We are all called to transform into the image of God. However, how fast we change depends very much on our response to God. It depends on whether we are humble enough to learn. As we age, rightfully we should be more attuned to God and sensitive to our sins. Our transformation process should also speed up. But this is usually not the case, the process actually slows down instead for many of us. Why is this so?
We change what is easy to change first. We usually experience the greatest change in the initial days of our faith. There are many areas we need to change and they are easy to change. But after some time, we are stuck with those stubborn habits and sins. It becomes more difficult to forgo and change as a result.
We may have more knowledge and experience as a Christian. As we grow older, we become wiser. We learn from our experience and pick up new knowledge too. These knowledge and experience should help us, but they could also stumble us. It all depends on our attitude. There are many occasions when people become prideful. They become too confident of themselves because of their knowledge and past experiences. They think that they are always right based on their judgment. As such, they become less mouldable by God. This is an area that church leaders have to beware. We can become too confident of our strategies, our management techniques and our biblical knowledge that we squeeze God out of our picture. In the end, we end up building an anthropocentric church.
We have entrenched beliefs and practices about God. Over the years, we form what we think is right about God. There might also be certain practices that are peculiar to us. Well, if we have a strong theology, getting all these beliefs and practices firmed up is good. But more often, we have a syncretic worldview. We mix our current beliefs with our old beliefs. We apply some of our old practices, and even superstitions into our current practices. Due to the fact that they are entrenched in our belief system, it is difficult to change even if we attend church or Sunday school every week. We see this very often among the elderly who come to know the Lord at an old age. We can also see this among some church leaders. When I was attending the seminary, many pastors just argue for their own position and were not willing to consider or accept other views. I think we should always keep our minds open to learn more about theology, especially in a seminary. There are still many things we do not know about God and we should learn from one another.
Dear family, let us should seek to be transformed by God when we are young. Learn to respond to God and do not always react defensively toward Him. Do not let our knowledge and experiences become a stumbling block. Always reevaluate, renew and review. As we get older, stay open and humble. There are things we can learn from the younger ones and be discipled by them. Do not see yourself as someone who has attained something. Learn to appreciate the grace of God in your lives. 

Singapore is a city that is built upon meritocracy. As the name implies, if we gain merits for the company or organization and we would be rewarded accordingly. This is the law of cause and effect. This is what the Bible says about us reaping what we sow.
But there is a flaw with meritocracy. It does not address the need for character. While meritocracy causes us to strive to become better, perform better, it also causes people to be driven and competitive. It causes us to be ‘kiasu’ (afraid of losing out) in the strife for more productivity and efficiency. As such, people can become over concerned about what they want to get rather than what kind of person they are becoming. As a result, the end can become more important than the means. The social cost is therefore the loss of character. We become people who are self-centred and individualistic.
We can become a First World country within the shortest time, but we may also have lost ourselves in this fast-paced society. We must be careful lest we become numbed, indifferent individuals. Let us build meritocracy on character.

Recently there has been much debate about foreign workers in Singapore. Many Singaporeans are worried that foreign workers would take their jobs resulting in stiffer competition in the job market. They also complain about foreign workers having bad manners and behaviour. Their conclusion is to have more domestic helpers and professional workers but less unskilled labourers.
These perceptions disturbed me. Firstly, these foreign workers are taking up jobs that Singaporeans are not willing to do. Usually these jobs are strenuous and require the workers to be under the hot sun for long hours. These jobs are also considered ‘dirty’ or ‘low-class’ to Singaporeans. Without the foreign workers, Singaporeans would not take up these jobs anyway. But without these workers we would be in deep trouble. Not only would Singapore become a dirtier place, many companies would also have to shut down due to lack of unskilled workers. Our overall economy would be affected ultimately. I just do not understand why we think that these labourers are taking up our jobs when they are doing things we do not want to do.
With regards to manners and behaviour, it is not only their problem. In fact, I see many Singaporeans who have worse behaviour than them. We need to understand that they come from another culture and they are really very tired from their work that is usually 7 days a week, more than 12 hours a day. I think some of us have become less accommodating. Did Singapore not start from a nation of immigrants? But yet we are able to develop to what we are today and now we do not feel that we were former immigrants before. Does this not say something about how people can be transformed and inculturated if they were to stay here for a longer time? I feel that some foreign workers are even more ‘Singaporean’ than us today.
There is still a deeper issue for Christians. We have forgotten that we are aliens on earth. We have become so comfortable and have earned so much for ourselves that we think that this earth is our home. We have become so possessive of the things we earn that we are not willing to let go. We think that we deserve to have them because it is our right. But the Bible tells us that though we are in this world, we are not of this world. This world is only a temporary place. Nothing here belongs to us. We are just stewards. We only have privileges not rights. We are to live as aliens here. We are just passersby. Do not hold on to this world so tightly. As aliens on earth ourselves, we should learn to treat the aliens in this land rightfully. Many of them have the chance to know God because they came here to work. Let us humble ourselves to love and accept these foreign workers in this land. Remember that they too, are loved by God.

We hear sermons every week. But how much of them get into us? Can we remember them? Have we applied them and let the word of God transform our lives? In the first place, were we listening to the sermons? Or did we let the word of God fall onto the ground without allowing it to impact our lives? Were we busy checking and replying our emails on our mobile phones? Or thinking of places to have a sumptuous lunch after service? Were we renewed by the sermon because God spoke to our hearts or refreshed by the sermon time because we had taken a “power” nap while the sermon was delivered? Don’t waste the time while the sermon is being preached, let us engage the pulpit.
How do we engage the pulpit? There are people who like to take a lot of notes during sermons. Personally, I find it not too helpful. We lose our retention power when we focus too much on writing. Furthermore, it gives us a false assurance that we have the sermon notes with us. We think that we could always refer to it later. But in actual case, how many of us will make the effort to go through those notes again? We may “safekeep” them forever. It is better to fully concentrate on listening the sermon. I suggest that we just take down the main points of the sermon. It is even better if we can formulate our own learning points from the sermon we hear. Jot down the key principles and values that God is speaking to us. Then try to recall these points later during lunch. It would be easier to internalize the sermon this way.
A point has to be remembered while we are listening to a sermon. It is not wise to take in everything that was preached. The Bible tells us to examine the Scriptures and test every spirit. With false preaching so prevalent, we need to be careful about what we hear too. Listening to preachers with big names do not necessarily mean that their preaching is correct. There are people who preach the prosperity gospel or a gospel that advocates grace without repentance. There are also those that proof text or preach out of context. There are also those who are better at telling jokes and conduct inspiration talks than preaching the Word of God. All these things are happening and we must beware. The Bible tells us that the days will come when people would preach what our itching ears want to hear. As such, we must listen with the help of the Holy Spirit so that we will be able to discern what is right or wrong. Our hearts and our minds must be constantly engaged with the preaching. We must learn to think critically and internalize the truths. At the same time, we need to filter those that are not biblical. Being a good workman of God is not just the responsibility of the preacher, the listeners must play a part too.

There was a well-known preacher who was great in exposition and preaching. People around the region would invite him to speak very often. But he did not believe in one thing: there is no need for ordination. He believed that he had the mandate from God and anointed by God. To be ordained or not is just a matter of title. But his view changed one day when he went to the States. When he went to the States, he realized that the church leaders were looking down on him because he was just a preacher and not a Reverend. He was upset that the church of Jesus Christ was so concerned about the title. So after his trip, he decided to get ordained and not only so, he also ordained as many pastors as possible so that they also have Reverend as their title.
We may laugh at this story but this is how the church is operating today. They go by name, title and denomination. They will see if you have some big name and any Reverend attached to your title. They will see what denomination you are from and whether you are a member if the church. If you are a Reverend in one denomination and you decided to cross over to another, well, you may even get your title erased and start as a preacher again. The independent churches are more accepting perhaps.
We must be careful not to emphasize too much on our name, title, denomination and church membership. It can bring division in the body of Christ. We are all one body and we share the same baptism and Lord. Our name, title, denomination and membership just tells us the authority, responsibility and history that we are entrusted with. There is nothing to be boastful about that we should feel that we are superior to others. Let all churches unite in Christ’s name.

When we are faithful to the Lord, He would often bless us with more. We would often expect these blessings to come in terms of more wealth or more smooth sailing life. But usually we do not get what we expect. What we find ourselves in is more work and responsibilities. Some people get disappointed as a result.
Perhaps we have the wrong expectations from God. The blessings of God do not necessarily come in terms of the world’s riches. This may be what we expect but this may not happen all the time. But it does happen especially when we are faithful in the workplace (but even promotion comes with more work). When we are serving God in the kingdom, the reward is often more responsibilities. When God rewards us with another five talents for our faithfulness in investing the five talents we have, He is rewarding us greater stewardship. Those who are faithful with little would be faithful with much. God would also entrust them with more. But here is the problem, we want more riches as reward but not responsibilities. We are fearful in fact because it would mean that we would have more work. We have more people to lead and more resources to manage. We also have less time for ourselves and our family. We see all these as “costs” rather than rewards. Some of us have to endure the criticisms of others even. This is where wrong expectations lead to disappointment. The rewards from God have become costs and burdens to us.
The truth is this: when we are faithful in the Lord, we would play a greater role in the kingdom of God. This means greater responsibilities. Rather than seeing it as a cost or something to fear, why not take it as a honour? Perhaps, it is time we change our perspective. Stop thinking blessings in terms of monetary terms only, this is incomplete. There’s greater blessings when God entrusts His kingdom to us. Many people also fear this because of the fear of being responsible for lives. They know that following up on those lives is hard work. But take heart, God will help us. If faithful people are not taking charge of their lives, is it not more worrying to hand them over to someone who is unfaithful?
Like it or not, God is in the transforming business. He wants us to be part of this work. Receive the reward with honour rather than running away. A faithful worker will be a leader someday. This is a natural law in the kingdom of God.

The Bible tells us that it is more blessed to give than to receive. How true this is. Yet we often struggle to give. We often want more for ourselves. We demand a bigger house and invest in more properties. We want a new car and more holidays. We want more savings and more investments as well. There’s no end to this. We just desire to have more and more.
In our mind, our wants have become our needs. We rationalize that we cannot live without those things. All thanks to the media and marketing strategies. Many things have become things we cannot live without today. Just take handphone for example, who would imagine that it would become something we are so addicted too. It has become something we must carry along wherever we go. To some, it is the first thing and last thing we see everyday.
I wonder if this trend also applies to church building. Churches today are spending more and more money to beautify their church buildings. Church is no longer a simple building. There are many different designs to attract people to come. It seems that we are trying to build King Solomon’s temple of yesterday. Though members can give generously, certain things may not be necessary. There may be much more we can do with those money.
The Lord was born in a manger. He shows us the house He choose to dwell. It was no longer the glamorous temple but just a small and humble manger. As such, we may need to evaluate what we are putting into the church building today. While it is good to give, it may be also appropriate for us to think for what cause are we giving.
For those who have not give much, let us learn to give more to God. Invest more in the kingdom of God rather than in the world. Make sure whatever we do have a value in the kingdom of God, don’t just keep more for ourselves. Not everything needs upgrade all the time. Don’t make our lives too enjoyable lest it become our comfort zone and we forget that we are not of this world.
For those who have been giving, make sure it is for a good cause. There are some places with too much resources and others with little. There’s a need to redistribute. Many a times, people just give to big names. Sometimes, people don’t even care about the false teachings are preaching. Just because they are great charismatic speakers, people give unreservingly but blindly. I call for discernment before we give. Make sure every cent counts in the kingdom of God. Don’t use it for satan or for the world.

If we are to grow in obedience to God, there are three things that we should look into:
1) Right intention. God weighs our heart. He knows the intention deep within. We need to have a right intention if we are to please God. It concerns whether our thinking is in line with the principles and values of God.
2) Right thing. With so many choices on hand, it is becoming more difficult to make the right choice. It is often said that we need to do the right thing, at the right time, at the right place and say the right words. Some of us may have the right intention, but we may not have choose the right thing to do. We need the wisdom of God to help us choose the right thing to do so that we would not break the commandments of God.
3) Right way. After knowing what is right to do. We still have to decide how to do it. We may be able to choose the right things, but are we able to do the things right? Like it or not, there are many ways of doing things. If we always choose to do things our way, we are unlikely to be sensitive to others. While right intention check our thinking and choosing the right thing check our actions towards God, doing things the right way check our attitudes and actions towards people. This is because God did not just commanded us to love Him but also to love our neighbour as ourselves. Disregarding the feelings of others may not just provoke others but it may even cause people to be less receptive to the things we say. We experience this most in the way people are sharing the Gospel. Even with right intention, many people are put off because of the insensitive way we present the Gospel.
Let us ask God to sanctify our thoughts so that we have the right intention. May we also have the wisdom to choose the right thing that pleases God and finally, the sensitivity towards others to do things the right way.