ONLINE Church # 01

 

Back in 1980 I had my first experience in pioneering church. Vineyard Church was my second. Today I am pressing on to pioneer yet another, but this will be an ONLINE Church. This pandemic is changing the landscape of this current centuries-old-western-church model. Personally, I think it is a good and welcoming change. With this in mind, in the next couple of write ups, I want to share my thoughts on what I envision as an ONLINE Church. Let me begin with a bit of background.

My journey began some ten years ago. Vineyard Church had grown to be one of the mid-sized church in the AOG circle. At one time, we breached the two hundred and fifty markers in attendance, yet there was this growing dissatisfaction within me. I had always had the impression that something was amiss about the way church is being done today. I am aware there are diversities of workings and of method in ministries, but in this current church model, I felt we were not hitting the spot. A couple of years before this pandemic, I started ACTS 29. I wanted to be able to do church anywhere, anytime, not confined to a fixed location and fixed time services. But there was yet another reason for wanting to “decentralize” church. What IF for some reason, the freedom to worship at fixed locations is taken from us? Rather than being caught unaware, I needed a contingency plan and thus ACTS 29 was introduced to the Vineyard. We know the book of Acts ended at chapter 28. ACTS 29 is to be a replica of the church the way it was back in the days of Acts. From Acts, I came to an understanding of what the church really was and how it ought to be, but the current church model did not give me the freedom to do that which I had wanted to. While I deliberated on this, I passed the leading of the church to one of my pastoral team while I freed myself from church work to further explore ACTS 29. That was 2019. Then came Covid, 2020 and I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Instead of feeling frustrated by the disruptions and interruptions of life due to this pandemic, I got curious. Just short months into it, I saw church evolving. What was supposed to have happened maybe five years or more in the future is been escalated to today. Churches were caught unprepared and went into survival mode. Pastors were trying to figure out ways to reach its congregations. Online services became the obvious solution. The more creative ones took to social media. Change was inevitable and unstoppable. The tide had changed and a new season had unfolded. Churches have to rise to the occasion or miss out on the greatest opportunity of a lifetime We need to evolve. We need to see beyond this pandemic. Our analog world had evolved into a digital world and the church must flow with the tide. Gen X, Y and Z were born into a digital world. With this reality in mind, I want to take us on a journey in rediscovering church. The way I see it, the church in Acts is making a comeback, but in a digital format. So let's walk the road that was once traveled upon. This road may be faintly recognizable but the impressions along the way will still lead us there. We need to rethink church in today’s digital world.

 

ACTS: CHURCH WITHOUT LOCATION OR FIXED TIMES.

Acts 2:46-47

With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Back in Acts, churches were active every single day as suggested by the expression “daily”. The early Christians were not into church buildings nor fixed time services. They congregated at homes, anywhere, anytime. In contrast, believers today attend church on weekends and perhaps occasionally on weekdays. This has been the practice and culture ever since the first half of the second century. The church had evolved from a movement into a religious institution with hierarchy, fixed locations and fixed time services. In my following articles, I will endeavor to paint a picture of what I perceive an online church to be. You will note the similarities with the church in Acts. I am hoping to replicate the early church in context of our digital world today. What we are seeing currently is not what I perceive an online church to be. Live streaming of on-site services is just an extension of on-site church. Video On Demand is just a resource. An online church is a movement. It has no fixed locations nor fixed time services. There are no geographical boundaries. It is driven by different "engines". Online church is church anywhere, anytime as long as we are digitally connected.

To begin our journey, let me be clear up front.

1) I am not saying the way we do church today is wrong.

There are diversities of ministries and of methods. (1 Cor 12:4-7). In one way or another, the gospel is being preached and souls are being saved. That’s the core.

2) I am not reinventing the wheel. Wheels are round no matter. Church is church, whether it’s OFFLINE or ONLINE. So why am I looking into pioneering an ONLINE church? The short answer: "the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few".

OFFLINE church is never going away just as ONLINE service is never going to fade away. ONLINE church is the new kid on the block. It is here to stay. We are no longer just living in an analog world. Today’s kids are born into a digital world which is fast evolving. To remain relevant, on-site church must not just replicate Sunday services online. It has to go hybrid. I have been trying to achieve this hybrid model since ACTS 29. I couldn’t find our sweet spot back then but today, because of this pandemic, I have a better perspective. As I unfold my thoughts in my following articles, keep an open mind. For now, understand this: When church began in Acts, it was never about buildings and fixed time services. It was a movement, not an institution. It has no hierarchy. Movement spreads, institution grows. With the internet, church can once again be a movement. Online church is literally a church without walls. It grows beyond the capacity of buildings. It will reach far and wide across nations and peoples. I suspect this will be the vehicle in which the gospel can and will be made known throughout the whole world. 

We are living in exciting times indeed. Walk with me in this journey in rediscovering church. Just as the letter or the law differs vastly from the spirit of the law, you will be pleasantly surprised when you discern the "spirit" of the church from the institution of the church today. God bless.

“NAKED I CAME … NAKED SHALL I RETURN”

“NAKED I CAME … NAKED SHALL I RETURN”

And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

The above sayings had been quoted often as the sayings of God when in fact it was the sayings of Job in the midst of his misfortunes and sufferings as he was trying to make sense of everything that was happening. Is it true that the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away? Is it true that naked we came and naked we shall go? We need to understand, just because someone said something which was recorded in the Bible, it does not necessarily mean the saying is of God. We have need to differentiate between what is of God and what is of man, what God said, what man said and the conversation between God and man or man with God must be taken into content. Otherwise, it is easy to mistake man’s thoughts as God’s thoughts and man’s sayings as God sayings. A lot of damage had been done because we do not take things in its context. That is why when reading the Bible, we need to keep in mind the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, HOW and WHY. Coming back to the sayings of Job above, here is what I think.

What God had given, can be lost if we are not careful. Unlike us, God is generous. Everything He made for Adam and Eve in Eden were “taken” away not because God was vengeful or disappointed with them. God simply cannot allow sinful (fallen) man to have access to the Tree of Life in Eden. God gave man everything and man lost it all. We reap what we sow, and this is the universal law of cause and effect. As for “naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return” this is what it is. First of all, we are not returning to our mother’s womb. That is not a possibility. Secondly, it is not true we shall return naked. We will in fact return with all our works, our deeds, whether good of bad. There will be two future judgments awaiting humanity. The Great White Throne Judgment and the Judgment Seat of Christ. The former awaits the unbelievers and rejecters of God and the later is reserved for followers of Christ. At both judgments, Books will be opened and each will be judged by their works. The degree of sufferings and rewards will then be determined.

At the Great White Throne Judgment:

Romans 2:5-6

5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”

 

At the Judgment Seat of Christ:

2 Cor. 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

 

How we live our lives today matter.

Ecclesiastes 12:14

For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

Let us therefore not have this notion that “Naked I came ... and naked I shall return. The Lord gave and the Lord had taken away”. We will all leave one day with our works. And what God had given, being stewards, we either gained more or we had lost it. Our salvation too is a gift from God. Let us not lose it for the sake of temporary pleasures and lust. Think eternity. And remember, as believers and followers of Christ, even though we are saved by grace, we will be judged by our works. Jesus do not wish that we return to God empty handed. He said it is important TODAY that we store up for ourselves treasures in heaven.

 

Matt. 6:19-20

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

So yes, naked we came but when we leave, we will not go empty handed. Let us store up for ourselves today treasures in heaven. Why? Because one day, we shall migrate to heaven. Our treasures will give us a head start. God bless.

Your thoughts?

 

Maybe not in our country but maybe in your travel overseas, you would have seen huge billboards on Jesus? If I was to ask if billboards about Jesus are a good idea, I am sure I will get all kind of reactions. There are always the braves, the smarts, the uninformed, the highly opinionated, the extremes, etc who would have something to say about this. Just like the issue of wearing masks. But I do have a question I will ask. Will Jesus be thrilled to see Himself on billboards if He were to walk our streets today? Will He admire the billboards? Will He say, “Good job?” Let me take this one step further. Will Jesus be elated and thrilled with YouTube videos on Christian testimonies and related postings? Will He say, “Fantastic?” Should your answer be “Yes”, I have two more questions I will ask.

1. Why didn’t Jesus choose to come in our era of internet instead of back then when Rome ruled?

2. Why did Jesus warned those He healed not to tell about the healing? (eg. Matt :30; Mk 1:43-44).

Care to share your thoughts? I am thinking ... Christians prefer testimonies over the Word of God. 

What is the meaning of life?

 I was at a prayer session via Zoom last night when a lady asked "What is the meaning of life". It was an opening cue she uses when she shares the gospel but I thought she was serious about THE question. She got me thinking of a response. I can understand coming from someone who have no faith in God but for a Christian? I didn't share my thoughts then because I wasn't asked but here is what I had wanted to say then: "Ask Moses or any of the Israelite in the wilderness en route to Canaan land."  Why?

Imagine you and I being part of Moses' camp. Here we are in the wilderness with nothing but bare necessities and no idea where we are going. All we know is we are heading to Canaan land which wasn't very far off (fourteen day journey actually) but we don't seem to be getting there. Rather, we are camping here and there and the days had turned into weeks, into months and into years! How would you have felt had you been in Moses' camp? We know from the Bible the Israelite complained and rebelled couple of times due to a sense of lostlessness, of hopelessness and what seem to be a meaningless venture. That's how people feel without God. That's why post people ask: "What's the meaning of life?" How do you think Moses will answer? I can't speak on behalf of Moses but here's what I think. Life is a preparation for the afterlife.

Ever since the fall of mankind, not only mankind but our planet too had been judged, a result of cause and effect. Today, earth is weighed down heavily by the sin of mankind and sin is raging like the Corona virus. Unlike Corona which will eventually be dealt with when God's mercy eventually shows up in time to come, sin on the other hand will always remain. And how is sin affecting mankind and earth today? The earth groans (that's when calamities and pandemics hit) and death is inevitable. Not just physical death but the second death (eternal separation from God).  That's why we hope in God and His future plans which include a new earth where sin will no longer ravage and destroy and where death is no more.

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?" (Romans 8).

This hope we have in God is what this life here on earth is about. A preparation, a transition to that which is to come. Like Moses and the Israelites, though the wait is long and difficult, the wilderness was never meant to be their ultimate destination. God was preparing them to be able to not only inherit Canaan land but to also handle life there. Let me remind us once again this hope, this reason for living our lives well here and now ...

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God^[a]; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14).

"My Father's house = Universe

"Many rooms" = Solar Systems

There's this song ringing in my heart now: "This world is not my home. I'm just a passing through. My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue. My Savior beckons me from heaven's open shores. And I can't feel at home in this world anymore".

Live well and don't just live for now. Live for eternity. That's God's plan for mankind. That is the meaning of life.

FOREVER or for ETERNITY

 

This morning I read from Ecclesiastes 1 and a word from verse 4 caught my attention. “Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever."  That word is “forever”. Checking the dictionary forever mean for all future time; for always. Is the earth going to last forever? I don’t think that’s what Ecclesiastes meant.

Forever has to do with time. Time has to do with our planet’s rotation and orbit around the sun in sync with other planets in our solar system. Should we get out of earth, away and beyond our milky way, time is no more. Out in deep space, there is timelessness. If you perhaps land on some other solar system with a planet that sustains life, then time begins again. But time then would be different than that which we experience here. My point is, there is a huge difference between forever and eternity. In a realm where time is not, eternity is. God is timeless. God is not bound by the laws of physics nor time. Our time on earth is determined. One can live averagely eighty years after which comes eternity when we will no longer be here on planet earth where time is but forever.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

Forever is temporary. Eternity is infinite. Our eternal God reminds us the stark contrast between forever and eternity. An eternity on earth is a nightmare. Our milky way is not the one and only creation of God. That would not justify God's existence. God created the entire universe. It starts with a big bang but it is God who caused that fateful explosion that brought about life and time. Four billion years it took for earth’s creation may seem like forever, but considering eternity, forever is but just a moment. Science is simply knowledge. There is so much more yet to uncover, to learn and even if we live to be a thousand years old, we will still gain but a teeny-weeny knowledge of the universe God had created. That’s why I look forward to eternity. As long as we are alive, we have the ability to gain knowledge. And the good news is, life does not end on earth. God has set eternity for us. Earth is but a gateway to the universe God had created for His pleasure and for us. I really wish scientists can know this. There is yet so much to hope for, to look forward to if only we look beyond forever into eternity.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4).

I like to paraphrase the above invitation of Jesus. To me, this is what I understand.

“Do not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s universe has many milky ways; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place to where I am going”.

How do we know the way? Jesus Himself proclaimed: “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Look at the universe. Eternity is for real. Sad thing is, people choose to live forever instead of for eternity. The apostle Paul made mention: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18). There is a stark contrast between forever and eternity. 

My take for today? 

1. Church, never lose your way with God. If you feel you have strayed too far and you feel lost, it is time you pray to find your way back to God. Who knows what tomorrow holds? Like flowers in the fields, we are here today and gone the next. 

2. For those who are in a quest for knowledge, good news is you can have all eternity for your quest, to learn and to unravel the wonders of creation. God created us for His pleasure. And one of His greatest pleasure is that we gain knowledge of His creation. The universe is God's playground for us. I hope you live a blessed life. Find your way to God, or find your way back to God. Either way, life doesn't make sense without acknowledging God and His creation. Have a good day.

Zoom in ....Zoom out

In photograph, zooming in brings a distant object closer to view while zooming out provides a broader perspective. Looking through the lens of a camera provides a whole new perspective in looking at things. I guess that’s why someone once said “a picture paints a thousand words”. Although it referred to paintings, it is so much truer with photography. I have been photographing birds for two years now. For all my adult life, I had never paid any attention to birds, not until one day when I decided I'd try photographing birds. The moment I started, I got hooked. I am amazed at the details, the portraits! I never knew (apart from sparrows, crows, and pigeons) there are so many different kinds of birds not only in our backyards and gardens but also our very own forests. Looking through a different lens, I discovered a different world! Or shall I say, I discovered one of many of God’s playgrounds?

My interest in bird photography had caused me to upgrade my camera and equipment (a necessary evil). Having a good zoom lens is paramount. It still amazes me how I can see in details what I could not until I see it through my zoom lens. You will never appreciate the beauty of birds until you can see them up close, and I mean really close. And this brings me to my point today. I am seeing church in a different perspective now that I have learned to ZOOM in.

When MCO started, churches went ONLINE. A new word immediately emerged … ZOOM. We Zoom in for our church services. We zoom in for our prayer meetings. We zoom in for cell meetings and workshops. After more than three months of Zooming IN, I wonder if members are prepared to Zoom OUT and get back into regular church. We took a survey just this week. Out of 76 pollsters, 45% said they are ready to rejoin church while 21% are not and the rest of the 34% are unsure. In our previous poll, 36% of pollsters said they will return to church when a vaccine is found. This is a whole new paradigm shift! I mean, church has evolved! This Covid may have been a temporary disruption but it has permanently redefined church. So I am now looking at a new normal. This (as I foresaw in my Acts 29 program years ago) will be a combination of church being a “home base church” + “regular church”. Churches will have to maintain an ONLINE PRESENCE even after Covid. We are living in a digital world. Instead of just asking people to come into our church building; we have to bring church to them! Staying analog in a digital world will not work well with the church. People may not come into our church building for the gospel, but we can bring gospel to them. This is the new normal. This is a whole new paradigm shift! Once there were cassettes and CDs, now we have VOD (Video on Demand). In this digital world people are too preoccupied to tune in at a fix time for a fixed program. They rather have Netflix (VOD). If we don’t change our methods, people will not listen to our message. The true COMMUNITY is a digital community. We have evolved.

Change in inevitable. I am excited for what is ahead, for what church will be like in the near future. What is to be in years from now has been hastened to TODAY because of this pandemic. Most of us were not prepared but we now know we have to adapt and evolve. Unless we look at church now through different lenses, we will be limping behind. This pandemic has quantum leaped us years into the future. What is supposed to be five, ten years from now is happening today. Zooming has helped me to see more in details. Even as church is preparing to reopen soonest, I hope you see what I am seeing through my “zoom lens”. Many of us will be “zooming out” soon but always keep the zoom lens at hand. There are moments you will have need to Zoom in so you can bring into view that which you cannot “see”. I will be doing a Acts 29 in mid July where members can zoom in for a time of Bible study. I will be teaching on the subject on "Why Israel". If you are willing to take out your "zoom lens", why not zoom in and take a look? You'll be surprised at what you may see. God bless.

Twinkle, twinkle little stars.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder what  you are. Up above the world so high. Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle littler star. How I wonder what you are".  Everyone knows this nursery rhyme.  

I am writing today with a dear friend in mind who is going through a tough patch at this present time, health wise. Her husband made mention of a period of darkness and that got me thinking. I pray this little write up will bring some light in this time of "darkness".

Stars don't appear during day time. The only time you can visibly see stars with the naked eyes is when the skies turn into night. The darker the night, the brighter the stars. I was amazed at the sight of the clusters of stars while photographing the milky way at about 3 -5 am in the morning at a remote site with no artificial light pollution. I had never seen so many stars in my lifetime! Let me draw lessons from this.

1. Don't be afraid of the dark. Stars won't come out unless it is dark. Once your eyes are accustomed to the darkness, you will begin to see even into the darkness. In the night skies, the twinkling stars are a sight to behold. Some stars are bigger and brighter than others and they are there to shed some light in the midst of darkness. 

2.  In the olden days, skippers had to look out for the North Star to navigate their boats. Stars don't just brighten up the night skies but also shed light in terms of direction. In times of darkness, we have to train ourselves to look out for these stars. They are always there and I am talking about people who are willing to stand with you in times of darkness. While some stars (friends) are there just to cheer you on, there too are some that can do more than just shine. They are like symbols in a map. Like the North Star, they are there to help you find your way and figure your direction. So don't be afraid of the dark. Close your eyes but a while. Then gaze into the darkness and gaze into the stars. God had prepared them for you.

3. No matter how dark the night, you're just a little way from daybreak. Nights don't last forever. Darkness can never overcome light. So to my dear friend, hang in there by all means. Look up. Draw your strength from the maker of stars. God had prepared the stars for you for such a time as this. Like the Corona, IT WILL PASS. Thank you today  for allowing me to be a "star", to be able to shine just for you. You will remain in my thoughts and my prayers until you see the sun again. God bless you my dear friend. Jesus loves you too. 😊