5:45 PM
WHAT GOSSIP IS
Though the word “gossip” does not appear in the Bible, the concept does.
Gossip is called TALEBEARING (Lev. 19:16; Prov. 11:13; 18:8; 20:19; 26:20-22) and BACKBITING (Psa. 15:3), which is talking to others about the intimate details of people’s lives for injurious purposes.
Gossip is called being a “BUSYBODY IN OTHER MEN’S MATTERS” (1 Pet. 4:5). This means putting one’s nose in other people’s affairs which are none of my business.
Gossip is called “SLANDER” (Num. 14:36, 37; 2 Sam. 19:27; Prov. 10:18; Jer. 9:4-6; Rom. 3:8; 1 Tim. 3:11). This means to say false things about people, especially with the objective of hurting them. For something to be slanderous, it must involve deceit and falsehood and an injurious motive. To spread rumors about someone in an attempt to hurt that person is wicked gossip. We must be extremely careful about passing along things that we hear. If there is any question about the truthfulness of something, it is essential to verify it from someone who is in a position to know the matter.
Gossip is called “TATTLING” (1 Tim. 5:13). This means to prattle on about other people’s lives when it is none of one’s business and when one has no godly motive for such talk, to gossip).
God’s people must guard themselves vigilantly against these sins. Gossip is extremely damaging. In fact, gossip can destroy a preacher’s effectiveness and can ruin an entire church.
WHAT GOSSIP IS NOT
It is very important, though, not to confuse gossip with legitimate Christian endeavors.
SPEAKING TRUTH TO PROPER PARTIES FOR A GODLY PURPOSE IS NOT GOSSIP
It is not wrong to share truthful things with those who have a right to such information.
For example, it was not gossip for the household of Chloe to tell Paul about the problems in the church at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:11). As the founder of that church, Paul had a right to know about those problems, and the household of Chloe were not telling him these things to hurt the Lord’s work but to help it. It is not gossip to talk to a pastor or Sunday School teacher or deacon about matters in church members’ lives that they should know about. It is not gossip to talk to a father or mother about matters affecting their children.
It was not gossip for Paul to remind Timothy that the Cretians had a poor national character which he described in such harsh-sounding terms as “liars, evil beasts, slow bellies” (Titus 1:12). What Paul said about the Cretians (quoting one of their own poets) was true, and his motive was not to hurt them but to help them (“that they may be sound in the faith” Titus 1:13) and to further the work of Christ in Crete.
It is not wrong for a Christian to warn another person about a serious problem in a church or organization, so long as the information is true and the motive is not to hurt but to help and to warn. Oftentimes I have warned people about serious problems with certain churches that I have known about. That is not gossip and it is not slander.
It is not gossip to speak the truth in love, regardless of how harsh the truth might sound.
QUESTIONING A PREACHER’S TEACHING IS NOT GOSSIP
It is also not wrong to question a pastor in a humble and godly manner and to test his teaching by the Scriptures. In fact, we have a responsibility before God to do that. That is not gossip and it is not wrong. Of course, we always must guard our hearts that we don’t become bitter and that we don’t develop a bad attitude and then try to hurt the pastor or the church by spreading things around the church membership or community.
We must also use wisdom about such matters. For example, it is not usually wise and proper to question a pastor publicly about some perceived error or problem. It is best handled in private, at least at first.
That being said, the bottom line is that it is not wrong to question a pastor’s teaching. Acts 17:11; 1 Thess. 5:21; and 1 Cor. 14:29 settle that. Pastors have much authority, but they are not popes and they are not to be followed blindly. Their authority is the Word of God, and if they veer from that they have no authority and should be corrected. And yet many godly Christians have been branded as gossips and troublemakers when they have attempted to question something the preacher taught. All too many pastors have wrongly defined “gossip” as saying anything negative about him and his preaching, and they create this false definition in order to manipulate the church members and to make them fearful of questioning anything he does. This is not right and does not create a wholesome New Testament church atmosphere. The pastor must remember that he not to lord it over God’s people. “Neither as being lords over Gods heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3). According to this passage, the pastor needs to be more concerned about providing a godly example to the flock than lording it over them. This does not mean, of course, that the pastor does not have more authority than others in church. He does have authority (Heb. 13:17). What we are referring to here is the abuse of that authority. Even the Apostle Paul, who had greater authority than any pastor today, said, “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand” (2 Cor. 1:24).
WARNING OF SIN AND ERROR IS NOT GOSSIP
Marking false teachers and warning about compromisers is not gossip or slander. Paul warned of false teachers and compromisers by name no less than ten times in 1 and 2 Timothy alone. If a church leader publicly teaches error or commits a serious sin that would disqualify him or otherwise does something that people should be warned about, it is not gossip or slander for men of God to describe the problem publicly. I have often been charged with being a slanderer or a busybody when I have named men such as Billy Graham or Jerry Falwell or James Dobson and have warned about their errors. Actually I have the right and responsibility as a preacher to mark those who depart from the Word of God. I do not have to get their permission to do so, and I do not have to approach them first. If their error is public and persistent, my responsibility is to warn of them publicly, just as Paul did in regard to Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Tim. 1:20), Phygellus and Hermogenes (2 Tim. 1:15), Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Tim. 2:17), Demas (2 Tim. 4:10), and Alexander the coppersmith (2 Tim. 4:14-15). Slander is spreading ill founded, untrue things about others with the intent to injure them. Warning about error in Christian charity for the sake of protecting God’s people from that error is not slander nor is it gossip.
ADMONISHING ONE ANOTHER IS NOT GOSSIP
Romans 15:14 says, “And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” Christians have an obligation to admonish one another to serve the Lord. This involves watching over one another and exhorting one another about things that would hinder our walk with Christ (Heb. 3:13; 10:24, 25). This ministry should not be confused with gossip. In some churches, though, this is exactly what happens. If a mature church member attempts to admonish and correct other church members, he or she can be labeled as a gossip and a troublemaker and a busybody in other men’s affairs. Admonishing others requires maturity and godliness (Rom. 15:14), but it is a legitimate duty of mature church members. It is not something that is to be left strictly to the pastor. Titus 2:3-5 describes how older women in the church are to teach and admonish younger women. I have known of churches, though, in which older women have gotten into trouble for attempting to exercise this ministry in a godly and scriptural manner. They were told that it was strictly up to the pastor to correct and disciple younger women about their personal lives and homes, but that is certainly not what the Bible says. There is a ministry of correction that is to be exercised by church members. I recall a situation in a church in which a young man was admonished by some mature church members to quit his job at a wicked movie theater for the sake of his own spiritual wellbeing and for the sake of other young people in the church who were watching his example. When he refused to follow this counsel and he quit the church in a huff, those who admonished him from the Word of God were branded as the troublemakers. In fact, they were exercising the legitimate biblical ministry of admonition among church members.
These examples illustrate that it is necessary to make a clear biblical distinction between gossip and legitimate Christian endeavors.
What’s Wrong with Gossip?
Everyone likes a good story, right? Well, not necessarily. What about the person the story is about? Does that person like the story? Probably not. Spreading rumors only hurts others and destroys our credibility. Who is going to trust us with anything when they think we’ll tell everyone else?
Gossip is also a way we judge others, which really isn’t our job. God is in charge of judging people, not us. Gossip really only ends up creating greed, hate, envy, murder.
Gossip is also a sign that we are not really active in our faith and in our lives. If you think about it, the busier we are, the less time we have to gossip. We no longer have the time to get wrapped up in someone else’s life. Gossip is bred out of boredom. It may start as a simple conversation about people, and then escalates quickly. The Bible clearly tells us to do more than discuss other people’s lives.
Leviticus 19:16 – “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.” (NIV)
Proverbs 11:13 – “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.” (NIV)
Romans 1:29 – “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips.” (NIV)
1 Timothy 5:13 – “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.” (NIV)
Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (NIV)
Proverbs 18:8 – “The words of gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” (NIV)
So What Do I Do About Gossip?
First, if you catch yourself falling into gossip – stop. If you don’t passon the gossip there is nowhere for it to go. This includes gossip magazines and television. While it may not seem as “sinful” to read those magazines, you are contributing to gossip.
Also, when you are faced with a statement that may or may not be gossip, check out the facts. For instance, if you hear someone has an eating disorder, go to the person. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to the person yourself, and the rumor is something serious, you may want to go to a parent, pastor, or youth leader. Getting someone to help in a serious situation is not gossip as long as the information stays with you and the person you go to for help.
If you want to avoid gossip, focus on creating helpful and encouraging statements. Let the gossip and end with you and remember the Golden Rule – if you don’t want people to gossip about you, then don’t participate in gossip.
Proverbs 26:20 – “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.” (NIV)
Deuteronomy 13:14 – “Then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.” (NIV)
Matthew 7:12 – “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (NIV)
Ephesians 4:29 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (NIV)
Taken From http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/whatisgossip.htm and http://christianteens.about.com/od/whatthebiblesaysabout/f/gossip.htm
Friday, February 23, 2007
7:08 PM
Are You Born Again?
by J. C. Ryle
Are you born again? This is one of life's most important questions. Jesus Christ said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
It is not enough to reply, "I belong to the church; I suppose I'm a Christian." Thousands of nominal Christians show none of the signs of being born again which the Scriptures have given us—many listed in the First Epistle of John.
No Habitual Sinning
First of all, John wrote: "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin" (I John 3:9). "Whosoever is born of God sinneth not" (5:18).
A person who has been born again, or regenerated, does not habitually commit sin. He no longer sins with his heart and will and whole inclination. There was probably a time when he did not think about whether his actions were sinful or not, and he did not always feel grieved after doing evil. There was no quarrel between him and sin; they were friends. But the true Christian hates sin, flees from it, fights against it, considers it his greatest plague, resents the burden of its presence, mourns when he falls under its influence, and longs to be completely delivered from it. Sin no longer pleases him, nor is it even a matter of indifference to him; it has become a horrible thing which he hates. However, he cannot eliminate its presence within him.
If he said that he had no sin, he would be lying (I John 1:8). But he can say that he hates sin and that the great desire of his soul is not to commit sin at all. He cannot prevent bad thoughts from entering his mind, or shortcomings, omissions, and defects from appealing in both his words and his actions. He knows that "in many things we offend all" (James 3:2). But he can truly say, in the sight of God, that these things cause him grief and sorrow and that his whole nature does not consent to them. What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?
Believing in Christ
Second, John wrote: "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (I John 5:1).
A man who is born again, or regenerated, believes that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour who can pardon his soul, that He is the divine person appointed by God the Father for this very purpose, and beside Him there is no Saviour at all. In himself he sees nothing but unworthiness. But he has full confidence in Christ, and trusting in Him, he believes that his sins are all forgiven. He believes that, because he has accepted Christ's finished work and death on the cross, he is considered righteous in God's sight, and he may look forward to death and judgment without alarm.
He may have fears and doubts. He may sometimes tell you that he feels as if he had no faith at all. But ask him if he is willing to trust in anything instead of Christ, and see what he will say. Ask him if he will rest his hope of eternal life on his own goodness, his own works, his prayers, his minister, or his church, and listen to his reply. What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?
Practicing Righteousness
Third, John wrote: "Every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him" (I John 2:29).
The man who is born again, or regenerated, is a holy man. He endeavors to live according to God's will, to do the things that please God and to avoid the things that God hates. He wishes to continually look to Christ as his example as well as his Saviour and to prove himself to be Christ's friend by doing whatever He commands. He knows he is not perfect. He is painfully aware of his indwelling corruption. He finds an evil principle within himself that is constantly warring against grace and trying to draw him away from God. But he does not consent to it, though he cannot prevent its presence.
Though he may sometimes feel so low that he questions whether or not he is a Christian at all, he will be able to say with John Newton, "I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am." What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?
Loving Other Christians
Fourth, John wrote: "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (I John 3:14).
A man who is born again has a special love for all true disciples of Christ. Like his Father in heaven, he loves all men with a great general love, but he has a special love for those who share his faith in Christ. Like his Lord and Saviour, he loves the worst of sinners and could weep over them; but he has a peculiar love for those who are believers. He is never so much at home as when he is in their company.
He feels they are all members of the same family. They are his fellow soldiers, fighting against the same enemy. They are his fellow travelers, journeying along the same road. He understands them, and they understand him. They may be very different from himself in many ways—in rank, in station and in wealth. But that does not matter. They are his Father's sons and daughters and he cannot help loving them. What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?
Overcoming the World
Fifth, John wrote: "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world" (I John 5:4).
A man who is born again does not use the world's opinion as his standard of right and wrong. He does not mind going against the world's ways, ideas and customs. What men think or say no longer concerns him. He overcomes the love of the world. He finds no pleasure in things which seem to bring happiness to most people. To him they seem foolish and unworthy of an immortal being.
He loves God's praise more than man's praise. He fears offending God more than offending man. It is unimportant to him whether he is blamed or praised; his first aim is to please God. What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?
Keeping Oneself Pure
Sixth, John wrote: "He that is begotten of God keepeth himself' (I John 5:18).
A man who is born again is careful of his own soul. He tries not only to avoid sin but also to avoid everything which may lead to it. He is careful about the company he keeps. He knows that evil communications corrupt the heart and that evil is more catching than good, just as disease is more infectious than health. He is careful about the use of his time; his chief desire is to spend it profitable.
He desires to live like a soldier in an enemy country—to wear his armor continually and to be prepared for temptation. He is diligent to be watchful, humble, prayerful man. What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?
The Test
These are the six great marks of a born again Christian.
There is a vast difference in the depth and distinctness of these marks in different people. In some they are faint and hardly noticeable. In others they are bold, plain and unmistakable, so anyone may read them. Some of these marks are more visible than others in each individual. Seldom are all equally evident in any one person.
But still, after every allowance, here we find boldly painted six marks of being born of God.
How should we react to these things? We can logically come to only one conclusion—only those who are born again have these six characteristics, and those who do not have these marks are not born again. This seems to be the conclusion to which the apostle intended us to come. Do you have these characteristics? Are you born again?
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
6:20 PM
To Everything there is a season, and a time
These verses from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 were not new to me. In secondary school, I had joined the school choir, and we had ever sung the song "To everything there is a season" arranged by my conductor. However, this song didn't leave a very strong impression on me.
This arrangement of the biblical verses into song came to me while I was in army camp. I was asking God daily, why after so much consistant and persistant prayer, my prayers were still not answered. I was praying for the salvation of my friends, for my friends to be convicted by God's word and accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. For many years, I had continually witnessed to the people around me, but I think i was showing no fruits. Being discouraged, I was thinking God was ignoring my prayers because i was too sinful or something...
Then one afternoon, as I was doing my quiet time, I stumbled upon these verses from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. As i read through it, a tune was also going through my head... Although some of the Words didn't fit well in the song, but after some alterations here and there, using some words from my ex-conductor's arrangement, I finally managed to piece together my own arrangement of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
It was as though God through a song was giving me an answer to my questions i had been asking him. The question was :"How long O lord, will it take for my friends to accept Christ? Will they ever believe in Jesus? " The answer was "Be Patient - To everything there is a season, and a time, For every purpose under the heaven's, there is a time appointed for all things that happen. In God's own perfect will" ... How better could God have answered than give me a song? I'm thankful to God for his reply because now I have another song to encourage me.
The Lyrics are as follows:
To everything there is a season (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
To everything there is a season,
To everything there is a time,
To every purpose under heaven,
There is a season; There is a time.
A time to live, a time to die;
A time to plant, a time for harvest;
To kill and heal; To wreck and build;
There is a season; There is a time.
A time to cry, a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, a time to dance;
A time to cast away, to bring together;
To be embraced, and to refrain.
A time to find and lose; To keep and give
To tear apart, to mend together;
To keep silent, and to speak;
To love and hate; For war and peace.
To everything there is a season,
To everything there is a time,
To every purpose under heaven,
There is a season; There is a time.
The Actual verses from the bible are:
- To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
- A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
- A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
- A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
- A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
- A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
- A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
- A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
A bit of extra information:
ECCLESIASTES: This, in general, is a pessimistic book -- with statements that history merely repeats itself and nothing is new, and there is no reason to think of what might have been.
Ecclesiastes states that people should enjoy themselves and the fruits of their labors. The pessimism is most pronounced when considering man and animals returning to dust, and not knowing where their spirits go (Ecclesiastes 3:18-21). A few other points:
- "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 5:10).
- "... to accept his lot and be happy in his work -- this is a gift of God..." (Ecclesiastes 5:19-20)
- "Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite (i.e., dreaming). This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." (Ecclesiastes 6:9).
- On predestination: "Whatever exists has already been named, and what man is has been known; no man can contend with One who is stronger than he (i.e., can fight with God)." (Ecclesiastes 6:10)
- "...the day of death better than the day of birth." (Ecclesiastes 7:1)
- "...all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun...man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it." (Ecclesiastes 8:17)
- "Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good." (Ecclesiastes 9:18).
- "Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap (i.e, if you want perfection, you won't do anything.)." (Ecclesiastes 11:4).
- "As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things." (Ecclesiastes 11:5)
- "...the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
Sunday, February 18, 2007
6:01 PM
I Thank You Lord
I Once was lost in sin and shame,
Felt that life was nothing but a game,
Lived each day as though the same,
Like many others blind and lame.
My life was always dull and plain,
There was much of sorrow grief and pain.
There were times when i felt so faint.
Ending my life would've been such a gain.
Chorus:
And I thank you Lord,
For calling my name,
And i think you Lord,
For cleansing my stain.
With your blood set me free,
Made me able to see.
And I thank you Lord,
And I thank you Lord.
With Jesus, Life is not the same,
Many habits did I have to change.
Living life with meaning each day,
Without complain of burden or pain.
With Christ, I am now born again.
My sins have been all washed away,
My past I put aside
And now I live with Christ by my side.
My life I give to you O lord,
I pray you'll lead me with your word.
Give me strength with each new day,
Whether at school, at work, or at play.
I want to do your will O Lord,
Grant me Love, Wisdom and faithfulness.
Use my mouth to praise your name,
Sharing your Word both night and day.
My friend, I pray for you each day,
That someday, God may show you the way,
Open your eyes that you may realise,
How precious you are in God eyes.
Dear friend, perhaps you might not know,
That Jesus really Loves you so,
Maybe when you recieve him too,
Your heart may echo this same tune:
This Song “I Thank You Lord” was written close to the end of year 2005 during my A-level prelim period… It was in a time of anxiety, extreme stress and pressure that made me think of a certain event as a source of comfort.
Then, my own life story came into play… I wrote out a little poem
1st Stanza – My life before knowing God
2nd Stanza – Life knowing Christ personally as my Lord and Savior
3rd Stanza – Giving my Life to God, and my plea to Him to use me.
4th Stanza – Reaching out to the Lost.
While writing it, I was full of thanks to God for all the mercies he has showed to me all these years, and thus the Chorus of the “poem” was formed.
I read it to myself several times… It worked well, making me feel better when upset… Then some tune came into my mind… and I fit the words in. Hmm… The words fitted so nicely and there and then, the song “I Thank You Lord” was completed.
Now with a song in my heart, It’s a source of comfort and joy to me wherever I go. During training in the army, when lonely or bored… I just sing a song of thanks and I feel revived. Thanks be to God for giving me a song in times of trouble.
Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Psalm 40:3
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
The 4th stanza was written because during my 2 years in JC, I was strongly burning in my heart to evangelize. I had shared the gospel with many. Some heard, some responded, some believed, and many turned away. I dedicate this song, especially the 4th stanza to all my unsaved friends and Loved ones, and to my beloved best friend, Mark Tan.
Lets Praise The Lord
Written by Luke :
This song was written in the early part of year 2006. I cannot remember the exact date. This song was written as a way to tell a bit about the gospel, at the same time show praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. It is also about submitting ourselves to God, giving our Lives to him, so as to live a sin-free life, and be a living sacrifice, without blemish, fit for the kingdom of God.
Our Heavenly Father sent his Son to live in human form
He gave His life that man may live with him forevermore
He bled and died upon the cross, bearing the sins of all
And by his wondrous grace we’re saved the first time we were called.
Lets Praise the Lord and Thank the Lord
And lift his holy name.
Lets worship him, bring gifts to Him
Obey his every Word, and let us
Bow before the throne of God,
And give our lives to him
That we may live a life that free from sin.
Please note:
Above I mentioned “And by his wondrous grace we’re saved the first time we were called.”
It could be sung in another way, "And by his wondrous grace we're saved the first time we believed" but it doesn't sound that nice, so i used the above. Of course I had to put in an explaination so as not to make the song sound doctrinally wrong.
I know that Matthew 22:14 says this:
Matthew 22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen.
However, I am referring to those predestined and called; Those that were predestined cannot fall from grace.
Romans 8:28-30
For those whom he fore knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified."
No Greater Love
Written by Luke:
No other man, loved us more than Him,
who gave His life on Calvary’s tree
Lord Jesus Christ, marvellous is He;
He died to take away my sin.
Upon the cross as He bled for me, He promised us salvation free
And through His Word I know He will be coming back for me.
No greater love, I’ll ever see
Than what my Saviour has done for me
No greater gift, I would receive
Than Jesus Christ who loves me
What wondrous grace he showed to me
The First song I had ever written. Written somewhere around the middle or start of the year 2005: it was when I started to love reading the gospel books of the bible. Being my first composition, I felt it wasn’t a very well written song, so I left it hidden in my cupboard for quite a long while. It was not until I wrote my 2nd song “I Thank you Lord” that I “dug” this up and refined it again.
This Song Talks about God’s great love for us that cannot be compared with the love of the world or even parental Love. After giving his life, rising from the dead, he left us a promise before ascending to heaven that he would return and bring us to the mansions prepared for us in heaven. What other greater gift can you receive other than Jesus?
9:16 AM
Being a Christian in a Non-Christian World
Its been terribly long since I've last posted anything in my blog. Now, i'm going to just pour out my feelings in this post to express how I had been feeling these past few months.
As many should know, I'm currently serving national service and will only complete my term this december 2007. Having being in the army for over a year, its been a really trying environment for me. 5 days a week in camp, and 2 days free from camp. 5 days in an environment without Christians (in which i mean - spritual Christians) ... People around me behave differently. Basically, almost everyone around me is a non-christian. A mixture of muslims, buddhists, free-thinkers, taoists, hindus here and there. Everyday in camp, I'm exposed to people of different backgrounds. Some rich, others poor, some from broken families, one parent families, parents who are away from home... People of different education levels, from PSLE, to O,N,A-level, ITE etc... Its a wide range of people whom i never knew existed in society.
I was from the obese batch of recruits in Tekong... then my platoon being 50 strong. Being in Tekong was a fun and relaxing experience for me. It was like a chalet, a holiday resort... No stress, no pressure. Just enjoyment with the company of my friends. Having just entered army, I had to try and adjust to having to do physical exercise almost everyday (which i adjusted very quickly)... Then I had to adjust to the lifestyle in the army, the regimentation, the kind of language, commands and stuff like that. Well, being a christian in a new environment, where so many non-christians were was extremely tough. I had heard before entering the army, that people in the army were very crude in their speech. The frequent use of vulgarity was ever so common in everyday life. I didn't really believe it till the day I enlisted. Thanks to God, I had made a promise to God, that I would keep my tongue from speaking vulgarities during my army term. And since then, I've managed to keep to my promise. I had also set in my heart the desire to witness to people, and be a good testimony for Christ. However this was really a very difficult thing to achieve.
In tekong, well, I had many chances to witness. Often i would have people sitting on my bed, asking me to tell them bible stories, tell them about dinosaurs, fossils, the creation of the earth and stuff like that. I was always very happy to tell them what I knew... However, all these interest only lasted for a few days to weeks, and soon after, everyone was like back to normal, no longer interested in Christianity. I shared the Gospel to many. Taking any chance available to share the gospel with an unbeliever. But, I guess, I had never been able to convince anyone that they needed God. Everyone was just so content with their lives. Content with what they had, content with the way they lived their lives. The smoking, the drinking, the clubbing, the sexual lifestyle they had outside... Everyone seemed too "busy" enjoying the desires of the flesh than to be interested in "religion".
I always knew that I was never in control of any "converstion' but God alone was the determining factor. If God did not will a person to be saved, no matter how much talking or actions i did, I could in no way convince him. This cold hard truth took very long to sink into my head. In fact, even up to now, I find it really difficult to accept this fact that I cannot play any role in the salvation of my friends except by praying. Praying had become such a common thing when I entered the army. Whenever I felt stressed, unhappy, or even discouraged, I would whisper a silent prayer to God, asking for guidance, for comfort and encouragement.
I believe that my experience in army has strengthened my faith very significantly, and has help me grow more spiritually mature. I Thank God for showing me so many "signs" of him working in my daily life, in answering prayers, and planning things to happen in such a perfect manner, that all pieces together to form a beautiful outcome. Even through my evangelism, and the devils evil devices, have I been able to strengthen my faith. Taking for example, I also see the devil working very hard to try and stop any form of evangelism from taking place. Example, everytime I were to start talking about the topic of God, or christianity to someone, Something will miraculously crop up,. The person's Handphone would ring or he would be called to do something for a sergeant or something like that. Or he'll just get distracted and do something else rather than listen. I feel that the harder I prayed, and the harder I tried to be a good christian and follow Christ's example, the more hardship, the more obstacles i meet along the way. As though the devil had set many obstacles to make me fall, to make me give up.
The days in Tekong quickly passed by... I had shared the gospel with several people, however, there were no visible fruits. Then i went to Guards. On the first day there, I cried. I was so shocked that I would end up in such a place. And I was worried if I could cope. I was placed in a Good company, with a Good OC, good PC, good PS, good sergeants (well, most of them). But these people changed along the way. The OC, PC and sergeants left and new ones came in and took their place. Anyway, initially, when i first got to know the people in my company, I was totally shocked. These people here were of an even lower education level than the friends I had in Tekong. There were so many A level and Diploma holders in Tekong, but when I came to guards, there were so few. I saw the way the people there spoke, I observed their conversations, their body language and everything about them. They were just so different. I had never ever known that in society there such people. (not meaning they are bad people). Being in good, reputatable schools all my life, and being in a christian family, I had never heard so much vulgarity, seen so many gangsters, seen so much tattoos, felt so left out. It took me some time before I could adjust to the people there. After AIT when I became a converted guardsman, I was given a choice to stay in my company or to move to a support unit, where life would probably be much easier for an obese soldier. I was thinking hard, between being in a place where almost everyone would be of the same educational level, where everyone would easily understand me, as compared to a place where the people are no as educated, and are more simplistic in nature, where I would have no common topic to talk about... I was praying about it, and somehow the answer that came to me was to stay with company. To reach out to these simple people, these not-so-well-off people. To be a help, an encouragement, a motivation to these people.
Close to the end of the year 2006, I finally joined back my church's youth fellowship. After over 2 years of absence, due to prejudice against certain people, and the dislike of seeing certain things. I finally came back to the youth fellowship. I remember that the 1st time i joined back was at a cottage meeting at cheryl's house. And on that day, I saw how much the youths had grown spritually, and how much more zealous they were for God. That was what made me feel so much like coming back. I regret leaving the YF for so long, because I missed the chance to encourage and strengthen the faith of certain people during my absence. I feel I failed to be there to be sort of an influence to the younger ones, and to set myself as an example for others to follow, but instead, like a coward, stayed away from YF for 2 whole years, hardly talking to any of the youths during that period of time. There was probably some element of Self-righteousness and unforgiveness in me at that time, which was preventing me from enjoying good christian fellowship for 2 years in my life.
Back to army life... After over 10 months of been with those people in guards, I have not regretted my decision to stay. Training was tough I must admit, but it was the lives of these people that kept me going. It was the love for these people that kept me pushing on in everyday's duties. I talked to many people in company, finding out more about their lives, their family, their ambitions, their dreams and aspirations. And I found out that i was more fortunate then them in many ways. I started to be very sympathetic towards the people in my company. I felt very sad for many of the people who were struggling financially, or who were having family problems. I wanted to help, but didn't know how. I didn't start any evangelism in Guards till late november in 2006. This was due to the immense heartache and sorrow I'd experienced from past evangelism. However, as I grew to love my friends more, i just felt the need to reach out to their souls too. To feed their spritual needs rather than just the physical aspect... Hence, around november, I just kept sharing the gospel with my platoon/ company mates ... However, once again, I was faced with a lot of opposition from the devil, and from the hardened hearts of men. This time, these emotions that overwhelmed me were even greater, and I started crying again whenever I prayed for my friends.
I dislike the feeling of getting over emotional and start crying while praying. It makes me feel weak, feel so unmanly, yet, whenever I think of my unsaved loved ones, I cannot help but feel a sense of uselessness. I feel useless that I cannot do anything to help, so I spend long periods of time pleading with God, that He might open the eyes and hearts of my friends.
Up till now, I'm still struggling within myself, finding it hard to accept that people do not seek God, and will just keep rejecting the truth. I feel a heart piercing feeling when i see people behaving in a Godless manner, and speaking of things that are just so ungodly. I foolishly pray to God to ask him to forgive my friends for not knowing that what they do offends God. I know i cannot pray on their behalf, for forgiveness only comes when the individual confesses it to Christ himself. But, in desperation, I just stupidly pray such prayers.
I see the sinfulness of the world. The Sins of mankind, the sinful nature and thoughts of man. I see the utter ignorance of man, how lost man is without God, How man reject what is right, and do wrong on purpose. I see how people do things to hurt themselves. I see how people do things without considering the consequences. I see stubborness, Selfishness, jealousy, Hatred, Malice, Evil. Pride, Slothfulness, and all other negative characters of man...
Man is on a direct path to hell without God. Man will just die and destroy themself if they do not know God. Man will do things to hurt themselves because they don't know how to stay safe... WHY? because they want to do the things that they like and are unwilling to Conform to christ-likeness, but enjoy the pleasures of the world.
No one would give up riches, immoral sexual behavior, smoking, drinking, clubbing and other joys of the world for God. Who will? Hardly anyone believes in God anymore. Or maybe, just no one believes in Jesus anymore. No one cares where they are going after death. Heaven or hell does not matter, as long as they have fun on earth and enjoy life to the max.
This is what hurts me. I wish the bible was wrong in saying that many will perish. I wish the bible was wrong in saying that many are called, and few are chosen, because this means that I will not see many / majority of my friends in heaven. And i can do nothing about it except pray for the person. I cannot make a person believe, neither can i make him feel convicted of his sins...
Where is the Joy of being saved and seeing your friends perish? ultimately, when I die, will I be able to leave this world with a smile knowing my best friends will meet me someday? Or will I still be worrying and praying with tears for God to convert them?
Who says a Christian's life is full of happiness and joy and peace? Who said a christian's life does not have any unhappiness, any sorrow, or worry, or burden? Why do people evangelise in this manner , telling all the positive points about believing In christ, yet not tell them the hardship we will face.
I can say that I was indeed "happier" as a non-christian. There were so many pleasures, So much fun things to do, there was no restrictions, no boundaries. I could do anything i wish. I could lie, steal, cheat, talk filthy language, tell dirty jokes, and behave in a unruly manner. I could just have my sundays free and not go to church. I could go clubbing, drinking , smoking and engage in sex any time i like... But these happiness cannot be compared to the happiness i get after being a christian. After I became a christian, I stopped living a worldly life. I became a new person, with new priorities, objectives, and aims in life. I stopped speaking vulgarites, and changed many bad habits. I started to feel compelled to listen to God's word and avoid things that were not right in God's sight. It was difficult at first to control all the urges to be like the world. But after some time, It becomes so easy to do what is right when the situation requires it. The type of joys we get, do not come from sex, beer, bad company, or playing, but come from getting a chance to share the gospel, having a chance to answer questions of friends who ask about christianity, and the greatest joy being watching and hearing a friend come to christ. These type of happiness cannot be measured in any manner. It can hardly be described either. So great is this happiness that all the happiness in a year of a non-christian cannot measure up to one instant when I hear of the conversion of an unbeliever. But obviously, I haven't mentioned the hardship, the sorrow and the pain.
As a christian, we are constantly being attacked by the devil. Who wants us to turn away from God, curse him and carry on with our worldly lifestyle. We are being poked fun off by non-believers, saying we don't know how to enjoy life, saying we're stupid, rigid, strict, hypocrites, saying what we believe in is rubbish. The things we do are considered foolish in the sight of man. We try our best to tell the truth all the time. We try not to lie. We help people unselfishly. We sacrifice our time, and ourselves totally for the service of others. We give our lives for other's convenience. We don't go to places where the world finds its enjoyment (pubs, brothels). We are labelled as not open minded, we are often criticised and laughed at. We constantly find ourselves worrying for the salvation of others. We shed tears for our loved ones, we spend many hours praying for them, and crying over their sinful behaviors. The pain and sorrow that I've experienced over these hours of praying is so bad that if I could just end my life as a sacrifice to save my friends, I would willingly die, for Death would be so much less painful than having to live a life full of heartache, day after day seeing your friend dead in his sins. We're told not to worry. But HOW CAN WE DO SO??? Loving others is so difficult.
To Love, it hurts. try loving your enemy. Someone you dislike, but yet you try to be as nice to the person as you can. You will get irritated at yourself, to why do you treat the person well although you don't like him. Love hurts when you are nice to a person and he doesn't appreciate it and attacks you for it. Love hurts when you constantly see your friends hurt themselves. Love hurts when you think of your loved one who is still unsaved. Love hurts when you see your loved one committing a sin. Love hurts when you try to share the gospel with a person and he directly rejects. Christianity is based on Love and it is so painful to love. and also so hard to love. How can there be non-stop joy, happiness and peace?
Believing is not easy. How can one believe without seeing? Its just by faith alone. but much as we often say we believe, do we harbour doubts in our mind? Do we believe a bit, and don't believe a bit?
What is it like being a christian in a non-christian world? It is like putting a big juicy worm in the midst of hungry crows... If the Worm does not hide in the ground, it will be picked off and get eaten. even if it hides in the ground, but does not have good grip or depth, the crow will still be able to pick it out of the ground. Here in my illustration, the big Juicy worm is a person. The open air above the ground is the world. The Crow is the devil, the ground is the Word of God.
The longer the worm stays in the open air, the greater the chance for the crow to eat it. Similarly, The longer a person chooses to dwell in the world and enjoy the pleasures of the world, the easier it is for the devil to get hold of him.
If the worm is partially in the ground, the crow cannot get the worm that easily, but it still can get the worm. Similarily, If a person has God's word as his foundation, He will not be so much of the world, he'll have self control over sinning on purpose and will thus not fall prey to the devil so easily. But as long as he lets go of God's word, and relaxes, The devil will be able pick him up and consume him.
If the worm is deeply hidden in the ground, the crow will have to dig very far to try and get the worm. similarly, If a person is firmly grounded in the word of God, the devil will find lots of difficulty to try and get him to fall... The deeper you are grounded in God's word, the safer you are. But not to forget, the crow can dig in the ground, so the worm must continually dig deeper and deeper to prevent the crow from getting to him. So we should all continually reinforce ourselves with scripture and grow in the knowledge of scripture, so we will stay safe from the devil.
The Moral of this illustration is that we should be conformed to the word/will of God and not be conformed to the world. We should aspire to be more Christ-like and avoid worldly influence. But definitely, this is not a very easy thing to do. Remember. The people hated christ, and will likewise hate we who try to be like christ. We must be ready to face opposition, ready to be prosecuted for our beliefs. We will be lonesome, have a lack of (worldly)friends, and many a time have lots of worries and thoughts bothering us, but we must not give up. Then only at the end can we say we have run the race and fought a good fight, perservering to the end. If in any part of our life we were to forsake Christ for the world, we will fall prey to the devil.
Well... I have said a lot tonight. Its 3.30am. Pouring out all my thoughts but not really in order. To those who read this, i'm sorry if some parts seen rather confusing.
Anyway.. ok, back to army. Now, I'm starting again to feel very alone. I feed the urge for christian fellowship, but as you all know, I have none. So my only source of relief would be the weekends when i meet for Youth fellowship on saturdays and sunday when I get to hear a message and go for sunday school. Life is a chore. Having to endure 5 days without Godly fellowship. To survive, I spent lots of time doing quiet time, lots of time praying and trying my best to share the gospel. But, this is as usual a very painful task.
I'm now in the midst of recovery, as I had just had another very painful experience from evangelism... in the meantime, i've been trying to encourage my friends to stop smoking. Cause it hurts me seeing them cause harm to their own bodies. O, please pray for me that i'll not be so emotional, cause sometimes I'd cry over such stuff and feel very upset for long hours. How I wish God will quickly answer my prayers cause I have so many unanswered prayers and so many unsaved loved ones. Praying for each one individually usually takes me around 2 hours in which I have even fallen asleep once or twice while attempting to do so... Now i'm concentrating on the friends that I love most. How I wish that with persistant prayer, God would soften the hearts of my friends to accept the Gospel. Well... Giving up a sinful, worldly lifestyle to live a life that is christlike is going to be another great difficulty, but with God, all things are possible. May God help us all!
Well... to those christians out there that so happen to read this, Please pray for my friends in camp, that one day they will get to know the same God that we know, and that they will be able to develop a personal relationship with Him too, and enjoy grace, mercy and the free gift of salvation from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Please help me specifically to pray for,
Ching yueh,
Bao Wen,
John,
Yatim,
Tuan...
That God will grant them the willpower to quit smoking.
And help me pray for the salvation of these following people whom i've witnessed to:
Ching Yueh,
Yong Sheng,
Jun Guang,
Bao Wen,
Donovan,
Qin Xiong,
Zhi Qiang,
John,
Quee,
Yong Quan,
Ethan,
Lucas,
Thiam Yeow,
Gary,
Gavin,
HanQuan,
Anusha,
and many others i had left out.
And to everyone else who know me... It is my deepest wish you will recieve christ and believe in him wholeheartedly so that I will meet you in heaven someday. Should anything happen to me, at least I can go with the ease of mind knowing you're safe in the hands of the Lord.
May The Lord bless You all richly!
Till he Comes.
With Love and all my heart,
Your Brother in christ,
Luke
