The following statement made by PM Lee as the foreword for the book "Economics in Public Policies - The Singapore Story" caught my attention and is so apt to describe my thoughts towards the church.
"A better informed and engaged citizenry will more likely support rational policies that ensure our continued growth and success..."
For more information on the context of this statement, you can refer to the following link below.
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC090723-0000127/That-deadly-deficit-hangover
Simply translated in the church context, it means "Better informed and engagaed church members will more likely to support comprehensive, well-considered and thought through policies that ensure our substained, continued growth and success..."
Is it sufficient at the level of information dissemination by the church leadership?
Is it sufficient at the level of members' engagement in decision making of important things?
How does better informed and engaged church members "fit into" the vision of "Fulfilling the Great Commission by raising Christ-centred disciples to plant vibrant, biblical churches in our city, country and all over the world"?
If raising Christ-centred disciples means making disciples who are engaged in Kingdom business, whose convictions and conclusions of their surroundings are based on truth and adequate information about the happenings, then is the leadership doing enough to promote this?
Is it time to align our leadership practices to our beliefs?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Glorifying God - Faith VS Thinking
I have just came across this statement from someone in facebook, "Faith is living in advance when thinking is reversed." The person proclaimed that this is the way that this was the way he/she would live. Well, this is not the first time which I have experienced such belief from Christians, not this is the first ever issue to be debated in Christiandom. The issue of faith VS thinking had been long standing.
Matt 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27 all talk about loving God with our minds. How do we love God with our minds if we were not to "think" with our minds? After all, isn't that what our minds are to function?
Or what about Matt 25:14-28 pertaining to stewardship? God has entrusted us to grow and develop what He had given to us. If he has given us the capacity to think and rationale, then shouldn't we try to do our best to develop it?
Or what about Phil 1:9-11? If we don't think, how can our love be abound in knowledge and grow in depth of insight? How are we to discern what is best so that we may be pure and blameless? Simply by feeling alone?
Now let's consider faith. Heb 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The statement is self-explanatory.
I will like to suggest that it is possible to assimilate both truths into our worldview to have a balanced understanding to things. I dare to suggest that in this world (given Murphey's Law and the many factors which interacts to affect the outcome, nothing is absolutely certain). No matter how much we plan, think and think of all the contingencies, we would still have things which are uncertain. It is therefore still necessary for us to live our lives in "faith" and on dependence on God as nothing is for certain. We can only trust in God for things to turn out as we have hope for and think. Thinking is about stewardship and after that, it's all about faith. We can excel as Christian believers in both.
I think I have given a brief but concise thoughts about the issue of faith VS thinking. For those who aren't convinced and still "glorifies" faith in absence of thinking", may I suggest that you apply Revelation 3:15-16. Either go all the way for your belief and conviction, and simply kiss your brain goodbye, or stop and "think" for a while.
Matt 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27 all talk about loving God with our minds. How do we love God with our minds if we were not to "think" with our minds? After all, isn't that what our minds are to function?
Or what about Matt 25:14-28 pertaining to stewardship? God has entrusted us to grow and develop what He had given to us. If he has given us the capacity to think and rationale, then shouldn't we try to do our best to develop it?
Or what about Phil 1:9-11? If we don't think, how can our love be abound in knowledge and grow in depth of insight? How are we to discern what is best so that we may be pure and blameless? Simply by feeling alone?
Now let's consider faith. Heb 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The statement is self-explanatory.
I will like to suggest that it is possible to assimilate both truths into our worldview to have a balanced understanding to things. I dare to suggest that in this world (given Murphey's Law and the many factors which interacts to affect the outcome, nothing is absolutely certain). No matter how much we plan, think and think of all the contingencies, we would still have things which are uncertain. It is therefore still necessary for us to live our lives in "faith" and on dependence on God as nothing is for certain. We can only trust in God for things to turn out as we have hope for and think. Thinking is about stewardship and after that, it's all about faith. We can excel as Christian believers in both.
I think I have given a brief but concise thoughts about the issue of faith VS thinking. For those who aren't convinced and still "glorifies" faith in absence of thinking", may I suggest that you apply Revelation 3:15-16. Either go all the way for your belief and conviction, and simply kiss your brain goodbye, or stop and "think" for a while.
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