THE WAY FORWARD

Recently I took some time off to seek God for direction for Converse-Life, just to worship and pray, and to do some reading. It had been good and great. I came across a research article on the millennials. There are some great insights: authentic relationships, mentors, to act and not just to articulate the vision, to help them interpret as correctly as possible the culture around them, and to tackle some of the pertinent issues confronting them. It was mind opening for me.

So armed with this new information I have decided to change course in how I work with the millennials. I have decided to give my best to them in terms of time, effort, and prayers. I want to be able to have a meaningful conversation with them, engage them and communicate through listening. After spending some time with this generation of young working adults I notice that they have a dream - a soul passion - and there must be an encouragement from the "fathers in the house" to believe them and to motivate them to go chase the dream that God placed in their hearts.

I believe that I am living in the most exciting time in the history of mankind. We are indeed at the threshold of God's visitation - a day of God's manifested power, a day where the young would rise up with willing hearts - filled with God's dream, God's purpose. It's the day where the millennials can live up to God's call with an intentional life - full of love, joy, and hope. I want to be a part of the work of God in this last days creating, developing and building a relevant faith community where there are authentic relationships with God (intimacy), each other (brotherly love), humanity (compassion and social justice) and creation (goodness, truth, and beauty), augmented insights on God's Word (spiritual depth), and awesome worship - full of the Holy Spirit.

So my conclusion on CONVERSE-LIFE is -
- Mentoring the Millennials: prayer, accountability, care, and concern.
- Fun and Fellowship - "doing life" together. Inclusive in our faith community.
- Get involved in Social Justice, Kindness, and Community Work.
- Development of Godly Wisdom through reading, meditating and studying of God's Word.
- Interpreting the Popular Culture Today and measuring it with Divine Yardstick.
- Tackling Today's Social Issues - be it emotional, social, political or academic.

This is my dream!

JUST SAYING ALOUD

The Shortest Path to Intimacy is Suffering

The dominant characteristic of an authentic spiritual life is the gratitude that flows from trust – not only for all the gifts that I receive from God but gratitude for all suffering. Because in that purifying experience, suffering has often been the shortest path to intimacy with God. (Brennan Manning)

I couldn’t agree more with Brennan Manning when he said that “suffering has often been the shortest path to intimacy with God.” Today, we have a lot of self-styled preachers/pastors who would avoid talking about suffering like it is akin to leprosy. Their theology does not include suffering, problems in life, crisis and sickness, etc. because it’s all about grace, about been positive, and about health and prosperity.

The term intimacy with God has been around for a long time now. There have been many who tried to expound on what it means to have intimacy. Again a lot of self-appointed spiritual sheriffs in God’s Kingdom who will not hesitate to declare that they have more intimacy with the Father than others. How they define it beats me. Sometimes I get the feeling that intimacy with the Father means some feelings, some sort of experience they felt that is tangible when they spend time soaking in prayers. My relationship with the Father is not dependant upon the amount of time I spend in the prayer room. To me, it depends more on my obedience to what the Lord has already revealed through his Word. It depends on my response to the circumstances around me or happens to me. When I go through suffering for the Lord I am put to the test of my faith, my love for Him and obedience. When I pass through those testing times and come out on the other side unscathed then I would have gone through the purifying effect of God’s love – I learned obedience – I experience intimacy with the Father.

Intimacy has a lot to do with experiencing the reality of his love in the midst of difficulty, experiencing the reality of his mercy and grace when things don’t go my way, and when my own strength fails me – there I reached out to find his hand – there I would feel the reality of God himself – the reality of true intimacy. So yes, suffering has a way of clearing the path for intimacy with God.

Code of Decorum

What if a community feels that the one who comes to minister to them should have a certain code of decorum, for example, his appearance? What if the community feels that part of the code of decorum is not to have any part of his / her body pierced, carved, or tattooed? And when approached to respect the community he/she, as a guest, instead said that God told him to do that to break the cultural tradition of man, to keep up with the time, and to break free from cultural mores, what should be the responds?

To insist that he removes the earring, the pierced nose or chin studs would be in danger of going against the Word of God. To back off and do nothing would cause some people to be confused, to be dissatisfied, or even upset with the head of the community. So how?

I was thinking about this scenario for a while now. Let me pose to you this picture and see whether you agree with me. If someone invited to your house just walk into your living room with his shoes on, you, as the owner of the house would have politely asked him to remove his shoes. “Sir, in my house, everyone removes his shoes before entering my house.” And the guest turn round and boldly declares to you that God has told him to wear shoes to any Asians home in order to express the heart of God in breaking this Asian culture and tradition. So how?

Cacophony of Warring Voices

Without the conviction that there exist objective truths and without the conviction that there exists an authority governing the rules of interpretation of God’s Word, discussions on any given pertinent issue [be it morals, doctrine, culture or trends] in the church disintegrates into a cacophony of warring voices.  

Sadly the church has morphed into a body “dominated by the philosophy of empiricism, the doctrine that all knowledge is derived from the senses – what we see, hear, touch, and feel. Even moral statements were reduced to feelings. According to empiricism, we call things good when they give us pleasure. We call them bad when they cause pain. Thus was born the fact/value split – the idea that humans can have genuine knowledge only in the realm of empirical facts. Morality was reduced to subjective preferences. The term values mean literally whatever the individual happens to value. When moral convictions are reduced to arbitrary preferences, then they can no longer be debated rationally. Persuasion gives way to propaganda. Finally, nothing left but sheer force.” [Nancy Pearcy, Saving Leonardo, p. 2].

This is what I have faced with not too long ago.

Just saying.

SOME THOUGHTS FROM IMMANUEL KANT

"Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind."

I find it strange that many people just want to live their life without the hassle to think too much – so they say. I find it hard to believe that people want to remain shallow in their thinking. But like what Kant said, “thoughts without content is empty.” Thoughts that are flippant, frivolous, superficial and facetious without content, without substance to it are really empty, shallow, and makes one look idiotic, senseless, and ignorant! I am not talking about “content” in terms of showing off some philosophical lingo or doing some intellectual hula-hoop with words to impress, but “content” as in the ability to present our thoughts with a certain depth to it, thoughts that has substance, has quality to it that the respondents can identify, understand, and appreciate.

In the Christian circle, we are so attuned to the senses (feelings) and the experiential that we give thoughts not even a second thought at all. We brush it aside to assure ourselves that our thinking would only be on a need to know basis - only utilitarian. There are others who would rather live on instinct or gut feelings! In a more spiritual term – to be led by the Spirit! Yet some others just want to get on with their job, their family, and making enough money to buy a house, a car, and going on regular holidays. There are very few in between who would spend significant time to think, to exercise their thought life. Their thinking is not about their next meal or how to earn more money and so forth but quality thinking about eternal issues, life issues, and so forth – with the ultimate purpose of knowing all about life, love, and beauty through the providence of the creation of God. They have the innate drive to want to know more about the world that God has placed them in. The healthy development of our mind is very important. An unexamined life is not worth living. We can’t just think without content because it would be a waste of oxygen!

Likewise, intuitions without concepts are blind. Intuition is not a blind leap of faith. The other words used for intuitions are perceptions, instinct, insight, awareness, and sensitivity. Every perception, every insight or awareness of what is around us has a kennel of idea or impression lock in it. We need to unlock the impression, the thought or idea so that our intuitions would not be aimless or blind. We need to conceptualize our perceptions, insight or awareness. Paint a picture of what we see in our mind’s eye. Translate it into simple ideas or thoughts that anyone who desires to know can understand it, who desire to feel with experience it, and who desire the transcendence will find its immanence! Let our thoughts and our insights be like a vast canvas where we can paint on it the substance of what we hope for and the concepts of eternity and the divine.

On that note, we will not be empty-headed and blind! I don’t know whether I am making any sense at all.

Just saying…..

IF NOT US, WHO? IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

I remembered the seventies and the eighties when I was in my twenties,

God showed up in powerful ways, in those days;

Dry bones in the valley were rattling, old traditions were crumbling,

God visited our generation, with deliverance and transformation.

God is challenging this generation TODAY! Are you willing in the day of God’s visitation? Will you offer yourselves freely on the day of His power? Calling the millennials believers – IF NOT US, WHO? IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

I am not asking you to join CONVERSE-LIFE to fulfill your religious duties, to mark your spiritual attendance or even to assure a place in heaven in the hereafter. I am challenging you to enlist in God’s army, a band of youthful, idealistic, ambitious, and creative (even odd to those of other generation) with willing hearts to offer themselves sacrificially – for a greater good, for a greater purpose. There is a call from the Lord to those who would trust in the Lord and partner with Him in a cause greater and bigger than themselves.

Look around us. Look at humanity lost in a sea of hopelessness, aimlessness, and despair. There are many people out there who are lost, who are desperately trying to make a little meaning here and a little meaning there out of their lives. A relationship is fragile. Not even tight friendship can be assured to last a lifetime anymore. Individuality, independence, and self-preservation have taken over.

My challenge to you is to lock arms together to form a new community (a new breed) that is relevant, transparent and honest. A new community that holds on to Truth with a capital “T”, love God with everything, love one another without partiality, not ashamed to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to all who are willing to hear, care for the environment, the poor, the needy and the outcast of society, and not forgetting to walk in the supernatural life that God has given (empowered by the Holy Spirit and endowed with spiritual gifts).

We don’t believe in hype, events, and new methodologies. We believe in the power of God to change lives. We believe in honest relationships. We believe in prayer. We believe in the power of God’s Word. We care. We love. We challenge. We communicate. We dialogue. We converse. We engage. 

REEVALUATING MY LIFE BEFORE GOD

Yet again I am reevaluating my life before God. How do I fare? Have I grown? Have I truly made progress in my spiritual life? These are important questions that we need to ask from time to time. We need to check our spiritual barometer. So what do you think should be the criteria that we use to evaluate our spiritual vitality?

Some people would use daily devotion and quiet time, others would use prayer time with the Lord, and maybe others still would use their involvement in ministry and service for the Lord. Much as I want to think they are all right but the gnawing feeling is that only few could prove that their spiritual vitality is due in large part to such spiritual exercise if taken in isolation. What I mean is that there are people who “boost” of their unequivocal devotional and quiet time each day but shows no sign of healthy spirituality in everyday theology – self-doubt, dissatisfaction, anger issue, fear of losing, hoarders, selfishness, and other attitudes that are not so spiritual. And they have absolutely no clue about it – not even an iota!

I have also seen people going from one prayer meeting to another, “boost” of their many hours of prayer for people, nation, and the spiritual visions that they see frequently but are so spiritually immature when they actually open their mouth. There are many who have spent a lot of time in the prayer room but no firm knowledge of God and His Word. And of course, many serve in the ministry thinking they are trying to fulfill their Christian duty. Serving is no indicator of spiritual vitality either.

I still firmly believe that we need to come to a clear understanding of who God is and what is required of us through His Word. The knowledge of the Holy One brings understanding – but an understanding of who, yes, but to what? I believe that when we intentionally develop biblical knowledge as revealed through the Written Word we come to know the Living Word. Knowing the Living Word would bring an understanding of the plan and purpose of God for mankind in general and for you in particular. It is in this posture that prayer (worship, intimacy, petition, supplication, and intercession) make sense, have depth, and would be in alignment with God’s perfect and acceptable will. I believe it is in this posture that our devotional life becomes meaningful because through it we receive revelation, exercise faith, and see the working of God in and through our lives. Devotion and quiet time no longer is the yardstick to measure our spiritual vitality or discipline but it is because of our relationship with the Father that comes through knowledge of the Holy One and understanding of His ways, that we develop the desire to spend time alone with Him. Actually set time and place are no longer the issues though it is commendable!

Conversely, this can also be said of those who serve the Lord in ministry. It is not how much time we give in serving or what we do in ministry but who we are (our being) in Him. Out of the relationship with the Father, ministry becomes a privilege – we serve because He first served us by becoming a perfect sacrifice for each of us!

Just saying… 

THE LIGHTER SIDE OF FRIENDSHIP

From Left - Chong Leang, Thean Khee, Heok Hee, Heok Cheow, Andy Thum

Once upon a time, long long time ago, back in the good old days, these "five wise guys" spent a lot of their waking hours together. Significant time was spent eating, talking, singing the blues BUT actively serving the Lord too. Back in our bachelor days, our blues were mainly about our girlfriends. It has been said that, of all God's creation, women were the hardest to understand and to comprehend. Therefore, many times our little "congregational conversations" were about the near impossibility of knowing what our girlfriends want and why the "dark cloud"! (If you cannot understand what "dark cloud" means in our context please talk to Yeoh Thean Khee. Search for him on the facebook.)

Actually, our regular meeting up for supper after tucking our girlfriends to bed was very therapeutic indeed. These sessions helped Andy through his bout of gastritis due to self-inflicted hunger because he could not eat and sleep over girlfriend issue! 

It was also very helpful to Thean Khee because his girlfriend has been pursued by some unabashed suitor! He needed the encouragement, a listening ear, a broad shoulder, and whatever hope we can give to him! 

Heok Hee had a long distance relationship. His girlfriend was hundreds of miles away from home, somewhere in the down-under state of Johor, studying to be a teacher. He needed some company to ward off his loneliness. We often caught him in his room reading love letters from her! On the side note (because he would not let us read the letter) we suspected that she might have returned his letter with the scribble of a red ink pen and a bold-letter note at the end of the letter "PLEASE SEE ME!" Of course, it's just our speculation!

Chong Leang and his girlfriend were the perfect couple! You see them you see music all over. They were like hand-in-glove OR should I say like the black and white keys of a piano - flow in and flow out! If there was any dissonant sound in their partnership we didn't hear about it - a very well kept secret! Anyway, for most of us, we were tone deaf, to begin with. 

It won't be fair if I didn't say something about the man with an "all round" ministry. His girlfriend issue was like our Malaysian four seasons - hot, very hot, terribly hot, and stinking hot. Most of the explosions were the result of his stubbornness. Hokkien said, "ka kee cho kwei lai" (loosely translated - he creates the mess all by himself). Thank God it was only the initial stages of their relationship. I was told that he had to work very hard to regain her trust. He prevailed in the end. They got married after 6 long years!

So you see, these five wise guys have a lot in common and a lot to sing the blues about. So it says - birds of the same feathers flock together. All of us, after close to 40 years of friendship, we took this photo at Heok Hee's 60th birthday dinner. We were all married to the love of our lives. We raised wonderful children who called us blessed. Some of us are grandpas now or going to be soon!

We stick together like brothers. We serve God together until today. We see our children serving God. Praise the Lord.

CHRISTIAN INSIDER LINGO

Language is a very powerful thing. In the Christian world, we have a set of words and vocabulary that only those on the inside can understand. If you are on the outside peeping in you will get confused. That was what I thought is happening when unbelievers that attend church finds it hard to understand our lingo. No wonder they find us strange people sometimes. It is already tough to help unbelievers to grasp the abstract truth about God, the fall, sin, incarnation, and justification, and to add words that only the initiated in the faith, the inner-circle, or born-again people uses among themselves can identify is really out of wag! Well, I thought we can change that by being relevant in our usage of language or to contextualize our vocabulary to modern secular terms so that they can hear in understandable sentences all about the precious gospel message. I thought that was a simple task. All would be fine.

But to my "surprise, surprise!" I discovered that within the faith community we have also developed different sets of words and catch-phrases. And they are linked strongly to different streams of theological persuasion within the church! So we no longer have to contend with helping the unbelievers to understand us but we struggle to try to understand each other because we have morphed into a tribal culture based on our pet beliefs. For example, we have a "father heart tribal culture" which uses a lot of "Papa said this, Papa said that" and ideas like love, father’s embrace, intimacy and hearing God seems like an exclusive culture to them - whatever that means is anyone guess. If you are not in the inner circle you'll be lost. Then there are those who have a "super-spiritual tribal culture" and they throw out lots of terms about the Holy Spirit, prophetic pronouncements, and sensing in the spirit stuff. How about the latest one who uses a set of lingo that makes you feel you are a "spiritual leper" and outcast with catch-phrases like - "fore-runners eschatology", "eschatology revolution", "intercessory missionaries", and a large glossary of insider terms and phrases, such as wilderness lifestyle, friend of the Bridegroom, Daniel anointing, eating the scroll, fasted lifestyle, burning and shining lamps, wholehearted lovers, zones of glory, corridor of glory, and many more that could be added.

I am not saying that these people are deceived in their faith but rather cult-like because only those in the inner-circle can understand! I hope I am making sense. I haven’t gone into the glossary of the “hyper-grace tribal culture,” the “prosperity gospel tribal guru”, and a whole lot of other sub-groups!

The gospel is simple. Our faith is simple. It’s NOT being simplistic but simple trust and faith. We create our own language and build a large glossary but we may be in danger of being cult-like. Worse, we think we are very impressive in our propagation, teachings, and proclamation of the gospel but in reality, many people go away more confused or decode it wrongly and fall into error.