Issue 32 – Kallos

Broken, But Not Forsaken

Jiamin Choo — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000

I was 17 and far from God. It had been a whole year of running away from Him and skipping church youth group because I felt
guilty. Guilty because I had been holding on to feelings for a non-Christian boy when I knew I shouldn’t have. Guilty because I had chosen to distance myself from church friends instead of drawing closer to them. Guilty because I was no longer the “good” Christian girl who set an example for the younger ones. I felt like a disappointment to God.

Throughout the year, even though I had sensed God telling me to come back to Him and surrender my struggles to Him, I chose to ignore His voice and went the opposite way. It was a very dark period, and many times I cried myself to sleep, feeling terrible for keeping God out of my life. Even though it hurt to be far from God, I became comfortable in my loneliness and pain, and continued to do things my way.

But one night, I couldn’t run from God anymore. Because I was tired. So tired of running away. The tears kept coming as I confessed, “God, I’m sorry! I’m sorry for grieving You, for running from You for so long. I had refused to surrender my life to You. But I can’t do it anymore. I need You. Please forgive me. Will You be willing to take me back?”

That point of feeling utterly broken, with nothing much to offer God except a heart of repentance, echoes that of King David in Psalm 51:16–17, “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise.”

At that time, Nathan the prophet had confronted David about his secret sin of sleeping with a married woman and plotting the murder of her husband so as to make her his own (2 Sam 11–12). Faced with the full implications of his crime (2 Sam 12:7–14), David poured out his brokenness in Psalm 51 as an act of confession, where he repented of his sin, asked for God’s mercy and forgiveness, and offered his “broken and contrite heart” as a sacrifice which meant much more than burnt animal offerings. David’s brokenness and repentance were what God desired for him. It wasn’t about justifying one’s actions or making it up to God by doing good things, but seeking forgiveness at God’s throne of grace so as to make peace with Him and to worship Him wholeheartedly again.

As I continued to pray and ask God to “take me back”, an image surfaced in my mind: it was a circle, with God standing at the tip of the circle with outstretched arms towards me. No matter where I tried to run in this circle, to the left or to the right, I would end up running back to God. It was then that I realised that all this while, even though I thought I had been running away from God, He had never let me go. He was patiently and lovingly waiting for me to return to Him. I was overcome with joy, realising that our faithful, merciful Father never forsakes His children. All I had to offer Him was brokenness and tears, a confession from the heart and a spirit of repentance. And He received it so readily, with a smile on His face, delighted that His prodigal daughter had now come home.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I sinned and grieved Your Spirit. Here’s my life, God. I desire to surrender it back to You. Amen.

REFLECTION TIME
1. What is an area in your life that you need to confess and repent before God?
2. What will you bring to offer God today?

DELVE DEEPER
Read and reflect on these passages on “Confession & Repentance”:
o 2 Chronicles 7:11–14 (cf.Deut28)
o Luke 18:9–14
o 1 John 1:8-9

HANDLES
If you’re wondering what is the purpose of having so many different books in the Bible, did you know that they are “one unified story that leads to Jesus”?

Check out www.thebibleproject.com for animated videos that explore various books and themes of that one unified story.

Persecution Of The Chinese Church

Isabel Phua — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000

STATISTICS

ESTIMATED 72- 92 MILLION CHRISTIANS IN CHINA

OFFICIALLY AN ATHEIST COUNTRY

1.4 BILLION: POPULATION OF CHINA

FROM 2014 TO 2016, 1,500 CROSSES WERE REMOVED FROM CHURCHES IN ZHEJIANG PROVINCE

WHAT IS GOING ON?

Persecution is not new to religious groups in China. Since coming into power in 2012, President Xi Jinping has cracked down on human rights groups, freedom of expression, and religious freedom. It is believed that more than a million Uighers (a Muslim minority from Xinjiang) are bring held in political “re-education” facilities where human rights abuses are taking place. Advocacy groups also mention that the Chinese Church is going through some of the worst persecution, especially so in the past year.

In December 2018, social media platforms were filled with reports and prayer requests specifically by members of Early Rain Covenant Church, a well-known Protestant church in Chengdu city. Their pastor, Wang Yi, his wife, and more than 100 other leaders and members were arrested, detained in police stations; some beaten up by police officers, and others charged with criminal activities facing potential jail terms. Church members were blocked from going into their church building which was converted into a local government office. Students studying in the church seminary were being escorted and sent back to their hometowns where many come from non-believing families; authorities have then been convincing the families that these students have committed grave crimes, which led to more persecution from family members.

Early Rain is not the only church; other churches across the country are similarly affected with church buildings being torn down and Christian literature being destroyed.

WHY ARE THEY PERSECUTED?

According to a government white paper released in April 2018 that introduced basic policies for all religious activities and expressions in China, all religions must be Chinese in orientation be subjected to China’s socialist ideology.

Christianity is seen by the Chinese authorities to be a “foreign religion” controlled by past colonists and imperialists. As such, the government requires religious groups to register and gain official approval, but many churches refuse to do so. To register would mean joining the state-sanctioned “Three-Self Church” which is closely controlled and monitored by the government, and church leaders have condemned it to be theologically and politically corrupted. Thus, many continue to worship in unofficial underground house churches.

WHAT NOW:
Despite the persecution on the Chinese Church, they are setting an incredible example for us who share in the same faith — joyful in the midst of trials (James 1:2-4), having an answer for the hope they believe in (1 Peter 3:15) when they are questioned, and choosing to carry their cross to follow our Lord Jesus (Matthew 16:24-26). May we learn from and pray alongside the persecuted Church.

– Think: What if you were threatened for your faith in Jesus? How would you respond?
– Read Daniel 4 and respond: Can any government be greater than the Living God? Pray for the same repentance of King Nebuchadnezzar on the Chinese government.
– Google and read: “Declarations of Faithful Disobedience”, a letter written by Pastor Wang Yi, who asked for it to be published if he were to be detained for longer than 48 hours.

To All the Friends I’ve Loved Before

Quek Shiwei — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Are you in a new school or class and feeling left behind or left out as your old friends seem to move on without you? Do you feel like you’re putting in more effort than them to keep the friendship afloat? Are you afraid that you might be losing a friend that you were once close to? If you can relate to any or all of these scenarios, … I feel you!

Navigating new and old friendships can be a difficult thing, but it doesn’t have to be all bad. Amidst my own journey of navigating through changing friendships, I’ve learnt a few precious lessons that have redefined the way I view my friendships. If you are in transition and wondering what on earth you should do, this is for you!

1. Not all friends are forever

I was a teenager was that my friendships would stay the same forever. In secondary school, I found myself a close group of girl pals. We would hang out often, text on an almost daily basis, and be each other’s greatest supporters. However, we all went our separate ways after secondary school and things changed. We each got busy and preoccupied with other things, and later on in life when we moved on to university and got even busier, I found myself feeling increasingly jaded about these friendships and how difficult it seemed to maintain them.

The mistake I made was trying to keep everything the same as it was when we were younger. The reality is that everything changes — our stage of life, our expectations of each other, and even our very selves! It is okay to let go of some friendships as you move on in life and your priorities change. Be grateful for the history you’ve shared and the way you’ve sharpened each other (Prov 27:17), and in bittersweetness, let it go.

2. Expectations are everything

If you’re not feeling quite ready to let go of the friendship, then try talking it out. I know, speaking up about your (mismatched) expectations can be very intimidating. Will they think you’re too needy? Will they think you don’t care anymore? Trust me, I can relate to those fears! But the alternative — feeling dissatisfied with the friendship and keeping silent — can cause greater damage to the friendship in the long run.

I spent my teenage years being incredibly close to a friend that I would text and call often and meet up at least once every two weeks. However, as she entered a new season in life, it soon took at least three to four days before I would receive her text replies. We had to plan our meet-ups a month in advance, and she would need to head home quickly. Over time, I felt as though I was being misplaced and forgotten. It was difficult, but I decided to talk to her about it. She was surprised at my feelings but had to firmly but gently remind me that our life stages were different and demanded different things. It would be selfish of me to place unrealistic expectations on her and our friendship.

Don’t be afraid to work through both of your expectations. You might find that as you both find ways to give and take, the outcome will be a new and beautiful balance.

IT IS OKAY TO LET GO OF SOME FRIENDSHIPS AS YOU MOVE ON IN LIFE AND YOUR PRIORITIES CHANGE.

3. Friendships change, but God is constant

I don’t deal well with change, but unfortunately, it’s an inevitable feature of life. When I chose to leave the public school system and be home-schooled, I found it diffcult to understand why my friends didn’t have more time for me. Even though we were in a similar life stage as students, our daily lives were very different! As a home-schooler, time was flexible for me, but most of my friends were only available on weekends.

I didn’t see them as often as I used to, and the lack of face-to-face time caused us to drift from one another. Meals together were increasingly diffcult to come by, and all these changes left me feeling frustrated and afraid as our friendship seemed to change while I watched helplessly.

During that time, while I grappled with loneliness and insecurity, I was convicted to reflect on why I felt so attached to my friends and so alone and unwanted without them. As I took a step back and looked at my life, I found that I was looking to my close friends for companionship and security instead of finding them in Christ. That was sobering! It has since been a process of learning how to depend on Christ first before other individuals, and learning to be fully satisfied in Him alone.

No friendship will stay exactly the same throughout the years and there will be periods of grappling with distance and absence. However, I learnt a timeless lesson that while all friendships will go through seasons, there is One Friend who is constant through it all.

HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL

A verse that constantly challenges my perspective of friendship is Proverbs 17:17. It says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity”. One of the toughest seasons of my life was when my grandfather passed away in a span of a month after being diagnosed with stage-four liver cancer. I was devastated, confused, and angry. During that trying period, I needed time and space to process the sudden death; it caused me to unintentionally ignore my friends who were concerned for me. Some of them were going through their own share of diffculties and needed me during that time, and they had every reason to be frustrated with me for being so absent. Yet, they continued to love me until I was ready to open up and talk through my grief with them.

Their persistence showed me a beautiful picture of friendship. They did not choose to love me only in the good times, but even in the bad times when I was pushing them away. I knew that these friendships were ones that I would want to keep for the long haul, no matter how many changes and transitions in life I might go through.

AS I TOOK A STEP BACK AND LOOKED AT MY LIFE, I FOUND THAT I WAS LOOKING TO MY CLOSE FRIENDS FOR COMPANIONSHIP AND SECURITY INSTEAD OF IN CHRIST.

Just the other day, I came across a hilarious video of two grannies in their nineties who were grooving to music together and bantering with each other. They have been friends for countless decades! Apart from thinking that it was cute, I was inspired by how they have managed to stay so tightly knit! I’m sure that their journey together must have had its fair share of storms, but it gave me hope that some friendships can last the distance — if they are handled with the right amount of expectations, selflessness and grace. I do not know your personal struggles with friendship but I do want to encourage you to constantly commit every friendship to God and let Him be Lord over all of them. Hopefully, you will also be grooving to some beats with your girl pals decades from now, celebrating and reminiscing about your journey through the years together.

Spotlight: For King & Country, The Band Dishes On Love And More!

Quek Shiwei — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Joel and Luke Smallbone are no strangers to fame. The two-time GRAMMY award-winning duo for KING & COUNTRY have garnered four No. 1s (“joy,” “Priceless,” “Fix My Eyes,” and “Shoulders”), nine Top 10 hits, and have had their songs featured on the Emmys, Super Bowl, The Tonight Show, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Given all their accolades, it was almost intimidating to interview them, but once we got on the phone for our audio interview, it turned out that my fears were totally unfounded. Both brothers were incredibly humble, sincere, and overwhelmingly nice, even taking the time to find out about me and the work we do in Kallos! In fact, when I finally met them in person two months later at their first-ever concert in Singapore, I was surprised that they actually remembered me from our brief phone conversation.

In a world filled with so much negativity and cause for pessimism, for KING & COUNTRY is a breath of fresh air. Both onstage and off, the brothers are passionate about putting out music — and more importantly, a message — that uplifts the soul and calls people to action. What really sets the band apart is their art of storytelling through songs, and with their latest album Burn the Ships, the duo are sharing their most personal work to date, because the songs are about some of the most meaningful and terrifying moments of their life.

Their raw honesty and intensity of emotion shows itself in all the songs in their latest album, and I was privileged to find out more about what’s currently tugging at their heartstrings!

Hi Joel and Luke! We're really looking forward to seeing you in Singapore.

Joel: I should say this before we go on further in the interview but we are so excited to come your way. The only time I’ve ever been to that part of the world is when I flew through Singapore airport. That was it. We didn’t even get to go out of the airport. This will be our first time in Singapore and we are so excited to come and experience your culture and your land. And I love Asian food! If I could have Asian food every day of my life, I would be a happy man! I’m gonna eat a lot of food while I’m there.

We can't wait! Your album title was inspired by a Spanish explorer from the 1500s who landed on enemy territory and rallied his men by telling them to “burn the ships” so that the only way to go was forward. Retreat wasn’t an option. Why did this story inspire you?

Luke: When my wife Courtney was pregnant with our second son, she was prescribed medication to combat her debilitating nausea. One night, I was performing in Austin, Texas, Courtney called and said that I needed to come home because she couldn’t stop taking the medication. I was shocked because I had never had such calls from her before. I remember coming home and her saying that she was much better at that moment. But as the night progressed, she turned to me and asked if she could just take one more of those pills to make it through the night. Her hands were trembling as she spoke those words — that was when I knew it was pretty serious. The next morning, I took her to the mental health facility to deal with her growing addiction. She went through two weeks of therapy, made remarkable improvement and we didn’t have to ever go back. There was one night when she had a bottle of pills in her hands and she told me that she wanted to flush them away as they represented so much guilt and shame in her life. That was her moment of “burning the ships” and it inspired me as I was writing the song for the album.

Your No. 1 hit song "Priceless" speaks about celebrating a woman's worth. Why is this an important message for you?

Luke: It started when Joel and I were doing shows with our older sister Rebecca St James years ago. She was playing in mother-daughter conferences and we would just follow along and play our songs. At one of these events, a mother came up to us one day and said “Hey, it’s really an opportunity to do something because you are the only dudes here!” And that was when we started thinking seriously about the impact we can make. We realised that culture is extremely powerful in telling women that they are cheap, and not worth anything much. But we believe that there is a God who says every woman is priceless! It became such a poignant thing for us over time that our older brother, Ben, decided that we should make a movie out of it to illuminate the issue of sex-trafficking. Since we were going to make a movie, we decided that we needed to write a song about it! It has been a beautiful journey thus far in empowering women to believe that God’s word speaks much more truth than what culture tells us.

CULTURE IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL IN TELLING WOMEN THEY ARE NOT WORTH ANYTHING.

Joel, this might seem a little random, but we are big fans of your wife Moriah Peters and we have to ask! How did you feel when Moriah told you that she wanted to save her first kiss for her wedding?

Joel: Moriah is quite afraid of germs; I endearingly call her a germophobic. We used to joke that she probably wouldn’t want to kiss me too then! But of course, that is not true. The truth is that when she was 14 years old, she decided that she was going to save her first kiss for marriage. And I believe that was a decision that was good and beautiful.

I respected Moriah’s conviction because what I loved while we were dating was that it put the focus on what was most important — Christ. It took the focus off physical intimacy alone. You see, there is a part of marriage that involves physical intimacy and sex. But that’s only a part of it! Instead, there is a whole lot on friendship, understanding, learning, and loving each other. I am not sure what it’s like in Singapore but in America, people do prioritise physical intimacy. But it can get highly confusing when physical intimacy is premature and given at a wrong time in a relationship. On hindsight, for us, it was a very beautiful restraint. Also, in America, a common phrase people use is that “you have to test drive the car and see if it works”. I, for one, have found that to be very untrue. Both Moriah and I stayed true to our conviction on purity during our dating years. We have been married for five years now and I daresay that we are very compatible for each other.

IN A TIME WHERE COMMITMENT CAN BE HARD TO COME BY — THE "THROUGH THICK AND THIN", "TILL DEATH DO US PART " KIND OF COMMITMENT — IT 'S A SONG THAT CELEBRATES THAT KIND OF LOVE. - ON "PIONEERS"

In your new album, the song “Pioneers” features both your wives. For Joel, this song is completely different to “I’ll Wait For You, Love”, which you wrote with Moriah before you even started dating. What has marriage taught you about love that caused you to write this song?

Joel: A lot of young people, be it in the United States or in Singapore, are similar in their obsession about the beginning of a relationship. I admit, seeing a girl across the room, going on a first date, having the first kiss and what not, all of those are beautiful. However, I came to realise that there are plenty of songs in the States that sing about that “special first moment” or the beginning of a relationship. But, sadly, not a lot of songs sing about the consistency and commitment of love. The fact is that it is in the difficult and trying times during the course of a relationship that the richness of love is found. When Moriah and I co-wrote and sang “I’ll Wait For You, Love”, we were writing about who we thought we were. But eight years later, here we are singing “Pioneers”; it is a much deeper song that paints a truer depiction of who are now as a married couple and our perception of love. In a time where commitment can be hard to come by — the “through thick and thin”, “till death do us part” kind of commitment — it’s a song that celebrates that kind of love.

What is one verse that you hold close in your music career?

Luke: For me, Psalm 20:7 is my anchor. It says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” In today’s day and age, it is so common to trust in many tangible and seemingly “important” things such as careers, homes, incomes and more. But my desire is to be someone who desires to trust in God alone! No matter what valleys that I will go through, or how my music career becomes, I will still choose to trust in Him alone.

Is Worship Only About Singing?

Hannah Leung — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Have you ever met someone who is generous? Not in any regular way, but in a way-over-the-top manner?

I have a close friend who is a serial giver. Every Christmas, he drafts up a list of friends that he wishes to appreciate, and blesses each friend with a lavish gift. Last year, many of us received expensive chocolates. He also never forgets his friends’ birthdays, and he makes it a point to celebrate us, whether with his time or with his money. The thing that humbles me most about this guy is that he doesn’t have much. That means that every time he gives, he gives until it hurts, and he still does so willingly and joyfully.

In response to his lavish giving, I am always scratching my head trying to figure out what I can do to give back to him. What does he really like? What does he need? What does he want? Once I’ve picked out a gift for him, even though I feel as though I’ve settled on a good gift, I know that it is nothing compared to the time and money he has given to his friends. Still, I pray and hope that he will know just how treasured he is as a friend to us.

This friend’s generosity always reminds me of God. God gives us so much, so generously, in a way-over-the-top manner too! He is a God of abundance, and He showers us with so much — His enduring presence, His righteousness, His wisdom, His peace, His joy … the list goes on and on! Yet these gifts pale in comparison to the most precious gift at the dearest cost — His only son, Jesus, because of His love for us.

In response to this love, I can’t help but want to give back to God! But … what can I give to God? God is not in need of anything, and there is nothing I can buy on this earth that the creator God will need! Furthermore, while I want to give back to God to the same degree that He has given me, nothing I can do comes close to that extravagance.

Mark 12:28–34 gives us a clue. The teacher of the law who tried to test Jesus admits that “To love [God] with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” In response to His extravagant giving, all He wants in return is that we love Him with our whole being.

WHEN OUR HEARTS BEAT WITH ADORATION OF GOD, SOMEHOW OUR LIPS ALSO FOLLOW AND WE BURST INTO SONG.

LOVING GOD 101

One of the most common ways that we tell God how much we love Him is through our songs. Beautiful songs have been written all throughout history that tell of the greatness of God. In fact, the majority of the psalms were written by people who could not help but sing about God’s mercy and goodness. The psalmists expressed their love and awe of God through songwriting and singing. As churchgoers, we have made it a practice to sing songs at church too — a time which we call “praise and worship”. When our hearts beat with adoration of God, somehow our lips often follow and we burst into song.

But there is so much more to worship! At the heart of it, worship is about expressing our love, adoration and devotion to a great God. While singing worship songs is a wonderful act of praise that we should continually practise, being a true worshipper is not simply about singing.

TRUE WORSHIP

The concept of “true worship” can be difficult for us to wrap our mind around, but thankfully, Paul provides us with a picture of this in Romans 12:1, where he urges the church, “in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship.”

In view of God’s mercy. True worship begins from a place of knowing what God has done for us. Just like how I cannot help but reciprocate my friend’s generosity, it is so with God. Because of all the great things that God has done for us, we cannot help but worship him!

Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. Worship is not what we sing; it is how we live. When you love and revere someone, you want to become like him or her. You want to live in a way that makes them glad, not sad. A true worshipper is someone who lives and breathes to please God.

Holy and pleasing to God. Take a moment to consider how you live your life. Does it please God? When tempted, do you flee? When you sin, do you allow the Holy Spirit to convict you and lead you to repentance? Take a step back and remind yourself of what God has done for you, repent from your ways, and ask God to help you live a life that is Christ-like.

True and proper worship. I like to imagine that my life is like a worship song unto God. Songs can only be written from the heart, and I want my life to be a heartfelt song to God. All that we say and all that we do should be an outward expression of our inward devotion to God. What does that look like? It looks like considering others above yourself. It looks like choosing to do the right thing even when it is not a popular option. It looks like extending a hand of hospitality and help to those around you who need it. For all that I do to be used to serve and love Him — that is the song I want my life to sing.

DON’T MERELY STRIVE TO OFFER THE BEST WORSHIP TO GOD — SEEK TO KNOW HIM FIRST ABOVE ALL ELSE!

THE MASTER MUSICIAN

Max Lucado has written, “Let God have you, and let God love you — and don’t be surprised if your heart begins to hear music you’ve never heard and your feet learn to dance as never before.”

My encouragement is this: don’t merely strive to offer the best worship to God — seek to know Him first above all else! In knowing God more and loving Him more completely, your heart will grow to become so full that it will no longer be able to contain its song to the Lord, and that is the song that God most desires to hear you sing.

If you are feeling fearful that the melody of your life is not worthy to be called “worship”, remember that God is a master musician, and He is transforming your imperfect tune into a masterpiece in which He absolutely delights.

Dear Kallos: Is It A Sin To Wear Revealing Clothes?

Alina Teo — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000

“Is it a sin to wear revealing clothes? I’m not that extreme; I do like wearing clothes that are revealing but not that revealing, like tube tops or spaghetti-strap tops. However, my parents are strict about how I dress, and I’m afraid that they do not approve of my choices. Could you pray for my parents to accept what I wear?” — Confused About Clothing

dear Confused,

Thank you for being honest about your clothing preferences. Perhaps the first step is to consider why you like these clothes. Many a time, our choices show the true intentions of our heart. For example, some people might take pride in using vulgarities because they like the negative attention and the feeling of fitting in with a certain crowd. What is the true intention behind your clothing choices? If you are able to respond to this question purely with, “Just because I like it!”, then it might not be an issue of the heart for you. But now let us look at what the word of God says about the kind of clothing we wear. In 1 Timothy 2:9–10, God clearly instructs women to “dress modestly, with decency and propriety”, clothing ourselves with “good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”

Admittedly, what is considered “modest” by one person may appear “immodest” to someone else, and the Bible won’t spell out what “modesty” really means when it comes to modern clothing.

Are spaghetti-strap tops more modest than a tube top because of the straps? Is a baggy sleeveless top more modest than a skin-tight shirt with long sleeves? There aren’t clear-cut answers to these questions, but what the Bible is clear about is that we should not use our freedom in a way that causes those who are weak in the faith to stumble into sin (1 Cor 8).

The apostle Paul states that we should take care that our freedom of choice “does not become a stumbling block to the weak … [for] if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall” (1 Cor 8:9, 13). Could clothes that emphasise your body in certain ways tempt a Christian friend to view you as an object of lust? Yes, each of us are ultimately responsible for our thoughts and actions. But if we are expected to love each other (John 15:12; 1 Thess 4:9; 1 Pet 1:22; 1 John 3:14), then we perhaps should reconsider the choices that hinder our friends from knowing Christ and following Him fully. If we want to walk the talk, we need to check that our actions match our beliefs.

We are not advocating that you should only wear long-sleeved tops to keep your arms covered or only wear skirts that reach your ankles all the time. But we hope you will re-examine your clothing preferences in light of God’s word and your desire to rightly represent Christ. It may take time to change your preferences, but we hope our words have helped shed light on the issue and you would let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart on this matter.

Love & Sexuality: How Can I Help A Guy Friend Who Suffers From Sexual Impurity?

Kallos Team — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000

“How can I help a guy friend who suffers from sexual impurity?”

At the end of the day, we are all human beings who struggle with sin, and guys and girls are no different. However, the struggles that guys have, while similar, are also very unique. More often than not, it may not be appropriate (not to mention awkward!) to help a guy who is struggling with sexual sin, and they will best be helped by an older male pastor, leader, or a group of guy friends.

Nonetheless, there are some things that I (Alina) can do as a girl to help our fellow brothers. Guys (and many girls!) are visual beings and it is often an uphill battle to keep their eyes “pure.” While our brothers must take responsibility for what they look at, as girls, we can also watch the way we dress so as to not create room for even more sexual temptation.

As a guy, I (Kevin) have found it helpful for guys to have a group of male friends with whom they can have open and honest conversations, and to meet up with often to pray and encourage each other because holiness is a lifelong journey. You can encourage your guy friend to find such a community. Lastly, keep him in prayer!

“What if you try to refrain yourself from sexual sin completely but there are times when you fall back into sin? Will God still forgive?”

We feel you and applaud your desire to abstain from sexual sin! As sinful beings, we are still often tempted to fulfill our fleshly desires, and end up falling back into sin. Yet, our God is a good and loving God who extends grace to us even when we do not deserve it. We believe that if you come with a repentant heart and one that truly desires for God to change you, God would hear your prayer and forgive you (1 John 1:9).

Repentance does not always mean that you are able to overcome sexual sin instantly, especially sexual addictions that have been ongoing for months or years. Real people need real time, and many sexual addictions take time, even years, to be broken with the help of God and His people. The key is to keep an attitude of humility and brokenness and to keep asking God for the power to overcome sin. Don’t be discouraged! Your constant wrestling, struggling, and seemingly unending cycle of repentance is also a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in transforming your heart.

Pandita Ramabai

Quek Shi Yun — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000

KNOWN AS THE FIRST INDIAN FEMINIST

FOUGHT FOR WOMEN’S RIGHT TO EDUCATION AND FREEDOM FROM CHILD MARRIAGE

“Women have no minds. They are lower than pigs.” This was a common sentiment among Hindus in India in the 1880s, and one that Pandita Ramabai strongly opposed. In a society where most believed that women were not smart enough to be educated, she was a scholar, educator, social reformer, and one time revivalist, defying every convention of Indian society and surpassing all expectation of what a woman could do.

Born Rama Dongre on April 23, 1858, Pandita Ramabai Saraswati had an unconventional start for a female in India. It was normal for education to be limited to men and for women to be married off at a young age, but her father thought otherwise and, against the custom of the time, taught her Sanskrit. By the time she was twenty, she could recite 18,000 verses of the Puranas, a Hindu holy book, and was given the title of Pandita (scholar) and Saraswati (for the goddess of learning) in recognition of her mastery of the Hindu holy books, the first woman to receive these titles!

Yet for all his enlightenment about women and education, Ramabai’s father was never enlightened about the one true God. He led his family on pilgrimage after pilgrimage to seek peace, but never found it. In Ramabai’s own words:

“His last loving command to me was to lead an honourable life… and to serve God all my life. He did not know the only true God, but … he was desirous that his children should serve Him to the last… he said, ‘I have given you into the hand of our God; you are His, and to Him alone you must belong, and serve Him all your life.’”

Even though he did not know God, his words would prove prophetic when Ramabai eventually did find Christ, and once she did, she poured herself into serving Him wholeheartedly.

She founded the Sharada Sadan school that offered widowed child brides a refuge where they could study and learn skills like gardening, carpentry and sewing. While she promised not to pressure Hindu girls to become Christians, she did offer the Bible to them, and as they read the Bible and observed her life, several girls converted to Christianity. Hindus complained that Ramabai was betraying her own culture, and she soon realised that she could no longer sit on the fence — she declared that the school would be completely Christian. She also founded the Mukti Mission (which still exists today!) to educate women and child while also providing them a place of safety and hope.

There is no doubt that she was a passionate defender of women’s rights throughout her life, but her true legacy is found in her fervent love for the Lord.

WHY SHOULD WE NOT, AS CHRISTIANS, BE ABLE TO PRAY FOR MANY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE BY NAME?

In 1905, the Mukti Mission experienced a great revival. The Holy Spirit started to convict the hearts of the girls, who started weeping inconsolably and confessing their sins. After this came a strong conviction of the love of God, and their tears were replaced with intense joy. In response to this revival, Ramabai felt that God was answering a prayer she first uttered in 1898, for 200,000 Indian evangelists to share the gospel in India. She wrote a letter to missionaries all over India to pray for this to come to pass, and for them to send in names of people to be prayed for. When more than 29,000 names were sent back, she candidly said, “When we were Hindus we used to repeat one or two thousand names of the gods daily, as well as several hundred verses from the so-called sacred books, in order to gain merit. This did not hinder our work or study. Why should we not, as Christians, be able to pray for many hundreds of people by name?”

In the last 15 years of her incredible life, she mastered Greek and Hebrew to translate the Bible into Marathi. As death neared, she prayed for ten days to finish the proofs and God granted her exactly ten.

Her courage, strong conviction, and heartfelt desire to fight for justice for women in India continues to inspire me today!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

1. Ramabai’s father never heard the gospel, yet he was anxious to find and know the one true God. Are we as anxious to know God? Pray and ask God to stir in your heart a passionate desire to know Him.

2. Are there groups of people in your society who are unfairly treated or marginalised? Is there something you can do about it?

Dig Deeper: Can Science And Faith Co-exist?

Nathalie Zani — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Would it surprise you to learn there are many professional scientists who believe in God? Many people think that, surely, all rational scientists must not believe in God, but that isn’t true. In fact, two scientists can look at the same evidence and one will believe that God is real while the other will not. Some scientists look at the complexity of the human genome and conclude that humans must have been created by God. Other scientists look at the same genome and believe it all happened by chance. How can that be?

What is science?

Science is a discipline which aims to find out how the world works. Scientists investigate things such as what matter is made of, how cells replicate, and how the solar system runs. Part of the scientific method involves observation and replication. Scientists can tell us how the world functions because they run experiments again and again and then figure out the rules which govern the natural world. Science is a valuable tool because it helps us understand how this world we live in works.

But, science, like all disciplines, has limitations. It discovers the rules of nature but it does not invent them. Science, for example, cannot answer questions about purpose. For example, if you see a kettle of water boiling, you can use science to figure out how the kettle works and why the water boils. But science cannot tell you why someone decided to put the kettle on. You need to talk to the person who put the kettle on to figure that out. Another limitation is it doesn’t help you investigate historical claims. If someone tells you that a book was first released in 1993, science cannot help you determine if that is true or false (even radiocarbon dating does not have such pinpoint accuracy). You could read the book and see what the “first published” date printed inside the book is. You could call the publisher. There are ways to find out if the claim is true. But science is not one of them.

What is faith?

Faith, on the other hand, does not aim to answer questions about how the world works. Faith, rather, asks if there is a God, why He created us, what our purpose is in life, how we should live, why the world is so broken, and what happens after death. All of these depend on evidence which stands outside the discipline of science.

One of the difficulties we often face is in thinking science is rational and empirical whereas faith is the opposite. But this assumes we should be investigating faith the same way we investigate the natural world — with the scientific method of observation and replication. However, faith seeks to answer questions about God, purpose, morality, and destiny, and since science does not deal with these questions, it is unreasonable to expect science to give us the evidence we are looking for. We should rather be looking to investigate the truth and rationality of someone’s faith using the appropriate disciplines.

Where science and faith coincide

For example, a lot of the evidence to determine the truth of someone’s faith lies in looking into history rather than how the world works. The Christian faith, for instance, stands or falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus is a historical event which cannot be investigated with the scientific method because it has happened only once in the past. Someone who wants to find out if this event happened must then look to history and historical evidence to determine if it is true. One of the pieces of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus is the fact that the disciples of this man were willing to die for their insistence that they had seen Him alive after His crucifixion. People would not persist in lies that threatened their lives. We can also use other sources to corroborate what is mentioned in the Bible. We can go to documentation of events in first-century Palestine to see if certain things the Bible affirms as having happened really happened. For example, the New Testament mentions a lot of different Roman rulers. Their names and the dates for when and where they ruled can be checked from sources outside the Bible, and they confirm what is said in the New Testament. This points in the direction of the trustworthiness of the New Testament.

These are just some of the evidences for the truth and rationality of the Christian faith. What is important to realise is that someone can both be interested in science and have faith because the two do not stand in opposition to one another. Rather, they aim to answer different questions. In some ways, they also complement one another. We should look to science to understand how our world works, because there are so many interesting things to learn. At the same time, we should also look to faith to tell us about why we are in this world and how we should live in it. Both of these together make for an exciting life!