Movie Review: Silence (2016)

To watch this show, you can purchase it HERE (contains my Amazon affiliate link when you purchase).

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Silence is beautiful yet haunting. It left me with more questions than answers. What would I have done if I were in the same situation as the Jesuits? Would I have stepped on the fumie (image of Jesus) to save myself and the other suffering Christians? Or would I have refused and become a martyr?

Like Rodriguez, it is too easy to be overconfident that we would never budge. How would we react when we listen to blood-curdling screams by Christians as they are tortured because of us? I’m not sure. Will our external bravery crumble to internal weakness?

There is an insightful article by Philip Yancey on Shusaku Endo’s novel. Endo was drawn to the Christians who apostasized, not those who died gloriously. He wanted to explore how it felt for those who forsook the faith.

It reminded me of Simon Peter who denied Jesus thrice to avoid death (Luke 22:54-62). Peter was confident that he would not fall, much like Rodriguez: But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” (Luke 22:33). Jesus predicted otherwise. Despite Peter’s failure, Jesus tells him, “When you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

For those who apostasized, Jesus offers hope and reconciliation. In the movie there was a shifty Japanese man named Kichijiro. He betrays the Christians. He steps on the fumie each time and goes free. But, he is guilt-stricken and seeks absolution. Rodriguez, though reluctant, chooses to forgive him. He realises how hard it is to love someone like Kichijiro. It’s so hard to be like Jesus.

Rodriguez felt the silence of God while he and other Christians suffered. Was it futile to pray? Was anyone listening? How could a good God let these people suffer so horribly? These questions are still asked today. Is it right that we ask God to remove all our sufferings?

Near the end of the movie, Rodriguez realises that Jesus was not silent. Jesus was there with them in the midst of their suffering. Jesus understands their pain as he experienced pain and rejection too.

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Isaiah 53:3

Jesus was despised and rejected. He experienced great suffering. He knows what those persecuted Christians were going through. He grieved as they were drowned, burnt, hung upside down in cesspits and beheaded. Jesus suffers alongside us in more ways than we can ever imagine.

I’m ambivalent if the voice that Rodriguez heard was indeed Jesus. Would Jesus had asked Rodriguez to step on him? Didn’t Jesus say this?

Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.Matt 10:32-33

How are we to explain these verses in light of Peter’s denial, Judas’s denial and Japanese Christians who apostasized? Clearly, it does not mean that once a person denies Jesus, he is eternally condemned. There is a chance for restitution as seen in Peter’s case. Maybe that is why Kichijiro keeps on seeking Rodriguez for confession. He knows he is too weak to resist temptation and needs strength. Rodriguez ends his life as a Buddhist scholar. We can only conclude that salvation belongs to our God and only He knows what is in a person’s heart.

In summary, Silence leaves us with a picture of what Jesus did for us. He suffered more than any of the Christians suffered. If there was ever a moment God was truly silent, it was when Jesus cried out on the cross:

“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)Matt. 27:46

For us, God was never silent. We just weren’t listening.

Reflections on Shepherding: “He makes me lie down in green pastures”

He makes me lie down in green pastures…

Psalms 23:2

In his most famous Psalm, David reflects on God as his shepherd. We are his sheep of his pasture (Ps. 100:3). I’d like to reflect on the second verse and what it means for those of us in ministry.

A shepherd needs to lead his sheep to find fresh green grass everyday. Once sheep graze in an area, it becomes barren for a while. Thus, the shepherd must search for a new place with green pastures. A website on the duties of a modern-day shepherd writes:

As the sheep eat all the forage in an area, the shepherd will move both the sheep and his living quarters to fresh range. In most cases, the shepherd and his dogs will move the sheep out to fresh grazing each day and bring them back to bed down in the same area each night.

This takes effort on the part of the shepherd to find new sources of food for his sheep. God is like that. He finds us green pastures to graze on daily. But sheep are dumb and prone to wandering. So sometimes, he needs to “make us lie down”. David Pawson, noted Bible teacher, once said that sheep’s legs need to be tied down to make it stay put in that pasture to feed. Let us thank God as our shepherd who feeds us daily. He knows exactly what we need if we let him lead us to “green pastures”. Don’t be angry if you’re “made to lie down”!

As ministers and shepherds of our flock, we need to bring our people to fresh green pastures. We have to work at preparing sermons that are not recycled or copied from some others. As we know our sheep, we love them and want the best for them to feed on. It will get harder to churn out new material every time but for their sake, let us do it! Remember that we are merely stewards of God’s flock and are accountable to the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4).

 As a shepherd we have to speak some hard truths to our sheep. We have to “make them lie down” whether they like it or not. It takes courage and gentleness to teach the doctrines of God consistently and faithfully. Your congregation may not thank you but you know that is exactly what they need to thrive spiritually.

​Reflection on 2016 : Fantastic Adventure In Trusting Him (Faith)

After I terminated my PhD last year, I felt lost. We know that when God closes a door, He opens another door. It’s a nice cliché. What people don’t tell you is that there’s a lag time between. A time for waiting on God.

That lag time is critical for faith to be built. God often reveals only the next step. As Psalms 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” In the old days, an oil lamp could only illuminate a few feet ahead. Just enough for the next step and then more light for the next. (If you play computer games, it’s called ‘fog of war’)!

As we take the first step, God leads us to the next. The journey seems long and even endless. Where is the door? Where am I going? Even when we can’t see ahead, faith leads us in full assurance that God knows what He’s doing.

God led me this year to join a seminary, Trinity Theological College. I had other plans but God closed the doors. I realised that we have to keep moving and not stand still. It’s hard to move a stationary vehicle in another direction. But if a vehicle is already in motion, it can be easily redirected. With faith, we move forward but must hold on to the wheel gently to allow God to turn us if necessary. He may have seen the dangerous cliff edge just beyond our vision.

That is faith. A fantastic adventure in trusting Him. Even when life seems headed nowhere, we trust that God holds the future. No song captures it as beautifully as the old gospel hymn “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow”. It was written in 1950 by Ira Stanfill after his wife divorced him. He could not understand why as he served God faithfully. The second stanza declares:

I don’t worry o’er the future,
For I know what Jesus said.
And today I’ll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

The Sunday-Monday Transition

There are different kinds of transitions: Career, Education, Marital status. How you deal with transitions can make or break you. One of the most crucial transitions that is neglected is the Sunday-Monday Transition.

How do you transition from Church on Sunday to Life on Monday? Some may not even realise there is a transition at all. If there isn’t, something’s missing. What happens on Sunday should help you when the rubber hits the road on Monday.

No illustration of the Sunday-Monday Transition is better than the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. Before the parable is given, a lawyer asks Jesus a question:

Luke 10:25-27

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Notice the lawyer quoted the greatest commandments: Love God and Love Neighbour. These two components are inseparable. One cannot claim one and deny the other. Both go in tandem. Jesus then tells the parable and I will only focus on the first half:

Luke 10:30-31

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.”

The road led down from the temple in Jerusalem to Jericho. A man, probably after worshipping in the temple, took that road to go home. But he was beaten up and left for dead. A priest came down the same road. Would he help the man? He didn’t. What went wrong?

This is the Sunday-Monday Transition. The priest was done with temple sacrifices and thus was not rushing off to his priestly duties. Maybe he was worried of defiling himself but that would not be a valid excuse as this was a fellow Jewish compatriot who needed help. Wouldn’t a priest know better?

The priest fulfilled the first part of the command – loving God by going to the temple. But utterly failed the second part – loving his neighbour. Remember that I said these two parts are inseparable. The priest’s failure to love his neighbour showed that his love for God was not real too. How we love God on Sunday should affect how we love our neighbour s on Monday.

Navigating this Sunday-Monday Transition requires humility to admit that we don’t love God as much as we claim. We need his help to love others too. How wmuch we love others is in direct propprtion to jow much we love God. May God open our eyes to our true state and bring us to love Him more so we can love others more.

“Trouble will not rise up a second time.”

Nahum 1:9
What do you plot against the LORD?  He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time.

In the book of Nahum, God promises Israel to destroy their enemy. Israel’s brutal treatment by the Assyrians of Nineveh has not gone unnoticed. God will repay and wipe out Nineveh with a flood.

God assures them that the devastation is “complete” and “trouble will not rise up a second time.” I love that phrase – Trouble will not rise up a second time. Though the Assyrians troubled Israel the first time, there will not be a second time. Why? Because it will be completely destroyed. Not a remnant will be left to cause anymore problems.

How does this help us today? We as Christians have been enslaved by Satan and sin. After Christ’s redeeming work on the cross, we have been released from the devil’s grasp. The author of Hebrews declares:

Hebrews 2:14-15

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself (Jesus) likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

Jesus has destroyed the devil. This doesn’t mean that the devil is annihilated but that his hold over us is gone. There are two more effects: 1) We are no longer slaves to sin, 2) We need not fear death. Why not? Because Jesus intercedes for us as our great high priest. A few verses later, we read:

Hebrews 2:17

Therefore [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Propitiation is a technical term to mean that Jesus makes peace with God for us through his sacrifice. God’s wrath has been appeased because of what Jesus did and continues to do for us in heaven. As Israel has been delivered from the hands of Nineveh, believers have been delivered from the hands of the devil! The same promise remains as it did hundreds of centuries before: Trouble will not rise up a second time.

God has promised that the devil will not be able to cause problems for us a second time. In popular lingo, the devil ain’t got nothin’ on you! The only way that the devil can touch you is if you reject God’s protection and Jesus’ work. I believe that you are saved only if you choose to remain in Christ! Once you step out from God’s circle, you are fodder for the devil. Yet, if you remain in Christ’s atoning work and aim to live a godly life, trouble will not rise up as second time. What’s your decision today?

Reclaiming Patriarchy

Ever heard of patriarchy? Maybe not. Let’s try something more familiar. Feminism? You know that one don’t you! Feminism makes the case for equal rights for males and females in every part of society. Patriarchy maintains that males should have authority over females. Thus, both ideas are in direct conflict.

What I’m unhappy about is that males don’t speak up for patriarchy. Feminism has become an accepted societal norm due to its vocal stance. Whereas anyone who supports patriarchy is labelled as an MCP (male chauvinist pig).

We need to reclaim patriarchy especially in our church and homes because it is biblical. I’m not an MCP. I believe male and female are equal before God since they both bear His image. But I do not believe their God-given roles are interchangeable. God has made each gender very different in biological make-up and character. They complement each other.

When feminists claim that females can do any role that males can do, problems emerge. I’m not saying that females can’t lead well or teach well. They can be gifted performers. According to Scriptures, there is a reason for females to come under male leadership. It represents the relationship of Christ and the Church. Paul writes:

Ephesians 5:22-24

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

In a marriage, Paul asks the wives to obey their husbands as they submit to God. He then gives the reason for this. Watch this. There is a parallel analogy between husband/Christ and wife/Church. The wife should submit to the husband because the church submits to Christ. Do you see the deeper meaning? The marriage relationship represents the church’s relationship to Christ. One day, the church will become the wife of Jesus at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Can you imagine the church standing up against Jesus and saying, “Why should I listen to you? Why should I be under your authority? Rather, we are equal in standing.” It is seems ludicrous for the church to dictate to Jesus what to do. But feminism insinuates that females must rise up in defiance. That is not biblical. Jesus is the head of the church and the husband is the head of the wife.

Wait a minute. Doesn’t it seem unfair for females,to get the short end of the stick? Not really. Husbands are to make it easy for wives to submit in response to their love and protection. Paul continues:

Ephesians 5:25, 33

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

This love isn’t the mushy emotional thing we recognise today. Biblical love calls for self-sacrifice even to the loss of life. Just as Jesus died for the church, husbands are to die their lives for their wives (if it comes to that). Which wife wouldn’t love and submit to a man like that? The problem is that husbands beat her into outward submission. Domination through fear is not love.

Can we reclaim the biblical standard of patriarchy? Can males rise up to the challenge of leading and loving? Can males follow the example of a true man, Jesus Christ, who loved the church and died for her? May God so help us.

Destined to Reign?

We’ve all heard certain Christian pastors declaring that we are “destined to reign”. Sounds really good doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to reign like a king? In fact, it is our ineluctable destiny – 100% chance we will receive it in the future. However, these Bible teachers claim that this destiny is achievable right now in this life. Not in the age of come but now. We “shall reign over sin, sickness, poverty, defeat, depression, and over the devil and all his plans,” as one author claims. They often use this verse:

Romans 5:17 

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Assuming Paul means we are destined to reign (which he does not say), how about being destined for persecution in this life?

​1 Thessalonians 3:2-4 

We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.

Imagine pastors proclaiming to their congregation, “You are destined for persecution!” Well, that won’t elicit any cheers or clapping but booing and jeering. Let’s face it. No one wants to suffer. Me included.

We have to hold both reigning and suffering together. Paul sent Timothy to reassure the Thessalonians that persecution was to be expected. He predicted it even before it arrived so their faith must not be shaken.

In 2 Thessalonians, Paul writes to them again about their trials and sufferings.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.

Notice that true justice will only occur when Jesus returns. This means that while we are on earth, the bad guys can win. But when Jesus returns, he going to settle the score for us. Just like the Terminator says in Judgment Day, Jesus tells us, “I’ll be back.”

Until that time, suffering for our faith cannot be avoided. Paul tells them to stand firm because Jesus will be coming back to right the wrongs. Don’t give in the evil ones! If you give in now, you won’t be reigning with Jesus when he returns in blazing fire. 

Paul reminds Timothy to stand firm in this life:

2 Timothy 3:12-13 

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Tough words. Take note of the key words “everyone”, ” godly” and “persecuted”. When you try to live a godly life, you will be persecuted. What if you’re not persecuted? You’re not godly. This applies to everyone not just pastors. 

Bottom line: If you want to reign, you need to be willing to suffer persecution.

Kubo and the After life

To watch this show, you can purchase it HERE (contains my Amazon affiliate link when you purchase).

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I love the movie, Kubo and the Two Strings. It addresses many dark themes such as death, life, supernatural beings and what happens to souls when one dies.

“Many say, the songs about what happens when we die, how we don’t just disappear. Like Kubo’s paper, we shift, we transform, so we can continue our story in another place.The end of one story is merely the beginning of another.”

– Monkey

I find it so apt that the quote reflects many aspects what Christians believe when we die.

1. “We don’t just disappear.”

There is an after life. Believe it or not, we all are eternal beings. It’s just where you end up forever. Heaven or hell. Eternal life or eternal damnation. Believers in Jesus spend eternity with God.

Daniel 12:2

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

2. “We shift, we transform.”
St. Paul affirms that our body will be transformed in an instant into a heavenly body when we die. We don’t keep our mortal bodies. We don’t fade into nothingness.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

3. “So we can continue our story in another place.”
Indeed, our mortal flesh is changed to immortal so that we can move into the next world. The next world is entirely different from this world and thus, new bodies are needed. The story of our lives here continues to the next. And if you haven’t realised, our lives are but a breath compared to eternity. How you live in this super short time will determine where you spend for a super long time.

James 4:14b

What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

4. “The end of one story is merely the beginning of another.”

Our story continues on in the next world. How it ends is up to you. Where you go is up to you. Decide to believe in Jesus who can save your soul from hell. And your story will continue beside Jesus for all eternity.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

A Guide on Prayer (Watchman Nee)

To read the book, you can purchase it HERE (contains my Amazon affiliate link when you purchase).

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I’ve found an extremely profound and useful sharing on prayer by Watchman Nee in his book, A Living Sacrifice (Basic Lessons Vol. 1). I’ll like to crystallise some of his insights to enhance your prayer lives.

Conditions for Answered Prayer

1.  Ask

Christians should learn how to pray specifically, not generally. (Jas. 4:2; Lk. 11:9-10)

2. Do not ask amiss

Men may ask God for their needs, but they are not supposed to ask unreasonably or beyond their measure. Ask God to supply your needs, not your wants or lusts. (Jas. 4:3)

3. Sin must be dealt with

If anyone has a known sin in his heart and his heart clings to it, his prayer will not be heard by God. (Ps. 66:18) You must confess your sin first (Prov. 28:13).

Pray: “Here is a sin which my heart does regard and finds hard to give up, but now I ask for your forgiveness. I am willing to forsake it; I ask you to deliver me from it that it may not remain with me. I do not want it and I resist it.”

4. Must Believe

One must believe when he is praying, because if he believes then he shall receive. What is faith? Faith is believing that he receives what he prays for. (Mk. 11:12-24)

We have a wrong concept of faith. We pray in faith so we “shall receive” rather than believing we “have receive”. Watchman relates an incident where a woman was praying for healing. She prayed in faith that God “will heal” rather than praying that God “has healed” her. This is not faith, it is hope. She tried to get out of bed in order that God would heal her and Watchman urgently warned her against it because: “First faith, then work. Such work is living. If work precedes faith, it is dead. This is a basic principle. If you believe that you are healed, then your getting out of bed is living; otherwise it is dead.”

The next day, she died.

Faith is when you are brought to the place whereby you can claim God has already heard your prayer. Somehow you know that God has heard you and more prayer is not necessary.

Prayer is divided into two parts: In the first part, praying till promise is given. In the second part, praising God till the realisation of the promise. The diagram below illustrates this concept:

Watchman describes it in another way. Normal prayer has two focal points: Praying for something and then receiving it. However, true prayer has three focal points that lies in between both: Faith, this confidence that you’ve received what you prayed for already in the Spirit.
Thus it can be illustrated as 1) No Faith to Faith, 2) Praising from Faith to actual possession. It is crucial that we praise in the second part and not pray. Watchman solemnly warns that further prayer could destroy faith.

How can one maintain faith? By praising the Lord: “O Lord, I praise You, for You have heard my prayer. You heard me a month ago.”

5. Keep on Praying

He cites the parable of the persistent widow who wore out the judge to give in to her requests as our example (Lk. 18:1). We must keep praying till faith comes, as it were, troubling God till he has to hear you.

Get a Prayer Book

This is crucial to record what you’ve prayed for and how God has answered you. Over the years, this forms a confidence that God is faithful to answer. If our prayers are not heard, something is wrong. I love this quote by him:

Unless the way to God is clear, the way to men is blocked. He who is powerless before God is powerless before men. Men ought to seek to have power in prayer before God; otherwise they will be useless persons.

Make a book as such:

What should you pray for? He lists 4 items:
a. Pray that all people of the world to be saved

b. Pray for the full restoration of Israel.

c. Pray for God to give grace, gifts, light and life to the church.

d. Pray for your country that Christians may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity (1 Tim 2:2).

Prayer Has Two Ends

Prayer has two ends: one end is in the person who prays and the other end is the thing or person prayed for. Oftentimes the first end needs to undergo transformation before the other end can be changed. Ask the Lord if you need to be changed first. Deal with your sins.

Book Review: A Sense of God and A Feeling of Heaven (Robert Kee)

Robert Kee’s book is an inspiration for all Christians. He’s a normal regular joe but God put it in his heart to do something to help the poor and the orphans. Thus, in this book, he documents his journey of how God called him from being a workaholic to find greater meaning in life. He has started orphanages in Cambodia under Operation Hope Foundation.

The key purpose of this book is to:

“bridge the gap between Sunday sermons and what happens on Monday.”

Robert challenges us to do more than be a “good” church member who attends Bible study, ushers, attends prayer meetings or sings in choir. A more “chim” (difficult) phrase would be:

Orthodoxy must lead to orthopraxy. 

Or in normal English, Joseph Prince says:

Right believing leads to right living.

The Bible truths must lead us to truly love our neighbour when we hit the real world. There must be congruence between what we know and what we actually do. If we say we love God, we must love others. Many say they love God but don’t love others. Just look at number who go for mission trips versus nice holidays in your church. Can they be considered true disciples of Jesus? Are you willing to live out what you believe and to help the poor? How else would they know the love of God?

“If it is true that Scotland has no more sons, I will pack up tomorrow and be off to the shores of Ganges and let the people of India know that there is one poor old Scotchman who is ready to die for them! ”

Dr. Alexander Duff

One of the lessons I learnt was, “What is a call”? Robert defined it as “a persistent thought that would not go away. A thought that is Christ-centered and nudging one to go on an unknown quest to obey and serve his purpose.” Throughout the day, his mind would be roiling with thoughts of how to help the poor through projects and other ideas.

Does your heart get warmed by a certain group of people? Does it cause you mental and emotional distress if nothing is done for them? Do certain ideas keep bubbling in your mind? Maybe God is purposely and gently persuading you to make a decision.

Helping the poor is not always about giving money. Sometimes, money can be an excuse from doing anything that could cost you physically, mentally or emotionally. Give yourself first! Allow me to conclude with a beautiful quote by Mother Theresa on loving others:

“Let us not be satisfied just by giving money. Money is not everything. Money is something you can get. The poor need the work of our hands, the love of our hearts. Love, an abundant love is the expression of our Christian religion.”