RELIGIOUSLY YOURS

When Jesus was asked as to which of the commandments were the most important of all, He replied, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophet hang on these two commandments.” (Matt 22:37-40)

Everything that really matter hinges on these two potent statements … Love God and love your neighbor (one another). That’s what church is all about. That’s what Christianity is all about. That’s what Jesus’ Kingdom is all about … loving God and loving one another. Fail either one of these two and what do we have? A religion!

Back in the days when Jesus walked the earth, Judaism was but a religion. Once it was about a loving relationship between God and His people, but through time it evolved into a religion where it’s all about rituals, laws, festivities, do’s and don’ts, etc. In this context, Jesus appeared, not to revive a religion but to begin a movement … His church. He had no buildings, no titles, no program, no fixed day services. It was just a bunch of people who followed Him, loved Him and loved people. In Acts, people called the them “Christians” which literally meant “little Jesus” for they were like Him, loving God and loving people. People came to know Christ through them. There were no church buildings, no fixed day services, no programs. They simply met at homes and public places as often as they could. All they did was love God and love one another. It was only after 300 hundred years later that church evolved into what it is today … buildings with fancy names, programs and activities, men of God instead of servants of God,"soulish" worship … some of which had become the “sacred cows” of today’s modern Christianity. Oh how I wish we can bring back that old time religion where it’s all about what Jesus intended for it to be … loving God first and then loving people. 

“Give me that old time religion, God, forgive us our short comings”.

HANDLING THE OLD TESTAMENT

The contractor working on my neighbor's house got interested in the gospel. We were chatting for months. Just recently he discussed with his wife and they both decided they will embrace Jesus. He's one excited chap and asked me for a chinese Bible. When I passed him the Bible, I gave specific instruction to begin reading from the book of John through the New Testament before starting on the Old Testament. Reason being, it's hard to comprehend the violence, lopsided laws and culture of those days. If you have been reading your Bible, you'd know what I mean. How do we handle the Old testament?

First off, understand the Old Testament (OT) was written for our instruction. It has values. We need to read it in context with the New Testament (NT) in order to understand its instructions. Take the Law for instance. It's not the letter of the law that should govern but the spirit of the law for the letter was borne out of the spirit. Those who would disregard the spirit of the law will abuse the letter of the law to their own benefit and control (Read Mathew 23). The OT is like the letter of the law and the NT the spirit of the law. So Jesus said if we want to see the Father (what God is like) we should look at Him.

Secondly, the OT is a record of the doings and behavior of the human race. Through the eyes of the OT we can see the nature of the fallen man. The law exposes the wickedness and evilness of mankind and their opposition towards God and everything good. The law revealed that man cannot redeem himself. While the OT reveals the nature and deeds of the fallen man, the NT reveals the nature and the deeds of God. In Jesus we see who God truly is. He is, and originally was, the heavenly Father. Listen to the heartbeat of God: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing". (Matthew 23:37 NIV). God's loving kindness is indeed better than life.

Next time you read the OT, make sure you have an encounter with the God of NT. Aren't they the same? Yes they are. God is the same yesterday, today and forever and He cannot change nor need to improve because God is perfect. We just need to look at Him through the eyes of the NT and then you'll discover how awesome is the God of the Old Testament. Do not disregard the OT and never try to see God nor judge Him through your own human standards and emotions. Read the Old through the New. Only then can you see. A blind man cannot lead another blind man.

BETTER TOGETHER

Today I am thinking about the geese. A goose can fly solo but it can never reach higher potential or its full potential on its own. When geese fly in formation they use 40% less energy and can travel vast distances, as long as 2400 kilometers a day. How they accomplish that is interesting.

In a V-shaped formation, each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of him, resulting in reduction of wind resistance. The birds take turn being in the front, falling back when they get tired. In this way they can fly for a long time. The other reason why they fly in a V formation is to keep an eye on the entire flock so that none is missing or left behind during migration. During flight, the geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed which is usually 60 – 110 km/h depending of wind conditions. You see, a goose can fly solo but it can never reach higher potential unless it flies together. They are better together.

Penguins are known to be able to withstand harsh weather conditions. The temperature may be below minus 30 degree C and the winds may be blowing at 200 km/h yet they are able to survive such conditions. How so? Simply by huddling together in a tight pack group, sometimes with as many as 6000 in a group. That way they share body heat and shelter themselves from the intense wind. At the center of the core the temperature could be as warm as 21 degree C. Alone the penguin will not survive. They are better together.

The tallest trees in the world are the Red Wood trees. They can grow as high as 106 meters and can survive as long as 2000 years. The interesting thing about the red woods, they have small roots, the biggest root about an inch in diameter. These roots don’t grow deep into the ground, just 6 to 12 feet which is a fraction of the height of the tree. Yet they are able to hold the tree up. How do they do that? By spreading its roots 100 meters outwards, entwining with roots from other red woods. Linked together, a single red wood has the strength of a forest. When the storms come, the winds are not contending against one tree but the entire forest. They are better together.

God did not mean for us to go at life solo. Like the geese, the penguin and the red woods, we are made to be better together. When we need to accomplish greater things, we fly together and we honk to encourage each other. When situations in life get harsher, we huddle together, drawing the warmth of God’s love from each other. When the storms of life come against us, we entwined with each other and become the strength of a forest. We are better together.

You may be thinking you can go at life solo, that you don’t need help or anyone alongside. Maybe because you think you are talented enough and you have the resource. While that may be true to accomplish what you think, it is not enough to accomplish what God thinks. God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and God's ways are higher than our ways. Flying solo you can never reach higher potential. We are better together.

More than thirty times in the Bible, the phrase “one another” was recorded. We were told to love one another, forgive one another, help one another, encourage one another, admonish one another, teach one another. In order to accomplish that, the body of believers need to assemble together. Hebrews 10:25 admonishes us to not forsake assembling together. Jesus said whenever two or three are gathered together in His name, He is in the house. He promised us His covering whenever we assembly together. Jesus promised even the gates of hell cannot prevail against it when we are together. We will be able to do more individually and collectively when we go at life together. We need to fly together. We heed to huddle together. We need to link together. We are better together.

What joy to see us assembling together every Sunday. Understand this: God is never in the building. But when we, the body of believers assemble together, the building becomes the house of God. How so? You are the temple of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God dwells within you. When you come into Vineyard, you bring along the presence of God. When you mix your praise with the praises of others, God's presence is released. God’s joy is released. Healing is released and the love of God is shed abroad the hearts of all those present. That's the power of the Kingdom of God, the new wine that Jesus spoke about. Jesus came not just to save but to build His church which is a collection of a called out group of people. Church is God's gifts to us. Vineyard is our gift from God. Parents, the best gift you can give to your children is to raise them in the house of God!

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:24-25).

Make church your priority. Let's fly and honk together. Let's huddle together and let's entwined into each other. It is when we are together, we are stronger and better. That's God's design. Happy New Year :)

ANCHOR IN HOPE

I've been on boats numerous times out fishing in the seas off both east and west coast. Once I got into bad weather and it was dark at night. The captain of the boat decided it was best we head back to dock. But prior to that, amidst the rough seas, we were doing alright although all I could see was just the sky and the water but not land because of the rocking boat in high waves. None of us were concerned because the captain of the boat wasn't worried. He had his anchor down. Though tossed by the strong waves, we held our ground.

Anchor is something that holds a boat in place. Without an anchor, the captain will never be able to stay in a fixed place at sea. When a boat is anchored, the captain is relaxed. Though the waves and winds may buffet the boat and the under currents may drag at it, the captain is not worried. His boat is tied to the anchor and his boat will not drift. If your life is like a boat, you must ensure you have your anchor with you at all times. It's fun to sail the seas and experience the openness and sense of freedom and adventure. But never forget the anchor. Bible says "hope is the anchor of our soul". If we were to keep us from drifting, form being overcome by obstacles; if we were to reach our dreams, we need to anchor ourselves in hope. Without hope we will never be able to overcome to reach our destinations.

Hope is that happy expectation that something good is going to happen. Your morale is high when your hopes are high. But when your hopes are dim, your morale will take a dive. For 430 years the Israelites were living in bondage in Egypt. There was no prophet and God hadn't spoken. It was a dark period in Israel's history. Their morale were at an all time low. Then God broke His silence and connected with His people through Moses, the chosen one. Seeing the presence of God before them and watching the God of the universe at work on their behalf, their hopes returned. Their morale shot up. They were looking forward to the deliverance of God and a promised land. God gave them hope and they anchored in hope.

When the winds and waves and the under currents of life were tearing at David, he turned his hope towards God. He anchored his soul in hope. Many times, it wasn't faith he needed. It was simply hope.

 "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God" (Psalm 42:5).

"Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him" (Psalms 62:5).

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

What happens when you anchor in God? Joy and peace will start flowing and you will overflow with hope. There will be this happy expectation that something  good is going to happen. Your faith will kick in for faith cannot work without hope (Heb 11:1). Before we bid farewell to 2018, let me exhort us with these words: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 13:13).Faith cannot work without hope. Hope (the happy expectation that something good is going to happen) cannot be without love. Bible says God is love. When you anchor your soul in God, when you hope in God, you will experience the greatest love story ever! Let's anchor our souls in hope, in the God of hope and let joy, peace and overflowing hope be our portion for the year ahead of us. No matter the wind, no matter the waves, no matter the undercurrents, let us all, like David, hope in God. Let us put our anchor down. For those of us who are anchored in hope, let's too not forget to check is we are still tied to the anchor of hope. God bless.

Q & A

A disciple once came to a Rabbi asking. "Why is it every time I come asking questions that you would answer my questions with a question?". The rabbi answered, "How then shall I answer?".

Answering questions with a question is something that's not unfamiliar with  our Lord Jesus. Facing off the Pharisees and teachers of the law in Matthew 15:1-3 who asked why Jesus's disciples would break the traditions of the elders by not washing their hands before a meal, Jesus answered with a question: "Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?" Answering a question with a question has value in it. There is more value in teaching a person how to fish than merely providing the fish.

When a question is asked, a process is started. The process is more important than the end product. I read about a farmer who once produced the best fruits in the market. Year after year he would focus on the packaging, the volume and the distribution of the fruits. Then came a time when the demand for his fruits began to dwindle. By the time he realized his mistakes he had already made his losses. While concentrating on the fruits, he had forgot about the trees. As long as the trees kept producing fruits he was satisfied. But trees need tending to in order to produce better harvest. So yes. If God were to answer your questions today with a question, be grateful. Growth is a process. Learning is essential for survival. The process is just as important as the product. One can never end without a starting point.

Asking right questions start a process that will lead you to better answers. It's not better answers we need today but rather better questions. I am of the opinion that is why Jesus answer questions with a question. One of the manifold blessings of God is this: we don't know all things. God created the universe for us to explore. How can we explore, uncover, understand, solve mysteries, unless we seek answers. And how then can we seek answers if not for questioning? Last week I spoke on "Asking right questions". Here's the gist; learn to ask right questions. Cos better questions lead to better answers and you will only have answers to the questions you asked ☺

MILLENNIAL

I just had a very interesting talk with my close friends who are pastors of different churches  over current church matters. The subject of discussion was on the millennial (born between 80's and 90's) and their thoughts on church life. A forum was started live on church stage followed by Whatsapp and I had the opportunity of reading some of the texts. It was interesting reading about their struggles. Most of the participants were born into Christian homes and had the opportunity to study overseas before joining the work force back home here in Malaysia. It was a thought provoking experience for me.

I'd like to share my thoughts here today. I'm neither claiming to know the answers nor am I being judgmental. If at all, I am seeking cos I am well aware of the log before my own eyes. So here goes.

First off, Bible says there's nothing new under the sun. What has been will be again; what has been done will be done again (Ecc 1:9). In other words, what the millennial are experiencing today is the same as what the previous generations experienced in their time too. The context of this world vastly differ comparing the now and then but the woes are but the same. We call it growing pains. I had them too.

Secondly, one of the millennial hit the mark. His/her comment is that "youth today are a very "packed base" generation. We are like wolves, we travel in packs, and we are attracted to people just like us". (My comment: same with my generation too). Herein lies one of the main reasons why some youth choose to leave their home churches. Friendship. Friendship are bonded in schools. When school ended friendship mostly dissolved as each move on from common ground to uncharted grounds. It's a heart retching time having to lose your BFF along the way but it's unavoidable as each move on to different colleges and universities locally and overseas. There new friendships are once again bonded and again for a short but crucial years. College life ends and working life begins. The whole process repeats. Only this time it's a different playing field. Let me just stop here.

From the chat group I see millennial feeling kind of lost during  all those transitional times. Back home in church they couldn't connect  although church is not unfamiliar ground. I guess that "packed base" mentality kicks in. They looked to join their packs wherever they are.  Friendship seems to be their focus. Perhaps here is where we need to pause and re-think or rather ... re-focus on what church really is. And this bring me to my final thoughts.

All of us are in church for different reasons, some of which are very personal in nature. Whatever the reasons, church as we know is not a club. Although it is a place where people gather, church is a spiritual organism. The life of a church is centered around God. The temple in Biblical days was set up for the glory of God. It's all about God and as the people gather together in the name of God and for the glory of God, they partake of the fellowship around the "table of God". IF we can grasp this truth, then no matter where you are, Jesus will be sufficient for you. BUT if you are a consumer (making church about you) then Christ won't be sufficient for you and you will wonder around churches trying to fill that void. The early church experienced the same problem. One such example is circumcision. The church was told that believing in Christ alone was not enough. They needed to be circumcised too.

Bottom line: whether you are a millennial or a Y or Z generation, remember .. there's nothing new under the sun. What has been will be so you are not exclusive to this pressure in life. Secondly, look beyond being a consumer in church. If church is all about you, then you will never be fulfilled no matter where you go. And finally, not just you but the generation after you (your kids) will also face the same growing pains you and your previous generations faced. To deal with this phase of life, we simply need to RE-FOCUS. The supremacy of Christ is more than enough for us. We can grow where we are planted. We are not wolves but sheep. We just need to look out for one another and remind each other that Jesus is more than enough for us no matter what, where, when or how :-)

THE COMING STORM

Jesus told us that in this life, we will have troubles. It doesn't matter if you are a Christian and profess to have faith in God. The fact of life is there will be storms in life and it will come, be it personal, financial, health, or physical. Storms as we know can be rather destructive. It can wash away that which you have built perhaps your whole life. Can we survive the storms in life? I believe so. We are tougher than we think. A preacher once said, "A man can do what he cannot do when he has to do it". We have had miraculous stories of how people survived literal storms both on land and in the open seas. Why do some succumb while others strive? What does it take to weather a storm and come out of it stronger?

Jesus gave us a clue when He gave us the parable of the wise and foolish builder (Matt. 7:24-27). It's all in the foundation. You build you house on rock, not sand. We need something solid. In the Bible, Jesus is the foundational rock that we are to build our lives on. He said in Matthew 16:18 that He will build His CHURCH upon a rock, referring to Himself. And here's the revelation. Our foundation to weather storms in life is His church which was built upon Jesus.

Church is not a social club, or a business corporation although many run church as such. The church that Jesus built is a FAMILY. Because of Jesus, today we have an extended family. I thank God for good worship. I thank God for good preaching. I thank God for good programs. But these aren't church. Church is FAMILY. Family is relationship. Family look out for one another. Family support one another. The church exist for two reasons. One is to declare the glory of God. The other is to support one another. In other words, you and I, we are to facilitate people's relationship with each other and with Jesus. We are to "love our neighbours as we love ourselves". Church is not a place to take care of number one (me). The church is a BODY that consists of many parts and each part needs one another. You cannot be a Christian and say, "I don't need church".  Jesus didn't come to die just for you and you alone. Like a seed, He was planted that we might be a family.

People do need people. Life is not a journey you must walk alone. The road ahead of us could be treacherous. Out of the blues a storm may come. Maybe a storm is brewing right now. If our foundation is built on His church, then we know we can weather it. Today, I give praise to God for Vineyard. I do pray that we will all truly understand and embrace what church truly is. With this God given foundation, we can weather the storms ahead of us. Let's be the church Jesus wants us to be. A place to CONNECT, a place call to call "home".