Baruch Hashem Adonai בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם יְהוָה

Sabbatical

2010-12-07T19:39:00.002Z

I haven't been posting for a while and will not be in these couple of weeks. I'm taking a sabbatical from blogging. Well, no, not because I have been another of the devil's scalp that has fallen from grace as a result of some nasty secret sin - as most people in ministry go silent for a while when their scandals are exposed. Rather, it is due to a very trying, difficult, energy-sapping and even somewhat discouraging "dark valley experience". This has been the darkest valley I've ever been through thus far. A rest is therefore most warranted, and I'm absolutely sure Yeshua's grace will help me emerge from the other end stronger than ever. I'll be back!

Songs for Sunday Service 21 Nov 2010

2010-11-22T23:42:00.001Z

It was as usual a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Lord yesterday, singing the following songs:

Forever (G)

Thy Word (G)

Ascribe Greatness (G)

What a Faithful God (A)

Welcome God into our "stuff"

2010-11-19T17:22:00.002Z

Greg Shumake, the Music Director of Wilbur Ministries and the keyboardist who ministers alongside Paul Wilbur, wrote what I thought was a brilliant and inspiring article on Wilbur’s Facebook page the other day. Since the article is in the public domain, I’m reproducing it here:

There's a little phrase that sits in a frame on my desktop that I have sitting in from of me everyday. The phrase reads, "The man who KNEELS to God can STAND up to anything." That phrase is something that I try to practice everyday, though I don't always succeed. I mean, sometimes I come into the office and am more focused on welcoming the day instead of inviting the Lord of the day. Know what I mean? That's something that I really want to change.

It's sort of like stepping into a gun fight without putting bullets in the gun (ha)! That's not a good way to fight, but it's a great way to get slaughtered! And when we neglect kneeling before the Lord to welcome Him into our stuff, we become powerless to fight against the things that hit us. But welcoming God into the midst of our stuff, whatever our "stuff" is, gives us a much better perspective on how to view it. He empowers us to stand up in the midst of the stuff because we are able to see it from His perspective instead of our own.

Consider Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6:13-18. They were surrounded by the Syrian army and the servant became deathly afraid. Elisha told the man not to fear for "more are with us than are with them." He prayed for God to open the man's eyes, and when he did, the man saw the mountains full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding the Syrians. One perspective was that of the "stuff" while the other perspective was that of the Lord. Notice that the perspective they gave their attention to was the deciding factor in their victory or defeat. And because they were enabled to "see" from a different perspective, they walked out in victory.

If you're going through the "stuff" today, I encourage you to welcome the Lord into the midst of it and see from His perspective instead of what you're facing. What does God say about it? How does He see it? What's more is how does He see YOU in it? If you are willing to believe foundationally that God loves you, that He has your best in mind, that He's for you and not against you, that He is working on your behalf for good and not for evil, and are willing to fight for those foundational convictions, you will have positioned yourself to see CLEARLY from His perspective. These foundational convictions are to be the backdrop of our lives in Him from the beginning. The enemy knows this and tries to discredit God in our hearts all the time. If he succeeds in doing that, he weakens us at our core and then attacks with a vengeance.

Welcome God into your "stuff" today and see the salvation of your God. He's for you.

I think Shumake said it well. One of the reasons we often succumb to the onslaught of trials that we face and the mountains that we never seem capable of climbing is because we tend to see them from our own perspective. Our own perspective invariably tells us that these problems and challenges are too much and too hot for us to handle, that they will roll over us, that we’re surely facing a dead-end situation, that we must spend every single waking hour worrying because they warrant our energy and time spent worrying and fretting, and that still we must summon the very last bit of our human ability to wrestle against them in the hope, albeit preciously slim, of coming out the other end unscathed. But if we’re honest, our perspective can actually be summed up in just one word: helplessness.

This brings to mind a verse in Robert Critchley’s song Praise the Mighty Name of Jesus:

My anxious heart, why so upset?
When trials come, how you so easily forget
To cast your burdens upon the Lord
Jesus cares, He cares for you

How true! When trials come we tend to so easily forget to see things from God’s perspective. For if we do, we will learn to cast our burdens on Him. As Shumake pointed out, the perspective from which we see our trials will determine whether we overcome them or succumb to them. If we can see that God is for us, that He is our light and our salvation, and that He is the stronghold of our lives, we can surely say “whom shall I fear?” and “of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). And if we can see from His perspective, we’ll have confidence when facing trials, for we know that He has a plan to prosper us and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11) and that no matter how challenging our trials are, God works in them and even through them for our good (Romans 8:28). So in other words, if we view our trials from God’s vantage point, we’ll know that He loves us and intends only good for us – and that He is our help (Psalm 121).

As such it makes perfect sense to “welcome” Him into our trials and let Him take charge. The Devil will attempt to discourage us and make us see things from the perspective of the vanquished. But the Spirit of God, who is always for us and with us, will encourage us and help us see things from the perspective of a victor.

When we face trials of all kinds, let’s not forget to ask God to take over behind the wheels. He knows the direction far better than we do.

Songs for Sunday Service 14 Nov 2010

2010-11-14T23:57:00.002Z

It was as usual a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Lord this morning, singing the following songs:

You are Crowned with Many Crowns (G)

My Life is in You (G)

Awesome in This Place (E)

Great is the Lord (A)

I Stand in Awe (A)

How Great is Our God (A)

Some people say church is boring

2010-11-06T10:50:00.003Z

And guess what? I agree. And before you start thinking that a certain form of heresy has crept into my system, let me explain. I can understand why so many people think church is boring and that its “worship” (i.e. singing) is merely a weekly meaningless going-through-the-motions.

There are of course many possible reasons for this. Let me suggest just one, and it is regarding sung worship. This I remember well from what a preacher said some years ago. In trying to encourage his congregation to be more spirited in their sung worship, he wisely said that what we get from a meeting (i.e. church service) is often what we put in. No, he didn’t mean if we put in x we will obtain, similarly, x. What he wanted to point out was that sometimes people didn’t find fulfilment in attending church or experience the joy of worshipping God because they didn’t come prepared to experience God’s presence and didn’t have the right attitude to worship. They came with a lackadaisical, perhaps even cynical, attitude and were content to sit through another Sunday morning, often refusing to genuinely participate in sung worship and eagerly waiting for the post-sermon closing prayer before doing the customary pressing of flesh and “goodbye, see you next Sunday”. So during sung worship, they stood for a while – since it would be embarrassing not to when most people will stand for at least the first couple of songs – and then decided that their tired legs had had enough and glued their bums to their seats for the rest of the session. But at all times, in keeping with a time-honoured British tradition, their stiff upper lips remained sealed. It’s like they had “Participation? Not for me, thanks” written on their foreheads.

When done collectively, by say about more than half the congregation, no wonder worship sessions can be all boring, low key, unexciting, unfulfilling, unsatisfying, lackadaisical and even downright laborious at the same time. I always believe that no matter how anointed a worship leader or the musicians can be, or how prepared and skilful they are, if there’s a lack of participation or a wrong attitude from the congregation, all you find yourself in is the wrong crowd. And chances are it will turn out to be something like a one-way-traffic – a handful of passionate and zealous worshippers sing to the Lord, while the rest watch as bored spectators. And worse still, some bigoted spectators will begin judging the “performance”.

So one of the reasons why church is boring is because people’s inability, or perhaps more accurately refusal, to be like passionate football fans. Imagine the energy and the excitement that will be generated and the fulfilment that will be experienced in any gathering of believers if our church congregations are as enthusiastic in worship as these Liverpool fans on The Kop are in “worshipping” their team. It’s not a recent phenomenon; the fans were just as passionate back in the 1960s, as the second video below shows.

Can we honestly find a similar level of passion and zeal in churches today? If we can, few will say church is boring. It’s a shame such passion and zeal exist in stadiums rather than in churches.

I’d say the deal is pretty simple. God is enthroned in the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). When we come together as a body to worship Him, He will be there. And in His presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). So if we want to experience His presence and the fullness of joy in worship – or if we want to find fulfilment and meaning in church services – we ought to come together with the right attitude to join our voices in unity and harmony to worship the Lord. But if we refuse to participate, or are content to fold our arms and watch on cynically, then no wonder we’re not getting anything out of the worship sessions. And if enough people in the congregation do likewise, no wonder church can be really, even painfully, boring.

Terry MacAlmon interviewed about his return to ministry

2010-11-03T17:58:00.002Z

A few weeks ago I wrote about how glad I was to know that Terry MacAlmon has returned to ministry. Back in the spring, Robin Prijs of Jaweh Ministries International, the organiser of the Heart of Worship Conference in Zelham, the Netherlands this weekend, interviewed MacAlmon by telephone for his radio programme. In what was quite a wide-ranging interview, MacAlmon talked about his early years, his calling, how God used him powerfully in ministry (well, basically the sort of stuff you have probably read on his website or on Wikipedia) and, perhaps more interestingly, his fall from grace and his recent return to ministry. I thought he was quite candid and honest in this four-part interview, particularly from midway in Part 3 onwards.

Part 1 of 4

Part 2 of 4

Part 3 of 4

Part 4 of 4

Songs for Sunday Service 31 Oct 2010

2010-10-31T23:45:00.001Z

It was an honour to lead fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praise and worship this morning. We sang the following songs:

Lord, I Lift Your Name on High (G)
I Exalt Thee (F)
We All Bow Down (E)
King of Kings, Majesty (A)

It was a morning when I decided to give my M-Audio ProKeys 88, which I call the mighty beast due to its weight (that is if you do not have the luxury of a keyboard case with wheels), one last outing before consigning it to storage owing to a lack of space – for the time being at least.

Celebrate light, not darkness

2010-10-31T23:18:00.001Z

It is a crying shame how All Hallows Eve, the day before All Saints Day, has widely taken its present form – Halloween. What I can’t understand is why people are so keen to celebrate darkness instead of light, or The Light. I thought it was a regrettable sight that even one of our favourite television programmes, BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, took on a remarkably spooky Halloween theme last night. And they thought it was cool. It was hardly a surprise that the BBC came under fire for its extensive news coverage of this pagan festival.

I consider it an even greater shame that so many children, largely here and in America (thankfully this rubbish of an event doesn’t exist in much of Asia!), have been indoctrinated with the “fun” of Halloween. Oh, how they have been misled. And woe to those who mislead these precious little children. Similarly, woe to those who have misled those who are now in turn misleading these precious little children.

Which brings me to my actual point – I’m very heartened to note that some churches were attempting to reclaim the true meaning of this event by holding children parties that celebrate light instead of darkness. As quoted in the press, one church member said: “We’re bringing a message of hope and light instead of scary masks and horror stories.” Well said indeed.

The Light of the World overpowers darkness. Let’s celebrate The Light; have nothing to do with darkness!

Why I like Huckabee

2010-10-25T08:57:00.002+01:00

Long gone were the days when he was making people sit up and take notice of his phenomenal run in the attempt to secure the Republican nomination to the 2008 American Presidential election, one that was bankrolled with precious little compared to his rivals’ war chests. Like many in America who were fascinated and impressed by this witty man who seemed to be the only contender that genuinely cared to carry the torch of Christian values and Godliness in his politics, I extolled the virtues of Mike Huckabee. He of course didn’t only ooze all-things evangelical, as American political parlance will put it, he was the only contender with genuine executive experience – he was the former Governor of Arkansas. So I was of course disappointed that he lost out to John McCain. But I’ve been following his development since, and was glad that he didn’t just fizzle out of the political scene but maintained an impressive profile, not least through his own show on Fox and other media programmes.

Back in early 2008, I wrote a bit about why I liked him. And I’m so heartened to note that his convictions and positions have not changed, particularly in an age where most politicians’ spine is no stronger than that of a weed. When he was campaigning, he made clear his support for Israel and the centrality of God’s standards in his life and political convictions. He has remained consistent and steadfast on these despite it being increasingly unfashionable to say these things today.

I recently read this article published in The New Yorker back in the summer. And I’m encouraged by Huckabee’s statements on the following three issues.

One, on Israel and the Jews. I know without doubt he is not into replacement theology but is firmly part of a “one new man”. He was described as being crazy about Israel and extremely enthusiastic about Jews, and was quoted to say:

“I worship a Jew! I have a lot of Jewish friends, and they’re kind of, like, ‘You evangelicals love Israel more than we do.’ I’m, like, ‘Do you not get it? If there weren’t a Jewish faith, there wouldn’t be a Christian faith!’ ”

Brilliant.

Two, his firm belief in the absolute authority and infallibility of God’s Word. I quote this from The New Yorker article:

Huckabee firmly believes that here on planet Earth, however, there should be only one set of guidelines. In several of his seven books, he tells a story about the time his young son John Mark baked a cake. The boy didn’t know what a “dash” of salt was, so he added a cup to the batter, and the cake was inedible. This, Huckabee asserts, is what happens when human beings come up with their own measures of right and wrong, instead of following the Bible’s.

Spot on.

And three, his politics that transcend the left-right divide, despite being a Republican. And this is important, because fixation with ideology can blunt politicians’ sensitivity to the harsh realities of life – which is also why I believe “compassionate conservatism” as espoused by the Tories here in Britain is a good way forward. Here again I quote from the article:

In defiance of libertarian laissez-faire, Huckabee has extended his Christian vision to include the poor. “If there are a certain number of kids from single-parent homes who aren’t going to school and don’t have health care, you can say that’s not government’s job,” Huckabee told me. “Well, sweet and fine! But you know what? If the kid’s sitting outside the door of the hospital choking with asthma, do I sit there and say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t think, philosophically, government should get involved’? I’d much rather the kid get help than I sit around and say I’m so pure in my ideology.”

That’s Christianity with its practical working clothes on (James 1:27, Micah 6:8).

And that’s why I like Huckabee. I pray that he remains steadfast in the Lord. And I hope he will run again in 2012.

Terry MacAlmon live in Holland

2010-10-22T23:48:00.004+01:00

Now that he is back in ministry, highly anointed worship leader Terry MacAlmon will be ministering at the Heart of Worship Conference in Zelhem, the Netherlands on 5-7 November. I understand that the conference is organised by one of MacAlmon's most ardent fans, Robin Prijs of Jaweh Ministries International, whose interesting testimony can be read/heard/viewed here. There surely are many Dutch people who over the years have been tremendously blessed by MacAlmon's ministry. And I reckon they are going to have a wonderful time in God's presence as they worship with MacAlmon next month. Word has got out that he might also be ministering in London on the sidelines of the Gospel Music Awards 2010 on 20 November, although that's still far from clear at the moment.

Here's a promotional video that Prijs has put together for the Zelhem conference.

Terry Mac is back!

2010-10-18T23:28:00.004+01:00

I think tens of thousands of Christians worldwide who had been blessed by Terry MacAlmon's ministry over the years must have searched high and low all over the web during the past couple of years when they got wind of his disappearance (well, resignation, to be more precise) from public ministry. Until recently, there was still much traffic coming to my post "Pray for Terry MacAlmon", which was written well over two years ago - most of which were derived from search phrases such as "Terry MacAlmon resignation" or "Terry MacAlmon resigned".

Needless to say, and a simple trawl on the web will confirm this, there are countless hoards of people who loved this anointed worship leader, understood that he made a terrible mistake in his life and wished to see him repent and return to bless them through the gift that God has given him. Many once "great" preachers and evangelists have fallen, and there has been precious little sympathy for them. But you can tell there was much outpouring of sympathy and love for MacAlmon, partly because, even during his heydays, he was different - understated, simple, humble and lack of pomp or showbiz razzmatazz. No torn jeans or celeb-compulsory funky fashion, no flashing lights, no playing the crowd, no twirling of socks in the air, no hysteric young women screaming in adulation, no rock bands showing off. His was simply a ministry that helped worshippers connect with God on a very deep level. His was what I would describe as serious worship - seriously wanting to touch the heart of God and commune with Him. Search him out on YouTube and you'll understand what I mean.

But sin is sin. It bites when left to germinate. And I think MacAlmon knows this first hand, because it cost him his marriage, his reputation, his ministry and, of course for a time, his effectiveness for Jesus. In the summer of last year, I hoped he would still be back one fine day. And then late last year, I was chuffed to discover that he, with some friends, had opened a restaurant in Flower Mound, Texas, and was leading special worship sessions before evening dining. It seemed like a first step on the way back, although by his own admission he had - and I thought rightly so - declined invitations to minister because it just wasn't the right time.

What's most wonderful was his announcement in April this year that he was finally returning to ministry after discovering a new fear of the Lord and rediscovering his first love for Jesus. This is the open letter he wrote back in April, telling the world his sin (which I thought was rather frank and brave of him) and repentance, and announcing his return to ministry. The only sad thing is perhaps the failure to save his marriage. Sins can be forgiven, but sometimes the scars do last for as long as human beings remain in the mortal body. The moral of the story for all of us is simply don't give sin a foothold!

Anyway, I'm just simply elated that one of my favourite worship leaders/artistes is now back in ministry. And by the way, he's got a new Christmas album in the pipeline. Welcome back, Terry Mac!

Songs for Sunday Service 17 Oct 2010

2010-10-17T22:32:00.001+01:00

It was as usual a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Lord this morning, singing the following songs:

God is Good All the Time (D)

Be Still (D)

Still (D)

In Your Presence, O God (A)

Marty Goetz live in Cambridge video

2010-10-14T08:10:00.002+01:00

Here’s a very short video compilation of the evening we had with Marty Goetz last Sunday.

An evening with Marty Goetz

2010-10-11T17:26:00.003+01:00

Marty Goetz certainly lit up the atmosphere at the Mayfield Primary School hall in Cambridge last evening. He was in his element, and the estimated 150 people that packed the hall to the brim were reluctant to leave even though by the time he belted out Hatikvah (as people only began streaming out then) it was already nearing 10.00pm. I was told that there were people coming from as far north as Hull and Grimsby. And judging by the fervour of the crowd, I suppose I can say we still have a passionate, albeit small, breed of Christians in England who understand the significance of Israel in the Bible, love all things Messianic and – well, the maestro himself said it was a surprise to him – actually know and like Marty Goetz’s music!

We also had an unexpected, spontaneous bonus last night. Helen Shapiro, whom I wrote about sometime ago, was in attendance. And she graciously accepted Goetz’s invitation to an impromptu duet.

Goetz's repertoire for the night, which was delivered with what seemed like a blend of skilful familiarity and Spirit-led spontaneity, included many of his best-loved songs, a few of which instantly galvanised the crowd to their feet to join in. One of those was of course He is My Defence, which we just sang earlier in the day in our own Sunday service. It was classic Marty, as I had expected. All in all, it was a privilege indeed to see Marty Goetz live in this small city of Cambridge. Our good friend Kiaw told us the worship session that he led at the Emmanuel Evangelical Church in London during Sunday morning service was also very good.

Songs for Sunday Service 10 Oct 2010

2010-10-10T18:22:00.001+01:00

It was as usual a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Lord this morning, singing the following songs:

He is My Defence (Em)
Mighty to Save (A)
Blessed is the Lord (Bm)
Glorious King (D)

Baruch atah Adonai

2010-10-06T00:12:00.002+01:00

One of the songs in Paul Wilbur's upcoming album Desert Rain (to be released 12 October) captured my attention the very first moment I listened to it. I first came across Blessed is the Lord (which I initially thought was called Baruch Atah Adonai) when searching for the latest YouTube videos on Wilbur's ministry anywhere in the world - and that was late last year! Somebody who was there in the desert of En Gedi during the live recording must have put the video up on YouTube, along with several other songs. But this one song, written by Michael Neale (now I know), stood out to me and I instantly developed a deep liking for it. Some songs take a few rounds of listening before you develop a liking for them, whereas some you know they click with you instantly. This one certainly did.

Blessed is the Lord is written in a relatively slow tempo and has a rhythm and a tune that is rather easy to follow. Although back then there was hardly any lyrics or chords available on the web - it wasn't published yet, and you still can't find the chords or the sheet music at this time of writing (you soon will after 12 October) - it was such a compelling song that I felt I must figure out the chords, jot down the lyrics and start singing it in church. And that was what I did.

On Sunday, 24 January, our congregation at Calvary Chapel Cambridge sang this wonderful song for the first time - and I wondered till today whether we were the first ever congregation anywhere in the world to sing this song, apart of course from those where Wilbur might have led this song in worship. And we did it a few more times since then, including during a Messianic-themed evening with Jacob Prasch in late March, where I think the song must have been rather unfamiliar even to the ears of those who were keen listeners to Messianic praise and worship.

Wilbur specially sang it (albeit an abridged version) for viewers of Sid Roth's It's Supernatural programme last week. And you bet there are just people out there who are so quick to put it up on YouTube - I just found one.

But this is the one I first came across last December. The full song, live from the desert of En Gedi in Israel.

Politicians and their faith (or the lack of it)

2010-10-04T06:06:00.004+01:00

At the end of June I commented about how Australia had swung from being led by a Prime Minister who was openly Christian to one who openly declared that she didn't believe in God, any god.

Thankfully, here in Britain we have a Prime Minister who, although is only too keen to be politically correct and to be heard saying the right things, is at least not ashamed to say he is a Christian, albeit not a fervent one - he confesses he seldom goes to church and hardly prays for guidance. Ok, fair enough. Well, at the very least, he has some sort of faith in God. May the Lord touch his heart in years to come.

We know that both Gordon Brown and Tony Blair also have some sort of personal faith and believe in God, the former a Presbyterian and the latter a Roman Catholic. And I don't know if the following came to you as a surprise, but it did to me. Even Barack Obama, who was only too keen to declare in Turkey last year that America was no longer a Christian nation, recently told the world that he is a Christian by choice - he came to faith not during his childhood but in later life. Most interestingly, it seems, well at least from his public words, he actually understood the basics and basis of faith in Jesus. He is quoted as saying:

"And I think also understanding that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings, that we're sinful and we're flawed and we make mistakes, and that we achieve salvation through the grace of God."

Quite fascinating stuff coming from a man who has long been much criticised for his many seemingly anti-Christian statements and decisions. But he seems to understand that for sinful mankind the Christian faith is founded on salvation through the grace of God. I'm actually not entirely sure if British Christian politicians, David Cameron included, understood this.

But here's another interesting bit. The new leader of the Labour Party is, just like Julia Gillard, unashamed to declare that he doesn't believe in God. And by the way, he is a Jew - although it isn't a surprise that many Jews today have long forsaken their Yahweh and have no concept of God whatsoever in their lives. If you wonder if this might be a sign of times, it probably is. Leaders of two of the three main political parties in Britain are atheists (the other being Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats, currently the Deputy Prime Minister).

Don't get me wrong. Whether they believe in God or not doesn't necessarily correlate with their ability and performance as leaders. My point is just this: there is perhaps a clear pattern emerging. At the very top of national leadership, there used to be men and women who at least have some sort of faith in God. Nowadays, they're a dying breed.

More on Paul Wilbur's Desert Rain

2010-10-02T14:37:00.003+01:00

Back in June I wrote about Paul Wilbur's new album Desert Rain and its scheduled release on 12 October. I've been following this project of Wilbur's quite closely since he announced in the summer of last year he was doing a live recording in the desert of En Gedi in Israel during the Feast of Tabernacles. It was rather exciting to hear Wilbur share more regarding his new album and the miracles surrounding the project, and to have a sneak peek into some of the songs in his new album as he was featured on Sid Roth's programmes - It's Supernatural and Messianic Vision Radio - last week.

This album is slightly different in feel and style as compared to many of Wilbur's previous albums. In his own words, this is more rhythmic whereas most of his previous works were more orchestral. I think that's probably the best way to describe it. Many of the songs, although still contain a distinct Messianic flavour, have more contemporary rhythms suited to the guitar. Two of the songs were written by Ted Pearce, a good friend of TOS Church in Tübingen, which we visited in November 2008. I've listened to them before, but I thought Wilbur's arrangement of the songs gave them a fresh appeal.

Anyway, enough said. Here's a video by Integrity Music - essentially an "electronic press kit" - shedding some light on the background of the project, narrated by Wilbur himself.

The family and the Jews

2010-09-27T01:05:00.001+01:00

A Daily Telegraph blogger recently suggested there might well be a link between the success of Jewish families in North London and a trio of factors, namely “close-knit families, parental affection and a reverence for education”. He wrote “every single Jewish boy and girl (in his class) went to university, got married, and has children and a steady job. Not a single one has been lost to drink, drugs, sloth or premature death”.

The family is undoubtedly a very important unit in Jewish societies – even today. Of course, one might point to the examples of liberal Jewish friends, to whom, just like an increasing number of people in our increasingly liberal society, the family unit no longer seems an important feature in life. But by and large, the Jews still uphold the importance of the family as the basic societal unit as well as for child and personal development and wellbeing.

But is it strange to talk about the Jews and the family in the same breath? Not at all. Examine the Bible, particularly the first five books of the Old Testament (i.e. the Torah), and you’ll see the family, or the implied family, mentioned everywhere. Examine more closely and you’ll see that God has designed the family to be foundation for one’s life, growth and indeed social existence. The word “family” is mentioned 40 times in the first five books (Genesis – Deuteronomy) if you read the New International Version, or 59 times if you’re a New King James reader.

Successive British governments have been talking about the imperative to improve wellbeing and social mobility. If only they paid attention to God’s Word, they wouldn’t have had to formulate one futile policy after another to reach those objectives. No wonder most Jewish families in Britain (I said “most”, not “all”) do rather well in life, not necessarily in financial or economic terms but on the larger scheme of things, wellbeing. But what do we see of many average British families today? Increasingly prone to breakdown; children caught in the vicious web of drugs, crime, anti-social behaviour; and lives lost to worklessness and dependency.

Want to eliminate social evils and see social progress? Then focus on the family. Want some clues on how to best focus on the family? Then check out what the Word of God says. Simple. But most don’t bother. They think God’s ways are archaic; they think theirs is better.

Songs for Sunday Service 26 Sept 2010

2010-09-26T22:33:00.002+01:00

If last week we sang about Jesus's death on the cross that paid the ultimate price for our sins, this morning we sang about the wonderful reality that Jesus is risen from the dead and is alive forevermore, in tandem with the sermon based on John 20:1-18. Here are the songs I had the privilege to lead Calvary Chapel Cambridge sing this morning:

Jesus is Alive (C)

My Redeemer Lives (E)

Father of Creation (E)

He is Lord (G)

Shout to the Lord (A)

Ron Kenoly's Jesus is Alive is always a special song, one that, given the opportunity, I will always lead the redeemed to sing on Easter Sunday (among other occasions, of course). And the full version that we sang this morning was indeed like an "executive summary" of the sermon that followed - effectively encapsulating the story from Jesus's death to His resurrection and the fact that He reigns victorious over sin and death and the grave!

Paul Wilbur also on radio

2010-09-24T15:21:00.002+01:00

Besides appearing on Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural this week, Paul Wilbur was also remotely interviewed (from his base in Jacksonville, Florida) by Roth on the latter’s Messianic Vision Radio show. The interview, spread over five daily segments, is available here. Even if you’ve watched the tv interview, it is still worth listening to the five radio instalments, as Wilbur elaborated a bit more on the stuff that he shared on tv.

Paul Wilbur on It's Supernatural

2010-09-22T23:54:00.000+01:00

Tonight marks the beginning of Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, traditionally a time of rejoicing and celebration for Jewish people. I thought it is so appropriate that Sid Roth's programme It's Supernatural this week features Paul Wilbur, one of the foremost Messianic worship leaders today and certainly my favourite! His style and songs have been a great influence and inspiration on my own ministry.

In this interview, Wilbur talks about, among other things, some behind-the-scene stuff that you don't normally hear about concerning the live recording of his soon to be released album Desert Rain in the desert of En Gedi in Israel during last year's Feast of Tabernacles. If you want to hear about miracles - those which thousands of people witnessed - don't miss this excellent interview. And you'll find out why his new album is so appropriately named Desert Rain! Oh... I shan't talk any further, you've got to watch it.

You can watch the programme by following this link to Roth's site (there's no embedding facility; otherwise I would have embedded it here straight away). And by the way, Wilbur's album is out 12 October. Can't wait for it, really.

Songs for Sunday Service 19 Sept 2010

2010-09-20T23:42:00.001+01:00

Our praise and worship session at Calvary Chapel Cambridge yesterday had a particularly obvious thematic flavour to it. As our pastor, Joey, was teaching the final few chapters of the book of John – specifically John 19:21-42 for the day – I thought it was appropriate that we sang a repertoire of songs that reminded us of Jesus’s (finished) work on the cross of Calvary. So these were the songs we sang:

Here is Love (G)
Here I am to Worship (F)
Amazing Love (Kendrick) (D)
Worthy is the Lamb (A)

Yom Kippur

2010-09-17T17:19:00.002+01:00

From sundown this evening until sundown tomorrow our Jewish friends observe Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Also known as the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32), Yom Kippur is a solemn time of acknowledging sins and seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy. In the Old Testament, we read that this is the only time of the year when the high priest was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place of the temple to atone for sin by way of animal sacrifice. Talking about seeking God’s mercy, Yariv Goldman’s song Rahamim Avakesh springs to mind. I guess it is so appropriate for Yom Kippur.

But thanks be to God for sending His Son, Jesus. If you know Yeshua, you now have a High Priest who Himself was sacrificed to atone for all our sins once and for all. There’s no need for the sacrifice of blood anymore. The Lamb of God took our place and was slaughtered for us. He died that we might live. He has made the ultimate atonement. Another song therefore springs to mind, perhaps even more appropriate for Yom Kippur! Twila Paris’s solemn but very beautiful Lamb of God.

Songs for Sunday Service 12 Sept 2010

2010-09-12T16:57:00.002+01:00

It was good to be back leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping Yeshua our King and Lord after being out of action last week with a cold. This is the week when our Jewish friends celebrate Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of Trumpets. As I was preparing the songs earlier in the week, I sensed the leading to sing several songs that would proclaim the blowing of the trumpet and the return of the King. So these were the songs we sang this morning:

The Day of the Lord (Bm)

Days of Elijah (A)

Baruch Haba (Em)

Hosanna (Fraser) (E)

How Great is Our God (A)

Paul Wilbur and Don Heist at CBN's Rosh Hashanah celebration

2010-09-10T23:41:00.001+01:00

As I wrote about the other day, Paul Wilbur and Don Heist (along with Greg Shumake) were once again leading worship at CBN's Rosh Hashanah celebration. Here's the video for those who missed the live webcast.

L'Shanah Tovah

2010-09-08T23:16:00.003+01:00

This evening marks the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, commonly known as the Jewish New Year, but perhaps more accurately the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25). It's the season when the shofar is blown. This first of the fall feasts reminds me that on that day, the trumpet will sound, and what a glorious day it will be (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

And while I'm at the topic of the shofar, remember Don Heist and my account of his wonderful and highly anointed shofar blowing in Tübingen? Well, this shofar blower extraordinaire has finally launched his new ministry website - Voice of God Shofars. I've been waiting for it for some time, and I'm glad it is now online. Well done, Don. And it's a pleasant surprise to find that it even carries an endorsement para by yours truly! Be sure to check out his website and don't miss the "testimonies" section. You'll be heartened to know that God can heal in many ways - even through the sounding of this heavenly instrument!

And finally, if you do not already know, just like last year, Heist will once again join Paul Wilbur in CBN's Rosh Hashanah celebration tonight, viewable live online here from 1930 EST (0030 BST, 9 September).

L'Shanah Tovah.

"Unacceptable", but true

2010-08-31T23:10:00.002+01:00

For those who are perishing, faith in God is foolishness; but if you are saved by the grace of God you'll know that the message of the cross is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). Those whose hearts are hardened will sadly refuse to believe - even when they are facing death and have exhausted all possible means of recourse.

A Christian council worker was recently sacked (that's just one in an increasing number of similar cases) for suggesting to a terminally ill woman not to give up hope but to put her faith in God. In my opinion, two matters regarding this case are worth noting:

One, unless a person is found guilty of forcing another to convert to a certain faith, isn't it ludicrous - and indeed worrying - that in what's supposed to be a democratic country one can be sacked for making a suggestion such as that which the council worker offered? So let's put it another way. If one were to suggest to a dying man that he shouldn't give up hope but try putting his faith in some other gods (name whatever you can think of apart from our living God the great I AM), should he be sacked? Or is the sacking exclusive for those who suggest believing in the "Christian God"?

Two, it's frustratingly simple: it is so very true. What the guy suggested might be "unacceptable" to many people, but it's plain simple truth. When all fails, there is only one source of help that prevails. Just as Don Moen's song reminds us, the God we serve is the God who heals (Exodus 15:26). You spurn Him, that's your loss.

Songs for Sunday Service 29 Aug 2010

2010-08-30T23:53:00.003+01:00

It wasn't supposed to be me leading the worship session yesterday at Calvary Chapel Cambridge, but a certain circumstance meant that I had to step in right at the eleventh hour - that's practically at about 30 minutes' notice. Here are the songs that we sang, nonetheless:

Hallelujah to the Lamb (A)

Hallelujah Jesus (A)

There is None Like You (A)

Joy of My Desire (A)

Marty Goetz in Cambridge

2010-08-23T15:10:00.003+01:00

In what promises to be a rare appearance on British soil, the American Messianic psalmist, Marty Goetz, will be in town in October. I understand his appearance in Cambridge is part of a mini tour that will see him also minister in London and Romsey. His appearance is at the invitation of our old friends and the leaders of our old cell, Ray and Jean Davis-Chamberlain, who themselves are avid fans of Goetz's music.

Goetz might not be as well known in the Christian music circles, particularly in Britain, as my favourite Messianic artiste Paul Wilbur, but he has a very special anointing for writing exceptional music and songs based on - and taken directly from - the Psalms. I've been singing his wonderful He is My Defence quite a lot in church services since last year, while I thought his Chanukah is the very best and the most appropriate song I've ever known for the Hanukkah festival. Though many of his other songs are not quite the most appropriate ones for congregational singing, owing purely to the rhythms employed and the stylistic nature of his songs, I can testify that they are nonetheless wonderful songs that minister to the heart - and songs with a particularly Jewish flavour.

Songs for Sunday Service 22 Aug 2010

2010-08-22T23:55:00.001+01:00

It was a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge this morning in a somewhat engaging, albeit shorter than usual, praise and worship session. We sang the following songs:

Majesty (Garrard & Smith) (A)

All Heaven Declares (A)

King of Kings, Majesty (A)

What The Pianist reminded me about

2010-08-16T17:01:00.000+01:00

I had the pleasure of watching, albeit in spurts, the Roman Polanski Oscar-winning film The Pianist on television last evening. Although the film has been around for some eight years, and, if my memory serves, had also been shown several times on the tele in the past few years, this was the first time I had the opportunity to actually watch it. And what a good film it was.

Based on the true story of the Polish Jew pianist Władysław Szpilman, I guess The Pianist can be mentioned in almost the same breath as other acclaimed Holocaust epics, two of which immediate came to my mind: Schindler’s List and La Vita è Bella. Admittedly, I’m no film enthusiast. I don’t review films, and neither do I comment or provide a critique on films. So why do I bother writing a few lines about this nearly three-hour film that I watched last evening?

It is because, just like all the other Holocaust films and documentaries that have made it to either the big or small screen, the film reminded me – and may I also say all viewers – of one thing: throughout history various powerful and influential people had attempted to wipe the Jews, and by extension the nation Israel, off the face of the earth. The conclusion was always the same – they all failed. Some may have succeeded in exterminating millions of Jews at one point or another in history. They might have been carried into exile and cast off into various corners of the earth. But if one thought God’s chosen people can be altogether annihilated, one must have been both super deluded and ignorant of the almighty force behind the Jewish people. They have always bounced back (proving that "bouncebackability" isn't just a term exclusive to football!). Countless Bible prophecies concerning Israel have been fulfilled – perhaps the most significant of which to date was the rebirth of Israel as a nation state in 1948 – and in the years to come many more will be fulfilled. Our pastor, Joey, remarked that if one wished to study Bible prophecies, one ought to remember the ICE principle.

But don’t get me wrong for one minute. This doesn’t mean the modern state of Israel is necessary right and above reproach in all it does. Neither does this mean Israel’s foreign and security policies are necessarily in line with God’s will and bring honour to God. As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us that throughout history Israel had often strayed from God and forsaken the Almighty. And right till today, many still fail to see that Yeshua is indeed the Messiah that God, Israel’s Yahweh, sent.

But the destiny is sure. Many commentators will gnash their teeth and shriek with disdain and protest. They just don’t believe. And some have even threatened to try and do what the Nazis did. But God is faithful – even when the Jews are faithless! He will always protect and secure a remnant of the people of Israel. If you’re looking for a safe bet, this is it.

Songs for Sunday Service 15 Aug 2010

2010-08-15T23:39:00.001+01:00

It was as usual a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Lord this morning, singing the following songs:

Forever (G)

Jesus, Lover of My Soul (G)

Deeper in Love (D)

Breathe (A)

Can robots one day displace human beings?

2010-08-10T23:37:00.001+01:00

European scientists have apparently unveiled the world’s first robot that is able to display and detect emotions. See this news article. The wiring of the robot’s “brain”, fashioned after the neural network of the human mind, allows it to remember its interactions with different people and mimic the emotional skills of a one-year-old child. It is also capable of forming bonds with people who treat it with kindness. In short, as scientists claim, robots will act as human companions in future. And if one thinks carefully about it, this might well be a possibility. Imagine harnessing the potential of science to produce technologies that can programme smart robots capable of imitating almost an infinite number of human responses or actions based on certain stimuli. Isn’t the thought that robots can one day displace human beings a scary one in itself?

The reason this latest development intrigued me was simple. I was stirred to think what robots can’t possibly do in the face of seemingly boundless possibilities afforded by science. I’d argue even the greatest achievement of science will and can never produce a robot capable of worshipping the Creator of the universe. Oh yes, robots can certainly be programmed to mimic the act of worship – e.g. singing, giving praise, bowing down, kneeling, praying, etc.. But only if “worship” is entirely equivalent to the “act of worship” (although many people seem to think so, and that’s why we’ve got religion!). Worship is from the heart. We worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Robots ain’t got no spirit, mate. Can a car, or the chair on which I’m now seated, worship God? One might argue that science can progress to a state where it can create a fake soul (mind, will and emotions) for robots. But you can bet your last penny (no, I don’t condone gambling; just a figure of speech) that no science can create a spirit for them. Only the Maker can (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Otherwise God wouldn’t be God.

So for all that science can throw at and defy God’s handiwork, it WILL STILL ultimately fall short. You and I – human beings made in the image of God – are created to worship Him.

Songs for Sunday Service 8 Aug 2010

2010-08-08T23:58:00.002+01:00

Leading worship is always an honour and is also an assignment that ought to be taken seriously. I have often found it very satisfying whenever I have the opportunity to be involved in a worship session where I can personally “connect” with God in a deep and intimate realm. Admittedly, such opportunities don’t occur all the time due to a raft of constraints that the modern church faces and a string of human factors that appear in various guises. Well, of course, if you had offered me the possibility of a deep worship session – as opposed to a mere ritualistic congregational sing-along – with much liberty to express personal yet Spirit-led worship to the Lord each Sunday, I would have bitten your hands off. But I’ve come to accept that I should simply savour each opportunity, in the context of a church setting, to enter into deep worship that comes my way.

So it was a great pleasure to be able to lead fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge this morning in a time of deep worship, where, despite the smaller than usual crowd, there was substantial freedom for personal expression of worship led by the Holy Spirit. We sang the following songs:

Open the Eyes of My Heart (E)
I Exalt Thee (F)
Agnus Dei (G)
You Deserve the Glory (Bb)
How Great is Our God (Bb)

For me personally, the “quality” of a worship session isn’t the size of the crowd, the pedigree of the band, the voice of the singers, the popularity of the songs, the familiarity of the congregation with the songs or how “cool” the entire session appears. Instead, I would value the participation of the congregation, and people connecting and communing with God in worship.

With regard to the former, I’d rather participate in a worship session where there are only 10 fervent, enthusiastic and hungry worshippers than where there are 1000 bystanders and onlookers who are content to make up the numbers and can’t wait for the session to end. With regard to the latter, I’d rather participate in a session that allows for room to express one’s personal worship in one’s own spontaneous words – in addition to the published words of a song – rather than a strictly regimented session that moves on from song to song like in an efficient production line. After all, worship is connecting and communing with God, not an empty, dry ritualistic routine. If I wanted a regimented routine, I’d assemble a group of folks and turn on the karaoke for a sing-along.

Calvary Chapel Cambridge baptism and BBQ

2010-08-02T22:39:00.002+01:00

It had been more than a year since we last conducted a water baptism. So it was a joyous occasion when after the Sunday Service yesterday we witnessed Nadine's and Arden's baptism. But unlike Jeremy and Junior, who had to contend with the cold and murky waters of the Cam, the two ladies had a relatively more pleasant dip in, well, just a kid's inflatable pool set up on the lawn of the Cass Centre. And the occasion was followed by our summer barbecue, which was long overdue given that we last had one back in June last year. So here's a short video of yesterday's wonderful occasion.

Alleged discrimination of Messianic Jew don at Oxford

2010-07-29T16:56:00.002+01:00

Incidents such as this wouldn't have been much of a surprise had they happened in Israel. Many traditional and orthodox Jews do not like one of their own become a Christian, and they can react rather violently against those who choose to leave Judaism and follow Yeshua. See for example, this video of a case where a Messianic congregation in Israel had its church attacked. Of course, they do so not realising that Yeshua is in fact the Messiah that they have been waiting for all along.

But at an august institution such as Oxford University (we in Cambridge call it "the other place" - not as good as ours, of course!), one might have thought that academics would treat matters like this with a level head and professionalism. So it rather intrigued me to read that a Jewish lecturer at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew & Jewish Studies was allegedly discriminated against because she converted to Christianity. They thought she was a "traitor who had betrayed the faith" and was keen to ensure that she "would not make any criticism of Israel or its political or cultural agenda".

Now, what apparently happened was that the don joined the Church of England. I can't speak for the Church of England as to whether its members are friendly or hostile towards Israel, simply because my observations reveal mixed findings. But if she were a Christian who knew her Bible well, her Jewish friends should have no fear that she might be critical of or hostile towards Israel. In other words, she wouldn't in any way be an enemy of Israel, but will instead bless Israel and seek the peace and prosperity of God's chosen people. But as I said, I can't second guess what they teach in the Church of England concerning Israel. And of course, I pray that those who persecute her will one day know that Yeshua is indeed their Messiah. Then they will know that she is no traitor at all, because there is no contradiction between faith in Yeshua and the Jewish tradition.

Songs for Sunday Service 25 Jul 2010

2010-07-25T18:12:00.002+01:00

It was as usual a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Lord this morning, singing the following songs:

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus (G)

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) (E)

At the Cross (E)

What the Lord Has Done in Me (D)

In an attempt to innovate, I did a rather jazzy, funky intro and riff to the good old hymn Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus that I picked up from Kensington Temple recently. Thanks to KT's music pastor Dave Wellington, who had kindly shared with me how the intro/riff that he created ought to be played. I'm still not entirely sure what the rest thought about it this morning, but it certainly gave this wonderful hymn a modern touch without detracting from its traditional tune and core message.

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

2010-07-21T23:45:00.006+01:00

I've recently been listening quite a bit to Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio's 2006 rewrite of the great hymn Amazing Grace by John Newton. With an additional verse and a new arrangement, Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) is not incongruous with the original version, in that it retains a hymn-like feel, albeit with a touch of modernity.

I know there are many traditionalists out there who will frown at any attempt to rewrite or rearrange classic hymns. I'm pretty open to the idea of rewriting or rearranging century-old hymns - only if the new incarnations do not distort the original message and are not musically incongruous with the "feel" that the original sought to convey. I mean I could puke (and that is putting it mildly) when I hear so called "Christian rock" bands rewriting or rearranging old hymns to sound funky and rocky under the pretext of bringing the much loved hymns into a style befitting the 21st century.

But Tomlin and Giglio have done what some other Christian artistes did - rather beautifully - with some of our much loved hymns. I can think of two right away: Andy Bromley's new version of Wonderful Saviour (hymn here) and Chris Bowater's rewrite of All That I Am (hymn here). So I must admit I was quite hooked onto this new version of Amazing Grace that I've been listening to it over and over again recently. Strangely, it ministered to me more than the old version did.

Faith and football

2010-07-15T17:23:00.001+01:00

It was heartening to read what the Ghana captain, John Mensah, said to the press (see here) during the recently concluded World Cup in South Africa. From our television screens we could see that the Ghana players huddled in what seemed like prayer before and after their games, but one couldn’t be too sure whether they were really praying – and if they indeed were, to whom – or they were just caught up in an intensive moment of motivational pep talk and togetherness.

But Mensah clarified:

“We just pray to God before we go out. We are Christians and we all know how important God is. We praise God, what he has done for us.”

Isn’t that wonderful? What a splendid testimony indeed. And it was also reported that the Ghana President led the team in prayer in the dressing room before they took to the pitch for their last-16 game against the United States.

And how impressed I was by their togetherness and the honest attitude they showed on the pitch, going all the way to the quarter-finals before bowing out, in rather cruel fashion, to the Uruguayans. I suppose in many ways they had overachieved and made Africa proud. But I guess they have also made many fellow believers proud.

Church on the green

2010-07-12T23:29:00.002+01:00

Fresh from a chilly experience on 16 May, Calvary Chapel Cambridge held another Sunday Service at Lammas Land yesterday. Our usual Sunday venue, the Cass Centre, was again unavailable, hence we took to the park, laid out the picnic throws, mats and chairs, and had a jolly good time worshipping the Lord and feeding on His Word. And thankfully, unlike the previous time, it was sunny yesterday, although there were spells of winds and gusts – it tends to happen whenever we meet at the park.

Strangely, I had the feeling like what must have been akin to how Jesus’ disciples often listened to Him teaching – in the open. We’re rather fortunate these days as most believers meet in covered buildings, some in comfortable, posh arenas that cost tens of millions of pounds (or dollars) to build and furnish. Once in a while, it is nice to be out there in the open and experience the simplicity of believers gathering to worship, hear the Word and fellowship – pretty much like in Jesus’ time.

And come to think of it a bit, I can see that I’ve had a “downsizing” experience of sorts! Before returning to Cambridge, I was worshipping in a church of some 2000 members that met at an expensively purchased and renovated old warehouse in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Whereupon returning to Cambridge, I rejoined a church of some 60 people (which often fluctuated between 30 and 70) that had its own building on the edge of town. From there I found myself now at Calvary Chapel Cambridge, which is even smaller – about 40 people, but again fluctuations (which seems like a norm everywhere in Cambridge) mean we sometimes see 20 and at other times 50. And we don’t have our own building. As our pastor often reminds us, the “church” is the body of Christ, i.e. the people, whereas the building is just simply a place to meet. Which was why going from a hired venue to an open park yesterday didn’t seem a tad regrettable at all!

Messianic violinist Maurice Sklar on Jewish Voice

2010-07-02T07:05:00.001+01:00

Some time ago I blogged here and here about my favourite violinist, the outstanding virtuoso and Messianic Jew Maurice Sklar, appearing on Sid Roth’s programme. This week, he is featured on Jewish Voice, interviewed by Jonathan Bernis. You can watch the programme here.

Although most in Britain wouldn’t have heard of him at all (rather unsurprisingly), I’m quite heartened by the fact that a number of Christian friends from Singapore also like Sklar and his violin ministry.

So she doesn’t do God either, does she?

2010-06-30T13:51:00.000+01:00

Years ago Tony Blair’s chief spin doctor Alastair Campbell, in an attempt to sidestep discussion about Blair’s faith and his politics for fear it might lead to undesirable political repercussions, uttered what has since become a famous (or infamous, depending on how one sees it) quote: “We don’t do God”.

The new Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has now declared that she doesn’t believe in God. That’s quite a stark contrast to her recently dethroned predecessor Kevin Rudd, who not only believed in God but also openly spoke about his faith and politics. There is a difference, though, between Gillard’s and Blair’s “not doing God”. Blair actually has a faith – he converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism when he left office – and therefore believes in God, but had decided not to publicly discuss this while he was in office for obvious political reasons. Gillard is an atheist.

Now, don’t get me wrong; let me qualify. Whether one believes in God or not doesn’t necessarily make one a better or worse Prime Minister. But if a nation has a genuinely God-fearing, Jesus-following Prime Minister, backed by a team of equally God-fearing, Jesus-following cabinet members, imagine the sort of difference it will make to the nation as a whole. At the very least, one can have some confidence that key policy decisions will not be made without first seeking God and asking for His wisdom. Well, blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord (Psalm 33:12). And although this verse actually refers contextually to Israel, I believe it is just as applicable to every nation on earth today.

But sadly in the contemporary world, that’s a mere pipe dream – or at least I know not of a nation with such a Prime Minister and cabinet.

Songs for Sunday Service 27 Jun 2010

2010-06-27T23:59:00.002+01:00

It was as usual a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Lord this morning, singing the following songs:

Hallelujah to the Lamb (A)

This Kingdom (D)

Glorious King (D)

Shout to the Lord (A)

It always warms my heart and fills it with a deep inexplicable joy whenever we have the opportunity to enter into a time of deeper spontaneous worship, no matter how brief it is, like we did after the third song this morning.

The farmer telling it plainly

2010-06-24T12:35:00.003+01:00

I recently blogged about the South African farmer turned evangelist Angus Buchan and the film Faith Like Potatoes, which tells of how he came to believe in Jesus.

He recently spoke at the Mighty Men Conference, which he had hosted for the past seven years at his farm in Greytown, South Africa. Since he started the event in 2004, attendance had grown steadily from 240 men to 7,400 in 2007 and to 60,000 in 2008. This year the event drew a staggering 250,000 people. And you thought only the World Cup could bring together that sort of crowd in South Africa!

We had the privilege of watching a few of the sessions on GodTV, and were quite impressed by the fact that he preached the Word with pure simplicity and forthrightness – no airs, no pomp, just rugged down-to-earth sharing of his faith in Jesus. No wonder someone said:

“Angus preaches a simple faith. Potentially it lacks some detail, but the reality of Christianity is that it is a simple message to follow.”

Someone of South African origin said to me the other day he had reservations about Buchan’s preaching, which he claimed to be quite devoid of proper grounding in the Word. I suppose I would ask whether simple, less educated people from the remote farms or less developed areas of South Africa would be interested in hearing an expert exposition of the Bible. By contrast, I think Buchan’s simple messages win and inspire more people for Jesus than an erudite Bible study could. But then of course, just to qualify, souls that have been added into the Kingdom must then be nourished (probably by someone else) and built up with the Word.

So if you’re keen to hear him speak with the simplicity of an honest farmer, you can try this link to GodTV.

By the way, he is scheduled to speak in London in October.

Jesus to return by 2050?

2010-06-23T07:31:00.001+01:00

Sometimes I really wonder whether people pay enough attention to what Jesus said in Matthew 24:42-44 and what Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3. Many still seem to think they can guesstimate when, even approximately, Jesus will return.

In a poll entitled Life in 2050: Amazing Science, Familiar Threats, the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press revealed that 41% of Americans expected Jesus to return by 2050. This instantly brings to mind what I wrote last September.

Songs for Sunday Service 20 Jun 2010

2010-06-20T23:29:00.000+01:00

It was as usual a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Lord this morning, singing the following songs:

Awesome God (F#m)
Days of Elijah (A)
Blessed Be Your Name (A)
With All My Heart (Dm)
More Love, More Power (F#m)

Paul Wilbur's Desert Rain

2010-06-14T22:51:00.004+01:00

Finally!

When Paul Wilbur announced last summer that he was doing a live recording with Integrity Music in the desert of En Gedi in Israel during last year's Feast of Tabernacles, I began to wait with great anticipation for the time when his album will finally be out. I first heard him talked about it here. And after much waiting, I'm glad to hear that it will finally be released this autumn. Called Desert Rain, here's a promotional trailer from his ministry's YouTube channel.

Songs for Sunday Service 13 Jun 2010

2010-06-13T23:48:00.002+01:00

It was as usual a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Lord this morning, singing the following songs:

Hinei Ma Tov (Em)

He is My Defence (Em)

Be Still (D)

In Your Presence, O God (A)

King of Kings, Majesty (A)

Marginalisation of Christianity in English schools

2010-06-07T17:01:00.002+01:00

I have long blogged about the marginalisation of Christianity and Christians in Britain. Under this thread, Politics and Society, readers of my blog would almost certainly have been bored to sleep by my frequent lamentations of how Christianity and Christian values are fast being eroded from the fabric of British society, often not by natural attrition (as though there is such a thing) but by the stealth of various forces of darkness working in concert to eliminate Christianity from the face of this nation.

A report entitled Transforming Religious Education, published today by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted), the schools watchdog in England, adds to this already alarming concern. This is an official report, not the views of a Christian pressure group or even the Church of England. The report suggests that teachers pay more attention to other faiths apart from Christianity and that Christian pupils are being sidelined in classes. Here are snapshots of Ofsted’s findings:

Many schools did not pay sufficient attention to teaching the core beliefs of Christianity in Religious Education classes, where other religions were treated more seriously.
Despite a legal requirement for Christian collective worship, Christian assemblies were being dropped in favour of multi-faith worship in non-faith state schools.
The experiences of Christian pupils in the class were ignored, as they were given limited opportunities to share their understanding. By sharp contrast, more careful attention was paid to the experiences of pupils from other faiths.
Teaching of Christianity was often superficial, as the study of Jesus was reduced to an unsystematic collection of information about his life, with limited reference to his theological significance within the faith.

Some might have wondered why I had often called the previous government (i.e. Blair and Brown’s Labour) the chief culprit in subtly but systematically dismantling Christianity and Christian values in Britain. Today’s report shows just one of the many reasons why. Ofsted also found that changes to the curriculum in the early years of secondary school, introduced by the Labour Government to ostensibly increase flexibility, were having a negative impact on Religious Education. In some schools RE had been amalgamated with other lessons and had all but disappeared. Surely Labour cannot be blamed; it’s the schools’ and teachers’ fault. I beg to differ. The boundaries and constraints within which schools and teachers act and discharge their duties are a matter of policy. And policy is a matter of government. Kudos to Labour.

And to top it all, consider this one finding. Ofsted found, as a case study example, in one primary school the story of Jesus healing a blind man was used as a springboard for pupils to write poems about what they would miss if they were blind and how blind people would cope. Despite the story was clearly meant to be about the miracle Jesus had performed, pupils were not taught the religious significance of the story.

Of course schools have to be a positive breeding ground for multiculturalism and respect for other faiths and minority groups. But in striving towards those ends by deliberately and systematically eliminating Christianity from schools gives you an increasingly clear picture of what the various “forces of darkness” in the British society are up to and the depths to which this nation has plunged – spiritually.

Pray for Britain. Pray.

Worship is not an appetiser

2010-05-31T20:11:00.000+01:00

I've always said, including here back in August 2008, that corporate praise and worship - i.e. when the local body of Christ meets and participates in sung worship - must not be treated as a starter, or appetiser, to a meal. It must not play second fiddle to what many perceive as the main course - the sermon. It is as important as the sermon that is to be preached.

But sadly many Christians and churches don't see it that way. And this is no mere suspicion - this is my telling you from experience. Many see worship as merely going through the (albeit enjoyable) formality of singing a few songs, or hymns for some, before the preacher dishes out the very substance for which they attend a church meeting or service. Hence, it is very unsurprising that few take worship seriously. For example, you can try observing how many people continue drifting in when the worship session has already long begun. The attitude is: who cares? Give me the meat, worship's just the entrée I can mostly do without.

Michael Brown's interview with Paul Wilbur, aired over Line of Fire radio last month, touched on many things, including Wilbur's testimony, which I've now heard many times. But one thing caught my attention. From 16:25 mins to 18:17 mins in the interview , Wilbur set out to dispel this very misconception that worship is a mere "preparation" for the message from the pulpit that follows.

If churchgoers continue to treat worship as a mere pre-cursor to the sermon, they are missing out on a great deal. No wonder some complain they get very little out of the service they attend even though the sermon is seemingly outstanding; they still somehow leave the service feeling "unfulfilled". But then few bother to ask the question: do I attend a church service just to be fed with the Word? Worship is the opportunity where people can "connect" with God in a corporate setting (because you can also connect with God in your private time of worship). It is the platform for us to give the Almighty our praise and adoration that is due Him, and in doing so we sense a deep longing within us being fulfilled when he inhabits our praise (Psalm 22:3).

If one wants to experience the sweet and inexplicably wonderful presence of God, who longs to commune with us in our worship, one needs to treat worship more seriously. I know some will vehemently disagree, but do so at the prospect of having an unbalanced, incomplete meal. I'd go for a complete, full-course meal.

Archaic practice or thorn in the flesh?

2010-05-30T19:32:00.000+01:00

When I read this press report the other day on the National Secular Society (a campaign group for atheists) going to court to stop a town council in Devon from saying prayers before meetings on the grounds that such was considered an "archaic practice" and can put people in an uncomfortable and embarrassing position, I couldn't help but wondered if anyone in Malaysia, the country where I grew up, objected to Muslim prayers being recited in public events on similar grounds.

I remember very vividly all of us students from other ethnic groups and faiths stood in respectful silence when Muslim prayers were recited in our weekly school assembly. When we held business meetings with the Government, prayers were similarly recited although a large number of attendees were non-Muslims. Did we make a fuss? Did we complain that since a substantial number of us present in a particular event weren't Muslims, such practice of saying a Muslim prayer was "archaic", or that it would make us uncomfortable and embarrassed?

But then again, certain pressure groups in Britain today are gaining an increasing voice in society partly because the moral fabric in British society has long been torn to shreds and with it any precious little respect for the faith that has been the foundation of this nation for ages. Such pressure groups wouldn't have been allowed to exist, let alone flourish, in Malaysia, where, despite all its democratic shortcomings, its moral values and sense of mutual respect are still by far more intact that those in Britain.

So beyond what they see as an archaic practice, I think prayers said in public events are effectively a thorn in their flesh. Just like seeing a copy of the Bible, listening to Christian worship or even contemplating the idea of church itself, hearing prayers being said kindles a sense of guilt, wretchedness and unholiness in some people - and they can't stand their sinfulness being exposed.

Well, we were no different once upon a time. We too were sinners. But by the amazing grace of God and the conviction of sin brought about by His Spirit, we chose to repent when His light exposed the darkness of our sins. May the Lord's Spirit touch our atheist friends too and His love bowl them over.

Turnaround

2010-05-27T21:31:00.002+01:00

I love turnaround stories. They are usually very encouraging, good for the soul and reaffirms in our hearts the great works our God can do. In fact, only God can really turn lives around for the better - and for a future that is anchored on the blessed hope of an eternity with our Maker.

Thus I often feel encouraged when I read stories of how people's lives have changed when they accepted Jesus as their personal Saviour. The Telegraph today carried a story of how a former violent criminal who used to do drugs, alcohol and armed robbery came to Christ, saw his life turned around and will this Sunday be ordained as a priest in the Church of England. Here's Matthew Martinson's story in the Telegraph.

Faith like potatoes

2010-05-24T23:53:00.003+01:00

Ever heard of the phrase "faith like potatoes"? When we began watching a film by this title at our home fellowship last Friday evening, I was wondering what the film was about, although I suspected it must have something to do with the subject of faith. It was indeed about faith. Copious amount, as a matter of fact.

I must admit the earlier parts of the film seemed boring, but after the first 20 minutes or so, I watched it ever so intently. By the end of the approximately 2-hour film, I was uplifted and very heartened indeed. I knew I had watched a really good film.

It was a film based on an eponymous self-autobiography by Angus Buchan, a South African farmer of Scottish descent. Here's another take on his amazing story, depicting how he and his family upped roots in Zambian due to political unrest and moved to Greytown in South Africa in 1978, how they came to Jesus and the rest, as they say, is history. But you've got to sit through almost the entire film in order to understand what the title really means.

I'd recommend the film to you. Faith Like Potatoes is really worth watching. Here's a trailer:

Songs for Sunday Service 23 May 2010

2010-05-23T23:50:00.000+01:00

It was as usual a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Lord this morning, singing the following songs:

Hallelujah to the Lamb (A)
Mighty to Save (A)
Joy of My Desire (A)
I Stand in Awe (A)

An open air service, anyone?

2010-05-17T23:51:00.003+01:00

The Cass Centre, our usual meeting place every Sunday morning since the first Sunday of April 2009, was unavailable yesterday. So Calvary Chapel Cambridge had to look for an alternative venue. We eventually settled for a unique open air service on Lammas Land. A nice experience, I’d say, although from the pictures you can see that we were bracing the chilly winds on an unseasonably cold mid-May morning. I’m sure when we’re back at the Cass Centre next Sunday the sun will be shining brightly outside and the mercury will soar!

I feel a tad more optimistic

2010-05-15T20:39:00.002+01:00

Well, we now have a new government here in Britain although not quite in the shape and form that many had hoped for. Personally, I don’t have much problem seeing the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats work together in a coalition government, although like many of similar persuasion I would have liked the Tories to have won an outright majority and to govern alone. No, not that I’ve got any vested interest in the Tories, although admittedly I work for a Tory-leaning think tank, but simply because I think in the present climate they are the least of the few evils!

If you’ve been reading my blog, particularly my postings under Politics and Society, you couldn’t have possibly mistaken me for a Labour sympathiser. I used to think New Labour was a refreshing and charismatic change when they took power in 1997, and was quite heartened by Tony Blair’s then emphasis on “education, education, education”. But over the past five or six years, the Labour Government collectively (see I’m not victimising Blair or Gordon Brown) had very subtly but systematically dismantled the Christian fabric of this nation and oversaw the erosion (that happened right under their noses) of Christian values and heritage in this once great, once proud nation. Never before had Britain been so misguidedly mindful of political correctness to the extent that Christians and Christianity were increasingly marginalised than in 13 years of Labour administration – and yes, not even during the sleazy years of previous Conservative governments. In the name of “equality”, “inclusion”, “diversity” and many other donkey terms, the net effect of Labour’s policies – albeit many of them well-intentioned but nonetheless downright misguided – is such that few people can today still call Britain a Christian nation. Friends in Asia were appalled. Friends in America shook their heads in disbelief. But that’s the Britain that Labour had bequeathed the Tories and LibDems, not to mention the more mundane stuff such as a burst bubble economy where the seemingly impressive, once uninterrupted growth was actually built on a mountain of debt and conspicuous consumption.

Of course, who knows what the Conservative-LibDem coalition will herald. It might be worse than what Labour gave us. Or it might perhaps herald the beginning of a return to what we know as values that are in line with God’s Word. But we’ll see if they make good their pre-election pledges such as strengthening the family and supporting marriage, and if they stem the erosion of Christian values – nevermind if it is being done as stealthily as Labour oversaw the erosion of those values. If you don’t know it already, a lot concerning British politics today is about stealth.

So I’m a tad more optimistic now regarding the future of Britain’s moral and spiritual fabric. I just hope the new chaps in the hot seats of government won’t disappoint me. May God have mercy on Britain and bless this nation. May God turn the hearts of this nation’s leaders to Him. May the fear of the Lord fall upon our leaders in increasing measure.

D-Day tomorrow

2010-05-05T23:20:00.002+01:00

So it is finally at the doorstep. The day of reckoning. The day of decision. The day that will certainly change Britain - the only question is whether for better or for worse. D-Day. Or simply General Elections day tomorrow, 6 May 2010. It will be interesting. The results on Friday can mean that, even in the event of a hung parliament, Britain will either continue going down the road of the destruction of its moral values and erosion of its Christian heritage, or give itself a chance of a u-turn back towards some measure (even just a tiny bit more) of the fear of God. We shall see.

In the meantime, I thought the following message from Colin Hart, Director of The Christian Institute is most appropriate for all Christian voters.

Songs for Sunday Service 2 May 2010

2010-05-02T23:57:00.002+01:00

It was as usual a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Lord this morning, singing the following songs:

Hosanna (Fraser) (E)

I Simply Live (D)
Joy of My Desire (A)

The Power of Your Love (A)

"Freedom from Political Powers"

2010-04-28T17:53:00.000+01:00

We were in London a couple of Sundays ago, and so we took the opportunity to attend a morning service at Kensington Temple. I have fond memories of this church, one of the biggest and best known Pentecostal churches in London. It was nearly ten years ago when I first visited this church on the sidelines of a business trip. Ten years on, little had changed - and I mean that in a good way. Well, yes, services were still rather short (about an hour and a half) owing to the number of services KT held on a Sunday, and as a result worship was still rather brief, but the Word preached was just as solid, things were still kept simple and, I was glad to note, there had at least not been any "back-bending" that are increasingly prevalent among so many modern churches today that place church growth at the top of their priorities.

But what was most edifying was Colin Dye's sermon that morning. "Freedom from Political Powers" was a very timely sermon as Britain now prepares to go to the polls. And it was a bold sermon, which was quite heartening given that, in today's Britain, the larger the churches the greater the tendency for pastors to choose their words very, very carefully so as to sound as politically-correct as possible and to appeal to as many segments of the congregation as possible. I know Pastor Dye has come under heavy criticism from many Christian commentators and even fellow preachers over the years, including from this enigma figure as I wrote recently. But I appreciated his sermon that morning. Very timely, very stirring, very bold, very edifying.

If you're interested in the forthcoming UK general elections and would like to hear how Christians in this country can respond, you might want to watch it here, although it is a recording of the 11.00am service - we attended the 9.00am service.

Are you sure no one has ever survived?

2010-04-27T23:43:00.003+01:00

Reading this press article about a 10-year-old schoolgirl in Australia surviving after being stung by the world's most venomous creature, the box jellyfish, immediately brought to mind one outstanding testimony. Apparently doctors were stunned that she survived, and one associate professor at James Cook University was quoted as saying: "I don't know of anybody in the entire literature we've studied who has had such an extensive sting and has survived."

Well, of course no academic literature or science or medical journals has ever documented such a case of survival. But that doesn't mean there has never been one. They have just never had the chance to listen to this guy's testimony.

Kids saying The Lord's Prayer

2010-04-17T23:39:00.003+01:00

Last August I posted a Tangle video of this little girl singing The Lord's Prayer. That was just as heart-warming as the little girl who recited Psalm 23, a video that has become a favourite on Tangle. Now what about this - three kids saying The Lord's Prayer before bedtime. How lovely!

It ain't easy being a judge

2010-04-12T08:05:00.001+01:00

When I read this press article the other day, I couldn't help but be reminded of American artist Jon McNaughton's controversial painting that made headlines last year.

Apparently, church leaders are heading towards a "showdown" with the judiciary over allegations that some of England's most senior judges are prejudiced against Christianity and have ruled unfairly against Christians and their right to expression of faith. This came hot on the heels of a Muslim leader, writing here, defending Britain's "national religion", which he claimed was "under siege" and "has never been so marginalised and derided, especially by the public institutions that should be defending it". Mind you, that was a Muslim talking!

So this "showdown" with the judges - I think being a judge is an unenviable job. I'm not surprised McNaughton depicted the Supreme Court judge the way he did (read the article, or the description on his website here). God is righteous and upright; He loves justice (Psalm 11:7). Psalm 106:3 says "Blessed are they who maintain justice". Judges ought to be careful, really careful, for they will one day appear before the throne of the Great Judge and will have to give account of the judgement they meted out while on earth. Some may think they're doing themselves, the secular society and human rights a "just" favour with their rulings, but they ought to think carefully if they can stand their ground in the presence of the Judge of judges.

Songs for Sunday Service 11 Apr 2010

2010-04-11T18:52:00.002+01:00

It was as usual a pleasure leading fellow worshippers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Lord this morning, singing the following songs:

For All You've Done (F)

Mighty to Save (A)

Before the Throne of God Above (D)

Draw Me Close (A)

It's always nice when we could, like we did for a short while at the end of the last song this morning, enter into a time of spontaneous worship, aided by a musical climax.

Billy Graham and Woody Allen

2010-04-10T07:30:00.003+01:00

I came across on Tangle the other day this video footage of Woody Allen interviewing Billy Graham in 1969. Worth watching. It made me wonder about two things: one, whether evangelists would still be invited on stage and in front of the camera for such relaxed, non-intimidating interviews these days; and two, whether those who are invited will give forthright answers on difficult questions with implications on political correctness and personal popularity.

A short take on the evening with Jacob Prasch

2010-04-07T17:22:00.001+01:00

I said last week I was going to write a bit more on the evening with Jacob Prasch at Calvary Chapel Cambridge. So here’s a brief take on the evening. It’s a message of two halves, really.

The first provided some new and very useful insights on something we had known for some time. Prasch used the significance of Palm Sunday (well, the event was on Palm Sunday, how appropriate!) to explain why many Jewish people did not believe Jesus to be their Messiah. When the Jews shouted “Baruch haba B’Shem Adonai”, or “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:8-9), they actually did so with Yeshua ben David in mind, as expressed in their cry “Hosanna to the Son of David!”, instead of Yeshua ben Yosef. Yes, we know that Jesus is both Yeshua ben David and Yeshua ben Yosef. But the Jews then expected their Messiah to come in the form of the former, that is a mighty reigning king coming in all his glory and splendour who will restore the kingdom to Israel. What they did not expect one bit was a Messiah, in form of the Son of Joseph, a humble being in flesh and blood, who would go to the cross and suffer an excruciating death. So to cut the long story short, the crux of the Jews’ unbelief can be understood in the aim of their proclamation “Baruch haba B’Shem Adonai”. Prasch went on to stress that one day we will indeed say “Baruch haba B’Shem Adonai” to Yeshua ben David, but before we – Jews and Gentiles alike – can one day say precisely that, we must first know Yeshua ben Yosef, the God who became flesh and went to the cross for us. There can be no Yeshua ben David without Yeshua ben Yosef. Well, not exactly rocket science, but a fresh insight to an existing knowledge.

The second half of his message – the less said the better. I wasn’t entirely surprised at what was to come, as I had already had an inkling about it. Most of the latter part of his message contained much ranting about other preachers and evangelists that he thought did not do justice to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but who instead built up ministry “enterprises” for personal gain. Some of the things he pointed out, I thought, were valid, although he could have provided a more balanced view so as not to mislead people hearing him the first time or encourage people to develop an unduly critical attitude. Naming names he surely did, and as expected, he wasn’t one who would mince his words. Enough said.

Songs for Sunday Service 4 Apr 2010

2010-04-04T18:19:00.002+01:00

It was a privilege to lead fellow believers at Calvary Chapel Cambridge in praising and worshipping the Most High God on Easter Sunday, singing the following songs:

Jesus is Alive (C)

Jesus, We Celebrate Your Victory (G)

El Shaddai (F)

Above All (A)

In Christ Alone (E)

It had been ages since I last sang Ron Kenoly's classic Jesus is Alive, the last was probably during my days growing up in Ipoh, Malaysia. So it was just wonderful to be able to sing it again, particularly on Resurrection Sunday! And given that we have Easter and Pesach in the same week this year, I thought Michael Card's El Shaddai was very appropriate for this morning, as its two verses capture both the old and new Passovers!

Are Christians being persecuted in this country?

2010-04-03T23:11:00.002+01:00

Well, that's the question a major BBC One documentary tomorrow night will seek to answer. On the back of countless cases of Christians in public services being sidelined and victimised, some of which I have highlighted here, here and here, I'd be very keen to watch what the programme has to say, or what slant it is going to take. This recent press article gave a sneak preview. So if you're in the UK tomorrow night at 10.50pm, you might be interested to tune in to BBC One for Are Christians Being Persecuted?

Why celebrate Pesach?

2010-04-02T23:53:00.004+01:00

This is the Passover week, which began on sundown Monday. This year is special, as Passover and Easter fall in the same week.

During last year's Passover, I highlighted John Garr's excellent explanation as to why Gentile believers should also (where possible) celebrate the Passover. Just to recap, not least because Jesus Himself celebrated it (e.g. Luke 22:8), and if the Passover was right for Jesus it must be right for us, the followers of Jesus. But Dr Garr also pointed out that Paul encouraged the predominantly Gentile church to "keep the Festival" (1 Cor 5:7-8), albeit with a new perspective - that Christ as the Passover Lamb, who shed His blood to redeem us from the enemy.

This year, I read an interesting article by Chuck Pierce, which provides a brief historical account of how Satan has throughout history sought to prevent the Passover from being celebrated - and the reasons why. What the article added to my learning was this: that the celebration of Jesus, His sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection is supposed to be the celebration of the Passover - for Christ is our Passover Lamb - but is instead celebrated as what we today call Easter, which apparently originated from Constantine's outlawing of the Passover. Constantine directed that Christ’s death and resurrection be celebrated on “the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox,” a time associated with the spring festival of the pagan fertility goddess Ishtar, also known as Eastre!

In short, we Gentile Christians should have been celebrating the Passover - for the very same reason as we have all along celebrated Easter. Jesus, our Passover Lamb, was slain and is risen. Jesus is alive!

Songs for a special evening with Jacob Prasch 28 Mar 2010

2010-03-29T21:13:00.005+01:00

As announced earlier, Calvary Chapel Cambridge hosted an evening with Jacob Prasch yesterday. It was a pleasure to lead the congregation - the largest we've actually had for any event thus far since this small local fellowship began a couple of years ago - singing the following, largely Messianic, praise and worship songs:

He is My Defence (Em)

Baruch Adonai (Cm)

Hinei Ma Tov (Em)

Baruch Haba (Em)

Baruch Atah Adonai (Bm)

King of Kings, Majesty (A)

From my personal experience in Britain, it is quite rare one is able to sing one Messianic song after another, unless one attends a Messianic fellowship or during a special event celebrating one of the feasts, particularly Sukkot. Certainly within this university city of Cambridge, to have almost an entire praise and worship session dedicated to singing to the Lord a number of Messianic songs is a novelty, to say the least. Hence, to be asked by our pastor, Joey, to lead the congregation last night singing Messianic praise and worship - on Palm Sunday that is - was an absolute joy. It was also something I had longed to do for a while, but realised precious few, if any, churches would have any of it.

In this regard, I must commend Joey, who did not at any time consider it a shame or an embarrassment, or feel apprehensive, to have a Messianic praise and worship session where the songs were sung in both Hebrew and English. Many other bigger names (but arguably with lesser guts) would have considered doing this rather un-British. It was most appropriate after all, as Prasch was to speak on a subject that was very Messianic in nature - the difference between saying "Baruch haba B'Shem Adonai" to Yeshua ben David and to Yeshua ben Yosef. More about this later.

I must admit I would have enjoyed it even more if I was my usual more energetic self. We just arrived home from Spain an hour and a half before setting off to church for the event - there was hardly time to catch a breath. Thanks be to God, though, whose grace was always sufficient. After all, it was His Spirit who was in control and running the event, not me.

Glory & Passion in Tübingen (in English)

2010-03-24T07:12:00.002Z

Back in January, I posted an announcement from TOS Church Tübingen regarding their Glory & Passion Conference on 24-27 June. However, they had the announcement only in German then. Now the English version is up - here. They've got an interesting line up of speakers, and of course Paul Wilbur will lead what is surely going to be a fabulous time of worshipping the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - who is also our God.

Songs for Sunday Service 21 Mar 2010

2010-03-21T23:53:00.002Z

It was a slightly different, but certainly not entirely new, experience leading worship at Calvary Chapel Cambridge this morning. It happened before from time to time (though this was the first time at Calvary Chapel Cambridge), so that's where experience came in handy!

For some reasons the laptop that controlled the projection of the song lyrics onto the screen failed to work, hence necessitating an impromptu change of songs. Without the help of lyrics projected onto the screen, it would have been quite a big ask for the congregation to participate in singing the songs that I had prepared. So apart from the first song, which was relatively easier to manage as I led and others echoed, I decided we'd just do a number of songs that most people would be rather familiar with - even without the words. As in the past, the Holy Spirit would just take everything "by the scruff of the neck", and led us beautifully from one song to another. So we ended up singing the following, as led by the Spirit:

You are Worthy of My Praise (F)

Give Thanks (F)

I Worship You (G)

Jesus, We Enthrone You (G>A)

Shout to the Lord (A)

How Great is Our God (A)

It's really nice to once again be able to experience the beauty of total surrender, where the entire "plan" was thrown out of the window and the Spirit just led us from one song to another. That brought back memories of some of the worship and prayer meetings that I had been involved in, where the presence of God was so strong that the Spirit just completely (and I really mean completely) took over.

I think this also provides an insight into what I have been planning to write in one of the coming weeks, following up on my little "balanced perspective" series. Here's a sneak preview: serving God in the worship/music ministry requires a good balance between reliance on the Holy Spirit and technical skills. We need to rely completely on the Spirit's leading, but we also need to do our homework to ensure we're up to the task.

British politicians to face Christian voters?

2010-03-14T06:23:00.002Z

Well, it certainly seems long overdue to me. Yes, British politics is unlike American politics, where faith and politics are interwoven. Here, politicians try their utmost to avoid, sometimes evade, any discussion about faith, or where they stand on issues that matter to certain faiths, especially Christianity.

So I was quite pleased to read the other day that several "religious pressure groups" (as the press so called them) were planning to host a series of hustings in the run-up to the general elections where politicians will be invited to come face to face with the Christian electorate. I think this is a brilliant idea, and I take my hats off to those putting in every effort to try to make this happen.

Well, since politicians will be dying to win the Christian vote, particularly since they know large sections of the Christian electorate are increasingly unhappy with what they perceive to be the Government allowing Christianity to be marginalised in this country, they should sum up the courage and muster their guts to accept the invitation to these hustings and answer the questions that will be posed. I'd love to see if especially Labour politicians have the courage to turn up. Since Labour has overseen an unprecedented period of the systematic erosion of Christian values and heritage in this country (in fact I'd say they deliberately allowed it to happen right under their noses), and the party is well aware that they might be warming the opposition benches come May, surely they cannot afford to lose the Christian vote. So I say we should put them in a spot, grill them Paxman style, and don't let them get away by not answering the questions, something they are skilled at doing.

My hunch is this: most of them will chicken out. You'll end up with only a handful accepting the invitation, and these are most likely going to be small miserable pawns instructed by their far more senior colleagues to face the firing squad. As the press report claimed, they might be trying to get Harriet Harman. I'd be very surprise if she turns up, having been the chief architect of the Equality Bill. But then again, I'm quietly hoping I'll be wrong, in which case I shall join many to observe with great interest (might even attend if there's one locally) what sort of answers key politicians will give to the Christian electorate.

The balanced perspective 1: theology vs application

2010-03-11T23:17:00.000Z

There are, of course, many styles of preaching the Word of God, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. But what strikes me as intriguing is how tightly some Christians hold on to a particular style of preaching that they believe is the best, to the extent that other styles are either given the short shrift of disdain or deemed inferior. Here are two contrasting examples to illustrate.

I recently watched an online video of a Sunday sermon preached at one of the megachurches in America. The subject and the content of the sermon were spot on. The sermon addressed an aspect of Christian living and the gist of it was to urge listeners to behave in a particular way that is important for wellbeing. Now, is the behaviour that was advocated Biblical? If you know your Bible, you can easily say yes. God-honouring? Absolutely. Easy to understand? Yes. Applicable in everyday life? Most certainly, yes. But what strikes me most was that the preaching was scarcely backed up with reference to Scriptures. I think most people in the congregation knew the behaviour advocated was good, but consolidating it Biblically by showing how the Word of God actually teaches it might have made a more solid grounding of Christian living in the Word. Otherwise, one might ask: “What’s the Biblical basis for such behaviour?” You can’t assume everyone listening has read the Bible from cover to cover. Anyway, I later discovered that such style of preaching was common to that church and was very well received by its members, who enjoyed and benefited from it.

Now, wait a minute. You’d be thinking I’m pillorying the preacher there and his style of preaching. Not at all! In fact, I think the content of the sermon was good, the style was engaging (that is, “not boring”) and the message was delivered in a way that all could understand and apply in their everyday lives. Simply put, it was so very applicable. You don’t need to have read a quarter of the whole Bible, let alone have attended Bible college or seminary, in order to grasp and apply the message, which is why I think the congregation there loved it. Critics will say such preaching is shallow, devoid of any theology. I wouldn’t go that far. All I’m saying is, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17), Christians must also be taught where in the Word lies the teaching associated with such application – so that all will know for sure that such teaching comes from God and not simply from what a motivational speaker conjured up in his bath.

Consider another style of preaching, which is quite the opposite of the above. Some Christians believe true preaching of the Word from the pulpit must mean delving meticulously into the Bible by applying scholarly interpretation of the theology in question, and perhaps going through long passages of Scripture. A good sermon must be grounded in solid theology and be given a masterclass exposition of theological concepts and underpinnings. That’s good, too, in a way. But where’s the application? It is certainly great to learn the finer theological underpinnings of a subject, so that we know the Biblical basis for something that is being discussed. But if to puff up our minds and to make us feel good with that extra scholarly knowledge are all it achieves, then the Word becomes dead in us. It will be a classic case of NATO – no action, talk only. Listeners go away and live their lives the very same way before they heard the sermon. Worse still, some fall asleep halfway during the sermon because a deep theological exposition might not be very engaging (a polite euphemism for “boring”), particularly if you come to church with all sorts of personal problems on your shoulders and longing to learn how to apply God’s Word in facing those problems.

So the point I’m trying to make is frustratingly simple and obvious. We need both. A well-fed Christian is one who is properly grounded in the Word and taught how to apply it – in every sense of what “application” means. What irks me from time to time is when people claim that this or that style is the right way to preach God’s Word, as though all other styles are necessarily wrong. Theology is good. Application is good. But both together are better.

The Song of Moses

2010-03-08T06:43:00.003Z

Lately I have been listening again to Paul Wilbur's first album with Integrity Music, which I suspect few in today's contemporary circles have heard of. His 1991 album Up to Zion still ranks as one of my favourites, and the songs in this album still seem timeless to me.

One song that brought back memories of my early days in the worship ministry was The Song of Moses. I remember I used to sit in front of my cassette player and listen to this song again and again as I just worshipped the Lord and immersed myself in the beauty of the song's lyrics and, especially, the music. I remain to be so captivated even today each time I listen to the chorus. And I thought the 1980s "galaxy effect" in the background, which can also be produced quite closely with Yamaha DX7 or DX10, was just simply magnificent, so appropriate for the chorus. And the vocals by the background vocalists were done just so aptly. It's a far cry from many of today's hip hop, but its beauty lies pretty much in its simplicity and depth. Interestingly, found it on YouTube.

Songs for Sunday Service 7 Mar 2010

2010-03-07T23:40:00.001Z

It was a pleasure to serve the Lord in music and in song by leading the congregation at Calvary Chapel Cambridge this morning in praise and worship, singing the following songs:

Days of Elijah (A)
Baruch Atah Adonai (Bm)

Sing Hallelujah (Bm>Cm)

Glorious King (D)
How Great is Our God (A)

An enigma perhaps

2010-03-02T23:47:00.007Z

I said yesterday I was going to offer my tiny two pence's worth on the little that I know of Jacob Prasch, who has been invited to speak at Calvary Chapel Cambridge at the end of this month. So here are some personal thoughts.

Firstly, I commend him for his zeal and perseverance in bringing the gospel of Yeshua HaMashiach to the Jews. I also respect him greatly for standing up for Israel and against those who, while masquerading as friends of Israel, actually do not have Israel's best interest in their hearts nor believe that Israel is still very much in God's divine plan. For instance, his ministry recently criticised this planned event. He is also fervent in standing up against replacement theology, which is particularly prevalent in Britain. I gathered that he is embroiled in a running feud with this Anglican vicar regarding "Christian Zionism". It's none of my business to say who's right or who's wrong on this - time will make it clear, as God has promised in Genesis 12:3.

But Prasch seems to me to be a bit of an enigma. As fervent as he is regarding Israel and the retracing of Christianity's Hebraic roots, he seems to have a deep disdain for a long list of men of God, dismissing some as counterfeits and deluded, and denouncing others as deceivers and theocratic hooligans. In this article criticising the Lakeland revival, he fires a ferocious broadside on a laundry list of people and ministries, many of whom I either know or have followed from a distance.

I must say I'm not a fan of Todd Bentley, nor most of the things that went on at Lakeland - and I saw for myself videos on how baptisms were conducted there. And I gathered that, sadly, he's still up to no good recently. But then I also know that God is able to move in spite of human beings when His people truly seek Him. There were people who were genuinely and miraculously healed at Lakeland, just as there were at Toronto and Pensacola, whatever human failings there might have been. The devil, by nature, cannot heal; he can only steal, kill and destroy. So if the miracles were genuine, they must have come from the God of miracles Himself. Hence, I'm not so sure if it is entirely wise to make a sweeping statement that totally dismisses and denounces Toronto, Pensacola and Lakeland. However, on more general terms, I agree with Prasch that revivals should produce holiness and self-control, not the lack of them.

I was quite surprised to see the likes of British preachers Colin Dye, Bryn Jones and Nicky Gumbel (I've seen his Alpha stuff and thought he was spot on), and vintage Americans Jack Hayford and Billy Graham being included in Prasch's list of "luminaries", although there were no surprises, given Prasch's predisposition, to see the names of John Kilpatrick, John Arnot, Mike Bickle, Pat Robertson, Rick Warren and Michael Brown (who is also a Messianic Jew) appearing in his hall of shame. And this is interesting, he's also got, in his words, "the once respected" Ravi Zacharias, who recently spoke at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa (cue the HQ!). So Calvary Chapel inviting two speakers, one of whom denounces the other? And as if those names aren't enough, he also lets rip on George Bush, despite being one of the most pro-Israel heads of state in recent times, and the Assemblies of God. I had been part of the AoG, so I can dismiss his sweeping dismissal of AoG as proponents of demonic delusions - there are always bad apples in a barrel, but to accuse the AoG collectively as such is itself an ungodly act, I'm afraid.

Alright, all the luminaries condemned by Prasch are just as human as you and me, and are therefore prone to sinning. But can one be so sure that not a single ounce of what they've done, or are doing, is from God? Or put it another way, should these people be so strongly denounced just because there's something about them that we cannot agree with? Let me tell you something: I don't agree with a lot of stuff coming from one of the best-known AoG leaders here in the UK (don't need to tell you who), but I don't see the need to publicly denounce him, unless of course he is clearly a servant of Satan. I just can't help but feel as though Prasch thinks the whole world is deluded and all other styles of teaching/preaching/ministry are wrong, and only he himself is on the right path with Yeshua.

As one who has seen, experienced and been part of ministries and fellowships where the laying on of hands, miracles, signs and wonders are altogether wholesome and just as natural as the healing power of our great, big God, I should warn that one should not treat with contempt the genuine manifest presence and power of God, provided they are in accordance with the Word. Just because you don't like it, or don't interpret the Scriptures to include God's display of His power through signs and wonders, doesn't mean God will stick to your stereotypes and display His power and glory according to how your human mind think they should be displayed, or made manifest.

Prasch is a good man. I have no doubt he loves Yeshua. I look forward to hearing him speak later this month. I just think he needs a little bit more self-control when making (sweeping) statements. After all, as he pointed out in his article, one of the fruits of the Spirit is indeed self-control!

Jacob Prasch in Cambridge

2010-03-01T23:55:00.002Z

Well, I know I hadn't been posting for slightly over a week, probably the longest hiatus since I started this blog on Christmas Day 2007. Anyway, here's continuing from where I left off.

It was announced at our Sunday Service yesterday that Calvary Chapel Cambridge will be hosting an evening with Messianic preacher Jacob Prasch on Sunday, 28 March, at 6.00pm. Pardon me for my ignorance. Despite taking a keen interest in Messianic circles, I confess I don't know much about him except that he's a little controversial and sort of an enigma. I don't need to say much about the former adjective - one can find loads of stuff on the web that tells you about that. But enigma? I'll give my tiny two pence's worth (or maybe less!) tomorrow.

In the meantime, nonetheless, Prasch is a follower of Yeshua and is absolutely clear regarding the significance of Israel in God's plan. That's all that really matters.

Songs for Sunday Service 21 Feb 2010

2010-02-21T17:31:00.002Z

It was a pleasure to serve the Lord in music and in song by leading the congregation at Calvary Chapel Cambridge this morning in praise and worship, singing the following songs:

Mighty to Save (A)

Holy and Anointed One (G)

Breathe (A)

More Love, More Power (F#m)

Seeing Jesus?

2010-02-18T21:35:00.001Z

It was amusing to read in the press today that someone was in awe at seeing an “incredible” image of Jesus on a flaming log in a fireplace. You can read the article for yourself here.

Fearing that people might question whether he had actually doctored the picture, he said, “I know, because I’m a video editor, people will say I have tinkered with the pictures, but trust me, they’re totally genuine.”

Well, I’ve no problems regarding the genuineness of the picture he took with his iPhone. But I just have one simple question for him: what made him think the image that he saw was indeed of Jesus?

Has he actually seen Jesus, and therefore able to confirm that the classic image of a bearded, long-haired man, which as the article claims has Roman origins dating back to the 3rd century, was actually the Lord himself? I wonder why people are so taken with claiming a figure with beard and long hair that appears in the unlikeliest places (like in the fold of a cloth or cloud shapes) must be Jesus, given that most men in Jesus’ time similarly wore a beard and had long hair. Why must we make Jesus in our image, or the image of our imagination and stereotypes? Unless someone making such claims has seen Jesus with his own naked eyes, can he be so sure that the figure isn’t that of John the Baptist, or Peter, or James? Or, excuse me, what if the guy in the picture was actually Satan masquerading as a man with beard and long hair (by the way, even Russell Brand has a beard and long hair!)?

See, human beings have a preoccupation for stereotypes and making an image of God using the power of our imagination. By the way, the latter can perhaps explain why throughout history people have made idols or representations of the Divine in one form or another as objects of worship. While it is alright to have drawings and pictures of Jesus as merely illustrations, as in children’s Bible, even then we ought to teach the kids in the Sunday school that such pictures might not necessarily depict what Jesus might look like.

If people want to have some clues about what Jesus might look like, try Revelation 1:12-18. But I reckon, it is far more important to worship Him as God than to busy ourselves with how He might look like.

Testimonies of Messianic Jews on It's Supernatural

2010-02-14T18:17:00.002Z

As I mentioned on Wednesday when writing about Helen Shapiro on Premier Radio, here's the final part of this week's trilogy of Messianic postings. Sid Roth interviewed a few Messianic Jews on his It's Supernatural programme, aired over this past week. One of them was Michael Brown, who will be in Tübingen this summer along with Paul Wilbur. It was quite fascinating to hear their testimonies and also how Roth's ministry in Brighton Beach, New York, saw a number of Jews coming to Yeshua.

You can watch the programme here on Roth's site.

Helen Shapiro - a Messianic Jew

2010-02-10T00:01:00.003Z

Well, I never set out intending to pen a few blog entries on Messianic topics this week. And I thought I was going to talk about other things after posting the other day about the increase of anti-Semitic attacks in Britain. But the way things have panned out, or rather given the several things that caught my attention these couple of days, I think my blog entries this week are shaping up nicely, albeit unexpectedly, along Messianic flavours.

So next up is what I found in my email this afternoon - a weekly mail blast from Premier Radio, with this week's highlights featuring among others an interview with Helen Shapiro. I must confess - I don't belong to a certain vintage during which Shapiro was the Celine Dion or Cheryl Cole of the day. So I knew nuts about who she was. The only reason I thought of giving the interview a quick listen, and wouldn't hesitate to navigate away if it didn't interest me after 2 minutes, was the description that she's a Messianic Jew. So I listened. And I realised she was really in the big league of pop music back in the 1960s - even the Beatles were once her supporting act! So how did a Jewish woman revelling in celebrity limelight came to know Yeshua as her Messiah? Here's her testimony, called "Walking Back to Happiness". She retired from showbiz in 2002 and today goes around the country doing "gospel outreaches", which include singing Messianic songs and sharing her testimony.

I ended up listening to the entire 31-minute interview. And I found it heartening to hear how a Jew came to know the Lord and today serves Yeshua with the talents He bestowed on her. It's really not impossible for the eyes of the Jews to be opened to see that Yeshua is indeed the fulfilment of what had been prophesied, said and promised in the Old Testament. Worth a listen here, if you have half an hour to spare.

And another interesting interview to come later this week!

Inviting a curse

2010-02-08T01:45:00.002Z

I wonder if the subject heading above will raise any eyebrows. Perhaps it shouldn't. Because that is precisely what the society in Britain is increasingly doing. A recent report served only to confirm what we've already known for some time, that attacks against Jews have increased in Britain. But then those were just reported incidences. There are many sections of the British society today, as there had been throughout history, that seek in one way or another, often implicitly and under the radar, to undermine and perpetrate violence against Israel and the Jews. Few want to see Israel and the Jewish nation prosper. Even among Christians here, few believe Israel is absolutely central, integral and significant to our faith - read replacement theology.

Anyway, back to what I mentioned earlier. The reason I think people who curse and attack the Jews are inviting a curse on themselves is simply Genesis 12:3. If the Word of God is very clear on this, it really shouldn't be a surprise when it comes!

Songs for Sunday Service 7 Feb 2010

2010-02-07T23:34:00.002Z

As usual, it was a pleasure to serve the Lord in music and in song by leading the congregation at Calvary Chapel Cambridge this morning in praise and worship, singing the following songs with a communion theme:

He is Exalted (E)

Lift Him Higher (A)

Above All (A)

At the Cross (E)

In Christ Alone (E)

The reason to persevere

2010-01-31T20:52:00.003Z

I've been lamenting a lot about the present day situation in this once great, once God-fearing nation of Britain. If you've been following my thread Politics and Society, you might be forgiven for thinking I'm complaining too much. Perhaps I've been. But I'd like to think it was for a good reason. And I've come to realise it's not just me who's rather disappointed and sad when looking at the downward spiral on which this nation is plunging - spiritually, that is. Friends from other nations, including those to which Britain once sent missionaries, share the same sadness. Many, just like me, "marvel" at how the tide has turned - today other nations are sending their missionaries to Britain.

Sometimes, I admit, it did cross my mind why I should bother calling this nation home. There are other countries in Europe and other parts of the English-speaking world where Christianity is fast making inroads and where revivals are spreading. Even in many other parts of Western Europe do we not see persecution of Christians and the systematic sidelining of Christianity like we do in Britain. Today's reading in RBC Ministries' much-loved Our Daily Bread provides some words of encouragement and underscores the main reason why people like us should and must remain in Britain instead of throwing the towel and calling it quits. This nation might be an increasingly dark place. But if we, who are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16), decide to chicken out of this dark place, who then is going to "shine the light before men"?

Today's reading is an encouragement. I hope it encourages all who are in the same boat as me here in Britain.

Come Unto Me by Terry MacAlmon

2010-01-25T08:50:00.006Z

I've recently been listening to this very simple yet very brilliant song by one of my favourite worship leaders and Christian artistes, Terry MacAlmon. Come Unto Me, written based on Matthew 11:28-30, and featured in his 2005 album You're My Glory: Live Worship, has touched me tremendously and ministered to me each time I listened to it. Its simplicity belies its beauty, and I believe the anointing under which MacAlmon played the music and sang the song must have been very strong. Just like what I wrote here concerning Kent Henry's music, you can best experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit through this song if you take time to just sit down, calm down and listen intently to it. And just a moment ago, I happened to find it on the web, so here it is:

Terry MacAlmon - Come Unto Me

abmp3 search engine

MacAlmon's style sadly belongs to a dying breed among Christian artistes these days. What a shame! And whatever he's been through these couple of years, I know for sure the impact of God's work through his ministry and the songs he wrote and sang remain very powerful and continue to touch many hearts until today. I, for one, continue to be greatly touched each time I listen to his songs.

Songs for Sunday Service 24 Jan 2010

2010-01-24T18:46:00.002Z

Baruch Atah Adonai (Bm)

Majesty (Garrard & Smith) (A)

King of Kings, Majesty (A)

Ageing churchgoers, falling numbers

2010-01-22T23:10:00.003Z

A press report today, quoting data from the research and statistics department of the Church of England, highlights the average age of Anglican churchgoers in the UK today - 61. The average adult age of the population in this country is 48. Apparently weekly attendance figures have also fallen. Where are the young people, and why do people rather spend their Sunday mornings jogging or reading the papers while sipping coffee in their favourite cafe (that is if they aren't having a sleep in) than going to church?

So if anything, what do these figures imply to you? To me, they imply two things - and both were exactly among the four issues I picked out in my New Year's Day entry concerning the nation of Britain and the "state of Christianity" in this country. One, these figures confirm that this nation is straying further and further away from God with every passing year. God matters little to people and is among the furthest things from people's minds. And two, perhaps one of the reasons people are antagonistic of churchgoing or find church futile is simply because the sort of stuff that is fed to people is, well, quite futile! Sad, but true. If church, or Christianity, means religion to people, they have made quite the right choice to stay away - even I myself might stay away, far away. Because Christianity isn't a religion and churchgoing isn't supposed to be an aimless, mindless ritual. Christianity is a relationship with Christ, and churchgoing is supposed to be far more energising, uplifting, edifying and dare I say "exciting" than merely going through the motions singing a few hymns interspersed with standing and sitting like a remote-controlled robot, being fed with "dry theology", shake a few hands, put on a perfunctory smile and leave. People want a saviour that is real if there's one and they want "life" in a group that they are encouraged to join. But what goes on in many churches (I shan't mention types) today gives people an impression that Jesus is anything but real and the experience of belonging to a church or fellowship is "dead boring".

So yes, in a way I feel vindicated regarding the concerns I raised, but at the same time very, very sad indeed at the possibility that I might be proven right - because it simply means something is very, very wrong here in this country.

Glory & Passion in Tübingen

2010-01-17T23:46:00.002Z

Here's an early indication of what's bound to be another wonderful, power-packed event in TOS Church Tübingen this summer. Following the marvellous Days of Elijah prophetic worship conference there in November 2008, this announcement on the TOS Church website (you've got to understand German, though) tells me that on 24-27 June this year there's going to be another cracker of a worship event there with Paul Wilbur. They've got a couple of interesting speakers lined up, too. But given that Wilbur's new album, recorded last year in the desert of En Gedi, Israel during the Feast of Tabernacles, is due to be out by Passover this year, I think worshippers attending the conference this year will have a smashing time singing some new Messianic praise and worship songs. Interestingly, or strangely, the event isn't even listed yet on Wilbur's own website. So I hope I'm not pre-empting the announcement on his site!

No mercy, no grace

2010-01-11T17:06:00.002Z

That's why I have always believed politics in Britain is a dog-eat-dog game. Don't expect grace, don't expect mercy if you choose to join in the game.

You might have heard that Northern Ireland's First Minister, Peter Robinson, is under increasing pressure to step down, not due to any serious fault of his own, but because of a scandal surrounding his wife, Iris, also an MP, who had a brief affair with a teenager and had in the course of the affair "encouraged" friends to provide some financial support to the young man. She has since been expelled from her party. Why is this couple rather interesting? Here are some clues. They're among the fast-dying breed of Protestant (Pentecostal, as a matter of fact) politicians who hold fast to God's principles even in public - except, sadly in the case of Mrs Robinson, God's command that we must not commit adultery.

There are two points that I wish to make here. One - hypocrisy. Despite her God-fearing reputation and image in public, she had committed a sin - one that is all too common among politicians. A sin is a sin; no such thing as a big or a small sin. But still you can't deny the fact that the repercussions of her particular transgression on her private life, political career and relationships are huge. She knew it, and apparently there had been repentance and forgiveness.

So here's the second point - hypocrisy. See how quickly the knives were sharpened on the couple, how quickly people were starting to queue up to cast the first stone, despite the fact there's no concrete proof yet of any official wrongdoing. All there is proven and not denied hitherto was a private problem, a family matter. And if you've been following British politics (and politicians), you just know so many of them have skeletons in their cupboards. Assuming there's no official wrongdoing found, should Peter Robinson be knifed and pushed from power based simply on the fact that his wife (and not even himself) had an affair and that he had seemingly lost control? Hypocrisy in the highest. How many dodgy British politicians, even Government ministers, had their extra-marital affairs exposed by the press and yet been allowed to stay on - because theirs were deemed to be strictly private matters?

Anyway, this story underscores my point - there's no grace, no mercy in politics. They'll lift you up and carry you when you're popular and on your way up. Once up there, they can't wait to shove and topple you. Those who live by the sword, die by the sword. How apt in politics.

You want grace and mercy? Only in Yeshua HaMashiach.

A tale of two countries

2010-01-10T22:30:00.002Z

What a paradox, what a tale! An intriguing paradox indeed, but one that certainly reflects the sign of times. One country can't wait to undermine its majority faith and snuff out the influence of its centuries' old heritage and the values associated with its majority faith. It is increasingly eager to obliterate every expression of this faith in public life. The other country is ever eager to protect its majority faith and the slightest perceived threat to its influence in public life is dealt with with fury, vengeance and, of course the only way they know best, violence.

In my thread/topic Politics and Society, I've highlighted countless times how there is a subtle yet systematic and concerted effort to wipe out the influence of Christian values and the expression of the Christian faith in every facet of public life in Britain. And that's despite Britain has historically been a Christian nation, not to mention that Christianity has been the fulcrum of hundreds of years of societal development in this country. How strange then that people see fit to sideline this majority faith in the name of political correctness.

And then you have a country called Malaysia. Recently a court of law ruled that a Catholic newspaper in one of its Borneo states was allowed to use the word Allah in its publications. Guess how some lunatics took this perceived threat to the influence of the majority faith in public life? Read all about it here, here and here. At the time of writing, six churches were attacked - one with arson, four with attempted arson and one with vandalism - while a convent school, too, was the target of an attempted arson. The worst hit was Metro Tabernacle Church in Kuala Lumpur, where I had once visited many years ago to attend a friend's wedding - its office was completely gutted. So much for one of the most admired developing countries in the world and one that aspires to attain a developed nation status (and a developed society mindset, I care to mention) by 2020. It's heartening to know that the leaders and members of Metro Tabernacle has publicly forgiven the attackers. See, that's grace talking.

So there you have an interesting paradox. One ever willing to obliterate its majority faith, the other ever keen to protect its own.

Songs for Sunday Service 3 Jan 2010

2010-01-03T17:16:00.003Z

Quite unexpectedly, the brother who was supposed to lead worship this morning had gone AWOL. So I had to step in at the eleventh hour. Nonetheless, it was always a pleasure to serve the Lord in music and in song, impromptu or otherwise. So here are the songs, half of them unplanned, that I led our local fellowship at Calvary Chapel Cambridge to sing in praise and worship this morning:

You are Worthy of My Praise (E)

The Potter's Hand (G)

I Believe There is More (A)

Agnus Dei (G)

Worthy is the Lamb (G>A)

And I thought it was most appropriate to end the service by singing a blessing over everyone present as we set out at the dawn of this new year. There's none more fitting than the words of blessing that God commanded Aaron to proclaim over the Israelites - the Aaronic Benediction.

A new year, but everything else the same in Britain?

2010-01-01T23:17:00.001Z

It will be interesting to see if the new year will herald some changes for the better or will merely mean more of the same. Here are four issues I’ve picked out. You might be surprised to find that only one pertains to society-at-large, whereas the other three refer to Christians (or so-called Christians – for there are many of such in this country) and the church. What does that tell you, firstly about the nation of Britain, and secondly the state of “Christianity” and the body of Christ in this country?

The decline of the fear of God in Britain
A once Christian nation that sent missionaries to preach the Good News to many unreached parts of the world, Britain is today unrecognisable from the God-fearing, God-honouring nation it once was. It is in fact in dire need of missionaries sent from abroad! If you’ve followed the news in Britain, or some of the things I wrote in this blog, you would have surely been aware of the alarming decline of Christianity, Christian values and Christian heritage in this once proud, once prosperous, once great nation. Christianity and Christians are increasingly sidelined, marginalised and persecuted not by people of other faiths but by, lo and behold, a growing army of over-zealous politically-correct politicians and bureaucrats as well as an increasingly aggressive group of atheists. So the question in 2010 is: will Britain turn back to God, or will the nation stray further away from the Almighty?

Christians and the futility of the human mind
Perhaps more than in any other nation, so many Christians in Britain are still so deeply entrenched in “dry theology” – always seeking to study the Creator, to know about Him (yet never really knowing Him personally) and to explain the Divine with ever more profound theological expositions – all with the aid of the finite human mind and intellect. These are the lot that will sneer at you when you share with them your real “experience” of daily walking with God, seeing His divine intervention and miraculous works in your life, or simply that God can and will heal. In short, if you’re looking for people who think they can reach God and find Him with their minds and the brilliance of their intellect, come to Britain. How amusing it is to note that the same lot who theologise no end, who think their intellect-driven exposition of God and His kingdom is way superior to and more profound than others’ (the evangelicals are often the target of their sniping) preaching of the Word, are increasingly complaining of declining church attendances. To this lot, I yawn. Enough said. So the question in 2010 is: will this hyper-learned lot (or those who think they are) persist in knowing about God with their minds rather than placing priority in truly knowing God in their lives?

Christians and replacement theology
You might be quite shocked to know how pervasive replacement theology is among British Christians and churches. Again, if you’ve followed some of what I have written in this blog, it wouldn’t have escaped your attention how much I’m saddened by the widespread belief – and teaching – that Gentile Christians (or simply “the church”) have replaced the Jews as the chosen of God. As a result, many Christians and churches consider Israel to be “theologically insignificant” (to use one person’s exact words) and choose not to bless Israel – that is to put it mildly – despite what God clearly said in Genesis 12:3 (but then again, this lot believe the Old Testament has been completely replaced by the New Testament!). If anything, they would even oppose Israel. So the question in 2010 is: nevermind the Jews, who couldn’t see their Messiah had already come, how much longer will British Christians remain blind to the fact that Jews and Gentiles make one new man (Ephesians 2:14-16) and that they are merely grafted in (Romans 11:11-24)?

Celebrity churches
A new term, a new jargon? Not really, but just what an increasing number of charismatic churches in Britain have become. In this regard, all I can say is that we’re following a bad example from across the Atlantic. No, it’s not the problem with mega-churches per se. A church being huge in size isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all. The greater concern is, regardless of size, what goes on inside the churches. Who takes centre stage when believers meet – Jesus or a glorified human being in the form of a celebrity pastor or much-adored worship leader? When you make your way out at the end of a Sunday service, have you just met with God, experienced His manifest presence and fellowshipped with your brethren, or have you just attended a rock/pop concert and rubbed shoulders at a social club? What effect have that 1 ½ hours on your life and conduct for the rest of the week? Is the pure Word of God preached, or is the Word mixed with some pleasantries that tickle the ear? Is the goal of the church to make disciples or to increase the number of bums on pews? So the question in 2010 is: all of the above!

Here we go feasting again

2009-12-29T22:03:00.002Z

"Feasting" was one of the favourite activities of our old cell, or home fellowship group. This blog has placed on record numerous occasions when we went jolly feasting, examples of which are such as this, this and this. But since the cell disbanded late last year when most of us decided to move on from a local church that has recently rebranded itself, feasting together as a group became a novelty.

Nonetheless, in Calvary Chapel Cambridge, where we are now rooted, there were several wonderful occasions during the summer when our pastor hosted BBQ evenings, such as this, and most recently when he graciously hosted a Christmas dinner. But it was somewhat heartening when several church members decided to go out, relax and have a meal together after the final Sunday Service of the year this recent weekend. Personally, I actually had better things in mind to do and some chores to finish, but when asked if we'd like to join them, Cheryl and I thought what a blessing that occasion could be. And it was. So the lot of us went to Nando's - just like the good old times we had with our old cell.

One might wonder what's so special or significant going out together for a meal after a church service. After all, people in many other churches do it all the time. Well, the special thing is this - it is not easy at all to get people from Calvary Chapel Cambridge to go out together for a meal or a trip simply because precious few actually live in or around Cambridge. In fact, besides us, none of the three families who went with us to Nando's live anywhere near Cambridge - one 25 miles and another 33 miles away. So any time we can get together for a meal is an occasion and a fellowship to cherish. It was.

Songs for Sunday Service 27 Dec 2009

2009-12-28T22:59:00.002Z

It was a pleasure to serve the Lord in music and in song by leading the congregation at Calvary Chapel Cambridge yesterday morning in praise and worship in our final Sunday Service of the year, singing the following songs:

Great is Thy Faithfulness (C)

Hallelujah Jesus (A)

There is None Like You (A)

Shout to the Lord (A)

Christmas dinner

2009-12-26T12:54:00.003Z

We had a most wonderful Christmas dinner at our pastor's on Christmas Eve. Not many church members were still in town - some had gone home to be with family while others were already on holiday abroad. So the few of us who were still around met up at the Rozeks' for a lovely Natale Italiano meal - some superb lasagne prepared by Tiffany - and a wonderful time of fellowship.

The difference between Jesus and Santa

2009-12-22T17:02:00.002Z

Is there much in common between Jesus and Santa? The commercial nature of Christmas in the present day and age is so intertwined with a figure known as Santa Claus in America or Father Christmas here in Britain. Shame. I thought this video found on Tangle (formerly GodTube) makes a brilliant distinction between Jesus and Santa.

Santa is about me and the stuff I so desperately want. Jesus is about the grace I so desperately need.

Hanukkiah at Parker's Piece

2009-12-18T23:59:00.002Z

We went with our friends Colin and Dolores to Parker's Piece, the largest public park in Cambridge, last Saturday evening to witness the annual lighting of the Hanukkiah, or the nine-branched Hanukkah menorah, an event organised by the Cambridge Traditional Jewish Congregation. Having never seen a similar event before, we were just curious to see how they did it.

It snowed heavily in Cambridge last night and we woke up to a white Cambridge this morning. I decided to leave my bike at home and walk to work with my camera in hand, happily snapping away at a picturesque Cambridge. And it was interesting to see that the big Hanukkiah was still there by the ice rink at Parker's Piece, with all seven lamps plus the shamash still brightly lit despite the torrent of snow and strong winds overnight. Tonight's the final night of this year's Hanukkah; the final lamp would have been lit by now.

A cultural difference?

2009-12-17T23:18:00.009Z

I've observed one similarity in almost every church that I've been to or visited here in Britain over the past five years. And it is very different from what I had observed in the churches in Malaysia, where I grew up. No, don't get me wrong. This is not judging anyone - there is no right or wrong here, just an interesting difference which can perhaps, just perhaps, be attributed to culture. It is what the majority of people do in the short period between their arrival for Sunday morning service and the moment the service begins (usually with praise and worship).

The majority of churchgoers in Malaysia, after the customary shaking of hands and exchange of greetings, would typically look for a seat, quiet down and "prepare themselves" for the service, with most of them doing so by praying. Some would of course be engaged in prolonged conversations with friends or fellow believers they hadn't met in a while. In many churches, some 10 or 15 minutes before the service began in earnest with praise and worship, a prayer leader(s) would already be on the stage or at the front leading everyone seated in some prayer and intercession, sometimes with soft music already being played by musicians in the background. In short, there was a cultivation of an atmosphere of worship and the preparing of hearts to participate in a time of corporate worship that followed.

In Britain, the opposite is quite true. The customary shaking of hands and exchange of greetings are mostly followed by hugs and kisses. And then the most friendly prolonged conversations and catching up with each other that last until the moment the worship leader says, "Good morning! Welcome to the Sunday morning service." And from what I've seen, many a times, even when the worship leader or the equivalent of the emcee opens up the service, large numbers of people are still chatting away. Only a handful are usually found seated and preparing their hearts for worship or simply praying.

Anything wrong with either norm? I would say probably not, although I've got my own preference, as does everyone else. May be the Malaysian churchgoers were more reverent when they came into the sanctuary of worship. Or may be they were just plain shy and less sociable, and too rigid. May be the British churchgoers take it less seriously when they arrive at the sanctuary of worship. Or may be they are just far friendlier and more sociable than the Malaysians, and consider the service more of a fellowship of believers meeting together than a serious business of entering corporately into the "presence of a holy God".

There's an old adage in business - tongue-in-cheek though - that I'm so tempted to invoke to go with the above observations: when you can't explain something, sweep it under the carpet of culture.

Songs for Sunday Service 13 Dec 2009

2009-12-13T16:12:00.002Z

It was a pleasure to serve the Lord in music and in song by leading the congregation at Calvary Chapel Cambridge this morning in praise and worship, singing the following songs:

He is My Defence (Em)
Thy Word (G)
God Will Make a Way (G)
You Deserve the Glory (C)

When I spent some time earlier in the week seeking the Lord for the right songs, as I have always done when it was my turn to lead worship, the first thought that came to mind was a set of songs revolving around the theme of dedication, particularly as we're in the midst of the Feast of Dedication, i.e. Hanukkah. But I increasingly sensed the Lord placing in my heart the burden to go for an entirely different set of songs with a different theme. A right word spoken at the right time can be very powerful (Proverbs 15:23, 25:11) and can minister deeply to the heart. I believe the right song sung at the right time can also achieve the same effect. That is why I always take the process of selecting songs - even if they're just four or five - very seriously. The songs this morning certainly ministered to some - including myself!