Archive for August, 2007
In a recent article by Dianne Muir (from Washington Post) reprinted in Straits Times, she discussed the implication of Islamic Reformation. There are reformers who want to go the way of the Renaissance. They encourage their believers to read the Quran for themselves without the dependence on scholars, imams, etc to interpret for them. It would be interesting to see how this will pan out if the current evolution leads to a spiritual revolution in the Islamic world. She warns: Be careful what you wish for
You never know! in searching the Quran for themselves they may end up knowing Christ because they have begun the search without the veil! The poverty of spirit will be filled by the true Word.
The article reminds me of our call within the churches of Christ to all Christians to go back to the scriptures. Our clarion call is: Speak when the bible speak and be silent when the bible is silent. Our favourite example is the Berean Christians.
Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
This call as the author of the news article suggests will cause division. Just as the Reformation movement by men like Luther and Calvin created big division in Europe, it will cause a schism in the Islamic world. The democratization of the gospel interpretation will lead to many views. It is unavoidable because each of us has different background, competence, maturity, and also baggage. What is good is that lies and false teachings will be under greater scrutiny and sacred cows will be minced beef. It is a dangerous phase at the same time full of great learning.
When Christ came he said something that was unpleasant.
Matthew 10:34-42 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
What will this sword do and to whom and in what form?
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
The Word of God is the Sword. It will cut and divide us away from lies, false teachings and any allegiance that puts God second place. It will create division before it can unite. Like a surgeon’s knife, cutting away, the Sword is meant to heal not kill. Sin kills. When we are sanctified or set apart by the Word, we are truly free. Are we?
After 50 years, how many of us in this part of the world can say we have been true to this call. There is still a dependence on some Christian “imams” to issue fatwas from US on those who do not fall in line. For more gripes, despair and suggestions from me on this matter, go to “I plead Euodia and Syntyche”.
As I grow older in faith I am questioning more of what I was taught. Since the gospel was brought to us from the west, I ponder how much of the interpretation is Westernized viz. Americanized. How would the people from the land of plenty, a majority of them who have never step out of their mid west kampong see the world? How has their parochial culture influence their teachings?
I am not advocating throwing the baby with the bathwater. When you study the scriptures for yourself, there are many clear teachings taught to us which we can check out. Many of the doctrines taught to us in the churches of Christ are correct and scriptural. I do not question the teachings per se. I question especially the way we put into practice locally.
There is an advantage of central control. It ensures conformity. With good shepherds, alignment ensures consistent behavior but alas! we are mere men and tend to stray even in the best intention. If either way has weakness then which way is best? The biblical way of autonomy is best. To do so requires an act of faith especially those who hold dear to sacred cows.
In such a situation, we need another clarion call for moderation and to all wise brethren to arise and share wise counsel.
1 Corinthians 6:5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
I question and search in faith into dangerous grounds for 3 reasons.
Firstly, God’s word will not return void
Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Secondly, His Grace is sufficient even if we have misinterpretation in the process of searching. Mistakes are unavoidable part of learning. Learning from mistakes is part of the experience and is only possible when there is Grace.
2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Thirdly, the Holy Spirit is well capable of His own quality control.
Ephesians 3:19-20 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
August 31st, 2007
My apologies if your comments do not appear. I just realized that the website system is so efficient that it classifies all comments with many sentences, as potential spam. My apologies if your comments were unwittingly deleted when I cleared the Spam tray. I will check the Spam category more diligently and re-classify your comments to my articles open for all to read. All contributions are welcome even those who disagree with me! God bless
August 31st, 2007
In two recent Straits Times articles, I can’t help but to conclude that the behaviours described reflect godless lives. One was gays deliberately spreading AIDS and considering such act as “gifts”and the other is the increasing rate of suicides in Singapore.
If you have experience depression before, a frequent thought would be suicide. The sense of despair causes one to even question the existence of God. “Prove to me God exist!” is the cry!
When I went through this similar experience several years ago, the question I could not find an answer was “What proofs do I have that God does NOT exist?”
Intellectually I just could not prove otherwise. There are sufficient evidence in creation that show there is a Creator.
Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
What happens if God does not exist?
If God does not exist, goodness has no meaning. Without God I am answerable to no one after this life. If this is so, why should I bother to be responsibile since there is no one to be accountable to! Why be good?
If I am poor, why should I work so hard to earn to upkeep my miserable existence? I would just kill whoever I dislike and then commit suicide.
If I am rich, I will be totally irresponsible, leaving my family; use my wealth to indulge myself and ensure my money provides me protection from authorities. I am answerable only to myself. Once my money runs out, I will do what it takes to get more money or kill myself. Again, there is no one to answer to after life.
Goodness has no meaning. Why would I care to be philosophical about being humane,kind and what it takes to be truly human?
Why do I need to build a Singapore for future generation? For what purpose when there is no afterlife?
It is nonsensical to say we msut accept gays as a lifestyle choice because gays contribute to society and argue that there are civil, law abiding kind hearted ones out there. For what purpose? Those who subscribe to such a belief are probably rich ones. Rich, not neceesarily with loads of money in the bank, but also rich in spirit (self). Once their money runs out, they have nothing to lose, that is when they will share their “gift” of death to others, before suicide.
August 14th, 2007
People of certain cultures are more predisposed to being respecter of persons than others.
Asian cultures especially those with some form of hierachy/patriachy would ensure you know which rung of the social ladder one is perched on simply by the title you have. Honorific titles inform the members of such groups whether you are an insider or outsider, elder or younger etc. For such folks being a respecter of person IS showing respect. They may struggle to disguish the two.The struggle to decouple showing respect and being a respecter of person provides fertile ground for favouritism.
The lack of ability to separate the message and the messenger thwarts one’s efforst in truth seeking. To such a person what matters foremost is who said what, before considering the weight of the message. If you are a person of no or low status, or poorly esteemed, what you say does not carry much even if you talk sense. When a person who is highly regarded speaks, even if he tells half truths, share secular worldly message, the audience will just lap it up.To such folks, a common verse to justify this behavior is “give honour to whom honour is due”.
Truth is independent of messenger. If something is true, it is true even if the messenger is your enemy,uneducated, not eloquent, low status or poorly dressed.
How do we know we are respecter of persons? An easy acid test is to use what our Lord suggested.
“By their fruits you shall know them” Matthew 7:20
What spirit is at work from one’s behaviour? Is it the Holy Spirit or the spirit of respecter of persons?
Let’s see 2 examples. Ask yourself , can you detect a hint of respecter of persons in this behavior of speech?
Spirit A
We are going to have a meeting. All bible class teachers: Charlie, Willy, Eddy; and maintenance supervisors: Barney, Fred and elders: Paul, Peter, John meet at the foyer after worship.
Spirit B
We are going to have a meeting. All bible class teachers: Bible Class Teacher Charlie, Bible Class Teacher Willy, Bible Class Teacher Eddy; and maintenance supervisors: Supervisor Barney, Supervisor Fred and elders: Elder Paul, Elder Peter, Elder John meet at the foyer after worship.
Spirt B is very troublesome for me to type. The deliberate effort to capitalise and repeat each role and make it a title reveals a lot of the person who would go to such extent. Such people do exists. To them it is showing respect.What kind of spirit is at work in such a soul?
There is a difference between title and role. We all play various roles. A role serves a function in an organization. What happens when a role is elevated to a title in the name of showing respect?
Elders, deacons, apostles and evangelists are biblical roles. They are not title to elevate one person above the rest of the flock, even if it is done in good intention of ” showing respect”.
The apostles never called each other with capitalized A as in Apostle Paul or Apostle Peter. When the word apostle is used it is mentioned as a role, a responsibility, a stewardship.
Peter mentioning Paul
2 Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
Paul mentioning Peter
Galatians 1:18-19 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.
A word used quite often by the apostles was the word DOULOS meaning ” bondservant or slave” . In NIV, this meaningful word is lost in translation as “servant”.
In the following verses, the word servant is DOULOS. Replace each word servant with slave and ask yourself what kind of spirit did they have.
Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Revelation 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Revelation 22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
If the apostles dare not elevate themselves, conscious that they were slaves of God, dare we elevate ourselves in the name of showing respect?
By their fruits you shall know……….
August 14th, 2007
