Tag church

Most Christians Stuck in Church: Kong Hee

andrewong2024 Leave a comment

Would you agree that most of us Christians around the world are not making any impact in the world because we have restricted their ministry to the confines of the church? Take a read of the following article and feel free to share your comments.

Jesus “moved very freely among the worldly and ostensibly sinful people in society… out of obedience to His Father because those people needed God,” the Singapore pastor-businessman said.

Responding to Christians’ fears that associating with the world might contaminate their faith, The Rev Kong said, “This is precisely why God empowers us with the Holy Spirit, so that ‘He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.’”

He said that Christ taught Christian to seek God’s spiritual ‘insulation’ for the purpose of societal ‘penetration’.

Besides, “One cannot lead or change what one is afraid of,” the pastor said.

“If a believer is afraid of the world, how is he/she going to influence it, let alone change it?”

According to the pastor, the church is the ‘training place’ for life in the outside world.

“Coming to church should prepare and equip the believer to live a vibrant, dynamic and magnetic life” outside the church, he said. “Every day, we are supposed to be the voice of Jesus, the hands and feet of Jesus, in the world outside the four walls of the Church.”

“The problem is that once we become believers, the Church has a tendency to consume all our time so that we have very little left for” the world outside, the pastor said.

Read the full article here>>>

Don’t Let being in church Limit us in Being the Church

andrewong2024 1 Comment

This period of ‘stepping back’ (as shared in my previous entry) has allowed me to have a much needed detached view of being in a church.

For sure, I’m convinced that being the Church is not merely about doing life within the four walls of the church;  it goes beyond that.

Servanthood leadership as modelled by Christ, ought to be displayed not only in church, but more importantly, in the marketplace where it is most needed.

Hence, there is a pressing need for us, the Church to exercise our spiritual authority towards establishing His kingdom in this world that we live in.

The Great Commission: our responsibility

In the Great Commission (c.f. Matthew 28:18-20), Jesus has given the Church the mandate to influence and transform our world with His love and truth.

However, it is commonly misinterpreted that this mandate rests squarely on the shoulders of churches (as an organisation) or those working full-time in churches.

Make no mistake that the mandate is the responsibility of every Christ-follower; His people- the Church, and not the church.

And it is also our responsibility for each one of us to discover our specific role to which we are called to contribute and play our part in fulfilling the Great Commission.

The example of Kenny Low

Mr. Kenny Low is a fine example. He is a Christian who’s currently the principal and CEO of City College.

But prior to his present position, Kenny grew up thinking of serving God as a full-time pastor or a missionary. But God had other plans for him.

Along the way, Kenny discovered his gifting was inclined towards education and street dancing. That led him to start O School as a means to train and befriend other street dancers.

Later on, he enrolled into a postgraduate programme  and armed himself with a Master of Education. With that, he went on to set up City College as a private school to offer early school-leavers a second chance with their ‘O’ levels studies.

As most of school-leavers are from lower-income families, Kenny developed a sustainable and innovate way to help them by using profits generated from his dance school in providing financial assistance to those students.

For his efforts, Kenny was awarded the Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2007 for his creativity in solving social problems among the youth in Singapore.

However, I’m confident that it won’t be long (or maybe he has started) before Kenny will set up schools in the region to reach out other needy youths.

Establishing His kingdom

Learning from Kenny, let’s recognise that God can move against conventional or traditional methods.

God can use us beyond the four walls of the church to establish His kingdom wherever we go.

The challenge or the opportunity for us as Christ-followers is to be strong and courageous in standing firm on His truth while bringing thea love and presence of God from the church into the marketplace.

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

1 John 4:4

Let us not being in church limit us in being the Church.

Time for the Church to Love

andrewong2024 Leave a comment

Last Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong presented his National Day Rally speech.

Strangely, the topic of race and religion dominated his speech.

However, in view of the inevitable force that is changing our social, political and economic landscape in our global world, I reckoned that his speech was somewhat a timely reminder and a wake-up call to us Christians.

That force is that of globalisation which is pushing people together even closer than before. And religion or its fundalmentalists and dogmatists are becoming an opposing and dangerous force that divides and threatens our society’s progress.

“Catalysts” for further globalisation

Back in early June, US President Obama visited Cairo, Eygpt and delivered a groundbreaking message to urge an end to suspicion and discord between America and the Muslim world.

He highlighted that “the relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of co-existence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars.”

In a gesture of reconciliation with the Islamic world, Obama further conceded that tension “has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations.”

Even Tony Blair, the Bristish ex-Prime Minister had launched his new inter-faith foundation called the Tony Blair Faith Foundation this April.

What makes the foundation’s work distinctive is its emphasis on uniting people of different religious traditions in practical action – with the eradication of malaria a key priority at this moment.

The Church’s divine appointment

With this backdrop, I strongly believe that if there is a such divine appointment for the Church to represent Christ in His fullness, it is NOW.

For too long Christianity that was founded upon a legacy of love has been tainted with the worst sort of intolerance and prejudice.

Most troubling of all is witnessing how the teachings of Christ has been hijacked by believers who hate in the name of love.

“When people worship Him today – or even speak his name – the object of their devotion is unlikely to be who they think he is,” said Deepak Chopra in his book titled- The Third Jesus, “it seems clearly that He has served to divide peoples and nations. He has led to destructive wars in the name of religious fantasies.”

Even in his rally speech, PM Lee cited the AWARE saga as an attempted takeover “by a religiously motivated group who shared a strong religious fervour to enter civil space”.

I submit to you that if we Christians truly desire to spread the message towards fulfilling the Great Commission, then we cannot afford to be known or driven by a religious motivation.

As a people, we need to be more concerned about what is right than about being right. We need to be love motived, simply because God is love; being the message is more important than us merely spreading the message.

Christ in this 21st century not only needs to be accurately represented, but also re-presented.

Be AWARE: Where is the Church?

andrewong2024 8 Comments

The recent Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) debacle had created quite a furore on a national level.

In the end, the now defunct new guard led by then newly elected President, Ms Josie Lau was overthrown by the old guard with a resounding no vote of confidence against them by AWARE members.

Even as the dust has settled after that extraordinary general meeting (EGM), there are still plenty of opinions and views of this AWARE saga being debated in cyberspace.

However, it is not my provocative to take sides.

Out-of-touch of issues

In my personal opinion, this AWARE debacle offers many takeaways and one that has largely exposed the gap between the Church and the world.

From my observation of the new guard’s actions, the reports from the media and the general reaction of Christians, it clearly revealed how out-of-touch and out-of-depth we are with our world.

Firstly, the new guard had cited that the reason for their sudden takeover of AWARE’s leadership was due to the old guard’s agenda in promoting lesbianism and homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle through sex education in certain schools.

Apparently, that discovery caused a knee-jerk reaction to their dubious takeover with the new guard seizing nine of the 12 positions on AWARE’s executive committee. It was subsequently revealed that 80 of the 102 the election attendees turned out to be newbies who had joined AWARE in recent months.

More unhappiness and tension escalated when Dr Thio Su Mien, the self-styled “Feminist Mentor” revealed that she was the person responsible for the takeover. Later, it was also found that she and several of the new elected leaders were members of a same church.

Out-of-depth in relating

Secondly, many members were left disappointed in how Ms Lau and her team was not able to answer many of the questions asked at the EGM.

It was reported that even though members kept asking to “please give me the right of reply”, the new guard stuck mainly to statements that had been already released to the media.

For instance, when queried on their stand on homosexuality, Ms Lau sidestepped the issue and maintained that AWARE would remain a secular society that would provide support to homosexual women.

One well-known blogger, Yawning Bread who was observing at the EGM made an interesting comment describing like-minded Christians supporters of Ms Lau at the EGM displaying “an over-earnest politeness in speech and demeanour, punctuated by frequent invocations of blessings and goodwill”.

He further commented that this behavioural pattern was the result of ‘brain-washing’. He wrote that “they were likely people who were uncomfortable with conflict and ambiguity, whose personality is such that they prefer order and hierarchy”.

I think with such encounters with Christians, it is not surprising that the world perceives us as being sheltered, anti-homosexual or judgemental.

Reasons for the gap

I believe that this gap between the Church and the world is caused because for too long we as Christians have loved people with a conditional love.

It is sad that we, Christians are known more for whom we hate rather than whom we love.

Too often, we have been too quick to judge and only choose to love readily those that are similar to us or who share closely to our beliefs and lifestyle.

Another reason might be us being too pre-occupied with church-related activities or ministries that have unknowingly drawn us away from the lost or unchurch.

Ironically, these activities or ministries have lost their original intent but have become self-serving and losing its relevance and effectiveness in reaching out to the lost and unchurch.

Whether intentionally or not, this has caused the Church to be out of touch with the world; losing our ability to identify and relate  compassionately towards the lost and unchurch.

Time to love radically and be the Church

We should not merely confine our love within the Christian community. Like Jesus, we must engage the culture we live in and start radically loving and serving people beyond the “four walls of the church”.

When we are IN the world serving others and not in isolation away from others, we’ll be in a better position to respond and address any moral or social issue in their early stage. This avoids any unnecessary knee-jerk reaction from us.

More importantly, we will be able to earn the credibility to lead in addressing such issues and avoid the same awkward situation that the new guard found themselves in when questioned during the EGM.

“Where were you when women were abused and battered in the home, and the girls raped?

“Where were you when children and husbands of Singapore women were denied citizenship?”

“Where were you? You were not there.”

WHERE IS THE CHURCH?

Uphold Accountability for Christ’s sake

andrewong2024 3 Comments

Accountability is never an easy topic to discuss and is never without its controversies.

With people adopting a more preferred liberal worldview in our  present age, accountability has also become a sensitive matter to deal with.

Generally, people in authority including parents, find it more and more challenging in engaging and managing their followers.

It also doesn’t serve to help the situation with the amount of daily bad press of abusive and manipulative behaviour from leaders in organisations. All these add to the repulsive stance people may have towards submission and being accountable to authority.

Definition of accountability

However, I think the underlining issue that has caused accountability to be such a bad word is because of what it means to different people.

When accountability is not understood correctly among stakeholders, it will likely be carried out inappropriately which may in turn result in ugly confrontations.

I believe that accountability is synonymous with responsibility, blameworthiness and liability. Living in a community, everything we do will have some detrimental affect on the people around us irregardless of our position.

Therefore, contrary to conventional belief that accountability is carried out from down-up or a one-way model, I believe strongly that it is a two-way model with more emphasis on top-down accountability.

Leaders or people in authority do carry more weight of the affects from their every decision made; every word spoken; and every action taken.

Moreover, with leaders displaying accountability, it only begets accountability from followers. Leaders not only lead , but they also lead by example.

I can’t imagine how leadership can expect their followers to truly follow without establishing trust and confidence by being open and transparent.

Doing it for Christ and His Church

Accountability is people-centric and strives to build an environment that nurtures relationships.

Call me idealistic, but I hold on to the biblical belief that the Church is potentially the only place where true accountability can be best exhibited. That is because accountability is about loving God wholeheartedly and loving people fervently.

But the sad reality is that the Church seems to fail miserably in this department. There are far too many scandals from churches that have eclipsed the good deeds of exemplenary churches that have chose love and integrity against greed and lust.

Therefore, with Christ’s reputation and many lives at stake, I believe that leadership in churches should  be more motivated to enforce more check and balances to safe guard the interest of the Church and people.

We desperately need the true Church to shine in these darkest hours and give people fewer excuses to shun and reject the truth of Christ.

My Experience with Prayer that Works

andrewong2024 3 Comments

Last week, I participated in a week long of corporate prayer.

This was an hour session either in the morning (from 6:30am to 7:30am) or in the evening (from 6pm to 7pm).

And of cos, I went for the evening sessions. Ha ha…

Prayer works

I must admit that embarking on this corporate prayer meet was a very energised experience. I could almost instantaneously feel the difference as I immersed myself more into prayer.

The more obvious changes were at work where I noticed how I found favour with my work. My relationships with my colleagues also improved.

I believe the change started with me as I drew nearer to God through prayer that renewed my heart and spirit.

Prayer at work

One remarkable incident that happened during one of the mornings when I was on my way to work.

As I was approaching my office, I prayed to God that He might used me at work to touch lives with His love. I did not know how He would do it, but I told Him I was willing to be used.

Less than a minute later, I saw one of my colleagues who was waiting for the elevator waving cheerily at me.

I didn’t expect that from her as she is usually in a dull mood. And though we were on friendly terms, but we were not on that level of friendliness.

But what surprised me was what she asked after we exchanged greetings.

“You go to church right?”

“The next time, can I go with you?”

Wow… really didn’t expect God to answer almost immediately! Amazing!

Now my next prayer is for her to experience the presence and love of God with the congregation. Amen!

Growing Irreligiously

andrewong2024 1 Comment

It’s been almost three months since my move of church.

I must admit that there had been ‘wobbling’ experiences as I detached myself from the ‘comfortable environment’ and ‘safety structures’ of my previous home church.

Spreading out

But like how it is necessary for a butterfly to break out from its cocoon state in strengthening its wings for flight, that is how I would describe this phase.

God-incidentally, that was the prophetic vision He gave to me amid my decison-making.

I know He is preparing me for the challenges that lies ahead. And I need to be close to Him; plugged in with Him to flow with His plans.

In a relationship, not religion

Launching out from where I was has taken my faith in God to another level of trust and reliance in Him towards His will for me.

This transitional phase has somewhat strengthened my relationship with God. I am more secured in who I am as His child based on my relationship with Him and not only because of my involvement in ‘spiritual’ or church-related activities.

“We live by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7

This new ground with its uncertainties that He has led me has activated my faith even more where I can further exercise my faith in leaning on His principles, not methods; led by His Spirit, not routines.

The Divide Between the Church and the Marketplace

andrewong2024 5 Comments

In my humble opinion, I think many churches in this present age function with a dualism that divides life and ministry into sacred and secular compartments.

Because of this, many of us followers of Christ unknowingly or knowingly grow up adopting a “only work in church and church-related ministries are spiritual” attitude.

This also forms a perception that   church-related ministries  or activities are of greater interest or importance to God when compared to secular activities.

The great divide

If we seriously take a quick glance across churches, we will find that majority are spending most of their time and money in equipping members to do church ministries.

Not that there’s anything wrong in doing so, but I think we have sincerely overlooked the fact that most of us followers of Christ are actually spending most of our time outside the church.

But the real pressing need is for us believers to be equipped for the marketplace.

Jesus in the marketplace

Re-visiting and studying  the life of Jesus Christ and His ministry while He was on earth should help us understand the essence of Christianity.

When we follow Jesus, we have a higher chance of  living out the faith out and walking in His will as originally designed for our relationship with God.

Statistics show that out of 132 public appearances made by Jesus, 122 of them were in the marketplace. Out of the 52 parables He had told, 45 had a marketplace context. Out of the 33-plus years He lived, most of His adult life was a carpenter.

He demonstrated for us a living faith that bridged the so-called spiritual and secular seamlessly.

Christians in the marketplace

I think it is clear that it is not enough to equip the clergy for the church. We need to equip all of God’s people for all of life. We need to equip Christians for the marketplace.

In this context, marketplace refers to anywhere outside the four walls of the church. And that’s the place where our faith needs to be lived out as everyday, that’s where we need to cope with the opportunies and temptations in our workplace and in our home.

Hence, if we are spending most of our time living only in the so-called spiritual world, what earthly use will we have to His cause?

Our work in the office or at home is as much God’s work as evangelism and praying for the sick.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31

If we desire to see the universal Church fully embracing and living out God’s original mandate for humankind to manage His creation, then churches need to teach, model, pray and provide relational support towards a balanced theology towards of life and work.

Entering into 2009

andrewong2024 3 Comments

Entering into the new year, God moved in a special way.

It happened during my first weekend church service of 2009.

He is faithful

I was in a posture of worship during the corporate worship segment and I was brought back to flashes of my journey in 2008.

God led me to re-visit the ups and the downs; the successes and the failures; the high-spirited and low-spirited moments I experienced last year.

Those flashbacks were mainly surrounding last year’s second major decision that I had made.

I felt God reaching in and taking my bundle of “emotional burdens” that I had carried for feeling that I had let others down and also from being felt misunderstood by some.

By then, my ‘dam’ was breached and I broke down. I teared uncontrollably because I was  moved by His faithfulness, love and belief in me; through it all.

I’m His precious

Standing where I was in His loving presence, God spoke these re-assuring words to me:

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.

Isaiah 43:4

It’s one thing to know that you’re precious to God from reading the bible or from others but another to ‘hear’ it personally from Him!

God really spoke into my heart and affirmed what was my cry- to do His will. And His will and highest priority is in people especially those who are lost (c.f. Luke 15:4-8).

Though my original plans to church-plant have been pushed back by my move and coupled with other decisions that I have  made,  but more importantly, I now know that my plans have now become His plans.

The divine exchange

I’m convinced that if I truly want to plant a church, it has to be built to last right from the start as it deeply concerns the lives of people; not just their salvation, but  discipleship towards biblical kingdom-living.

His Church should not be built for a ‘flash in a pan’ season just to boost my own ego or to gain satisfaction by making a tick on my list of lifetime goals.

I believe that the Holy Spirit is raising up a new breed and generation of His leaders and churches in this 21st century and I want to be part of that. That is why I’d moved.

In taking this step of faith and obedience, I know He wants  to further equipped me and established me spiritually and practically too.

In exchange for people’s lives, I know I need to stretch myself and grow. The more I grow, the more lives (or at least the chances increases) will be saved.

Thank you God for first paying the price in exchange for my wretched life. Now my life is yours. Use me.