RISE UP MALAYSIA

My small contribution towards generating awareness for the Bersih 4.0 Rally...

I AM BLESSED!

August 2014

I AM BLESSED!  Yes, indeed I am.  I am grateful that Yahweh has bestowed on me the Blessings of Sunshine, as well as the Blessings of Rain.  The Blessings of Day, as well as the Blessings of Night.  The Blessings of Rest, as well as the Blessings of Work.  The Blessings of Summer, as well as the Blessings of Winter.  The Blessings of Receiving, as well as the Blessings of Giving…

In our covetous hearts (and perhaps even corrupted hearts), whenever we refer to blessings, we are just thinking about the “good stuff”.  We are thinking about wealth… health… prosperity… promotion… enjoyment… easy life… material possessions… Faulty theology, inadequate preaching, and our own natural inclination (old nature) have indoctrinated us to such follies!

When we read the Word of God, we often gravitate towards the promises while overlooking the commandments.  And even so, when we look at the blessings, we fail to see full spectrum of blessings from God’s perspective.  Considers these Scriptures:

Blessed are the poor in spirit… Blessed are those who mourn…

Matthew 5:3-4

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness…

Matthew 5:10

Blessed are you when people insult you… falsely say all kinds of evil against you

Matthew 5:11

It is more blessed to give than to receive…

Acts 20:35

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trials…

James 1:12

We need to re-think and re-orientate our understanding about blessings.  Otherwise, the Blessings of Sunshine may become a snare to us; because we do not know how to live in times of the Blessings of Night…  If not, the Blessings of Rest may make us slothful, and we complain when the Blessings of Work come upon us…

IMPORTANT NOTES ON THE CLICHÉ SERIES:

There are just too many nice sentimental clichés out there!  We like to share them and/or repost them.  Many clichés give people a pseudo feel good fix.  Some like to use clichés as victory chants or inspirational slogans in various circumstances in their lives.  I call these “FEEL-GOOD-CLICHÉS”…

Feel-Good-Clichés always sound good.  Almost everybody likes them because they make us feel good.  But often, they merely present a one-sided truth; which sentimentally, simplistically and shallowly “encourage” us.

I do not quite like Feel-Good-Clichés.  With enough repetition, such clichés often (erroneously) evolve to become principles, or even Bible Doctrines.  But they are not!  On the other hand, some clichés may even contradict the Word of God.

So, I am making special effort to write and compose sayings that will be more Biblical, more balanced and more accurate.  And, I am also making effort to “critique” some popular clichés.  If the Lord so lead you, I would like to enlist your help to rectify our addiction to simplistic positive thinking.  Share, repost, and promote the poster above.  Thank you!

ALLAH

Assessing the Situation

Counting the Cost

The Allah Issue is a complicated issue.  It is not confined merely to the usage of this word (together with a long list of other words) by the Roman Catholic Church.  It is also related to the Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia Alkitab, as well as the Bible in the native languages which our OA churches (churches of our native people) are using.  In addition, the issue also concerns the confiscation of other materials which included CDs containing Christian worship songs.

There are churches and Christians who think that we should just simply stop using this word.  Others have even suggested that we should just use the word Yahweh instead.  With the recent judgment, some people feel that there is no point to continue to “fight” over the word.

GOOD & SOLID GROUND

Without going into the details, it is good to affirm and confirm here; that historically and socially, any judgments of upholding exclusive use of the word by Muslims only, while criminalizing others do not make any sense at all.  The use of the word Allah by Christians predates Islam.  Our East Malaysian Christian brothers and sisters have also been using this word years before Malaysia was formed.  It is nonsensical that Allah can be used in East Malaysia and not West Malaysia; or can be used by East Malaysians and not West Malaysians.

Constitutionally, such judgments also oppress the minority groups in Malaysia and violate our guaranteed rights and freedom.  Diabolically linked to this, are subversive attempts to deny that Malaysia is a secular state, but an Islamic one.

Theologically, Lord and God in our Bibles have been translated into Tuhan and Allah accordingly because this is needful.  We may not fully understand the theological implications here.  Nonetheless, there are enough clarifications from qualified Christian scholars on this matter.

The rulings to forbid non-Muslims from using the word Allah are also ridiculous because even countries in the Arab world had never done so.  In fact, there are Muslim scholars round the world who had scorned at Malaysia regarding such rulings.  Some of these have even asserted that the Koran has records that others were allowed to use this word.

Furthermore, it is quite apparent that the judgments and rulings against us are not only illogical and prejudiced, but also politically motivated.  Hence, we have good solid grounds to defend our rights, to challenge unfair and illogical judgments, and to uphold righteousness and justice in our nation.

SHARING GOD’S LOVE AND THE GOSPEL

One underlying point of contention at the heart of the Allah issue concerned allegations of trying to convert other people to Christianity.  On this count, we must affirm here that there is no doubt whatsoever that the Roman Catholic bulletins were meant for internal consumption, and not used as propaganda materials…  The Alkitab we import are also primarily meant for Christians, and not for mass circulation…  And, we are not broadcasting our BM worship songs with loud speakers in every neighborhood…

But yet from another perspective, I think we need to be truly honest…

Most religions explicitly or otherwise have intentions and agendas to propagate their respective religion.  The truth is that Christianity is no exception.  I think we could be (and should be) honest about this.  As Christians, we should not “subversively hide” the Gospel behind acts of kindness, but we will obey the Great Commission by sincerely sharing the love of God with all people.  We should not actively invite Muslims to come to our services and meetings, but we will not turn away anyone who may ask us to explain the good news of salvation.

While other religions may offer incentives and brides, connive and scheme, brainwash and threaten in order to get people to embrace their religions; Christians will not stoop so low to do these despicable deeds and bring dishonor to our Almighty God.

TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK

In the midst of the court cases, provocative actions and words; Christians and churches have responded very graciously.  We have called for forgiveness.  We have turned the other cheek.  And, we have done these not just once or twice.

In bending backwards, we note that those who are against us have not reciprocated accordingly.  It is quite clear that some have taken advantage of the situation to push us further against wall.  The attacks have not subsided.  Rather, the grips seem to be tightening.

What will be the consequences if we continue to turn our cheeks and give up our coats (Luke 6:29)?  What will happen if we quietly surrender our rights?  Will future historians hold the church’s graciousness in high esteem, or will they instead hold the Christians accountable for our cowardice?

In addition, will our graciousness really contribute positively to national harmony, religious tolerance, and a Malaysia which is more just and fair?  I am afraid not.

OBEYING GOD RATHER THAN MEN

So what should we do?  Consider this…

I think we have to prayerfully contemplate the options of obeying God, rather than men (Acts 5:29); and if needed, to be ready to say what Esther had said (Esther 4:16).  I think that civil disobedience is not just an option, but it could also be a command from the Lord.  And we need to keep in mind that this will not be a simple and easy matter.

First of all, we need to check our spirit, meaning our motives and rationales.  I believe that Christian civil disobedience must not be done out of retaliation and/or vengeance.  We must continue to love our enemies…  We must primarily be concerned with being obedient to God…  We must be ultimately championing justice and righteousness in our beloved nation…

So, what would our civil disobedience look like?  The early Christians and the first century Church did not comply with the laws of their times to hail Caesar as Lord.  In refusing to submit to their government then, they did this with careful discretions.  With this as our reference, I am convinced that Christian civil disobedience in our contexts here should not be about marches, protests or riots.  We should prayerfully ponder on the meaning of choosing to obey God, rather than men…  We should choose to obey God and continue to read our Bahasa Malaysia (BM) and Bahasa Indonesia (BI) Bibles… We should choose to obey God and continue to sing our BM and BI songs… We should choose to continue to bring in our needed BM and BI materials… We choose to continue to publish our materials like what we have been doing before…

Of course, we must still actively continue to explore and pursue all legal options available to us.  Every related case already in our courts must be handled properly and diligently.  As needed, we must be prepared to take legal actions, appeal and challenge bias decisions, actions and judgments, including cases that may arise from our civil disobedience.

COUNTING THE COST

If we are to consider civil disobedience, we should also consider the possible repercussions?  We should consult among ourselves how we could stand together…  We should count the cost and ask the Lord to prepare us to pay the price…

The possible actions against us from those in authority will include further confiscation of our materials, charging us in the courts, fines, and imprisonments…  Certain extremist NGOs will send us memorandums, demonstrate in front of our churches, and perhaps even burn effigies, related materials and Bibles…  Provocateurs may carry out even more nasty acts too…

How will these decisions and actions affect our nation, our churches and our people?  Will there be ugly social unrests?  Will there be intensified persecutions?  Will other minority groups criticize us?

These are difficult and scary questions, and we do not have all the answers.  I think we just need to do what the Lord would want us to do, to obey Him and walk each step by faith…

CONCLUSIONS

If we do go for civil disobedience, I think it is only right that we properly and officially notify the government of the day concerning our decisions.  This was the example set by Peter and the other Apostle (Acts 5:29).  But having said this, perhaps there is also the option of a quiet and undeclared civil disobedience; which surely will not go unnoticed.  Perhaps there is room for us to choose how could approach this.

Nonetheless, by openly stating our intention, Christians and churches will be saying that we are good and loyal citizen of Malaysia; and that our civil disobedience is actually an act of obedience to God.  We are also declaring that while we choose to disobey the law of the land, this defiance is not a lawless act.  We are prepared to submit to the stipulated punishment thereof (notwithstanding the fact that we hold these as unjust), and we will seek recourse accordingly.

This will be a testimony we can make for our Lord; and I believe in retrospect, history will judge us well (both church history and secular history).  May the Lord God, whom some of our very own Christian brothers and sisters know and call upon as Allah, help us all…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

If this article has helped and blessed you, or if you think this article will help and 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.

To be or to do… To do or to be…  Which is more important?  Which has greater priority?  Which take precedence?

Too often, too many human beings are too concerned with doing.  We are activity orientated.  We are so interested with efficiency and effectiveness, and we have taught ourselves to make “To Do Lists”.

No, there is nothing wrong with having a “To Do List”.  In fact, such a list would be good and needful, especially for those of us who are less organized, less motivated, and/or less diligent.  Doing would be helpful for such people.  But, doing becomes bad when we overemphasize it and hence neglect and discard being.  When we are like this, we turn ourselves into human doings, and forget that we are actually human beings.

What is being?  While doing is more focused on what we can do, being is more focused on who we are.  Doing is more external but being is more internal.  Doing is more concern with our abilities but being is more concern with our natures and characteristics.  This is not a simple subject.  Perhaps the account of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42) could give us some further understanding. 

Nonetheless, we must keep in mind that doing and being are inter-related.  Our doing should flow forth from our being.  Otherwise, our doing would be quite meaningless.  Our being should be founded on our doing.  Then, our being is not hollow.

And so, we have our “To do Lists”…  But it is good time that we begin drawing up our “To Be Lists”.

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.

It is quite apparent that there is a close link between DISCIPLINE and DISCIPLESHIP.  The words themselves explicitly show this.

Christians are to be a disciple.  People who made decisions to believe in Jesus… to accept Him as Lord and Savior… to follow Him… are all called to be disciples of Jesus Christ.  There are no exceptions!

As Jesus’ disciples, there are Christian Disciplines or Spiritual Disciplines which should be part of our lives.  These disciplines are practices that we do, firstly as expressions of our relationship with God, and secondly as exercises to strengthen our faith in Him.  Such disciplines, among others range from simple and basic things such as daily quiet time, Bible reading, prayer and church attendance; to deeper stuff such as fasting, tithing, simple living, evangelism and Christian service.

In many sense, Discipline and Discipleship are inseparable.  Hence, if we cease to practice Christian disciplines, we cease to be Christ’s disciples!

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.

Hard Questions

Honest Answers

DYING, DEATH & THE AFTERLIFE

QUESTION 1:

What happens when a human being dies?

When we die, we stop breathing… our hearts stop beating… we do not have any more vital signs… and people who loved us will become very sad… and some may even cry…  Hahaha!  All these answers are not wrong, but I am quite sure we are not thinking about these aspects of the human death.

Seriously, the first thing to take note is that the death of a human being is not the same as the death of any other living creatures that God has created.  The theological basis for this comment here is that human beings were created in the image of the Almighty God (Gen 1:26), and all the other living creatures were not.

In the context above, before we even discuss about human death, I think it is needful to explore the meaning of being created in God’s image.  This is actually a huge topic…  Being created in God’s image means several things…  We will only briefly look at one key point that relates directly to the question here…

When we say that we human beings are created in the image of God, one of the key points here is that we are essentially a spiritual being, just like God Himself is a spirit (John 4:24).  This means that even though we have a physical external form (which is our body), this body is not all that we are…

The real Jason Fong is not just the physical external body that everyone can see.  In fact, (being mindful not to dichotomize too much) this body is like a shell that the real Jason Fong lives in.  This shell was about 7 pounds in weight and about 16 inches in length some 53 years ago…  This shell weighed about 35 pounds and was about 3 feet tall some 43 years ago…  And in another 33 years or more into the future, what’s left of this shell could probably be just a heap of dry bones in a box…

As such, while there are physical aspects of death (para 1) which we are all so familiar with; I think that deep inside, all of us know that death is not that simple.  There are deeper meanings to death…

Note:  I have intentionally avoided discussing about the tripartite or bipartite components of the Spirit, Soul and Body (1 Thess 5:23) here in this article.

QUESTION 2:

Ok, so what does it really mean for a human being to die?

It is so easy for us to see death as a termination.  Heart stop beating… we stop breathing… the end of life, full stop!  From a physical perspective, this is so apparent.  But when I reflect on the Scriptures, death is more a separation than a termination.

Let me explain…  In the physical perspective, death is the separation of the real me (which is my spirit) from my physical external form (which is my body).  Hence, bodily death or physical death is the separation of the human spirit from the human body.

It is good to note that this understanding of separation applies to Spiritual Death as well.  In the Garden of Eden, God warned Adam that he would die if he eat of the forbidden fruit (Gen 2:16-17).  In fact, the KJV emphasized it in this way: “…for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die…”

But, did Adam and Eve actually die immediately (in the day) when they disobeyed God and ate the fruit?  Did they die soon after sinning against God?  No!!!  On the contrary, they lived to the end of Genesis chapter 4, or at least till Adam was some 930 years old (Gen 5:5).

But, we note that God did chased Adam and Eve out of Eden soon after they sinned (Gen3:23-24).  With this context, the death that God said Adam and Eve would suffer when they sin was actually more a spiritual death, than a physical death.  Hence, we see that spiritual death is actually the separation of fellowship or relationship with God; consistent to what I proposed earlier above.

I must continue with Eternal Death.  With the same line of thinking, Eternal Death is not a final termination, but rather an eternal separation where the human spirit is forever banished from the presence of God to a place of permanent suffering and eternal punishment (Matt 25:31-46).  This place is called Hell.

QUESTION 3:

Since Hell was mentioned in the your answer above, what have you to say about this “sensitive” topic?

Yes, Hell is not only a sensitive topic, it is also quite controversial.  In fact, we have very little understanding and lots of misunderstanding!

One common misunderstanding about Hell is the misconception that the devil is the boss there.  Some of us think (whether consciously or unconsciously) that the devil is in charge of Hell…  Some of us think that he is having a jolly good time tormenting people down there…  (Maybe this wrong understanding has its roots in some Chinese folk beliefs that there is this king of Hell or閻羅王.)  The Scriptures (Jude 6) clearly teach that the devil together with all the rest of the evil spirits will one day be subjected to suffering and punishment in Hell.

What is Hell like?  The Bible does not say a lot about this place.  The Old Testament uses a generic Hebrew word Sheol, which can be translated into Hell, and also grave.  The New Testament tells us more.  Hell is a place of fire (Matt 25:41 and Mark 9:43) and smoke (Rev 9:2).  It is often described as a fiery furnace.  Scriptures also referred to worms (Mark 9:48) and very likely these will be a source of torment (in additional to the fire) which will result in weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 13:42).

Furthermore, the New Testament has at least four different Greek words for this terrible place, namely Gehena (Matt 5:22, NAB), Hades (Luke 16:23, NKJV), Abusso (Luke 8:31, NIV), and Tartaroo (2 Peter 2:4, NAB).

As a simple summary, I believe Hell is a physical place (with no second chances) somewhere in the lower parts of the earth where there are conscious and eternal sufferings.

QUESTION 4:

What do you think about “testimonies” regarding people who had gone to Hell and came back?

Yes every now and then, we may come across stories, articles or books about people who have visited Hell or who have had visions of Hell.  Some of these may even be Christians who claimed that it was actually God or Jesus who gave them these special experiences or revelations so that they can warn others.

Let us start with looking into the Scriptures to see if there are any records (or similar accounts) of people with such experiences…

The account of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:20-31) who died would be a useful reference.  The Scriptures say that Lazarus went to Abraham’s bosom while the rich man went to Hell.  The rich man then begged that Lazarus be sent to warn his brothers of the terror of Hell.  It is good to note this reply: “If they won’t pay attention to Moses and the prophets (meaning, the Scriptures), they won’t listen even to someone who comes back from the dead…”

Hence pesonally, I do not think testimonies from Hell or about Hell would contribute meaningfully towards turning people to God.

QUESTION 5:

Where does the human spirit or human soul go to when a person dies?

The Old Testament gives the simple teaching that all the dead will go to a place call Sheol (1 Sam 2:6).  In many sense, Sheol may then be the unseen world of the dead.  Also, Sheol may simply just be the grave (Psa 16:10, NIV).

The New Testament (such as the account in Luke 16:20-31) gives a more elaborate teaching, and marks a distinct separation where the righteous dead and the wicked dead would go respectively.

The term Abraham’s Bosom is only found once in the Bible.  This term is also translated as “Abraham’s side” (NIV), “with Abraham” (NLT), and “next to Abraham” (CEV).

Most theologians would agree that “Abraham’s Bosom” is very likely an “intermediary place” where the righteous would go upon physical death.  Paul shared with us (2 Cor 5:6-8) that when we leave our physical bodies at death, we would be at home with the Lord.  It is also good to note what Jesus said to the repentant dying thief: “Today you shall be with Me in Paradise…”.

The Luke 16:20-31 account at the same time also indicates that the wicked will be sent to Hell and suffering immediately upon death.  We also need to note that the Scriptures (Rev 210:11-15) tell of a future judgment (Great White Throne) where all the dead will be judged.  It appears that with this judgment, the final rewards or punishments will be confirmed.

QUESTION 6:

What about Heaven?!  Abraham’s Bosom is not the same as Heaven?

No, Abraham’s Bosom is not the same as Heaven.  As explained earlier, most theologians believe that this is like a place the righteous would go “on transit” to Heaven.

Ah… Heaven.  I think Heaven is probably as misunderstood and as controversial as Hell.  For a start, we should avoid merely thinking about Heaven as a place.  Perhaps it is better to consider Heaven in the context of the afterlife; as in how would eternal life be, as we live with God and with fellow believers…

If we think that Heaven will be a 24/7 worship service, and/or we will be spending most of our time floating around with a harp; I am quite sure we would be pleasantly surprised that Heaven will be much much more than this.  Hahaha!

My “pictorial blog” on the topic of Heaven & Eternity (sometime in October 2012) would be a good starting point for further reflections on Heaven.  I must say it appears that many Christians today are not that excited and enthusiastic about Heaven.  I do hope that my pictorial blog would stimulate some interest and excitement...

QUESTION 7:

Can you give us a “flow chart” from life to death to eternity?

Actually, much of what we have been discussing thus far relate to the subject matter of Personal Eschatology within systematic theology.  Eschatology simply refers to teachings related to End Times.  Personal Eschatology refers to teachings regarding death and the hereafter.

I am not sure if I can give a “flow chart” from life to death to life hereafter.  Really, the Bible is silent on certain details.  Hence, there are quite a few schools of thoughts on this matter.  We have to accept that this subject will remain a mystery to us.

Nonetheless, I will try…

First of all, I think the Bible is quite clear that when a believer dies, he or she goes immediately into the presence of God (2 Cor 5:8).  What and where is this “Presence of God” are not so clear.  Luke 23:43 (paradise) and Luke 16:22 (Abraham’s bosom) do give us glimpses of this “place”.

On the other hand, there are other Scriptures that refer to death as being “asleep” (such as 1 Cor 15:51).  Hence, some scholars used such texts to teach about “Soul Sleep”.  Personally, I think taking the literal meaning of “asleep” may not be proper here.  I think the meaning of “rest” would be more appropriate here.

Summarizing the above, I would conclude that upon physical death, the spirit and soul of believers (are separated from their physical bodies and) will go to be with the Lord.  We will be in a wonderful and restful state and place, in the presence of the Lord, enjoying His bountiful love.

In due course, at an appointed time (the Rapture), our spirits and souls will be united with our resurrected bodies (1 Cor 15:35ff).  From here, the Scriptures suggest that believers will go through the Bema Judgement Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10), where we will receive rewards for our deeds; and the Great White Throne Judgement (Rev 20:11ff), where our names would be found in the Book of Life and we will inherit eternal life with God.

You would note that I have intentionally avoided the complications of putting the Tribulation, the Millennium and the New Heaven and Earth into the sequences above.

QUESTION 8:

Many people want to die a peaceful death.  What do you think about dying a “good death”?

Indeed many people would like to die a “good death”, as in dying peacefully and with minimum suffering.  I remember that my mother (who was suffering from cancer) asked me several months before she passed away, “Why can’t I die peacefully?  Why must I suffer from cancer now, and eventually die a painful death?  Jesus should give good deaths to those who believe in Him…  It would be a good testimony…  It would cause many people to believe in Him…”

I reckon that in my mother’s simple mind, good people should have good death (好死).  And, the bad people would die a terrible death (不得好死).  Perhaps many people, including Christians think like this as well.

When my mother asked those questions, I had no answers for her at that time.  Sad…  Nonetheless, somehow I continued to ponder on those questions even after she has gone back to the Lord.  Eventually it daunted on me that Jesus Himself never died a good death.  Nor did Peter, and John, and Paul…  And, many others in the Hall of Faith (Heb 11) as well.  And, throughout history there were many a good man and woman who died anything but a good death; whether by persecutions, accidents, sicknesses and/or natural calamities.

What is my point?  What am I trying to say here?  The point here is that good people need not necessarily die good death.  And, dying a “bad death” need not necessarily mean that the person was bad, or did not enjoy God’s favour or blessing.

QUESTION 9:

Hmmm… what conclusion would you give to this matter?

I think as Christians, death (any death) should be viewed as a good conclusion to our life.  The people of this world fear death.  But on the other hand, Christians should look forward to death and even celebrate it!

Paul had a very radical view of death.  For him, to die is gain (Phil 1:21).  I am quite sure that most of us know these Scriptures but we have not really reflected properly on them.  Death is a gain, not a loss…  Death is a plus, not a minus…  Death is positive, not negative…  Death, for the Christian is profitable, is good, is a reward…  Christians should look forward positively to death.

Now, I need to emphasize I am not saying that we should kill ourselves and/or hasten our death.  No!  We need to note that Paul; in the same breath of saying to die is gain, also said that to live is for Christ.  This means that I will maximize my life, by living it for the Lord!  And, I will rejoice and celebrate my death when it is near and/or when it finally comes…

Many Christians do not like to think about death and dying… which I believe is due to the fact that we have not fully appreciate and embrace “to die is gain”.  Hence this subject matter remains a taboo for Christians, even though it should not.

Personally, I have often talked about how I would like to die, whenever appropriate in my preaching and teaching.  I think I would not want to die peacefully in my sleep.  If the Lord wills, I would like to die preaching… meaning in the midst of preaching.  I thought dying like this would be most wonderful and impactful!  (Just imagine the shock and reactions of the pastor and congregation when I suddenly collapse… hahaha!)

In regards to age, I have no special preference; meaning it does not really matter if I die at 55 (which will be in 2016) or when I am 85.  But should I in due course discover that I am dying slowly, for example from cancer… I think I will not want to resist death.  I will not want to fight to stay alive.  I will not want to spend a fortune to “cling on to dear life”, like most people would.

QUESTION 10:

Whoa… hold on…  What do you mean “not fighting to live on”?

Ha!  I am quite sure that to some people, what I have proposed above is very radical and perhaps even controversial.  Yes, my proposals are counter culture… counter norm… but I think my thoughts are very much in-line with the Word of God.

Indeed it is “natural” to want to stay alive.  Indeed it is “normal” to do whatever we can, and with whatever resources we have to remain alive.   But if we are brutally honest, I think must admit that somehow such “natural and normal responses” to death are reflections of our fear of death, our lack of trust about God’s care over our loved ones, our reluctance to let go of our earthly possessions, and our hesitations about an eternity with the Lover of our soul.  And in my personal opinion, a “desperate fight” to stay alive at all cost will be incoherent with what the Scriptures say about death and our eternal hope in God.  Interestingly, someone said that death may be considered the final healing to illness, pain, and suffering.

In conclusion, when Christians gracefully embrace and celebrate death, I think it will be a powerful testimony to our faith and to God’s glory…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Jason Fong started writing this particular series of HARD QUESTIONS HONEST ANSWERS a few months before Andy (his brother) passed away in June 2013.  Jason had originally hoped that this blog here (as a follow-up to his first article on Sickness & Divine Healing), would be helpful to his brother as his sickness deteriorate.  Unfortunately, Andy passed away before Jason could complete the writing.  The publishing of this blog is late by a whole year.  Nonetheless, Jason is dedicating this blog to Andy (and his surviving family) on the first anniversary of his passing away…

The questions here were formulated with careful thought to cover the subject matter as properly as possible.  Therefore, the questions should not be examined in isolation, but as a whole in the context of this complete article.  Jason Fong is aware that this article is not an exhaustive study on the subject matter.  He welcomes your thoughts and comments for mutually edifying interactions.  Additional questions could be forwarded to Jason Fong accordingly.

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.  In addition, theological understandings may often “evolve” in the course of one’s journey with God.  As such, please note that Jason’s convictions here are not cast in stone.

If this article has blessed you, or if you think this article would help 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.

Of late, extremists from a certain religious group did and said a lot of terrible and idiotic things.  Among others, they threatened to chop of heads…  According to them, they need to prevent others from ridiculing, belittling, and insulting their religion.

Looking at the words and deeds of these people, I cannot help but wonder if they are aware that their very own actions are actually bringing the insults, ridicules and belittling that they so hope to prevent.

I am quite sure that many a Malaysian with some common sense can easily see this.  Many of us are concerned… saddened… even angry.  That our beloved country has become what it is today!  We need to know that we did not suddenly become like this…  The deterioration was a process that happened right under our noses…  We encouraged it by keeping silent…  Sigh!

These words in the poster above also apply to us Christians.  Most of us are not extremists that would promote hate, threaten people and oppress others.  But our lives may not be adequately Christ-like.  We ourselves need to do regular alignment with the Scriptures… so that we do not bring ridicules to our God…