It is very easy for us to feel so alone… especially in the midst of hardships, trials, and even persecutions.  We must remember that we are NEVER ALONE… because Jesus has promised to be with us… even to the end of the earth.

This photograph was taken in Seoul Korea.  The lady in the photograph is one of my daughters…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Even though a picture may be worth a 1000 words, a few additional words could often accentuate the image.  The image in return could enhance the words…

Feel free to share these words and image if it has blessed you, and/or if you think it will bless others.

LGBTIQ???

Examining the Issues 3

We have thus far considered some preliminary and basic issues related to LGBTIQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Trans-sexual, Inter-sex and Queer).  It is time to go into even more turbulent waters…

Most babies should be born clearly and specifically either a boy or a girl.  The respective genital organs should confirm this.  Yet, as babies grow up; they all go through some kind of sexual orientation.  This means that a baby boy most likely does not fully appreciates and understands that he is a boy.  Neither is it likely that a young toddler girl knows and understands her femininity.  As such under normal circumstances, the parents, other family members and/or care-givers of a young child would provide the necessary guidance in this period of sexual orientation.  Here is where Circumstantial Conditioning and Traumatic Experience (as per my previous blog) could come into play.

TYPES OF HOMOSEXUALITY

With the contexts above, some psychologists further propose that there may be different types of homosexuality; namely:

=      Experimental Homosexuality

=      Situational Homosexuality

=      Reactive Homosexuality

=      Preferential Homosexuality

=      Compulsive (or Obligatory) Homosexuality

Experimental Homosexuality may be a passing phase in the process of sexual orientation of a person (as mentioned above), particularly at the adolescent age.  In most cases, the person would eventually settle down as exclusively hetero-sexual.

Situational Homosexuality may happen in situations where hetero-sexual options are not available, such as in the prisons.  Sexual release would be the prime motivation here.

Reactive Homosexuality is where a person who is actually heterosexual under normal circumstance, “chooses” a homosexual relationship because of fears, threats and/or traumas.

Preferential Homosexuality takes place when a person who is capable of hetero sex actually prefers to be homosexual.

Compulsive Homosexuality is where a person has no heterosexual interest, but is compulsively attracted to people of the same sex.

HOMOSEXUAL TENDENCY

Having a brief understanding of the above, and even as we move on to further explore this matter; it is will be good to proceed by differentiating homosexual tendency from the actual homosexual act.

Different people with different sexual orientation, and under different circumstances, may experience different degree or intensity of homosexual tendency.  Experiencing homosexual tendency is NOT the same as having sexual intercourse with someone of the same sex.

I think it is could be helpful to view the proposition above from the angle of temptation…

I may be attracted to a woman other than my wife.  I may have a tendency to start an extra-marital affair with that person.  I may be tempted to commit adultery with her.  But I am NOT an adulterer, unless I yield to that tendency and temptation; and actually sleep with the woman.

With the same rationale, we must be careful not to simply and conclusively label a person with homosexual tendency as a homosexual person.  Rather, it is needful for us to understand with great compassion; that homosexual tendency in many sense is similar to other sexual temptations such as adultery, prostitution, or even rape and pornography.  When we are quick to call this person a gay or that person a lesbian just because he/she has no interest in people of the same sex, we may be just pushing that person towards the tipping point.

With a similar understanding, people (especially Christians) with strong homosexual tendency should learn to resist the temptation towards homosexuality, just like “straight people” would resist the sexual temptations of pornography, prostitution and adultery.  By saying this, it is not my intention to oversimplify the matter.  Just like the challenges for a smoker to resist smoking are different from a junky to resist doing drug; I am sure the severity of the sexual temptations faced is different.  Indeed the intensity is not the same… but I think the provision for victory is.  By yielding to the Lordship of Jesus Christ… by the renewing of our hearts and minds with His Word… by resisting the devil and fleeing from temptations… and through counseling and support groups; there is hope, and there can be victory.

Again, I do not want to be simplistic.  I am not saying that the homosexual thoughts will go away magically… I am not promising that heterosexual attraction will come miraculously…  (The Lord is sovereign and He is almighty, so He may just choose to do so.)

What I am saying here is that by God’s grace and strength, a person with homosexual tendency does not necessarily have to fall into and/or yield to the temptation of committing homosexual acts and living a homosexual life.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

This is the third of a series of postings that Jason Fong hopes to write on various issues related to the LGBTIQ matter.  Jason is aware that this article has many questions unanswered…

Nonetheless, if this article has blessed you, or if you think this article will bless someone; please feel free to forward it or used it in any way that would bring glory to God.  If appropriate, please acknowledge the source when quoting this material.  Jason Fong also welcomes your thoughts and comments for mutually edifying interactions.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this article may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.

WILL SPRING

COME TO MALAYSIA?!

My heart cries out even as I read what some people are currently saying in a political assembly in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia…

In the dark, cold and dreary winter,

Some people are saying all sorts of thing;

Trying so hard to outdo each other,

Many speak before they even think L

Cruel lies and baseless accusations,

About a long gone riot and the recent Bersih;

Those aware voice their indignations,

While others sleep on… not a word they say L

S.E.L.A.H…

Arise… awake… keep watch and pray,

And be prepared to go to the ballot box;

That winter will not go on and on and stay;

But spring will come… May it be O Lord J

Let’s hope and work hard for the best,

In our beloved tanahair ku Malaysia;

And be ready should we go through the test,

Even so we eagerly wait for the Parousia J

IMPORTANT NOTES:

If this poem has blessed you, or if you think this poem will bless someone; please feel free to forward it or used it in any way that would bring glory to God.  If appropriate, please acknowledge the source when quoting this material.  Jason Fong also welcomes your thoughts and comments for mutually edifying interactions.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this article may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.

“Nothing we do can make Him love us less…” are the lyrics of a popular song.  In a recent Home Bible Study, these sentimental words came up again in video we watched.  Upon further reflections, I think a caveat would be both needful and helpful…

I took this photograph at an SU Youth Camp a few years ago.  I think this image has nicely captured the intensity of seeking God…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Even though a picture may be worth a 1000 words, a few additional words could often accentuate the image... and, the image in return could enhance the words…

Feel free to share these words and image if it has blessed you, and/or if you think it will bless others.

LGBTIQ??

Examining the Issues 2

There are claims that the LGBTIQ community form as much as 10% of our society.  (If you still do not know what LGBTIQ is, please read my previous blog.)  I quite certain that we probably do not have any comprehensive surveys on this, but I would think the numbers would be more or less there, if not more.  Hmmm… so there may be as many LGBTIQ people as there are “lefties” or left-handed people in this world.

Homosexuality (gay and lesbian issues) in itself is already not a simple matter.  What more when bi-sexuality, trans-sexuality and inter-sexuality are added into this equation.  To make matters even more complex and controversial; religious views, human rights and government policies have now been multiplied into the equation!

I know I am treading on dangerous grounds here with many landmines.  So before I proceed, I need to qualify that as a Christian, the views expressed here will be based on my Christian beliefs and my study of the Bible; as well as my current understanding gained from my limited readings and reflections on this matter.

BIBLICAL CONTEXT OF SEXUALITY

When we examine both the Old Testament and the New, how God views the range of sexual issues here is quite clear.  Even though there may not be specific Scriptures dealing with some of the specific sexual issues here; when we take the Bible in totality, the general Biblical perspectives have been quite sufficiently laid out.

Genesis 1:27 NIV

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Leviticus 20:13 NIV

If a man sleeps with another man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable…

Romans 1:26-27 NIV

…Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.  In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another…

Deuteronomy 22:5 NIV

A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord detests anyone who does this.

In essence, the Biblical perspective is that sexuality must be understood in the context of spirituality.  If God is taken out of human sexuality, men and women would become mere animals with fleshly and carnal desires.  But Yahweh is the Creator of humanity and the Designer of sexuality for humankind, and hence sexuality must be understood in this context.

ROOT CAUSE(S)

In the midst of the Sexualiti Merdeka controversy recently, a comment that ran something like this appeared on my FB: “We should be thankful that we are born a heterosexual…”  If we examine this statement carefully, the key proposition here is that the sexual orientation of a person is something we are born with.  Upon further examination, and if we dare to be bluntly honest as Christians; the proposition is that we are like this or like that because God created us as such.  And hence, God is responsible for our sexual orientation.

So, did God actually made some people queer, and others straight?  If not, why do we have LGBTIQ people?  What are the causes of such “sexual disorientation”?  (I am mindful that some people may not agree with the term “sexual disorientation”, or may feel that this is a prejudiced term.  Some people may even say that is it not a disorientation, but just a different orientation.)

Firstly, Circumstantial Conditioning could be a possible reason for “sexual disorientation”.  This means that the circumstances in which a person lived may condition a person’s sexual orientation.  A possible scenario may look something like this:  A set of parents long for son, but kept on giving birth to daughters.  And so, the parents began to treat one of the girls like a boy… attire… hair style… mannerism… and all…  This eventually affects the sexual orientation of the girl.

Another possible cause for “sexual disorientation” is Traumatic Experiences.  This means that the traumas a person has experienced may affect his/her sexual orientation.  A possible scenario may look like this:  A young girl went through a series of sexual abuses inflicted by male people (father, uncles, brothers, neighbors…) around her.  These caused her not to be able to relate properly with people of the opposite sex…  She may develop hatred towards males…  And she may gradually prefer a lesbian lifestyle…

The next possible cause for “sexual disorientation” would be Spiritual and/or Demonic.  By this I mean that spiritual and/or demonic interference or influence in a person life could result in sexual disorientation.  I am aware that such causes may not be easily substantiated, and could be mysteriously at times; nonetheless, I stand by this personal conviction…

In one of my recent overseas ministry trips, a statute of religious nature (in a cultural and craft center) caught my attention.  The statute was a human figure with one male breast and one female breast…  Some of us who are familiar with Chinese religion may know that Guan Yin could be referred to as both male and female interchangeably…  And, we could actually find on the internet some scholarly papers on such matters (like Male Homosexuality and Spirit Possession in Brazil by Peter Fry Ph.D).

And finally, one other possible cause for “sexual disorientation” is Genetics or Hormonal.  This would mean that some women may be born with the genetic makeup of being sexually attracted to other women; and/or there are men born who are not sexually attracted to women at all; and/or some people could be born congenitally or chromosomally neither male nor female, or both male and female, or perhaps even anything between these two polar.

I think there should not be too much problem with understanding and/or accepting Circumstantial Conditioning, Traumatic Experience, or even the Spiritual and/or Demonic as possible causes to “sexual disorientation”.  But the Genetic or Hormonal cause would need to be dealt with further, especially in regards to the implications that God may be ultimately responsible…

My personal conviction is that even if a person is born “not straight”, we cannot say that God has intentionally created him or her to be a LGBTIQ person.  I think the key to understanding this is to understand the effects the Fall of Adam and Eve had on all of creation.

Sin is indeed a terrible, terrible thing!  Prior to the Fall of Humanity, Adam and Eve and all of creation were perfect.  But what does this really mean?!  More than the fact that the first Man and Woman were holy, and could live eternally; I believe it also mean that if germs and viruses did exist then, these did not post any harm to Adam and Eve…  I believe it also mean that all of creation was in such a perfect harmony that Adam and Eve could reach out their hands, and the birds would had not fear feeding from these hands…  I believe it also mean no tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, or any such things we call natural disasters could happen on planet earth…  I believe it also means that if Adam and Eve had the chance to be fruitful and multiply, and that the generations after them could continue to multiply and multiply without sinning; not a single child would ever be born with a hole in his/her heart, or a brain that cannot develop properly, or a palm with 6 fingers, or a face with no nose, or a crooked leg, or a shriveled hand.  NO!  NOT EVER!!!

BUT.  SIN.  SPOILT.  EVERYTHING.  That’s how terrible sin is.

With my understanding above, my conviction is that nobody should say anything like this… “I am actually a woman born with a man’s body… and God made me like this!”  Or… “Don’t blame me as a man for not being attracted to women.  Don’t blame me for liking other men.  Blame God!”

I need to say here that sometimes there could be multiple causes for “sexual disorientation” for a person.  And I think it is needful for me to emphasize that if we were to ponder further as to why some parents would do silly things when they are not satisfied with the children they have, or why sexual abuses should happen in the first place; the conclusion is that the causes for “sexual disorientation” all find their roots in SIN, as the result of the Fall of Humanity…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

This is the second of a series of postings that Jason Fong hopes to write on various issues related to the LGBTIQ matter.  In the next posting, Jason is likely to deal with various forms of homosexuality.

If this article has blessed you, or if you think this article will bless someone; please feel free to forward it or used it in any way that would bring glory to God.  If appropriate, please acknowledge the source when quoting this material.  Jason Fong also welcomes your thoughts and comments for mutually edifying interactions.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this article may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.

SELAH is a beautiful Hebrew word.  The word appears more than 70 times in the Bible, mostly in the psalms.  The precise meaning is uncertain.  SELAH is like a musical interlude or liturgico-musical notation in a psalm that instructs the people to pause and listen…

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words.  I have added a few more to this one; which I shot at Bogor, Indonesia several months ago…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Even though a picture may be worth a 1000 words, a few additional words could often accentuate the image.  The image in return could enhance the words…

Feel free to share these words and image if it has blessed you, and/or if you think it will bless others.

LGBTIQ?

Examining the Issues 1

LGBTIQ… Har?!  What’s that?!

Many people do not know the “meaning” of this “term”.  Many people are not aware of news related to Sexualiti Merdeka.  Many people have not thought about issues regarding this matter.

Lesbian.  Gay.  Bi-sexual.  Trans-sexual.  Inter-sex.  Queer.  LGBTIQ is the acronym from these words.  Most of us should know the meaning of “Lesbian” and “Gay”, but probably not very sure of the others.

For “Trans-sexual”, Wikipedia defines this as an individual whose identification with a gender is inconsistent or not culturally associated with their biological sex.  Trans-sexual men and women desire to establish a permanent gender role which they identify with, and often pursue medical interventions (such as sex reassignment surgeries) as part of this process.


Whereas, "Inter-sex" is defined by Wikipedia as the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish male from female in a person.  An inter-sex individual may have biological characteristics of both the male and the female sexes.

And, Wikipedia defines “Queer” as an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not hetero-sexual, hetero-normative (a set of lifestyle norms that falls into the distinct and complementary genders of man and woman), or gender-binary (the classification of sex and gender into two distinct and disconnected forms of masculinity and femininity).


When Sexualiti Merdeka first made the headlines, I posted the news in my FB (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001505308905) on 3 November 2011.  Subsequently, a few other links were also added.  If you wish, you may want to read these up:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/asri-seksualiti-merdeka-must-be-rejected

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/on-the-seksualiti-merdeka-controversy-a-plea-for-calm-and-rationality-ahmad-fuad-rahmat/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/world/asia/malaysia-gay-festival-is-banned.html?_r=3

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=22443%3Aseksualiti-merdeka-stop-inciting-hatred-against-us-we-are-citizens-of-msia&Itemid=2

http://malaysianindian1.blogspot.com/2011/11/religions-societal-values-and-morality.html

http://vimeo.com/32179221

Note:  The last link is actually a video clip.

Strangely, there were not a single like and/or comment on these FB postings of mine.  It’s like these postings did not exist…  It’s like none of my FB friends want to (or dare to) go near this matter…

Hmmm…

Indeed, Sexualiti Merdeka and its related issues are complex and controversial.  Nonetheless, I think it is important that we (churches and Christians) should do some serious thinking on this serious topic.

I have no concrete answers to the many questions here.  At this point of time, I am not exactly sure of where I stand here.  But I am thinking, researching and praying.  And so, I hope to begin with unpacking this complicated matter into smaller packages.  I would like to examine them in a series of a few blog postings.  Prayerfully and hopefully, with due understanding (however limited), we may be able to respond to the LGBTIQ community the way our holy and loving Almighty God would want us to…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

This is the first of a series of postings that Jason Fong hopes to write on various issues related to the LGBTIQ matter.

If this article has blessed you, or if you think this article will bless someone; please feel free to forward it or used it in any way that would bring glory to God.  If appropriate, please acknowledge the source when quoting this material.  Jason Fong also welcomes your thoughts and comments for mutually edifying interactions.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this article may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.

NOISY YOUTHS

@ WORSHIP SERVICE

I was at a Sunday Worship Service recently.  It was a combined service where the young people did not have their own meeting, but they sat in with the adults.

That morning, there was a group of about five or six teenagers sitting in the row right behind me.  They were really noisy, throughout the whole service.  They talked during the praise and worship time…  They talked during the prayer time…  They talked during the announcement time…

There came a time when I could not tahan anymore.  So, I turned around, looked at them in as friendly a manner as possible, and put my index finger to my lips showing the “please keep quiet” gesture.  It worked, but just for about one minute.  Soon the talking resumed.

Then the sermon time came.  Their talking changed into loud whispering.  At one point, a couple of them were actually doing arm wrestling while others looked on and giggled.  Oh my God!  I turned around and looked at them again.  I think I did not look too friendly this time.  I did not show them my middle finger, but I did wag my index finger at them.  They stopped but after a few moments, the ruckus came back.

Then came the Holy Communion time.  They continued with their talking and whispering and giggling… and, they participated in taking the bread and the wine.  Sigh!

Hmmm…  My mind went into overdrive thinking about this matter…

Is it not possible anymore for younger people and older people to meaningfully come together, and worship the Lord together, and listen to the Word of God together?!

Is it true that teenagers and youths will behave “unbecomingly” like this at some point in their lives, and that we have no choice but to accept this as a natural part of their growing up process?!

Has our approach of doing “specialized ministry” where we separate children (Sunday School) and youths (Youth Church) actually caused us to polarized negatively and dangerously without us even knowing it?!

Have we actually reinforced and contributed to that vicious cycle of “short attention span” in young people, when we peddle icebreakers and games but fail to teach them that there are times we need to endure and persevere?!

Hmmm…

Incidentally, during that service; there was this middle-aged man sitting in the same row just one seat away from me.  Despite the noisy youths, I noticed that he was sleeping most of the time when the sermon was preached…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

If this article has blessed you, or if you think this article will bless someone; please feel free to forward it or used it in any way that would bring glory to God.  If appropriate, please acknowledge the source when quoting this material.  Jason Fong also welcomes your thoughts and comments for mutually edifying interactions.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this article may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.

prayer4MYnation #8

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Jason Fong has been sharing his prayers for Malaysia with Christians and the Church at large since June 2011.  This is Jason Fong’s eighth and final prayer.  In many sense, this will be a “closure” of sort, since Malaysia just celebrated her 54^th year of independence yesterday.  Nonetheless, this “closure” in no way means that prayers for our nation should cease.

Please read Jason’s earlier article: LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY in this same blog, which was posted on 23 March 2011.  It would be a helpful reading for us as we continue to learn to pray more biblically for such a time as this.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this prayer may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.

prayer4MYnation #8

Father God, our beloved Malaysia has just celebrated our 54^th year of independence yesterday.  We have come a long way since the days of colonial rule.  I thank You for that part of our history… for both the good and the bad… among others, for all that had transpired in the arenas of politics, commerce, education, social engineering and religion.

And since then, we have charted our own course.  While we may have dismantled quite a lot of the structures setup during the colonial rule, we can never completely replace some of the foundations laid down then…

Have we moved forward?  Have we progressed?  Have we become more matured in our nationhood?  Have we found our identity and soul as Malaysians?  There are no simple answers to these questions.  And the fact is that Malaysians will not have the same answer to these questions.  Father God, continue to provoke us to ask these questions!

As for Your Church and Your people in this land, I continue to pray for two things.  First, that You will cause us to continue to watch and be mindful of what is happening in this nation…  Second, that You will draw us to continue pray for this nation regularly…

In watching, we need to break away from just focusing on the trivial self-centered interests.  In praying, we need to avoid lazy prayers and the thoughts that we need to nothing after we have prayed.  O Lord, please help us.  Please be merciful to us.  The times ahead for us will be perilous, turbulent and challenging.

In that day of reckoning, Your Word declared that every kindred, every tongue and every nation will come before You.  I want to be numbered in that throng.  I want to stand before You as a proud Malaysian.  I want to see many many other Malaysians standing tall beside me.  I want to hear the voices of Malaysians from every ethnic group worshipping You.

By Your grace, wisdom and strength, I will put feet to my prayers.  In Jesus’ Name!  Amen!

prayer4MYnation #7

Almighty God, we need to ask You to forgive us again.  This time, because many of us have stopped praying or slowed down praying since that eventful Saturday.  The urgency has faded away, and many of us have gone back to our “normal everyday routine”.  Consciously or unconsciously, we think that “it” has come and gone… and now, “it” is more or less over.

Forgive us Father!  Have mercy on us O God!  Lord Jesus, You asked this question in that garden some 2,000 years ago: “Simon, are you asleep?  Could you not keep watch for one hour?  Watch and pray...”  Please forgive us Lord, because many of us have gone back to sleep!!!

No Lord… It is not over!  It is not finished yet!  It will only be done, when Christ return to reign as the Prince of Peace!!!

Why?!  Why?!  Why?!  Why do the Church and Christians need trials and tribulations to awaken us?!  Even so… in the midst of all our current trials and tribulations, many of us are still merrily going about our buying and selling without any thoughts for You and Your Kingdom agenda for this world, for our beloved Malaysia, for our churches and for our lives!!!

SEND. US. ALL. THE. TRIALS. NEEDED. TO. WAKE. US. UP.

SEND. IN. THE. BIG. ONES.

I plea before You Almighty God… in Jesus’ Name… Amen…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Jason Fong believes that the Lord is leading him to pray more meaningfully for our beloved nation Malaysia.  He is sharing these prayers with the church at large through this blog and the Facebook.  He hopes that this series of prayers will further catalyze more Christians to watch and pray.

Please read Jason’s earlier article: LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY in this same blog, which was posted on 23 March 2011.  It would be a helpful reading for us to learn to pray more biblically.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this prayer may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.

pray4me

23 July 2011

Stress is building up as I prepare for a coming Ministry Trip to Indonesia (26 July – 1 Aug).  I will be doing 2 Training Sessions and 2 Devotions in a Pastors Conference.  I will also be doing a Youth Seminar and at least 1 Church Service Preaching.  In addition to all these, I will be leading a planning meeting for the 2012/13 SUEWA International Students Camp, which will be held near Jakarta.  This will also include visits to a couple of campsites for this coming camp.  Please pray for God’s guidance and anointing in all my preparation work.

I will have a short break after Indonesia before I fly to Vietnam for another Ministry Trip (8-15 August).  I will be doing a 2-Day Youth Training Conference, meeting up with Pastors and Church Leaders, Vision Casting and Training for SU Friends; as well as a few Church Service Preachings.

With the back-to-back ministry assignments above, some preparation for Vietnam has to be done even before I fly to Indonesia.  Thank you for praying.  Thank you for your partnership in the ministry.  God bless you!

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything by prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving,

let your requests be made known to God..

Philippians 4:6

NKJV

THIS IS MY BIBLE

This is my Bible…

This is the Word of God…

I believe in the Word of God…

I have what the Bible says I have…

I am who the Bible says I am…

I can do what the Bible says I can do…

Today I will be taught the Word of God…

I am about to receive the incorruptible…

Ever-living Seed of God’s Word…

I will never be the same…

Never!  Never!  Never!

I will never be the same…

In Jesus’ Name, amen!

I first heard a declaration like this in a church in Houston, Taxes USA.  The pastor got the whole congregation standing and waving their Bibles.  The declaration was shouted out in gusto by the whole church, as Pastor John Osteen led the congregation.  That was more than 20 years ago.  (Pastor John Osteen has since gone home to be with the Lord, and I believe his son Joel Osteen is now pastoring the church.)

Back then 20 years ago, I was leading the Youth Fellowship in my home church, the church which I subsequently left JKR to serve in full-time Christian ministry.  At that time, I thought the declaration was cool and powerful.  And so I actually made the young people in my YF do the declaration!  I wonder if they liked it… I wonder if the declaration did them any good…

Several years later (after I have moved on from my home church to serve in a Christian organization), I remembered hearing a similar declaration in a church in Malacca.  The youth pastor there was doing exactly what I did in my YF years ago.  Hmm…  And then earlier this year, I came across this declaration again while listening to a sermon CD from a mega-church in Singapore.  And most recently, I heard this declaration again at a youth camp.

As usual, I began reflecting and thinking…

I guess one of the first thing to think about is our intention as speakers when we ask the hearers to recite such declarations.  Well as what I said earlier, when I did this years ago, I thought it was both powerful and cool.  Powerful… because I thought it would help the hearers get ready, get focused, and get excited with the message that was to come.  It seemed so biblical too!  I mean… such an important emphasis on the centrality of God’s Word!

Cool… because this kind of stuff is like an “ice-breaker”.  You know, something to wake people up and loosen them a bit.  Preachers are taught to get connected with people they are speaking to, part of homiletics training.  And also, stuff like this does make the speaker looks cool and happening.  We probably cannot fault any speaker for wanting the hearers to like them.  Nonetheless, if as speakers all we have is just a bag of tricks (or jokes and stories), then something is seriously wrong.

But we need to go deeper…

I think behind declarations such as this one, is the subtle likelihood of an erroneous theology of “name it, claim it and get it…”  Perhaps also a simplistic theology of positive thinking...  I have what the Bible says I have…  I am who the Bible says I am…  I can do what the Bible says I can do…

In many sense it is not wrong to talk about our possessions and positions in the Word of God.  But what about the requirements of the Scriptures that we read the Word of God, study it and obey it?  How about the Bible’s teaching regarding repentance and submission?

Maybe we could modify the declaration to look something as follows:

This is my Bible…

This is the Word of God…

I believe in the Word of God…

I have what the Bible says I have…

I can do what the Bible says I can do…

I will read and study my Bible everyday…

I will repent if needed, as the Bible commands…

I will obey as the Bible requires…

Today I will be taught the Word of God…

I receive the life-changing Seed of God’s Word…

When I align my life with the Word of God,

I will never be the same…

Never!  Never!  Never!

I will never be the same…

In Jesus’ Name and by the power of His Word…

Amen!

These modifications may not be that dramatic.  But I think they are significant enough to correct the imbalance, and to help us see “the other half” of the full truth…

We need to know that very often half truths may be more dangerous than blatant lies!

IMPORTANT NOTES:

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Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this article may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.