Friday, June 1, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
What Really Matters In Christian Living?
Rev. Johnny Wong
13 ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 ‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. ~Matthew 5:13-16
1. Know who you are.
Salt and Light - be authentic
2. Know what you do.
Keep your character - be strong.
3. Know what you want.
Glorifying God - be focused.
“Christians are to be good news before they can share the Good News.”
The Young People Are The Leaders of the Church Today
by Rev. James Wong
We use to think that young people are the leaders of the future. Today I change my view about this. Young people are the leaders of today. Why do I say this?
Market trend. The market today are driven by young people. They are the trend setters and pace setters. They are the target of world marketers like iPhone, Nokia, fashion designers and … you name it. Young people hang around places that give them a sense of freedom, relaxation, comfort and easy access to Wi-Fi. They are creative and willing to spend. Friendship to them takes precedent over other relationships. They waste no time on things that are mundane and boring, a mindset conditioned by a global viral infection—mobile internet and the multi-media attraction that comes with it.
Revelation. I thought in my age I could still be effective in reaching the young people but I was wrong. The revelation came one day when I was having difficulty holding the attention of a group of young people but as soon as another younger guy took the stage he swayed the crowd. I learn that, it takes young people to reach young people and it takes young people to lead young people today . The guidance of the elderly are valuable but not necessarily relevant. I feel uncomfortable about this but I have to accept the reality. Young people who are educated and exposed to the internet are the new ‘knowledgeable workers age’ a term coined by Steven Covey to describe the current generation. People are well informed because of instant journalism and they had more choices and opportunities today then we had in our younger days.
Church dilemma. Many of our young people in KK have migrated to other churches. I am thinking about cross congregations corporation very seriously especially in the KK parish. If we do not have a good youth leader to lead our youth ministry we would rather encourage our young people to go to another BCCM congregation that has a strong youth ministry led by a strong youth leader instead of losing them to other churches. You see our dilemma? Today I want to raise your attention to the importance of having strong full-time youth leaders to develop our youth ministry in all our congregations. Young people are the leaders today not tomorrow. For those of us who are older, we may have the wisdom but we need young people to move things. They have strength and energy on their side (Prov 20:29). When we have potential young people who have a heart for God among us we need to encourage them to rise up and take leadership role and give them our greatest support, spiritually and financially. Only young people can reach young people effectively. I hope you see the clue and the reality of things.
I thank God for our captains and officers who have sacrificed much through the years. I honor their commitment and I will always be inspired by them.
The Glory Of Youth
Rev. James Wong
1. The Glory of Youth
The old may have wisdom but they need to provide guidance and encouragement for the youths because strength and energy is on the side of the youth.
“The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.”
~Proverbs 20:29 (NIV)
2. Develop A Joyful Attitude
Attitude is everything and it can be developed. It is God’s will that we live happily, developing a faith-filled and positive outlook of life. Anxiety is a daily poison.
9 Young people, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. 10 So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.”
~Eccl 11:9-10
3. Develop A Reverence for God
The day of reckoning will come. We are not free to do everything we like. We need to give an account to God. This knowledge will guide our actions.
9 Young people, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. 10 So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.”
~Eccl 11:9-10
Thursday, April 26, 2012
A Call To Tough Duties
By Rev. James Wong
Most Christians have the misconception that serving God is doing noble works and working with pleasant people. This is just a myth. Those who serve God with such a notion will soon discover the truth to their dismay. Serving God with the wrong belief will lead us to frustration and disappointment.
As I read the Bible I see that all of the people, whether they were prophets or ordinary people, were called by God to work in difficult situations and having to deal with difficult people. In fact, there is no need for any call of God to do easy jobs and to work with pleasant people.
Moses was called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land. God promised to be with him but he had to overcome problems one after another. There was a shortage of water, lack of food, a bunch of complainers, poisonous snakes, unfriendly neighborhood and the rebellion of the people. Moses did what God told him to do but he had to face a mountain of problems.
When Moses died, Joshua was appointed the new leader. He led the people into the Promised Land but there were giants in the land. God promised that there would be abundance of milk and honey in the Promised Land but there was also abundance of enemies everywhere. Joshua spent the rest of his life fighting all the way to conquer the Promised Land, city by city. There were problems in the Promised Land.
To serve God we must not only have the heart of a servant, but we must also have the heart of a conqueror and be brave-hearted. If we know that the call of God to service is always a call to sacrifice, to work in difficult situations and handling tough people, it is necessary for us to be tough-minded and be courageous. We must rise above all trying circumstances and deal with people who are tough on us. The call of God is not for the faint-hearted.
The real test of a person’s character could be seen when he or she has to work in an unfavorable situation and having to deal with difficult people. Those who curse and mourn have not known what it means to carry the cross to follow Christ.
If you always complain about your working environment and are critical of the people you work with or live with, you are just like anyone else. I believe we are all called to make a difference in our world in everyway, for Jesus says ‘You are the light of the world, … you are the salt of the world.’ This is a tough calling for tough people for tough duties. As the strength of a ship can only be tested in a storm, so is our call to service.
A Call To Tough Duties
Rev. James Wong
(1) The Notions of Success Today ...
Achieving goals, acquiring wealth, prestige, favor, and power. Successful people enjoy the good life—being financially and emotionally secure, being surrounded by admirers, and enjoying the fruits of their labors. They are leaders, opinion makers, and trendsetters. Their example is emulated; their accomplishments are noticed. They know who they are and where they are going, and they stride confidently to meet their goals. By these standards, Jeremiah was a miserable failure. (LAB)
(2) The Call of Jeremiah
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." ~Jer 1:5 (NIV)
(3) The Call To Tough Duties
For 40 years he served as God's spokesman to Judah; but when Jeremiah spoke, nobody listened. Jeremiah was commanded not to marry or to have children to illustrate the impending coming judgment of God.
· He was beaten and put in the stock at the Upper Gate of Benjamin (20:1-3)
· He was seized by the priests and prophets (26:7-11)
· He was beaten and thrown into prison for a long time (chapter 37)
· He was thrown into a cistern and he sank down into the mud (chapter 38)
· He was taken to Egypt against his will (chapter 43).
· He was rejected by his neighbors (11:19-21), his family (12:6), the false priests and prophets (20:1, 2; 28:1-17), friends (20:10), his audience (26:8), and the kings (36:23).
(4) What Sustained Jeremiah In His Tough Calling
“Because of the Lord 's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." ~Lam 3:22-24 (NIV)
There are those who go through life with great memories of achievement and accolades. They have never received any tough assignment. God’s son was given a tough assignment. He left his comfort, suffered and died to redeem this broken world.
(5) The success of Jeremiah
Success, as measured by God, involves obedience and faithfulness. Regardless of opposition and personal cost, Jeremiah courageously and faithfully proclaimed the word of God. He was obedient to his calling.
Compare yourself with Jeremiah if you think your serving is a tough assignment.
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