The Church & Society

The following article is a timely wake-up call for all Christians who think they can alienate themselves from situations and circumstances than affect our everyday lives.

One of the saddest things in the church today is perhaps the passive and paranoid culture gripping both the leadership and members in the matter of the church’s responsibility, role and relationship in society.

Many Christians are confused, perplexed and bewildered in the face of challenges in the process of nation-building, particularly in the area of politics. They seem to live in fear of almost anything perceived by them as being anti-establishment, and cling persistently in dread and apprehension to the dictated status quo even if the state of affairs is authoritarian, harsh and oppressive, and violate their rights to freedom of worship and freedom of expression.

Take the case of an incident which involved an article I wrote on the history of a church. To put the history in its context I had to narrate certain political events that took place in the nation. The church leaders became so intimidated by the mere mention of certain opposition personalities that they insisted on removing what they considered as “sensitive” or “seditious” parts.

The joke is that what is written is common knowledge and is included as part of the nation’s history. Certainly, such paranoia is unwarranted and reflect poorly not only on the insecure mental condition of the leaders but more so on their personal faith in the higher power of Jehovah-Elyon and their poor understanding of biblical dialectics on issues concerning the church and state.

It is so unfortunate and sad that such foolishness still exists in this age of the incredible universal mass medium Internet. The Christian faith is not just a matter of the heart, it concerns the head too. It involves the totality of body, mind, soul and spirit. The whole person is involved.

To behave in fear and trembling in the face of challenges and contending situations conveys an expression of insecurity of faith. Even in the face of persecution involving suffering, imprisonment, detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) or even death, we should not waver from our faith and principles, but hold high our heads in dignity as the people of God.

The Lord Jesus has given us a mandate to be salt of the Earth and light of the World (Matthew 5:13) and it is obligated upon us as his followers to exercise these two roles of being salt and being light.

Salt is an element that can be used for preservation, and, as salt of the Earth, Christians are to play their role in preserving the truth of God on Earth. Salt is also used as a cleansing agent, and, hence, Christians must be cleansing agents in society, getting rid of the dirt in the immoral and corrupt political culture in the nation. Salt is also used for giving flavour to food. As such, Christians are to provide a distinctive taste of quality living to those who are lonely, sick, bed-ridden, old, poor, widowed, orphaned, abused and abandoned. Salt is also used for healing. It is therefore the mission of the Christians to bring about healing to those who are sick, not only physically, but spiritually.

As the light of Christ, Christians must expose the evil, immoral and corrupt culture in society, especially in the area of politics. We are not to hide our light but to be visible, vigilant, vocal and vibrant in society, expressing and demonstrating our opposition to what is unrighteousness, unjust, unfair, immoral and corrupt. We cannot close an eye to the improper hanky-panky in the political arena. Of course, as a church, we need to be non-partisan in our political stand, but that does not mean we cannot make value judgment on the agenda and practices of any political party based on our understanding of the biblical teaching on truth, justice, honesty, equality and sins. We need to exercise our citizen role by examining, evaluating and critically analyzing the platforms and manifestos of the contending parties in an election before casting our votes.

As the light of the World, we are like the beacon from a lighthouse guiding souls through the troubled waters of the sea and the storms of life. We cannot deviate on this responsibility. This is especially true of the pastors, elders and church leaders. They should lead by example, not diverge from the biblical injunctions in fear and trembing.

By Thomas Lee Seng Hock

The Church of Oprah EXPOSED

ARE YOU STILL WATCHING THE OPRAH SHOW?

Who Wrote "Precious Lord Take My Hand" ?

THE BIRTH OF THE SONG PRECIOUS LORD

Back in 1932, I was 32 years old and a fairly new husband. My wife, Nettie and I were living in a little apartment on Chicago's Southside. One hot August afternoon I had to go to St. Louis, where I was to be the featured soloist at a large revival meeting. I didn't want to go. Nettie was in the last month of pregnancy with our first child. But a lot of people were expecting me in St. Louis. I kissed Nettie good-bye, clattered downstairs to our Model A and in a fresh Lake Michigan breeze, chugged out of Chicago on Route 66.
However, outside the city, I discovered that in my anxiety at leaving, I had forgotten my music case. I wheeled around and headed back. I found Nettie sleeping peacefully. I hesitated by her bed... something was strongly telling me to stay. But eager to get on my way and not wanting to disturb Nettie, I shrugged off the feeling and quietly slipped out of the room with my music.
The next night, in the steaming St. Louis heat, the crowd called on me to sing again and again. When I finally sat down a messenger boy ran up with a Western Union telegram. I ripped open the envelope. Pasted on the yellow sheet were the words: YOUR WIFE JUST DIED.
People were happily singing and clapping around me but I could hardly keep from crying out. I rushed to a phone and called home. All I could hear on the other end was "Nettie is dead. Nettie is dead."
When I got back I learned that Nettie had given birth to a boy I swung between grief and joy. Yet that night the baby died. I buried Nettie and our little boy together in the same casket. Then I fell apart. For days I closeted myself. I felt that God had done me an injustice. I didn't want to serve Him any more or write gospel songs.
I just wanted to go back to that jazz world I once knew so well. But then as I hunched alone in that dark apartment those first sad days, I thought back to the afternoon I went to St. Louis Something kept telling me to stay with Nettie. Was that something God? Oh, if I had paid more attention to Him that day, I would have stayed and been with Nettie when she died.
From that moment on I vowed to listen more closely to Him. But still I was lost in grief. Everyone was kind to me especially a friend, Professor Fry, who seemed to know what I needed. On the following Saturday evening he took me up to Malone's Poro College, a neighborhood music school. It was quiet, the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows. I sat down at the piano and my hands began to browse over the keys. Something happened to me then. I felt at peace. I felt as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody, once into my head the words just seemed to fall into place:

Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand! I am tired, I am weak, I am worn, through the storm, through the night lead me on to the light, Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home.
The Lord gave me these words and melody. He also healed my spirit.
I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest and when we are most open to His restoring power.
And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully until that day comes when He will take me and gently lead me home
-Tommy Dorsey

Did you know that Tommy Dorsey wrote this song? I surely didn't. What a wonderful story of how God CAN heal the brokenhearted! Beautiful, isn't it?
Worth the reading wasn't it? Think on the message for a while....................hope you will share

If we love God sincerely, then all that we do, think & say will be directed towards pleasing God. But if God is not so important to us, then we will think & seek Him only when we are desperate. Our love for God should permeate every aspect of our ordinary life.

Is politics taboo among Christians?

Is politics a taboo topic among Christians? In certain churches, everytime, a political related topic is brought up, someone would say "no politics please!" It is indeed very sad that that this kind of attitude still exists among certain Christians. They seem to be living on an island, void of any feelings of what is happening round them. Not all issues are political in nature. There are social issues too but somehow politicians have turned them into political issues just to gain some political milage. But are we to be silenced by them? Definitely not! In this respect, it is heartening to note the the Catholic church has been and is still being vocal on the current religious issues affecting our faith. Read here for more.
The common excuse is "What can we do?". Plenty! For a start, register as a voter and if you have, get those who have not, to register. There are groups of volunteers going round to carry out registration. According to the Election Commission (EC) Deputy Chairman, Wan Ahmad Wan Omar in a report dated in January 2010, 4.39 million or some 28% of Malaysians over the age of 21 has yet to register as a voter.
The best way to predict your future is to create it yourself.

Holy Week Sermon Series at TRINITY Church, PJ

The Titles of the Talks are as follows:-
28th. March 2010
8.30 am  - Touching Gods Heart in Worship
10.45 am - The Transforming Power of Prayer
6.00 pm   - The Holy Spirit in Intercession
29th. March 2010
8.00 pm   -  The Firing of Intercession
30th. March 2010
8.00 pm   -  The Essence of Spiritual Warfare
31st. March 2010
8.00 pm    -  Prayer and Spiritual Revelation

Dr. Thomas Chung has a very strong gifting and calling as a solid Bible Expositor 'par-excellence' and is highly sought after both locally and internationally.
He was nurtured in the Anglican Cathedral Choir in Kuching. He read Biochemistry in Montreal Canada and was involved in sacred poly phonic music of the Renaissance. He also had a deep personal experience of conversion. In London, he read Pharmacology and then Medicine and ended up in Christian work with the UCCF (originally the IVF)
He felt Gods call to missions in Sarawak and came back to head the Pathology section of the Medical Department for eleven years and was an elder of the SIB Church in Kuching. He was able to give Biblical input into the two revivals in Sarawak in the seventies and eighties. At present he is involved in expository preaching in Malaysia to various Christian organisations as well as churches and is on the regional committee of the Fellowship of Evangelical Students in Sarawak. He continues to be passionate about the history of the christian music and works part time in Pathology in Kuching.

TRAC-MSF ANNUAL CAMP - 2010

The Methodist Seniors Fellowship (MSF) of the Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) Annual camp was held in Penang Corpthorne Hotel from 9th. - 12th. March 2010. The Trinity chapter of the MSF was represented by the largest continegent 0f 42 participants.
The main speaker for the 4-day camp was Rev. Dr. Simon Chan from Singapore. A meditation through music was conducted by his affable wife.
From the response and the evaluation compiled at the end, the camp was another resounding success. Together with the conducted tour and Penang hawker food, everyone went home contented and a few kilos heavier, but with no regrets. A few rounds round the park will get rid of the extra kilos.
The next camp in 2011 will be held either in Johore Bharu or Malacca.On the second night, the Trinity contingent put up a sterling performance of the Black & White Minstrel Show which was greeted with shouts of encore! encore! The pictures below are snippets of the performance.

An Invitation to a Musical on Experiencing God