BY LEE JUN [SINGAPORE]

THE PSALMIST tells us, The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne, He observes the sons of man; His eyes examine them (Ps 11:4). Have you ever asked yourself what God would see when He gazes down from on high, and looks at His church today? Perhaps these are the things He will see:

He will see a great contrast in the way some of His children live. For a start, they are scattered at different parts of the globe. Some, living in poor underdeveloped areas, are strug­gling somewhat to make ends meet, but they will make it because He will see that they do. Others, living in economically successful and politically stable nations, are enjoying the material affluence of their societies.

Although both groups are members of the same household, there is little association between them; they are busy with their own lives. Those living in affluent societies cannot truly appreciate the physical toils and hardships of their brethren in poverty-stricken societies. One might argue that inadequate inter-church communication, lack of information, coupled with physical distance, has led to this poor awareness. In fact, if there is ever an appeal by the church for assistance, they would have contributed willingly and generously too. But, by themselves, they make little effort to find out how their brethren in different parts of the world are coping, both materially and spiritually, and whether there is anything they could do to help. The gap between them remains; the rapport that should exist within a family is missing, and without this rapport, they cannot truly care for one another and look after one another’s welfare.

Until a breakthrough is made, it is difficult to see how the present-day church can ever share the experience of the early believers, where they were “of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common...There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and distribution was made to each as any had need” (Acts 4:32-35).

Then if God searches the hearts of His children, again He will see great contrasts. There are those who have failed to take heed of His warning that one cannot serve both Him and mammon. They have fallen into the trap of trying to serve both. They do not want to lose God; they keep their religious practices of church attendance, prayers and on occasions, when time permits, Bible reading. But, at the same time, they have become used to the good life and all the modem conveniences that money can buy. They appreciate gourmet food and enjoy such entertainments as karaoke. They follow the entertainment scene closely and spend heavily on videos, cassettes and laser discs. They drive expensive cars and take exotic holidays. They buy only branded goods and pay excessive attention on external appearance. To maintain this kind of lifestyle, they devote precious time and energy to device ways of making their money grow. They avidly follow the market trends; stocks and shares become their key interest. Instead of having concern over the matters of God, they are more concerned over their own financial investments. In fact, they centre their life around themselves rather than around God. He does not play a key role in their everyday existence anymore. He has become someone to turn to only in times of need, but in most instances, can be ‘kept in view’; someone not to be forgotten, but who can be dealt with when the occasion arises.

The sad thing is that such people are not aware that their faith has not progressed. They think that as long as they continue with their religious practices and maintain the status quo, salvation is within their grasp. Whilst it is true that salvation is a free gift from God, and not by virtue of one’s own efforts (Eph 2:8), they fail to realise that those who are called have a responsibility to lead a life worthy of that calling (Eph 4:1). This includes being “careful how you walk,...making the most of the time,...understand what the will of God is,...be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:15-18).

Actually, God does not demand that His children renounce the world to lead an ascetic life. The very fact that a person has wealth and possession and can enjoy them is a gift from Him (Eccl 5:19). As the author of Ecciesiastes states, one could “walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes” but he also warns: “know that for all these things God will bring you into judgement” (Eccl 11:9). In other words, whilst he has the freedom to decide on the kind of life that he wants to lead, he has to remember that his actions are accountable to God on the day of judgement. By then, it will be too late for regret. What is important is how he lives out his life now.

As God searches further, He will come across His wandering sheep. This is the group who has yet to be rooted in their faith, and are unsure of their own beliefs. They have doubts over certain aspects of the church’s teachings and at times, find messages from the pulpit “too strict and uncompromising”. They try to find reasons to justify why such messages cannot be applied to the nineteen nineties. Surrounded by proliferations of religious novelty, they are easily misled by false teachings. They are to be pitied, because they are being “tossed to and from and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles” (Eph 4:14).

Since they are not yet rooted in the scriptures, they do not fully understand the reason for following Christ. They may have come to God because they believe that God will bring them success in all their endeavours, that He will give them good health, and that He will make their lives in this world as peaceful as possible. Their reasons for embracing Christianity are many and varied, but these all reflect the fact that they are seeking after the blessings of God, after what God could offer to them in this life. They are not seeking after God Himself.

Because of this lack of true understanding, they are also easily disillusioned when they see the shortcomings of the believers. They have yet to realise that the True Jesus Church preaches the com­plete Gospel of salvation; that this is where the Spirit of God dwells, and where miracles and signs abound, and that she is therefore the true church that leads to salvation. Prob­lems arise within this community of faith only because its members have yet to live up to the teachings of the bible. They have yet to apply com­pletely these teachings into their daily life.

Of course, the church has a responsibility towards these spiritually young believers. After all, the very essence of Christian fellow­ship is one of mutual care and con­cern. The teaching that the strong should care for the weak is well- known. However, those who are weak ought not remain weak all their lives. Instead of always being recipients of care, at some point in their lives, they have to become givers of care. And instead of being disillusioned with the imperfections of their brethren, they have to find ways to help them overcome these imperfections. At this juncture, perhaps it is also pertinent to turn the mirror on themselves, to see their own imperfections. If they themselves are not perfect, who are they to criticise the imperfections of others? The principle that one ought to be magnanimous in dealing with the faults of others, but strict in dealings with one’s own faults is worthy of emulation.

Finally, from on high, God will see the group who forms the pillars of His church. These are His children who centre their lives around Him and His teachings; they are His true and faithful servants who have established a close relation­ship with Him. Through their daily speech and conduct, they magnify and bring glory to Him. Although they may shoulder heavy responsibilities in society and lead busy lives just as everyone else, in their hearts the matters of the church and the welfare of their brethren are their key concerns. They actively participate in every aspect of the church’s ministry and always pray to God to guide and direct the footsteps of the true church. They are full of compassion for those in need, and always take the initiative to care for them. They visit the ill in the hospital and maintain constant contact with the weak in faith. Such members have set the right priorities in their lives.

In fact, this group has not always been that devout. In the early days of their faith, they always had to make difficult decisions about serving God and mammon too. As they were still unsure of the teachings of the Bible, they also had doubts about their own faith. Yet despite these, they have pulled through, because they turned to God at the critical moments of their spiritual lives. When they were at the nadir of their faith, they remembered God, and of His love for them. Amongst all the people of this world, He chose them to be His very own, and gave them the hope of eternal life. They were not the best, and of no great worth, yet of His own accord, He had saved them from a life of darkness to one of hope.

Touched by this divine love, they had repented and returned to Him, resolving to lead a life worthy of His calling. And the important thing is, they also kept to their word. They actually made the effort to know God by studying the Bible, and to build up their relationship with Him through prayers. Once they took that difficult first step, they received support and strength from God which, they discovered, far outweighed the efforts that they put in. This provided the motivation to strive to know Him even better.

Over time, with this new approach, they find that their lives are deeply enriched. When they study the words of God, they are not only amazed by the works of God through the history of humankind, but also by its dynamic power to influence their daily actions. And when they pray, they experience the beauty of being near God, as though heaven has opened and all barriers between God and man are removed. They could talk to God as though He is their close and intimate friend. When they experience difficulties, they can appeal to Him and He will respond. When they are afraid, they will remember the psalmist’s prayer "In the Lord whose word I praise, in God I trust without a fear. What can man do to me?” (Ps 56:10-11) and they will be strengthened. Even when life becomes extremely stressful and the pressures tremendous, they could still have tranquillity and joy in their hearts, for they are confident in the knowledge that whatever the future may bring, the Lord is near. And having tasted the goodness of God, the glittering world cannot lure them away from Him any more. They share the sentiments of the psalmist “Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides thee” (Ps 73:25).

The psalmist tells us, The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne, He observes the sons of man; His eyes examine them (Ps 11:4). When His eyes fall upon you, what will He see?