Stick-man and fat-man

This is my reflection on the political situation in Malaysia and how it affects the church. It has been a while that I was reflecting on this issue. I am particularly reflecting on how people (especially church members who have been affected by political situation) view on a person who has been blessed by God, and a corrupted person.

The Bible clearly mentioned that if a person obeys the Lord, blessings will come upon us – not only spiritual but also physical. Physical blessings could be a tangible evidence of our obedience to God.  

Deuteronomy 28:1 -2 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. ² All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

We know one of the reasons why the Lord prospers us – so that we can help the poor.

Now, just imagine this. A ‘stick-man’ obeys the Lord, and the Lord blessed him physically – health or materials. This ‘stick-man’ became a ‘fat-man’ after being blessed. That is the result.

What about politics? It is generally accepted that when the citizens saw a fat minister, one word came to their mind – “CORRUPTION”.

Again, just imagine this. In political arena, a corrupted ‘stick-man’ will become a ‘fat-man’ because of corruption.

Here is the thinking error which members could bring into the church - when they only focus on the result – the ‘fat man’ as a corrupted person not as a person being blessed by the Lord.

This is a paradoxical equation: ‘stick-man’ + obedience = fat-man; but fat-man does not necessarily mean corrupted stick-man.

This is an error when we bring in this thinking that happens in our current political situation. If you see a government minister driving a luxury car, using luxury stuff, staying in a mansion and others, the word corruption came into our mind. We bring the same thinking into church when we see the pastors or the fulltime staffs using latest gadgets, or even using an iPad to preach, we accused them of corruption rather than seeing that as a blessing from God as the results of their obedient to God.

The church is an institution of God; the government is an institution of man. We cannot bring the same thinking into the church. But we certainly can bring church thinking into the world. What happen in our country now is not so much to get people to be responsible to vote. But what matters is to get Christian to be responsible to spread the gospel to this nation – cultural mandate which has been given to us.  

Theology and Methodology

This is just a reflection on our church, All Saints' Cathedral equipping course on Bible Overview. It is a 2 weeks condense course. We had just finished the first week. Here is one of my reflections on the course.

After the incident in Garden of Eden, where man had sinned against the Lord, the rest of the bible talks about  God's gracious action to reverse the effect of human's sin and to establish a new creation. This was taken from Moore College's ITB, Introduction to the Bible.

As I believe that there should not be dichotomy between spiritual and physical, my reflection would be the practical side of this spiritual action from God. One example would be in this scenario:

Imagine you are to stay in your friend's house for a certain period. Your friend provides you with a good place - clean and tidy. And during your stay within the period of time, you have messed up the whole house - the house is untidy and unclean. Therefore, as God's action in the world is to reverse the effect of human sin, our action "to reverse this effect of human sin" which we have caused - the untidy and unclean house, is to clean and tidy it. It is just as simple as that. God's action is to reverse the effect so that we can live like Adam and Eve were in Garden of Eden - to be in the presence of God. Our action to reverse the mess that we have caused is to clean it as it was before when our friend gives us the house to use. Cleanliness is next to holiness.

The word of God becomes alive only when it is being practice in our lives.

Isaac

When you start to lose your friends

People say as we grow up, we will start to lose our friends. They will go one by one; some will have their own family; some will walk to another journey. What if you and your friends work in the same company? Will the friendship be different when you meet them in your workplace – especially when you went away for a period of time? Will a position affects a friendship?

Sometimes, it is a struggle to maintain a friendship and in the same time when you have to do your responsibility as the one with authority. This is where friendship can sometime be affected; and this could be the time when you lose your friends. But how? You still have to ensure things go in order. Which one to choose? Especially when you are in ministry – God or friendship?

The ironic thing is that, we all know what need to be done when things need to be done. We all know decision need to be made. We know all these in theory and common sense (sometimes). BUT when we are the one which decision is upon us, or affected by the decision, we feel dissatisfy, unwilling, and affect our perspective to our friend whom is our leader.

My question is, “Why we reacted like that?” As the one who receive the consequence of the decision, I think we need to think why the leader who is our friend needs to make such decision.

Decisions made by us as leader, will really affect the friendship that we have throughout the years before we become their leader.

What to do? I always try to live a life that pleases God not man. When I need to make decision, God or friendship, I will choose God as in the priority of the ministry. If decision made really affect our friendship, I can’t help, because reaction is on their side which I could not control it, but to think that God is showing me who can really be my friend. Surprisingly, my friends now is those who have the same experience as me to the same group of people.

Strength of trust

I'm entering my fifth month here, and for more than four months I've not been updating my blog. The major reason is because of busyness and things that I've gone through that affected me not to have the mood to write. Of course another major reason is tiredness - physical, spiritual and emotional. Apart from that I have been cultivating to write journal in a book - what I feel, the thoughts that came across my mind, I wrote it down. I was influenced by the guest that I met, Dr Johnson who literally whatever he saw he wrote it down and drew it out.

Now, there is one thing in my mind. I was thinking of a scenario. A scenario about strength of trust from two people who are serving the Lord. I'm going to simplify it here.

Both serving the Lord. One have a sum of savings which relatively can be used for emergency, the children's education and so on and so forth. Second one just have no saving; struggling to save, even to use. I'm not trying to do comparism here - indicating I'm the second one or the first. What I want to share here is the effectiveness when we ask people to trust the Lord so that when we comfort or encourage people, we can be aware not only people's background, but also ours.

Now, when suffering comes, and a question is ask to these two people, which one do you think, that they struggle more to trust the Lord? You have your answer.

I'm also not trying to say that the second person who serve the Lord has not been blessed. In fact, if you want to say who really rely on the Lord and trust in God's provisions, I think is the second person.

Isaac

Congregational Singing

While I was doing my thesis - the last chapter which is on the practical aspects of Intergenerational Worship (IGW) - I was dealing on how praise and worship can be made as an intentional education and a time where all ages can experience faith together. I came across Martin Luther thoughts on Congregational Singing which is equivalent to our praise and worship today. He believes that through congregational singing, we are proclaiming the Word of God to the congregation. To him it is another form of preaching!

When I was doing this, I feel more and more worry on the way that our church handling Congregational Singing. I am more and more worry with the songs we sing every Sunday! I am more worry with the modern Christian songs that are available to us now. I was reflecting with some of the songs that we have sung recently. I might sound that I am criticizing songs, but I am just raising my concern here. Please don't get me wrong that I am attacking worship leaders here, I am certainly not (I am not defending here, but I just want to avoid some misunderstanding).

I concern with some of the modern songs which have a weak theological expression. I see more and more songs which only describe God as an active God and human has no responsibility. Only what God has done for us; His grace is enough for us. Songs that portrayed that we are an passive Christian. A lot of songs addressed to Christians felt needs - with music and lyrics. Many songs were written out of inspirations than inspirations plus real experience. Many songs were written just because we think how God looks like.

Shallow music form shallow people (Marva J. Dawn). Shallow theological expression form shallow christians! As a worship leader, we should be serious in choosing our songs that we are going to sing in church weekly. We need to discern they type of the songs that we are going to sing. We should not be moved by the tune of the music or the impressiveness of the lyrics. One thing extra that the worship leader need to concern today is the theological expression of the songs!

Isaac

They are human too

I was reading a friend's blog. She is a pastor's kid. To me she always looks so tough and strong and independent. I seldom read her blog, but that day I read her blog month by month. I seen the struggle that she had gone through. And all the things that she had gone through and is going now is just like any other people. Suddenly came to my mind is that, "Oh she is a human too". Just a phrase and my thoughts developed.

I see how high expectation it is to the pastor's children to behave within the expectation of the congregation where the congregation's children are not behaving the way they are expecting the pastor's children to behave. It makes the children not growing in a normal way, and always living in fear because every act they do will be penalize by people - they just could not grow up as children. It is no wonder not many pastor's children have the passion to serve as fulltime!

This kind of expectation same goes to the fulltime and to the pastor.

I think we should see each other as a human where we all live under the same grace from our Lord Jesus Christ! We go through the same pain and struggle. We call upon the same Lord in times of trouble. We belong to the same body of Christ every time we partake the Holy Communion.

Isaac

What would Jesus think?

Luke 24:44 44 Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

What do you think about this when Jesus read the book of the Law and saw that everything that was written is written about him?

Just a thought.

The Fear of the Student

Do you know what is the fear of most of the students here? Yes! not being able to graduate from here and need to extend another semester of year here. Many reasons that will cause us not being able to graduate - not able to meet the requirements such as GPA is not met, or you failed certain subjects.

Sometimes I feel that as a student here, I need to please the lecturer (not all - majority to those "traditionalist"!) in order to pass my subject. Sometimes even though you disagree with their point of view, you will tend to put their view in the assignment so that you can get higher marks in order to pass your subject. In summary, you are being hypocrite!

I finally couldn't stand with this anymore. One day, in a discussion, I have reason to disagree with an author whom the lecturer respect or "admire". I voice it out, and directly I can see the changes of the face, and I got this comment that my argument is too general. I didn't fight back because I just want the lecturer know that not all of the author's points are correct - he is, too generalizing certain point and make his argument with an agenda behind.

If the student fail because they failed to please the lecturer, I think the lecturer themselves must reflect on it: whether they are showing off their knowledge that they are always correct or teaching us the essence of the Bible. Most lecturers here I think in my personal opinion have a presupposition upon the students (especially those who are young) that we as students lacked of experience of the things in this world without they realizing that we have lived in this world for 20 over years. They say we are naive, but I say they are naive with certain arguments too - their view on using technology in church and prosperity of the church!

This year I've been voicing out a lot of dissatisfaction of the school in handling certain issues. I've told myself actually not to voice out anything and be patient until I finish my study. But what is not right is not right and there is reason why God put the burden and let you see all these problems! You must act not waiting and pray for wisdom!

The fear that hinders the student to act is that we afraid to hurt the lecturers and in the end our marks in our subject will be affected! Marks affected, GPA affected; GPA affected, cannot graduate.

Isaac

Obediently Praying vs. Praying Obediently

In the midst of stress in doing my thesis. Along the journey, most of the lecturers will say just write something down, then you'll know where you are heading to. As I reflect back in the journey of doing my thesis, I read a lot, I research a lot; but I have not written anything yet.But I thank God that I'm now in my chapter 3 just because I wrote something. I was very ambitious last year to finish at least a chapter, but I failed because I kept on reading and researching but did not put anything down on paper.

Well, that is the introduction to what I want to share in this post. Sometimes our prayer life is liken to my thesis journey. Sometimes we keep on praying and keep on waiting for an answer. We do not realize that if we obediently follow, we will find the answer. Take answering the fulltime call for example. It is always a struggle to answer the call because it is really a cost to follow Jesus. Most of us including myself will have this reaction to pray but scare to make decision to answer call. If we keep on praying and do not answer the call we will not know whether we are call or not. Sometimes we just need to obediently follow and take the courage to answer the call.

Imagine if Joshua has no courage to lead the Israelites into the promise land, and did not obey the call that God asked Moses to pass down the leadership to him. I do not think that the Israelites will win all the battles that they have gone through. Of course one will say that if Joshua is not obey, God will call others to do his will, perhaps Caleb.

This reflection was inspired by the Bishop message in one of his sermons in FCC. He said one thing that captured me and it disturbs my mind. He said that sometimes we have to 'stop' praying and start to obey with action. By saying this, he did not mean to ask us stop praying.

This caused me to think further that OBEDIENT IS AN ACT OF PRAYING as well. It is an act of praying with faith that we might see the results that God has intended for us to see with this step of obedience.

Praying is just the most simplest answer a person could give when they are challenged. We won't move to another higher calling if we do not obey!

That is the difference between obediently praying and praying obediently. Where an adjectives is put can make such a huge difference to an action. Obediently praying is act of praying and obediently answer the call with faith. Praying obediently is just praying (hopefully with faith) without obediently act on it.

An example I can think of now is Abraham. When God commanded him to go to Canaan, he obediently praying. He packed up all his stuff and starts his journey. He does not know what is going to happen, but with faith he knows he will reach his destination as God has promised. Each of his steps to Canaan is a prayer of faith; each of his steps to Canaan is an act obedient in faith.

May the Lord bless us and guide us as we obediently praying in our lives. AMEN

Isaac

Weaker Brother??

I could never imagine that in seminary there will be weaker brother because I think we are mature enough to come into the seminary to be equipped. Someone told me that it is because we come to be equipped shows that we are weak. Now, you know what I mean as a weaker brother: doing something that will causes your neighbor to stumble. I think, if you are ready to come into seminary, you must be strong in your faith and confident with it already. But sadly, even playing cards, someone will think that it will stumble the students. Just because I am using cards which has Carlsberg, Sports Toto logo on it will cause them to stumble. This is just ridiculous, isn't it?

In words, people say please don't speak so harsh. I don't know when it happens that speaking the truth is treated as harsh. I really don't know how to speak politically correct words. And I do not know why people can mixed manners with politically correct words. Since when if you speak politically correct means that you have manners?

Boasting?

Philippians 3:4-7 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Hmm... I was thinking what is the difference when we share our testimony of following Christ with Paul's.

Isaac

Holding the right thing

I saw the "washing machine"

kaabooooo....

I'm back in STM and the so-called retreat has over. The semester will be starting tomorrow. Nervous! Thesis!

Just want to share some thoughts which is in my mind now. Yesterday, in a small group discussion, we were discussing things that we can give thanks for; so I shared that I give thanks because I'm alive today because 4 years ago I nearly drowned during a water rafting game. After sharing this, I kept on thinking back on the incident.

In 2007, I went for water rafting at Padas River during a staff retreat. Thank God that all of us were safe under His grace. We rented two boats and we were the only two boats that prayed before we started the game, and we were the only two boats that capsized! I sat in front of the boat, and we went into the "Washing-Machine" section. Once our boat hit on the water current, the impact was so great at the place where I was, so I flew few meters away from the boat, but because of the current which was so fast, I was pushed near-by the boat but that time I was in the river already. I went down to the water, I came up and saw the boat and I was supposedly to hold the rope at the side of the boat, but instead of holding it, I hold back my pedal!: I went down into the water and came up, the boat had gone far from me. I tried to yell for help, but the voice just couldn't come out from my throat! Cut the story short, I was saved.

In our lives, we sometimes hold the wrong thing to secure our lives. We thought that what we are holding now will secure us, but it is actually a burden in our lives that caused us into depression, stress and lost our focus in our lives and eventually find that life has no purpose. I was supposed to hold the rope, but I hold the pedal which could not save me from being drowned! Only the rope can. I missed the robe and I was saved because someone on the boat throws the robe back to me. The decision I have to make is to hold the robe so that I can be saved from drowning.

Today, for those of you who are reading this post, if you have missed the first rope, there is the second chance. The rope is from our Lord Jesus Christ. Now your decision is just to accept the rope and be saved for eternity!

Isaac

God heals!

Second half of the year, I faced a hard question. The question arose from an incident over a controversial song. Most of us know the controversial song from Hillsong entitled "Healer". The question came when my friend and I were discussing about it. He recognizes that the song is controversial, but, he adds on, that God can use the song to heal people with the main reason that through this song, many people were healed. This was the question which is in my mind until recently: The song, Healer heals a lot of people. My question is that, why a song which was written with false testimony can heal people?

I've been pondering about it. During one of my devotions, I got an answer: it is God who heals. I have doubt because my focus is on the song which heals, and I did not focus on God who heals. I believe all those who had been healed either from singing this song or just listening to it, was healed by God. It is not the song which heals, but God. By saying this, I am not saying or encouraging people to simply write songs to manipulate people psychologically, but songs must be written firstly through the meditation of the Word of God and with our experiences with God. This is what is lacking in today's Christian songs!

Question came now, will I use the song in church. My stand is, I will not! Because it is God who heals by His grace and His will. Our focus should not be with the power of the songs, but our focus must be with the power of God who heals!

God heals,

Isaac

Worship

John 4:23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Disclaimer!!

Make sure you read this if you cannot sleep at night!!

Three weeks ago, the passage on John 4:23 came to my mind during the church service. I've forgotten where the verse came from. They next day, as I was doing my devotion, I read this passage again. I was wondering what God is trying to speak to me.

In the midst of pondering the passage, another passage came to my mind, Colossians 3:16. Gosh, so I keep on pondering the relation with these two verses.

As I study the verse, Col. 3:16 I began to see some light. It is so true that, if you keep on meditating or reflecting on certain verses, it will speaks to you. That is the power of God's Word. In Col. 3:16, "The Word of Christ" is the subject. The main verb is "to dwell" (imperative/command). The Word of Christ must dwell in us richly. When the Word dwells in us richly, the next three verbs are the consequences: to teach and to admonish, and to sing (all three are in participle form). [I know is a bit academic here, but to be faithful to the Word of God, we do need to go back to the original text to have a better insight]

Recently, I've encountered a lot of "debates" or "insights" of what worship is? I believe these two verses have spoken to me. Our worship, our preaching, our giving, our daily life and etc is the consequences of the Word of Christ that dwelt in us. We can't just worship the Lord just because of our feeling as Christian that God loves us, therefore we worship him. But we must let the Word of God dwell in us, and with conviction, from inside out we worship our God. Not only in worship, but also in preaching. How can we preach unless the Word of God dwell in us and has convicted. To dwell in us, it is not just having understood the passage, but from inside-out, in practice, we are able to show what has been dwelt in us (1John 4:16b, 20 - God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him; if someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen).

What then shall I say? (wow! Like St. Paul arguing certain issue, :D) Am I saying that the Word of God is the most important? Yes! Last Friday, there was a person was arguing that in a service, everything is important. She said, we cannot say the Word is more important than worship, and worship is more important than any other "items" in a service. I think she got it wrong! In a service, all that we are doing are the consequences of the Word that has been dwelt in us. I believe that everything that we do in a service must be Christ centered, and the CLIMAX of the service is the Word of God (the reading and preaching) because that is where the word is proclaimed to us (the Reading) and where through the preacher, we believe that God is using him to reveal the Word to us so that it speaks to us in our current context which in the end lead us to Christ who is our stronghold, and in Him we shall not be afraid (Psalm 27:1b).

Conclusion? Our worship, preaching (or even sharing in a devotion), is the effects of the indwelling of the Word in us. By then, true worshipers that have understood the dwelt Word and practice it will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Therefore, we need the Holy Spirit, our Helper, the Spirit of truth (John 15:26) who will remind us what Jesus had taught us (John 14:16) to worship God our Father. Worship not just as in singing praise and worship, but also in prayer, preaching and our daily lives.

Our action: Read your Bible and pray everyday so that God's word will dwell in you richly!

Isaac

knowledg-ed but no wisdom?

Since I am free now, let me update my blog now and share what is in my mind..:D

In my wisdom literature class, I learnt that wisdom is not about head knowledge but how we deal with our daily practical life.

I don't know whether is this funny, but this is what I observed in STM itself! There are a lot of intelligent people here. Knowledgeable, very passionate especially during debate to prove their ideas is right and etc and etc.

Imagine this situation, an intelligent person who obtained a doctorate in their lives and do not know how to use simple things such as a microphone or even handling a projector! This is what I observed. Do we need a PhD in handling a microphone? Isn't it is a sad thing where you have the most knowledge and couldn't handle simple things in life. What hidden curriculum that we can learn from here if the hidden curriculum is so important? Just focus on study and filling our mind and ignore the small and simple practical things?

Is my mind polluted or the people?

Before I enter the seminary, I have this in mind that the life in seminary will be better than the outside world. Things go to the opposite side. Sometimes people in seminary are far more worst than the people at outside. I really could not imagine this because the seminary is a place where all the future pastors and priest to be trained! How come it has not become a place where it suppose to show the character of a loving Christ?!

Is my mind too perfect or naive, or is the problem with people? Or perhaps seminary is just a place for academic rather than training up our faith?

Isaac

Why need to hide?

Today I had a conversation with my girlfriend and touched on a topic which is interesting. Someone criticized my girlfriend on her appearance, wearing too simple. To be a good boyfriend, I comforted her and said, "Only those who thinks that they are not perfect will do a make-up on their face with several inches of powder." She laughed. :D.. I continued, "If you think you are perfect, why you need to hide. Even when you wear simple, you look nice and beautiful"

It is true indeed, if a person feels some part of her (or his)body is not perfect, they will cover it. Of course, simple make-up is enough to make you look afresh, but please, not the extreme one la.

After sharing this, I watched this in facebook which I think will be a good illustration..:D

See the difference. I cannot stand with this. She took 5 mins to make-up her eyes only. Before make-up look like zombie..

Isaac

They did not realize it

Today I am so blur that I thought our breakfast starts at 7am. Because I am on duty today for breakfast, so I woke up at 6am to go and prepare. I finished everything at 645am and waiting for my partner to come. Then suddenly I realize that breakfast at 730am!! Sigh..So, I don't want to waste time, I did my devotion there while waiting for the time to pass.

An interesting thought came to my mine as I read John 5, when Jesus healed the paralyzed man in Bethzatha (Bethsaida). Once this man was healed, he take up his pallet/mat and walk. The Jews then rebuked the guy, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat." As I read this verse, the thought came into my mind. Actually the Jews are working too. Well, I don't know who are these Jews. Probably they are the "someone else goes down ahead of me" when the guy wanted to go into the pool? or probably the Pharisees (this what actually came into my mind).

A lawyer works is to exercise the law when it is needed. So do the Pharisees. Their job is meditating the law and make sure that everyone is following it. When someone breaks the law, they will be on duty (WORK).

So when the Pharisees in the Gospel rebuke Jesus on healing in Sabbath, they did not realize that they too are 'working' while rebuking people.

Matt. 7:4-5

⁴How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Isaac

Decrease Selfishness

One of the commandments that my pastor gave me when I told him that I've started a relationship is DECREASE SELFISHNESS. Recently I've been thinking of this since I came back to STM. I've been thinking that living in a community, we should not be talking what is the individual's rights rather we must talk about what is our responsibility. Bishop Robert Solomon has inspired me while he was explaining "forgive us our sin". He said this is not an individual sin but rather a corporate sin. This is how it inspire me that we should not talk about individual's rights, but we must practice community's responsibilities.

I think when we talk about our rights, it will always be on the things that benefit us or satisfy us. It never be the advantage of the community. On the other words, we are selfish! Responsibility is something that we work it out together for the benefit of community.

Yesterday, we had our vote whether or not today we can have our gardening. The president is concern because the compound is "dirty" in the sense that the leaves is all around the compound. I've raised my hand to agree to have gardening. My reason is that I just can't stand to see something is messy or dirty, therefore I want to have gardening so that the compound will be nicer.

I'm slowly learn how to be afresh by the Lord in my spiritual life. Yesterday, I've learned a great thing that really changes my spiritual walk with the Lord. I know last year I've shared that my spiritual walk is dry after one year study in STM. Actually it is not the matter with the place or community, but it is the individual themselves. We can't blame others. I remembered what Dr. Kar Yong commented on my post when I started my second semester, "Individual can change the community, we do not need to wait the community to be a better place." Now I really agree with it.:D

Back to the great thing that changed my spiritual walk. Yesterday, in my first theology class, Dr. Ong said something struck me. You can get the best theology in the field, with the farmer! Therefore, best theology is not in the books, but is in the field. Living with what is surrounding you! I think it answers a bit my question in John Gospel and Epistle, why the word "DWELL" is so important.

Decrease Selfishness

Isaac

What happen to the child?

I remembered I shared to you all that I have a friend who previously was a professional photographer, and he shared some stories in the photography field to me which has gave shocked to all the photographer in the world. One of the stories that he shared is about Kevin Carter. His committed suicide after he received the Pulitzer-prize. He is a photojournalist. This picture taken by him showing hows a heart-breaking scene of a starving child collapsed on the ground, struggling to get to a food center during a famine in the Sudan in 1993. In the background, a vulture stalks the emaciated child.

That is just a summary of it. My friend told me that why he suicide is because one of the interviewer ask him one question, "after you took the picture, what happened to the child?" Well, on that day after taking the picture he was very happy and so eager to show his friend what he has captured. This question has troubled him so much until he cannot accept it and commit suicide. And beside him there is a notes saying "I am sorry" showing how guilty he is.

I start with this as introduction to the thoughts that I had in my mind. Recently I have ask myself a question, "What scholar do after they had received all the certificate in Theology, Divinity and etc?" I asked " What do they do with the knowledge that they have?"

Maybe you may disagree with me, but I just shared some of my thoughts and experience. Sadly to say, scholar continue to debate on their point of view rather than focusing on the great commandment, go and make disciple of all nation. I thankful for them also in giving me some knowledge in Theology and for their contribution in this area.

Even in their preaching, sometime I do not feel the power of their sermon not because it does not speak to me, but because, they keep on debating and questioning and using the question to challenge us what they had in mind but never in action! Most of the time when I heard all this, I will ask, "have you done it?"

Now, when I am writing this entry, I felt I am one of them. I really impressed by a word quoted from John Piper, "The best way to waste your pulpit is to preach your own thoughts instead of preaching GOD's thoughts"

I think a pastor who has passion for people is far more greater than a Scholar with their PhD! Knowledge without action is dead! If we do not live out Theology, then Theology would not live in people lives. Theology is dead if we do not live it out. Understand so much about God through theology and did do what God heart desires is really a wastage.

Now I truly understand advice that has been given to me by Bishop before I came here to study. "Ka Seng, it is about passion and searching for God's heart desire."

Share Jesus, touch lives more important than producing more books and get more idea in debating on Theology.

The prize-winning image: A vulture watches a starving child in southern Sudan, March 1, 1993.

Isaac