It’s About Time

Patience is a word that is learned through determination, experience and lots of love. At least that is what I am discovering. I never had patience when growing up in the midst of nephews and nieces belonging to my siblings.  Perhaps deep down I resented them taking up my personal space and time. Perhaps resentment because I didn’t have the chance to grow up without the added responsibilities of helping my siblings to raise their kids when I am a kid myself.  At any rate, it wasn’t the kids’ fault if somebody needs to shoulder the blame.  Looking back, I do regret the missed opportunities with my nephews and nieces. Things could have been better, but didn’t.

Nothing can be done by wishing it; except to learn from it. I didn’t have parents who walked me through those years. Many of my values I have to learn it on my own. Wrestling constantly over issues that I have to tackle on my own. I am grateful that I didn’t mess up big-time though I wished I had done better.

Now that I am a father of a little girl. I find it such joy to love and care for her. but believe me, the patience can be stretched a little too thin for my comfort zone.  Nonetheless God gives more grace when all else seemed messed up in my mind.  

Raising kids make you realize how much  you need God to face the critical moments of life. 

What motivates a person to keep on serving the Lord? Appreciation by fellow believers or one’s peers? Dr Les Ollila, now chancellor at Northland Baptist Bible College said aptly that if we love the ministry more than the Master, then sooner or later we will get weary and then sooner than later, we will quit the ministry. I couldn’t agree more.

Sometimes it is hard to get motivated to keep on serving. After all the holy sweat, one does not get the appreciation but suspicion. I wonder if it is worth it? Lately I have been feeling down because of the situation amongst the churches and preachers (largely the latter).  When I left Singapore for the States for seminary training, I harbored great desire to return and be used of the Lord to train nationals and whomsoever.  Six years of hard work (literally hard work!) and graduating with a rather decent GPA and even got accepted into DTS for post-grad program was encouraging. Providentially I didn’t manage to do the DTS program and had to return suddenly.  Undeterred nor discouraged because my wife & I had accepted it as God’s will at this point in time. 

Not all preachers believed that it was not due to overstay (I graduated in 3 years instead of the 5 yrs window period granted for MDiv program) but the wacky officer at the Consulate.  This person thought that I’ve been away too long and I need to etablish ties again before going back to the States for training.  Despite my legal documents (affidavit) stating the proofs that all my ties are already back here; the individual does not care to consider. Yet some interestingly speculated among themselves that I had overstayed and thus contravened the law. Of course, none came to ask if it was true.  That didn’t bothered me though I was disappointed.

Next came the issue of bible version, which some had falsely accused me of being unethical in teaching in a local church -school without being upfront about it. Contrary to the allegation, I brought up the subject at the very beginning with the pastor involved and state my position (non-TR) and asked if it would be a problem. He said, “no” and I had assured him that I would not use other version in deference to the brethren. I kept my word. However, I was also upfront to state that when asked by the students or for that matter, anybody else, I would be open and honest to state my position. But let it be known that I had made that clear at the very onset and had it been a difficulty with the pastor concerned, I would not have come on board to teach. 

Somehow, one pastoral student through Q & A came to his own conclusion and position regarding the Bible Version issue. Being a diligent student and contemplative individual, he began to read books and other forms of literature from both sides to ascertain facts for himself. Eventually from KJVO he switched to non-KJVO position. Am I responsible for his change of position? Yes, if it means if this brother asked me about my view and reasons for adopting it and I gave him a reasoned explanation. No, if it means confusing or deceiving him through wiles and strategies that led to his departure from the original position.  Consequently, that pastoral student stepped down from his ministry that he has been happily serving (that’s another ball of way in itself).  Unfortunately word has it that I have been unethical to use the school as a platform to launch my position etc. This really sticks it to one’s rib. Which, I had chosen to ignore because it wasn’t true and trusted in the rationality and to a certain extent mature discernment of these pastors and missionaries. Well, truth is, none of the fellas bothered with the facts or truth. They accepted one particular pastor’s explanation and adopted a difference stance against me. The fact remains – none came to speak with me personally yet they have the “facts” to show my problem. Phooey.  What a load of phooey. 

Then came the untruthful statements that I’ve changed from using KJV to NASB etc (not that it is a problem with me!). The awful thing is that it isn’t true. I am still using KJV in deference to the brethren who grew up using it. It doesn’t hurt me to use for it is the Word of God; neither does it commend me not to use it either.  The perpetrator turned out to be preachers!!  I didn’t retaliate nor confront but chose to leave the matter with God. Some time down the road, truth shall be made known and the Lord will vindicate on my behalf and I can trust His heart and Word.  No point taking things into my own hands, it doesn’t edify nor uplift anyone. 

Through it all, I’ve learned (and still am learning) that when I love my Master the Lord Jesus Christ, it doesn’t matter. Pleasing him is my goal in life. Perspective is a matter of the kind of lens that one sees through. if the lens is tainted with impurities, then the perception cannot be accurate. How others perceived me is secondary; while how God sees me is primary.  We cannot help or control how others view us. If one is already prejudiced against me, there is really nothing I can do about it.  Despite the disappointment experienced, I am resolve to wait patiently upon the Lord – He is my Rock, Buckler and High Tower. In Christ I can rest and go to sleep.

What about you? Are you harboring bitter spirit? You know bitterness hinders you from viewing life from God’s perspective. Everywhere you go you carry that person or incident with you. You are angry with that person’s name or imagery is mentioned. That’s bitterness. And it greatly hinders from experiencing and enjoying God’s best for your life. God don’t waste experience.  It is His intention that you come out of a situation a better Christian, not a bitter one.

Part and parcel of friendship entails the issue of openness. To the degree that one is open; the greater the level of friendship because of the implicit trust involved. Inversely, the greater the vulnerability too.  But the thing about friendship is that it cannot flourish without that element of risk-taking. 

When a person is willing to be open and be himself; by willingly to share thoughts frankly without fear of misunderstanding, he is secure within and about himself.  on the other hand, the person who is guarded all the time, reveals a previous hurt that has not healed and unwilling to take the chance to progress or move on. He is like the oyster who clams up every-time something is stirred on the seabed of his life and he views it as a threat to his well-being.  An oyster is saved from the turbulence’ but goes nowhere in terms of distance coverage. Likewise, the person who clams up is safe from the past; doing okay but not very good.  That’s sad. For life consists of being able to love others; and friendship cannot flourish without love.  And loving people entails risk-taking. Am I making sense or being cyclical in reasoning?

 Anyway, it’s late at night so probably it doesn’t make much sense to you – reader  – for now. Maybe in a less sleepy state i can articualte my thoughts better. Until then . . .

      Swimming session at Kat’s place today revealed that Amanda has grown much since we were both in the baby pool. Now she can stand with her feet on the floor of the pool and the water level on stands up to her chest.  She is comfortable and secure with that level.  That is interesting to me personally seeing her countenance. 

      We are increasingly aware that sugary stuff present in cakes or snacks should not be consumed by Amanda in the evening. Previoulsy she would run around the house after a normal meal like a pinball machine. That’s ok with us since she needs to exapnd her energy.  Tonight, she is evidently tired out by today’s activity (especially when she didn’t have her afternoon nap because i brought her to Kat’s place for a swim) but she just cannot fall asleep not because she wanted to stay awake.  She just can’t sleep period.  2 hours’ of struggle before she finally knock off her work.  Another day, another lesson learned.

       Boy I wonder why I am tired!

Acts 8: 5-25

The recent MasterCard ad goes something like this: “there are some things that money can’t buy; but for everything else there is Mastercard.”  It appears that even the secular world understands some thing about limitation and reality thereof.  In the book of Acts, a man called Simon, aka Simon Magus, thought he could acquire the Holy Spirit at a price. He was sadly mistaken for in his state, he was unwittingly used of Satan to destroy the Church.

You see, for every spiritual blessing that the Church enjoys, Satan works hard to destroy it. In fact, he is bent on destroying the Church of Jesus Christ that he will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Satan has tried using persecution in his toolbox to annihilate the church of Jesus Christ (Acts 3-4). When that failed, Satan tried corruption to hinder the blessing of God upon the Church. However, Luke the Physician informed us that God dealt with it swiftly in killing two individuals called Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5).  Later on, Satan tried another tool of his called distraction to hamper the work of the Church in Jerusalem. 

Doubtless the ploy worked well for a while. Thankfully the Lord lead the apostle to reprioritize their work, for though the work of ministering and feed ing the pooe widows are part of service to God, the apostles realize that they are to focus on their God-taken task faithfully.  Part of the solution besides realizing the cause of distraction is to get people whom one could delegate in order for greater efficiency to be carried out.

Out of the seven men chosen to serve tables (it does not refer solely to menial task of serving food but also to taking charge of financial matters too), two men were singled out in particular by Luke: Stephen and Philip.  Stephen preached boldly before the Grecian Jews in the Synagogue and being learned in Scriptures, he confounded them with the plain truth. doubtless theological debates led to name calling and insinuation and ultimately false accusation in order to silence the individual.  Stephen boldly stood before the Sanhedrin and aptly refuted their charges against him with regards to Abraham, the Law, the Temple.  Eventually the Jews turned on him and killed against the Roman law.  Yet like the Savior, Stephen prayed for his enemies.

What follows was a three-fold cause and effect of Stephen’s death: 1) his death led to intense persecution of the Church; 2) which in turn, resulted in widespread dispersion; and 3) led to massive evangelism.  Where the wind of persecution blows, the seed is sown and planted where it lands.  The Christians scattered went everywhere evangelizing the good news of Jesus Christ.  One place is the city of Samaria (vss 5-25).  Several things happened:

The task of evangelism was undertaken by believers.  Luke tells us that where the beleivers were scattered, they would eventually set up a good church.  Thus we see a pattern laid out clearly that evangelism is not the proprietary of the leadership for each one must reach one.  Unlike today where most churches expect the Pastor to do the work of the minisstry

The City of Samaria trusted in Jesus Christ through Philip’s ministry.  Perhaps the groundwork has been laid by the Lord Jesus when he went there to seek the salvation of the Samaritan woman. The effect of that encounter was the salvation of the Samaritans due to the testimony of believers there. So when Philip entered the city and began preaching the Messiah and the Kingdom of God, authenticated by miraculous works, the people believed and the net result was that there were great joy in the city (vs. 9)  Yet Luke the author of Acts highlighted one individual, “but Simon,” who also followed likewise yet was clearly not in the same spiritual relationship with God. Such could infiltrate easily into the Church despite the presence of the apostles. 

Simon’s Self-Exposure.  Nobody would perhaps have known that Simon is not a Christian had he remained silent all these while. Yet when he saw the conferring of the spiritual gift and the Holy Spirit by the apostles, he wanted that very power himself. Thus Simon offered money to purchase that capability to Apostle Peter.  This very act earned him a place in Church history not for admirable feat but dubious act of trying to purchase ecclesiastical office by money. A new word was coined “simony” to describe such individuals. 

Simon’s motivation.  What motivates Simon to want that kind of capability? It certainly wasn’t because he cared for the people. He was fascinated by what he saw as the power to confer the gift of the Holy; he wanted that power not to serve the cause of Christ but himself and to exert his influence over others once again.  Remember that Simon was (and still is) a sorcerer. One whom many once gave heed and esteemed as one of the great powers that be. A title given to these spiritualists for their power to perform magic and spectacular feats.  But because of Philip’s entrance into the city with the Gospel causes many to turn from darkness to the light, and Simon’s popularity and even control over the common folks waned drastically. Desperate to recapture such esteem, Simon had no qualm about following a movement to find out more and even give the impression that he and his antics are similar to that of the apostles.  Such deception! 

Simon didn’t realize that the gift of Holy Spirit was not even the jurisdiction of the apostles but the Holy Spirit Himself (1 Cor 12:7ff).  Even the spectacular gifts were sovereignly decided by the Holy Spirit for different individuals according to God’s sovereign plan.  By implication, he wanted the power over God!  Such audacity! 

Peter’s Response to Simon.  Peter’s response revealed several truths about Simon.  First, Simon’s lack of spirituality.  In other words, he is not a believer – an unregenerate!  “Your money will perish with you!” is a strong reprove before his face.  Peter has no right to state the destination unless he has the discernment to ascertain Simon’s spiritual state.  Some might point to verse 9 that Simon also believed and baptized as the other Samaritans did.

Biblical salvation means one must place his faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.  Mere assent to historical facts does not render one a saved person.  James 2:19 says: “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.“  Moreover, baptism does not contain efficacious grace, for it is an outward demonstration of inward transformation (Rom 6:3-6).  Without saving faith, without a regenerated state, Simon’s baptism was a mere immersion in water, period. 

Secondly, Peter also reveals that Simon was still involved in spiritual occultism.  “Gall of bitterness” has a reference in Deut 29:18 to those who were involved in occultism and bitter apostasy.  Thirdly, Simon was said to be still in captivity in sin.  When a person is in Christ, he is free indeed. To be in continual spiritual bondage reveals an unregenerate state.

Yet, Peter did not close the door on Simon but urged him to repent in order that God might forgive him lest he dies without Christ.  “Perhaps” gives the idea that God has not given up on Simon but has left the door of salvation open for him to repent. 

Simon’s reply.  Unfortunately Simon loves power more than spiritual relationship with God.  His request to the apostle shows that he, like many others, fear the consequences of their actions rather than the judgment of God himself.  It is also noteworthy that after this conversation, the Bible no longer mention Simon Magus, except that the early Church Father is said to have mentioned Simon as being a founder of some cultic group. 

Amanda today uttered what Jismyl mumbled in frustration over our inconsiderate neighbor living several floors above us. It wasn’t over some trivial matters but perpetual selfish behavior that annoys and inconvenienced others besides us.

So out of frustration, Jismyl muttered “that stupid neighbor.” Unbeknown to her, Amanda heard that and without understanding the significance uttered the same. Actually she was trying to tell me that mommy has gone upstairs to confront that neighbor. So she said “that stupid neighbor” several times over. Later when I brought her for toileting (she’s still in training), Amanda periodically muttered “stupid neighbor.”

I suppose a valuable lesson learned – don’t assume that children can’t hear what we mutter under our breath. They catch it real quick and unfortunately lacking the cognitive capability to process the context and reason for choice of words (or the lack thereof). Parenting indeed requires robust effort!

Good will is not that easy to foster even when one wants to be tolerant (an overuse and misunderstood term since 9/11).  Our 13th floor neighbor chose to hang out her dripping laundry out on the bamboo stick again on this 3rd day of CNY.  She has a history of being inconsiderate neighbor. Despite being warned by town council and neighbors who confronted them. Her audacious mannerism extends to her declaring her religiosity one day when i confronted her about her unacepptable behavior.  This morning, this same woman even attempted blameshifting to the neighbor one floor below hers.  Such liar even spewing lies through her teeth!

Well, that’s life in heartland of Singapore.  We either let these people carry on their inconsiderate ways or jsut pray they keel over one day soon (that’s mean, isn’t it?), or that the town council will seriously take action against them to placate and impose right behavior again.

Last night was a new revelation of our little melon as she develops in her life.  That new revelation is that of jealousy.  I am aware that sometimes kids do develop that kind of sibling rivalry but I suppose a greater importance is how to assure and give her the understanding that she is always loved no matter what. Will continue to muse over this subject. . . .

No universal chuch! That’s the typical answer most Baptist preachers here would give when asked about it. You see, most of these folks are schooled in strong Landmark theology colleges or taught by missionaries with these tendencies (the locals that is).  Hence, the unwillingness to even ponder the plausibility of such teaching is prevalent. Most aren’t teachable anyway. Several are downright dishonest because while they acknowledge the fact, they aren’t willing to public admit it. Come on, preachers of truth (at least that’s what you are supposed to do), admit it and embrace it. 

The chief fear is that an affirmation of universal invisible church (UIC) doctrine would open the door for ecumenical compromises,etc. In other words, downhill slide from henceforth. A belief in UICwould do that? Man, what then, if we beleive (which we do) that a man who by believing in Christ alone for salvation would be born into the family of God? Wouldn’t that too, open up the door to ecumenical movement? What nonsense!  A belief in John 1:12 would no more emphasise ecumenical movement than a mere acknowledgement of UIC.  Fear, then, is the fuel that drives the engine of denial, and for some, the lying before their own congregation about UIC.

Why don’t these people study the bible for themselves? Well, it’s because they aren’t taught to study the scripture, but to affirm traditionally, via rote memory their invaluable tradition wrongly perceived as truth.  For if they study the scripture via context, they would no doubt have arrived at a rightconclusion.

 The doctrine of the church, where the Body of Christis concerned, unequivocably affirms universal concept.  Where would a believer be – the sphere of existence – when we say he is “in Christ”?  Really, what does it mean? It simply means he is placed into the Body of Christ at spiritual birth.  Again, landmark theology wrongly explains 1 Cor 12:13 to say it is water baptism, and refernce is to local chruch. A good question is to ask, where was Paul’s baptism? In Antioch or in Corinth. if former, then why does he uses the first person plural pronoun “we” in this text? If local church only, then why would he? Small matter? Nay, personal pronouns are important. Just see Ephesians 2 and one can easily see the switch between you and we.  significant.

The body of Christ, cannot exists without its Head (Eph 1:19-21), and it is not talking about an organization, but an organism.  The metaphor speaks of vital living relationship between the Head and every member of the Body; between each member of the body.  It emphasises the equality of existence clearly in Eph 2, whereby the BOCis a new class of people – not Jews nor Gentiles. A new community of beleivers in Christ.  All in Christ have same access by the same Spirit before God.  Because of being rightly related to Christ the Head.

Incidentally, a body cannot exists without the Head. Hence, the church cannot have its functional existence prior to the resurrection. That’s why i reject the notion that the church of CHrist started during John the Baptist or even the Lord’s earthly ministry.  No resurrection, no Body of Christ, no christianity, let alone church.  In fact, the logical sequence follows the resurrection, exaltation and appointment (See Eph 1:19-22).  That’s a sidenote.

Surprise, surprise!

Last weekend while dining at the regular food court with a couple from out of town, my wife ate a plate of char kway tiao that requires the use of chopsticks.  While savoring the fragrance but no wanting to eat the cockles, she left them uneaten on the plate.

Amanda being two years of age, suddenly grabbed the chopsticks and surprisingly held them correctly and even managed to feed mommy with the cockles she picked up!  Not once but thrice! That was simply amazing.  A friend of mine remarked that maybe Amanda should be called Amazing Grace rather than Amanda Grace.   Ha!

Her dexterity is simply marvelous, at least in our eyes.  I wonderful what is she good at in the future?  She is keen and observant and to top it off, good with her hands.

Anyway, just wanted to record this Kodak moment to remember.