Remembrance Day 2015

TITLE: REMEMBRANCE DAY 2015
SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 4:9
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: November 11th, 2015.

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them." (Deut 4:9)

It is Remembrance Day today. At 11:11am local time, on November 11th each year, many people observe a minute of silence to remember several things. They remember the terrible consequences of war where many young men died in the battlefield. Whether the nations are victorious or not, right or wrong, young or old, young lives are lost. Husbands, fathers, professionals, students, workers, and young males from all walks of life fought in the terrible wars. In World War I, nearly ten million soldiers from all sides died, together with more than 7 million civilians. All the major countries of the world were involved from East to West. In World War II, the numbers jumped up to more than 85 million casualties of war. Even today, many wars are still been fought in places like the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Thoughts on SG50

TITLE: THOUGHTS ON SG50
SCRIPTURE: Job 12:23
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: August 14th, 2015.

"He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them." (Job 12:23)

Panorama of August 9th, 2015 Celebrations @ The Padang
(Photo Credit: NDPeep)

It was one of the most elaborate celebrations ever for the tiny island nation. It was also a rare long weekend to celebrate 50 years of independence. From the 7th to the 10th of August, many were dressed in red and white, the national flag colours. Singaporeans ought to celebrate this momentous event, which they did. It had been a long and hard journey. I woke up at 4am Vancouver time, in time to catch the last part of the awesome National Day Parade. My wife was sound asleep.

She is Singaporean. I am not. Yet, I found myself enjoying the parade, especially with the six chapters brilliantly told with professionalism, realism, and fond memories. There were so many things I could identify with. I remembered the songs, the campaigns, the landmark events that happened in the country since independence.

This week, I will share about what Singapore means to me. It's a journey through my years in Singapore.

Thank You Mr Lee Kuan Yew

TITLE: THANK YOU MR LEE KUAN YEW
SCRIPTURE:Romans 12:15
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: March 25th, 2015

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." (Romans 12:15)

Sombre streets, sober faces.
Singapore this week looks the same but something feels different.
Painfully different.

From riding on the world-class MRT system, to the humble and reliable buses,
amid the flood of sadness, there is a profound mood in everyone.

Echoes of gratitude for the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

Grateful for the way he fought for the country.
Grateful for the care he showed during calamities, fires, and tragedies.
Grateful for the leadership he demonstrated through the years.
Grateful for the opportunities he provided for families both near and far.
Grateful for the love he shared with his family and citizens of the country.
Grateful for the passion and patriotic spirit in him for Singapore.
Grateful for the years of wisdom and tough decisions made for the greater good.
Grateful for the prosperity and economic miracle he has helped to create.

During such tender moments, tears speak louder than words.
Emotions leaked ceaselessly from people all over the island, even the world.
It is not a time to be shy. It is simply a time to be appreciative.

Since March 23rd, it has brought people out in numbers.
It has evoked global tributes and responses.
It has unleashed emotions at memorial centers all over the island.
It has also squeezed out poetry from people who don't usually write prose.
That speaks volumes about one death. 

There are no words that can describe how many people feel.
Amid the tide of sadness and gloom, I see hope.
That what one man had started will continue to grow.
How one man can do so much and inspire others to do more.

There are many reasons to celebrate the past achievements.
There are more reasons to celebrate the spirit of nation building already seeded in many.
I see the wonderful solidarity among people of different races, religions, and cultures.
I see a nation weeping together and mourning as one people.
I know my late father would have cried. He had been a long-time admirer of Mr Lee.

No words can describe how most people feel today. Only tears.

Come Sunday, as the nation prepares to say goodbye to him,
Some would call him "Founder of Singapore."
Others would affectionately address him as "Ah Kong."
Still many would readily say he's the "Father of modern Singapore."

Whatever the differences, whatever the disputes or policy disagreements,
Let us this week just put them all aside.
Let us simply remember the good that he had done.
Let us also remember that nobody is perfect.
Like all humans, we all have our flaws.

For the critics, remember that we all too have our imperfections.
For the admirers, remember too that he is human, like us.
For the people of Singapore, just remember him as someone
Who had given his best to Singapore.
This is the legacy he has left for us.

May we all learn humbly from him, what it means to live, to love, and to leave a legacy.
For our children, our children's children, and beyond.

Mr Lee's photo and the Singapore flag at half-mast are left in colour
as a way to honour the meaning behind his name,
which is "light and bright."

This Sunday, I am ready to weep with the nation of Singapore.
Whether one wears black, white, sombre colours or not,
It doesn't really matter.
Mourning is a universal expression of sadness and appreciation.

The Bible says, mourn with those who mourn.
Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.
Be comforted, people of Singapore.
We will cry. We will weep. We will remember. 

Mr Lee, sir, I salute you.

Respectfully,

Dr Conrade Yap

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or inquiries. Note that views expressed are personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any person(s) or organization(s).

In Memory of Chua How Chuang

TITLE: In Memory of Chua How Chuang
SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 12:9
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: March 5th, 2015

"9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." (2 Cor 12:9)

Dr Chua How Chuang

Today is a day of much grief. Dr CHUA How Chuang went home to the Lord this morning. He is survived by Kaori and his three year old daughter Airi. He was a fellow Regent alum, who recently returned to Singapore from Hokkaido Japan as a missionary-teacher on behalf of OMF (Overseas Missionary Fellowship). After completing his PhD from Trinity, he was back in Vancouver for a visit. I met him for coffee and it was a really enriching time of sharing and caring. Though he was a scholar-theologian, and I was then a student at Regent, I could sense his gift in pastoral care emanating from his warm tone. We chatted like friends even though we had not seen each other for ages. The last time I saw him was way back in Varsity days. He was a VCF Staffworker then and spoke regularly at various Christian Fellowship events. I knew him then as someone who can speak and articulate biblical truths well. He was a well respected figure at Regent, and I remembered hearing about him being one of Dr J.I Packer's best Teaching Assistants. He was one of those students from Singapore who had held the Singapore flag up high in terms of research quality and academic excellence. How Chuang's thesis was based on the Puritan, Richard Baxter, entitled: "Christ, atonement, and evangelism in the theology of Richard Baxter." Not surprising as Dr Packer is an ardent reader of Anglicanism and Puritans.

Good Friday 2014

TITLE: GOOD FRIDAY 2014
SCRIPTURE: Luke 22:39-46
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: April 18th, 2014

39Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”(Luke 22:39-46)

For many people, it is a public holiday. For stores and shopping malls, it is another day to cash in on shoppers with additional time on their hands and cash in their wallets.  For Christians all over the world, it is a time to remember the deepest angst, the greatest injustice, and the cruelest stroke of undeserved punishment, ever to be meted out on one man. Not just any man, but a pure and innocent man, sinless and completely human: Jesus the Christ of Nazareth. It is the culmination of a week of powerful events. One version of the events are described below: 

Chronology of Holy Week Remembered
Day 1 - Palm Sunday
Day 2 - Cleansing of temple, Cursing of the Fig Tree
Day 3 - Day of Silence, Rest @ Bethany, Jesus Anointed with Nard
Day 4 - The Last Supper and Jesus Washing of the Disciples' Feet
Day 5 - Maundy Thursday
Day 6 - Good Friday
Day 7 - Silent Saturday
Day 8 - Resurrection Sunday!

The Scene at the Garden of Gethsemane

Jesus and his disciples were going to the Mount of Olives. Luke notes it as something Jesus had done often. It was the same place, with the same group of people, but at a special time. A time that will be specially hard, tormenting, disappointing, and downright heartbreaking. In this touching scene, Jesus was recorded to say four things which I will reflect upon this week.

Never Give Up (Remembering My Father)

TITLE: Never Give Up (Remembering My Father)
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 17 Sep 2010

MAIN POINT: Honoring my father with memories.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

I buried my father last week. On an uneventful Wednesday morning, he breathed his last peaceful breath and went home to be with the Lord on September 1st. When I first received the news, my family and I were on a cruise to Alaska with my mum and mother in law. Thanks to a determined travel agent friend, the news was relayed to us on the ship when we were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Frankly, I never realized what it really means to be ‘lost at sea’ until that day, literally and emotionally. With no way to rush home quickly, except through expensive helicopters over the seas of Alaska, I was humbled with utter helplessness.

Stunned, I struggled whether to tell my mum. Silly fears and imagination convinced me to keep the news from her for a few more days. Let her enjoy the rest of the cruise and the Alaskan landscape. She deserved it after being my dad’s primary caregiver for so many years.

Praying together with my wife and children kept us strong. Strangely, my children seemed to hold up better than I do. Maybe it was because they were not as close to their grandpa in his final years. Maybe they were already prepared in their hearts, having seen his condition a few months ago. While my family toggled between grief and relief (he is a stroke patient), we could not but feel deeply saddened about losing him. It is one thing to be prepared for his passing. It is yet another to actually go through it.

I told my mum on the second last day of the cruise. The best holiday of her life had been rudely interrupted.

A) The Funeral
I flew back to Malaysia immediately the day after the ship docked back in Vancouver. My mum spent an additional day with the grandchildren.

I arrived with sadness as the overarching background. My body systems practically shut down. I would get headaches, perhaps from the lack of sleep. I would wake up during strange hours due to the jet-lag effect after flying nearly 20 hours across the Pacific. I had little desire for food. Instead I fought back tears every morning prior to the actual burial. At the wake, one thing is clear: We want to honour our father with our presence. Taking turns throughout the day and night, my brothers and I kept a vigil to watch and pray.

The whole process was slow, painful and noisy. The funeral parlour where the wake was held is a public one shared by people of different religions. On the first night, our neighbour, a Buddhist family and some monks chanted with microphones and loudspeakers. It was hard to listen to our voices singing hymns. The speaker had to compete with the monks as he shared a word of comfort from the Bible. I told myself that we needed to be tolerant. We needed to appreciate the multi-religious makeup of this largely Muslim country. At the same time, I would be saying inside my head:

“Can't you just lower the volume on your speakers?”

One comfort I had is to share the grieving with loved ones. The other was to dance with nostalgia when I visit eating places my dad used to frequent. We hugged. We wept. We talked about our good and bad days with my father.

My father is a simple man, and not difficult to get along with (though my mum will dispute that). A one-dish meal is more than sufficient for him.  He is quiet and says very little about his inner thoughts. I delivered a eulogy on the final night of the wake during the Christian service conducted by elders and pastors from the local church my parents attend.


B) The Hard Years of Survival
My father was born in Malaysia in the midst of WWII. Times were hard. During the war years, struggling to survive and to stay alive is very much the normal way of life. The early years of hardship prepared him to be more resilient and independent from a young tender age. After all, there weren’t many people to turn to when nearly everyone is plodding away as well. The fears, doubts, and the lack of help at that time can be easily described as follows:

“If I help you, who will help me?”

In a every-man-for-himself world, life becomes an unhappy race for survival. Fortunately, my father made a conscious decision to do something about this.

After the War, my father ventured down South to neighbouring Singapore. Armed with only a Grade 3 education, a few belongings (he had little), but lots of courage and entrepreneurial drive, he got himself into the construction business. His determination to succeed enabled him to break through barriers like never before. He received big contracts. He made shrewd entrepreneurial decisions. He married my mum.

The pendulum swings from survival to success. The turnaround has just begun.


C) Fruits of Success & Agony of Failure
As a young boy, it feels good to be chauffeured to school by my dad’s personal driver. Almost every other year, my father changes the family car in order to keep up with the business image expected by his customers. Hard work and shrewd business decisions provide a comfortable life for my mum and the children. We have four square meals and a roof over our heads. I get to go to school. I wish things have remained that way. That is not to be.

For the nasty pendulum swings again, this time for the worse.

The property and construction industry entered into a terrible depression in the 70s. Many people suffered. Companies went belly up. My father became a bankrupt. For an entrepreneur, taking risks is a norm. Great gains and great losses are strange bedfellows. In good times, we would be riding on BMWs and Mercedes’. In bad times, we even have to borrow money to sustain a humble Japanese sedan.

Blame the economic climate. Blame the unscrupulous business partners. Blame the pendulum of life that does not stay still, especially on the good end.

Wealth matters were soon overshadowed by health concerns. Not long after, doctors discovered a tumor growing inside my father’s brain. The prognosis is not good: 3 years they said. He exceeded these projections by more than 30 years.

D) Honoring My Father’s Fighting Spirit
I do not know how my father did it, but he proved to us one thing: A fighting spirit. An attitude that says: “Never give up. Always get back up.”

• He was bankrupted not once, but twice; but he got up.
• When the business doors of Singapore closed on him, he got up by opening the doors of neighboring Malaysia in JB.
• When everyone else says the property market is doomed, my father got up to prove his critics wrong.
• Twice he suffered strokes; still he got up to survive, even able to flip the TV remote control on his own.
• Many times he endured humiliation from living in a bungalow to living in a single room. (I still remember when we moved to JB from Singapore, how difficult life was. The whole family would be staying in one room. I have no place to study except on the narrow balcony of the room overlooking a noisy highway.) He got up from this humble room, and went on own a house, title deed and all.

My father will be very angry to see any of his children complaining about life instead of doing something about it. I can imagine him repeating a rebuke like Jesus to the lame man in John 5:

“Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!”

My father didn’t do a lot of miracles like Jesus did. He just picked himself up, his own mat and he walked. He is not one who easily gives up. Instead, each time he falls, he would get up and try again.

This reminds me of the spiritual masters. The secret to spiritual growth is like this:

“I fall down. I get up. I fall down. I get up. I fall down again. I get up again.”

My dad did exactly that. My father got up again and again.

E) A Final Farewell
Since his early years of hardship, my father has pledged he would never allow the next generation to suffer the same manner he suffered. He would make sure his children gets the security, the education and the needed roof over their heads under any circumstances. I pledge to continue this legacy.

Most importantly, his fighting spirit tells me not to succumb to the erratic swings performed by the pendulum of life. Why should we let our moods be dictated by mysterious pendulums to define happiness in terms of survival or success? No. We have Christ. My father may not have been a religious man to fervently proclaim Christ in his lifetime. Yet, he does what a good father would have done: Love his family. That in itself is doing the will of God.

I recall the words of the former Anglican Archbishop in Western Australia, George Appleton.

“Death is part of the future for everyone. It is the last post of his life and the reveille of the next. Everywhere men fear death – it is the end of our present life, it is parting from loved ones, it is setting out into the unknown. We overcome death by accepting it as the will of a loving God; by finding Him in it. Death, like birth, is only a transformation, another birth. When I die I shall change my state, that is all. And in faith in God, it is as easy and natural as going to sleep here and waking up there.”
(George Appleton, Journey For a Soul, Glasgow: Fount, 1979, p53)

Finally, I take comfort in the words of Paul writing to the Church in Rome.

“If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living.” (Romans 14:8-9)

In true fashion, if my father can say anything right now, he would be saying to his family, and all his loved ones:

“After burying me, grieve if you need to. Cry if you have to. Mourn if you want to. But after that, get up. Pick up your mat and walk. “

My youngest brother wrote in his Facebook these words the day my father passed away. “If I can, I will gladly be your son again.”

Together with him, I echo this exact sentiment. My brothers, my mum, my aunties and all family members, if there is one lesson my father wants us to learn: “Never give up. Always get back up.”

I will remember you. May I honor you to continue this fighting spirit you have shown to never give up. You do not have to get up again. Christ will do that for you.



Your son.


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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries.

Living Tomorrow's Hopes Today

Title: Living Tomorrow’s Hopes Today
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 5 May 2010

Main Idea: If not today, then when?

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Gal 6:9-10)

I remember Kendal sitting at the front checkout desk of the big spanking brand new library at Regent-College. She has a natural smile and makes an excellent front desk person to help library patrons check their books out. I work at the library too, supporting the computer systems that keep the catalogs and other systems up and running. Sometimes, I interrupt her duties in order to work on the front-desk computer. When nothing else exciting is happening, we chat. Kendal is at that time newly married to a fellow Regent student, also working at the library. Soon, Kendal gives birth to a beautiful baby boy.

Just this week, I hear that Kendal has gone home to the Lord. It was April 2010. ‘Shocked’ is an understatement. My heart goes out to David, her husband, and also to Isaac, the young toddler. I never expect Kendal to leave this world at such short notice. In a way, there is a tint of remorse in my heart. I ask:

“Have I said a kind word to her? Have I blessed her previously? Have I prayed for her and her family? Have I done a good deed today in the Name of the Lord?”

Unfortunately, ripples of regret do little to comfort the sudden news splash. This week, I feel disturbed as I ask myself if I have been missing opportunities to do good, especially to those of the household of faith.

Have I done a good yesterday, that I will be thankful today? Have I made the fullest use of my opportunities then, to love people, for I may never get the chance to care for them next time? Like Helen Rowland says:

"The follies which a man regrets most in his life are those which he didn't commit when he had the opportunity."

A) I AND THOU
Martin Buber, Jewish philosopher is best known for his book entitled “I and Thou.” The circumstances that surround the writing of the book, “I and Thou,” stems from a tragic event. Born in Austria, he came to Palestine in 1938, before the horrible events of World War II in Europe. About that time, a young German soldier came to him for advice. This young man was a pacifist at heart, bent against fighting any war. He had just been drafted to serve the Nazi army, and he could not consciously agree to becoming a soldier of war. He came to Buber for advice. Unfortunately, Buber was too engrossed in his own work, and quickly dismissed him, saying something like:

“Why are you bugging me? Do whatever you think is best.”

Disillusioned, this young man subsequently took his own life.

The news shocks Buber. Upon re-examining himself, he realizes that he is too selfish. He needs to become more other-centered instead of self-centered. He wants to learn to look out instead of looking in. The result is a book, that not only turn his life around, it made him famous too. “I and Thou” essentially talks about relationships. Buber says that there are 2 kinds of relationships; one that sees people as ‘objects’ or I-It, and the other that sees people as ‘subjects,’ or I-You.

B) OBJECTS (I-It) and SUBJECTS (I-You)
In I-It relationships, we treat people well only when they are a means to our ends. When we see people as objects, it is like asking:

• “What use does this person (it) has for me?”
• “What can I gain out of this person (it)?”
• “How do I exact maximum leverage from her (it)?”

Buber muses:

“In other words, insofar as a human being makes do with the things that he experiences and uses, he lives in the past, and his moment has no presence. He has nothing but objects; but objects consist in having been.” (Martin Buber, I and Thou, NY: Charles Scriber, 1970, p63-64)

When one uses a person like an object, that person is likened to an inanimate object, dead in the past. It cannot live in the present or the future, unless a new ‘use’ appears. Such an attitude is deplorable, even inhumane. I think about my relationships. If I go look for a friend only because he/she has something I want, I will be treating that friend as an object.

On the other hand, in I-You relationships, we look beyond ourselves to embrace what it means to be humans, not machines. We ask:

• “I know how I feel. How about you?”
• “This thing does not mean much to me. I am interested however about what it means to you?”
• “Can I help you?”

Society has often reduced us to a measly number, like our age, or our weight and height. It categorizes us numerically based on things like our sex or ethnic group. In censuses around the country, we get reduced to a miserable statistic. Worse, if the neighbourhood we are in is too small, policy makers will conveniently ignore us, in favour of a bigger town a few miles down the road. This world runs on numbers, and numbers turn people into objects.

C) Cultivating a I-Thou Relationship
How do we cultivate a I-You relationship that sees one another as people first, people second, and people third? Does that mean we cannot ask for favours from anybody?

No. I am not saying that we cannot seek out help from people. What I am saying is that we need to learn how to behave as people, by first connecting ourselves with the Divine God. When we are sinners, we are prone to using people as means for our own ends. We need to repent. We need to ask God to forgive us, and to renew us to become I-You people instead of I-It machines. The way is to cultivate a I-THOU relationship.

This is because, unless we learn to accept the grace of God, that God is our first neighbour, we will find it hard to practice sacrificial love and extend grace. For man is empty. Man is sinful. Man has nothing to offer in the first place. That being the case, man needs God to fill him up. Man needs to be reconciled with God. Then they can be reconciled to each other. As we learn of Jesus, and his sacrificial love, we will want to follow Christ, to be the person that Christ created us to be in the first place.

Then and only then, we have something to give to others, especially our fellow neighbours on earth.

If we do not have a healthy relationship with God, we will be seeking out the world to fill our empty tank. We will be searching the globe for inferior supplies, like seeking waters that do not quench, or food that does not satisfy our hunger.

I cannot emphasize this well enough. Without God, we can do nothing.

D) Relationships is like Planting Seeds
Friends, what are our relationships made of? Is it made of objects where people around us are given to us to satisfy our wants? Is the wife there merely to satisfy the cravings of the husband? Is the husband there to merely provide the financial income to pay bills? Is the friend a friend only when he/she does what WE want? Do our children exist simply to do what parents want them to do?

No! Let us start with repentance toward God. We love because Christ first loved us. We forgive as Christ has forgiven us. We serve because Christ has served us. Draw near to God. He himself will draw you near to Him. In this living relationship, as we lift Christ up high, let us rejoice to see Christ draw all men to him. If God be gracious, may God use us as a conduit to direct people’s attention and focus to God. then we learn to see relationships with new eyes.

At a recent seminar in North Carolina, Billy Graham and his wife Ruth were celebrating their 60th Anniversary. Someone asked Billy about Ruth’s struggles over her with her health problems. Billy replies with twinkling eyes:

“Ruth is doing just fine. She’s in a wheelchair now and can’t get around too well. So we continue our romance with our eyes." (quoted in Kathie Lee Gifford’s Gentle Grace, MI: Inspirio, 2004, p148)

Instead of looking at the faults or the 'have-not's, why not look at the merits, and the 'have's of the people we meet with? We do not need to look at the faults of fellow humans, and complain about them. We can learn to see with the eyes of love, seen through the eyes of God. Like Billy Graham, why should we despair over the agony of seeing Ruth's handicaps? Instead, we can still encourage one another with twinkling eyes. Such eyes reflect a healthy inside, even while our outside is weakening or decaying.

In this way, let us not look back with regret over the things we have failed to do. Let us look back with thankfulness. Let us look forward with hope. For the present, let us be faithful to God, by being faithful with our time, our resources, and our readiness to love, to care and to pray for each other.

I pray for Kendal’s family. I thank Jesus for the life she has lived on this earth. May the Lord’s peace be with her family. Most importantly, Kendal’s passing has taught me, that I need to love all as much as I can love NOW, to serve all as much as I can serve NOW, and to relate to all, as much as I can NOW. For those of us who procrastinate, and frequently says not-yet, let me ask: “If not today, then when?” Tomorrow may never come. Let us instead live our present days, in a manner that expects Jesus will come soon.


Thought: The fruits of tomorrow will come from the seeds of TODAY. Have you planted a loving relationship today?


Sabbathwalk

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries.

When We Are Discouraged

Staying Up When One Feels Down

“But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.” (Exodus 1:17)

This week has been rather challenging. There are projects to work on, books to review, people to meet, and obligations to keep. While these things do not normally stress me out, mood swings do. They amplify the smallest speck of error. They intensify a simple task into one big chore. They can petrify the meek in spirit into a weak midget. Like a microscope, tiny organisms normally invisible to the naked eye suddenly become huge trolls that threaten to jump and engulf everything that we ever stood for.

Do not be surprised. Even people like me, who are trained in theology, pastoral care and Christian spirituality do get discouraged. Like rains that fall on the whole land, no one is immune from the treacherous tentacles of discouragement. When caught, one of the first things that gets squeezed out of us is hope. As I was praying, and needing some encouragement, I was led to Scripture. I asked, “How do people in the Bible cope with discouragement?”

I decided to read Exodus, to see how the Hebrews cope with Egyptian persecution. It is so ironical. After years of prosperity and fruitful multiplication, the Jews who were welcomed with open arms during the reign of Joseph, suddenly become the scum of the Egyptian hierarchy. The Bible did not specify the exact date, but we can estimate based on Exodus 1:6 that this period is after the demise of Joseph and his brothers, and their entire generation. Hence, we are dealing with a new generation who not only did not know Joseph, but sees the immigrant Jews not as a valuable asset but a huge liability. They forgot that it was through Joseph, that Egypt was used as a channel to save both Egypt and its neighbours from a devastating famine. The Pharaoh forgot who is Joseph. The Egyptians forgot how the Jews have blessed them economically. Such absentmindedness made the Egyptians exchange a hand of friendship for a fist of oppression. In the midst of rising persecution, there is a group who remembers the Source of all life, the God of all nations: the midwives.

Imagine having received an imperial order and willfully chose to disobey it. It is like Rahab who told a lie to keep Joshua’s spies from capture (Jos 2:4). It is like the Magi who chose to trick Herod to protect baby Jesus from being apprehended and killed (Matt 2:16). It is already hard to do the right thing all the time. However, to do the right thing at the risk of being caught and prosecuted takes courage. Like the midwives, Rahab, and the Magi, doing the right thing, and doing it the right way requires godly fear. Let me first deal with two other forms of fear.

Firstly, doing the right thing can sometimes be motivated by fear of earthly powers. It is like fearing for our jobs if we disobey the top bosses. It is like fearing for our lives when we defy vicious hooligans and gangsters. It is like fearing for our relationships if we do not please their expectations. Sometimes, these fears can drive us to perform better. Other times, it sucks the joy out of us, and pumps us back with feelings of being coerced, forced to do what we do NOT want to do. Their actions are clothed with fear of earthly powers.

Secondly, doing the right thing can sometimes be motivated by a higher purpose. It is like a boss who tells his employee to falsify the accounts before the auditors arrive. It is like Schindler who deceived the Germans so that he can protect the Jews he is sheltering from imminent death. It is like fearing a loss of our own sense of righteousness. Backed by higher principles, we justify defying the higher authorities. However, what if we got caught, and our family members get implicated in the process? Will we then back away from our ‘higher’ principles so as to save our loved ones? Highly principled actions are driven primarily on the basis of refusing to break personal values. Sometimes, actions that flow from higher principles resemble more of a negative fear of breaking them rather than positive desire for keeping them.

Fear of God
The first two types of fear have something in common: they do not last.

The midwives in the first chapter of Exodus did what they knew best. Their actions are driven by godly fear. Godly fear is not something that happens because one is afraid of retribution by worldly powers. The midwives were clearly risking themselves and their families to defy the greatest power in Egypt: Pharaoh. John Bunyan, (author of Pilgrim’s Progress), in his treatise on the fear of God, reminds us that fear of God has many faces. It is the beginning of wisdom. It is the utterly detesting sin. It is fully embracing the love of God. It is also that keen awareness of the trickeries of the evil one. I believe the actions of the midwives reflect all of them.

The feeling is strange. I started off feeling downtrodden. After reading and reflecting on the simple and courageous faith of the midwives, I felt the motivation to look not just inward (due to fear), or outward (due to principles), but upward (godly fear).

David Livingstone’s life (1813-1873) is an example of one that burns for God. As a missionary to Africa, he has witnessed countless difficulties and hardships. His physical body bore the brunt of the harsh environment. When he was invited to speak back in his homeland in Glasgow Scotland, he walks with his broken shoulder slumped, half-deaf, half-blind, but fully alive in God. He gave his all to share the gospel with many in the Dark Continent. A medical doctor, he battled against the terrible illnesses afflicting the poor Africans. Sometimes he succeeded. Other times not. Yet, one thing remained. He held the God’s promise close to his heart, that Jesus is always be with him (Matt 28:18-20). Indeed, the verse commonly quoted by people pursuing the Great Commission tends to focus too much on the ‘Go ye therefore,’ and not so much on the ‘Lo! I am with you always.’ May I humbly suggest that the key to godly fear, lies in the reverse. We go forth in faith, be uplifted in love, knowing that God is with us. Always.

Thought: If you are to list all your current pursuits, concerns and anxieties and label them either as “Fear of earthly powers,”, “Fear of betraying one’s principles,” and “Fear of God,” which list is longer?


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Stress, Distress, Bless

A Special Edition of Sabbath Walk (incorporating a brief remembrance of Brother Eric Tan)

“In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me…” (Jonah 2)

The Presence of Stress and Distress
It is common knowledge that stress is a big and growing part of an adult life. Even kids nowadays have experienced pressures like never before. Some children get ushered quickly into adult demands when they exhibit ‘special’ gifts, like math prodigy or music gifting. It is sad when a child is not allowed to be a child, simply because he or she has qualities treasured by the grown-up world. Mentally, adult life at work can be extremely demanding. Emotionally, trying to balance our responsibilities to family, accountability to work and church can exact a toll to a previously carefree life. Physically, stress can weaken the body, exposing one from simple things like headache to more serious cases like stomach ulcers, even strokes. Those of us in ministry work are also not spared. Ministry to people is tough. Some even said that ministry demands can be higher. One of my seminary professors jokingly said to the class that if we have a choice to avoid ‘full-time’ ministry work, avoid it. Working with people can be more challenging than machines like computers. Stress can lead to anxiety. Worry can lead to distress. Who can we call? Who is our hero?

In my childhood days, I remember reading fairy tales where a beautiful damsel in distress waits for a knight in shining armor to rescue her from the evil witch. The plot is usually attractively laid out, with the damsel describes as beautiful, the knight as handsome and concludes with a ‘happily-ever-after’ ending. The lady has to call, even to cry and then to wait for her rescuer to turn up. Fairy tales makes our hearts feel good because the heroes and the good guys always win. Who can the damsel call? The knight, of course.

Adulthood is different. Tales now become reality where it is more like M Scott Peck’s famous words: “Life is Difficult.” Both employment and unemployment come with some tension, the former with meeting expectations of the company, the latter coping with expectations of society. A insensitive boss? Power hungry colleague? An unreasonable customer? A frustrating job interview? Marriages go through tough times too. Parent-teen relationships can be pretty rocky sometimes. These little tensions in life when amalgamated resembles a ticking time-bomb waiting to implode. Adult tales can be highly complex, often with unpredictable endings, like a lottery win, business failure, customer win, collapse of one’s dreams, or sudden death. Who are we gonna call? Stress-busters?

The Presence of God
Jonah is a prophet who ran away from his call. Instead of preaching repentance to the city of Nineveh, Jonah headed in the opposite direction. Yet, God followed him to Tarshish. God followed him via the great wind (Jon 1:4). God was present even as they cast lots on who to bump overboard. God was present with Jonah in the great fish (Jon 2:1a). In that moment, Jonah cried out to the LORD waiting nearby and was able to say, ‘he answered me’ (Jon 2:1b). Think about it. After all the running away, all it takes is a simple call, a gentle request and the multitude of God’s love and presence comes storming in. Jonah was able to sense not only the answer of the LORD, he hears God in the deepest grave (2:2). He knows that God listens to him even at the bottom of the ocean. He feels the presence of God amid the stormy waves sweeping around him. The beauty of it all is, before Jonah called, God is already there.

Remembering Eric Tan (1961-2009)
This week, we remember brother Eric Tan, who passed away in Malaysia at a tender age of 48. The passage of Scripture accompanying the funeral service was from 2 Tim 4:7, a special credit to a life well-lived:

“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”

From the reading of Jonah, we can picture how God has been with him. As Eric was fighting the good fight, the LORD was with him. As he was finishing the race through his respective work responsibilities, the LORD was also with him. As he played his last badminton game in Kuala Lumpur on the 12th July 2009, even as he breathed his last breath, he kept the faith, knowing that the LORD was with him.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, the LORD’s presence is the best comfort we can ever receive. During the times of stress, as the LORD has been with Jonah, he will be with you. In places and situations of great distress, the LORD is there. As you sense the presence of the LORD, take off your shoes, for where the LORD is, the ground that you are standing is holy ground. Bless him.

Join with me to honour God with this song:

“Come bless the LORD. All ye servants of the LORD.
Who stands by night, in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands, in the holy place.
And Bless the LORD. And Bless the LORD.”

Thought: What comes to mind during times of distress? Do you feel alone amid the pressures and demands all around you? Who walks with you? Perhaps, during such moments, it is not doing more or working less. It is the recognition of the unseen person, the Good Shepherd who walks with us. Whether we ascend the mountain of doubt, or descend the valley of darkness, or simply feeling stuck in-between, God is present with us.

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