A Good and Perfect Gift

TITLE: A GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT
SCRIPTURE: James 1:12-18
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: March 29th, 2014.

12Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Patrick won the jackpot. Alice struck the lottery. Michael received the first prize in a lucky draw. With the winnings, all of them rejoiced. All of them claimed to have been blessed. All of them said that the good fortunes were all gifts from God. With glee, they promised to give a tenth of what they had gained to either a Church, a charity, or some kind of a Samaritan initiative. Of course, we can debate about whether Christians ought to gamble or buy lottery, but that is not the point today. the point is, what constitutes a "good and perfect gift?"

The Lord's Supper

TITLE: THE LORD's SUPPER
SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 11:27-34
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: March 21st, 2014

"27So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world. 33So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions." (1 Cor 11:27-34)

One of the most (if not the most) important sacraments in the liturgical calendar is the Holy Communion, also known as the Lord's Supper. If you are Roman Catholic, you would call it the Eucharist or the Mass. Regardless of the differences in theological opinion, all if not most will agree of its spiritual significance. You may be a Roman Catholic who believes in the real transformation of bread and wine as the physical Presence of Christ.You may be a Lutheran who may not agree with the RCC version's of "transubstantiation," but in the local transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. You may be a Reformed who sees the Lord's Supper more as symbolism or a Baptist who argues that Christ's presence may not be physical but sure is real. You may also be a Pentecostal who refuses to be drawn into the physical presence debate, but insists on the spiritual significance of the whole Eucharist. One thing is for sure, the Lord's Supper, or if you are Roman Catholic, the Eucharist (or Mass) is perhaps the most significant ritual or sacrament the Church can observe and take together. During the days of Paul, there are no denominations that we talk so much about today. Instead, there are divisions. There are multiple parties trying to boast that their faith is better than one another. The Corinthian Church was in a state of disunity and discord.

Paul reprimands them for divisions (1 Cor 11:18). He points out the factions among them. He blames the church for the lack of unity to share and to care for one another. There are disparate levels of wealth, with the rich feeding only themselves and the poor left with nothing. Worse, some even uses the Lord's Name in vain by eating unworthily at the Lord's table with the haves looking down on the have-nots. Instead of coming to the Holy Meal in the Name of Christ, they come in the name of self! Thus, Paul tells them to examine their own selves, lest they are punished with death (v30).

While we do not want to busy ourselves with the denominational differences, it is appropriate for us to observe the spirit rather than the letter of the Lord's Supper. Let me share five common elements of the Lord's Supper which I believe is common ground. The details may be somewhat different according to your religious persuasion, but the general thrust is the same.

Five Signs Your Church Is On Life Support

TITLE: FIVE SIGNS YOUR CHURCH IS ON LIFE-SUPPORT
SCRIPTURE: Acts 2:42-47
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: March 14th, 2014

"42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:42-47)

This week, I ponder on the question of Church and especially those that claim to be on "maintenance mode." I want to argue that "maintenance mode" churches are actually churches on life-support, not maintenance.

In "Mourning the Death of a Church," the writer Angie Mabry-Nauta began with a grim picture of the American Church scene where nine churches close down daily.  Her church was one of them. In fact, one of the comments in the article disturbed me. That person said: "Can't we figure out a way to save our church?" It makes me wonder theologically. Is it not the Church who will be the vehicle to share the message of salvation? If the Church herself needs saving, what hope will there be for others who need to hear the gospel? Mabry-Nauta then compared the dying of the church to the dying of an individual, asking the same kind of questions pertaining to death and dying. How does one desire to die? What is the quality of death? What does it mean to call it quits? It was a tough and emotional struggle for her and for her church that decided to shut down.

Four Pathways to Christian Maturity

TITLE: FOUR PATHWAYS TO CHRISTIAN MATURITY
SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 12:1-3
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: March 7th, 2014

"1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Synopsis: What is Lent all about? Is it about refraining from chocolates or coffee? Is it about fasting till our face turns blue? Or is it about a turning toward an invitation to spiritual maturity? In this week's article, I want to focus on the four pathways of holiness, to learn to live in greater spiritual maturity as well as growing discernment of the ease of entanglement with the worldly; the focus of attention on the Cross; the the joy of perseverance in faith. That we be complete in Christ.

Lent has begun. Ash Wednesday two days ago marks the traditional kickoff with forty days to Holy Week, also known as Passion Week where Jesus entered Jerusalem en-route to the cross.  During this time, many believers make special efforts toward a more intense and intentional doing of one or more spiritual disciplines. It could be prayer. It can be fasting. For the latter, some contributors to ChristianityToday recently checked on the Twitter world to reveal the five most popular things to fast from: "Chocolate, Twitter, school, alcohol, and swearing." When I saw the list, I cannot help but wonder if these people will start swearing again after Lent.

(Credit: ChristianityToday, What to Give Up for Lent 2014?)

A) Lent as Giving Up Some Things?

There is also another list which tries to classify the tweets in terms of categories of things people are seeking to give up during Lent.

1. Relating to Food (30545 tweets)
2. Relating to Technology (9764 tweets)
3. Relating to School/Work (6744 tweets)
4. Relating to Habits (6689 tweets)
5. Relating to Smoking/Drugs/Alcohol (5737 tweets)

As I go down the list, I cannot help but wonder how many of these people are Christians. At the end of the article, I felt something seems amiss. Honestly, these efforts to fast from various things tend to miss the point of Lent totally. The purpose of Lent is not the fasting or the refraining. Neither is it some kind of a contemporary sacrifice of modern comfort so that we can experience a piece of Christ's suffering now. No. Theologically there is no need to do that, for Christ's sacrifice is already all-sufficient. No one can add or subtract from it. That is why Jesus said just before his death, "It is finished." His work of grace and salvation is finished at the cross. The purpose of fasting is to disentangle ourselves from things that easily hinder us from our pursuit of Christ. Looking at Hebrews 12:1, if the giving up of some things during Lent is a way of throwing off anything that "hinders," so that we can run the race set before us, it is a good thing.

Dealing With Personal Failure

TITLE: DEALING WITH PERSONAL FAILURE
SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 12:13-14
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date:  February 28th, 2014

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt fora the Lord, the son born to you will die.” (2 Samuel 12:13-14)

Last week, the Christian world was shocked by the court conviction of David Cho Yong-Gi, founder and pastor of the largest Church in the world, South Korea's Yoido Full Gospel Church. You can read more of it at Gospel Herald, Christianity Today, Yonhap News, Huffington Post, and many others on the Internet. All of them have reported in a manner that mirrors shock and horror at how a prominent and quite respected senior leader to be charged and convicted in a court of law. After all, he is doing God's work right? Others like Bob Rodgers has attempted to supply some background information in order to set the record straight. By doing so, Rodgers has tried to assure the public that David Cho is not as bad as the press reports have made him out to be.

Amid the social media feeding frenzy, many subsequent comments and articles have pointed out to the lack of accountability, the problem with megachurches, the temptation of riches, and the stumbling of fellow believers. I find something rather troubling about how people are suddenly distancing themselves from anything to do with David Cho, Yoido Full Gospel, or any churches or structures resembling the same. A former model and hero of the faith is suddenly ostracized and banished to the pits of the grave of respect. Probably, David Cho will go down the beaten paths of disgrace and embarrassment, just like Ted Haggard, Eddie Long, Vaughn Reeves, and others have gone before.

Drifting Away, Naturally

TITLE: DRIFTING AWAY, NATURALLY
SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 4:23
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: February 21st, 2014

"Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden." (Deut 4:23)

SYNOPSIS: What causes organizations to move away from their original vision? Why do churches often doing things that do not reflect their founding mission? Clue: Forgetfulness is the natural wave to drift us away.

The phrase "mission creep" is used to describe projects that have spiraled beyond their original mission or objectives. Instead of a laser-like focus on the necessary, mission creep has led to distractions and bloated amount of work that may not necessarily reflect the original vision or mission. In business circles, when companies leave their core competencies, they take on strange initiatives that confuse people both inside as well as outside the organization. There is Intel, the semi-conductor companies that bought over an elderly care website in 2010. Ebay bought over Skype in 2005, only to sell it away to another investor at a huge loss. The fanatical mergers and acquisitions happening across all industries are all part of the desire to grow big as quickly as possible. Airlines buy over airlines. Grocery stores merge into one giant corporation. As they do, their mission becomes more vague and the vision more blurred.

Why? Perhaps, leadership transitions and the different styles of management have distracted the organization from their original purposes.

The problem is not restricted to commercial enterprises. It happens too at the Education sector. In 1636, the founder of a famous Ivy League institution put forth this mission statement.

"Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed, to consider well that the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life (John 17:3), and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning."

Holy Smoke! It's Not Fair.

TITLE: HOLY SMOKE! IT'S NOT FAIR
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 1:1-3
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: February 14th, 2014

"1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; 3for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;" (Proverbs 1:1-3)

SYNOPSIS: Kids often cry out "It's Not Fair." Adults too complain about the kind of justice or injustice meted out in this world. The point is, there is a difference between a court of law and a court of justice. This week's article will reflect on this.

At the heart of the human soul is a deep cry for fairness. We hear it from young children. We hear it with teens at high school. We hear it at our workplaces. We even debate and argue over it throughout our adult life. The reality is: Life is often not as fair as we want them to be.

During my college years, I often see ironical cases of how some hardworking friends of mine barely made the grade beyond C. At the same time, there were students who seemed to be playing everyday, who hardly hit their books, who skipped lectures, and who appeared in every way destined to flunk their exams. These students ended up being at the top with a heap of As. Fair or unfair?

Then there is the job hunting period of life. I heard of some dedicated friends with reasonably good results (at least better than mine!) who had sent out hundreds of job application letters without receiving a single reply. Another sent out just a few applications and received job interviews. Fair or unfair?

Idols R'Us

TITLE: IDOLS R'US
SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 10:7
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap 
Date: February 7th, 2014

"Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: 'The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.'" (1 Cor 10:7)

Do idols have power? Are they able to wield a hypnotizing effect on people near them? Can they enter into our souls and take over our lives? Can Christians be demon-possessed?

Not unless we let them.  Sometimes, people give idols too much credit. They think that the idols have inherent power within them that they can simply zap someone into oblivion. They conjure up images of horror movies whereby the evil spirits somehow possess a person and render them zombie-like. Many Christians have also asked whether Christians can be demon possessed. Those who say "yes" will point to the many instances of "impure spirits" and exorcism done by Jesus in the gospels. The disciples also dealt with lots of cases where evil spirits were cast out of people. However, that does not quite answer the question about believers. People can be demon-possessed, but what about Christians?

In pointing out the passage of Matthew 12:43-45 where Jesus teaches us about an unclean spirit having been exorcised out of a man, goes on searching for a place to dwell in. When he finds an empty house, he will then take refuge in it. The logic follows is that there can be only one occupant. If the Holy Spirit is in a believer, how then can an evil spirit reside in an already occupied house?
According to pastors Brian Borgman and Rob Ventura, there is no way the evil spirit can come in unless we let them. Thus, their recent book on spiritual warfare argues for the armour of God to be constantly worn by believers, so that evil will not have any foothold in the lives of believers. My take is, evil spirits cannot reside in the lives of believers unless believers let them. The power of idols is large only if we empower them.

In popular culture, science fiction movies like the Terminator, The Matrix and Battlestar Galactica, are prime examples of how humans let machines run amok, after teaching the machines all the knowledge and information they need. In these movies, we see how machines began innocently as slaves to the human race. Slowly, as the intelligence of the machines grew, as they perfect their self-learning and survival instincts, the machines turned power hungry and started to see human beings as threats to their own existence. Even before these movies, we have the classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey, which essentially is a dark prophecy of how eventually machines became more manlike while man turned more machine like.

The Year of the Horse

TITLE: THE YEAR OF THE HORSE
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 12:5
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: January 31st, 2014

"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?" (Jeremiah 12:5)

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Xin Nian Kuai Le! Happy Chinese New Year!

This week, Chinese people all over the world will be celebrating 15 continuous days of the Lunar New Year, also known to usher in the season of Spring. Today is the first day of the Year of the Horse. Many of my friends are in a "horsing" mood, sending pictures of horses, greetings and good wishes such as 龙马精神 (vigour like a horse) or 马到成功 (may success be speedy), or simply 祝福马年 (Happy Year of the Horse), and so on. One story I read about was on how farmers will choose to rest their horses this year and transfer the workload to their oxen! I don't know, but with so many references being made to horses, I wonder if Gangnam Style will be revitalized all over again. After all, the viral video has the superstar Psy in a galloping posture as if he is riding on horses. Those who are superstitious will flock to various fortune telling experts to try to see what bodes for them in the new year. It is the culture of Chinese people to make sure that only good things are said and done during the 15 days. Negative words or references are shunned to avoid jinxing oneself. One expert even say that the horse is "one of our best friends but you need to train it."

Horses are well described in the Old Testament. It is used as a symbol of power and might (Exodus 15:1). It is a legitimate item for barter trade or transactions (1 Kings 10:29). It is also used as a way to describe gates (Nehemiah 3:28). Psalms use the image of horses as vanity (Ps 33:17). It is used in warfare (Prov 21:31). It is used in prophecy (Zechariah 12:4).  In the New Testament, the horse is a vivid figure on the various judgments poured on the world. The term "Four horsemen" has also been used to signify four major powers. In Jeremiah, it is used as a rebuke to the prophet's lack of patience and resilience. It is also used as a precursor to something more, a preparation for worse things that is to come.

"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out," is a sharp rebuke against anyone thinking of giving up at the earliest battles. I remember running long distance last year at the Vancouver Sun Run. At the beginning, I notice people were giving one another high-fives. They were very chatty with one another. They were upbeat and excited. Once the starting gun was fired, they all ran. Before long, the chats became shorter. With each stride, the distance between the fit and the not so fit became wider. The race became more and more challenging as the minutes ran by. Some eventually were forced to slow down to a walker's pace. Others stopped to catch a breath. A few even decided to just take it easy and forgot about bettering their personal best times. Only the determined pressed on to complete the race in good time. The hardest part of any long distance race is the middle part. I remember how my heart collapsed when after a seemingly long time, with my arms and legs totally exhausted, I saw a signboard that said:

"You're Halfway There!" 

I thought to myself, "What? Another 50% more?" Truly, I heart dropped. Exhaustion got the better of me. Something in me kept me going.

"Finish the race."

That I did. I finished the race, even when the timing was not my best. As I reflected on the verse, it dawned upon me that there is another way to understand it. The second part of the verse, "how can you compete with horses," is a remarkable elevation of men's ability to run and even compete with horses. It means we are created for more. We can do more. We can race with horses. Paul writes with passion about his service for God.

"To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me." (Col 1:29)

We are made for more. With Christ, we can do even more. Such is the awesomeness of our potential. We can compete with horses.

We are made for more, not average. Far too many Christians are content to live under the umbrella of average. They say that they are an average Bible reader, an average prayer warrior, and an average communicator. Why impose an average ceiling on ourselves? Is it not self-censorship of our own abilities? How true is our own notion of average?

Personally, it is an easy and acceptable answer to announce our average status. It is modest. It keeps us in the majority who prefers to be in the safety of the masses. My challenge is this: How true is our own "average"-ness? What if we have been made for more? Are we placing a lid on God's purpose for us?

Jeremiah 12:5 reminds us that competing with fellow men is not the main thing. It is letting that prepare us to race with horses. Perhaps, as we build up a discipline of excellence, we will be preparing ourselves to be more for the Lord. We are not average by default. We are made for more. We can beat the horses.

THOUGHT: "It is understandable that there are retreats from excellence, veerings away from risk, withdrawals from faith. It is easier to define oneself minimally (“a featherless biped”) and live securely within that definition than to be defined maximally (“little less than God”) and live adventurously in that reality." (Eugene Peterson, Run With the Horses, Downers Grove, IL:  IVP, 2009, p22)

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How Technology Distracts

TITLE: HOW TECHNOLOGY DISTRACTS - Part 2
SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 6:24
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap 
Date: January 23rd, 2014

This is Part 2 of my series of reflections on technology and faith.

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24, KJV)

I remember years ago, the American Express company had a marketing blitz with the catchy phrase: "The American Express Card. Don't Leave Home Without It." Created by the advertising giant, Ogilvy and Mather, after the launch of the ad, people automatically remember the connection of the ad to the well-known blue Amex card. Nowadays, it is quite unthinkable to leave home without our cellphones, e-devices, tablets, or digital gadgets. For it contains not only our telephone contacts, the smartphone is our key source of communications, entertainment while stuck in traffic, as well as an important information aggregator and device to update our social media status. For many of us, our daily tagline just before leaving our homes is: "Your smartphone device. Don't leave home without it."

Without a doubt, if there is any one object that describes our era, it will be the smartphone. Behind this lies a potpurri of technology products from software to hardware; from communications infrastructure to the ubiquitous wireless waves; from public to personal; from business to leisure; and so on. With technology, many of us feel more advanced, more in touch with information, and more in control of the things we need to know. The question is, are we really in control of technology or is technology controlling us?

In the July/August 2008 cover story of the Atlantic, Author Nicholas Carr wrote a stunning article: "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Noting that the way people are depending on the use of the popular search engine is affecting the behaviour of people, he asserts that the human brain is fast being manipulated by Google. Simply put, while Google is a boon for people seeking and consuming information, it is a bane when it comes to people actually thinking about the information. As the information deluge continues, people are getting more information but learning less knowledge. People are connecting more but thinking less. People are receiving more answers but are increasingly inept at questioning the truths of these answers. Carr expands his ideas in a book entitled, "The Shallows," which warns us against letting technology do all the thinking, the learning, and the living for us. That is not all, we are reminded that Marshall McLuhan's message that the medium is the message rings true even more today. Carr takes the same stand as McLuhan: