stillhaventfound.org

Just watched the above. Awesome, awesome stuff. Need to watch more of these kind of things! The more I watch them, the more my heart is challenged to get out of this comfort zone which I’ve been in far too long. As I mentioned here, reading The Heavenly Man really challenged me. And I’ll probably look back upon that as a defining moment in my life. It made me think really seriously about being a missionary to China. It made me think seriously about being a missionary to a persecuted area. It made me think seriously about improving my really bad Chinese (Mandarin)!

I stopped learning Chinese when I was 10 years old when I left for Australia. When I returned back to Singapore, I didn’t want to study Chinese (I had too much to catch up) and was allowed to take German as my second language. So I’m your typical English-educated Banana/Potato (white on the inside, yellow on the outside for those not in the know) Singaporean who grew up not really liking Chinese. Of course I regret not continuing my Chinese because I’m so far behind now. People talk about Singaporeans being poor in their Chinese and that makes me even more discouraged to pick it up now because I’m so much worse than the typical Singaporean of my age! But I think I may pick it up real soon. Not sure whether I should because I don’t know if I’ll use it in future. Besides the fact that I’d like to spend time mastering my Spanish, I’m also not sure if I’ll go to China in future. I think there are places in the world that need missionaries more urgently than China - like Muslim nations and the unreached places. And anyway, I’m not sure how much I’m needed in China. The lives of Christians there would put all of us to shame. They know what it means to live for Jesus more than any of us. They know what persecution is about and they’d gladly suffer it. That can’t be said of us in the developed world. They’d make so much better missionaries to unsafe places (like Muslim nations) because they’ve experienced enough in their own country to not fear persecution!

Christianity in China is easily the real deal - clearly what Christianity is meant to be like. Of course, such forms of Christianity (when people are truly living for God and not building their own kingdom) are seen everywhere. But I don’t see much of it in the developed world. The Christians in China and places like that are the true warriors of faith. No doubt about that. No Christian leader in the developed world (no matter how famous or well-known) could even compare to most of those faceless heroes in China and the like.

I can’t wait to get Brother Yun’s new book Living Water. Though I don’t expect to agree with all the teachings in it (the book is meant to be of his teachings). I can admire his dedication to God without agreeing with everything he teaches. One can live the true Christian life without having one’s doctrines perfect, just as one can have his doctrines perfect (or more perfect) yet not live as one ought to live. I admire his lifestyle. But I probably wouldn’t agree with everything he teaches. I wasn’t comfortable with some of the songs I heard on the above video which focused more on what the Christians are going to do for God, rather than on what God has done for them in Christ. I still love grace and believe that good biblical teaching and preaching should be focused primarily on God’s grace as shown to us in Christ’s death for us. And that’s clear in the posts I’ve written on grace. What God has done for us in Christ is what the gospel is all about. The gospel of Christ is the message of God’s love for us in Christ. The gospel is not about about what we ought to do for God, it’s what God has already done for us. And yet there’s also a side of me that believes so greatly on giving my all to God - a place I’m very far from now, of course. (If I’m truly living that out, I won’t have time to blog. Duh!) I believe that Christians are called to give their all, to stop building their kingdom (which I think most Christians are actually doing, especially in the developed world) and to start living wholeheartedly for God and His glory alone. How do I reconcile the emphasis on God’s grace and the call to give all? It’s difficult. There’s a certain tension there, I admit. I love New Creation’s grace message (not everything, but a lot), but in my opinion there’s no way that the lives of the majority of the members of New Creation reflect how Christians are meant to live. I love the passion and zeal among City Harvest members for the lost (when they’re not thinking only of money), though I can’t agree with a lot of the teachings which lack the focus of grace. The lifestyle of City Harvest members challenges me (when they’re not chasing after money). I want to be in such an environment. It’s definitely closer to what I envision Christianity is meant to be, than it is in New Creation. The missions and reaching the lost. That’s beyond exciting! That’s what it’s meant to be like!

While I’ve been generally supportive of the Florida Healing Revival, I’d prefer to see Christianity in China as a model of how Christianity ought to be like. Up to this point, I don’t doubt that what’s happening in Florida is the work of God. But we also have to get our perspectives right. Christianity isn’t all about healing and miracles. Jesus promised persecution. Christianity as it’s meant to be would be filled with healings, miracles and persecutions too. It’ll be filled with suffering and victory. All of that happened in Brother Yun’s life and in the lives of many Chinese Christians. And I’m very sure that one day the Church will be awakened from its state of slumber. We will see increased healings and miracles, but also increased persecution. To tell you the truth, I can’t wait for that day…

For those of you wondering what I’m doing now (as in work-wise), well, I’m teaching English. Not in a mainstream Singapore school. I’d never survive working under the MOE (Ministry of Education) with the way things are. I’m reminded of Mark Twain’s quote about not letting schooling interfere with education. Going to school nowadays - in most countries but especially Singapore and many Asian countries - is not about true holistic education that values the whole person. It’s not about passion for life, but about exams and money. It’s about doing well so that you can get a good job so that you can earn good money. As with everything done in Singapore, the schooling system is there for just one purpose: to promote economic growth. The ‘god of economic utility’ has become the pre-eminent reason for schooling. That’s in keeping with pragmatic Singapore.

Woops, I didn’t start this post wanting to bash the MOE, the Singapore education system or the Singapore government Singapore’s education system, like its way of governing, is but a reflection of society-at-large. Society not just of Singapore, but of the world. So in a way, I don’t blame them. It’s the way things are. But then again, I do. The youthful idealist in me doesn’t stay silent for long. He (Mr. Youthful Idealist) is quite in sync with the whole of creation which groans… (Romans eight)

Anyway, back to where I was. Not only am I not teaching English in a mainstream school, but I’m not teaching English to those who speak it as their first language. I teach English to those who speak it as their second (or third…) language. The common term for the industry I’m in is TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). It’s a huge thing throughout the world because millions of people desire to take up English as it’s the language of the world. And teaching such people is very different from teaching English to first language English speakers (i.e. most Singaporeans) or even teaching any other subjects. The teaching methodology is different and there are so many things to learn in order to be a good TESOL teacher. Like I said, it’s a huge industry.

Anyway, I won’t get too much into all this. Just to mention that I started moving into this last year. I got my Cambridge CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) - a TESOL certificate - in Perth, Australia. And today was my first day of teaching English in the private school I’m working at. It’ll be a great challenge for me which I’m quite excited about. 90% of my 40 or so students are from China and have only been here for 1-2 months.

Why I went into this area? It’s because I love teaching. I love relating and interacting with students - especially youth and young adults. But why TESOL specifically? I’ve shared a bit here. Basically, I want to do missions work in future and teaching English is a skill that’s greatly in demand in many developing countries. Thus, having this skill would enable me to be a tentmaker.

We are told that many Western missionary organizations pull their workers out of a place as soon as there is any sight of trouble. Advance will be very slow with such a mentality! If self-preservation is so important then there is no point going in the first place. God is always looking for children who are willing to die for Him if necessary. The countries in the Back to Jerusalem vision do not welcome the Gospel and there will be certain trouble when anyone attempts to take it to them. All the way through the Bible there was trouble when God’s people proclaimed the truth. Elijah was called the “troubler of Israel” (1 Kings 18:17). When Paul and Silas appeared before the authorities in Philippi their accusers said they “are throwing our city into an uproar.” (Acts 16:20). Indeed as you read through the Book of Acts it seems every time Paul preached the Gospel there was one of two reactions: revival or riot!

We understand that there is a time for caution and a time to escape, such as when the Apostle Paul was placed inside a basket and lowered over the Damascus city wall to escape those who wished to kill him (see Acts 9:22-25).

But there is also a time when Christians should march forward regardless of danger. Consider the courageous words of the Apostle Paul when he said,

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace (Acts 20:22-24).

Making trouble is inevitable for any believer who truly wants to obey God. Anyone who wants to avoid conflict and maintain the status quo will not achieve much for the Lord. The structures that keep countless millions of people enslaved to sin and Satan must be confronted before they will crumble, and when you confront evil there will always be trouble.

This is the main reason house church Christians in China have been persecuted for decades. They are not persecuted just because of their faith in God. If they chose, they could all settle down in a Three-Self Church, worship God each Sunday, and live relatively stress free lives as long as they keep their beliefs to themselves and don’t try to share them with others.

The reason house church Christians are arrested and imprisoned in China is because they cannot keep still. They cannot possibly keep their mouths shut because Jesus has revealed Himself to them and they have been radically changed from the inside out. They understand how the prophet Jeremiah felt when he said, “If I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” (Jeremiah 20:9)

Western Christians often ask us why we think there is persecution in China and other countries and not in the West. There are several different things to say about this, but one question we would like to ask is this: “Do you boldly preach the truth of God’s Word to sinners inside and outside your churches?”

If you do, you will soon find out there is persecution wherever you are. “Those who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). This Scripture does not say “might” be persecuted, but “will” be persecuted. If you are not being persecuted, the problem isn’t with God’s Word. Perhaps the question should be asked, “Are you truly desiring to live a godly life in Christ Jesus?” Persecution may take a different form in one country from another, but there will be persecution.

As the Back to Jerusalem vision unfolds, we know there will be many troubles, but “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.” Psalm 34:19-20

The Muslim and Buddhist nations can torture us, imprison us, starve us, but they can do no more than what we have already experienced in China for many decades. Thousands of young men and women will go as missionaries who are not afraid to die for Jesus. They are not afraid to bleed, as they know their bodies are merely temporary tents to be used in the Lord’s service and that one day they will be in paradise where there is no pain and no tears. They are not only ready to die for the Gospel, they are expecting it.

(Taken from What about security? What plans do you have to protect Back to Jerusalem workers?)

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So true, yet something we seldom hear in the Church today! For more of my thoughts on missions and persecution, see Christianity and Idealism. Also, my friend Zach has written some extremely thought-provoking stuff on this topic and his case against secrecy in missions here. I think it’s only when we keep the eternal perspective in mind will we be able to face persecution without fear.

My journey did not begin with a lifelong desire to be a missionary to Africa. The desire came when I began realizing there was more to life than the personal comfort in which I had surrounded myself—a graduate degree, a nice car, and a safe job.

I was moving to Africa for selfish and unselfish reasons. Selfishly, I hoped Africa would save me from a life of numbness, a life of seeking mere satisfaction—more money, more recognition, more whatever. I hoped to find it true that less is more.

Unselfishly, I wanted to help the one-sixth of humanity living without basic food, water, and shelter. My heart was touched from continents away.

(Cassandra Zinchini, Surprised by Friendship)

I dunno whether I’ll continue to write much here this year. I think it’s a sign that I’m living closer to my dreams if I read and write less! It’s about living the life after all, not just thinking about it.

No doubt, the mind is important. The two most important and fascinating intellectual pursuits over the past few years for me have been Theology and International Development. Interest in the former dates back at least 10 years when I truly became a Christian, while that of the latter started from around 2001.

I do have a great interest in going into the more academic arena. I love to read and do research, and I also love to teach. I love to reflect and think - and also to challenge people (especially youths) to do that.

Some people who know me well have encouraged me to further my studies and get my PhD. No doubt, that’s been a bit of a temptation, but never much. I’ve never really believed in furthering my studies. In a way, it goes against my principles. It’s too costly and time consuming and I don’t think it’s what the world needs.

I know people will say that your PhD and your certificates get you places. It gives you the credibility you need and allows your voice to be heard. No doubt that’s true. The world looks well upon such degrees. But that doesn’t mean we need to conform to what the world wants. I don’t think God gives a damn about whether you have a PhD or even whether you have a basic Bachelor degree. I don’t think God cares even 1% as much as we do about our titles, awards and certificates. These are all wordly concerns, things we easily put our trust in - to the detriment of our own faith in God.

(I’ve always believed that the greatest in the Kingdom of God aren’t those we hear about - be it that great theologian, that great pastor or that great leader. All the greatest have probably never been in the limelight. They probably don’t network as well or have as many friends as the leaders we know. The greatest are simply those who fear God - not man - the most, those who seek the praises of God first, not that of man.)

Make no mistake. I am all for thinking critically. I think Christians would practice their faith better if they were more critical (and holistic!) in their theological understanding. I think development practitioners and NGOs would better be able to help the poor if they were more critical in their understanding of development issues. Furthermore, as a Christian, Jesus also asked us to worship God with our minds. So using one’s mind is very important.

But having said that, I think we have too many people who only read, talk and write. Too many people who read too much, talk to much and write too much - and live too little. There’s just too little living of the life.

The Christian world doesn’t need more theologians, it needs more missionaries. It needs to de-emphasize the importance of academic requirements for entry into pastoral or missionary ministry. Since when in the early Church did missionaries or pastors need to go through theological training to qualify? The focus on all other matters but living needs to decrease. And I’m all for young Christians [in terms of both their spiritual or physical (age) maturity level] becoming a pastor or missionary.

I spent the last 6 months on a huge charity project, and as meaningful as that may be, it’s not something that truly satisfies me. In fact, it leaves me deeply unsatisfied - just like my life for as long as I can remember.

I don’t really care about my “career”. I am not interested in making as many friends as possible or networking widely to get places. I don’t really care about my reputation or name. People seek comfort in all these things. People take years to increase their stature in these areas. But to me, I’ve always wanted something different. None of these ultimately satisfies.

To me, the most important thing is to serve the poor and lost together with a person I can love and treasure. Even if that meant leaving blogging, leaving writing, leaving reading, leaving my family, leaving my friends, leaving the modern and developed world to start really living the life - that would still be more than satisfying.

There is no greater meaning or satisfaction than to serve the Father of my Lord Jesus Christ wholeheartedly - even if it means dying for Christ. Many in this world are lost and dying. Billions are in poverty. If only I could leave Singapore this year and serve Him wholeheartedly with someone I love. It’s not about whether one is ready. The time is always now…

That would be my new year’s wish…

Q: Could you comment on how postmodernity has affected how we do missions or our view of missions?

A: The world of spirits is not traditionally thought of as an area of scientific investigation. In the Western world, that’s part of why it’s de-emphasized—if it can’t be measured, then it must not be happening. Well, postmodernism is really a movement that says there is an element of reality that is not entirely susceptible to modern methods. Modernism is arrogant. Modernity or scientific rationalism is too arrogant in essentially making a case that what’s real is what is explore-able in a lab or by means of scientific investigation. What is not investigate-able or study-able by those means either doesn’t exist or is relatively unimportant, or else you can’t make any decisions about it.

There’s obviously a huge variety of postmodernists, from those who would be willing to say nothing is possible to know, over to people who are just more ambiguous about knowledge, willing to use fuzzy logic. I think that’s where Christians are being affected. Not necessarily negatively by the postmodern spirit that’s in the air. They are more open to that which is mystical, and they accept the fact more readily that the way that God works is somewhat incomprehensible. It’s not as predictable as you think.

Therefore, Western methodologies have been criticized. We mention in the book that people are accusing the West of “managerial missiology.” There have been others who have accused us of having a militaristic strategy because we use militaristic terms—logistics, strategy, tactics. That’s an extension, to me, of our Western, rationalistic approach, because it looks so nice and cut and dried.

Yet I think for a postmodern person, such terms makes them feel uncomfortable when it comes to spiritual issues. I don’t think it’s that cut and dried. I think we’re operating at a different level of dynamics.

(Michael Pocock, The Gospel for All People)

Over the past few years, there’s been a lot of talk in Evangelical Christianity about being a marketplace or missional Christian. The former term is used more widely while the latter term is used mostly in Emerging Church circles. Whatever the nuances between these terms, to be a marketplace Christian or missional Christian basically means living out one’s faith in everything one does.

More specifically, the marketplace Christian is one who lives out his faith where he works - i.e. in the marketplace. Very similarly, the missional Christian is one who sees himself as being a missionary in his daily life.

One can derive two basic beliefs from marketplace or missional Christianity:

1) One can live a faithful Christian life without being in what is traditionally called full-time ministry (e.g. pastoral ministry). Indeed, lay people too with their many talents and gifts have an important role to play to further God’s kingdom. The implication that seems to be put across in all this is that it isn’t particularly more spiritual if one were to be a “full-time” minister. This isn’t something to be aspired to by all Christians - as if going “full-time” meant reaching a higher plane of spirituality.

2) Every Christian is a missionary and not just those who go overseas to do mission work. Indeed, we are all missionaries bringing the message of Christ wherever we are and through whatever we do - even if we do not go to a foreign land. There’s thus less of an emphasis on the need to go to a foreign land to serve God. After all, the point is that we’re all missionaries in whatever we do and in wherever we are. Therefore, there really isn’t anything special about going overseas to serve God and preach to the lost. We are to do that wherever we are. And the Christian who lives a faithful Christian life in his workplace is as much a missionary as the Christian who goes to Africa or Asia or the Middle-East.

What are my thoughts of this new way of thinking? I believe that, like any new ways of thinking, there are both positives and negatives. New ways of thinking occur because previous ways of thinking were lacking in some areas. The positive thing about this new way of thinking is in correcting such a lack and emphasizing the importance of something that was not emphasized before. However, a negative can result when the new thing being emphasized is overly-emphasized at the expense of other important truths. Responses to the lack in something can thus easily become over-reactions, the result being we remain unbalanced in our thinking in precisely the opposite extreme manner as compared to before.

In regards to the focus on marketplace and missional Christianity, the positive thing is that we’re being told we ought to live out our faith in everything we do, everywhere we go. Emerging Church proponents of missional living like to say that we shouldn’t be thinking of bringing non-Christians to Church. Instead, we ought to be bringing our faith and Christianity to the non-Christian - wherever they are. I think this way of thinking of Christian living cannot be anything but positive. After all, we aren’t called to live as a Christian just on Sundays or only in Church! We’re to live as Christians every single second of our lives! That exhortation couldn’t be more obvious on any reading of the Bible.

Furthermore, we don’t have to be a full-time minister to live a faithful Christian life. If everyone were to be pastors and full-time ministers, then how are we going to be in contact with and reach out to those who do not come to Church? Indeed, there is a role for Christians to continue to work in the so called secular world - there is nothing unspiritual or wrong about that per se.

Here comes what I see as a potential danger in the above kind of thinking. The danger is this:

As we start to recognize the possibility of living a faithful Christian life in our homeland and in a secular (i.e. non-Church) workplace, we can very easily lose the sense of urgency in what we traditionally call overseas mission work.

Indeed, as such a thinking becomes more widespread and accepted, many Christians are going to justify their lack of interest in going to where the much greater need is - i.e. in the developing world - by insisting that they are already a missionary in their own country and in their present workplace. And of course because of all this, it’ll be harder to tell whether such an indifference by Christians towards overseas mission work stems from their fear of sacrificing their high standard of living as enjoyed in the developed country they are living in or from the fact that God truly wants them in their country they are now in.

If the danger before was in thinking doing overseas mission work was the height of Christian spirituality, the danger now would be the opposite: thinking that doing overseas mission work is no big deal at all. And I think anyone who realizes the magnitude of need out there in developing countries - in terms of the the number of poor to bless and lost to reach out to - will definitely not think it’s ok to just be a missionary in one’s homeland.

One detail mentioned about Bartimaeus is more significant than it appears at first. When Bartimaeus jumped up to come to Jesus, he left behind his mantle or coat. Every time that Mark showed someone following Jesus, he pointed out that something was left behind for that person to go with Jesus. Simon and Andrew abandoned their nets (Mark 1:18). James and John left their father with the hired servants in the boat (1:20). Levi walked away from his tax office (2:14). Jesus commanded the rich man to sell all his possessions and give to the poor in order to follow (10:21). Peter pointed out that the disciples had left everything to be with Jesus (10:28). In a similar way, Bartimaeus left behind what he had in order to come to Jesus.

Some interpreters have suggested that it was the custom at that time for beggars to spread out a coat beside the road, so that those who passed by could lay alms on it. Like the fishermen and the tax-collector, Bartimaeus probably left behind his occupation and his means of support in order to follow Jesus.

The last detail that we learn about Bartimaeus from Mark’s Gospel is that he followed Jesus in the way. The word “follow” is often used metaphorically in Mark’s Gospel to indicate that someone has taken on a personal allegiance to Jesus (Mark 1:18; 2:14, 15; 8:34; 10:21, 28, 32; 15:41). After his healing, Bartimaeus accepted Jesus as his master and his Lord; he began to live like a disciple of Jesus. The word “way” is used in Mark’s Gospel to describe Jesus’ journey to his suffering and death on the cross (8:27; 9:33, 34; 10:17, 32, 46; 11:8). The reference to Jesus’ way in this context is a reminder that those who follow Jesus must be prepared to face suffering and difficulty. Jesus taught that those who come after Him must deny themselves and take up their cross, so that they might be ready to lose their lives for His sake (8:34-35).

(Taken from Bartimaeus)

What will you do if you are called to a ministry that, in human terms, has no chance of success?

Until ten years ago, Romania was a Communist country that persecuted true Christians severely. By a miracle, Josef Tson was able to leave the country in the 1960’s; called to the ministry, he studied theology in England. Upon completion of his studies, he announced that he was returning to Romania.

Some of his friends counseled him:

Josef, don’t do that! What chance of success do you think you have?

Josef replied:

Success? Success? That’s a typically Western way of thinking. In Romania, when one becomes a Christian, one doesn’t think of success. You think of losing your job, losing your income, of beatings, slander, and possibly martyrdom. I’m called to preach the gospel in Romania. So I’ll go.

…Listen to God’s call. Most of us are like Bartimaeus, blinded to the call of God if it includes discomfort, shame, danger, or a loss of income. The ease of life in this country inures us to the call to sacrifice. Tell God, with Bartimaeus, “Lord, I want to see!” Open your eyes to the joy set before you in this life, the opportunity to serve the king of the universe. What is God calling you to? Does it imply giving up your present career, or career plans? Does it imply selling what you have, and financing a ministry to those who have never heard the name of Jesus? Pray for vision!

(Taken from Suffering and Joy by Coty Pinckney)

Oh that God would raise up missionaries. I don’t wish the same things your parents want for you. They want for you security and insurance and nice homes. They want for you cars and respect. I want for you the same thing I want for my son. That one day he takes a banner…the banner of Jesus Christ. And he places it on a hill…where noone has ever placed the banner before. And he cries out, “Jesus Christ is Lord!” Even if it costs my son his life.

Oh when he’s 18 years old…if he says to me the same thing I said when I was a young man. “I’m going into the mountains. I’m going into the jungle.” And they say, “You can’t go there. You’re insane. It’s a war. You’re going to die.” When that little boy puts on his backpack, I’m going to pray over him and say, “Go! Go! God be with you. And if you die, my son, I’ll see you over there and I’ll honor your death.” (Paul Washer)

The above was taken from Paul’s sermon. Please go and listen to it if you have time. I can’t say I agree with everything he preached in his sermon because of my strong view of grace (bits of which can be found somewhere here). However, other than the concern that some things he said may sound slightly too legalistic for my liking, I wish every pastor preached like him. I’ll admit that one of the reasons why I have not been attending church that regularly for the past few years is that I can’t stand church. I don’t hear from the pulpit what I read in the Bible. The message of Christ was a radical message. Jesus, his disicples and the early Christians lived a radical lifestyle and suffered for their faith. They sacrificed their lives to serve God. They sacrificed their standard of living to help the poor. And they sacrificed their comfortable lives to reach the lost, not being afraid to offend others and suffer persecution. Nowadays, it’s just too difficult for comfortable Christians in the First World to live such a radical lifestyle. And so most pastors obligingly water down the radical message of Christ to fit this modern culture. Paul certainly doesn’t do so in his message. Here’s how he started his message:

I stand here today. I’m not troubled in my heart about your self-esteem. I’m not troubled in my heart about whether or not you feel good about yourself, whether or not life is turning out like you want it to turn out, or whether or not your checkbook is balanced. There’s only one thing that gave me a sleepless night. There’s only one thing that troubled me all throughout the morning. And that is this: within a hundred years, a great majority of people in this building will possibly be in hell. And many who even profess Jesus Christ as Lord will spend eternity in hell. You say, “Pastor, how can you say such a thing?” I can say such a thing because I don’t do my Christian work in America. I spend most of my time preaching in South America, in Africa and Eastern Europe. And I want you to know that when you take a look at American Christianity, it is based more on a godless culture than it is upon the Word of God. And so many people are deceived. And so many youth are deceived. And so many adults are deceived into believing that because they prayed a prayer one time in their life, they are going to heaven. And then when they look around at others who profess to know Christ, and see those people also just as worldly as the world, and they compare themselves by themselves, nothing troubles their heart.

Not only is American Christianity corrupted in many ways, but also the Christianity you get in most of the First World - Singapore included - and also many parts of the Third World. Our Christianity differs little from that in America. The books we read, the Christian leaders we respect and the pastors we invite to speak in our Churches all come from America. I’m not Anti-American. Indeed, if you ask me to name the three Christians I respect the most of whom I am personally acquainted with, all would be Americans. However, most of American (and Western) Christianity is heavily influenced by the materialistic and consumeristic American and Western culture. That’s why the radical message of Jesus Christ is compromised so easily.