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I haven’t written for about a week! The last week has been very busy for me! My last day at the school was on Thursday. Then I had a BBQ with about 20 of my students on Friday. I also invited some of my Christian friends who I’ve been introducing to my students over the past month or so. I do love and miss my students but ultimately I made the decision to leave because I could no longer teach there in good conscience. I could very easily continue on teaching, do a pretty decent job (by the school’s standards) and earn some decent money, but I guess I’m too much of a perfectionist to feel comfortable there. I’ll write more about this in another post. I’ve got so much to say

I only taught my students for under 2 months, but I know that my friends and I will continue to go out with and reach out to them as we’ve built up a good rapport with them. Again, so many things to say and I’ll write more in the future.

What are my plans now? I’ve sent in job applications and gone for a few interviews already. I’ll most probably start my Master in Education (TESOL) at the end of this month. It’s through distance learning. That means, no classes - just assignments. I decided to do my Masters because I want to improve my teaching. I want to be the best teacher I can be. While I already have a recognized certificate, there is so much more I can learn to help me become a better teacher.

This program consists of 8 modules in all. A full-time load would be about 4 modules per semester. It depends on me whether I want to do it full-time or part-time. If I get a job I like, I may do it part-time. If not, I may do it full-time.

The past two months have been tiring, but definitely rewarding. God has brought me good new friendships and also ministry opportunities, which have been answers to my prayers at the beginning of the year. There’s also been some challenges here and there. But I’ve been growing and learning. I’ve got a lot to say about many other things and maybe I’ll share on this blog one day. We’ll see how! Cheers!

I had a short talk with my uncle last night. He just went into financial advising/planning. And so my dad asked me to talk to him regarding doing some investments with him. I have a bit of money from the insurance or whatever from my mother’s death 17 years ago. My dad’s been keeping it for me and last year when I was in Australia I asked him to put it into some investments. It was fortunate that he hadn’t invested it yet due to what happened recently in the economy. So today he asked me to talk to my uncle for a while regarding investing it now.

I’m not young and most people my age would already be well into investing and planning for their future life. Or at least they would have found out about all this stuff. For me, I don’t really care. I know a bit, but I’m not exactly keen to know more and get into all this financial thing. I asked my dad to invest the money last year because I didn’t know what to do with it. I hadn’t decided yet and so I thought I’ll get the money back from him and just invest it.

Inside me, I really hate all this focus on financial planning and making sure that one has enough money for their future and all. If non-Christians do that, then that’s understandable. It’s good to plan financially for your future. After all, for most non-Christians, the focus is on their life here and now. But when I see Christians into financially planning the same way that non-Christians are into it, I have to totally disagree.

One wise pastor I respect once asked what are the qualities that good leaders ought to have. Then he asked whether the qualities that good Christian leaders ought to have would be any different? His point was that the qualities of a good Christian leader ought to be different from what society expects of a leader in general. The same can be said of a good Christian businessman. Being a Christian ought to make a difference. Our faith ought to make a difference in the way we live and how we do things.

In the same way, I think how Christians use their money ought to be different from how non-Christians use their money. How Christians think about their future and the priorities they place on money ought to be different. Christians ought to have an eternal perspective. And to me that means not building your kingdom here on earth. Society in most countries (and especially in Singapore) expect us to think about our future and life in terms of mainly our career, family, children’s education, etc. Money is of utmost importance in the non-Christian’s life. It’s all about making sure that we have enough of it so that we can survive and even thrive. And sad to say, this has been the view of almost every Christian I’ve met.

And so my uncle started to explain to me why it’s important to save and be prepared for the future. I told him that I don’t believe it’s important to save and invest because God will provide for me and the money can be better used now to help other people who need it more than me. Yes, I told my father to invest my money because I didn’t know what I wanted to do with it. Inside me, I don’t believe in saving and investing money for the future - at least not in the way the whole world does it. But it’s also hard for me to live out this belief of mine because it’s so radical.

Why don’t I believe in saving and investing for the future the way the world does? I can think of at least two reasons now:

1) Life is not about building my kingdom. I think we can define “kingdom” in today’s terms as “me and my (future) family”. I’m a very simple person in that I want to live out what the Bible says. I don’t want to do it half-heartedly, because if I’m not hoping to do it fully, I may as well not do it at all. The Bible very clearly says that we’ve been forgiven in Christ so that we can love God and others. The love of Christ compels me to live for Him. To think about Him and His kingdom, not mine. There isn’t any greater meaning in this world than to live for the God who so loved me that He sent His Son to die for me. And so if I had money to spare, should I save it up for myself and my family in future or should I give it away to help people who need it so much more than I do - trusting that as I do the right thing, God will provide for me? I think the answer is obvious. It’s just whether I want to do the right thing or not.

2) I think often of the “Do not worry” passage (Matthew 6:25-34). I think often of how I hardly know any Christian who lives it out or even comes near to doing so. It’s simply too radical. Do not worry? Don’t worry about what we shall eat or drink or wear?? Just seek first God’s kingdom and everything will be OK? Wow, that’s faith in God’s providence.

Isn’t it the worry of what people would eat, drink and wear in future that motivates people to save and invest for the future? Isn’t it simply the lack of trust that God will provide in every way that makes us just focus on accumulating and investing money for ourselves and our future, rather than using it to help those who need it more than us right now?

I’ve got so many more things to say. But I’ll leave it at here. I do hope to read up more about what Christians think of investment. And I’m going to pray about what I should do with the money. As for why I’ve come to the above radical conclusion, read my Poverty and the Moral Responsibility of the Rich to the Poor and Encountering Peter Singer.

Skye Jethani of Out of Ur argues that many of us have confused the church with the church institution. He talks about new questions many Christians should be asking regarding how to advance the gospel, which I think are worthy to ponder over:

Not: How do we grow the institution?
But: How do we grow people?

Not: How do we motivate people to serve in the church/institution?
But: How do we equip people and release them to serve outside the church/institution?

Not: How do we convince more people to come?
But: How do we inspire more people to go?

Not: How many programs can the church start?
But: How many programs have other churches started that we can help support?

Not: How many people have a committed relationship with our institution?
But: How many people have a committed relationship with another brother or sister in Christ?

Not: How do we make people dependent on the institution for their growth?
But: How do we equip people to grow independent of the institution?

Not: How much revenue can the institution generate?
But: How much revenue can the institution give away?

Not: How many buildings, pastors, and programs are necessary for the institution to have maximum exposure in the community?
But: How few buildings, pastors, and programs are necessary for God’s people to have time and energy to engage the community?

There’s too much to write regarding this issue of institutionalism. I wrote about “The organizational, the institutional and the bureaucratic” here. Many young Christians are sick of what is called organizational or institutional Christianity and I’m one of them. If businesses can be accused of placing profits about people, organizational or institutional Christianity can be accused of placing methods, size and effectiveness above people. And that’s dangerous because after the gospel (in which God’s love for us is revealed in Christ), Christianity is all about loving people. I think there is a certain extent in which good organization and structures can support the focus on people. But more often than not, it becomes more about the way of doing things than on people.

Below are more quotes by Welch, this time from his new book, “Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest“. I’ve been thinking a lot about worry the past few months. Two of my favorite messages by Pastor Prince are on living the let-go, worry-free life. What Jesus said in the Sermon of the Mount in Matthew 6:25-34 regarding worry has always struck me because what he said is so challenging and hard to put into practice. I’ve also been thinking a lot especially of worry in relation to faith. I think worry is an expression of one’s lack of faith and not worrying expresses faith. After all, we worry because we don’t trust God has everything in control and that He’s loving and will provide for us in future. The challenge for us is to trust him in spite of what we’re facing. And I don’t think it’s just a trust of resignation that’s asked of us, but a trust of confidence.

[W]e know that worry and fear are more about us than about the things outside us. They reveal what is valuable to us, and what is valuable to us in turn reveals our kingdom allegiances. We also know that God is patient and compassionate with us, and he gives grace upon grace. Though alert to our divided allegiances, he persists in calling us away from fear and worry, persuades us of the beauty of the kingdom, and gives more than we can imagine. (p. 147)

There are times when fear says that something is just plain dangerous and I should be afraid. But my goal in listening to my fears is to learn how to decipher what else they are saying. When I pause and listen, I might find that fear says a lot and it speaks clearly. What it says can provide me with immensely helpful direction… Review some of your fears and ask: What do these fears say I trust in? What do my fears say I love? (p. 47–48)

There is one bit of data that worriers never factor into their false prophecies. It is this: We will receive grace in the future. (p. 140)

This explains one of the paradoxes of all kingdom life. On one hand, there is rest and peace: the King has come and we enjoy the benefits of the kingdom. But at the same time, we live knowing that we are in the enemy’s crosshairs. Satan is ready to engage us in battle. The two kingdoms are in conflict. With all this going on behind the scenes, don’t think you can simply say “no” to fear and worry, and that will be the end of them. (p. 119)

Quick. What is, by far, God’s most frequent command? (p. 59) [The answer is “Do not be afraid”]

Worriers are visionaries minus the optimism. (p. 50)

Worry puts the focus on me. (p. 53)

Recently, there’s been a few blog posts on Edward Welch’s latest book “Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest“. Just under 10 years ago, I read Welch’s “When People Are Big and God Is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man“. The book spoke to me quite a bit and I bought a few copies and gave them to friends.

Both books have to do with counseling and psychology and Welch writes from a Reformed biblical perspective . I’m no expert in counseling and psychology but I have to say that the two books are thought-provoking and challenging. In my next post, I’ll quote from his Running Scared book. In the rest of this post, I’ll leave you some quotes from his When People Are Big and God Is Small book:

Regarding other people, our problem is that we need them (for ourselves) more than we love them (for the glory of God.). The task God sets for us is to need them less and love them more. (p. 19)

[We] are controlled by whoever or whatever [we] believe can give [us] what [we] think [we] need. It is true: what or who you need will control you. (p. 13-14)

We’ve seen that whatever you think you need, you come to fear. If you ‘need’ love (to feel okay about yourself), you will soon be controlled by the one who dispenses love (p. 87)

Self-serving needs are not meant to be satisfied; they are meant to be put to death. (p. 162)

The Bible teaches that God’s people are no longer driven by terror-fear, or fear that has to do with punishment. Instead, we are blessed with worship-fear, the reverential awe motivated more by love and the honor that is due him. (p. 98)

The problem is clear: People are too big in our lives and God is too small. The answer is straightforward: We must learn to know that our God is more loving and more powerful than we ever imagined. (p. 113)

When you spend time in the throne room of God, it puts things in perspective. The opinions of others are less important, and even our opinions of ourselves seem less important. (p. 135)

Therefore, the first task in escaping the snare of the fear of man is to know that God is awesome and glorious, not other people. (p. 95)

If you have been in the presence of the almighty God, everything that once controlled you suddenly has less power. (p. 119)

This book challenged me to recognize that needing people is really fearing man and not God. As fallen human beings we all need people. We’re social beings. We want to be in a community of love. We want people to love and accept us. We want people to praise us. There are many times we seek man’s praises more than God’s.

I think there’s no doubt that God desires us to be a loving community. But I don’t think it’s so that we can all get our “fix” from others loving us, all of us living in a co-dependent state. But rather so that we can express God’s love through loving others.

Of course, all this is the ideal we strive for. Different people are at different stages in their life and walk with God. Different people come from different backgrounds and starting points. The book is definitely challenging, but probably not everyone is ready to read it. Those who have gone through a lot of hurts need to experience the grace and love of God, rather than be pointed and directed to the call of God to fear/worship Him and not fear or need man. It is God’s grace, after all, which empowers us to live for Him.

I’ve thought of becoming a vegetarian for many years. Well, I’ve not exactly thought extremely hard about it, but the thought has been there many times over the past 10 years or so. I bought a good Christian book about vegetarianism years back but have yet to read it. I’ve probably avoided reading up on this issue simply because I knew it would be hard for me to let go eating meat! Not that I’m crazy over meat. I’m not fussy at all about what I eat and can refrain from eating meat if I really want to. But maybe it’s more of the inconvenience. It’s not easy to live as a vegetarian in Singapore. And perhaps harder to do so in many parts of the developing world where I hope to live in in future.

But I’ve always known deep down inside that I should strive to become a vegetarian because of my faith. Well, I should do many things, shouldn’t I? I should get the hell out of Singapore and serve the poor in the developing world. I should go and do all I can to reach the unreached peoples. And ya, I should really think about becoming a vegetarian. If not now, then soon. If not dogmatically, then at least more fully.

Greg Boyd has recently written on his blog the reasons as to why he’s a vegetarian. His reasoning is quite simple. I summarize it here:

1) God originally intended for humans and all other creatures to eat plants for food (Genesis 1:29-30). This is confirmed by Genesis 9:1-4, where God said:

Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.

Notice how God’s allowance for fallen humanity to eat animals was something new: “I now give you everything.” Why did God now allow man to eat animals? Because the “fear and dread” of man that now falls on the animals (due to the fallenness of all creation) has disrupted the peaceful and non-violent nature of creation. I think this means that animals will no longer act peaceful towards man and so God allowed man to eat animals.

2) The non-violent and peaceful nature of God’s kingdom which existed before the fall will be restored at the end of this age:

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. Infants will play near the hole of the cobra; young children will put their hands into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea (Isa 11:6-9).

3) Therefore, in the past before the fall, humans did not eat animals. In the future when we dwell with God, we will not eat animals. But, what ought we to do now? I’ll end with Boyd’s own conclusion:

Now, the most fundamental job of followers of Jesus is to manifest the reign of God. I take this to mean that we’re called to put on display now what the world will look like when God fully reigns over it in the future. In theological terms we’re to be “the eschatological community.”

One way the New Testament expresses this truth is by referring to Kingdom people as the “first fruits” of a coming harvest (2 Thess 2:13; Ja 1:18; Rev. 14:4). The “first fruits” referred to fruit that ripened and was picked before others. In the Old Testament, first fruits were consecrated (set apart) to God and were a sign that God will faithfully bring the remainder of the harvest to fruition (e.g. Ex. 23:19). In the same way, Kingdom people are consecrated to God as a sign that God will faithfully bring his Kingdom to complete fruition.

As the “first fruits” of the Kingdom, our call is to be in the present what the entire world will be in the future, when the Kingdom is fully manifested. In a world that is yet under bondage to the rebel Powers, we’re to display what it looks like to live in the reign of God. Our lives are to reflect God’s will being done “on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10). We’re to be, as much as possible, heaven on earth and thus a window through which people can see the future into which God is leading the world.

If God’s original ideal of a creation free of violence will be achieved in the future, it seems to me that the job of Kingdom people is to manifest this ideal now, as much as possible. Which to me suggests that since humans won’t be killing animals and eating them in heaven, we shouldn’t be killing them and eating them now.

“Father, our country is in trouble. We pray for peace to come,” an 11-year-old boy prays. “Protect us, Father. Teach people to love one another and not to fight anymore.”

For the last two weeks, Sprenkle says, children in this small slum area have gathered to pray for their country. “The church’s pastor says the children started gathering on their own, so he let them in the church. The daily prayer meeting now attracts more than 200 children ranging in age from three to 17.”

Ever since the children started praying together, the pastor says there have been no deaths, houses burned or even violence in their section of this slum. Adults recite this fact in amazement. The children, however, don’t even mention it because it’s exactly what they expected to happen.

“Pastor told us that there is power in prayer. He said we can change the country through prayer,” 12-year-old Boniface explains. “So that is what we are doing, changing the country.”

(Taken from: Kenyan children pray for their country, ask for rain - and it pours)

What makes the Paradise event unusual is not so much the emphasis on Christ – most praise events can claim that objective – but the de-emphasis on all things not directly to do with glorifying Jesus.

“There will be nothing for sale at Paradise, not one T-shirt or CD, not one pretzel,” Ross said emphatically. “No product tents and no ministry tents. No banners or signs for other causes.”

In essence, it will be a rarity in religion: “No agenda will be raised at all that day; just the undistracted worship of Jesus,” Ross said.

It’s not just lip service. By rule of the event’s constitution, nothing is to echo from the huge speaker boxes except music and scripture. No sales pitches. No sermons, as well-intentioned as they may be. Skilled musicians will be present, including some big names, but those names will not be revealed and they will not be in view.

Perhaps most surprising of all, in this day of bigger, better and best: no attendance figures will be projected or announced.

(Taken from Paradise: Richard Ross’s May Event to Praise Jesus without any Trappings)

I think this is an awesome idea! No distractions, no commercialism, no need to boast about attendance - just purely Jesus. And I definitely like the one about the musicians not being revealed and not being in view. It’s all about Jesus!

Singapore has an awesome once in a year praise and worship event called Festival of Praise. But it hasn’t been able to avoid all the trappings and distractions. I know many Christians come because a “famous” band would be leading worship. But praise and worship is all about Jesus, not about who leads worship, definitely not about the music.

“When the music fades… All is stripped away…”

I was at a Christian conference last night and sang two worship songs (new to me) that caught my attention. One of them, I couldn’t really sing along with. The other, I could. It was hard for me to sing the first song because I felt I could not sing it with my heart as I could not agree with the lyrics. The second song was simply wonderful and the lyrics resonated deeply with my soul.

Exactly what lyrics did the two songs contain? While I can’t remember most of the lines, one line of the first song went “I’m taking up the cross daily” and another “I choose to stand for this generation.” The second song was all about Jesus’ beauty and worthiness and had a line (in fact, a few of them) that went “You’re worthy to be praised”.

So what’s wrong with the first song? To put it simply, it’s man-centered. The focus is on what I’m going to do for God and others. The second is God-centered because the song is all about how wonderful and worthy God is and what God has done for, or is, to us.

Maybe others can sing “I’m taking up the cross daily” with a clear conscience, but for me, I know that I’m not taking up the cross daily! I know that what I do is imperfect. I know that many times I do not take up the cross daily. So how can I sing that? Saying “I choose to stand for this generation” is slightly better. At least it’s not saying that I am currently and always doing so. It’s a choice. So I don’t have that great a problem with that line, but it’s still man-centered because it’s still about what man does or hopes to do for God. It’s almost like boasting and saying, “God I’m going to do this and that for you.” If we’re to come close to boasting in anything, if we’re to come close to constantly talking about something, should it be of what we do for God or what God has done for us? I definitely don’t want to go singing about what I do for God because what I do for God is so imperfect. I’m perfect and righteous and confident because of what Christ has done for me and I want to sing about that all the time! I want to sing about God, not me!

I don’t want to be too critical and say that those who sing such “man-centered” songs are in sin or whatever. Of course they are not. I just think that it’s better for our worship songs to focus on what God has done in the past, is doing, and will do for us, rather than what we did, do or will do for God. Why? Because when we talk about what God did, do or will do, He gets the glory. When we focus on what we did, do or will do, we’re mainly focusing on our works and we get the glory!

For example, say I want to tell you about my friend David. In the first scenario, I say:

David is so good. I was in debt but he loved me so much that he sold his house and helped me repay my debt. He is such a wonderful and kind person!

In the second scenario, I say (without telling you what David did for me):

I’m going to give David a treat tomorrow. I want to make him happy. I’ll book two seats at his favorite restaurant and treat him to a surprise dinner tomorrow! Oh, and on Saturday I’m going to help him wash his car…

In both scenarios, you’ll see David as someone who did something good. But in which scenario would David evoke greater praise from you? Most likely the first because you knew what David did. In the second scenario, you don’t really have a clue as to why I’m treating David.

I believe that songs (and sermons too) which focus on what God did, does and will do for us evokes greater emotions and praise from our hearts. Being reminded what Jesus did for us moves us greatly.

In a sermon on “The Inner Essence of Worship“, John Piper defines the essence of worship as satisfaction in God. He said:

Another implication of saying that the essence of worship is satisfaction in God is that worship becomes radically God-centered… If the focus shifts onto our giving to God, one result I have seen again and again is that subtly it is not God that remains at the center but the quality of our giving.

In worship, we should focus on God, not on our giving to God, because God is the object of our worship. If you’re a big fan of Tiger Woods, when you talk to your friends do you tell them what you’re going to do for him (e.g. “I’m going to mail a present to him tomorrow!”) or would you be more likely to tell them all about him and what he’s done? Even if you talk about both things, which would you spend more time talking about? Most likely, you’ll talk about him and what he’s done, rather than what you’re going to do for him. Doing that brings more “glory” to Tiger Woods and evokes awe of him in the those you’re talking to.

In an article entitled “Geoff Bullock changes his mind on worship” (from the magazine The Briefing), Bullock (writer of the popular song “Power Of Your Love”) is quoted as saying:

Worship is based on what God has done, not on what we do. Worship has nothing at all to do with what we have done and everything to do with what God has done… Part of our problem is that we assume Old Testament models of worship still stand beside the cross - which is the most absurd theology.”

Now, I understand why many lyrics have “I will (do something)” in them. Isn’t worship after all what we do for God in response to what God in Christ did for us? I think that’s true. There’s nothing wrong per se with singing “I will praise you”. There are many instances of that in the Psalms. However, as we look in the Psalms, we see how often what we do in response (”I will praise…”, “I will lift up…”) normally comes at the end of the Psalm. In the beginning, the focus is on God and what He has done, is doing, or will do. The greater emphasis seems to be on Him and what He’s done for us. What we do does come into view, but only in response to how wonderful God is. Therefore, I think the focus of our songs should be really on God and what He’s done for us, what he’s doing and what he’s going to do. This inspires heartfelt worship.

I don’t know about you, but everytime I sing about what God has done for me, I just want to praise and worship Him! Jesus died for my sins and yours. What can I give to Him but sing of his goodness!

To end, let me say that in the same way that I think it’s important to focus on God and His work in our songs, it’s important that we do the same in our sermons. It’s not wrong to exhort Christians to do things for God. However, the pattern in the Psalms for our songs (i.e. first on God and His work and then on what we do for Him in response) is the same pattern in the Epistles - which our sermons should model after. For example, in Ephesians 1-3, Paul talks firstly about what God has done for us in Christ. From chapters 4-6, he then exhorts us to live godly lives in response. First we need to hear God’s work for us. That not only glorifies Him but inspires faith and love in us. That gives us power to live for God. Without hearing about how good God is to us in Christ, we won’t have the power to live for Him.

In response to Pyromaniac’s Emerging Church motivational posters, Emerging Grace created some great ones reflecting a more generous view of the Emerging Church. Below are some of my favorites, which also represent what I believe: