Kong Hee

Gratitude

2010-11-08T03:11:00.000-08:00

Greek philosopher Aristotle once mused, "Misfortune shows those who are not really friends." However, the inverse is also true: "Misfortune shows those who are truly friends."

The Holy Spirit inspired these words in the Holy Scripture: "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (Prov. 17:17).

Through the last few difficult months, I have never felt more alone in my life. Yet, I am always reminded that although I may feel alone, in truth I am far from. So it is with utmost gratitude that I would like to appreciate each and every one of you that have stood by me in spirit, in action and in words. Together with the promises of the Word and the presence of God, your support has been the rod and staff that I lean on during these "valley moments" ... the arms that hold me up when the pressure of the situation threatens to break me down.

To the little boy who asks Jesus to protect me each night before he sleeps ...

To the doctor who cares for my family and believes in us unreservedly ...

To the staffs who serve tirelessly for the church through it all ...

To the zone leaders who pray and confess God's goodness for my life unceasingly ...

To the members who cheer up my darkest days with a smile and a note of encouragement ...

To members of the Internet community worldwide for their kind words on Facebook and Twitter that bless and uplift me daily ...

To the local pastors who stand with me unwavering ...

To the overseas ministries, missionaries, disciples, and Bible school graduates who choose to love me, believe in me, and pray for me constantly ...

To my parents, in-laws, siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces who have shown so much strength and grace in the midst of our tough times ...

To my little boy Dayan who is the joy of my life ...

And to my darling wife Sun who has been my pillar of strength ...

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I count it my greatest privilege to serve you in and through City Harvest Church, and to be called a friend.

"Thank you for giving to the Lord,

I am a life that was changed.

Thank you for giving to the Lord,

I am so glad you gave."

~ Ray Boltz

Reflections

2010-06-18T02:18:00.000-07:00

Barely less than three weeks ago, the entire City Harvest congregation was basking in the immense success of the Asia Conference 2010. It wasn’t merely a climactic finale to all the hard work and dedication that had been put in by the staff and ministry volunteers of the church; it was a culminating representation of all that the church has achieved in its 20 years of existence through the goodness of God and the sacrifices of its members. In a short span of five days in May, the CHC congregation aptly displayed its unique DNA to the 25,245 delegates coming from 70 countries representing 2,086 churches.

What is the City Harvest DNA? In essence, it is the message of the Cross — “loving God wholeheartedly and loving people fervently” (Matt. 22:37-40) — while simultaneously crossing over and engaging the culture of our societies so that the message can be communicated in a fashion that is both relevant and attractive to the generation of our times (Matt. 5:14-16). Let me take this opportunity to thank both the CHC congregation as well as our visiting friends for making the conference one of the most groundbreaking Christian conferences in recent history. :)

But what a difference a day makes ...

The morning after the Asia Conference concluded, certain members of the church, including myself, were called to assist local authorities in an investigation into the management of church funds.

The page had turned. The celebration had abruptly ended.

Because we’re in the midst of the investigation, I am unable to provide any details about the progress besides what already has been released by the Singapore Police in their statement to the press. But I would like to assure everyone that I, together with the Management Board of the church, am fully cooperative in providing the necessary information needed for the investigation.

On a more personal note, I would also like to assure everyone that my family and I are doing well. I am awed by the concern that so many have shown during this time. I am also deeply grateful for the support and advice that has been so generously given. Thanks to all of your love and support, I’ve realized that this is the most opportune moment in my life to reflect on what matters most to me in my life: Faith, Family and Friends.

FAITH. My relationship with God is and always has been at the centre of my life. During times of adversity, I have always taken comfort in one thing that I know to be true: I have honestly served God and shepherded His people to the best of my abilities. It matters most to me that my account to God is absolute and I can say without hesitation that I have done my best to glorify His name and build His church. Loving God is my deepest passion and it is my greatest privilege to serve Him with all I have.

FAMILY. Other than my relationship with God, my family represents the portion of my life for which I am most undeserving of and thankful for. If the fruit of my faith is the legacy I leave in this world from my existence, then my family is the legacy that I have gained in return. What a profitable exchange! Without my wife and son, I would be a poor man indeed.

FRIENDS. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Prov. 17:17). How true. In this time of trial, I see who my friends are and appreciate the confidence they have in me. Confidence given not because I’m a “pastor,” but because I have in some way or another proven myself worthy to be called a “friend.” Their kind words and thoughtful insights have kept my spirits up during this time. Trust is such a precious commodity. To my friends both within and out of CHC who have chosen to trust in the intent of my heart, I can only say “Thank You.”

It has been a glorious 20 years of church building filled with tears and triumph, brokenness as well as breakthroughs. What can we hope for the years to come? Well, we know from the Holy Bible that God’s thoughts toward us are thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give us a future and a hope (Jer. 29:11). I believe that the City Harvest story will continue to unfold. There is not a hint of doubt in my heart that my Lord Jesus Christ is not only the author of our faith, but also its finisher (Heb. 12:2). So it is on that promise we should stand, trusting that His Word is true, His heart is for us, and His love will never fail.

Did Jesus Resurrect from the Dead?

2010-04-01T03:42:00.001-07:00

The last few weeks have been quite the rollercoaster ride—ups and downs aplenty! I promise that in my next blog post, I will address all the concerns that some of you have raised recently. But for now, I hope that we can all focus on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as we celebrate His sacrifice and victory for us this Easter weekend.

The period from Palm Sunday to Good Friday and Easter Sunday is traditionally known as the Passion Week. It is the holiest week in the Christian Church calendar. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ have been documented extensively in the Holy Scripture. If Jesus is indeed the Son of God, death would never overpower Him. As such, we read of the resurrection in the following passages:

Four Gospels (Matt. 27:62-63; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22; John 2:19, 21).

Book of Acts (Acts 1:3, 22; 2:31-32; 3:14-15; 4:33; 13:30-31; 17:18).

Paul’s writings (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 15:4-8).

Peter’s words (Acts 10:40).

Most importantly, Jesus Himself personally testifies that “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Rev. 1:18). In that resurrection, Jesus’ soul and spirit were reunited with His body, which was made alive by the Holy Spirit. He physically rose from the grave, never to die again. Jesus was the first to experience that because while others were restored to physical life, they didn’t have a new body. Jarius’ daughter (Mark 5:35-43) and Lazarus (John 11:38-44) were raised from the dead, but they would ultimately die again. These people would die because Satan, who had the power of death, had not yet been conquered (Heb. 2:14). Christ became the firstfruits (example) of those whose souls would be redeemed from sin (1 Cor. 15:21-23).

Why is the resurrection important? Because Christianity stands or falls with it. Paul says, “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty . . . And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (1 Cor. 15:14, 17). In the landmark book Evidence that Demands a Verdict: Vol. 1, author Josh McDowell writes that “the resurrection of Jesus Christ is either one of the most wicked, vicious, heartless, hoaxes ever foisted on the minds of human beings, or it is the most remarkable fact of history.”

Throughout the centuries, there have been many theories to explain away the possibility of a resurrection. The Theory of Substitution claims that Jesus was never crucified in the first place. Someone else who looked like Him was forced to take His place. If that is true, then Jesus is guilty of deceit, dishonesty and heartlessness. He cared little for the death of an innocent bystander, or for the grief of His closest disciples.

Another theory is the Swoon Theory that states that Jesus never really died on the cross. After hanging for six hours, unknown to the public, He managed to come down in a “swoon.” He was then laid in a cool cave and was later revived by the application of healing ointment and strongly-scented spices. The Swoon Theory suggests that Jesus didn’t want to die, which is evident by Him “hiding” in Gethsemane on the night of His betrayal. His prayer for God to pass the cup from Him also showed His reluctance to die (cf. Matt. 26:39). Besides, there were no witnesses to actually see the crucifixion. The fact that Mary mistakenly took Jesus to be a gardener confirms that He was in disguise to hide from the authorities!

Is the resurrection a hoax or an actual historical event? Josh McDowell, a lawyer by training, puts forth the following ten evidences:

1.	Jesus was not afraid to die. In fact, He predicted His own death (Matt. 17:22-23; 20:18-19).
2.	Jesus was willing to die. When the Roman soldiers came to arrest Him, He didn’t cower in fear, instead He boldly “went forward” to talk to them (John 18:4).
3.	Jesus was definitely sentenced to death. To be sure He remained dead and buried, He was put through six trials to prove His “guilt.” He first appeared before Annas and Caiaphas the high priest, who felt that Jesus was worthy of death (John 18:13-14). He then stood before the highest religious court in the land, the Sanhedrin, who sought charges against Him to put Him to death (Matt. 26:57-59). He was then taken to Pilate and Herod, and the former sentenced Him to death by crucifixion (Luke 23:1-25).
4.	There were political motives for His death. To the Romans, Jesus was a rebel by affirming that He was “the King of the Jews” (Luke 23:3). Pilate could face the wrath of Tiberius Caesar for not dealing with a potential menace to the empire. To the Jews, failure to bring a radical troublemaker to the authority could lead to reprisals and stricter oversights from the Romans in the long run.
5.	There were economical motives for His death. Jesus upset the commercialization inside the temple (Matt. 21:12-16). Temple service required provision to be made for getting what was needed for the sacrifices—animals, wood, oil, etc.—especially for pilgrims from afar. The great feasts provided opportunities for extortion to abound. Jesus drove the lot out. The chief priest and the temple elders were upset.
6.	There were religious motives for His death. Jesus was getting more popular than the established religious leaders. The Pharisees were saying among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!” (John 12:19).
7.	Crucifixion ensured the certainty of death. The Persians used it. Alexander the Great used it. In Israel, crucifixion was usually reserved for idolaters and blasphemers. It was the most degrading and cruel form of death sentence. And it was the surest way to guarantee a criminal dies. For Jesus, the pre-crucifixion torture included the whipping using long leather strips with sharp jagged pieces of bones and lead. Most people would have simply died by the end of the whipping. Jesus was then made to wear a crown of thorns and carry the cross up Calvary hill. A seven inch spike was then driven through His wrist nailing Him onto the cross. It was a custom to speed up the death of a criminal on the cross by breaking his legs. But in the case of Jesus, it wasn’t necessary because He had already died (John 19:33). To ensure His death, “one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (v. 34). Medically speaking, this implies that Jesus died of a heart failure due to exhaustion and shock. The Romans would never allow the body of a criminal to be taken down from a cross unless they are absolutely sure he is dead. The death must be certified by four executioners. When Jesus was taken down, there was no question that He had truly died.
8.	The solid rock tomb made certain there was no possibility of getting the body out. As a Jew, Jesus was buried according to Jewish custom, which will never allow a dead body to be left overnight without embalming. The body of Jesus was covered with 100 pounds of spices and then wrapped in embalming cloth that was sewn by women using three separate garments (John 19:39-40). There was absolutely no possibility of Jesus waking up naturally and freeing Himself from the cloth and the spices. The very large stone against the door of the tomb (Matt. 27:60) weighed 1.5 to 2 tons. Twenty men couldn’t have moved it. To further secure the tomb, the authorities put a Roman seal on the stone to ensure that the tombstone was not tampered with (Matt. 27:66). The Roman seal came with a warning sign that grave robbers would be severely punished. Finally, there was a Roman guard unit of four to 16 men watching over the tomb to make certain that no one stole Jesus’ body away (Matt. 28:11).
9.	Yet, the tomb was empty. This could only mean one of two things: (a) the dead body of Jesus was stolen. This by itself would be a miracle considering all the precautions already taken by the Roman and Jewish authorities to prevent anyone from doing that. Besides His dead body was never produced. (b) Jesus Christ really did resurrect from the grave!
10.	The immediate psychological and social impact attest to a resurrection. On Easter Sunday, Jesus Christ made at least 15 appearances after His crucifixion and burial:

Mary Magdalene (John 20:14; Mark 16:9)

Women returning from tomb (Matt. 28:9-10)

Simon Peter, later that day (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5)

Emmaus disciples (Luke 24:13-33)

Disciples with Thomas absent (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-24)

Disciples with Thomas present (John 20:26-29)

Seven by the Lake of Tiberias (John 21:1-23)

500-over believers in Galilee (1 Cor. 15:6)

James the brother of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:7)

Eleven disciples (Matt. 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:33-52)

Ascension day (Acts 1:3-12)

Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:3-6; 1 Cor. 15:8)

Stephen the Martyr (Acts 7:55)

Paul in the temple (Acts 22:17-21; 23:11)

John on the island of Patmos (Rev. 1:10-19)

The enemies could have easily disproved the resurrection with a corpse from the grave, but no body was ever produced. Instead the religious leaders resorted to bribery to concoct a story that Jesus’ disciples had stolen the body by night (Matt. 28:12-13). Yet, there is no historical record of a search for Jesus’ body because too many people at that time had witnessed the resurrection.

The psychological impact among Jesus’ followers was so tangible that they moved from disillusionment, fear and unbelief into courageous faith. What could have precipitated such transformation? Only one thing—an actual resurrection appearance by Jesus Christ! More than just the early apostles, millions of Christians over the last 2,000 years were willing to suffer persecution and death for their faith in a resurrected Savior.

Josh McDowell is right: the resurrection of Jesus Christ is either a terrible hoax or indisputable history. McDowell says that the promise of the resurrection is this: what happened to Christ can happen for us. Like Him, we will die, but His resurrection is a promise that death is not the end. His resurrection is the prototype for our own.

Jesus is our example: if we follow Him, He can make a way when there seems to be no way.
He can raise our dreams when they seem to have died.
He can resurrect marriages that seem to have failed.
He can bring divine health to our broken bodies.
He can lift you up when you feel like you’ve fallen.

This Easter, let’s put our trust and hope in the One who died and rose again. Because through His sacrifice, we can all do the same.

CHC’s New Home: Suntec Convention Centre

2010-03-09T18:29:00.000-08:00

This is an article about CHC’s new church building that was printed in City News Weekly, March 7, 2010. CNW is a newspaper reporting news from a Christian perspective. With CNW’s permission, I have reproduced the whole article in full below. Enjoy!

The news is out: City Harvest will be moving to its new premises at Suntec Singapore International Exhibition and Convention Centre by 2011.
By Theresa Tan

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNTEC SINGAPORE

This has probably been City Harvest Church’s best-kept secret in its 21-year-history. The exact location of the church’s new site has been a hot topic that has kept Christians within and outside the church guessing, since it was confirmed on Jan. 16 that a space had finally been procured after a five-year search.

Bound by a non-disclosure agreement, the management could not say a word until yesterday afternoon, at the first service of the weekend at the Jurong West church.

The revelation of Suntec Singapore International Exhibition and Convention Centre met with great excitement from the church congregation. This location would put all the services of the church under one roof.

“When we were looking for a property, there were three major considerations,” said senior pastor Kong Hee.

1.	Size. “It had to be as big as we can go in our small city-state with limited land. Suntec Convention Centre has a total usable area of more than 1 million sq ft—that is 20 times our Jurong West property and 10 times Expo Hall 8. Suntec has the size we need and can accommodate our traffic.”
2.	Location. “We wanted a place that was central and easy to get to by MRT and bus. CHC members come from all over the island. Suntec is centrally located with three major MRT stations nearby: City Hall MRT is a 10-minute walk; Esplanade MRT and Promenade MRT open this April and are even closer by.”
3.	Facilities. “A church is not just a main sanctuary and nothing else. Having extra facilities is critical to the operations of the church. We need areas for children, rooms for Bible study, car park space and eating places. Suntec Convention Centre has more than 30 meeting rooms, and we will have access to over 8,680 car park lots in the Suntec-Marina area. Between Suntec City and the Convention Centre, there are 283 stalls/restaurants for our members to eat at, and 622 retail stores for our members to shop in.”

Through this agreement, CHC becomes a co-owner of Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre, and has a share in the annual revenues of all its facilities. The two floors CHC will primarily use are the sixth and seventh floors and include the CHC Auditorium which is column-free and can accommodate up to 12,000 seats. Early plans for this space reveal a stadium-style layout with a sizeable play area for children, and 10 meeting rooms. “All our morning prayer meetings, seminars and conferences will be held here in the future,” explained Kong.

The other parts of the Convention Centre will be open to the public, and will continue to be rented by third parties for exhibitions, fairs and performances as is currently the case.

Tan Ye Peng, deputy senior pastor, explains to City News what co-ownership of Suntec Singapore means. “Last year, ARA Asset Management Limited announced that its ARA Harmony Fund had acquired the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Harmony Fund’s investors comprise Suntec REIT, which holds 20 percent, and a consortium that holds 80 percent. CHC has bought a significant stake into the consortium.”

City Harvest is looking to raise S$310 million, but this sum is not the value of the property, says Tan. “This amount consists of cost of shares; rental; renovation and equipment; professional building, management logistic and maintenance fees; refundable deposits and moving costs.”

One of the key considerations for this site is the business model that CHC can and will adopt for Suntec Singapore. “For Singapore Expo, we are in a lease-only business model. As such, what is being paid out does not have any returns or profit-sharing for CHC. The Board and the Building Committee discussed and concluded that with an ‘ownership-and-license’ business model, the rent we pay out will be recovered by CHC in the form of profits and dividends.”

“It’s perfect for our church,” says Tan. “This place has everything we need. It’s been around, it’s an established place. It has been the venue for some of the most important events that ever took place in Singapore, like the APEC CEO Summit last November, and the International Monetary Fund-World Bank meeting in 2006. This August it will be the venue for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. It’s got all the facilities, and it’s super convenient. There is no other place that allows us this space size in this part of Singapore.”

In the event that there are such key events on the same scale as the IMF-World Bank meetings, Tan says City Harvest will exercise flexibility and vacate the space for such clients. “We are now part-owners,” he explains. “It benefits us too.” Tan points out that although City Harvest will use the space for its services, the building is still a commercial entity, and technically not a “church building”. “The church will lease the space to use for our services,” explains Tan. “The difference is that we are also co-owners of this building.”

For Chew Eng Han, who was tasked in 2005 to be the key person on the ground to find out what was available, and to speak to consultants and banks, the success of this partnership with Suntec Singapore is a triumph. “I feel fulfilled,” he declares.

The search was far from an easy one. “It required a lot of wisdom,” says Chew. “We needed the right location, central yet big enough, yet it could not be too costly, and it had to earn income, too. At the time we were looking, between 2005 and 2008, construction costs were escalating. When the crash came, property prices came down, but finding a partner became a challenge.”

Suntec Singapore was negotiated at the right time, and agreed upon at the right price, says Chew.

“It’s the best location because it’s already in existence. Although it may have been around for a number of years, the building is continually being refurbished and in good shape. Since we are not buying a new plot of land, we don’t have the risk of escalating costs—building costs fluctuate. The space is great: it totals over 1 million square feet, the hall is big enough, there are more than 30 meeting rooms and we have access to the Gallery space, and also the 600-seat Theatre on weekends.”

“It’s an ideal location for City Harvest, really—but at a much lower price than its original cost.” Suntec Singapore was originally built for a price of S$650 million in the early 1990s.

The best news for the burgeoning congregation may be the fact that with the space already built and available, CHC targets to move in by the end of the first quarter of 2011, once its lease at the Singapore Expo expires.

CN PHOTO: MICHAEL CHAN

For some, the announcement brought tears of joy. For others, the location was a complete surprise (See box story: What The Members Say).

Kong’s wife, singer Sun Ho, flew back to celebrate the announcement together with the church. Moments after the announcement, she tells City News: “I’m standing in a historical moment when miracles have just happened. God has done it again. My heart is overwhelmed, because this is something in which not just Kong and I, but the whole church have sown, labored, prayed, believed and claimed for, for so long. This is the time, this is the moment—we sowed in tears, and now we are really reaping in joy. Above the location, my heart is just so full of gratitude that we are able to build this house for God, for His glory. I’m grateful I can be a part of it.”

The church will fund the S$310 million through freewill donations from churchgoers. The church building fund, Arise & Build, is into its fifth round, with a target of S$17.3 million. There are eight more Arise & Build campaigns planned.

Further information on the design and details of the Suntec Singapore location will be released in the coming weeks.

What The Members Say

“I live in the Northeast, so I’m very happy especially since the Circle Line is opening. Everybody knows where Suntec is. It’s a very exciting move for the church!”
Khoo Lili, banker, in her 30s

“I never thought it could be such an awesome place. It’s at the center of Singapore—Formula One, Youth Olympic Games are all held there.”
Jason Jiang, pre-enlistee, 18

“I didn’t expect it, I thought it would be Marina Barrage. It’s exciting for the usher ministry—but greater challenges will come because of the bigger crowd. We’ll need more ushers to rise up for leadership and more members to join usher ministry.”
Ng Yoong Tian, engineer and usher team leader, 27

“The location is great as it brings in revenue for the church without the opportunity time cost. It really is a God-given idea.”
Kenneth Lee, IT director, 40

“Very excited to see such a big place and looking forward to having more quality and longer fellowship with my cell group members.”
Ang Xin Yee, secondary school student, 13

“I came specially for Service 1 though I was supposed to go back to JB. I teared when I heard the news and I can’t wait to worship at our new location.”
Lin Yilan, retiree, 60

“Mind-blowing! Totally unexpected! I believe this is the start of greater things with God bringing us to the next level. It is truly an honor and privilege to be part of history in the making.”
Ee Jia Ying, NUS undergraduate, 21

“I think God is amazing. All these years we’ve been giving and we didn’t even know where it would be! Upon hearing the news, all I can say is that God is indeed faithful!”
Rachel Lim, AIA financial services consultant, 26

New Building

2010-02-27T18:52:00.000-08:00

In the Holy Scripture, Jacob encountered the Lord in a dream. When he awoke, he proclaimed, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” (Gen. 28:17) He called the name of that place Bethel, which means “the house of God.” What a beautiful description of the church—an awesome place, the gate of heaven. Jesus Christ Himself says, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18).

After five years of seemingly endless property searches, City Harvest Church has finally purchased a new property to serve our next phase of growth and development. Our members have been giving faithfully and sacrificially, seeking to own a venue where God’s people can gather to worship, pray and serve His kingdom purpose. Next weekend, we will make that location known.

While CHC members (and I suspect, some in the public) sit on the edge of their seats in suspense, awaiting the release of this vital piece of information, I too, am anticipating the various reactions that may arise after the location is known. As such, I have generated a list of Frequently Asked Questions for those whom may have some queries weighing in their minds.

Whatever the case, I hope that we will share the same conviction as King David that the house “for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all the lands” (1 Chr. 22:5).

Why is there a need for CHC to secure such a huge facility?

We need a facility that will be able to accommodate the congregations from our English Services, Children’s Church, Chinese Church, Dialect Church, JAMs (Jesus for All Minds) Church, Indonesian Service, Tamil Service, and Filipino Service. By God’s grace, we have been growing steadily and our database name list currently stands at 32,731.

At the same time, the cost of hall rentals in Singapore has been increasing. It therefore makes financial sense to have our own facility in the long run. What’s more, our ability to rent halls for worship depends on their availability and other contractual terms. Having our own property means we will no longer subject our congregations to the risk of not being able to rent a facility for use, or having to move from time to time to different venues.

Why does the project cost S$310 million?

There are three factors to consider regarding the cost of a project:

	a.	The size of the property: the land size of the property is large enough to contain a 12,000-seater auditorium to accommodate the needs of our growing congregation.
	b.	The location of the property: CHC has members coming from all over the island. Centrality and ease of access via public transportation is important to us.
	c.	The facilities of the property: The building will have many meeting rooms and restaurants, with sufficient car parking space for our congregants and the general public.

What type of building will the facility be housed in? Integrated mall? Or purely a place of worship?

It is not purely a place of worship. This property has a 12,000-seater auditorium, and many other meeting rooms and F&B outlets.

Why does the church need to be in the CBD area?

We already have an existing church building at Jurong West. But our members come from all over the island. Proximity and accessibility by public transportation is the key factor behind our decision to find another facility that is in the central district of Singapore.

How does CHC plan to finance the project?

We will finance the project from the free-will contributions of our members.

CHC is planning to spend S$310 million on their building, shouldn’t CHC take care of the poor and needy instead?

CHC spends 20 percent of its annual budget on local community and overseas humanitarian work to help the poor and needy. This work has been ongoing since the church began in 1989. For example, in the aftermath of the Aceh tsunami and Haiti earthquake, CHC volunteered teams of doctors and disaster relief workers with medical supplies, tents and water filters to help the victims. In addition, CHC has been actively giving to missions work and supporting its network of churches all over Asia. With a facility to house the church’s growing congregation and multifaceted ministries, we can serve the needs of the community in an even greater way.

Economically, wouldn’t the church save more money if its facility is outside of CBD or in the suburbs of Singapore?

Properties are scarce and property prices are generally high throughout Singapore. The key consideration behind our choice of location is proximity and accessibility for our members.

What does CHC plan to achieve in undertaking this massive project?

The facility is meant to meet the needs of our growing congregation for a place of worship. It also allows CHC to move from its present expensive rental model to a more financially sustainable ownership model for the long term.

Since majority of the activities of the church are on weekends, how will the building be used during the weekdays? Isn’t it a waste of space?

The facilities of the property and F&B outlets are open to the public daily. During the weekdays, the auditorium will be used from time-to-time as a venue for seminars, conferences, arts and cultural performances.

10.

According to the laws of Singapore, can worship services be held within the Central Business District?

There is no legal restriction against conducting worship services in the CBD area, provided zoning and other legal requirements are met. Currently there are more than 30 places of worship in downtown Singapore. These include churches, temples and mosques such as St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Wesley Methodist Church, Orchard Road Presbyterian Church, Sri Mariamman Temple, Masjid Jamae Chulia, Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, Maghain Aboth Synagogue; just to name a few. We will ensure that use of our new facility does not breach zoning restrictions or other legal restrictions applicable to the facility.

11.

Since CHC already owns a property in Jurong West, why does it need another facility?

CHC has long outgrown the facility at Jurong West as its capacity is limited to 2,300 people. Our present congregation is more than 14 times the maximum capacity of our Jurong West building. Since 2005 we have had to rent premises at Singapore Expo to accommodate our congregations.

It should also be noted that the new facility does not mean the Jurong West church building will be redundant. Activities such as outreach to the elderly and children living in the Jurong area will continue. The property in Jurong West will still be utilized for training, counseling, prayers, etc.

12.

Should CHC elect to have its facility in the downtown area, would there be a potential for crowds and traffic jams in the already crowded CBD?

This is an important consideration which we factored into our planning for the new facility. There is ample car parking space, and the roads surrounding the property are wide enough to ensure smooth traffic.

The Power of Fasting

2009-12-03T21:50:00.000-08:00

I have been fasting regularly since 1986. In the early days, I would fast once a week for 24 hours, from 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday to 6:00 a.m. on Thursday. However, since 2004, I have been going on 21-day full fasts once every 6 months. Once, in 2007, I fasted for 40 days.

Many people have asked me, “Kong, why do you fast so often?” This blog is dedicated to that question. There are many wonderful benefits of fasting:

1.	Biological: The physical benefits fasting has toward the body have been so well documented that even non-Christians these days fast regularly for better health. According to World Health Net, a study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, shows that regular fasting can reduce risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, insulin resistance, immune disorders, and more generally, the slowing of the aging process, and the potential to increase maximum life span.
	In Japan, “fasting clubs” are now in vogue. A June 16, 2003, issue of Newsweek states that “for decades Japanese doctors have treated obesity, diabetes and some psychiatric illnesses with fasting.”
	During a fast, the body takes the opportunity to eliminate a lot of toxins (harmful substances) that have been built up over the years. The toxins are predominantly stored in fat and mucous cells. The body is “resetting” itself. A common detoxification reaction is headaches. This occurs because the toxins in the blood cause it to thicken and hence cause a headache. A simple remedy is to drink more water or have a bowel movement. In fact, a three-day fast has been used as a standard means of detox recommended by nutritionists the world over.

	In America, it is now common to have a 28-day detox program. Books such as Get Healthy Through Detox and Fasting: How to Revitalize Your Body in 28 Days by Don Colbert, and New Again! The 28-Day Detox Plan for Body and Soul by Anna Selby, describe detoxification plans which remove harmful toxins from the body and revitalize it.
2.	Spiritual: There are a number of very good reasons why we Christians should fast:
	a. Breaking the power of the carnal flesh. Our fallen nature is so tightly linked to the physical appetites of our human body. The more inordinately we yield to our physical drives (such as hunger, sleep, sex), the more we embolden the carnal nature of our undisciplined flesh. Apostle Paul himself was fully aware of the power of the flesh, and constantly disciplined his body “to bring it into subjection” (1 Cor. 9:27). One of the ways he did this was “in fastings often.” (2 Cor. 11:27). As I deprive my body of its craving for food, I am taming my flesh and bringing it into subjection to my spirit. By the end of my fasting period, I often find myself more spiritual, more heavenly minded, more in tune with God, and more sensitive to His voice. In fact, the Scripture records that the reason the church leaders of Antioch were so sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, concerning His plan to reach the Gentile world, was a direct result of prayer and fasting (Acts 13:2).
	b. Self-humbling before the Lord. This is the reason why the saints in the Bible fast (Ps. 35:13). They were reminding themselves that they were weak in their own human strength to achieve the big visions and goals that God had set before them. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt. 26:41). Therefore if our God-ordained dream is going to happen, it must be by a supernatural work of the Lord.
	Fasting heightens that awareness. When I fast, I feel so weak in myself. I can’t workout in the gym. I can’t run five km (three miles) each day. After every service during my 21-day fasting season, I often felt like “crashing.” I would then cry out to the Lord, “Jesus, I can’t do it, please help me by the power of Your Holy Spirit!” God will always give grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
	c. Increasing the anointing level. Jesus says that certain demons can’t be expelled except by prayer and fasting (Matt.17:21). Last month at the Kuala Lumpur Emerge (our annual youth conference in Malaysia), many commented that the preaching of the Word and the ministry time were some of the best they have ever had. Honestly, I didn’t feel any different. In fact, I felt I didn’t preach too well in a couple of the sessions because I was tired due to my long fast. However, many attendees sent me text messages and emails to say that their lives were so impacted and irrevocably changed. As I reflect on this, I can clearly see that God Himself was doing the work. He had so anointed my voice and let His power flow freely through the laying on of my hands. The presence and power of God made a huge difference in my time at KL.
3.	Revival & Church Growth: In the Bible, whenever the people of God stopped fasting, they became dull and complacent. However, when a fast was decreed, the whole nation underwent revival and deliverance (2 Chr. 20:3-25; Esther 4:16; Ezra 8:21; Jonah 3:5-10). Last month, I fasted and prayed for three specific purposes: (1) 30 percent growth in every pastoral zone, (2) CHC to get its 10,000-seat arena in the city, and (3) my wife Sun to excel in her American singing career. Fasting greatly adds spiritual momentum to my prayer and faith.
What to Do When You Fast? If you have a sickness, if you are pregnant, or if you are a nursing mother, please don’t fast. If you have a history of weak health, please seek medical advice beforehand if you want to fast. If you are on regular medication, please consult a doctor before you fast. If you can’t fast throughout the week, just go for a three-day fast. But please don’t fast intermittently (stopping a few meals, eating a few meal) as this will affect the rhythm of your gastric flow and may hurt your body. Once you start fasting, don’t eat until you have finished the fast. You must drink a lot of water when you fast. Be careful of juices and beverages (such as, coffee) that may give you gastric problems because of the acids they contain. For some people, milk may result in a lot of gas. Yoghurt may cause stomach rumblings, and is generally considered food. The best is electrolytes like 100-Plus, H-2-0, Pocari, et cetera. You need the minerals contained in them during a fast. Drinking clear soup in moderation is good when you need extra energy for work or ministry. Don’t do anything strenuous like run 10 km, house-moving, dance performances, etc. Adopt a commonsense approach to fasting. Brush your teeth often as you will tend to have bad breath (again, due to the release of toxins). I normally carry a toothbrush and toothpaste everywhere I go when I am fasting. Most of all, when you fast, try to start or end the day with a time of deep personal devotion and prayer. Fasting must go with prayer. Otherwise, it is just dieting or a “hunger strike.”
How to Break a Fast?
After fasting, always begin with a light meal, even if you have fasted for only a short period of time. Don’t begin with anything too greasy, fatty or heavy.
The next thing to keep in mind is that the longer the fast, the more gradual it takes to break it. Somebody has said that you must take as long a time to break your fast as you do the period of fasting. When you have fasted for a long time (over three weeks), your stomach becomes like that of a baby’s. Feed yourself after that fast as you would a baby. It may take up to a week to get back to consuming normal food.
When you are in a fast, you usually don’t feel so hungry after the first three days. However, when you start to eat again, your hunger comes back. That is when you must really hold on to yourself. Exercise self-control. Fasting causes your stomach to contract. It is unwise to expand it again to the same extent. Fasting is a great way to change our eating habits, which many of us need to do. However, if you are planning to slim down or reduce your weight, fasting alone will not do that normally. You will get a few kilos off, but you will put them on just as quickly unless you combine it with a changed program of eating and exercise.

When Bad Things Happen To Good People

2009-11-25T21:57:00.000-08:00

There are many wonderful blessings that come with belonging to the Faith/Charismatic circle: the belief in signs and wonders, divine healing and health, success and financial prosperity, living a life of influence and purpose, et cetera. However, one area that most Charismatics do not handle too well is the issue of suffering. The prevalent reasoning is that if God is a good, healing, delivering God, whose desire is only to protect and bless His children, then a Christian should not have to suffer. And if a believer does suffer, then there must be something wrong with his/her life or faith. As such, it is not uncommon to hear prominent Faith/Charismatic ministers making rhetorical statements like, “Our heavenly Father will never allow Christians to suffer. I reject sufferings and claim only God’s blessings!”

Recently I was invited to speak at an Indonesian church an hour outside of Jakarta. The senior pastor was diagnosed with liver cancer a year earlier. The doctors attending to him explored the possibility of a liver transplant. After much effort, the money needed for the operation was raised and a liver donor was found. On the eve of the surgery, as the doctors were doing a final pre-op examination, they discovered that the cancer had spread throughout his body. It was now too late to do a liver transplant and the procedure was called off. The pastor and his family were devastated by this unexpected turn of events. Upon hearing the news, the assistant pastor was so grief-stricken that the next day, he suddenly collapsed in the middle of the church service and died. Forty days later, the senior pastor passed away. Without any clergy in this fledgling church, the housewifely widow of the senior pastor had to conduct the funeral service on her own. Some finger-pointing members started questioning if the untimely deaths of the top leadership were due to divine retribution, or whether the church was cursed. Over the next few months, attendance began to dwindle. As I ministered in the church, I could sense an unspoken question in the air—why do bad things happen to good people?

When this kind of simplistic thinking is embraced, it can make a person judgmental and mean-spirited. If one is faced with an incurable disease or experiences a tragic accident, it must be the result of an unconfessed sin, a generational curse, or that God is giving up on that person. It is a judgment from God, a divine retribution.

Years ago, one of my Bible college classmates died unexpectedly. Instead of consoling and comforting her father, who was a minister in the Assemblies of God, some Christians wrote accusatory letters condemning him of being the cause of his daughter’s untimely death. They speculated the existence of secret, unconfessed sins that had resulted in this “divine punishment.” Otherwise, it must have been his “lack of faith” that failed to raise that girl from the dead.

Shortly after Seow-How and Cecilia co-founded Heart of God Church in 1999, there was a terrible accident that took place outside of their church premises one Sunday. Two teenage members were walking across the road when a sleepy bus driver rammed into them. One of them died on the spot, the other died in the hospital hours later. It was a heart-wrenching tragedy for this very young church and its congregation. One lady from a local Charismatic church berated Seow-How and Cecilia, saying that the church had been divinely cursed. How else could they explain the unexpected death of the two teenagers? If God’s blessing was on the congregation, there should never have been any form of suffering.

In an overly simplistic view on suffering, the logic usually goes like this:

If you are good, there will be no suffering for you.
If you are bad, you will suffer.
So if there is suffering, then you must be bad, cursed and judged!

If this line of reasoning is true, then what about Jesus Christ, the apostles and all the heroes of faith? They all suffered greatly for the gospel. Obviously the “suffering-means-accursed” logic espoused by many is greatly flawed. I feel strongly that we need to re-look the whole concept of suffering, especially through the life of Job, a man who went through an unparalleled magnitude of suffering.

The Scripture introduces Job as someone who was “blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). In fact, Job’s morality was so legendary that he was listed twice as one of the three most righteous men in the Old Testament (Ezek. 14:14, 20). He was a spiritually mature man, not a novice in the things of God.

Job was blessed with seven sons and three daughters, all grown up with their own families and homes. He was incredibly wealthy with thousands of livestock. His ownership of 3,000 camels meant that he ran the largest transportation business in the region during his time. The sheer number of his sheep, camels, oxen and donkeys meant that Job also owned a lot of farmlands for the animals to graze on. Without a doubt, he “was the greatest of all the people of the East” (1:3), a man professionally respected by all.

Beyond his material success, Job was a caring father to his children. Like the patriarchs, he functioned as a priest over his family. He took his sacrificial obligation seriously, viewing it as expiation for sin. To Job this included even sins of the heart, for he made special offerings just in case his sons had secretly cursed God (1:5). Even God Himself acknowledged that there was not a better man than Job in his day (1:8). If ever there was an outstanding man, it was Job. Yet, very bad things happened to him.

In one day, severe calamities befell him and his household. Out of nowhere bandits came and pillaged all his oxen and donkeys, murdering all his farmhands in the process (1:15). Then a lightning bolt came out of the sky causing a forest fire, and all his 7,000 sheep and herdsmen were burned alive (1:16). At the same time, robbers came in three raids and took away his 3,000 camels and slew all their handlers (1:17). And before the dust could settle, a freak storm struck the house wherein his ten children were dining. The roof fell on them and they all died instantly (1:19). Within 24 hours, Job lost his entire business and family. Without anyone to help him, this 70-year-old elderly man had to bury all his children by himself.

As if what happened was not bad enough, Job now became very sick. His body was inflamed with ulcerous sores (2:7). Bible scholars believe that he had a severe case of elephantiasis, an illness that causes swelling and the disfiguration of face, causing him to be unrecognizable (2:12). He began to lose appetite and spiraled into depression (3:24-25). His body was covered with scabs oozing out pus and there were worms crawling all over him (7:5). He developed difficulty breathing (9:18), darkening of the eyelid (16:16), severe weight loss (19:20) as well as continual pain and anxiety (30:27). The high fever and blackened skin (30:30) indicated that he was probably having some form of kidney or liver failure. For the next nine months, Job was in constant delirium.

Because he was totally bankrupt, Job was now living at the city dump where they burned garbage and human excrements. He was the absolute personification of misery. The richest man in the East was reduced to nothing. He was now a social outcast—shamed, disgraced, rejected and despised by all. Very bad things happened to this very good man!

It is never easy for anyone to go through difficult times and tough situations. However, when terrible things happen to us, here are a few things we need to bear in mind:

1.	Know that God is not angry with you. Job was an extremely righteous man, yet he suffered like no one else. Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” The apostle Paul, who himself is no stranger to suffering, says, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). You could be going through a hard time because you have been righteous and godly. So do not condemn yourself or think that God is displeased with you.
	By the way, the word “afflictions” also means physical suffering and mental anguish. With all my heart, I fully believe in divine healing (Mark 16:17-18). However, I also submit to the sovereignty of God in any given situation. Like Job, many great men of faith (with strong healing ministries) have themselves been afflicted with terrible illnesses. Elisha the miracle worker died of a terminal sickness (2 Kin. 13:14). The apostle Paul was said to have had an incurable disease (2 Cor. 12:7). Epaphroditus was so sick he almost died (Phil. 2:27). Billy Graham and Yonggi Cho are both diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Reinhard Bonkke struggled with prostate cancer a few years ago. Casey Treat was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2003. A week ago, on November 22, megachurch pastor Billy Joe Daughterty succumbed to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and passed away. All these ministers are godly men of faith, with impeccable integrity, but have themselves been suffering with severe illnesses. The next time you see someone who is sick, please do not be quick to judge him/her for having little faith. We do live in a fallen world with imperfect bodies.
2.	Realize that you are in a spiritual warfare. The Bible makes it very clear that the source of Job’s suffering was Satan the devil. He has come to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Through tragedies and calamities, Satan constantly seeks to tempt us to reject God, to “curse Him to His face” (Job 1:11). When you are faced with hard times, do not get mad with God. It is not His fault.
3.	Believe that God is ultimately in control. To touch Job’s possessions, family and health, Satan needed permission from God (1:12; 2:6). We can be assured of this one thing: nothing can ever happen to us without His permission. As a good God, He never enjoys seeing His people suffer. Yet sometimes, He allows bad things to happen to bring about a deeper change in us. In the case of Job, Satan may have thought that he was provoking God; but really, God was simply using Satan to complete His own perfecting work in Job.
4.	Offer up the sacrifice of praise. Despite being grief-stricken, Job “fell to the ground and worshiped,” acknowledging God’s sovereignty over his life to give and take away (1:20-21). Even when he was made bankrupt and saw the irrational death of his ten children, never once did he “sin nor charge God with wrong” (1:22). Job’s trust in God’s goodness was astounding.
5.	Understand that God is seeking to make you better. God is more interested in our character than our comfort. He is a very purposeful God and never arbitrary in His treatment concerning us. That is why when we do not see His hand, we must learn to trust His heart. If not, we will become confused, resentful and bitter. That is precisely why we need faith in our walk with Him. The silence of God will make you wonder if He even cares, but He does. The silence of God will make you wonder if He is even there, but He is. Faith is never for the good times, it is always for the difficult times.
	One cannot appreciate Job’s love for God unless one understands Job 29, which is a description of Job’s life before the tragedies befell him. Way back then, the counsel of God was already a lamp unto his feet and a light unto his path (29:1-3; Ps. 119:105). He was walking in revelation. By Job’s own admission, he considered himself as one who had already “arrived” at advanced spiritual growth and maturity: “I was in the days of my prime” (Job 29:4). He was living with great material abundance and God’s presence (29:6).
	When he spoke, everybody listened. Job was the “eyes to the blind,” the “feet to the lame,” the “father to the poor,” the provider to widows, and the defender of justice. The people loved, admired and looked up to him. He was their guide, commander and king. Really, there was nothing more for Job to achieve. He had done it all! He was living the dream!
	I know that for most Christian businesspeople or “kingdom professionals,” this is the kind of life we all aspire to live—blessed with wealth, a great family life, and status in society. We desire to be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, and at the same time, a spiritual leader that everyone looks up to in the church and community. Yet as far as God was concerned, Job was not completely mature. There were many inner struggles he had that nobody knew of. For one, Job never felt safe or secure in life in spite of all his achievements. He had a lot of restlessness and anxieties in his soul (3:25-26).
	Here was a man who knew and sensed God, but never had real, deep, life-changing encounters with God. He had heard from God, but had never seen the Lord (42:5). Although he loved God with all his heart, he had not yet reached the point of total abandonment toward Him. Job is like the Christian who has not come to a place where he can say, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21), or “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).
	Job was successful, spiritual and blameless, but he was not broken unto the Lord. He felt he had “arrived” (materially, parentally, socially, spiritually), but he was terribly deceived—a victim of his own illusion. God wanted to change that in him. In His sovereign wisdom, the only way to break Job was to take him through a period of abject suffering.
6.	Develop the capacity to obediently endure. This is the key purpose of all God-ordained sufferings. James 5:11 exhorts us to experience and learn the “perseverance of Job.” Perseverance is the “capacity to endure,” which is critical to our maturity and destiny. Very often, when we are exposed to certain viral sicknesses (for example, chicken pox), our body develops immunity against it thereafter. Similarly, while suffering does not originate from God, He allows it to build in us the spiritual capacity to handle intense pain and stress, and an immunity toward discouragement and depression.
	Romans 5:3-4 says that “we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” No one in the right mind will ever wish for suffering.We do not rejoice in suffering unless we know there is something greater that God has purposed in our lives. God’s ultimate purpose of putting us through crisis, heartbreaks, misunderstanding and persecution is so that we develop perseverance (the capacity to endure), character (moral strength) and hope (a positive outlook of life).
	How great a life do you want to live? Well, how much pressure are you able to take? When Job lost all his wealth and ten children, and his resentful wife blamed God, he was able to keep on worshiping Him. When his physical body was suffering from sores, swellings and multiple organ failures, and when his psychological state of mind was in severe depression, Job was able to keep trusting God. His capacity for pressure was amazing. Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15). Trusting God is when you do not need an explanation from Him for whatever is happening in your life.
	When his three friends (Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar) turned against him and persecuted him, telling him that his predicament was a punishment from God for his sin, Job held on to his faith: “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
	Even Jesus Christ went through sufferings to “learn obedience” as a Son (Heb. 5:8). Obedient endurance is the crowning mark of maturity. When you can obey the will of God even in the midst of crisis, heartbreaks, misunderstanding and persecution, you have become truly mature.
	Sufferings refine our faith in God like nothing else will. That is why the Scripture encourages us to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3). As your capacity for endurance grows, and you can keep on obeying the will of God in spite of stress, hardships, criticisms and pain, you will become “perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (1:4).
7.	Get ready for the double portion. Suffering is a prerequisite for sonship. Only true sons inherit the Father’s estate. Jesus was willing to suffer and become “obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:8-11). Jesus Christ, the true Son of God, became the heir of all things and inherited His Father’s estate. It is the same for us: “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:12). This is what obedient endurance does: giving us the sonship to inherit the double portion.
	Ultimately, God’s purpose of Job’s suffering was to qualify him for the double portion. True enough, God doubled all his possessions. He was blessed with 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 oxen, and 1,000 donkeys (42:10-12). He was blessed with ten other children (42:13-14). God then doubled his length of days by adding another 140 years (70 x 2) to his life. Moreover, Job became God’s example of obedient perseverance for all eternity.
Like Job, it is one thing to be blameless but quite another to be broken unto the Lord. True maturity is the absolute abandonment to God and His will. When there is no capacity for obedient endurance, we are not yet ready for the double portion. If you are going through a period of intense suffering, wisely do everything you possibly can to overcome it. And having done all, hold on steady and stand before the Lord in faith (Eph. 6:13). Obediently endure through the fire, trial, pain, disappointment, sickness, financial lack and persecution by faith. God is working out something beautiful in your life.

Wholesome Shallowness?

2009-09-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

In 2007, my wife Sun released a music video of the hit single, “China Wine,” the result of a creative collaboration with reggae wunderkind, Wyclef Jean. That video garnered a lot of attention on YouTube with more than two million hits over two dozen fan sites. It received rave reviews from industry insiders as well as youths who love dance pop the world over. Not surprisingly, the video also raised quite a few eyebrows within the religious fraternity who felt it was inappropriate for a Christian to be featured in a dance video.

Although Sun is married to me, she herself was never formally ordained as a minister. She never felt gifted with a pulpit ministry. But ever since Sun was a child, she had participated in many singing contests and won quite a few of them. As a preacher’s wife, Sun functioned faithfully from behind-the-scenes as my helpmate, becoming an effective counselor and a singer in the church.

At the turn of the millennium, as I began formulating my doctrine on the Cultural Mandate, challenging my generation to come out of isolation and engage the marketplace, I urged Sun to help me embody that message. In 2002, she launched her new career in Taiwan as a pop singer. Since then, she has done very well with more than four million units sold, five multi-platinum records, and over 30 number one songs in five different countries. Today, she is known in the Far East as a bona fide singer, entertainer and humanitarian.

From her royalties, Sun has built eight schools, two orphanages, two medical centers, one rehabilitation clinic, and two housing projects. Through her connections, she has helped with the establishing and fund-raising of four other orphanages, two hospitals, two community services, and one charity foundation. For all these humanitarian achievements, Sun was awarded the Top Outstanding Young Person of the World in 2003, and became China’s Charity Ambassador of Children since 2004. In 2007, she sang the theme song for the Special Olympics at Shanghai. Last year, she sang the 2008 Olympic Anthem during the pre-game launch at Beijing. The unchurched throughout Asia loves Sun and views her as an exemplary model to the youths of society.

Yet, in spite of all her secular and creative achievements, many conservative pastors find it hard to accept Sun in any role outside of church ministry. But the reality is that she is no longer a church staff or a gospel singer. She doesn’t work for any religious organization.

As a professional artist, Sun has to take on many dramatic stage personas. This is what entertainers do. In the “China Wine” video, she happens to be acting in one such role. Fiction must be separated from fact. I think the struggle many pastors have is the difficulty to separate her association with me (as a pastor’ wife) and her career as a singer. I agree that if she is a “pastor” or “preacher,” perhaps the video would have been inappropriate. But Sun is not a pastor. She is an entertainer. All her music videos were not produced by the church but by her secular music label, the company that she is working for.

“China Wine” is a music video about a girl who has to take up an extra job at a nightclub to make ends meet for her family. Some pastors immediately took offense at the club scene and sexy dancers around her. As for her costumes, she wore gym clothes which was not inappropriate for the set she had to act in. At the end of the music video, she caught her boyfriend cheating on her in the night club and confronted him in Mandarin. If you understand what she said, her words were neither crude nor profane at all. She basically shouted at the guy, “Hey, what are you doing with this mistress?” Unfortunately, the video translator subtitled that as “Hey, what are you doing with this b****?” That final b-word caused a further uproar among pastors, who were quick to condemn her for uttering profanities. A few of them wrote me angry emails calling Sun a “whore,” “hooker,” and other nastier, derogatory terms. Some said she was promoting free sex and immorality. But any intelligent, objective viewer would know that the whole drama is not about sex; if anything, it portrays the reality of a fallen secular world.

All these storms in a tea cup set me thinking of a bigger question: Are Christians living a sanitized life? Why have “Christian” productions been so ineffective in their reach to the unchurched, to the extent that even believers are not interested in their products?

In his book, Eyes Wide Open: Looking For God in Popular Culture, author William D. Romanowski talks about a 1993 survey, which reported that over 80 percent of all churchgoing Christians regularly go to the movies. When they were asked what they thought about Christian films, TV productions and Christian Contemporary Music, this was what they said:

1.	Christian popular arts are inferior imitations as compared to mainstream culture. To many, Christian music is substandard guitar pop and happy-clappy lyrics about Jesus. This is not surprising as many Christian artists feel that their main job is to preach the gospel and proclaim the faith. As such, artistic quality or creativity is not so important. But what they forget is that when people go to a movie or buy an album, their first desire is to be entertained. If they want to be preached to, they would have gone to church.
2.	Christian popular arts are unrealistic, sanitized versions of the real world. Some reviewers even use the phrase “wholesome shallowness” to describe them. Christian entertainment has come to mean movies and music appropriate for “family-only” audiences. That basically means kids-oriented programs or old-time TV reruns for senior citizens. Are Christians that naive and immature, living in a perpetual time warp of a bygone era, that we can’t handle the realities of the 21st century?
	As early as 1916, Hollywood had already discovered that 60 percent of theater owners wanted pictures that portray the real world—even if they contained themes on violence, sex and greed. This is because moviegoers want films that honestly and artistically address the issues of life.
3.	Christian popular arts are limited in content and purpose. If you listen to most CCM, you would think that all Christians do is worship and evangelize 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But people in general, Christians and non-Christians alike, don’t want to be preached to 24/7. They want a pop culture that is fun, entertaining, artistic and innovative. They are also concerned with the issues of life—and they enjoy it when those themes are addressed with artistic flair.
Everybody knows the trials and temptations of daily living. We are not immune to problems and tensions. We are all concerned about love and relationship, life and health, career and finances, the global economy and politics, war and peace, and our future. We are all trying to understand why things happen the way they do and how we can live our lives properly. Pop culture helps us to navigate through all that.
People get inspired and moved by U2, the biggest band in the world today. Their music captures a sense of religious longing and the struggle of living in a world torn by war, injustice and poverty. They enjoy movies like The Matrix, which speaks of an invisible world behind our natural world. They are moved by Schindler’s List (rated R) which touches on courage, sacrifice, and overcoming racism. CHC member, Jack Neo, is arguably the best movie director in Southeast Asia. His films, I Not Stupid I and I Not Stupid II, were box office hits because they realistically deal with the pressures of the rat-race in Asian societies.
Listeners and viewers cry buckets over these powerful songs and films. They may be secular, but people get touched by such productions more so than most Christian ones. If Christian pop culture is artistically inferior, unrealistically sanitized, and limited in content and purpose, is there any surprise that surveys regularly show that even churchgoers are not excited about them? No wonder Christian artists have such a difficult time selling their products beyond small book tables in churches.
The beautiful truth is that God is not against pop culture. There is a section of the Old Testament known as “The Writings,” covering books like Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes and Lamentations. Honestly, aren’t they the popular songs, dramas and musicals of biblical times? Psalms are songs of frustration, regret and anger, yet sung with love to a sometimes hidden God. Aren’t they like most tracks on the Billboard Chart? Job deals with the sufferings of life, and the desire to find meaning through them. Isn’t it like the Hollywood hit movie, Forest Gump, or the long-running Korean serial drama, Jewel In The Place? Proverbs deal with the danger of shortcuts, the snares of temptation, and the rewards of honesty. Aren’t they just like the cartoon series, The Simpsons? The Song of Solomon is about the obsession with love and the sensual. Just turn on any pop radio and we have our modern-day Song of Solomon being broadcasted 24/7. Ecclesiastes deal with the weariness of daily living in an imperfect world. Isn’t that portrayed in movies like Signs and The Pianist? Lamentations deal with grief. When one listens to most of Eric Clapton’s songs, aren’t they all about the dealing of grief?
Like the Old Testament writings themselves, pop culture is the collective wisdom of our generation. Popular arts explore social injustice, songs of sorrow, and even tributes to women. Like the Book of Esther, they may not even mention the name of God. Like Ecclesiastes, they suggest that in this life, bad things do happen to good people. Or like the Song of Solomon, they may celebrate romance and sex. These songs and movies may not have a salvational purpose, but nonetheless, they offer us the essential comfort and wisdom for living. As such, pop culture represents a powerful means of communicating to us what the real world is like, and how to live in it.
We are all products of our personal theological persuasions and convictions. Pop culture affects the lifestyles of the masses. Venturing into the realm of secular culture is certainly not for the weak or the fainthearted. What Sun is seeking to do is to show us how to be a modern-day Daniel or Joseph to our contemporary Babylon and Egypt. Daniel took on Babylon’s language, education, fashion, name and persona, and yet he didn’t compromise his own value system. According to the New Bible Commentary, Joseph was thoroughly “Egyptianized,” and yet he lived a great life of purpose. Esther, the super celebrity, was also similar. Sun simply wants to emulate these heroes of faith.
Can you remember John the Baptist questioning the authenticity of Jesus’ ministry when he heard about the latter’s working style? Jesus had become widely known as a friend of sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes and drunkards. He was even seen going to parties and events that the Pharisees themselves wouldn’t set foot in. John the Baptist was concerned that Jesus was becoming worldly, immoral and compromising—a bad example to the disciples. Our Lord’s reply to him was simply this: “Look at My fruits. Look at how the gospel is preached. ‘And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me’” (Matt. 11:6). The Greek word for “offended” is scandalizo, which means “to trip up, stumble, or be enticed to sin.” I would say the same to those religious critics who may be offended by Sun.
The “China Wine” music video was never meant for a church event. Neither was it ever intended to be an evangelism tool or a gospel video. It is simply pop entertainment. People watching the video and regarding it as just that will never get offended or stumbled, which explains the millions of hits and thousands of good reviews on YouTube.
So to the religious and conservatives who have used nasty, derogatory and expletive terms to describe Sun, my parting shot are the words of Jesus Christ from Matthew 21:31, *“I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”*

Racial & Religious Harmony

2009-08-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

On August 16, 2009, I was invited to the National Day Rally held at the NUS University Cultural Center. The National Day Rally is akin to the State of the Union Address delivered by the President of the United States. In our case, it is an annual address that the Prime Minister of Singapore makes to the entire nation.

That night, I was seated on the second row, directly behind Rustom Ghadiali, the vice-president of the Inter-Religious Organization. Among those around me were the Methodist bishop and the Catholic archbishop, Buddhist monks and Muslim leaders. I must say that I was very impressed by the podium design, multimedia incorporation and technological gadgetry that PM Lee Hsien Loong used. The discipline and excellence in which the entire NDR was organized is indeed commendable.

This year is the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s self-government. The PM spoke first in Malay and then in Chinese. The following two hours, he spoke in English, issuing a call for unity across different races and religions. I was amazed by the content of the PM’s speech as it is consistent with the value and philosophy of ministry we practice in City Harvest Church. In a sense, it is comforting to know that our approach is not antagonistic to the society we are planted in and seeking to reach.

PM Lee: Critical to our long-term success is maintaining social cohesion, particularly racial and religious harmony. We have discussed potential fault lines in our society - between rich and poor; between Singaporeans and new arrivals. But the most visceral and dangerous fault line is race and religion.

As far as racial harmony is concerned, this should be second nature to us Christians. The Bible says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Jesus Himself exhorts us to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19). That word “nations” (Gr. ethnos) literally means people of diverse races and ethnicity. We can’t reach them with God’s love if we don’t engage, befriend and build meaningful relationships with people of various cultures and customs. God created the world as a collage of various colors, hues, “nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” (Rev. 7:9-10). For us to live and operate within our own racial enclave is certainly against the spirit of New Testament Christianity. One of the things I am very proud of about City Harvest Church is that our membership is made up of 24 different nationalities (based on a 2007 internal survey), and within them a further multiplied variety of ethnic races. This racial mix enriches us and gives us a more global outlook as a community.

PM: [In a multi-religious society, we] need good sense and tolerance by all sides, and a willingness to give and take. Otherwise whatever the rules, there will be no end of possible causes of friction—noise, parking, joss sticks, stray ashes, dog hair, etc.

We have been saying for years that God expects His people to thrive and prosper even as they mingle with people of different faiths. A good example is Jeremiah 29, when the Jews were in exile in Babylon. The Babylonians had thousands of gods that its citizens worshiped and revered, with religious values that were diametrically opposed to that of the Jews. Yet, God instructed His people,

	“Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace” (Jer. 29:5-7).
They were to put down their roots, establish businesses and profit from them. They were to assimilate themselves fully into the culture by raising their families, to increase and not diminish in their presence and contribution to the society. They were not to be antagonistic as a community but to seek the peace and prosperity of the world God had placed them in, knowing that if their city prospered, they too would prosper. It was precisely in that setting of a multi-religious culture that God promised His people,
	“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (29:11).
This is a promise to all Christians who are living in this present world. In fact, our greatest value to God is right here in our society, not when we get to heaven. Truth be told, heaven is just a temporary holding place for us before we return to earth to rule and reign with Christ. Like the Bible heroes Joseph, Daniel and Esther, we need to adopt a non-antagonistic stance toward our multi-religious world. Relationship precedes ministry. In our interface with people of different faiths, the central issue is always one of trust. Do non-Christians trust us enough for us to speak truth, wisdom and blessing into their lives?
The PM talked about “noise, parking, joss sticks, stray ashes, dog hair, etc.” Let us ensure that our weekly cell group meetings are not a constant source of noise pollution and nuisance to our neighbors. Let us not park indiscriminately (or illegally) when we come for church gatherings. Let us live the words of Jesus Christ to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:39). May our neighborliness and consideration be evident to all.
PM: In itself, there is nothing wrong with people becoming more religious. Religion is a positive force in human societies. It provides spiritual strength, guidance, solace and a sense of purpose to many, especially in our fast-changing and uncertain world. But stronger religious fervor can have side effects which must be managed carefully, particularly in a multi-religious society. [For example:] Aggressive proselytization: pushing one’s religion on others, causing nuisance and offence ... the distribution of Christian tracts with contents that are offensive to other faiths ... Groups trying to convert very ill patients in hospitals.
The PM is certainly not against conversion or the sharing of our faith, but he is exhorting us to do it in a civil manner. In our zeal to win others to Christ, we should not be “pushing” our faith on others, “causing nuisance and offence.” I can’t agree with him more. Never once in the Gospels do we find Jesus scolding, shaming or condemning people into believing in Him. If Jesus ever got agitated, it was always to rebuke the religious scribes and Pharisees in the synagogues—people who shared His belief, who had the form but not the substance of the faith. But when it comes to the general public, Jesus was considered a friend to those whose lifestyle and religious beliefs were very different from His (Matt. 11:19, Luke 7:34). He was a natural in befriending, relating and communicating with them.
We see the same with Paul when he was in Athens. Though he was in a city whose citizens worshiped many different gods and idols (Acts 17:16), Paul remained gracious and polite in his interaction with the Athenians, even commending them for their religious longing (17:22). Sure, he was uncompromising in his presentation of the gospel, but he did it with great sensitivity, civility and in a non-pressuring manner, allowing his newfound friends to decide for themselves if they wanted to embrace his faith (17:32-34).
“Evangelism” is the sharing of good news. It is a good word. This term is even used in secular arenas today. For example, Google has a “chief internet evangelist,” tasked to promote and market the products and services Google is offering. On the other hand, the word “proselytization” evokes a negative connotation. It is the inordinate, overly zealous pushing of one’s religion at the expense of causing offense. In some societies without religious freedom, proselytization is the enforced conversion of the masses by the dominant local religion. It is insensitive and borders on harassment. Personally, I get very upset if someone aggressively tries to push his religious belief upon me or puts down my own Christian beliefs. Just like the indiscriminate touting of commercial products by insensitive salespeople at shopping malls can be irritating, proselytization is a huge turn off to many.
The way we grow CHC is not by “selling” the gospel, but by “serving” people. Jesus gives us the New Testament model of effective evangelism in Luke 10. He says that whenever we interface with nonbelievers, we must learn to be gracious, to bless and be encouraging in our words (10:5). We should build a genuine friendship with the people of different faiths, fellowshiping and sharing meals with them (10:7). We must then seek to serve them and meet their practical needs (10:9). And only when their hearts are open to us can we share the gospel of the kingdom of God to them (10:9). The pattern is clear: be gracious, befriend, meet needs, and then when they are open, share the gospel. Again, the underlying principle is clear—relationship precedes ministry.
The impersonal, indiscriminate “handbill saturations” done by Singapore churches in the 1980s have never proven to be effective. Instead, it has made a nuisance out of Christians in the community, giving us the image of being an overzealous bunch of religious fanatics. Yes, as Christians, we do believe that people without Christ will go into a godless eternity; but there is always a right time and a right way of sharing the gospel to nonbelievers. When we serve people lovingly and unconditionally with no ulterior motives, the opportunity to evangelize will naturally present itself.
PM: Intolerance—not respecting the beliefs of others, or accommodating others who belong to different religions, sometimes even within same families. Children who have converted from their parents’ religion, and decline to fulfill funeral rites of parents, or even stay away from the funerals [is] the ultimate unfilial act.
Again, Bible heroes like Joseph, Daniel, Esther and Paul have proven that being with people of different faiths does not “contaminate” their spiritual purity to God. Joseph had a diviner’s cup given to him by the Pharaoh (Gen. 44:5). Daniel worked among the magicians and sorcerers of Babylon (Dan. 4:7-9; 5:11-12). Esther was a beauty queen who lived in the harem of the Persian king (Esther 2). Being with Athenian idol worshipers didn’t mean that Paul had become one himself (Acts 17:16-17).
In fact, one of the greatest ways to demonstrate the reality of Christ is by loving people who are radically different from you (John 13:34-35). Loving people means accepting them just the way they are and treating them with respect even when you don’t agree with them.
The PM talked about filial piety. Honoring our parents is not only an Asian culture, it is a sacred biblical value. The Fifth Commandment states, “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Deut. 5:16). To stay away from our parents’ or grandparents’ funerals because the rites are unchristian is truly the “ultimate unfilial act.” At moments of grief, as loving Christians, we need to stand with our family and walk with them “through the valley of the shadow of death” (Ps. 23:4). We should “fear no evil” (grieving the Lord, being demonized, etc.) having the confidence that God is with us (23:5). Remember, we are already covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and have the Holy Spirit in us.
The trickier part is the fulfilling of funeral rites. This is where we need to be more spiritually discerning because not all portions of a funeral rite are religious or superstitious in nature. Showing honor and respect to the dead doesn’t mean you are worshiping them. Whenever possible, in the non-religious traditions, we should do them in solidarity with our families.
PM: Exclusiveness—segregating into separate exclusive circles, and not integrating with those of other faiths. This could be a direct preference to stay within own group or an indirect result of intolerance. Example, preferring not to share meals with others, or disapproving of yoga and taiji practices, because they allegedly contain religious elements.
First of all, Jesus tells us to share meals with nonbelievers (Luke 10:7). This should be a nonissue for us Christians.
But what about yoga and taiji? Yoga is often associated with Hinduism, and taiji with Taoism. But it is undeniable that the health elements of these physical disciplines are beneficial to the human body. So again, the question lies in whether is there anything religious in them. It all depends on the context they are practiced in and the instructors who teach them. In Singapore, as with many metropolitan cities around the world, yoga and taiji are taught as forms of physical fitness systems in sports gyms, just like aerobics and Pilates, devoid of any superstitious elements.
John Calvin (1509-1564), in his Commentary On First Corinthians, teaches that any good contribution by nonbelievers to society, as long as it is free from religious superstition, should be freely employed by Christians for his or her own enjoyment, for the glory of God.
I personally know of Spirit-filled pastors in Taiwan and Indonesia who regularly practice qigong. They certainly don’t pray to idols, recite chants, believe in magical powers, or embrace Taoism. And they certainly don’t get possessed by demons. None of the Christian leaders I know who practice yoga and taiji regularly have lost their spiritual consecration to the Lord Jesus Christ.
But aren’t the roots of these ancient exercises unchristian or even anti-Christian? Well, if you go by that reasoning, then we shouldn’t even celebrate Christmas with Christmas trees. There is no dispute that the origin of Christmas trees is pagan. The ancient Egyptians decorated their homes with tree branches during the winter solstice as symbols of the afterlife. Heathen Greeks used them to worship their god, Adonia. Pagan Romans decorated their trees during their midwinter festivals in honor of the sun god. In Northern Europe, the ancient Germanic people tied fruit and attached candles to evergreen tree branches in honor of god Woden. (By the way, this is the deity after which Wednesday was named.)
In fact, the English Puritans long condemned the use of the Christmas trees, yule logs, hollies, mistletoes, etc. Oliver Cromwell preached against “the heathen traditions” of Christmas carols, decorated trees and any joyful expression that desecrated “that sacred event.” Yet, over the years, the Christmas tree has been “de-idolized” to become a major Christian symbol celebrating the birth of Christ. To people everywhere, it is a symbol of hope for the New Year and the future return of warmth to the earth. Churches today have “singing Christmas trees” and carols are sung to herald the birth of Christ. What originated as something totally unchristian has become very Christian over time.
Titus 1:15 says, “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.” Don’t do anything you are uncomfortable with in your heart. But at the same time, don’t condemn others who do not share your personal preferences or convictions, or think of them as lesser followers of Christ than you.
PM: All groups must exercise tolerance and restraint. Christians cannot expect Singapore to be a Christian society, ditto Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and other groups. Many faiths share this island. Each has different teachings and practices. Rules which apply only to one group cannot be made into laws that apply to everyone. Muslims do not drink alcohol, but alcohol is not banned; ditto gambling, which several religions disapprove of. All must adopt “live and let live” as our guiding principle ... Secondly, religion must stay separate from politics ... Third, Government must remain secular. Government authority derives from the mandate of the people. Laws are not based on divine authority, but enacted by Parliament based on the public interest.
The Bible teaches repeatedly about the “royal law” (James 2:8), commonly known as the Golden Rule: treat others in the same manner you wish to be treated yourself. I often ask myself, as a Christian, if I live in a state whose dominant religion is say, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or Mormonism, do I want the values of those religions to be legislated as laws and imposed upon me? Definitely not. Even as a lover of the Holy Scripture, do I want the ceremonial, dietary and civil laws of Old Testament Judaism to be imposed on me? Definitely not. Now, putting myself in the shoes of the adherents of other faiths, how would they feel if they hear us spewing rhetoric about a Christian state where biblical commandments are enforced as law to all? I am sure the reaction would not be dissimilar to mine if the table is turned.
Look, even among the body of Christ we can’t all agree to the style and philosophy of ministry. If we have a Christian government seeking to establish a Christian state, whose denominational doctrine are we going to follow? Anglican? Baptist? Assemblies of God? Roman Catholic? Church of Christ? I shudder just to think of the amount of religious legalism that would be mandated upon Faith-Charismatic, contemporary churches if that happens.
Is it God’s will to have a Christian geopolitical state in this dispensation? I doubt it. Even after the resurrection, the ever zealous disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” To that, Jesus answered, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (Acts 1:6-7). Looking at the Holy Scripture, that is not going to happen anytime soon in this dispensation.
The beauty of a democracy is that human rights and freedom can be pursued for the common good of all. I believe in the separation of religion and politics. Christianity is a freewill religion. I wouldn’t want our commandments to be enforced on others who don’t follow the teachings of Christ. As much as he was persecuted for his faith, Paul didn’t advocate the overthrow of the oppressive Roman government.
	Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. (Rom. 13:1-7)
Paul endorsed the secular state of Rome even with Nero Caesar on the throne. Paul teaches that we should submit to secular laws, pay taxes, respect and honor the political leaders in authority, even if they are secular in nature. In fact, Paul wants us to regularly pray for them.
	Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
When a secular state guarantees “The Four Freedoms” enshrined in the United Nation Human Rights Charter: (1) freedom of speech and expression, (2) freedom of worship, (3) freedom from poverty and lack, and (4) freedom from fear, the gospel can thrive in that society. I certainly wouldn’t want any government to legislate what I should believe, and how I should worship or carry out my faith. I greatly doubt that the unchurched public would appreciate us forcing them to embrace our spiritual convictions either. Let us continue to keep religion and politics separate as much as possible.
PM: [Concerning the recent AWARE controversy:] On homosexuality policy or sexuality education in schools, there can be strong differences in view; but government’s position on these issues is clear.
My position on this hot button issue is this: gay or straight, heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual, we want to introduce everyone to the love of Jesus Christ. But how are they going to encounter that if gays and lesbians perceive the Church as hostile toward their community? As the shepherd over my flock, I don’t want my members exposed to any unwelcome, predatory sexual advances made by anyone—be that person straight or gay. But if he or she doesn’t pose a direct, negative influence over the congregation, we should indeed adopt a “live and let live” attitude. We are all sinners saved by grace. I want City Harvest Church to focus on the issue of salvation, not sexual orientation. Once someone is saved, I trust the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth and sanctification.
PM: Hence, we also invited religious leaders to be here with us tonight. Help your flocks to understand our limitations and guide them to practise their faith taking our context into account. Please teach them accommodation, as this is what all religions preach. I look forward to religious communities continuing to do good for Singapore.
“Tolerance,” “accommodation,” “mutual respect” and “being accepting” are all buzzwords of City Harvest Church. These are not foreign or new concepts to us. These are the values of new covenant Christianity. This is how we have always run CHC. They are an integral part of our DNA. In the last 20 years, we have grown our church by loving and serving people, not by knocking down other races, religions or communities. Let us continue to stay engaged to our culture as the salt and light of the earth (Matt. 5:13-16), promoting the common good for all.

What City Harvest Church Is All About

2009-08-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

This is the 20-minute message I shared on August 2, 2009, at the second 20th Anniversary service held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

What an awesome thing it is for us to be celebrating our 20th Anniversary as a church. Let’s face it, to have come through all these years, against incredible odds, is nothing short of a miracle.

On May 7, 1989, when we started our church, I was only 24 years old, going on to 25. With a handful of teenagers, we had our first gathering in an office space at Peace Center. We had no money, no assets, no financial supporters. All we had was a simple faith in God, and in the dream that He had given to us—that we will raise up a new generation of believers who will take Asia by storm.

When I was a kid, I used to hear sermons on revival. Elderly missionaries, who had witnessed revivals, would reminisce of how when the move of God comes, there will be signs, wonders and miracles. But more than that, people will receive Jesus Christ by the hundreds and thousands. Those elderly preachers would give prophecy after prophecy that a huge revival was coming to Singapore, making us the Antioch of the East—a great mission base for the gospel in the region.

We were admonished to get ourselves equipped in the Word and spiritual things, because when revival hits, we are going to be so busy winning the lost, healing the sick, casting out demons, and making disciples of the new converts. To only start preparing then would be too late. We had to start now. As a kid, those sermons fascinated and consumed me.

As I dreamed of revival, the Lord told me four simple things I have to build my life around. First of all, I must make prayer a way of life. Coupled with prayer, I must learn to fast to weaken my fleshly nature and become more alive in the spirit. Thirdly, I must give, especially my tithes and offerings, and enter into the rhythm of sowing and reaping. Most of all, my whole life must be laid down as a living sacrifice unto the Lord.

Unbeknown to me, the Lord was also speaking to a young teenage girl by the name of Sun. As she grew in her passion for God, one day Sun prayed, “Lord Jesus, I give You all of me, in exchange for all of You.”

A common dream was born in the two of us. We shared a faith in the possibility of a new kind of church. A church with a strong, tangible presence and power of the Holy Spirit, with members of passionate spiritual convictions, but tolerant, accepting and loving of people—even if they were radically different from us. And no one was going to despise our youth (1 Tim. 4:12), even though we were often looked down upon for our youthful zeal and enthusiasm.

But as I stand here today, I know that the story of my wife and I is just part of a larger City Harvest story. I owe a debt to all the pioneers who have made tremendous sacrifices—their tears, sweat and blood—they have given their lives to make this story possible.

Today, we gather to affirm the greatness of our God. Not because of the size of our congregation, or the assets we have accumulated, or the number of ministries and affiliate churches we now have. We thank God for entrusting us with an awesome vision: “To build a church with a strong spiritual atmosphere of faith and purity, where every member is released into ministry, discipled in the Great Commandment, to fulfill the Great Commission.”

This is the DNA of City Harvest—loving God wholeheartedly, and loving people fervently. A love for God’s Word. A love for prayer, praise and worship. A love for the spiritual gifts and ministry of the Holy Spirit. We have faith that God is a good God, that as we seek His kingdom and righteousness first, He will add all things back to us (Matt. 6:33). He will provide for our families. Our careers and businesses will prosper and be successful. Our children will grow up to be happy, godly and excellent. Most of all, the destiny of our lives will come to pass. We shall be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, blessed in our coming in and blessed in our going out (Deut. 28:6, 13).

As with all things great, we face challenges as we seek to live out our dream. These challenges often come in two fronts: legalism from the ultraconservatives, and antinomianism (which is the rejection of morality) among the ultra-liberals. The ultraconservatives feel that we are too worldly; the ultra-liberals feel that we are too driven by our vision, that we work too hard.

Now, this is nothing new. Jesus Christ Himself had to resist the narrow-mindedness of ultraconservative Pharisees. But at the same time, He also warns against ultra-liberals who seek to destroy and reject the law of God. Jesus says that the abounding of lawlessness will cause the love of many to grow cold (Matt. 24:12).

Paul himself cautions us of both extremes. He writes the book of Galatians to loose the church from all the do’s and don’ts of manmade rules and regulations. Paul says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). Then turning to those who embrace “cheap grace,” Paul teaches in the book of Romans, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Rom. 6:1-2).

If we shouldn’t veer to the far right of legalism and the far left of antinomianism, how then shall we live? Well, balance is always the key of life. In Ecclesiastes, the Bible tells us that being “overly righteous” and “overly wicked” will lead to self-destruction (Eccl. 7:16-17), that “anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes” (Eccl. 7:18 NLT).

Now, this is easier said than done. As I minister around the world, I see so many good Christians who have come out of the bondage of sin, and they sincerely believe that to protect the next generation, they should now monitor the behavior of their followers with strict, enforced codes of morality. At the same time, I see others who have come out of churches that are rigid and driven. Today, they are tired, burned out and dry. As a reaction to their demanding, legalistic upbringing, they are casting away the moral law of the Ten Commandments and basic discipleship, throwing away the ancient landmarks that have grounded their faith.

Yet, most believers I have met just want to live a good, normal Christian life. They have not enrolled into a theological seminary to debate on doctrines. Instead, they join churches hoping to have their needs met and at the same time, that will help them grow spiritually in God. The Church should be a family where they can trust their pastors and leadership to lead them into God’s purposes for their lives.

It is tough enough facing the challenges of daily living. People don’t want to come to services each week only to hear sermons that are negative and condemning, or to be constantly reminded that they don’t measure up to the standards of God, or that of the Church. Neither do they want to continue living an immoral life. They know they are sinners saved by grace. And having received that divine grace, they want to overcome their sinful habits and character flaws, be better people, and live lives that are pleasing to God.

In City Harvest, we offer that choice. We seek to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. We want to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:37-39). We believe that “all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives ... God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16 NLT). And because we love Jesus, we keep His commandments (John 14:15)—especially the Ten Commandments.

We love the presence and power of the Holy Spirit—that as we walk in the Spirit, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). Through the Holy Spirit, we now lean on that grace of God to win the lost, grow the church, and do missions all over the world.

So yes, we are conservative but not ultraconservative. At the same time, we are liberal but not ultra-liberal. Sure, in absolutes, we want to be absolute. But in non-absolutes, we allow for the freedom of personal convictions and give space to the Holy Spirit to lead every Christian individually.

We believe that Jesus has come, not only to give us a new birth in our spirit, or to heal our physical body, He has come to redeem our soul. And this is what separates us from the birds, the fish, and the beasts of the field. The moment God breathed into Adam, man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7 KJV). Our soul is who we really are. Jesus has come to liberate our soul and fill it with love, esteem, knowledge, beauty and freedom. Without those things, we may be religious, but still live a very empty and meaningless life—a soulless existence.

And because God is a very creative God, we glorify Him as we seek to be innovative, colorful, contemporary and progressive in the way we live and do ministry. In that quest for creativity, we seek to provide loving answers to the many questions society is asking.

Take Kenny Low for example. As a teenager, Kenny was touched by the Lord. He was thinking of serving God in a full-time capacity as a pastor, a preacher or a missionary. But Kenny is more gifted in education and street dancing. As a dancer, Kenny has performed with pop-stars like M.C. Hammer. So he set up O School as a means to train and befriend other street dancers. Today, O School has become the premier dance school in Singapore that trains 800 student-dancers per week.

Kenny then enrolled into a postgraduate program and completed his Master of Education. He opened CHEC as a private school that offers early school-leavers a second chance at their GCE O Level Exams. Many of these school-leavers come from lower income families. Kenny uses the profits generated from his dance school to finance the tuition of the poorer students. Over the years, his innovative efforts have bore fruits that gained him national recognition. Two years ago, Kenny Low was given the 2007 Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award for using his creativity to solve social problems among young people.

Like Kenny, we recognize that our secular vocation in the marketplace is a calling from God. For too long, the Church worldwide has been preaching separation, but practicing isolation. There is such a disconnect between the Church and the world Jesus wants us to reach. We have been looked upon as prudish and alarmist, constantly spreading unnecessary fear and warnings of danger, capable of only reaching out to the simple and naive.

I believe God has raised up City Harvest Church to change that perception. While we live in a broken-down world, I don’t believe in keeping Christians naive and ignorant of the harsh realities of society. I don’t ever want City Harvest to be so isolated and sanitized that we become out of touch with the world. We want to be a tolerant, accepting and gracious people. We want to identify with their pains, brokenness and struggles. We want to give hope to the hopeless, and peace to the restless, believing that value can be added to those whom are considered worthless. We are not antagonistic to society, or its popular culture. On the contrary, we seek to engage pop culture fully as salt and light (Matt. 5:13-16).

Every one, two hundred years, God raises up ministries to remind the body of Christ of its responsibility to the Cultural Mandate. In these early days of the 21st century, the lot has fallen upon us. Not only must we focus on our faith and families, we must engage the marketplace of business, education, government, arts and entertainment, and the mass media. And this is our destiny, not just to preach the message but to be that message.

In a sense, we are an enigma to many. To the conservatives who label us as “worldly”, they can’t fault the spiritual disciplines they see in our members. We diligently study the Word, pray and fast, move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, win the lost, and plant churches all around the world―often more than those conservatives themselves. To the ultra-liberals who label us as “narrow-minded”, our members are colorful, artistic, fashionable, ultra-current and sophisticated―often more than those liberals themselves.

The Bible says, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Cor. 16:9). Jesus tells us to pray and bless our enemies (Matt. 5:44). That means that there will be enemies as we forge ahead. Opposition may come through principalities and powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness—forces that are demonic in nature (Eph. 6:12). Opposition may come through those who are anti-Christians or anti-Church. But most of the time, opposition will come from religious believers who are against our way of life and the freedom we enjoy in Christ. They want to keep us locked up in the little box of religious correctness.

I am never worried of the enemies without. They may inflict some pain but they can’t stop us. In the last 20 years we have gone through many trials, testings and tribulation―for me, for my wife, and for all of us. Yet, in Christ Jesus, we have overcome them all. We have grown bigger and stronger.

What I am more worried of is the enemy within. Can we continue to keep our unity and focus as one people? The place of agreement is the place of power. We never have a church split because we have never allowed internal strife and disagreement to fester. Can we stay totally united in carrying out the Great Commandment, the Great Commission and the Cultural Mandate for years and years to come? I believe we can.

To fulfill the purposes of God for our lives and the church, we must become even more loving, more giving, and spiritually bigger on the inside. But for us to grow larger, we must care even more for others.

If there is a child that is abused and neglected, who can’t read or write, whether in Singapore, Indonesia, India or China, that matters to me, even if it is not my child.

If there is a senior citizen somewhere who is abandoned, that makes my life poorer, even if it is not my grandparent.

If there is a person somewhere facing pain and brokenness, because of a natural disaster, a civil war, or simply because that person is marginalized by society, we have to do something.

I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper. And that is what makes City Harvest Church special and unique. Yes, we want to pursue our individual dreams, but yet we come together as one spiritual family to meet the dreams of others. Ultimately, we want to proclaim the gospel of truth that people need the Lord. Whether you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, able or disabled, gay or straight, young or old, we proclaim that Jesus Christ loves you and He is still the answer for our world today.

In the end, that is what City Harvest is all about―a place where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. This is our place and moment in history: to demonstrate a growing church that is passionate for Jesus, yet relevant to society, caring for the broken and marginalized. A church with a “holy worldliness.” That means holy disciplines that make us the people of God, but a worldly sophistication that makes us relatable to the world.

Today, we have a chance not just to represent Christ but to re-present Him in the 21st century. This is our calling. This is our destiny. This is our dream. A new brighter day has dawned for the body of Christ, and we are all part of it.

Finally, today we gather to affirm the goodness of God. For Sun and I, it is a great privilege to serve the Lord Jesus. But beyond all that we have done and can ever do, my prayer as your pastor, is that we will love God more each day. 20 years ago when we had nothing, He has already loved us and called us His own―long before we have church growth, or big buildings, or fame or influence. And He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). His love for us never changes.

As I stand here in this awesome crowd, I am fully convinced of one thing: even if all these didn’t happen, God still loves me for who I am. Even if all these didn’t happen, God still loves you for who you are.

In 20 years, we have all grown a little older, and hopefully a little wiser. I’m sure we have made mistakes and tasted failures, yet God is still faithful. And He is still as excited about us as the first time we met Him. Whether it is at 41A Amber Road, or at Duke Hotel, Bible House, Hephzibah, Wold Trade Center, Westin Hotel, Hollywood Theater, Jesus is still very much in love with you—passionately, deeply in love with you.

On this 20th Anniversary, why don’t we make a decision to love Him back even more every single day? Shall we do that? Shall we, once again, live to love Him more each day?

Postmodernism: A Balanced Approach

2009-07-28T03:52:00.000-07:00

Postmodernism is a period of thought and ideology that comes after the Modern Era. Modernity is considered to be a period of thought in Europe that was developed out of the Renaissance (14th-17th century) and thrived in the Enlightenment (17th-19th century). It was a time of significant development in the fields of science, politics, warfare and technology. Postmodernism is a reaction to that period. By definition, postmodernism literally means “after modernity.” Today, society at large is facing a surge toward greater postmodernist thinking, whether it realizes it or not.

Modernism, as an ideology, represents a rationalization and categorization of the social world. In the modern worldview, everything in life can, and should, be interpreted rationally. Science and logic have attained such preeminence in all public discourses that everything must be explained through their lenses. All that is unscientific must be rejected. According to the modern worldview, science and faith can never mix since the latter deals with the realm of the unexplainable. Because knowledge and intelligence are inordinately exalted, modernists invariably become elitist in their categorization of society. An example is Adolf Hitler who believed in the absolute supremacy of the Aryan race over all other races. Six million Jews were exterminated in the Holocaust because in Hitler’s “scientific analysis,” they didn’t deserve a place in the civilized world. Postmodernism, on the other hand, challenges those presuppositions and beliefs of the Modern Age. It seeks to radically reinterpret what is currently classified as generally accepted knowledge.

To a postmodernist, concepts such as right and wrong, good and bad, or what is true and false are not absolutes but changeable from culture to culture, and situation to situation. As such, postmodernism represents cultural and ethical relativism regarding truth, reality, reason, value, linguistic meaning, art, architecture, and every other form of social life. The dogmatist, or anyone who believes in an ultimate truth, is considered abhorrent and dangerous.As a worldview, postmodernism detests the stereotyping of social classes according to sex, race, age, etc. In reaction to what it perceives as the snooty prejudice of the modernists, it appreciates and especially empathizes with the marginalized. It rejects the chauvinism and oppression exerted by any gender, group or cause over others (white vs. black, men vs. women, rich vs. poor, educated vs. illiterate, able vs. disabled, religious vs. nonreligious, etc.). It seeks to champion the plight of the growing population of those socially marginalized or ostracized.Postmodernism is most widely accepted and respected within the architectural framework. Take the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, designed by the renowned architect, Frank Gehry. Instead of designing the building in a straightforward and logical scheme, Gehry wanted to challenge the prevalent accepted principles of architecture. There is no straight line in the building because every wall is curved. Every angle you look from gives you a new perspective of the building. No two photographs of the Guggenheim ever look the same. And because it is sited by a river, the titanium façade reflects various shades of color throughout the day. The result of all these is that no one can lay claim to an absolute image of the museum. It is relative to the viewing position and the time of the day. With its absence of visual absolutes, the Guggenheim is considered an embodiment of the concept of postmodernism.
The concept of postmodernism is also expressed in the realm of art. This is especially true in the case of an early 20th-century art movement known as Dada, which promoted the concepts of questioning previously established norms in art. Although it affected literature, theater and graphic design, the movement is most highly recognized for its impact in drastically challenging the fundamental precepts of fine art. A piece of art that exemplifies its concept is Fountain by a prominent Dadaist artist of that time, Marcel Duchamp.
Fountain is simply a common human waste receptacle. To a modernist, the receptacle is merely a functional, scientific instrument to dispose waste. Taking an object that is generally considered filthy and worthless, Duchamp converted it into an expensive art piece. He instilled value to an object most would consider valueless. Duchamp wanted to prove a point: by fabricating art and getting society to regard it as meaningful, we can increase its worth and value. This encapsulates the significant difference between a postmodernist and modernist society. While modernists place a greater value on the intrinsic, postmodernists place a greater value on the extrinsic. With his art piece, Duchamp showed that in a postmodern world, truth is no longer dependent on its intrinsic value (a common, filthy receptacle); it depends extrinsically on how society defines it (an expensive piece of fine art).As with any ideological system or ism, there are positive and negative aspects we can glean from postmodernism:Positive Aspects of Postmodernism

Because postmodernism has a disdain for what it sees as the arrogant absoluteness of science and logic, it makes room for the possibility of faith and the supernatural. Science and faith can coexist.

Postmodernism is empathetic toward the marginalized and the oppressed, believing that value can be added to those whom may be considered worthless. It is in this context that more pastors and church leaders today are beginning to consider themselves as “postmodern Christians.”
(www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/november13/7.74.html)

It allows a greater tolerance between beliefs, and potentially opens avenues for the Great Commission through a greater love and acceptance for non-Christians.

It allows for freedom of opinion in one’s perspectives regarding “truths” that are relative or non-absolute. It makes one less judgmental and condemning toward behaviors, styles and personal preferences that may be less conventional. It is the antidote to self-righteous Pharisaism.

It allows for greater empathy toward a society that is increasingly pluralistic, challenging us not to be out of touch with how people think and function today.

The concepts of control, power and certainty are replaced with love, stewardship and faith.

Postmodernism allows for more openness to spiritual and emotional truths, and epistemology (theory of knowledge) that goes beyond the constraints of science, logic and reason.

Negative Aspects of Postmodernism

Postmodernism is skeptical regarding all claims of truth. Taken to an extreme, it is hostile toward those who claim to know absolute truths. Postmodernists can become strongly opposed to those who believe in the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) argues that those who accept the Judeo-Christian ethical system, which he calls a “slave morality,” suffer from weak and fearful personalities. A different and stronger sort of person, he says, would reject this ethic and create his own values.

Postmodernism views all claims to knowledge as equally valid, regardless of the obvious preposterousness in certain claims (for example, “I do not exist”).

Postmodernism views the individual solely as a construct of society. As such, the responsibility of the individual to live a life according the Word of God is diminished.

A person who questions other beliefs with regards to factuality is considered intolerant.

Propositional truth, or truth that is discovered, is considered inexistent. Instead, only a society’s position, not an individual’s, is considered valid. But what if slavery, genocide, or the physical abuse of women are condoned and considered “right” by the standards of a society? Does it make them right? Without an objective standard to morality, cultural and ethical relativism can lead to horrendous consequences in a society.

Postmodernists often view progress, be it scientific, educational, political, etc., as detrimental. Progress equates to the domination of the marginal.

Tolerance toward every belief, except toward those who feel that their beliefs are more significant than others. The paradox here is that in their zeal to promote tolerance, postmodernists themselves can become very intolerant of those who don’t share their own postmodern views.

The Christian Reaction/Response to Postmodernism

As with most cases, Christians must take a moderate stance toward postmodernism, absorbing the positive aspects while rejecting the negative. We don’t subscribe to the ideology that individuals are merely a product of society alone, or that truths should be determined by a collective group of individuals. And while opinions are important, we do hold on to the absolutes found in the Holy Scripture, and do not waver in conviction when it comes to the moral law and the basic tenets of our faith.

However, having said that, Christians have the tendency to veer toward Pharisaism and legalism. Self-righteous conservatism seeks to keep the Church isolated, sanitized and out of touch with contemporary society. My own position on this is: on matters that are absolute (Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, etc.), let us be absolute. But on matters that are non-absolute (wine-drinking, tattooing, pop culture, etc.), let us allow for freedom that is in Jesus Christ (Gal. 5:1).

A major contribution of postmodernism is the newfound appreciation toward the marginalized, and those previously considered insignificant. This is totally in line with the love God has toward the poor, needy, broken and abused (Is. 58:10, Luke 4:18-19, James 2:14-17).

Postmodernism should provoke those who are afraid of embracing a “social gospel” to have a greater relationship, respect and ministry with the hurting and wounded in the world. Tolerance is not an evil word. As Christians, we must hold on to the moral conviction of God’s Word in our hearts. But at the same time, we should be more gracious and accepting of those whose beliefs are different from ours. Balance is the key.

Navigating Within a Pluralistic Society

Inherent in a postmodernist society is the concept of pluralism: there are vast arrays of faiths and beliefs that people adhere to. There are three conceptual approaches a Christian may assume toward people who believe in other faiths.

1.	Exclusivism. This is based on the idea that “I’m right, you’re wrong”, a stance of denunciation toward other people’s beliefs. The Apostle Paul understood that he did not have to disassemble others’ beliefs through criticism and condemnation in order for him to speak of his own faith. Instead, Paul sought to be as respectful and relatable to his audience in his effort to win them to Christ (Acts 17:22-34).
2.	Universalism. This can be summarized by the statement, “As long as you are sincere, then anything you believe in is true.” This is the polar opposite of exclusivism, and a popular stance of extreme postmodernists. The underlying problem that makes this position nonsensical is the fact that every religion or belief presents its own claims to absolute truths. Universalism takes tolerance to the extreme, and although it may initially seem respectable, it leads to a dead end in any ministry effort.
3.	Inclusivism. “We believe we are right, but we are open to discuss and include other ways of thinking in our discussions.” (Inclusivism is not to be confused with the heretical “gospel of inclusion.”) The New Oxford American Dictionary defines “inclusivism” as “an intention or policy of including people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as the handicapped, learning-disabled, or racial and sexual minorities.” This is the approach we must take to bring the love of God to an increasingly critical and sophisticated audience of the 21st century.
So, back to the question: is City Harvest a postmodern church? My answer is both No and Yes.
No, in the sense that we do believe the Bible to be the inerrant, infallible Word of God. We do live by the Ten Commandments and the basic tenets of our Christian faith as outlined in the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, etc.
But, yes, in the sense that we do seek to be a tolerant, accepting and gracious people. We love the marginalized and the oppressed, believing that value can be added to those whom are considered worthless. We are not antagonistic to society or its popular culture, but seek to engage it in its entirety as salt and light (Matt. 5:13-16).
While we live in a broken-down, perverted world, I do not believe in keeping Christians naïve and ignorant of the harsh realities of society. Again, in absolutes, we must be absolute. But in non-absolutes, we should allow the freedom of personal preferences and give space to the Holy Spirit to lead every Christian individually. I don’t ever want City Harvest Church to be so isolated and sanitized that we become out of touch with the world. Rather, I want to educate and empower my generation to be as creative and colorful as possible, living a dynamic, sophisticated, anointed life in obedience to Christ and the cause of His kingdom.

Is Plastic Surgery a Matter of Vanity?

2009-07-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

Plastic surgery is a branch of surgery that deals with the remodeling of any portion of the human body that has been damaged or deformed. The word “plastic” is derived from the Greek word plastikos, which means “to mold.” Hence, it is the remolding and reshaping of body tissues—bone, fat, muscle, cartilage, and skin. It is largely concerned with the reconstructive work of the face and exposed parts of the body.

According to the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, plastic surgery is one of the oldest forms of surgery practiced. Nose-reconstruction operations were performed in ancient India as early as 2,000 BC, when amputation of the nose was a form of punishment.

Around 600 BC, ancient Sanskrit records an Indian surgeon named Sushruta, performing surgical reconstruction of the noses and ears of men who had lost them in war. Skin from one’s cheek or forehead would be removed and sewed onto damaged areas. To this day, this procedure is still referred to as the “Indian Method of Rhinoplasty.”

In ancient Rome, around 100 BC, plastic surgery became an important manner wherein people could better fit into the Roman society. During that time, the aesthetics of the human body was explored heavily in art and literature. Amalgamated with the fact that people bathed in public Roman baths, any abnormality was considered very shameful. A popular operation was the removal of scars from one’s back. These scars were considered dishonorable because they indirectly suggested that a person had turned his back from the field of battle or, worse still, had been “whipped like a slave.”

During the Renaissance, Italian physician, Gasparo Tagliacozzi (1546-1599), became the “father of modern plastic surgery.” In his plastic surgery textbook entitled De Curtorum Chirugiau (1597), he recorded the importance of plastic surgery due to the frequency of fights between men and the emergence of disfiguring diseases.

In modern times, war has become the sole most significant factor in shaping the practice of plastic surgery today. World War I saw hundreds of thousands of young men who suffered severe facial injuries in combat. This resulted in the necessity for doctors to quickly research innovative ways to reshape the faces of soldiers who had experienced severe deformity. From the 1960s, plastic surgery became fully integrated into the medical establishment and has resulted in greater acceptance, both socially and culturally.

There are three branches of plastic surgery:

Plastic Surgery: Correction of disfigurement. This is plastic surgery in its purest form—to fix the malformation that may have occurred congenitally (at birth), such as children born with cleft palates or cleft lips.

Reconstructive Surgery: Restoration of impaired function. This is the restoration of function to a damaged body part and the rebuilding of normal physical contours, like the nose, jaw, ears, or fingers, that are missing or disfigured. The large number of car accidents in modern times has resulted in many patients requiring reconstructive surgery of the face. Cancer patients who have undergone treatment with regards to the face and neck areas may also need reconstructive surgery. Such procedure requires complex technical skills for the grafting of tendons and the transfer of muscles to restore usefulness to the disabled part.

Cosmetic Surgery: Improvement of physical appearance. This is aesthetic surgery performed solely to improve appearances in otherwise healthy persons, to remove blemishes or to change contours. It is also often needed after disfigurement caused by burns, removal of tumors, and reconstructive work.

According to a 2007 survey conducted by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 46 percent of all cosmetic procedures were done by people aged 35 to 50. Ninety-one percent of them were women. The top five procedures of men and women are as follow:

Ranking	Men	Women
1	Liposuction	Breast augmentation
2	Eyelid surgery	Liposuction
3	Rhinoplasty	Eyelid surgery
4	“Breast” reduction	Abdominoplasty
5	Hair transplantation	Breast reduction

There are many positive psychological benefits of plastic surgery. The increased functionality of physical organs improves one’s quality of life. If one is born with congenital defects such as a cleft palate, facial birthmarks, or cross eyes (strabismus), cosmetic surgery can correct the defect and restore appearance to what it should have been. If a person has been victimized by an accident resulting in unsightly scars and deformities, plastic surgery can remove the stigma associated with such defects and allow the person to feel “normal” again.

One must not underestimate the psychological benefits in the correction of a perceived physical imperfection, for its own sake, on an individual. The enhanced physical appearance coupled with greater social acceptance could greatly increase the sense of self-worth for the person. For those who are very conscientious about their appearance, to the point of having damaging psychological disorders, cosmetic surgery, with the addition of proper counseling, can help them obtain the confidence they need to live life happily

However, as with any surgical or non-surgical procedure, there are inherent risks in plastic surgery:

Risk of procedure going wrong. You may become physically and aesthetically worse off than prior to the surgery.

Risk of infections and complications such as puffiness, vomiting, nausea, allergic reaction to anesthesia, contagion, blood loss, blood and fat clotting, accumulation of fluid, permanent damage to nervous and immune systems, scarring, numbness, dangerous body temperature fluctuations, post-operation pain, bruising and swelling, long-term sagging and deformity.

Risk of the pain involved and the recovery time being greater and longer than expected.

Risk to mental health. Patients who are dissatisfied with surgery may request repeat procedures. “Plastic surgery addicts” may experience severe depression, adjustment issues, family issues, social isolation, and severe anger toward surgeons and nurses.

South Korean Hang Mioku became so addicted to plastic surgery that when surgeons refused to conduct additional procedures, she decided to inject cooking oil into her own face. As a result, her face became severely distorted and virtually unrecognizable. Her case is regarded as one of the worst cases related to plastic surgery in modern history.

Are Christians allowed to have plastic surgery, especially those that are cosmetic or aesthetic in nature? Does doing so mean that you are ungrateful to God for the physical attributes He has sovereignly endowed you with? Is such “unnatural” alteration of physical features an expression of fleshly vanity—the excessive pride of one’s personal appearance?

I know a pastor in my city with an overactive sweat gland (hyperhidrosis), causing him to have sweaty palms and sweaty feet along with a bad body odor. He felt embarrassed by it and had a thoracic surgery procedure done. Was he being vain?

I know an Indonesian church leader with severe drooping of the upper eyelid, a condition known as ptosis. Her pupil was partially covered, blocking the upper part of the visual field. She had corrective surgery done by a plastic surgeon who gave her a beautiful eyelid lift (blepharoplasty). Was she being vain?

I know of several Caucasian pastors who have had hair transplantations done to cure their hair loss. Their plastic surgeons moved skin containing hair follicles from one part of the body to balding parts. Grafts containing healthy follicles that are genetically resistant to balding are transplanted to bald scalp. Are those pastors being vain?

I know of another church leader who had a series of chemical peels to get rid of dark patches of facial birthmarks. Is he being vain?

What about the hundreds of people I know who have done LASIK, a laser eye surgery, so that they don’t have to wear eyeglasses? Are they all vain?

The Bible makes no specific mention of whether or not plastic surgery is allowable, although its practice was already around from antiquity. If it is an outright sin, there would have been ample opportunities to address it in the Holy Scripture. In such cases where there is no clear restriction, they are not issues of right or wrong, sin or righteousness; they are simply matters of personal preferences. As such, you must go according to how you believe the Holy Spirit is personally leading you.

Nonetheless, a common sense approach is needed if you are considering plastic surgery:

1.	Risk: Because there are risks in any surgery, you must weigh the risks involved adequately. Is this procedure absolutely necessary? Have you exhausted all options to improve your appearance or contour? Can you achieve the same results by regularly working out in a gym and wise dieting?
2.	Cost: Because plastic surgery is expensive, you must ask the question, “Can I afford it? Will this procedure get me into a debt I will struggle to repay?”
3.	Physician: It takes at least 11 years of studying and training to be a plastic surgeon. Ask yourself, “Is the doctor I am consulting with board-certified and experienced?” You may need to examine some of his works, and check his track records with other patients.
4.	Perception: Society often views reconstructive procedures, such as a cleft lip operation, more favorably than cosmetic surgeries, like say breast augmentation or a nose job. Although often unwarranted, there are some prejudices upon certain procedures. You must ask yourself, “Am I ready to do this even if people may unfairly judge me?”
5.	Self-esteem: Our self-esteem is the foundation of life. Will going through this procedure help you feel better about yourself and to function better in your life, marriage, career or ministry? If the answer is yes, then the possibility of plastic surgery should not necessarily be shunned. We must be careful not to judge someone who opts for cosmetic surgery as vain, or loving God less than the one who doesn’t.
6.	Emotional void: Many people seek cosmetic surgery to fill up emotional voids within. They already feel ugly about themselves inside, and presume that surgery is the only way for them to receive social approval or attention from others. If that is your motivation, you will be greatly disappointed. No outward alteration of physical features or contours can satisfy the needs of an empty soul.
7.	Aging: Even the best plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills cannot stop aging and the tide of time. You must establish specific limits to surgery, as all body parts that are firmed, lifted, and improved upon, will in due course, wrinkle and sag again. The Bible says that ultimately it is your spirit and soul that is most important. When all else fails, remember what 1 Peter 3:4 says: “Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

Do We Need The Ten Commandments?

2009-06-29T03:55:00.000-07:00

In Exodus 19, God called Moses up to Mount Sinai and told him that if the children of Israel would obey Him and keep His covenant, they would be His special people. He then gave them “The Law,” which is also commonly known as the “Mosaic Law” or the “law of Moses.” Although the name was attributed to a man, we must be mindful that the One who gave it was God Himself. Moses was merely the “messenger boy.” James 4:12 makes it very clear that there is really only “one Lawgiver”—God.

The law consists of various parts. The most important portion is the Ten Commandments, also known as the “moral law,” as they express the morality, values and character of God. The commandments were engraved on stone tablets and are recorded in Exodus 20: 2-17 and Deuteronomy 5: 6-21. Because there are ten of them, they are also commonly called the “Decalogue” (Gr. dekalogos), which means the “ten words” or “ten pronouncements.”

Traditions differ in the numbering of the Ten Commandments. The standard listing according to Protestant Reformed tradition is as follows:
	I.	You shall have no other gods before Me.
	II.	You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
	III.	You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
	IV.	Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
	V.	Honor your father and your mother.
	VI.	You shall not murder.
	VII.	You shall not commit adultery.
	VIII.	You shall not steal.
	IX.	You shall not bear false witness.
	X.	You shall not covet.

Apart from these commandments, God gave Moses further instructions that governed the ethics and rituals of the Israelites. Augustine (354-430) divided the law of Moses into two parts: the moral and symbolical. For example, “you shall not covet” is a moral law; “you shall circumcise every male on the eighth day” is a symbolical law. To Augustine and the early Church fathers, the moral law of the Ten Commandments is still binding while the symbolical law is no longer binding. Besides circumcision and the sacrifices, Augustine categorizes as symbolical law the tabernacle regulations, the dietary laws, the feasts, etc. Because they are non-binding, he interprets the rules against blended clothing (wool and linen) and the mixed yoke (ox and ass) allegorically.

As always, Scripture must be compared with Scripture to avoid misinterpretation. It is clear that Jesus brought to an end the observance of the symbolical laws by His redemptive accomplishment. The entire sacrificial system and ceremonial washings were “external regulations applying until the time of the new order” (Heb. 9:10). These symbolical or topological law was “only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves” (Heb. 10:1), its regulations were set aside once the realities had arrived in Christ (Heb. 7:18-19, 22). Jesus ushered in the new order that made the ceremonial rituals redundant: “In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” (Heb. 8:13).

This moral/symbolical distinction eventually gave way to the more precise three-part analysis first worked out in detail by Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). Aquinas says that the law of Moses is made up of moral, ceremonial and civil precepts. From the days of Aquinas to the Reformation, to our time, the Church has been consistent in teaching that only the moral law is still binding, all ceremonial and civil laws are no longer applicable to believers.

Yet, there is always the vocal minority who feel that since we are in the age of the Gospel, when we are justified by faith alone, the law is now “abolished,” or in theological jargon, “abrogated.”

In the June 21, 2009 issue of The Age, Cleric Francis McNab, the executive minister at St. Michael’s Uniting Church in Melbourne, Australia, says, “The Ten Commandments is one of the most negative documents ever written.”

In a recent May 11, 2009 blog entry, a prominent megachurch pastor says, “When you come under the law by trying to keep God’s commandments in order to be blessed, it will lead to death. There will be deadness in your marriage, ministry, health, career.”

The message is clear: the Ten Commandments are unnecessary, oppressive, and maybe even downright evil.

Then there are those who wrongly speculate that the Old Testament teaches “salvation by law” while the New Testament teaches “salvation by grace through faith.” Nothing can be further from the truth. Justifying faith originates in the Old Testament. The phrase, “the just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17), which became the rallying cry of the Reformers in the 16th century, is really a concept that first appears in Habakkuk 2:4, an Old Testament Scripture. In Romans 4, Paul went through extraordinary length to explain that both the greatest Old Testament patriarch, Abraham, and the greatest Old Testament king, David, were themselves saved by faith, not by the works of the law.

This may come as a shock to you, but the whole purpose of the New Testament is to establish the law—the moral law of the Ten Commandments. Jesus says so Himself: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17). This statement does not mean that Christ has come to merely fulfill the messianic predictions contained in the old covenant. The Greek for “fulfill” is pleroo which means to expand, establish, strengthen, make firmer and fuller. Jesus wants us to have the true meaning of the law so that our understanding of it is not shallow or erroneous. And He demonstrates that masterfully in the Sermon on the Mount when He broadens and deepens what the commandments really mean when they say “you shall not murder,” or “you shall not commit adultery” (Matt. 5:21, 27).

Like Jesus, Paul says faith and law are not mutually exclusive. One doesn’t invalidate the other. Paul affirms the words of Christ by saying, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law” (Rom. 3:31). And how is the law established? It is established “not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:3). Herein lies the difference between the two covenants. In the old covenant, the Ten Commandments was a set of external code written on stone tablets. But in the new covenant, the Holy Spirit writes those commandments in our hearts, and gives us the grace to live them out in our daily lives. This is not an afterthought of God but His original plan for the law from its very inception.

	But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people (Jer. 31:33).

The New Testament repeatedly confirms this. One such example is:

	For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people (Heb. 8:10).

This is really what the new covenant is—to have the law written in our hearts. And the way God does that is through the Holy Spirit, who Himself gives us the power to obey them.

	I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them (Ezek. 36:26-27).

	You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart (2 Cor. 3:2-3).

Think about it, if the moral law is unimportant to us in the new covenant, why then would the Holy Spirit even bother to write it into our hearts?

This is the whole argument of Paul when he says, “So now we can obey God’s laws if we follow after the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 8:4 TLB). So in the new covenant, we are still serving the law, but we are serving “in the newness of the Spirit” because we want to, not because we have to! We serve not out of fear because the law is our burdensome master, but out of love because Christ is now our Lord. It is no longer a hope of obedience leading to salvation but rather, salvation leading to obedience.

To confirm their validity, all the Ten Commandments are expounded time and again throughout the epistles:
	Commandment I	1 Corinthians 8:6
	Commandment II	1 John 5:21
	Commandment III	1 Timothy 6:1
	Commandment IV	Hebrew 4:3-11
	Commandment V	Ephesians 6:2
	Commandment VI	1 John 3:15
	Commandment VII	Galatians 5:19
	Commandment VIII	Ephesians 4:28
	Commandment IX	Romans 13:9
	Commandment X	Colossians 3:5

The Reformers made it a point to emphasize the need for the Ten Commandments in Christian growth and discipleship. John Calvin (1509-1564) says that “even the believers have need of the law.” Calvin teaches that the moral law helps the believers in two ways: (a) to make daily progress in doing the will of God, and (b) to encourage the believer how to live a life of obedience. Calvin quotes Psalm 1:2 that a Christian’s “delight is in the law of the Lord” and Psalm 19:7 that “the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”

Martin Luther (1483-1546), the original pioneer of the Reformation, fought with those who despised the Ten Commandments. He coined the term, “antinomianism,” which the Oxford Dictionary defines as “a belief that Christians are released by grace from obeying moral laws.” This was the first major theological controversy in Protestant history. In 1577, to counter the antinomians who were rubbishing the Ten Commandments, the Lutherans wrote in the Formula of Concord the following statements:

	“Thereafter the Holy Ghost employs the law so as to teach the regenerate from it, and to point out and show them in the Ten Commandments what is ‘the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God’ (Rom. 12:2) and ‘what good works God hath before ordained that they should walk in’ (Eph. 2:10).”

To the Reformers, the Ten Commandments was an absolute necessity for sanctification and discipleship. As such, its validity and importance was repeatedly emphasized in documents like:

Helvetic Confession of the Reformed Church of Zurich (1566).

39 Articles of Religion of the Church of England (1571).

Irish Articles of Religion of the Church of Ireland (1615).

Methodist Articles of Religion (1784).

Westminster Confession of Faith (1647).

Savoy Declaration of the Congregational Churches (1658).

Baptist Confession of Philadelphia (1688).

French Confession of Faith (1559).

Belgic Confession (1561).

Scottish Confession of Faith (1559).

The Wittenberg Confession (16th Century).

As you can see, the Ten Commandments are viewed as vitally important to practically all mainstream, orthodox, Bible-believing churches—Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Methodist, Congregational, Baptist, Evangelical, Charismatic and Pentecostal churches.

The truth be told, supporters of the Ten Commandments are in the abundance. In his June 21, 2009 interview with Seattle Post, Dr. Billy Graham gives his view on why we need the Ten Commandments. Dr. Graham says, “We don’t keep the Ten Commandments in order to be saved; we keep them because we want to please God and bring honor to Him by the way we live. Jesus said, ‘If you love me, you will obey what I command’ (John 14:15).”

Well said. I rest my case.

What’s Up With Masturbation?

2009-06-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

The word “masturbation” is thought to have been derived from the Greek word mezea, which means “penises.” It could have also been derived from the Latin words, manus (“hand”) and turbare (“to disturb”). According to the Microsoft Encarta Dictionary, masturbation is to “give yourself or somebody else sexual pleasure by stroking the genitals, usually to orgasm.” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary states that “the stimulation can be performed manually, by other types of bodily contact (short of sexual intercourse), by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods.”

There are archeological records of humans masturbating that go back as far as 6,000 B.C. In the land of Sumer, often known as the “Cradle of Civilization,” the ancient Sumerians believed that masturbation was a technique used to increase a man’s sexual prowess. It was viewed as part of normal activities for daily life, neither to be shunned away from nor considered taboo. The ancient Egyptians viewed masturbation superstitiously while the ancient Greeks were rather casual about it.

At the other end of the spectrum, masturbation was considered illegal in some societies. The 17th century law code of the Puritan colony of New Haven, Connecticut, considered masturbation as a crime punishable by the death penalty. The 18th century philosopher, Immanuel Kant, viewed masturbation as a violation of universal moral law. Until today, the Roman Catholic Church still officially condemns masturbation as a mortal sin.

The American researcher Alfred Kinsey (1894-1956) and others estimated that during the mid-20th century, at least 92% of all males and 70-80% of all females have indulged in masturbation at some point in their lives. European studies show comparable figures to support Kinsey’s research. Kinsey also found that 40% of men and 30% of women in relationships (marriage or dating) masturbate regularly. In his 2005 book, The Sexual Man, Dr. Archibald Hart reveals that 61% of married Christian men masturbate.

The December 10, 2008 issue of The Sun reports that the “Gossard Big M Survey” done a year earlier found that 92% of UK women aged 18-30 masturbate. Two-thirds of women admit to pleasuring themselves three times a week, with women in London finding time for four sessions every seven days. A 2004 study done in Toronto, Canada, found that males begin masturbating as early as 10 years old while some females (6%) may begin before the age of six.

Some of the generally accepted benefits of masturbation include the following: (1) It is a good way of relieving sexual tension that can build up over time, especially for people without partners, or whose partners are not willing or available to have sex. (2) It is a safe sexual alternative for people who wish to avoid pregnancy and the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases. (3) It is necessary when a man must give a semen sample for infertility testing or for sperm donation. (4) It is a standard prescription given by sex therapists to treat sexual dysfunction in an adult, helping a person to experience orgasm (often in women) or to delay orgasm (often in men).

The big question here is: can a Christian masturbate? Is it morally right or wrong? Those who argue against it claim that masturbation is unnatural, and may result in God’s judgment on the body later on in life (in the form of physical ailments). Others claim that it is an irresponsible means to attain sexual satisfaction without the “burden” of commitment. Spiritual giants like C.S. Lewis and John Calvin were both strongly against it.

What about those who are not averse to it? Mark Driscoll, the preaching pastor at the 7,500-member Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, was quoted as having said this in one of his video lectures: “In marriage is it okay for one to masturbate the other? Yes, as long as it promotes oneness between a couple … But if you are someone who masturbates in a nonaddictive, non-lustful, non-pornographic way and you are single, it is not a sin.”

Surprisingly, the conservative evangelical and founder of Focus On The Family, Dr. James Dobson, was reported to have said, “99% of boys do it and the other 1% are lying. If we tell boys it is wrong and that God disapproves, what happens to those who aren’t able to stop? They grow up thinking God hates them or that they are some miserable, shameful, dirty creatures that belong under a rock. Therefore, let them do it.” In his book, Preparing for Adolescence, Dr. Dobson says, “It is my opinion that masturbation is not much of an issue with God.”

What does the Bible say?
The solitary Scripture most opponents of masturbation often quote is Genesis 38:9. It is an account of God judging Onan for spilling his semen onto the ground. Many of the early church saints, like Jerome and Clement of Alexandra, had used this story as an example of why masturbation should be banned. However, a closer, objective study of this passage would show that the context here has nothing to do with masturbation. In the days of the patriarchs, if a man died childless, the custom then was for his brother to take his wife, and the children produced by this second marriage were considered as the children of the first husband, and consequently inherit his possessions and extend his lineage. As such, Onan was supposed to raise up a seed for his deceased brother. Instead of doing that, he took advantage of his sister-in-law, Tamar, for his own sexual gratification, but didn’t want the responsibility to father her a child. God immediately judged Onan for his refusal to raise up an offspring for his brother.

The Bible also talks about “nocturnal emission,” an ejaculation during sleep by a male (Lev. 15:16-17; 22:4; Deut. 23:9-11). Today, we commonly call this a “wet dream,” or a spontaneous orgasm. Whenever they are mentioned in Scripture, it has more to do with Old Testament health and hygiene than what constitutes a sin.

What is my personal opinion regarding masturbation? Theologically, the Scripture is relatively silent about it although its practice stretches back to biblical times. None of the verses above outrightly name masturbation as a sin. As far as I am concerned, the jury is still out. To me, the act of self-stimulation is worrying only if it leads to the following three problems:
Pornography. Pornography has long been condemned and prohibited in the belief that it depraves and corrupts both minors and adults, and that it leads to the commission of sex crimes. Pornography is often used hand-in-hand with masturbation to stimulate the imagination as well as the genitals. In a Kinsey Institute survey, 72% of the respondents said they used porn to masturbate for physical release.In their award-winning bestseller, Porn Trap, sex therapists, Wendy and Larry Maltz, relate the harmful effects pornography has on an individual:

“A relationship with porn can act like an affair. It can take time and energy away from an existing intimate relationship. People who use porn often operate with the same kind of secrecy and deception as someone having a sexual affair. When a porn user is confronted by a partner, there is often denial, lying and attempts to cover up the wrongdoing. Without realizing it, maintaining a “love affair” with porn can become more important than staying connected to someone in real life. Also, if you use porn regularly, the mental images and scenarios of porn can keep playing in your mind during sex, making it hard to feel connected and intimate with the real person in your life.”

Compulsive Masturbation. A compulsive masturbator may self-pleasure an inordinate number of times a day. The world record is reported to be 36 times over a 24-hour period! However, excessive masturbation can lead to neurochemical imbalances in the body and bring about continual fatigue, concentration and memory losses. Masturbation addiction can also lead to other forms of sex addictions such as:
● Multiple sexual partners
● Consistent use of pornography
● Phone or computer sex (cybersex)
● Prostitution, or use of prostitutes
● Exhibitionism
● Voyeurism (watching others) and/or stalking
● Sexual harassment
● Molestation
● Rape

To test if you have a problem with compulsive masturbation or other sex addictions, try the following Self-Assessment Test from Sex Addicts Anonymous: www.sexaa.org/IsSAAForYou/SelfAssessment.

Resentment in Spouse. When a married partner individually indulges in masturbation, especially when it is done in secrecy, the spouse is no longer the only source of sexual gratification. When one partner feeds his or her sexual appetite with masturbation, leaving the other partner sexually unfulfilled, it could cause feelings of resentment and loss of respect over time. Sexual pleasure involves considering the feelings of your spouse. If one partner is uncomfortable with the fact that the other is masturbating, especially when it is done outside of the couple’s lovemaking, both of you should have a radically honest discussion together. Come to a mutual agreement that both partners are comfortable with and genuinely happy about.

Finally, as with most things that are not explicitly encouraged or prohibited in the Bible, one should only do it if it doesn’t go against the inner peace of God in his or her heart (Col. 3:15).

Can Christians Drink?

2009-05-02T06:21:00.000-07:00

At its 36th Bi-Annual National Conference held on April 23-24, 2007, the Assemblies of God in Australia introduced a new code allowing AG pastors to consume alcohol. However it also urged extreme caution when drinking, and highlighted that drunkenness is prohibited.

According to the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, throughout the first 1,800 years of church history, Christians consumed alcoholic beverages as a common part of everyday life and nearly always used wine (fermented grape juice) in the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper. Many of the early church fathers allowed wine drinking in moderation. The Catholic Church requires properly fermented wine in their Eucharist. The Reformers from Luther and Calvin to Zwingli and Knox strongly supported the enjoyment of wine as a biblical blessing. It was said that Calvin’s annual salary in Geneva included seven barrels of wine. Even the conservative and strict English Puritans were temperate partakers of wine and ale, which they considered as “God’s good gifts.” It was in the mid-1800s when some Protestant Christians moved from this historic position of allowing moderate use of alcohol to the total prohibiting of all drinking.

Are Christians allowed to drink wine and beverages that contain alcohol? Let us look at some standard objections against drinking of alcoholic beverages:

1. Word Study: Those who argue against drinking seek to use “word study” as a pretext to prove that scripturally-approved wine is non-alcoholic in nature. However, their contention is tenuous and doesn’t stand up to close rigorous examination. There are 12 Hebrew words used to denote “wine.” The three most common ones are:
Yayin (H3196), used 113 times in the Old Testament. Opponents of drinking often claim that, depending on the context, this could mean non-fermented alcohol. Not true. According to the authoritative Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionary, yayin is definitely fermented, alcoholic wine.

Tirosh (H8492), used 40 times in the Old Testament and translated as “new wine” (Prov. 3:10) or “sweet wine” (Micah 6:15). Opponents of drinking claim this is fresh grape juice with no alcohol content. Again, not true. The Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionary says that although it is freshly squeezed grapes, it is nonetheless fermented. Easton’s Bible Dictionary says that tirosh has the root meaning “to take possession of,” implying that it can intoxicate the brain (Hosea 4:11).

Shekar (H7941), used 20 times in the Old Testament. It means strong drink, intense alcoholic liquor. No dispute here.
In the New Testament, the two main Greek words for wine are:

Oinos (G3631), used 25 times. Since it is the counterpart to the Old Testament word yayin, opponents of drinking again claim that it was often unfermented and non-alcoholic; and even if it was alcoholic, oinos was so diluted with water that it had become virtually non-alcoholic. Not true. According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, the fact that Jesus mentions that oinos was capable of bursting wine skins (Matt. 9:17) implies strong fermentation.

Gleukos (G1098), used once in Acts 2:13, and is the counterpart to the Old Testament tirosh. Opponents of drinking claim this is totally non-alcoholic, just like the English glucose, which is dextrose or grape-sugar. Others claim this is nothing more than freshly squeezed grape juice. Not true again. The Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionary says it is a highly intoxicating, fermented drink. The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary says that when “Peter replies (Acts 2:15), ‘These men are not drunk, as you suppose.’ If the wine was not intoxicating, the accusation could only have been ironical. From the explanations of the ancient lexicographers we may infer that the luscious qualities of this wine were due not to its being recently made but to its being produced from the purest juice of the grape.”

Upon close examination, to say that the wine in the Bible was unfermented grape juice or some form of sub-alcoholic, purified water is extremely speculative. In fact, the Bible clearly makes a clear distinction between wine and grape juice. In the Nazirite vow of Numbers 6:3, God instructed that “he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.” In other words, when the Scriptures talk about wine, they are not referring to grape juice and vice versa.

A thorough word study of wine will bring us to the same conclusion as the Dictionary of Jesus & the Gospel: “All wine mentioned in the Bible is fermented grape juice with an alcohol content. No non-fermented drink was called wine.”

2. Holy Communion: When the Lord’s Supper was instituted, the wine and the unleavened bread on the table were set apart as the body and blood of Christ. Jesus says, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:29). Opponents of drinking take the fruit of the vine to mean grape juice. But when Paul rebuked the Corinthians for their abuse of the Lord’s Supper, he blasted them for abusing the wine to get drunk (1 Cor. 11:20-21). Obviously, one must conclude that the beverage used for the Lord’s Supper could not be grape juice but real alcoholic wine.

3. Qualification of a Bishop: Opponents of drinking often quote 1 Timothy 3:2-3 when Paul says that a bishop must be a man “not given to wine.” The word “given” (Gr. paroinos) means “drunken.” The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament says, “The word does not include the responsible and temperate usage of alcohol, rather, it has in view the abuse or incessant use of it. The word-picture is that of an individual who always has a bottle (or wineskin) on the table and so signifies addiction.”

4. Drunkenness. Without a doubt, drunkenness is a sin. Scripturally, it is portrayed negatively with characteristics such as staggering, reeling, vomiting, loss of mental control, and possible addiction. Poverty, immorality and sexual perversion are commonly mentioned in the Bible as results of drunkenness. Priests and prophets are judged for drunkenness, which prevents them from performing their duties (Is. 28:7). No bishop or church leader can be a drunkard (Titus 1:7; 2:2-5). Drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:21). Opponents of drinking posit that since drinking potentially causes drunkenness, we should never pick up the first drink. If that argument is true, then the same must be said of food, money, work and sex since they could also lead to gluttony, greed, workaholism and sex addiction. Should one abstain from them all because of potential danger? Of course, not.

5. Health: Opponents of drinking claim that alcohol impairs and destroys our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Not all true. Studies have found that moderate alcohol consumption has health benefits like lowering the risk of heart attack, diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease. In some cases, it actually increases longevity. Paul instructed Timothy, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities” (1 Tim. 5:23). But drunkenness or alcoholic intoxication affects the brain, causes slurred speech, clumsiness, and delayed reflexes. Long-term excessive consumption can permanently damage the liver and brain, and cause some forms of cancer. As such, moderation is the key.

What then is the Bible’s general attitude toward wine and drinking? One cannot deny that both the Old and New Testament view wine drinking favorably:

---Sign of God’s blessing: Abundant wine was considered a sign of blessing and prosperity from God, not something to be shunned (Gen. 49:11-12; Deut. 7:13; Prov. 31:6; Joel 2:24; 3:18; Amos 9:13-14; Is. 55:1; Zech. 10:7). Isaac blessed Jacob by saying, “Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine” (Gen. 27:28). Conversely, the lack of wine was a symbol of judgment and calamity (Deut. 28:30; Is. 16:10; 24:11; 65:21; Jer. 48:33; Joel 1:5; Amos 5:11; Micah 6:15; Zeph. 1:13).

---Righteous offering to God: Starting back in Genesis, Melchizedek the priest of God Most High used wine in religious ceremonial offering (Gen. 14:18). Wine was used as offerings to God ever since.

---Enjoyment: Psalms 104:15 says that God gives His people “wine that makes glad the heart of man.” Ecclesiastes 9:7 says, “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.” Wine was always considered a source of joy, one of the good things created for people (Judges 9:13; 2 Sam. 13:28; Esther 1:10; Eccl. 2:3; 10:19; Is. 24:11; Zech. 10:7). Until today, Jews use wine on Sabbath for Kiddush as well as in the Passover ceremony and in other religious ceremonies, and allow the use of alcohol, such as kosher wine. Many ancient Jewish texts such as the Talmud even encourage moderate amounts of drinking on holidays such as Purim, in order to make the occasion more joyous.

---Normal: Like fasting, abstinence from wine was the exception and not the norm for God’s people. We see that in Daniel (Dan. 1:8-16), the Rechabites (Jer. 35:1-19), and the Nazirites (Num. 6:1-4).

---Jesus Himself drank wine: “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” (Matt. 11:18-19). To be accused of being a winebibber, Jesus obviously drank alcoholic wine. And He permitted the use of wine in festivities like the wedding of Cana (John 2:1-11). In fact, His first miracle was to turn water into wine. Jesus even used the imagery of fermented wine to describe His teaching as “new wine” (Matt. 9:17).

With alcoholism an increasing problem in society, it is understandable why some may want to caution against drinking. But to twist Scriptures in order to prove wine as unfermented grape juice is certainly not an honest way to go.

Abstinence was never an issue in the Old Testament, New Testament, early church or the Reformation. There is never any direct prohibition of the use of wine in the Bible. But anything done in excess is wrong. Moderation is the watchword (Phil. 4:5 KJV). In this case, the Bible permits drinking but at the same time, discourages drunkenness. Besides, the use of wine is dependent upon the conscience and the sensitivities of others. It is not to be indulged in if it will lead others to drink against their conscience (Rom. 14:19-21).

The Charismatic Movement

2009-04-23T02:14:00.000-07:00

“Charismatics” is a word popularized in the 1960s for Christians flowing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as outlined in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. Charisma is derived from the basic Greek noun, charis, which means “grace,” or the free, unmerited favor of God. From it, we have the English adjective “charismatic,” which is used to describe a person possessing great powers of charm or influence. Within the Church, Charismatics are Christians who believe they have been “graced” with the presence and power of God.

Because the largest and more progressive churches in most cities tend to be Charismatic, they are often a point of fascination in the culture. Due to their inclination toward the supernatural and emotional, the media and their critics have unfairly portrayed them as a bizarre Christian subculture, a “sect” whose beliefs and behavior are an embarrassment to mainstream believers. What anti-Charismatics fail to realize is that Charismatics are very much a part of mainstream Christianity.

The Charismatic movement is the fastest growing segment of the body of Christ worldwide. With more than 600 million adherents globally, more than one in four believers today are either Pentecostal or Charismatic. A 2008 report by The Barna Group states that in America, a slight majority (51%) of all born again Christians is Charismatic. Nearly half of all adults (46%) who attend a Protestant church is Charismatic. One out of every four (23%) Protestant churches is a Charismatic congregation. One third (36%) of all Catholics is Charismatic.

Apart from size, Charismatics are also among the most fervent of the body of Christ. Consider the following data from the same report by The Barna Group:

God: Almost nine in 10 Charismatics believe that God is the all-knowing, all-powerful Creator of the universe who still rules the universe today. Yet, barely seven in 10 non-Charismatics view God that way.

Great Commandment: 90% of Charismatics believe that their purpose in life is to love God with all their heart, mind, strength and soul. Only 66% of non-Charismatics believe similarly.

Bible reading: 55% of Charismatics read the Bible in a typical week, whereas only 36% of non-Charismatics do the same.
Active Christianity: 42% of Charismatics read the Bible, attend a church service, and pray to God in a typical week. Only 25% of non-Charismatics do so.

Evangelism: Slightly more than half of Charismatics believe they have a personal responsibility to share their religious belief. Less than one in three non-Charismatics possesses a similar commitment.

Without a doubt, Charismatics on the whole are Bible-believing and Bible-obeying. Unfortunately, a casual browse through cyberspace reveals legions of bloggers hammering away at Charismatic leaders and churches. Why isn’t there a greater counter-response from the Charismatics? Personally, I half suspect that most Charismatic pastors and ministries are so busy in the work of evangelism, discipleship and missions, they have little time or passion to answer the criticisms leveled at them.
With 600 million Charismatics in the world today, to generalize or stereotype the Charismatic faith is like saying, “All Asians believe in this,” or “All Americans believe in that.” The spectrum is just too wide in terms of doctrinal and ministry views. The only commonality is their connection to Jesus Christ and the belief that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still valid and active today.

Are there Charismatics who are unbalanced or extreme in Bible doctrines? Of course there are, as with non-Charismatics. Are there Charismatics who live only for self instead of the Savior? Of course there are, as with non-Charismatics. Are there Charismatics who are shallow and superficial in their walk with Jesus? Of course there are, as with non-Charismatics. But taken as a whole, survey after survey has shown Charismatics to be fervent followers of Christ, serious in advancing the kingdom of God.

Let us consider some typical criticisms directed against Charismatics:

“Charismatics twist Scripture to justify an opulent lifestyle.” Not true. The vast majority of Charismatics are not fixated with wealth or materialism. Like most Christians, they believe that God provides for their need, not their greed. Having said that, Charismatics are not abhorrent to wealth that comes through diligent work or God’s blessing. Most believe that prosperity is God’s plan for the believer simply because of the abundance of Bible texts to support that. Take for example, 2 Corinthians 8:9 says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” The word, “rich” (Gr. plouteo) means to become financially wealthy and increased with goods. For most Charismatics, success and wealth are means to help the poor, better society, and fulfill the Great Commission.

“Charismatics despise the sick and those in suffering.” Not true. This statement ignores the fact that Charismatics are globally active in eradicating systemic poverty and addressing healthcare problems. As the most mission-minded segment of Christendom, Charismatic ministries donate significant portions of their annual budgets into medical and humanitarian aids. Scriptures like “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” (Matt. 8:17) give them cause to believe that healing is in the atonement, and thus is the general will of God for everyone. Whether through faith, medicine or therapy, most Charismatics value the need for a healthy body to live a fruitful life and serve the purpose of God.

“Charismatic meetings are shallow in doctrine and theology.” Not true. The fact is that Charismatics read the Bible and believe in its inerrancy more so than non-Charismatics. Most Charismatic churches have well-organized Bible classes and seminars to expound on the Holy Scriptures and Christian doctrines. But these are usually conducted outside of regular services. Most Charismatic meetings are designed to help attendees find wholeness in their soul and wisdom for daily living. Praise, worship and prayer are featured more prominently than non-Charismatic services. Sermons tend to deal with practical themes like marriage, family, work life and behavioral change. Most meetings end with a time for attendees to receive prayer for salvation, healing, and other practical needs. As such, to prejudge Charismatic meetings as shallow because of their focus on the mundane borders on religious arrogance and intellectual chauvinism.

“Charismatic churches are conning the gullible of their money.” I often wonder if the rage of anti-Charismatics here is targeted against the ability of Charismatic churches to exact money from their congregation, or the quantum of money that is collected? Is it the attendees’ willingness to give, or is it the amount collected that is more upsetting? A common rant of anti-Charismatics is that flamboyant Charismatic preachers are conning the gullible “to sow their seeds” and give big amounts as a form of religious lotteries in their quest to be rich.

What anti-Charismatics fail to realize is that Charismatic services are filled with the educated and sophisticated. They don’t arrive at relative affluence by being naive. Most Charismatics have the common sense to see through the shenanigans of tricksters behind the pulpit. But they do appreciate preachers who encourage them to go beyond their fears and stay faithful in their financial stewardship. Besides, didn’t Elijah challenge the poor widow of Zarepheth to sacrifice her last morsel of bread and trust God for a multiplication of provision (1 Kin. 17:11-14)? Is Elijah the prophet a heartless con artist then? Besides, isn’t “sowing and reaping” a principle of life and the Scriptures?

Instead of questioning the what and how of giving, one should ask the why. Why are Charismatics so willing to part with their money? For most, they give out of a passion to advance the cause of Christ, and the faith that God will bless them back so that they can keep financing the work of the kingdom.

Instead of Charismatic-bashing, non-Charismatics should look beyond the differences and focus on the goals every Christian has in common—becoming salt and light in society, and making disciples of every nation.

What About Tattoos?

2009-04-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Tattoos have become a mark of the 21st century. According to the August 4, 2008, issue of U.S. News & World Report, more than one quarter of those under the age of 30 adorn their skin with at least one. No longer is tattoo something reserved only for gang members, convicts, delinquents or social outcasts. In fact, many of the preachers’ kids of the largest churches in Australia, America and Europe have them on their bodies. And these PKs are by no means rebellious or unspiritual. Most of them are doing excellent jobs leading youth, music and creative ministries. Some are even deliberately using their tattoos as a bridge to connect with the unchurched in outreach efforts. However, for most people, a tattoo is simply a means of stylistic expression. Many middle-aged women may not tattoo patterns and designs, but they go to their aestheticians to tattoo their eyebrows, eyeliners and lip colors.

So, is tattooing a sin? Are Christians allowed to have them?
Those who argue against it often quote Leviticus 19:28, “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.” The word for “tattoo” in its original Hebrew is qa-aqa, which appears only this one time in the entire Scripture. Proper hermeneutic requires us to read any Bible passage with the actual context in mind. Practically all Bible commentaries agree that the context of Leviticus 19 is God prohibiting the Israelites from adopting the religious practices of the pagan nations surrounding them. Adam Clarke’s Commentary of the Old Testament says that the pagans were carrying “marks on the body in honor of the object of their worship … for superstitious purposes … in honor of different idols.” Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible says that the practice “had religious significance among Israel’s pagan neighbors.” But what if there is no religious, superstitious or idolatrous implication? Is a believer allowed to tattoo then?

Technically, if one takes the view that Leviticus 19 prohibits tattooing for all people in all circumstances, then for consistency’s sake, one must also abide by all the letters of the law here. That includes no shaving around the sides of the head, and the mandatory keeping of beards for all men (v27), which is a near impossibility for any serving in the military today. That also includes not wearing clothes made of different fabrics (v19). Should we then also continue with slavery and the keeping of mistresses, both accepted practices during the ancient days of Leviticus (v20)? Should we continue the Old Testament dietary restrictions like no eating of pork, shrimp, crab or shellfish? What about headscarves for women? Do we need to enforce that on all Christian women today? Most of us will agree that the answers to all the above are an emphatic no.

Next, is God Himself abhorrent to tattoos? God says in Isaiah 49:16, “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands. Your walls are continually before Me.” The word “inscribe” in Hebrew means “to engrave.” The scholars of The Living Bible simply translate that as “I have tattooed your name upon my palm.” When John saw a vision of God’s chosen 144,000, they were “sealed” and “written” with the Father’s name on their foreheads (Rev. 7:3; 14:1). Those words in the original Greek mean to “mark,” “stamp” and “engrave.” The book of Revelation also talks about false worshipers receiving the mark of the beast, which were called stigmata among the Greeks. To this Paul refers when he says, “I bear in my body the marks (stigmata) of the Lord Jesus” (Gal. 6:17). Whether the prophet Isaiah and the apostles John and Paul are speaking metaphorically or otherwise, one thing is for sure, body markings are not always repugnant to God. As such, we must be careful not to paint them as evil or sinful in a broad, general stroke.

Theologians, like Tom Beaudoin, have done studies on youths who pierce or tattoo their bodies. They discovered that youths do that when they have had profound experiential encounters. Things that impact them deeply, like when they fall in love, get their hearts broken, graduate, start a new job, achieve something they are proud of, or lose a loved one through death. To the youths and young adults of the 21st century, tattooing (and body piercing) are often not something vain or rebellious, but more like a rite of passage. It is their way of expressing the spiritual in the physical, even at the expense of experiencing some bodily pain.

For most people, tattooing today is simply a means of personal and stylistic expression, much like clothing, makeup, hairstyle, body-toning and fashion accessorizing. There is nothing religious, superstitious and rebellious to the wearer; it is simply for aesthetic value.

Because tattooing is designed to last forever, and removal is painful and expensive, you should enter into it only after much consideration.

Ask yourself the following:
Am I at a legally acceptable age to get a tattoo?
If I live with my parents, would they support my decision?
Would I still want this tattoo when I get older?
Am I really comfortable having it even if people may “unfairly judge” me?
If my tattoo is visible to others, is it appropriate for my line of work?

Ultimately, tattooing is a personal choice that, more often than not, reflects neither a rebellious nature nor a religious inclination. It is clearly written in the Bible that God looks beyond the surface and sees the heart of a person. We must be careful not to judge a believer with tattoos as loving God less than the one without.

How the World Perceives Us

2009-04-04T09:55:00.001-07:00

In 2007, David Kinnaman published his groundbreaking book, UnChristian: What A New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity. This book is the result of three years of extensive interviews with young adults today. Through his research, Kinnaman discovered the negative perceptions the unchurched (he called them "outsiders") had toward Christianity, which altered their willingness to commit their lives to Jesus. One person he interviewed put it this way: "Most people I meet assume that Christian means very conservative, entrenched in their thinking, antigay, antichoice, angry, violent, illogical, empire builders; they want to convert everyone, and they generally cannot live peaceably with anyone who doesn’t believe what they believe."

Kinnaman’s research explores the six perceptions these outsiders have of Christians:
(1) Hypocritical. Outsiders consider us hypocritical—saying one thing and doing another—and they are skeptical of our morally superior attitudes. Christians present the church as a place only for the virtuous and morally pure people.

(2) Too focused on getting converts. Outsiders wonder if we genuinely care about them. They feel like targets rather than people. They question our motives when we try to help them "get saved," despite the fact that many of them have already "tried" Jesus and experienced church before.

(3) Antihomosexual. Outsiders say that Christians are bigoted and show disdain for gays and lesbians. They say that Christians are fixed on curing homosexuals and on leveraging political solutions against them.

(4) Sheltered. Christians are thought of as old-fashioned, boring, and out of touch with reality. Outsiders say we do not respond to reality in appropriately complex ways, preferring simplistic solutions and answers. We are not willing to deal with the grit and grime of people’s lives.

(5) Too political. Another common perception of Christians is that we are overly motivated by a political agenda, and that we promote and represent politically conservative interests and issues. Conservative Christians are often thought of as right-wingers.

(6) Judgmental. Outsiders think of Christians as quick to judge others. They say we are not honest about our attitudes and perspectives about other people. They doubt that we really love people as we say we do.

While we may not agree with the views of the unchurched, Kinnaman challenges us not to ignore them. We have to deal with the young adults of the 21st century as they are—candid, irrelevant, and brazen.

Leadership is about perception. What people think about Christians influences how they respond to us. In fact, what they think should help us to become more objective. We need to make continual, honest evaluations of ourselves so that we reflect what we profess. What people think about Christians also reflect their own personal stories of the disappointing interactions they have had with churchgoers. But we can change all that. We need to represent Christ in a completely new context. Like Jesus, we must start engaging culture and its people with respect and love.

Sun is Discharged

2009-03-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

Sun was finally discharged from Cedars-Sinai Hospital on March 26 (Thur) after staying there for 16 days. She has lost a lot of weight and is still rather weak. As of now, she can only take soft diet that is high in protein, and low in carbohydrates and fiber. This is because the ability of her intestines to digest food is not fully restored. The hospital has assigned a very capable nutritionist to advise her on her diet.

On her first night back home, Sun took some tofu for dinner. An hour after dinner, she felt nauseous and her stomach started to bloat. Dr. Philips has instructed the team that if Sun faints, vomits or has severe diarrhea, she is to be readmitted to the ER immediately. Thankfully, she slept through the night without any incident. The next morning, the nutritionist visited her at home and said that tofu, and all soy products, should be avoided after a major abdominal operation. Soy is simply too “tough” for her recovering intestines to digest. She then wrote out a strict diet regiment for Sun to follow. In the US, there is surprisingly, a high regard for traditional Chinese medicine and herbs, which most Americans believe are the best supplements during the post-op rehabilitative period. Sun will be eased into such herbal treatment soon.

Today is the third day of her hospital discharge. Sun has been resting, reading, listening to music, praying, etc. Every couple of hours, she needs to take short walks around the house to ensure that there is no further complication in her bowels, and to stimulate the gas in them to pass out. She wakes up every morning at about 6 a.m. and by 6 p.m. in the evening, she gets very tired. She looks like she has lost 10 kg in the past three weeks.

Sun is scheduled to see her doctors again next week to ascertain if there are new adhesions re-formed in her intestines. One concern is the persistent pain and swelling in her lower abdomen. We are hoping that this is not a sign of further kinks and twisting of her bowels again. That may mean another surgery and stay at the hospital.

Kevin Loo of Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) was so kind to allow me to postpone a trip from this weekend to May, so that I could fly back to LA to attend to Sun. I need to be with her as these few days are very important. The doctors need to see that her intestines have fallen into place nicely and no further adhesion is formed.

One thing is for sure: the recovery process is going to be long, but Sun is very determined to get well. She is and always has been a gritty fighter.

Sun in Hospital

2009-03-21T04:50:00.000-07:00

Many of you have heard that my wife, Sun, had been sick for the last two weeks.
Since early February, Sun had been feeling nauseous and sick in her stomach. At first, she passed it off as being perhaps a viral attack or food poisoning. But as the weeks passed and the symptoms persisted, her regular LA physician, Dr. Sugerman, advised her to see Dr. Feldman (gastro-enterologist), Dr. Fine (internal medicine) and Dr. Philips, a director at Cedars-Sinai Hospital at Beverly Hills.

When Sun was a little girl, she had a severe case of appendicitis and her appendix was removed. As the injured tissues tried to seal themselves back, tissues that should have been separated started to adhere to one another, causing “adhesions.” The adhesions prevented the organs from moving freely, causing them to become twisted or pulled from their normal positions. (Apparently, more than 90% of patients develop adhesions following open abdominal surgery.)
When Sun was a teenager, she had an operation on the same area of the appendectomy to remove her adhesions, which explains her “famous” scar across her flat tummy.

This time, after a series of tests, Dr. Philips discovered that there were adhesions again. They were in the small intestines, twisting the latter around and obstructing the flow of food into the digestive tract. On March 3 (Tue), Sun was admitted to Cedars-Sinai for a laparoscopic surgery, a keyhole procedure, to remove the adhesions. She was discharged after two days and was expected to go back to the recording studio within 10 days or so.

However, a week later, on the night of March 10 (Tue), Sun felt pain in her abdomen and fainted in the bathroom. She then vomited and the pain became very severe. She was readmitted to the hospital and they started doing tests on her. By March 13 (Fri) morning, her stomach was very bloated and the level of pain had increased to 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. X-ray results showed obstruction again in the stomach. The adhesions had relapsed. By now, her stomach was swollen like that of a 5-month pregnant woman. Dr. Philips rushed for an emergency abdominal surgery to remove the adhesions.

Sun was in surgery for 6 hours. When she came out of the OR, she was totally worn out. There were many tubes going into her body, administering fluids, painkillers and antibiotics. The worst was a plastic tube, 1 meter in length and 1 centimeter in diameter, that had to go through her nose into her stomach to drain out all the liquid waste. (See the photo below.)

That tube caused tremendous pain and built up lots of phlegm. Sun had to cough out the phlegm to prevent pneumonia, the inflammation of the lungs. But each time she coughed the phlegm out, her stomach convulsed in pain. She could hardly move a few inches without the tube hurting the walls of her organs. The fact that it went through her throat gave her a severe sore there. But to protect her vocal chords, the doctor couldn’t prescribe her painkillers for sore throat. Because of all the pain, Sun hardly slept more than an hour at a stretch for the next few days.

Meanwhile, due to the trauma of the operation, the intestines were “asleep.” So, every couple of hours, Sun had to walk around the ward (with all the tubes attached) to “wake up” her bowels. Besides that, she had to grapple with an on-and-off fever. It was a heart-wrenching experience for me to see her in such agony, and yet so determined to get well.

By March 17 (Tue), her intestines began to “wake up” and function again. Within the next 24 hours, all her tubes were removed. The doctors were very pleased with the speed of her recovery. (All her physical fitness training in the past helped!)

Sun is still not totally out of the woods yet. The stomach is still mildly bloated and the pain is still there, although much less intense. She is still recuperating in hospital. For the next few days, she is under close supervision to see if the adhesions will regroup and reform again. The doctors won’t discharge her until all the intestines have fallen into their rightful positions.
Thanks for all your love and prayers. I know that many of you are praying for her speedy and total recovery. Obviously, her US album launch in the summer is delayed by a couple of months. But the priority now is to get her back on her feet in good health.

Recession And Creativity

2009-03-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

On February 4, 2009, American President Obama gave his State of the Nation address. He said, “History reminds us that, at every moment of economic upheaval and transformation, this nation has responded with bold action and big ideas. In the midst of civil war, we laid railroad tracks from one coast to another that spurred commerce and industry. From the turmoil of the Industrial Revolution came a system of public high schools that prepared our citizens for a new age. In the wake of war and depression, the GI Bill sent a generation to college and created the largest middle-class in history. And a twilight struggle for freedom led to a nation of highways, an American on the moon, and an explosion of technology that still shapes our world … We are a nation that has seen promise amid peril and claimed opportunity from ordeal. Now we must be that nation again.”

In other words, what makes a people great is their ability to creatively try out new ideas in the face of immense challenges and crises. Recently, my friend Aries Zulkarnain sent me an article of a list of innovative ideas that have emerged during times of economic duress.

Some examples:
The Great Depression: 3M invented the Scotch tape (1930);
Revlon launched long-lasting nail polish (1932);
Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom and Chicken Noodle soup were introduced (1934);
GE introduced the fluorescent light bulb (1938);
Hewlett-Packard was established (1939).

Eisenhower Recessions: Texas Instruments introduced the transistor radio (1954);
McDonald’s opened its first restaurant (1955);
Proctor & Gamble tested Pampers disposable diapers (1960).

1973 Oil Crisis: Arthur Fry and Spenser Silver invented Post-it Notes (1974);
Bill Gates and Paul Allen formed Microsoft (1975).

Early 1980s Recession: MTV hit the airwaves (1981); Diet Coke made debut (1982); Microsoft introduced Word for MS-DOS 1.00 (1983). Black Monday: Prozac was approved as an antidepressant (1987). Gulf War: The World Wide Web and Apple Powerbook debuted (1991). Dot-com Bust: iPod was unveiled (2001); RIM introduced Blackberry 5810 (2002). Today, we are in a recession that many have claimed the worst since WWII. It was started by the collapse of the housing market. Then, the collapse of major banks caused public panic. The amount of available credit spiraled downward, making it almost impossible for anybody to get a loan. This recession was especially hard on car makers. As consumer confidence continues to plunge, things continue to get worse. But hardships and difficulties are the necessary backdrops for greatness. When it seems like we are hard-pressed on every side, we must courageously tap into our oft-hidden God-given talents and gifts, unleashing the potential of those underused abilities to their fullest. Our moment of crisis is also our moment of creativity. This recession could well be our greatest hour yet. “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward” (Heb. 10:35).

Common Sense for 2009

2009-03-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Bible says in Prov. 4:7, that “in all our getting, get understanding,” which is really nothing more than “anointed common sense.” I came across a piece of advice Warren Buffet gave to his shareholders for 2009. I was amazed by the simplicity and common sense found in his approach toward basic management of money. This is what Buffet said:

“We begin this New Year with dampened enthusiasm and dented optimism. Our happiness is diluted and our peace is threatened by the financial illness that has infected our families, organizations and nations.

Everyone is desperate to find a remedy that will cure their financial illness and help them recover their financial health. They expect the financial experts to provide them with remedies, forgetting the fact that it is these experts who created this financial mess.

Every new year, I adopt a couple of old maxims as my beacons to guide my future. This self-prescribed therapy has ensured that with each passing year, I grow wiser and not older. This year, I invite you to tap into the financial wisdom of our elders along with me, and become financially wiser.

* Hard work: All hard work bring a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
* Laziness: A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.
* Earnings: Never depend on a single source of income. [At least make your investments get you second earning.]
* Spending: If you buy things you don’t need, you’ll soon sell things you need.
* Savings: Don’t save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving.
* Borrowings: The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
* Accounting: It’s no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.
* Auditing: Beware of little expenses; a small leak can sink a large ship.
* Risk-taking: Never test the depth of the river with both feet. [Have an alternate plan ready.]
* Investment: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

I’m certain that those who have already been practicing these principles remain financially healthy. I’m equally confident that those who resolve to start practicing these principles will quickly regain their financial health.”

There is truly no short-cut to success. We all need to remind ourselves of these back-to-basic principles of life, wisdom and common sense.

Rev. Kong Hee Shares CHC Story

2007-11-08T07:17:00.001-08:00

Rev. Kong Hee appeared on the show "This Is Your Day" by Benny Hinn.

Click here to watch the clip

Brief Profile of Rev. Kong Hee

2007-10-24T03:59:00.001-07:00

Kong Hee (born August 23, 1964) is the founder, honorary and volunteer senior pastor of City Harvest Church in Singapore. Kong is a Christian leader based in the Charismatic Movement, with a philosophy of ministry that emphasizes the Great Commandment, Great Commission, and Cultural Mandate .

Under his leadership, City Harvest Church has grown to more than 23,000 members and has jointly developed 40 churches and 10 Bible schools in Asia.

Kong has also co-founded an education center, a performing arts school, a publishing house, a missions agency, a ministerial fellowship and a magazine. Kong is also a motivational speaker and runs a retail business.

Extract from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kong_Hee

Biography of Kong Hee

2007-10-24T03:46:00.000-07:00

Qualifications:

Raffles Institution: 1977-1980
Raffles Junior College: 1981-1982
Graduated from National University of Singapore,Bachelor of Science (Computer & Information Sciences):1985-1988

Theological Qualifications:

New Covenant International Theological Seminary (USA):Master of Divinity: 1989-1991
New Covenant International Theological Seminary (USA):Doctor of Theology: 1993-1995

Ordained:

Bethany Christian Centre (Singapore): 6 Jan 1991

Founded:

City Harvest Church: 1989
City Harvest Bible Training Center: 1994
Harvest Times (quarterly magazine): 1999
City Harvest Education Centre: 2002

Co-Founded with Rev. George Ong:

Harvest School of Ministry: 2001
Malaysian Harvest Christian Fellowship: 2003

Position:

President, City Harvest Church, Singapore: Since 1992
Chairman, Festival of Praise, Singapore: 1997-2001, 2005-now
Board of Reference, Transform World, Indonesia: Since 2005
Committee Member, National Council of Churches, Singapore: 1999-2004
Board of Advisor, Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International, Singapore: 1996-2000