Heck… why should I change my style and my way? I would rather you hate me for who I am, than to love me for who I am not… ain’t that right?Anyway, I went to Hillsong again today and the pastor made 2 remarks which made quite an impact on me. Simple but yet so true, I think a lot of Christians in Malaysia (or anywhere around the world), should take notice.
Most Christians call it ‘the wisest thing you can do’. I call it “the Christians’ great escape”. It is when Christians say… “I will pray about it”. It’s a time when Christians are confused as to whether they should do what is right or do what they want. Ya’ see, rather than admitting that they want to do what they want; or refuse to do what is right… Christians carve their own escape route by saying… “I will pray about it”.
The pastor was talking about sponsoring a child in Uganda today and asked the congregation to think about it and serious consider it as it has immense impact but whatever they do… Don’t pray about it. Why? Because he already knows what God’s answer is. And he knows if Christians are to pray about it, chances are nothing will be done.
So next time you’re thinking of praying about something… think again…
The second remark is something I believe a lot of Christians in the Klang valley should listen to. He said Christians should exalt the message, and not the deliverer of the message. I think it is so true for though I hate to judge, I strongly believe that a lot of Christians in the Klang valley exalt not the church, not the message, but the deliverer of the message. Yes, I am referring to Christians being “follower of pastors”.
If you are a Christians, ask yourself. Who are the speakers that you really like and you have really enjoyed listening to? And then ask yourself… what is the message that he/she spoke of that you remember?
I will remember these 2 points for a long time, I think you should too.
Anyway, 2 weeks from now; on the 24th of February, Hillsong London will be doing “live album recording” during church service. No wonder I’ve never heard of the songs sung during service before. Wonder if my face will be captured in the DVD… gonna be so cool!
23 comments:
Yes, agree, prefer to be hated as yourself instead of being love for someone else. Life will be extremely awkward then.
By the way, Gong Hei Fatt Choi to you too!!! .. Just wondering, since you just tied the knot, you really seemed to escape malaysia at right time. You don't have to give any Ang Powsss!
aww....i miss Hillsong London already.
Hi Zewt
Quick question... have you left the country already and if you have, where are you living now? Please pardon my ignorance as I have not visited your blog in a long time (due to my own thing going on here in the States).
Anyway, I agree with you about that "let's pray about it". It is an escape.
Speaking from experience, one already knows the answer to a situation or question but is a little reluctant to go down that road. When one says "I will pray about it", either nothing is done about it or one just goes with the answer one already knew from the start. Makes sense?
bugger..still in london having fun ar?..well aint no christian..but yes i tend to see that they tend to face challenges by "praying" instead of believing in themselves n doing something..just my observation..
Dear Zewt,
I don't quite agree. Yes, many people said they will pray about it and ended up doing nothing but that is because they themselves are not ready to take up the challenge. But the act of prayer is not in itself an escapist technique. Some people genuinely want to seek the will of the Lord first before plunging themselves into a venture they will suffer for it. Afterall, if we really mean "Thy will be done, not mine" then the question to ask is what is "Thy will"?
In the past, I was asked to volunteer and help out and I admit, I hesitated. I whined and reluctantly helped because I felt obliged. But the one thing I never did is pray and you know what? I ended up feeling burnt out and tired. The things I did are more for myself than for Him because I never sought His will.
So nowadays, after many years of searching and finally finding a ministry which I find myself of use and sustain by Him, I just ask the Lord that His will be done. Somehow, after praying, I have the peace to face hyperactive little people...:)
As for the preacher cult like attitude thing, I never have that problem (it helps a lot if we emulate the Bereans). Anyhow, I didn't commit to any church in the early years when I return to M'sia from studying overseas simply because I was on the lookout for theologically and doctrinally sound churches.
Dear "joe" who is constantly craving,
To Christians, we pray not because we see God as an ATM machine, a supernatural being subjected to our password like words and processing out demands as and when we request for it. Instead, prayer is the weakest and only mean where powerless human communicate with the Almighty God in a relationship building exercise. Instead of demanding that things go our way as we see fit, we instead yield to an all-knowing God to ask that His way be done instead.
So, it is really different goals we seek in life. Yes we can do it but should we? What is right now may be the worst thing we ever did come tomorrow.
I hope it helps to clarify your Q...
I have seen a lot of Christians who actually do not act like one, for example having sex before marriage. For them, as long as they confess their sins, they will be accepted in heaven after life no matter how many bad things they have done before - which I think is DAMN WRONG! I am not here to criticize Christianity as I myself is a Christian too.
Eh.. gong xi fa cai!
Uganda? Sounds so familiar one.. you attend DUMC one ah? Hahah! Well, pastors do make an impression on me. Once.. I think this pastor condemn someone who commented on the singing and worship style during testimonial time - this person was visiting our church at that point of time. I didn't like what the pastor said. It seems he cannot take constructive criticism and it sort of made the stranger left the congregation when everyone's eyes were closed and bowed their heads. And once, he even pray for rain so that the fire on the joss sticks of fellow pagans would be wet and could not be burned during the hungry ghosts festivals. I think God didn't answer his prayers because I could still see a row of joss sticks burning like chimneys on the way back to my house.
I cannot tahan those ppl who always compare worship styles among churches and said - oh, we have better song leaders, we have better vocals, we have better guitarist compared to this other church - wtf man???
We worship the same God - and no matter how we do it - we do it in our own ways and I am sure, God would appreciate it.
That is why I don't like to go to church. It's filled with hypocrites.
Looks like you are getting a lot of great sermons in the UK. Hope to see you face in the upcoming Hillsong DVD :) Happy New Year to you!
Yea...Just do it and don't procrastinate, if it really puts a smile on one's face!
Very good post, zewt. It's the season of Lent...and time for some soul-searching! I do believe action speaks louder than words and praying alone isn't gonna help much. We have to DO TO OTHERS WHAT we WANT OTHERS DO UNTO us! Do good to others especially those less fortunate than us and we will be blessed. WHATEVER U DO TO THE LEAST OF MY BROTHERS, U DO UNTO ME! U do bad, u are doing it to God! U do good, u are doing it to God! And u will get ur just reward eventually!! Have a blessed Lent season, zewt.
Thank you for sharing that. Love your blog. Linking yours to mine..
I don't agree either.
I believe it is only right to consult & not do things according to what we want. In the end, this type of thinking may only fuel the 'me' thinking.
Yes, I agree with one of your commentors, when christians don't do anything when they say they will pray about it, more than often than not, they are just not ready.
I pray about many things in my life. Sometimes, I don't get a clear answer from God to go ahead. I don't do anything about it. Helping the child in Uganda may seem like a grand thing to do. But God does not call everyone to do the same thing & I'm very sure He knows that there are people who won't too.
In the end, let's remember that it's about Him.
the pis of your shadow reminds me of pinksterisme.blogspot.com coz her profile pic use to be like that before she changed her blogskin.
mrbherng - shhhh.... that's a secret!
jlshyang - hahaha... you're so near, you can always drop by.
J.T. - oh, i am out of the country but only for just...i will be going back soon. i am here in london for a while more. yup... it's the best escape route.
constant craver joe - yup... still enjoying life in london...
myop101 - i guess it applies to most but not all... and faith... the book of James said... faith without deed is as good as dead...something like that... wouldnt that quite the same as prayer.
jam - there are many more things to that Christians do... well, you are a Christian and i m sure u know what i mean...like should Christian download pirated Christian song?
gina - yeah...ppl are comparing churches based on worldly standards... and of cos... quantity of members... quite sad really. are u a Christians by the way?
giddy tigress - hahah...hope so too.
whoalse - :)
suituapui - gee... i am such a bad Christian... didnt know it's Lent already :P
HopefulPessimist - hi there... welcome... thanks... maybe i will drop by your page later...
bigrice - i think it is right when one really wanna seek God's counsel... but not when they wanna use it as an escape route... of cos, we should all continue to pray.
Esther Chin - hmm... i didnt know that... didnt copy her leh...
dear zewt,
of course, without works, we merely pay lipservice to God. yet, for by grace through faith, and that not of yourself; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesian 2:8-9).
But like I said, not everyone is ready or anointed to do certain ministry.
In the matter of supporting the poor, weak and helpless, of course we should lend our helping hand but we would also need wisdom.
If we do things at the spur of the moment, it may cause suffering to others even if we are sincere and generous about it.
Good example is donating to the poor. When would people be most generous? During religious festivities right? Yet if we genuinely want to help, we shouldn't make the poor dependent on "foreign" aid. We should help them to help themselves. So if we blindly send aid to a poor kid in Uganda, we risk neglecting the one thing we should fix first and that is the condition that caused him/her to be poor in the first place.
When you ask shouldn't we stop paying lipservice i.e. using prayer as an excuse, yes I agree. We should just let our yes be yes, our no be no. Yet if we genuinely seek to help yet wonder if we should/could/able to do it, we must examine ourselves first and seek Him. I am sure people who earnestly seek Him will get the answer. Problem is most of the time, we just DON'T BOTHER waiting for His answer. To us, it must be now or never.
Yet, the greatest thing for us to do is not to lay down the road map and tell Him to follow but rather, to let Him lead the way.
For example, right now, I am contemplating supporting a kid via worldvision. It seems like an ideal programme since it helps the poor to help themselves but I am uncertain if I can commit 10-15 years. I am seeking His will of course on this and I am sure in His timing, He will bring in donors other than myself to fill in the gap. When it is time for me to give, I am sure He will prompt me. I am afterall only a steward. If He finds that I am unsuited to commit in this area, He will tell me to put my time and commitment in other things.
The one thing required of me is not a million ringgit. It is willingness to submit/obey. It is afterall better to obey than to offer sacrifices. Who is to say someday He calls me to go to Uganda itself and literally serve there? I am scared. hahaha... that I do admit...:)
Praying helps, but don't use that as an excuse.
As for exalting the pastors/preachers... I once sat beside this guy in a big church in S'pore and he kept unfolding this piece of cardboard every 30 seconds and staring at it during the whole service. I cannot help but noticed that it was a piece of card with a cut out megazine picture of the pastor pasted on it, with some scribling on it saying something to the extent of... "You are amazing pastor"
Man... that was freaky!
Zewt: I had been to church half my life as a kid to Sunday School and stopped going since Form 5. Occasionally, I still go to church for the heck of it. I don't think I am a Christian simply by going to church.
I went to the Hillsong's DVD recordin g in SIBKL last year. But I don't know if it's out in the market or not. Teehehe.
myop101 - yeah, i know what you mean... but i think some christians really abuse the 'prayer' bit. uganda... well, He just might :)
frostee - geee... damn freaky indeed. is he secretly in love or something?
gina - true... but by not going to church, doesnt mean you're not either.
lynnx01 - hmmm... i was there too!
i think many pray..only when things happen..or when they need something (refering to all religion)
the rest of the days..they just dun bother..ok la..maybe for the ppl i know onli (gona blog about it soon)
huei - actually, what you mentioned is right... another unfortunate fact.
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