Men's Fellowship on June 10th

There were altogether 6 of us joining our fellowship this time even though our brothers dropped in at different points along our meeting. We had a good discussion at the home of Thomas Tsang, deacon of our Chinese chapel as well as one of our founding members. Though our brothers are so busy nowadays, we managed to sit together and talk about “God-representations in the face of trans-cultural experience”–an extract of a paper by Brian W. Grant , Professor of Pastoral Counseling, Christian Theological Seminary. Grant cited a number of his trips to India each of which had produced crises - physical and spiritual - generating questions about the impact of physical and cultural context on his identity and experience as a religious person.

For example, Grant visited Bangalore in June 1997. He said, “We shopped for three hours on MG Road before the Globalization in Theological Education meeting, combining stifling heat with retail claustrophobia. I collapsed on the bed with a sense of spiritual emergency. I felt I had lost track of God while battling the heat and the crowd. A few hours later, leading worship for the meeting, I forgot the words of the last half of the Lord's Prayer. And the gout came back.” Such experiences prompted Grant to ask the following questions:

1. What relationship exists between God and our experience and/or image of God?


2. When our most direct psychic representations of God change so dramatically and unsettlingly in response to changes in our contexts and circumstances, what does that tell us (if anything) about God's reality and how God is known?


3. What implications do the answers to these questions have for our understanding of how God acts in human life, and how we can, do, and should behave towards God?

You may not be able to understand all his questions without reading his article. However, the 1st and 3rd questions are rather plain and meaningful. I wonder whether you have such similar experiences if you were a foreigner coming to Hong Kong the first time especially when you are a missionery. Hong Kong is quite westernized and yet China at large is still quite oriental and her people (not the government) quite superstitious. I heard stories of demon possessions in China (the rural area especially) once in a while and I am sure you could dig out numerous cases of reported exorcism in China if you so wish. The question then becomes how severe is the spiritual warfare (2 Cor.10:3-4) between God's and the devil's camps nowadays? To put it differently, do and should our experince affect our knowledge of God and vice versa, and is our experience dependent on the culture around us? Please share your experiences or views with us. Blessings.

For Man-to-Woman Marriages

Today (June 7), I've just submitted my opinion to the CBS forum on the United States' constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage. It reads:

“I am in favor of the constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage. Besides a Christian, I have got the following anthropological considerations:

The human race has been preserved and propagating with man-to-woman marriage for at least thousands of years. No scientific study or analysis could disprove the importance of such a social norm. If this norm is threatened simply because somebody claims it is NOT democratic enough, it is very unscientific and DANGEROUS (c.f. super germs and environmental pollutions subsequent to the discovery of penicillin and the industrial revolution -- NOBODY could anticipate the shortfall coming with apparent short term solutions!). We should safeguard the man-to-woman marriage norm.

The world is currently endangered by the spread of AIDS, possible pandemics like SARS and the bird flu. More unfortunately, NO country on earth has a 100% sure solution to either prevent or cure the potentially hazardous situations created by the widespread of such diseases, not to mention that many UNDERDEVELOPED countries are simply UNPREPARED AND INCAPABLE of dealing with any major outbreak such as to contain them from further spreading. Unfortunately, the gay community is found to be a prominent sector with a high threat (risk) towards AIDS. Thus, we should not blindly push for something such as gay marriage (hence safeguarding the man-to-woman marriage is important) unless we have a scientifically proven solution to heal and prevent the spread of AIDS, etc.

Technologies such and cloning, test-tube babies and sperm donors have imparted a serious threat to the ensured propagation and sustainability of the human race because our scientists admit that NO ONE can guarantee there will be NO unforeseeable or harmful consequences from such technologies to the human race. Furthermore, we have already been faced with such challenges as behavioral problems of single-parent children and problems of unknown parent(s) as a result of unscrupulous marriages and sperm donations.”

I am happy to hear your views especially your solution towards a really harmonious and healthy human relationship for the sustainable development of our race on earth. Regards and blessings.

Howard

Men's Fellowship on May 13, 2006

5 of us took a leisure walk along the Mui Tsz Lam Road which was right next to the Chevalier Garden and Ma On Shan Country Park. The road bears a remarkable countryside setting with trees planted along both its sides. It was an uphill walk of around 30 minutes. We spent roughly an hour going up and down the road. The scene at our mid-hill destination was good – you had a mixed view of green slopes and the downhill high-rises from where we were.


Tom,Terrence,Teddy & Eddy (Howard's friend on the right) were in the photo. I was the photographer.
There was an added delight along our way – some birds and frogs were available for watching. We took a picture of a frog which happened to jump across the road in front of us. It was kind of a funny and smart guy. It stopped among a patch of dry grass and pebbles. Even the ants mistook the poor fellow as their free meal and crawled upon it!


Do you recognize the frog? It has a good camouflage.
The trip did us fun and we had a short discussion about the possible effect of bullying in our lives followed by a lunch fellowship together (except Tom as he had another appointment) before we departed.

Let's Chart Our Lives

I proposed last time (May 21) that your life purpose will be revealed if you can let go your earthly wishes and desires and be ready to accept Jesus’ sovereignty as God and Lord of your life. On the one hand, the Lord Jesus clearly teaches us that (Jn. 6:63) it is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail and His words are spirit and life. On the other hand, Paul further opines that (Rom. 8:6 -7) to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot!

The main reason to let go our earthly wishes and desires is to create enough space and readiness to receive God’s word and will concerning our lives. The Bible is clearly indispensable. Equally important is our attitude and understanding of God’s will for us. People who are in the habit of writing diaries would find them useful and enlightening for making life reflections as well as inductions. In a way, diaries are records and charts of our emotions and experiences. Just as any systematic record (e.g. health, financial, etc…) would help a person to grasp and understand his/her status or needs, our diaries (especially those written honestly and purposefully) would help chart our needs as well as God’s will for us.

In Deut. 26:5–10, God commanded the Israelites to offer their first fruits to Him by reciting the so-called historical shema (i.e. an oral confession) acknowledging how God had led them out of Egypt and suffering with a mighty hand, great terror and with signs and wonders; and how God brought them into Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. This becomes the central theme in Israel’s worship before God and a vivid reminder of their national purpose. Indeed, our faith in God is linked and entwined with our own history – be it personal or national.

Dear brothers and sisters, I encourage you to work out your own shema by periodically writing down what you have experienced and perceived in your life. If you want to share your written testimony with us, you may consider passing your testimony to our church or me either in person or by email. I have just renovated my blog at http://howards-collection.blogspot.com/ which contains basically my weekly and other articles intended for sharing and encouragement among Christians. Your testimony (if any) will be published there for reaching out to any passers-by there. May God bless and help us. Amen.

The Power of Letting Go

Let’s recall our last statement (May 7), namely, in discovering God’s purpose for our life, it’s always helpful to look at the probable consequences of our choice or decision. Remember that you have been saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in your life (2 Corinthians 4:10 ). Focus your energy and powers so that you may achieve the purposes of your election as a child of God. Treat every occasion which may come your way as an opportunity to serve our Lord and the people around you. Why? While we could do nothing to achieve our salvation, we have to do something to exhibit God’s salvation. This is similar to the Chinese saying, “What you have within will be exhibited without.” (有諸內，形諸外) We must "work out our own salvation" which God has already worked in us ( Philippians 2:12 ).

Are your speech, your thinking, and your emotions evidence of your salvation working "out"? If you are still the same gloomy, grumpy person, set on having your own way, then it is false to say that God has already saved and transformed you. Spiritual vitality and maturity relate to our inner quality and readiness to face anything God brings our way. The only proper goal of life is to glorify the Son of God in and through our lives. As our Lord never dictated demands to His Father, neither are we to make demands on God. We are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. Once we realize this, we can embark on Paul’s appeal to us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship (Roman 12:1).

Paul went on to urge us not to be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of our mind, that we may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Hence, what is the purpose of our life in the Lord. In short, your life purpose will be revealed if you can let go your earthly wishes and desires and be ready to accept Jesus’ sovereignty as God and Lord of your life. May God bless and help us. Amen.

The Choice for God

In an article entitled “DISTINGUISHING NEEDS FROM WANTS”by Randal Walti (Business Life Today), he referred to the popular concept of life is summed up by the things in one's life: The more things one has, the happier one will be. Is that true? Walti once had an experience of moving from a large home to a much smaller residence. He then realized how many things he had been having in his life became a burden. I am sure you would agree with him if you have a similar house move before.

In discovering God's purpose for your life, it's always helpful to look at the probable consequences of your choice or decision. For example, you may ask yourself what are the consequences of not buying a better TV, item of furniture, etc… if you are pondering over buying something or not. Smart investors often ask themselves the question: Is there a better investment scenario with my existing capitals? As Christians, we might ask ourselves a similar question, “Am I really serious about investing for the future according to God's will and wish?” If a few small reductions in lifestyle would allow you to be more at ease and happier such as you can spend more time with your children, spouse, etc…, you have a better opportunity to experience, understand and glorify God's will and wish for you.

Another important reminder in our pursuit for our life purpose is to avoid letting our wants override our values. Otherwise, the object of our desire has probably become an idol obstructing our relationship with God. Thus, the Bible states it is impossible to serve both God and money (with the same fervor and at the time). Material things can negatively affect our lives if we start to worship the creation more than the Creator. As human beings, it is easier to seek entertainment rather than the God of the universe. Attractive but unnecessary things can deceive well-intentioned people into living more for their own glory and gratification instead of living for God. When in doubt, ask, “How will this thing help me love God better?”

Dear brothers and sisters, let's be wise and faithful according to our Lord's teaching (Luke 16:10-13): He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. …. No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.