So the Chinese New Year holidays came and went! Yes, 'time and tide waits for no man' (St Mahrer, 1225, as quoted in http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/95513/time-and-tide-wait-for-no-man).
I just wanted to record some thoughts. They range from deep spiritual truths and convictions to the convoluted world of politics.
Let's start with the trite (yes, I mean politics in Malaysia):
1. Both the Barisan Nasional and the Pakatan Rakyat alliances are 'un-holy' ones. The former is held together by sheer greed for power, with their hopeful outcome of material riches for themselves and posterity. If the 'rakyat' benefits, then, that's a good thing, according to this alliance. For the latter, disparate ideologies clash from time to time. How can PAS' theocracy ideology rest or walk together with PKR and DAP's secular basis? Be sure that clashes and eruptions with irruptions will be the norm, even if they succeed to govern the nation. In fact, be sure that should PR wins the mandate to govern our nation, be ready and anticipate much jostling for power and patronage. It may be ugly before it turns out a lot beautiful than BN. Does the populace have the stomach to let this play out? Does the populace of Malaysia have the patience to let this play out?
We move on now to sacred and biblical meanings.
1. I am really wondering if 'believers in Christ' may be a separate moment, instance and phenomenon from being 'born-again'? I mean, look at the 12 disciples. Were they 'born-again' before Pentecost? Or were they merely 'believers', or 'disciples' of the Lord Jesus Christ? Were they like the OT believers who were 'saved', yet not 'born-again'? When we really reflect and meditate on what Jesus taught about the new birth in John chapter 3, and in fact, all of John's gospel, and when we hear Paul expound on justification, doesn't it come across very strongly and clearly that the 'born-again' experience is exactly that?! An event so distinct, so 'new', that you cannot mistake it for anything else? Compare the new birth with what you have in churches and among 'believers' today.
Today, all it takes for someone to 'become a Christian', ostensibly meaning that they have become believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, is for them to say the 'sinner's prayer', and magically, this 'sinner's prayer' is ALL it takes for a person to become 'born-again'? If you listen to the preacher plead and urge people to say the sinner's prayer without them (the sinner) having any sense of embarrassment or discomfort, does that sound to you like biblical salvation and the 'born-again' event?
Ask yourself this question. When you attend an 'evangelistic' rally, do you hear the preacher plainly make it clear that 'all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God'? Did you hear the preacher preach God's sovereignty in salvation, His richness of mercy and abundance kindness of grace, which causes Him to give salvation to arrogant, rebellious, proud, self-centered sinners like all of us? Or do you hear a preacher paint God as a begger pleading for self-righteous sinners to 'accept Christ'? No wonder Christianity today is plagued by imposter believers! People who are characterized by complete passion for their Lord and Master, people who have 'accepted Christ' as Savior, but not Lord, people who live any way they want, then depend of His grace, and who tell everybody else not to 'judge' them for their obvious disregard for the Word of God.
I tell you with the authority of God's true Gospel - judgement is coming to God's house, and the biggest culprits, the preachers and so-called teachers behind our pulpits, who are seriously guilty of preaching a difference gospel (Gal 1), will be called to task, and God will make it abundantly as Paul puts it in his letters to Timothy about false prophets.
So there, my prayer continues to be that the Lord God of all the earth, the heavens, of all that is seen and unseen, will bring about a mighty Gospel-initiated and Gospel-sustained revival in our churches. May all the earth see this and be filled with the 'knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea!'
Amen!
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