When God Wants To Drill A Man

When God wants to drill a man,

And thrill a man,

And skill a man

When God wants to mold a man

To play the noblest part;

When He yearns with all His heart

To create so great and bold a man

That all the world shall be amazed,

Watch His methods, watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects

Whom He royally elects!

How He hammers him and hurts him,

And with mighty blows converts him

Into trial shapes of clay which

Only God understands;

While his tortured heart is crying

And he lifts beseeching hands!

How He bends but never breaks

When his good He undertakes;

How He uses whom He chooses,

And which every purpose fuses him;

By every act induces him

To try His splendor out-

God knows what He’s about.

– Anonymous

My Monologue Has Become A Dialogue With The Lord

Handing-over Prayer has become my 24-7 activity. 

Yes, it's praying without ceasing. 

As long as my mind is able to keep thinking of something, handing-over prayer would then always be my portion. 

I have discovered that I can convert my ceaseless stream of thoughts into a ceaseless stream of "handing-over" prayer to the Lord.

And amazingly, the Lord is most interested in listening and receiving my prayers.

Sensing His regular presence speaks volumes about His interest in my apparent monologue. 

Like a doting parent, He held me in His perpetual embrace and listen to my every word. 

What has begun as my monologue has become a constant dialogue with the One who loves me and died for me. 

What a blessed life I am living - to be able to dialogue moment-by-moment with my Creator God.

I am blessed indeed. 

Albert Kang

Click this video link to learn about "Handing-Over" Prayer.
https://youtu.be/SXdOvskQiV8

How Should Christians Respond In The End Times?

 

As we look at the cataclysmic situations in the world, most of us would naturally figure them to be the preludes of the End Times. Many are happy that Jesus will be coming back soon but many are afraid of the persecution and suffering that would come before Christ’s return. In fact, some believers are selling their homes in the urban areas and moving to rural areas – remote countryside, forested mountains or even to the deserts. Some are stockpiling food and learning how to grow and preserve foods. Many of these are even buying weapons so that they can protect themselves. 

The question is whether God wants His Church to run and hide when the situation becomes bad or that His Church should stay and continue to minister to the people? We do not need to look far to see what we should do during such cataclysmic time – just look at how the churches not only survive but thrive in the Communist countries around us. For example, back in the 1970s, we as young overseas Chinese Christians, were praying and fasting for China because we thought that the Communists had managed to totally destroy Christianity in China. But, in the 1980s, we received good news that in spite of not having missionaries, the Church of Jesus Christ had survived. 

The Chinese believers went through their own Tribulation for more than thirty years and they did not only survive but thrive. And from a mere one million believers before the Communist’s rule to now over 100 million believers. How did they do it? 

At the beginning of the persecution in 1951, majority of the pastors and elders were arrested and imprisoned. These people were arrested on fabricated charges of crimes and that they were falsely accused as counter-revolutionary activists.

The climax of the persecution came in 1966 with the great proletarian cultural revolution. By that time, organised Christianity had been totally demolished and many of the Christian leaders were arrested and subsequently executed. 

What were left behind were mostly the women and their children who went underground to form the underground churches. It was in these dire circumstances that the Church was purified and cleansed. Those who could not take the persecution left the faith. There were also traitors and betrayers who sold the safety of their brothers and sisters so as to secure safe passage for themselves. 

When I was in China in the late 1980s, I personally listened to testimonies from the persecuted believers about how they survived and thrived in the face of danger and death. They worshipped in the cold forest at three in the dark early morning and some worshipped in secluded caves. They did not seek just to survive but to be able to worship the Lord and also to share the Gospel.

How did they physically survive? There were stories about how the urban Chinese believers who escaped to the rural areas learned from the locals how to survive in the harsh conditions of the countryside. Many of them also learned about God’s natural ways of treating infirmities with herbal and traditional methods. When I was in the military, basic jungle survival method was taught to all recruits but we rarely needed to use it. However, those in Commando training, were put to the test because they were left in an isolated island to survive on their own for a week. I heard that each trainee had only a hunting knife and a small amount of ration. The idea of learning how to grow vegetables or hunt animals is of course useful, if one has to really live in the jungle. These would of course be interesting courses to take even in peacetime.

Back to the Chinese Church that survived the persecution – while I was in one underground church, the Elders asked me to lay hands and pray for a sister who was to take the place of her father in the ministry. Apparently, the father was killed by the Communists while in prison and now his place of eldership in the underground was vacant. She was to take his place and face the danger that her father had faced. There was a particular sadness in my heart because I felt like I was ordaining her to be martyred for Christ.

What should we do in the face of persecution of the End Times?

When we look into the Bible, we should be thankful that the Apostle Peter did address this matter of how to face the End Times. Writing specifically about this matter, Peter revealed what God had shown him - “the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, [and] both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”

He added. “Since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:10-12).

Please note that Peter did not suggest that all Christians should head for the jungles or hills in order to hide from persecution. He did not suggest that believers should be isolated from the ministries that God has assigned the Church to do. Throughout the history of Christianity, the believers who ultimately made an impact for the Kingdom of God were not the ones with the “fortress mentality”. The early disciples were not exactly brave and they were found together praying in the upper room. When the Holy Spirit came upon them there was such a transformation. (Acts 1-2). Were they persecuted after the Holy Spirit came? The fact is that the persecution was intense so much so that believers like Stephen and James were murdered for their faith. Many others were arrested and put in prison. In the midst of the heavy persecution, they continued to preach the Gospel. There was no stockpiling of food or weapons in a fortress. However, the believers did move from one place to another. In the process, they spread the Gospel further and wider to other cities and even countries.

The fortress-mentality is for people who do not see life as being eternal. Sadly, for them, this temporal life is the only one that they treasure and so they have to sustain it at all cost. Basing upon the revelation of Peter, all believers who are going through the End Times can do one thing, apart from worrying about food and drink, and that is to practice holiness and do good to others wherever and whenever we can. Indeed, we are supposed to do the works of the Kingdom of God “while it is day” (John 9:4). The Apostle Paul also received the same revelation from the Lord: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

I hope this clarifies and answers some of your questions about what we should do during the End Times. Thanks for reading.

Pastor Albert Kang

Theme for 2021 - The God of the Impossible

The theme for our FaithLine Church in 2021 is "The God of the Impossible".

In this New Year, we are feeling like Moses and the children of Israel, taking every step by faith, as we walk into the opened Red Sea.

Our focus is not upon the "Red Sea" or the "Pharoah's armies" but upon God and God alone.

Yes, the sea has parted but we must walk through the narrow path. 

We must trust that God will hold back the two gigantic walls of water until we reach the other shore. 

We must trust that He would continue to block the Pharoah's chariots and warriors until we cross over. 

We must trust that God knows the right timing to put the sea back in place and drown all our fears and trepidations. 

This new year will definitely be a courageous walk of faith for all of us. 

Let's do not hesitate but move on, by the power of the Holy Spirit and in the mighty name of Jesus.

With The God of the Impossible on our side, we already have the victory.

Albert Kang

Is God Sitting On Our Throne?

Jesus has to be truly the Lord of our lives.

This can only happen until we fully renounce our lives, carry the Cross and relinquish the desire to direct our own paths in this world.

If we refused, then we will never be able to understand what it meant to be a real Christian or a true Disciple of Christ.

A true follower of Jesus is a person who has died to the soulish self, been born again of the Spirit, and who is now walking by faith in a precious relationship with the Lord. 

Only then, we can say that God is sitting on the throne of our hearts and that we are the real subjects of His Kingdom.

Albert Kang

Praying for others in your Handing-over Prayers

When you pray for others in your Handing-over Prayers, you are recognizing in others, the image of 

God. Your prayers will touch the lives of others through the hands of God. He takes what is hidden in their hearts and reveals it for confession and repentance. What once was unreachable, it is now available for divine healing. 

When you become a person of prayer, you will continue to indirectly guide others away from their confusion and towards clarity - from darkness into His wonderful light.

As you learn to "hand-over" all these precious souls in your daily "Hand-over" Prayer to the Lord, you will be working closely with the Holy Spirit to lead these struggling souls from their self-centered pursuits to the enlightening Christ-centredness. 

Because of your prayer, they will sense the love of God that seems to mysteriously surround them. And the peace that is beyond understanding, touching their innermost beings. They will seek for the source and the Holy Spirit will guide them to the source which is Christ and Christ alone. 

Your prayer life is indeed an integral part of the Lord's Prayer that invokes "Thy kingdom comes, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Amen.

Albert Kang

The Most Effective Prayer Approach - Handing-over Prayer

In your prayer and daily devotion, learn to accept all the thoughts and issues that you have subconsciously or consciously been gathering in your mind. 

Yes, you have not read wrong – learn to accept all these thoughts. Whether they be good, negative, lustful or holy, welcome them. However, you are not the reservoir for all these thoughts, but you are a clear channel. 

This means that nothing stays in you and everything flows out through you to the hands of God.

Take time to hand over gently all your comforting or troubling thoughts during this quiet moment with the Father. Whisper to Him every thought that runs through your mind. Do not fight the thoughts or treat them as unwelcomed issues. Just receive and let go.

There is no condemnation, stress, or demand on your part. Just come confidently before your Father in heaven, let go and let God handle all your thoughts and struggles. Despite your difficulties, God has given you the assurance that He is most willing to carry your burdens.

Tell God that “this thought I give to you” or “this thought I surrender to you”. If the thought comes back many times, simply hand it over again and again. Do not resist it – just hand it over to God.

Some of you may never experience this permanent love of God the Father. However, this is a good new adventure for you. Until and unless, you take time to have a solitary moment with the Father, you will never have a chance to know Him more and more.

God has said in Jeremiah 31:3 - “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love.” The reason why this assurance of an everlasting love is because we are created to be everlasting. We all experienced this eternity within our souls because of the sense of this everlasting life cries out from within us.

Moreover, it is God who first loves us (1 John 4:19). We are not an afterthought. We are the apples of His eyes. Therefore, we should learn to lean upon God for this “perfect love” instead of leaning upon the people around us. God is a permanent God and our relationship with God is permanent. We can safely place our lives in the hands of God and we will never need to be afraid.

Albert Kang

Please read the first part of this article, "How To Experience God's Perfect Love"

https://faith2ndhalf.blogspot.com/2020/08/learning-how-to-give-everything-to-god.html

How To Experience God’s Perfect Love

As Christians, many are calling God as their Father, but somehow, they do not experience Him like a real father. God, to them, is like a detached parent and an unfamiliar relative. This lack of intimacy with God has caused many to seek for his “perfect love” elsewhere. Thousands of songs and ballads have been written seeking for this “perfect love”. But sadly, none of these songwriters or singers has ever discovered it or lived it out in their life. The music industry continues to serve as an aimless prophetic voice of the generations, seeking an elusive dream.

The effort to find this “perfect love” in people around ends up in disappointment. This creates a sense of loneliness in the soul and many have discarded this pursuit as an impossible goal. Even those who are married, if you are not careful, you would be seeking for this “perfect love” in your spouse. You may end up putting a lot of burden upon the spouse because this is an unrealistic expectation. Your spouse has no capacity to respond as to how God can respond. If these unworkable demands persist in your family, then you will encounter relational problems, tensions, disagreements and conflicts.

Another reason why this internal struggle continues within you is because your soulish self is seeking soulish solutions for spiritual requirements. This will never do. It is like trying to plug a square peg into a round hole. Many people are already so exhausted searching for the answer.

Nothing can fill that spiritual emptiness within you except a personal encounter with God the Father. Even though you are a Christian, that deep spiritual vacuum will continue to be there because you have never taken this journey to encounter the heart of God. A cognitively generated image of God is usually just a god of your imagination.

That is the reason why some Christians left Christianity because they could not find the fulfilment deep within. No matter what slogans the churches may use, what clichés they may apply or what scripture verses they may share about God loving mankind, the person simply says, “I don’t experience God and I really don’t know God.”

Little did most people realise that this encounter and experience with God can only happen when they take a definite journey inward. This is a journey of carrying your own cross – a journey whereby you deny yourself (Luke 9:23).

You may think that it is very difficult to carry your cross or deny yourself. Now, exactly, what are you trying to deny in yourself and how are you going to deny yourself? To put it simply, it is your soulish self that you need to let go of and go for the spiritual self that God has prepared for you. Once you understand that within yourself there is a soulish self and a spiritual self, then it will become a lot easier for you to make your decisions and choices daily.

The soulish self has to do with your self-will, a constant desire to promote yourself, a sensitive attitude that can be hurt easily, and a spirit of comparison and competition that challenges anyone whom you see as a threat. This is the part of you that is taken from the Adamic nature of self-will and self-rule. This is the part of you where you sit on the throne and that you are king.

The spiritual self has to do with your spirit fully surrendered to Jesus. In this spiritual self, God is the King of your life and you function fully under His rule, power and authority. What do you need to do to surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ? You need to let go of all the external trappings and status that you have depended on all your life. You need to have a clear understanding that your identity does not come from other people or in the things that you do or have. This is your first step of liberation – seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

Albert Kang

Please read the second part of this article in "The Most Effective Prayer Approach - Handing-over Prayer"

https://faith2ndhalf.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-most-effective-prayer-approach.html

 

Learning To Live Without The Soulish Self

Where do I even begin with this article? After having been a Christian since 1974, I begin to realise that most of the time, I have been operating from the "soulish" self. 

What is this "soulish" self that I am talking about? 

Paul the Apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:14 - "But the natural (psuchikos, soulish) man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

This is the carnal self that gets easily provoked into anger or jealously. This is the self-centred self that loves to compare and compete. When meeting a new pastor of another church, subconsciously, the spirit of comparison and competition would take over - "Is his church bigger than mine?" "Is he smarter than I am?" "Is he a better preacher?" etc. The ego and pride, though, subdued, is regretfully there.

You may have encountered this "soulish" self in you. This is the self that is very calculative and always concerned about what is it that I can gain from the situation. 

If there is any wisdom granted by the Lord, this soulish self would have converted it into scheming, manipulating and plotting how to get ahead for himself.

Even though, the teaching of the Bible, from time to time, drags this reluctant soulish self to face the spiritual truth so as to produce something godly, it rushes back to its throne once the job is done. Yes, this soulish self has a throne and it will not surrender this precious seat to anyone - not even to God. 

This soulish self is egoistic and self-centred. It loves to be served, accepted, respected, supported, cherished, honoured and appreciated.  It enjoyed being dressed up and pampered. It is unstable and insecure and so it perpetually guards against all attacks - real or imagined. Thus it is very sensitive and defensive so much so that it can easily be hurt and offended.

The Bible has an answer for this soulish self and it is found in Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Cross-referencing to Luke 9:23 - "Then Jesus said to all of them, 'If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.' 

This is the soulish self that needs to be crucified on the cross in order for me to truly follow Christ. Denying myself does not mean that I lose my personality. It simply means that now I know that I belong to a Master. From now on, I will consciously recognise Jesus as my Master and actively obey His every request. It is a paradigm shift to a different consciousness. 

When this transformation seriously happens, then I would be learning how not to operate from the carnal soulish self but rather function from the "spiritual" self under Christ. This spiritual self is my true self - the one that God wants me to be. It is free because it has nothing to judge and nothing to defend. In Christ alone, it placed its trust. 

This is my new journey - Learning to seriously take up my cross daily and follow Jesus. Kindly pray for me as I take this pilgrimage to the heart of Christ. Thank you.

Albert Kang

Flowing From the Heart of God

All our actions of God's love are not mere human effort to try and create a loving and peaceful society.

These actions are already in the heart of God and what we are doing is to bring them to actuality.

Therefore, what we do, whether we preach the Gospel, visit the sick, conduct healing ministry, or feed the poor, our actions only flow out naturally and effortlessly out of God's love and intention.

And so, let the love of God remain in you so that you will fulfil the highest calling in your life and that is to serve God by serving others with His Spirit.
Albert Kang🕊️

Colonel Sanders and Our Church

What can we learn from the testimony of the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken?

Did you know that Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, was a devout Christian? Apart from being a successful Christian, he was also a very successful businessman. He testified that it was his faith in the Lord that provided him with the motivation to succeed even when he was already 65 years old. He had since gone on to be with the Lord in 1980 but the testimony of his success continues till this day.

Colonel Sanders started out in the food business when he opened a restaurant to complement his automobile service station. He was quite a creative cook and one of his culinary inventions was a Southern fried chicken. He had marinated this with his own special blend of herbs and spices. Being a curious person, he sought after new ways and methods to improve his cooking. Soon he learned about a newly invented cooking pot known as the pressure cooker. It was said that this appliance could reduce his cooking time drastically. At that time, his existing customers were already complaining about the food preparation time being too long. So he decided to try out frying his chicken with this new invention. To his pleasant surprise, his chicken tasted much better when prepared in this way. His restaurant business blossomed and grew even beyond that of his automobile service station.

Just as he was about to enjoy the success of his restaurant business, a crisis hit him. He was forced to close his restaurant and automobile service station because a new interstate highway had redirected most of his customers elsewhere. He was then 65 years old and had nowhere else to go. He could be like many of his aged friends, who had retired and lived off the government retirement benefits. However, that was not the kind of life for the Colonel! He knew that his special recipe would be his next key to success. Colonel Sanders made a bold decision, took his recipe and pressured cooker and traveled around the United States looking for restaurants that were willing to buy his franchise.

In the1950s, this idea sounded as crazy as it sounds today. Imagine an old man with a chicken recipe-franchising scheme, driving around selling franchises that no one ever ask for. This just does not make sense.

Countless restaurant owners rejected Colonel Sanders’ franchising scheme. It was said that not less than 1009 restaurant owners turned him down before he was able to make his first sale. By 1964, Colonel Sanders had signed up more than 600 franchisees and later sold his business for a huge sum of money. The rest of the story is history.

What has the story of Colonel Sanders to do with our church growth? Here are some interesting principles that we can learn from this courageous man:

The Colonel believed in what he had.

Belief is a powerful motivation. Colonel Sanders believed that his chicken recipe was unique and probably the best. He believed that to be a fact even when no one else did. Today, Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants are found worldwide because of that singular conviction.

The church in the Book of Acts was a believing church. It went through dark time of persecutions and attacks but it triumphed because the apostles and the early Christians believed in what they had.

Do we believe that we, The Living Word Fellowship, have a unique and powerful message to share with the world? Of course, we do! We believe that God has raised The Living Word Fellowship for more than being a ministry to our community but also to the rest of the world.

The Colonel acted on his belief

It was said that Colonel Sanders often slept in his car while he was out selling his franchise. He even ate the very chicken that he cooked as samples for the restaurants. He did not just expound a theory but acted upon his belief. He was willing to sacrifice so that he could succeed.

Many years ago, Nehemiah believed that the wall of Jerusalem should be built and set out doing it. In spite of tremendous opposition from the enemies, Israel was willing to sacrifice. The citizens believed and stood with their leadership. They acted together upon that belief. The end result was that the wall was built!

The Living Word Fellowship is acting upon its belief too. We are taking the step of faith and adding another opportunity for greater outreach - the 8:30 AM International Worship Service. It will a time-consuming venture and more sacrifices will be expected. We will also be making many changes so that we will be able to serve the Lord and His people better.

The Colonel refused to respond to his limitation but only to his potential.

Most 65 year-old think that they are too old to launch any new projects. They are intimidated by the magnitude of these new challenges and so they simply give up. As for the Colonel, he refused to respond to his limitation but only to his potential. Age was never a barrier but an asset. He felt that he was more experienced and wiser to fulfill his dream.

In the Bible, Caleb was one of the old Israelite generals who refused to surrender to the limitation of his age. Instead, he believed that the Lord would bless him even at that ripe old age of 80 (Joshua 14:7-14). He was a dreamer who sought only after his potential.

We must learn from these testimonies. We do not need to surrender to our limitation either. The Lord wants to bless our potentials and we should maximize them for the glory of the Lord. Join a ministry today and be active for the kingdom of God.

The Colonel was willing to try new method

One of the primary reasons for Colonel Sanders’ success was his willingness to look for new ways to do things. By taking advantage of new invention, Colonel Sanders produced a winning formula that became the key to growing his business.

Peter, Paul and the other apostles were willing to preach to the Gentiles even though it was a completely new concept. They learned to obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit even though they had to do what they had never done before.

The Living Word Fellowship will be trying out some very new approaches to evangelism and ministries. There will be critiques sitting at the wings, ready to mock when we fail. However, we must never allow the fear of failure or embarrassment to prevent us from using new methods to achieve God’s objectives.

Colonel Sanders would not be defeated

When the highway destroyed his business, the Colonel went on fighting. That’s the kind of fighting spirit we must have. When one door is closed, let’s trust that the Lord is opening another door. When the restaurant business closed, Colonel Sanders came out with the chicken franchising scheme.

Even when he was on the road, the Colonel proved to be a tenacious fellow. He did not give in to difficulties at all. After being rejected 1009 times, he went to sell a franchise to the 1010th prospect. Could you imagine what would happen to KFC if Colonel Sanders had given up after being rejected by prospect no. 1009?

The second temple took the Israelites twenty years to complete. They could have finished building in a few short years but there were much objections and resistance from the enemies. However, the Israelites under the leadership of earnest dedicated men like Zerrubabel, Joshua, Haggai and Zechariah, refused to be defeated. Their tenacity paid off and the second temple was ready for consecration in the spring of B.C. 516, twenty years after their return from captivity.

Tenacity, when applied positively, will get us over the “River Jordan.” We do not pretend that growing this church will be easy. If it were that easy then we would have done it years ago. The journey will be tough! There will be criticisms, objections, and even rejections. Whatever the cost, as long as we are patient and willing to pay the price, we will make it.

We have to continue to invite our friends and loved ones to church and cell meetings. Many of them will turn us down. Do we give up? No! We just need to work wiser and harder. We will not use anything as an excuse to fail because we know that, by the grace of God, we cannot be defeated!

We may face hardship but our church leadership is resolved to lead us to overcome every mountain and obstacle. God is giving us the “Promised Land” and we will be facing “giants”. The going will be tough but we must never, never, never give up!

A Christian Response To Covid-19 Pandemic

Rev Albert Kang speaking online

The Covid-19 virus or now scientifically referred to as SARS-CoV-2 is affecting millions around the globe. At the time of this writing, the news that came from the USA is not good at all – the number of people infected has surpassed that of China. In fact, on 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 to be a pandemic.

Grace and I have to observe the Movement Control Order (MCO) implemented by the Malaysian government. After staying home for 12 days, we are feeling a little like caged animals. There are still two more weeks of MCO to obey. 

Despite how we are feeling, it is better to maintain the physical distance from all our brothers and sisters in the Church until this crisis is over. Physical distance does not mean that we no longer can socialize. 

We are glad to be able to connect through the internet and maintain our social interactions with each other. How should we as believers and disciples of Christ respond to this pandemic?

1. Time to Build Your Faith – The Lord is still in control of this world and its situation. We should never succumb to fear because “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1). In the Gospels, there are numerous records of the disciples being afraid and the response from our Lord Jesus was always for them to fear not. 

Today, amid this difficulty, we, the modern disciples of Christ, have to do the same – we are to “fear not”. Apply the law of displacement by displacing the feeling of anxiety with the powerful Word of God. 

As you read the Bible, the Holy Spirit will help you to comprehend the deeper meaning of the truth of God. When fear shows up, your faith that has been greatly enhanced by God’s Word, will hit it like an avalanche. Not even death will frighten you because the promise of God cannot be denied – when you have eternal life, what can anybody do to you?

2. Time to Pray – Paul the Apostle challenges us in Ephesians 6:18 to pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. 

The power of prayer lies in you confessing your sins to your loved ones who are now living together with you in the same residence. With a clear conscience, you will be able to pray with power and authority for one another and even receive the healing you need. 

The prayer of a righteous person has great power indeed. Begin to pray also for the people affected by this pandemic especially the patients to get well and medical personnel who have been working overtime to take care of the patients.

3. Time to Practice Physical Distancing – As many who have been to our Church, know that how the brothers and sisters in Faithline Church are very loving and really enjoy socializing after church services and cell meetings.  

However, in this time of crisis, you can continue to socialize with each other through the internet. For the last few weeks, we have been using a video-conferencing app to meet online. 

The Movement Control Order (MCO) cannot control our spirits and souls to engage with another person and the best part is that during our online worship, the Holy Spirit is in every home and saturating us with His presence. The Word of God continues to touch lives and many have gone on a soul-searching mission while having more time for themselves and their loved ones.

4. Time to Exercise Good Hygiene – I heard this idiom “Cleanliness is Godliness” even before I knew God. Now is the time to bring this idiom to work for everyone. The advice that is coming across loud and clear is for you to wash your hands regularly with soap and water. The scientists are thrilled by what this simple soap-and-water could do to the virus. It actually kills the virus. You can use alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water are temporally not available. 

It’s a good practice to cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue and if you have to sneeze or cough, flex elbow when you do. Don’t touch your face, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth. If you have to go out, put on a mask, carry a small bottle of disinfectant, and be sure to stay at least one meter or three feet from anyone. Please remember that the infected person may look perfectly healthy and still be able to infect you. Be responsible and stay home and self-isolate from others, especially when you are not feeling well.

Finally, remember that you have been given this privilege to spend more time with God. Your days of busy-ness are being put on hold for a while. Learn to praise and worship God no matter how tough this time might be. 

Learn to be thankful to Him for the provision that He has given you. If you are the one preparing all the meals, thank the Lord for giving you the creativity and strength to churn out all these wonderful meals. 

If you are one eating, then thank God for this blessing and be sure to thank the one who is cooking. In all things, be patient and forgiving. Always be kind to one another. If you are upset, instead of verbalizing with harsh words, go to your prayer closet and talk to God. 

May the Lord bless you and prosper your soul as you spend time with Him.

Rev Albert Kang

Lead Pastor 

FaithLine International Ministries

Finding FAT People

As a young Youth Pastor, some over thirty years ago, I was mentored by my Senior Pastors, with the goal in mind that one day I would mentor others. They had taught me to look for FAT people. This little acrostic F.A.T. stands for (Faithful, Available and Teachable).

This is a great simple guideline because as a leader in Faithline, you will never have time to mentor everybody. Wisdom dictates that you devote your time and effort only to those who are faithful to the Lord, available for the work at hand and have a teachable spirit. These are the people who have the best potential to bear spiritual fruits and produce results for the Kingdom of God. Subsequently, these would become spiritual mentors to others.

As I looked back at the people whom I have mentored, the FAT guideline has been of tremendous help. The teachable spirit is of vital importance because, without that, they would become proud and self-styled in their attitude. Only those who are opened to learn will ultimately be discipled one-on-one or engaged in personal leadership development.

My initial observation has always been how each protégé handles small responsibility. For example, once I instructed a young protégé to buy a lock for a cupboard in our Youth Room. After a full month of waiting, he had yet to fulfil the task. I waited patiently and then instructed him again. This time, he apologised and did it immediately. Later, he became one of my students in Bible College and graduated with distinction. He became a pastor and went on to be the national leader of his denomination.

Even though, in mentoring, I have to fight against the personal desire to mentor only the people whom I like and prefer. However, after years of working with protégés, I have learned to allow the Lord to bring the potential protégés to me and let them prove themselves by demonstrating their faithfulness and commitment. 

I appreciate all the Pastors, ministers and Bible School’s professors who poured themselves into my life back then when I was in Bible College and later as a young minister. It has been a great privilege for me to be able to continue to take what others have so graciously invested in me and pour them out to a new generation of pastors, ministers and lay leaders. I pray that all of you will continue this divine chain reaction of mentoring by finding and investing your life in another generation of Christ’s disciples.

Dear Lord, thank You for the privilege of serving the Kingdom of God. Grant me the grace to give my very best to the people whom You have asked me to mentor. May they all become the persons whom You want them to be. In Your mighty name, Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Rev Albert Kang

Are You Allowed To Pray In Tongues In Public

By Rev Albert Kang

In our Pentecostal culture, when a person, while in the sanctuary, begins to pray loudly in tongues, it normally indicates that his unknown tongue is meant for himself or someone to interpret. Therefore, interpreting tongues is required only when there is a definite prophetic message for the congregation. It’s on a need-to basis. Not every unknown tongue is meant for interpretation.

1 Corinthians 14:2 – “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.”

What cessassionists do not distinguish is the difference in “praying tongues” and “speaking tongues”.

“Praying tongues” is meant to communicate with God and God alone. When a worshipper prays in tongues quietly or in a normal tone of voice while worshipping in a public place, it is understood that his is not in a “speaking tongues” mode but in a “praying tongues” mode. Thus his unknown tongues should not be interpreted. And such “praying tongues” is not disruptive or disorderly at all.

To claim that the Bible absolutely disallowed praying in tongues in a public setting is therefore not accurate or scriptural at all.

The Apostle Paul said, "So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner." (1 Corinthians 14:39-40)

From the above two verses, it is obvious that prophesy and tongues are allowed publicly. Paul admonishes us to “be eager to prophesy” and almost in anticipation of the cessationists, Paul added, “do not forbid speaking in tongues.”

By this context, the location of both activities was in the same vicinity. Prophesying and speaking in tongues were frequently practiced in the Church sanctuary– a public place.

They should never be “artificially” divided to mean that the “praying tongues” should be confined to private homes while the “speaking tongues” are the only one allowed in the Church sanctuary.

To further enhance our understanding, consider this fact - even in a public church's setting, all worshippers are allowed to pray privately, especially for private and personal matters. As long as they are not shouting and screaming for attention, this personal prayer should be allowed.

Paul did say that praying and singing in unknown tongues and praying with understanding are both acceptable in the Church setting (1 Cor 14:14-15).

14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

Now, let’s see another scenario - what happens if a worshipper wants to pray in Cantonese privately in the Church? What if during the prayer time, another wants to pray in Vietnamese to the Lord? Would both believers be asked to leave just because they are using languages other than the language of the local congregation? Would they bring confusion to the other worshippers? Obviously not!

During the time of the Apostles, there were members of the congregation who spoke only Greek. While most spoke Aramaic and Hebrew. There were of course, believers who understood all three languages. As far as we know, these different language groups worshipped together. Even though, earlier in the Book of Acts, there were complaints by the Greek-speaking believers of their widows being discriminated in the distribution of food by the Hebrew-speaking believers (Acts 6:1), the Bible never states that they were worshipping separately.

By all these comparisons and reasonings, isn’t it true to state that Paul was not so much concerned about what languages the believers used in the Church sanctuary - whether the language be in a known or unknown tongue - especially when the individual worshippers are communicating their private and personal prayers to God.

On the other hand, if any worshipper screams and shouts his prayer in whatever language, he would be interrupting. He would be behaving wrong and will be considered as being out of order. The Church leadership will not allow him to continue in this loud and interruptive manner.

So, in conclusion, what was Paul concerned about? During his time, the Church in Corinth was not behaving maturely. After they had received the gift of tongues, they were all excited. There was a lack of self-control. Everybody spoke loudly and was screaming in tongues, in a childish desire and display for attention.

Those of us who had this type of “Pentecostal” encounter in the 1970s can testify to that kind of immaturity displayed among the members of the congregation. It was chaotic because every believer thought that by speaking in tongues loudly, they were holier, had more power and were more accepted by the Lord.

Paul's rebuke was for such kind of immature believers. He practically told them to behave and emphasized that everything should be done in order.

The key to the question whether one should be allowed to publicly pray in tongues is found in what Paul instructed - "So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner." (1 Corinthians 14:39-40). 

Everything should be done in order whether it is praying in known or unknown tongues.

One Solitary Life

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years, He was an itinerant preacher.

He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself...

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.


This essay was adapted from a sermon by Dr James Allan Francis in “The Real Jesus and Other Sermons” © 1926 by the Judson Press of Philadelphia (pp 123-

Another Reformation Needed

Martin Luther and Christian Reformation

In honor the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, I'm offering my own list of needed reforms in the modern charismatic/Pentecostal movement. And since I can't hammer these on the Wittenberg door, I'll post them online. Feel free to nail them everywhere.

1. Let's reform our theology. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is God and He is holy. He is not an "it." He is not a blob, a force or an innate power. We must stop manipulating Him, commanding Him and throwing Him around. (And we should also stop ignoring Him, as if He is an optional "add-on" to our scripted agendas.)

2. Let's return to the Bible. The Word of God is the foundation for the Christian experience. Any exotic experience must be tested by the Word and the Holy Spirit's discernment. Visions, dreams, prophecies and encounters with angels must be in line with Scripture. If we don't measure them against Scripture, we could end up spreading deception.

3. It's time for personal responsibility. We charismatics must stop blaming everything on demons. People are usually the problem.

4. Stop playing charismatic games. Spiritual warfare is a reality, but we are not going to win the world to Jesus just by shouting at demonic principalities. We must pray, preach and persevere to see ultimate victory.

5. Stop the foolishness. People who hit, slap or push others during prayer should be asked to sit down until they learn that gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

6. End all spiritual extortion now. Christian television ministries must cease and desist from all manipulative fundraising tactics. We must stop giving platforms to prosperity preachers who make outlandish claims of supernatural financial returns, especially when Scripture is twisted, deadlines are imposed and the poor are exploited.

7. No more Lone Rangers. Those who claim to be ministers of God—whether they are traveling evangelists, local pastors or heads of ministries—must be accountable to other leaders. Any who refuse to submit their lives to godly discipline should be corrected.

8. Expose the creeps. Preachers who have been hiding criminal records, lying about their past marriages, preying on women or refusing to pay child support should be exposed as charlatans and shunned if they do not repent.

9. Stop faking the anointing. God is God, and He does not need our "help" to manifest Himself. That means we don't sprinkle glitter on ourselves to suggest God's glory is with us, hide fake jewels on the floor to prove we are anointed or pull feathers out of our sleeves to pretend angels are in the room. This is lying to the Holy Spirit.

10. Let's return to purity. We've had enough scandals. The charismatic church must develop a system for the restoration of fallen ministers. Those who fall morally can be restored, but they must be willing to submit to a process of healing rather than rushing immediately back into the pulpit to cause more damage.

11. We need humility. Ministers who demand celebrity treatment, require lavish salaries, insist on titles or exhibit aloofness from others are guilty of spiritual pride. Christians should avoid prideful leaders instead of rewarding them with applause.

12. No more big shots. Apostles are the bondslaves of Christ and should be the most impeccable models of humility. True apostles do not wield top-down, hierarchical authority over the church. They serve the church from the bottom up as true servants.

13. Never promote gifts at the expense of character. Those who operate in prophecy, healing and miracles must also exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit. And while we continue to encourage the gift of tongues, let's make sure we don't treat it like some kind of badge of superiority. The world needs to see our love, not our glossolalia.

14. Hold the prophets accountable. Those who refuse to take responsibility for inaccurate statements should not be given platforms. And "prophets" who live immoral lives don't deserve a public voice.

15. Stop the politics. Our deadly mixing of nationalism and party politics with the gospel has diluted our message and ruined our credibility. We are not Democrats or Republicans first—we are followers of the Lamb. Our allegiance is to Jesus, not Trump or Obama. Christ's kingdom transcends presidents.

16. Quit trying to be so cool. Our desire to be popular has ruined our witness. Today we care more about our giant LED screens, our coffee bars and our stage lighting than whether people have an experience with the Holy Spirit.

17. No more racial division. Let's get rid of the idea of a "black church" or a "white church." There is only one body of Christ, yet we pretend we are integrated if one person of color serves on our greeter team. True Pentecost is multicultural. The Holy Spirit builds bridges, not walls.

18. Let's make the main thing the main thing. The purpose of the Holy Spirit's anointing is to empower us to reach others. We are at a crossroads today: Either we continue entertaining people with our charismatic sideshows or we throw ourselves into evangelism, church planting, missions, discipleship, and compassionate ministry that helps the poor and fights injustice. Churches that embrace this New Reformation will stop trying to please the crowd so they can focus on God's priorities.

J. Lee Grady was editor of Charisma for 11 years before he launched into full-time ministry in 2010. Today he directs The Mordecai Project, a Christian charitable organization that is taking the healing of Jesus to women and girls who suffer abuse and cultural oppression. 

BEWARE OF THE SPIRIT OF ABSALOM

The spirit of Absalom is actually similar to the spirit of Lucifer. Such personality will at first try to marginalize the leader and then subsequently seek to demonize the leader.

It's a usurping spirit that thrives upon hidden motives, hidden agendas, hidden alliances with hidden strategies. It's manipulative and full of deception.

The Absalom spirit works to usurp authority by spreading discontent among the people. Such person will use half-truths or divisive topics to sway the hearts of the people. It will try to reach its devious purpose by destroying the influence of the leader among as many followers as possible.

The Absalom spirit will claim that:

• The leader in authority is not to be trusted.

• The leadership who runs the organization is incompetent.

• “He knows of a better way solve the problems at hand.”

The person, who is infected with such spirit, seems to live with a deep frustration in his life and ministry. He does not submit to authority and finds ways to show that defiance. He does not respect anyone or any protocols.

He is his own authority and is constantly burning with an unquenchable inner dark fire.

He thinks that he deserves more recognition than his personal achievement would merit.

The ultimate end of the real Absalom was sad.

2 Samuel 18:9, 14

His head got caught in the Terebinth tree; so he was left hanging … Joab … took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart.

Indeed, as the Bible has warned for ages that such people will fall - pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18

Albert Kang