The Weakest in the Center

The most honored parts of the body are not the head or the hands, which lead and control. The most important parts are the least presentable parts. That's the mystery of the Church. 

As a people called out of oppression to freedom, we must recognize that it is the weakest among us - the elderly, the small children, the handicapped, the mentally ill, the hungry and sick - who form the real center. Paul says, "It is the parts of the body which we consider least dignified, that we surround with the greatest dignity" (1 Corinthians 12:23).

The Church as the people of God can truly embody the living Christ among us only when the poor remain its most treasured part. Care for the poor, therefore, is much more than Christian charity. It is the essence of being the body of Christ.

Henri Nouwen 

http://www.henrinouwen.org/

One Body with Many Parts

Henri Nouwen is a unique writer. Even though he is a Catholic priest, his writing is well read by believers of all denominations. In this simple short passage, Nouwen addresses a pertinent topic: the Body of Christ is one Body. And each one of us are gathered by the Lord to become different parts of the Body. Nouwen writes:

ONE BODY WITH MANY PARTS

By Henri Nouwen

The Church is one body. Paul writes, "We were baptised into one body in a single Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13). But this one body has many parts. As Paul says, "If they were all the same part, how could it be a body? As it is, the parts are many but the body is one" (1 Corinthians 12:19). 

Not everyone can be everything. Often we expect one member of the body to fulfill a task that belongs to others. But the hand cannot be asked to see nor the eye to hear.

Together we are Christ's body, each of us with a part to play in the whole (see 1 Corinthians 12:27). Let's be grateful for our limited but real part in the body.

I Slap My Dogs And Live To Regret It!

I slapped my dogs and I was shocked. I thought after being a Christian for 38 years and a pastor for the last 26 years, I should have gotten my temper under control. However, how wrong I was.

It was a Friday's night and we were leaving for Cell meeting. Grace opened the gates and Danny the black dog, our newest addition, seized the opportunity and ran out of the front yard. Goodness and Mercy saw the escape and went frantic. They wanted to join their brother in the escapade and became very excited. They refused to obey the command to get inside the house. The two dogs were barking, jumping, running back and forth, and rushing at the gates.

The commotion was horrible. Apart from the dogs going crazy, Grace and I were screaming at them and each other. My voice was the loudest! I was frantically shouting, "No! Stay! Get inside!" All these commands were of no avail.

Goodness and Mercy at the gates

Mercy charged the gates and caused the gates to open a small gap. Her body was almost out of the gates when I managed to grab her. After pushing her back, she charged another time. That was when the tempest clouds of dark rage overwhelmed me and I whacked her right over the top of the head. It must be really painful because my palm literally stung for a while. Mercy retreated and Goodness stayed far away. I was fuming mad and after Grace had carried Danny back into the house, I gave the escapee a whack over his butt.

While in the car, my heart was really upset. I was angry that I had lost control of my temper. I could have killed Mercy with that whack over her head. I kept asking myself, "what happened to me?" How could this temper return so suddenly that I had resorted to violence. I had kept it under the control of the Lord for long long time. I may be angry but I had never lost control of my action. This reaction of anger was an eye opener for me - I still need the Lord to help in getting rid of my nasty temper.

Before I became a Christian, I had no qualm in resorting to violence to appease my anger. With some years of training in Chinese Kung Fu and a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, I had adopted a very mercurial temperament. My philosophy at that time was to prevent anyone from second-guessing what I would do next.

One of my fellow students in my secondary school found that out in a very painful way. He had called me obscene names and I wanted him to stop. This student was laughing and enjoying his little antic so much that he did not see the punch coming. I connected my right fist really hard on his forehead. He fell to the floor and I could see the result of my rage - a red swelling grew fast on his forehead. Of course, our friendship ended immediately and I was not even perturbed by that. My pride and immaturity declared, "Nobody messes with Albert and gets away with it!"

Another incident happened in a training class at the Tae Kwon Do club that I was attending. A student of a lower belt rank was challenging me in a sparring session. He was very good with his long legs. With every kick, he messed up my hairs.Apart from having a terrible hair do, I was losing face in front of other martial arts students. This guy was showing no respect and kept on kicking and kicking. My hair became messier and messier. Then without warning, a sudden rage seized me and I went in for the kill.

I blocked his next kick and with my most vicious Kung Fu punch, I hit him in the celiac plexus, also known as the solar plexus. (This is the area that is just below the rib cage and above the abdomen. It is also where an intricate network of nerves is located. In Tae Kwon Do or any other martial arts, this area is a no-punch zone.)

I gave his celiac plexus my hardest punch and the result was a wriggling figure on the floor. As I stood over him, I said, "Don't mess my hairs!"

I received a verbal lashing from my instructor but the damage had been done. Later, I did give to this poor chap a bottle of my precious Kung Fu rubbing oil but from that time, he stayed far away from me and of course, refused to spar with me.
After accepting Christ as my Savior, this terrible temper did not go away immediately. However, every time, before an impending blind rage was to take over, the Holy Spirit was there to restore me to my senses. Yes, even as a pastor, there were many occasions where I was boiling mad but at least not boiled over to the extent of hurting others with physical violence.

The recent experience with the dogs only tells me to keep surrendering this area of my life to the Lord. After I returned home from the cell meeting, I spent a few moments in apologizing to Mercy. I then hugged all the dogs and cats... thanking the Lord for blessing us with all these lovely pets.

The temper test came again on Sunday. This time, I was the one who opened the gates and two dogs escaped from the front yard. It was a wrong time to lose these dogs because it was Sunday morning. It was time to go to church and we were still not able to lure the dogs back to the house. It was really a bad time to lose my temper because I had to preach that morning. No one can preach well with a foul spirit!

Finally after a lot of whistling and calling, we managed to lure Danny and Goodness back to the house. I was, of course, extremely angry with these misbehaving dogs. Did I spank them... no! I thought of doing that but did not. After all, I had promised God that I would be a 'good boy' and I had to keep my promise.That morning, my conscience was clear and I believe I did preach pretty well.

Should We Ask For Money On Social Networks Like Facebook?

Asking for financial help for the work of the Lord is not wrong in itself. For so many years, ethical ministers have asked for financial aids for their ministries and organizations. Having initiated three orphanages, I am sympathetic to those ministers who need to raise funds. 

I remember when one of my orphanages ran out of funds, I approached my Christian business friends whom I personally knew and asked them for financial donations. These friends responded readily because they knew the ministry that I was involved with. They were confident that the money was used for the orphans.

Today, through the internet, many Christians have been scammed into giving to ministries that are neither authentic or even in existence. These bogus ministries utilize fear, sympathy and guilt-trips to suck the money out of sincere but gullible Christians. 

Many give false promises such as God will bless the giver with rich return if he or she will sow a 'seed faith' to their ministries. Very seldom does one hear these people asking you to sow to your church or bless your pastor with the extra love offerings. 

The good news is that you do not need to sow any so-called 'seed faith' into the coffers of these false ministers in order to receive the blessings that are already in your salvation. You are a good steward and should use your money wisely.

Today, social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and many others on the internet are used for fund-raising purposes. Many unknown preachers and missionaries are posting on our pages requesting for financial gifts. Some are from small churches while others claim to run charitable ministries such as orphanages and feeding programs. Many even include convincing photos and commentaries that can cause compassionate tears to readily fall for their cause.

Many of the postings and mails are carefully disguised as 'Prayer Letters'. These communications usually begin with prayer requests. In a very subtle manner, the writers would make a very innocent request for financial help. 

How should we respond to all these requests from unknown sources? I have only one advice - do not give them anything! That's correct, you read it correctly! Do not give a single cent. The reason is obvious - these ministers are not ethical at all. 

To solicit directly from Christians individually is not an ethical practice... especially when there is no way of verifying whether these requests are from genuine ministries. For example, I received a request from a so-called pastor who asked for money to help his country that was suffering from a recent hurricane and massive floods. I deleted the request immediately. First and foremost, I did not know him or his ministry. Second, neither any of my ministry friends knew this person. ! rather give my donation to my church, the Red Cross or World Vision than to such unverified ministry.

How then can a ministry receive funding?

In many Christian denominations or organizations, their missionaries and ministers are backed up by their churches or supporters. The ministers in the fields have to submit regular reports so as to keep those who support them informed of the progress and development of their ministries. The denomination usually helps out in the time of crisis or emergency. Since the supporting churches and individuals are kept regularly informed, they are also able to help in the time of needs.

How about independent ministers? These ministers may not submit to any organizational leadership but they still need to be accountable to those who support them. First and foremost, they are accountable to the Lord and should depend on Him to open doors of financial blessings. God will cause people who know the ministers and their ministries to help them. In the time of needs, the close friends of these ministers would become their spoke persons to raise supports for them.

Ministers who use social networks on the internet to actively request funds from total strangers and believers are not only unethical but wrong. 

Do not respond to them at all!

It is good if you want to give to mission works or Christian ministries. However only give to those that you can verify as genuine. To be on the safe side, give to those ministries that are recommended or approved by your church leadership or pastor.

For the ministers who go around 'begging' for money on the social networks, it is best that they stop this practice. Let them learn to depend on God. This is not a cliché but the reality that all ministers have to face. If what we do is God's work, then He will surely provide.

In my own ministry, there are many times when the fund is low and ministry requests are heavy. Third-world ministry is not financially supportive and it can be tough to sustain such ministry. If my wife and I were to look only for financially lucrative ministry, we would have gone to only financially endowed churches in rich countries. We are smarter than that - we look towards our very rich God. Till the time of this writing, our God has never failed us yet.

Our intention and purpose as the servants of God must be clear and true. If we are not careful, we will become 'professional beggars'.We will end up begging for money everywhere we go. I personally know of a Cambodian preacher who spends 8 months of every year in USA to raise funds for his 'churches' in Cambodia. He claims that he has 40 churches but his right-hand man tells me that it is a lie. Every time, a foreign donor visits his ministry in Cambodia, his right-hand man has to gather Christians from other churches and even recruit ordinary villagers to put on a show for the visitor.

I know of another pastor from Myanmar who spends the same amount of time raising funds in USA. I visited his church and the facilities were really run-down. However, the pastor's wife, who was showing us around, was decked in gold chains, bangles and ear-rings. The church looked really poor but the pastor's wife did not looked famished or living in poverty. Then I learned from my local contact that the reason why this church was kept in that run-down condition was to invoke sympathy from foreign Christian donors. 

Many Christians, especially those from developed countries, are very sincere but some of them do not possess much wisdom. They can be so gullible that it has become  known that they can be fleeced. One Filipino pastor shared about an incident where a local minister showed a photo of a sport event and managed to convince his foreign donors that it was a picture of the crowd in his evangelistic crusade.

The money that should go to genuine ministries often ends up in the private coffers of these false ministers. Wise up now and let your church leadership guide you. It's nothing wrong to give and support ministries and ministers but it is absolutely wrong to give to ministries that are not verifiable or that are downright fakes.

Does Time Mean Anything?

Does the God of eternity understand the meaning of time? Apparently, He does. He has limited Himself to work within the framework to time because He is working with people who are framed by time. He even came as a Man - born in the manger and died on the Cross. 

Do we then understand the meaning of time?

In my musing today, I ask whether I really understand the meaning of time. Time is only but a term when compared to infinity and eternity. Many around me have heard my regular complaining about how time flies. The reality is that time does not fly but we fly. We fly from being in time to outside of time. We fly from limited time to eternity. 

The moment we were born into the chronological framework of "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth", we enter into time. Like our first parents, we were created with eternity within our souls. 

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Sin separated us from God but Jesus joined us back to God. Thus our life in time is not without a glimpse of hope and eternity.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)

Like a rushing river, time roars by. We are like seeds fallen into this ferocious river. We can respond with fear at the rate which the river of time flows or we can trust that the life that God has given within us will germinate in eternity. 

Life does not pass us by because life is within us. Our present bodies are subjected to entropy, decay and death. To the world, death is the finality of life. However, to the followers of Christ, we see this as a door. There will be the resurrection of our bodies as the Bible says:

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22).

What more can we say about time? It's but an avenue by which, in our limitation, we can serve our God. It's an avenue for us to learn how to rely on God. In the darkness of our sinful existence, we experience the liberating power of His love. In our weakness, we encounter a strength that only He can give. While flowing with time, our desire is only for our God and Savior:

Whom have I in heaven but you?  And earth has nothing I desire besides you. (Psalm 73:25)

In the midst of the rushing river of time, we are calm because Jesus Christ is in our boat. In these few 'ten years' of our life on earth, let's create precious memories of His faithfulness. Our walk with the Lord will continue from earth to heaven. Just as what Paul the Apostle said, we many be aging but we fix our eyes upon the hope of eternity provided by our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.(2 Corinthians 16-18).

Fourteen Days

The Second Half after Half Time is getting very exciting. This year, Grace and I have been invited to so many destinations to conduct the Elijah Challenge Seminar that we have to reject some of invitations.

The most recent trip was a 14-day mission spent in the Philippines. Grace, her father and I landed on beautiful Cebu at near midnight of 9 September 2010. Our dear friend, Pastor Butch Nagua came to the airport with a borrowed mini-van. In his excitement, he forgot to turn off the headlights and so when we all squeezed into the vehicle, it refused to start. The battery was dead and we had to push!

Pushing the mini-van with Bro Ong

We pushed the vehicle in the rain! Yes, the storm came and did so furiously. It was a 'wonderful' beginning. We had planned to be in Cebu and Mindanao for 10 days but God had other plan. He threw in a 4-day forced visit to Manila. Grace had contracted conjunctivitis while we were ministering in Butuan, Mindanao. The Cebu Pacific Airlines allowed all of us to go onboard to fly to Manila. However, Grace was stopped from boarding Malaysian Airlines. Three hours of waiting and haggling got us nowhere. The MAS staffs were incompetent at best. That's another story.

The ministry in Cebu was fruitful. We had outdoor preaching, radio ministry, seminars on healing in three places before we boarded the ship to Butuan City. Not to forget all the people who were healed during the seminars. Another exciting result was that many pastors and preachers were excited to see all the healing and they wanted to learn more.

Nameless and faceless believers healing the sick in the name of Jesus

The ministry in Butuan was at NOGAP - a church located at Buenavista and the acronym stands for 'Nook of God's Awesome Presence'. The few days that we were there also saw many healing miracles.We joined Pastor Lorenzo Oalican on his radio program on Saturday. Then on the final day, I preached at BECMA Joint Worship Service where churches in Buenavista combined together once every quarter to worship God and hear the Word.

A mad dash to the airport in Manila. That was when Grace was grounded. After sending Grace's dad on the way to Kuala Lumpur, Grace and I stayed back in Manila for her eyes to recover. We knew God had something in mind and so we anticipated. Pastor Rick Alay was the angel sent to take care of us. The four days that we were in Manila, Pastor Rick took care of us. He even offered to pay our hotel's bills. We declined his kind offer because we had troubled him enough. He then invited us to minister to the students in the two campuses of his Bible School. The healing miracles were spectacular and we believe that the students will always remember that they can heal the sick by using the authority and power given by the Lord.

Rev Rick Alay made the arrangement for us to meet the Javier

Another highlight was the meeting with my professor, Dr. Eli Javier and his wife, Sis Esther, after more than 25 years. Dr. Javier is now in his 70s and undergoing dialysis. So, we proceeded to command the kidney disease to leave him. He could still remember what a rebel I was when I was younger.

The night before our departure, Pastor Rick arranged for Grace to get a medical certificate giving her permission to fly. Finally, when the day arrived, we were at MAS office in Makati to arrange for our flight back. The incredible incompetence of MAS was once again revealed. The office staff wanted to send us to the airport to get the tickets but the previous evening, we had spoken to one of the MAS people and were told to go to the office. So the communication gap was devastatingly clear. Everybody was trying to push the buck and so the only victim would be the passenger. Grace stood her ground that she wanted the air tickets there at the office. Pastor Rick helped by questioning their competence. Finally, we got our tickets and off to the airport we went.

Finally we are going home

Fourteen days in the Philippines and what an adventure of faith and patience! I am glad I am home sitting in my favorite chair and working on my laptop. Most of my pets are lying around on the floor next to me. One cat is on my lap. This is my home and I love it. Ministry may be fun but nothing is like home.

From Humble Beginning

Chen's background was that of poverty and hard work. During 1960s when Singapore was struggling to survive as a young nation, Chen's parents were among the many who survived as hawkers along North Bridge Road. As the government was taken shape, the police no longer could be bribed, All hawkers had to get a license to hawk their wares. Chen's parents finally managed to acquire a hawking license to sell porridge but their lucrative location had to go. It was deemed to cause obstruction to traffic. Their stall was then moved to a side road and business became slower than normal.

The government school was free but the books, uniforms and stationery were not. All these took a financial toll on Chen's parents, Chen was determined to make it to the top of class and even school. He worked doubly-hard in his school works. In his heart and soul, he knew that he was the only answer out of poverty for his parents and two younger siblings. Being the eldest, the responsibility of the family weighed heavy upon his 16 year-old shoulders. His class results were good and he topped his class every year. His parents did not understand how hard their son had worked until he came back one day to invite them to attend a school function. Chen had graduated first not only in his class but in the school. How proud the parents were when Chen's name was called. As he walked to receive his award and certificate, there were tears in the eyes of his parents.

Every day, after school, Chen was at the stall helping his parents. As a typical filial son, he was concerned about the health of his parents. He wanted them to take a break in the afternoon but they wanted him to go out with his friends. The love between parents and child was most commendable. For a teenager, Chen did not feel that he had missed the activities that some of his classmates and friends were enjoying. Moreover, he did not have the money to go to the movies at South Bridge Road. His joy is listening to English and Chinese music from their little Rediffusion set. When the parents were home, the little cabled radio was turned to Chinese talk programs and narratives. Simple life but rich in many ways.

At 18, Chen had completed his Pre-university education and like all 18 year-old young Singaporean males, he had to serve his National Service. He felt bad that he had become too busy and had to neglect his parents and their porridge business. Then he was offered an opportunity to become a fighter pilot. Without any hesitancy, he signed up. The deal was not just the regular two-year service required of National Service men but a twelve-year contract of a regular servicemen. Chen was attached to a training squadron at Changi Air Base. Initially, during his basic training, his parents, especially his mother, found time to visit him. Later, when he became an officer cadet, he had the time to visit them during the weekends.

The proud day came, when Chen became a Second Lieutenant of the Republic of Singapore Air Force. He progressed rapidly in his career. Most of the Taiwanese flight instructors spoke highly of him. They felt that Chen had the making of a squadron leader. The fact was that he did not only become a squadron leader, he became a base commander. By that time, Chen had gotten married, moved his parents to his new condominium and made them proud grandparents of two adorable children.

When asked what gave him the inspiration to achieve success, he said that it was a friend who shared with him the secret of success. He recalled while he was serving as a trainee pilot at Changi Air Base, an army clerk shared Christ with him. It took him a while to grasp the idea that he was a sinner and needed a Saviour. Initially, he did not feel that he was a sinner but a very good and filial son. He reasoned that he was honest and kind. How could God punish such a good person like him? 

One night, Chen was on night duty. His companion was the Christian clerk. Chen said that he was a good person and therefore, he had no need for any salvation from the so-called sins. The army clerk then asked if Chen would like to take a 'good person' test. Chen jokingly agreed. 

The clerk asked Chen whether the Ten Commandments meant anything to him. Chen said that apart from having watched the movie, 'Ten Commandments" acted by Charlton Heston, he had no idea what these commandments were all about. The Christian clerk explained about the laws of God and if anyone violated them, they will not be able to go to heaven.

Chen wondered why God would be so evil as to punish mankind. The clerk explained meticulously about how God loves mankind and instead of allowing sinful mankind to go to hell, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for fallen mankind. 

Chen was asked whether he had ever lied and he was honest enough to admit that he had lied.Yes, he was a liar.Then the clerk asked whether he had ever stolen. Chen became quiet because when he was a boy, his family was very poor. He was at Yaohan supermarket and he took a candy bar without paying. That had bothered him for a long time. Yes, he was a thief.

Chen also admitted that he had succumbed to lust and read Playboy magazines that belonged to another officer cadet. Yes, he was an adulterer.

What about the sin of murder? Chen was confused. He asked the clerk how could he be a murderer and still served as a cadet officer. The clerk explained that according to the Bible, anyone who hates others has already committed murder.

A heavy load descended upon Chen. He hated one of his maternal uncles who borrowed money from his parents to pay his gambling debts. One day, this uncle came to his house and shouted at his parents for not giving him enough money. Chen was 16 at that time, and he took a stool from the kitchen and attacked that uncle. That uncle never came back ever again. Chen had resolved in his heart that he would kill that uncle if he ever dare to come back again. Yes, Chen admitted to the clerk that he had hatred in his heart.

The clerk then asked, "If you are a liar, thief, adulterer and murderer, then how can you say you are a good person? Do you believe that by what you have done, heaven will be able to accept you?"

Chen hung his head in shame. After about a week of spiritual struggle, he confessed his sins. He told the Lord that he had repented of his sins and to grant him forgiveness.  He invited the Lord Jesus to become his Saviour. It was from then that he was determined to make the best of his life. 

For a moment, he wanted to become a missionary but after talking to his pastor, he realized that he could serve God better as a pilot. In his years as a fighter pilot, he was able to lead many members of his squadron to accept Christ as their Saviour. Even though he was never a full-time missionary, every year, he and his family would go on at least one mission trip. He said that the people whom he served in the mission fields had taught him more than what he had blessed them.

Today, Chen is no longer with the Air Force but flying commercial international flights with the Singapore Airlines. His elderly parents have since retired and enjoying their golden years with Chen and his family. The other two siblings have also grown up and become professionals too. 

The most wonderful of all is that all of them are now believers and attending the same church. Through hard works and persistence, Chen brought his family from poverty to success. But most importantly, Chen had brought salvation to his whole family and they are serving God actively.