Further Instructions

 2Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison– 4that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.  5Conduct yourselves wisely^[b] toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Final Greetings

 7Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant^[c] in the Lord. 8I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

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Today, I want to focus on verses 2-6, and bring up a somewhat touchy/controversial issue…but first, on prayer. 

Paul calls the Colossians to pray continually…to really devote (NASB) ourselves to it.  To be continually persevering, to be steadfastly adherent, to give constant attention–to prayer.  I know God definitely speaks to us through His Word, that is the Bible (the very thing we are doing in these devotions), but all relationships requires communication that is not just one-way but two-way: when God talks to us–and boy does He do that constantly–it means that we gotta talk back!  Even if we don’t know what to say to Him, or how to express it coherently–just do it–pray!  …But hey, don’t get trapped in the “me, me and me” type prayers when it’s about all we want and need from God.  Paul reminds us to give thanks (=praise) to God in our prayer!  And lastly…pray for evangelism, for those who are in places and positions of preaching (this should include all of us, His royal priesthood) so that we can share His good news with unbelievers.

Which brings us to the issue of relating to “outsiders”: how do we do it? 

Consider this: what if a couple (man+woman) came to visit your church this sunday for the first time, really enjoyed the service, but at the end of it had one question for you–”What is your church’s stance on homosexuality?”  How would you answer them?  Would you straight up tell them your church’s position, that is the Baptist General Conference’s position, on homosexuality?  Or recite the passage from Leviticus & Romans that explicitly says it’s wrong?  Or will u act wisely and season your speech with salt and grace, inviting them to experience the grace and power of God to forgive and give them life when they’d repent+accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour?

Often, and I think in most situations in life, there’s more to the question than just being honest about the truth or saying what is right.  We have to “pastoral” in a sense, to see the motivations & understand the actual question that lies beneath the question voiced.

If you’ve been paying attention to the chatter that’s been going on between the reformed/conservative and the pomo/emergent sides, this was the question that was asked of Brian McLaren a few weeks ago.  Basically, McLaren has so far avoided answering the question directly.  Personally, I agree that finding a pastoral response is a Biblical way of dealing with the Question…but considering I lean towards a reformed theology, I also affirm Pastor Mark Driscoll’s responsive question to McLaren– “Do you personally believe that all sexual activity between two persons of the same gender is always a sin?” 

Reading God’s word and sow it deep down into our lives,  is not meant to build up our theology but to change our reality…  And I hope we all answer YES to Driscoll’s question–an overflow of our theology into our reality. that we could bear witness to the power of God for the salvation of those who believe…to give testimony to the great hope for all of us sinners to be made alive in Jesus Christ.

Long post, but to end of, a quote from McLaren’s first post to finish off the story:

Later that week I got together with the new couple to hear their story. “It’s kind of weird how we met,” they explained. “You see, we met last year through our fathers who became . . . partners. When we get married, we want to be sure they will be welcome at our wedding. That’s why we asked you that question on Sunday.”

I just hate it sumtimes when God speaks to me so bluntly…a conviction in my heart and soul about a truth, all the while during a time of confusion, bitterness, unhappiness, trying-to-figure-it-out, lost, angry, mad…

The title of this post is supposed to get you to read the verse in the NASB, the most literal modern english translation there is.  I’d suggest reading the whole verse 12, but the point i’m trying to make, that God’s been making clear to me is this: hypocrisy.  We gotta get rid of it completely.  “Let love be without hypocrisy.”  Or as the ESV puts it more elegantly–”Let love be genuine.”  I don’t mean to judge anybody, except myself.  That such a big part of my worship in song is hypocrisy, that my life worship doesn’t even come close to it.  Seeing this in myself opened my eyes to those close and dear to me who also struggle in this lack of genuine, sincere, honest worship. 

And all this is really shaping my theology for this year’s Campus Challenge worship.  I’m just sick and tired of singing all this great amazing songs of worship, and yet our lives do not reflect what we sing.  I’m just disappointed at what effect it will be to plan all these great sets of songs of praise, if we do not express and confess to our God what we truly feel and live.  It’s just all about being real, u know!?  These songs, this soundtrack that plays…it’s useless futile and meaningless unless there’s a movie, a story, something going on in life that brings true substance and weight to what we say and sing to God, what we do with our hands and feet.

On the way back home, I was listening to an old sermon by Louie G, “Lovers of the King” from the Passion on the Hill 2002 series…and this passage just hit me hard:  1 John 4:7-21

God Is Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Self explanatory….but i’ve bolded/italicized/underlined some things that really woke me up.. just awakened me to the liars we have been at times, hypocrites of being a so-called Christian.

Sighs~ God is love. “Beloved”–as in, “IAMloved”. Thus God loved…He loved us first, and to be known as His, we are simply to love one another. Without this, or if we do this hypocritically, the world will not see His hand at work in our lives, our witnessing will be ineffective to say the least.

anywayz..need to study.

n. Moral anguish arising from repentance for past misdeeds; a feeling of deep, bitter regret.  [Middle English remors, from Old French, from Medieval Latin remorsum, from neuter past participle of Latin remordre, to torment  : re-, re- + mordre, to bite; see mer- in Indo-European Roots.]

It’s what you would feel when you have caused another pain, or in my case, caused a dear–and damn, I mean dear–sibling in Christ to stumble and fall, and barely lift them up, edify or encourage them.

Apparently there is no need to be sorry for such things, but God has convicted me otherwise. So if you think me, feeling remorseful and with a heavy heavy conscience is not the right thing to do, please have a talk with my Heavenly Father, and I am sure He will explain to you how my heart beats and bleeds for the body of Christ, for love, forgiveness and reconciliation between brothers and sisters in Christ, His body which is the church.

I do not want to judge me or anybody else for how strong their faith is–I am simply convicted of the lack of my own.  However, please know this: I am weak, and Christ is strong, and He wants you and I to know that the way to life and glory is through our weaknesses.  To put it bluntly, He ordained all this–all of our weakness and failures–so that the power of our Saviour Jesus Christ may rest on us and be perfected.

In my tired weary body this morning, God spoke to me on all that I must give up in order to follow Him (Luke 14:33).  He wants my everything, and your everything, and He cannot accept anything less than our entirety.  In our lives so entrenched in modern western culture, so often I find myself giving up greed, materialism and the pleasures of this world and take up instead “hard work” and so many good ‘works’ that seemingly make me feel ‘godly’.  But it’s all such a lie.  Anything we do without faith is sin (Rom 14:23); and also in the same way, our faith with works is dead and useless (James 2).  And so I simply beeseech all who read this, to live by grace, through faith.  Let us be continually changed, everyday, by the Sovereign grace of God in His son Jesus Christ our LORD, and let the fruit of us being transformed by His grace to faith be works…good works.

Right now, I just pray that God grant me peace and serenity in trusting Him to carry me through. I am nothing and have nothing and can do nothing apart from Him.  This life is His, and all that happens in it, is also His.  I just hope that He will be all the more glorified in our obedience than our disobedience…coz such descension in the body simply splits the body apart and kills it.  I wanna die to my selfish ambition, self trying and self power, but I want to live to Christ.

“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother… for the kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. …Let each of us please each other for the good of the other, to build him up.  May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

Break our hearts O God, break our hearts
Break our hearts O God, break our hearts
For the sin in our lives, break our hearts
For the sin in our land, break our hearts
                
We cry out, we need Your hand
Come back to our land
We confess, we’ve lived in sin
Please show Your power once again

P.S.-The 2nd part to Internal Transformation is coming soon, I have not forgotten about that…just collecting my thoughts.

10Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions–if he comes to you, welcome him), 11and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15Give my greetings to the brothers^[d] at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

 18I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

—Why ESV? http://www.desiringgod.org/library/topics/word_god/esv.html —

Reading all these names of fellow servants of Paul, it’s amazing to read about what great works God was doing through all these people.  Imagine, one of us writting a letter to Christians in a far of place, say Somalia….and mentioning the names of us who are praying for them, still remembering those whom we’ve touched in the past: it’s quite an encouragement.

There is signifiance I find in verse 17.  We’ve all been taught throughout our years as young Christians that our ministry given to us from the Lord, but in the end, it is up to us to perform it. And just like many of todays issues in this Christian life, we must see that God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility need to work hand in hand.  When God calls us to ministry, it is upto us, as the fruit of being graced by Him, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  From faith, to serve Him obediently with our hands and feet as He’s called us.

Consider your own call to this year’s CC ministry.  I’ve been considering my own, and also in the process, screening candidates for Worship Team.  Many have been graced with the “gifts” of ministry (and musical worship), but only those who are specifically “called” by God will be serving.  Without the call from God, we don’t serve by faith, and anything done without faith is sin.  But knowing we are called to serve and being affirmed of the calling from brothers and sisters, let us obediently let God use us as He rightfully requires.

Gung hey fat choy ;-P

I think over lunch my brain was really ticking and I had a bunch of things to say, but I think a lot of it has slipped into my unconscious already… 

Today, was the 1st day of the Chinese New Year, year of the Dog.  I led the first English Worship @ church the 1st Sunday of the solar New Year, and just led the first English Worship of the lunar New Year… so it’s been quite a privilege to lead my church at such monumental times of the calendar.  Recently, since I took over lead worshipping on our team from Nathan (English Worship Coordinator, Deaon and PK pastor’s kid of our Senior Pastor Rev.William Yung)…week after week, I’ve gotten many words of encouragement and thanx for leading, “good job leading today.”  I’ve always taken a humble attitude towards it, and still continue to do so.  My response: “Yeh, it was alright today, thanx;-1″  Coz honestly, this week, I didnt feel the groove.  Songs I picked out early, and had a theme moving–Lost in the Wonder + Wondering about the Lost.  Friday’s practice everybodyelse was a bit late, so we didnt have much time to rehearse, and didn’t really learn “God of Justice (We Must Go)”, so this morning I ended up counting it out of the set first thing in the morning.

Nevertheless, things turned out gloriously despite my not-totally hotness, maybe because I felt very unprepared even though everything was prepared.  The set went fairly smoothly, the Psalm reading inbetween songs was good, as was the Prayer….and the last song before Dan’s sermon, “I Stand Amazed In The Presence” we ended up singing verse1 + chorus accappella at the end, and then as planned I left everybody standing for like 10seconds in silence after the voices faded out before walking off the stage.  I think I coulda and maybe shoulda left it hanging for a bit longer…but still, the standing in amazement of God was quite an act of worship.

Sharon played fairly well;-2 We haven’t played together for the past 2 times our team was up to lead; her cousin Catherine took over.  On Friday’s practice, it kinda seemed like she wasn’t totally in the groove yet either, but today she sounded much better, I guess after a bit more practice.  We’ve missed her on the team; we’ve got lots to work on for the rest of the term as a team of lead worshippers.  I hope to dialogue more with our team, and with the other worship teams too…in order to figure out a general strategy, a direction we are moving towards, in terms of musical worship.  coz a lot of the times, i’ve a hard time trying to figure it out.  I tried asking the other teams for set lists from the past 6months–and Holly’s team doesn’t have a record…which to me, ain’t too good.  In order to figure out where we are going right now, we need to know where we’ve been.  In terms of songs, especially new ones, it is especially a sign of unpreparedness if we for the reasons of bad communication and not being on the same pag” overly repeat various songs, or for new songs, there is no continuation from the other teams.  All in all, we just need to dialogue I think…to bounce ideas of each other, to plan together (also with Pastor Arthur).

I’ve also been UNinvited to the English Ministry visioning meeting coming Saturday.  apparently, Pastor Arthur & our Elder Jody had a bit of miscommunication, and the meeting is for “English Planning Committee” members only.  and as Cat rightfully noted, I’m not on the Committee!  At first I just thought of it as an invite coz of all that I’ve done for the church, being quite an influential member of the English congregation…but Arthur talked to me a bit today, and clarified that he’s inviting me to join a new committee–the “Think Tank”, strategizing /visioning committee that would come up with / figure out conceptually where God is leading us.  I am humbled, and should take some time to pray/think it through before accepting the invitation…but already, I know God is leading me towards this.

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Have mention this, some good links here on a Southern Baptist perspective and McLaren’s on homosexuality.  Quite the contrast I would say.

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Anywayz, with all the talk in Sunday School on Paul’s theology in Romans…It’s all got me thinking more and more, trying to understand God’s message to us His chosen people.  I’ve got so much input into my heart mind and soul right now, that I need an outlet.  I feel like I can explode.  I don’t have anybody close right now to unleash my heart-thoughts on, nobody whom I’ve found that I can be truly free and open to trust.  I think this is the part that hurts most.  A lot of the times, during a meal, after everybody else is finished and it’s just me sitting there–I ponder and think, but have nobody infront of me to share all THIS that God’s put on my heart.  And with what my mother just wished me, for Chinese New Years…it’s funny, and just ~sighs~ agreeable.

I am praying for an outlet to share my life with somebody, best friend, who would understand me, and support me in all that I am and all that I’ve been called to do.
*I’m praying that it would be you, and for opportunities to share with you.