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

Christian Hope

Christians are people of hope, and that is the secret of their lives. 

We see believers doing the most menial and wearying work, taking the basin of water, washing and drying disciples’ feet. 

They are strengthened to do so because they see the day approaching. 

They know that there’s soon going to be a complete transformation of themselves and those whom they love. 

That body sown in weakness is going to be raised in might. 

A glory is going to be shown not to them, it’s going to be revealed in them. 

They are going to glorified together with Christ in just a few more years. 

Can you imagine that day? 

An old missionary to Peru named Michael Smith died seven weeks ago. 

He kept hiking into remote villages on narrow jungle trails visiting scattered groups of Christians when he was in his eighties. 

At the end of the summer he was told that he was in a terminal condition. 

An old friend said to him, “Michael, you’ve climbed many mountains in your life and now you have to climb the highest one of all.” 

“Yes, I’ve often thought of it like that,” he replied, “and the best part of climbing a mountain is the view from the top.” 

That is the Christian hope.

Alfred Place Baptist Church