness comes through confession of sin and appropriating the blood of Jesus.
6. Anger: directed at other people including the deceased person - "Why did you have to leave me alone?" Feelings of guilt and anger whether hidden of expressed can fuel painful disagreements among family members.
7. Apathy: the bereaved person has a hard time relating to the situation and other people and chooses to withdraw into his/her own world and fight the battle alone - or stop fighting altogether.
8. Adjustment: Assisted by faith, family, friends and the normal human abilities and strengths God has given, grieving people can eventually come to terms with their losses, accept them, and learn to rearrange life to fit reality.
Not every bereaved person go through all the eight stages, or if they do, it may be in different order. However, these eight stages are "mileposts" by which the mourners and caregivers can measure the progress of the journey. Some people may oscillate between two or three stages for a time before moving on, and we need to recognise where they are if we are ever to bring comfort and solace to them.
Death strikes each person differently. Some may be taken away cruelly through an accident or diaster, whether man-made or otherwise. Others suffer a slow and painful death due to sickness or possibly a quick one due to some form of debilitating illness such as a heart attack. Yet others choose to take things in their own hands by ending life sooner than later. For the majority of people, we would love to pass on peacefully.
The Bible admonishes us to remember that life passes swiftly and death often comes unexpectedly (see Jas 4:13-17). Our time on earth is short and we have to make the best use of opportunities available (Eccl 9:10) and ask God to teach us to number of days so that we may present to Him a heart of wisdom (Ps 90:12). When death does occur, it is the loved ones left behind who have to pick up the pieces after the funeral is over.
Taken from the book, Ministering to the Mourning by Warren & David Wiersbe, there are eight stages of grief that people go through after the death of a loved one.
1. Shock: an emotional numbness triggered by the body's grandular and nervous system. This is God's way of temporarily anesthetizing us so that we can face the reality of what has happened without falling apart.
2. Strong Emotion: Tears are always in order when the heart is broken. Abraham wept when his wife Sarah died (Gen 23:2); Jesus wept at the grave of His beloved friend Lazarus (Jn 11:35).
3. Depression: sometimes accompanied by a smothering feeling of loneliness and possibly physical symptoms such as headaches, sleeplessness, loss of appetite or the reverse, eating and sleeping too much.
4. Fear: that life would not be normal again; fear of driving or riding in a vehicle if the loved one died in a car accident.
5. Guilt: take blame for the death of loved one as a form of penance - "If only ..." True forgiveness comes through confession of sin and appropriating the blood of Jesus.
6. Anger: directed at other people including the deceased person - "Why did you have to leave me alone?" Feelings of guilt and anger whether hidden of expressed can fuel painful disagreements among family members.
7. Apathy: the bereaved person has a hard time relating to the situation and other people and chooses to withdraw into his/her own world and fight the battle alone - or stop fighting altogether.
8. Adjustment: Assisted by faith, family, friends and the normal human abilities and strengths God has given, grieving people can eventually come to terms with their losses, accept them, and learn to rearrange life to fit reality.
Not every bereaved person go through all the eight stages, or if they do, it may be in different order. However, these eight stages are "mileposts" by which the mourners and caregivers can measure the progress of the journey. Some people may oscillate between two or three stages for a time before moving on, and we need to recognise where they are if we are ever to bring comfort and solace to them.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Educating young people
I spoke to the new batch of students who joined our Integrated Programme this year. One of the things they have to pick up along their educational journey is soft skills. I mentioned to them that among the many attributes and qualities one needs to cultivate and develop are the following:
(i) Discipline: a habit of mind that enables one to exercise self-control; this has to do with coming out with a schedule and following it to manage all your work and activities. Capitalise on ICT tools to jot down the deadlines for all projects and assignments; when there would be tests/assessments. Keep pace with all your daily work and assignments. You’d have to learn how to prioritise the things that need to be done each day, including your outside activities. Let me at this point mention the dangers of spending too much time on the internet or playing computer games. Limit your time spent on social networking sites, etc. Students who don't exercise self-control now may have to bear the consequences of their actions later.
(ii) Proactive: this has to do with initiating change before things get worse and you start reacting; invariably if this happens too often, it would be too late sometimes to salvage the situation. For example, if you are missing lessons for whatever reasons, you are to find out from your classmates or tutor what you have missed and bridge the knowledge/skills gap. In this way, your pursuit of knowledge can continue unhindered. You have to develop courage to ask your tutors questions whenever you encounter problems understanding materials being taught. If you do ask your friends, make sure they’re giving you the right information. When you’re not sure of things, don’t assume; ask, ask, ask! All your tutors are willing to help you if you approach them with the spirit of genuine inquiry.
(iii) Inter-personal skills: Group work will play a crucial part of your life in school. It goes without saying that to survive in any organization or social institutions; one has to learn how to relate with each other. When we pool our resources and energies together, we can definitely accomplish much more due to synergy. All of us have different personality traits and behaviour. Some traits endear us to people while others may not be to their liking. Certainly when you’re not pulling your weight in a project, you’ll not endear yourself to others. Know where your strengths lie and contribute meaningful based on your talent or gifting. Learn to communicate expectations clearly to one another. If you’re put in-charge, lead! These platforms will provide you the opportunity to hone your leadership ability as well as your social-interpersonal skills. Learning to live and let live is an essential mindset for successfully navigating life's journey with people of different mix and temperaments.
(i) Discipline: a habit of mind that enables one to exercise self-control; this has to do with coming out with a schedule and following it to manage all your work and activities. Capitalise on ICT tools to jot down the deadlines for all projects and assignments; when there would be tests/assessments. Keep pace with all your daily work and assignments. You’d have to learn how to prioritise the things that need to be done each day, including your outside activities. Let me at this point mention the dangers of spending too much time on the internet or playing computer games. Limit your time spent on social networking sites, etc. Students who don't exercise self-control now may have to bear the consequences of their actions later.
(ii) Proactive: this has to do with initiating change before things get worse and you start reacting; invariably if this happens too often, it would be too late sometimes to salvage the situation. For example, if you are missing lessons for whatever reasons, you are to find out from your classmates or tutor what you have missed and bridge the knowledge/skills gap. In this way, your pursuit of knowledge can continue unhindered. You have to develop courage to ask your tutors questions whenever you encounter problems understanding materials being taught. If you do ask your friends, make sure they’re giving you the right information. When you’re not sure of things, don’t assume; ask, ask, ask! All your tutors are willing to help you if you approach them with the spirit of genuine inquiry.
(iii) Inter-personal skills: Group work will play a crucial part of your life in school. It goes without saying that to survive in any organization or social institutions; one has to learn how to relate with each other. When we pool our resources and energies together, we can definitely accomplish much more due to synergy. All of us have different personality traits and behaviour. Some traits endear us to people while others may not be to their liking. Certainly when you’re not pulling your weight in a project, you’ll not endear yourself to others. Know where your strengths lie and contribute meaningful based on your talent or gifting. Learn to communicate expectations clearly to one another. If you’re put in-charge, lead! These platforms will provide you the opportunity to hone your leadership ability as well as your social-interpersonal skills. Learning to live and let live is an essential mindset for successfully navigating life's journey with people of different mix and temperaments.
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year - New You
New Year always mark a fresh start to things; at the same time, don't forget to look back to 2010 and thank God for the blessings He has bestowed upon you. It could be as simple as good health, peace of mind, daily provision of food and shelter and friendships forged.
As a family, we committed to the Lord in prayer our goals and aspirations for the new year. It's good to hear the prayers of our children (and I believe God loves to hear the prayers of His children too!) desiring to spend more quality time with the Lord to get to know Him better. They committed their plans to attend pre-baptismal classes before undergoing water baptism this year. I guess it's a good time for them and they're of age to understand what they are doing.
As our children grow older, they become more self-conscious especially of their physique. This could be due to what they see or hear over the media/net and what their friends tell them. The younger one in particular would like to trim down by watching what she eats. She has also gone down to the park to do some exercise with her sister. She has started on the journey in displaying self-control in the area of her health, and one can see that she's really trying, though the temptations to indulge are there.
One Scripture verse comes to mine: "On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." 1 Tim 4:7-8
The apostle Paul talks about bodily discipline being of little profit in the context of the time-frame that believers have in eternity. We are to ensure that we build up our spiritual body first; godliness speaks of the inner character and beauty that God desires in each one of us. The Bible also says that without holiness, no one can see the Lord (Heb 12:14). At the recent Watch Night Service, I also spoke on a similar theme concerning building our spirit man,How have you grown in 2010? , mentioning 5 areas of growth that we can evaluate ourselves basing on the passage taken from 2 Pet 3:10-18:
1. Spotless
2. Blameless
3. Peace with God
4. Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
5. Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
Do get the message CD if you want to know more. Let me now move on to the physical part which is of little profit. Note that Paul didn't say it was of no profit. I believe each one of us need to keep our physical body healthy in order to be fit not only to be able to work and support our family, but also to serve the Lord and contribute to the needs of society.
To keep oneself fit and healthy we need to exercise regularly (at least 3 times a week for about 30 minutes), watch our diet (lots of fruits/vegetable/plain water) and have a good sleep (6-7 hours). I shared with my daughters these info and the need to cut down on consuming trans fat foods which can be found in many snacks and fast food. Reading a health magazine, I found out that a small amount of trans fat is found naturally in some animal-based foods such as meat and milk. It is mainly found in processed foods such as vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, fast/snack/fried/baked foods, salad dressings, products made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Cutting down on trans fat foods will help to keep our cholesterol levels in check. As one grows older, we have also to contend with hypertension. This is where we need to reduce our salt and sugar intake. You could also supplement your diet with some vitamin pills.
Wishing you a healthy and godly start to the new year.
As a family, we committed to the Lord in prayer our goals and aspirations for the new year. It's good to hear the prayers of our children (and I believe God loves to hear the prayers of His children too!) desiring to spend more quality time with the Lord to get to know Him better. They committed their plans to attend pre-baptismal classes before undergoing water baptism this year. I guess it's a good time for them and they're of age to understand what they are doing.
As our children grow older, they become more self-conscious especially of their physique. This could be due to what they see or hear over the media/net and what their friends tell them. The younger one in particular would like to trim down by watching what she eats. She has also gone down to the park to do some exercise with her sister. She has started on the journey in displaying self-control in the area of her health, and one can see that she's really trying, though the temptations to indulge are there.
One Scripture verse comes to mine: "On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." 1 Tim 4:7-8
The apostle Paul talks about bodily discipline being of little profit in the context of the time-frame that believers have in eternity. We are to ensure that we build up our spiritual body first; godliness speaks of the inner character and beauty that God desires in each one of us. The Bible also says that without holiness, no one can see the Lord (Heb 12:14). At the recent Watch Night Service, I also spoke on a similar theme concerning building our spirit man,How have you grown in 2010? , mentioning 5 areas of growth that we can evaluate ourselves basing on the passage taken from 2 Pet 3:10-18:
1. Spotless
2. Blameless
3. Peace with God
4. Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
5. Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
Do get the message CD if you want to know more. Let me now move on to the physical part which is of little profit. Note that Paul didn't say it was of no profit. I believe each one of us need to keep our physical body healthy in order to be fit not only to be able to work and support our family, but also to serve the Lord and contribute to the needs of society.
To keep oneself fit and healthy we need to exercise regularly (at least 3 times a week for about 30 minutes), watch our diet (lots of fruits/vegetable/plain water) and have a good sleep (6-7 hours). I shared with my daughters these info and the need to cut down on consuming trans fat foods which can be found in many snacks and fast food. Reading a health magazine, I found out that a small amount of trans fat is found naturally in some animal-based foods such as meat and milk. It is mainly found in processed foods such as vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, fast/snack/fried/baked foods, salad dressings, products made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Cutting down on trans fat foods will help to keep our cholesterol levels in check. As one grows older, we have also to contend with hypertension. This is where we need to reduce our salt and sugar intake. You could also supplement your diet with some vitamin pills.
Wishing you a healthy and godly start to the new year.
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