Reach Community Church 2/177 Beavers Road Northcote VIC 3070
Tel: (03) 9481 6889 Email: info@reachcc.org
www.reachcc.org
Pastor: Victor Soo Church Administrator: Sharon Oen
CHURCH SERVICE Celebration Service REACH Kids
Chinese Service
Sunday Sunday
l 10am - 12pm l 11am - 12pm
Saturday l 7pm - 9pm
PRAYER MEETING
Monthly Ministry & Prayer Intercessory Prayer
1st Friday of the Month l 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Tuesday l 7.30pm - 9.30pm
BIBLE STUDY
Young Adults
University & Youth Groups
Family
Wednesday l 7.30pm - 9.30pm Friday l 7.30pm - 9.30pm Monday l 8pm - 10pm
Friday l 7.30pm - 9.30pm
OTHER ACTIVITIES Praise Dance
MOPS (Mothers of Pre-schoolers)
Ladies’ Meeting Men’s Breakfast
Thursday l 10am - 12pm Every 2nd & 4th Friday l 10am - 12pm Quarterly Quarterly
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Welcome to the thirteenth issue of REACH. In this issue, the focus is on living a life that truly reflects God in our inner soul, by moving From Spiritual Experience to Fruitfulness, learning how not to become Unchristian Christians, and discovering The Divine Conspiracy. We also learn how God can transform life if Parents, send your child to youth camp and when we Practise Gentleness. There are also two recipes to nourish our bodies.
Reach Message
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From Spiritual Experience to Fruitfulness Reach Character
Practise Gentleness Reach Ministry
Parents, Send Your Child To Youth Camp Reach Reflection
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Unchristian Christians Reach Book Review
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The Divine Conspiracy Reach Recipe
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Thai Beef Salad Reach Recipe
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Smoked Bacon & Capsicum Dip
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welcome
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Reach Message
From Spiritual Experience to Fruitfulness
Reach / Summer 2018
By Ajibade A. Aibinu
Today, many Christians go to church regularly, attend home group meetings weekly, pray daily, study the bible diligently, and repeatedly give account of their experiences of God’s touch. They describe how they feel God’s love, hear God speak to them, and enjoy God’s comfort. Some even narrate how they get goose pimples after a great worship service, prayer and listening to the preaching of the Word of God. While these regular spiritual experiences are signs of personal growth, God’s plan is that we move from just having spiritual experiences to fruitfulness and making an impact in the world we live. Spiritual experiences must be translated into tangible actions to benefit those around us, including those who do not yet know God. Spiritual experiences in Jesus’ name through worship, bible study and prayer are the bedrock of our ongoing relationship with God. Through these experiences, we grow in intimacy with God. Physical activities alone cannot make us grow in the knowledge and the grace of God. It is only in the Spirit that we can worship God, hear Him and encounter Him, because God is a Spirit:
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24) Spiritual experiences that do not produce tangible benefits to people around us are irrelevant to the world, they only lead to self-centeredness.
Why must believers in Christ translate spiritual experiences into tangible reality to benefit others? Firstly, it is God’s intrinsic nature and character to translate His spiritual attributes into tangible reality that benefit human. This fact is evident all over the Scriptures. In Romans 1:20 Paul wrote:
For since the creation of the world His [God] invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. This scripture refers to the time when God created the heavens and the earth:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:1-4). Prior to the creation, God has always existed, yet the earth was in a formless state, empty, and dark. At the creation, God made His invisible attributes – His power, His love, His mercy, His goodness etc. - relevant and useful. They were made visible in the formless and the dark state of the earth. If God did not translate His invisible spiritual attributes, the earth would have remained in a formless and dark state.
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Reach Message
God is merciful, and because of His mercy, He “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). God translated his attribute of being a merciful God by creating the sun to rise upon the evil and the good, and sending rain on the just and the unjust. God translated His love into tangible action to benefit us when He gave His only son Jesus to come and die for our sins:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) Jesus, the Word and the Son of God was there before and at the creation, but His existence became relevant and beneficial to human life when He left His glory in heaven, became flesh, and died for us so that we can be redeemed from sin.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14)
God displays His attribute of Love to benefit human race through Christ’s birth, crucifixion and resurrection:
…who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. (Galatians 1:4) Through the ages, God has always displayed His many attributes to benefit the world. It is contrary to God’s nature when our spiritual experiences are not translated into actions that can benefit the world around us. Secondly, believers in Christ must translate spiritual experiences into tangible benefits because we have been saved to display God’s attributes and nature so that He can be known through us, so His name can be glorified. Since the fall of mankind due to sin, and after the coming of Jesus Christ, all those who are redeemed through believing in Jesus are not meant to just seek and love Him, but also to display His nature:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
Reach / Summer 2018
Believers in Christ become the light in a dark world when they translate their spiritual experiences into tangible actions that benefit others.
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Reach Message
Reach / Summer 2018
We are spirits but put in human body for a purpose:
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7) Our physical body is made from dust and it is a temporary house where our spirit lives to enable us function and fulfil God’s purpose on earth. We are not here on earth by accident to just pass time. Our spirit is who we are.
The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life. (Job
33:4)
who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts
10:38). Jesus was constantly translating His spiritual nature and experiences into tangible form and action to benefit the world around Him. The apostles also translated their spiritual experiences into tangible benefit by preaching the gospel boldly and healing the sick. The Sanhedrin who persecuted them could not deny the spiritual experiences of the disciples:
Now when they [the Sanhedrin] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marvelled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)
Paul declared in Acts 17:25-28 that God gives to all life, breath, and all things. God made us dwell on all the face of the earth and has determined that we should seek Him in the hope that we will find Him, for in Him we live and move and have our being, and we are also His offspring. We are made to seek Him and love Him, and to display His nature. Everything Jesus did was in accordance to the attributes and instructions of the Father, “the Son can do nothing of
Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He [the Father] does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does” (John 5:19-
20). When Philip, one of the disciples, wanted Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus responded, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He regularly departed to a solitary place to commune with his Father and thereafter “went about doing good and healing all
In Matthew 5:44, Jesus taught how we display God’s attributes by the way we treat our enemies. He instructed us to love, bless, do good, and pray for them; and by doing so we would be known to be the children of God, with God’s attributes in us. God did not love us for our performance. In the same way, we should love people regardless of their performance. Through this we can draw them to God’s love in Christ in its purest form. Jesus Himself demonstrated this attribute in tangible ways when He forbade Peter from killing those who wanted to arrest Him (John 18:11), and when He prayed for the forgiveness for His killers (Luke 23:34). Natural imitation cannot make a natural man a child of God. However, when we imitate God’s attributes out of our adoption and regeneration by grace in Christ Jesus, God will be genuinely glorified.
We are saved to make people around us experience what the kingdom of God looks like. Jesus said, ‘’the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). The world will experience the kingdom of God through us when we continually translate our experiences of God into tangible form to benefit others. While we wait for the Kingdom of God to come at Jesus’ return (Revelation 11:15), the kingdom’s rules and attributes are already within us (John 3:1-8). No wonder Jesus said, “You are the salt of the
earth… you are the light of the world”
(Mathew 5:13-14).
Jesus also said that a tree is known by its fruits (Mathew 7:15-20). Since we have been saved and are now connected to God, all our experiences of the power of the kingdom of Christ must be translated into tangible form for the world to encounter it. How do believers in Christ translate spiritual experiences into tangible forms to benefit others? Firstly, because we are spirit we must remain constantly connected with God through personal relationship with Him in the spirit. Through this relationship with God, we get to know Him, His attributes and His characteristics. We get to hear God and strengthen our intimacy with God who is our source. Secondly, start practising God’s attributes, e.g. forgiveness, charity, love, etc. God’s attributes and His kingdom can also be found through the parables of Jesus, His miracles and His prayers. The parable of the good Samaritan shows us how we ought to show compassion and love for those we come across daily regardless of their background. This cannot be out of religiosity but out of deep connection to
God. We must live from the inside out. Jesus translated spirituality into tangible form when He went about doing good, healing their sicknesses and comforting them. People, not ourselves, must be at the centre of our lives. Lastly, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us into specific actions that can bring solution to the problems around us. While we need to rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance and help, we should not wait if God has already instructed us; for example, God is love and has commanded us to love, do not wait before we show love to the people around us, just love them. Do not wait to help when the material needs of others are evident to us, just help them, and in doing so we reveal to them who God is. We also bring glory to God by providing solutions to the issues or challenges people face, e.g. broken marriage and divorce, parenting issues, crimes, drug abuse, depression, mental health. One way to influence others in a godly way is through your own experience in overcoming the same issues. As we pursue intimacy with God, we will receive insights in developing and implementing concrete actions to help others to set them free. We have been saved to be representatives of God on earth by reflecting God’s attributes so that the people around us can benefit and know who God is. Look for ways daily to translate your spiritual experiences into tangible actions to benefit others within your areas of influence. By making this a lifestyle, you will continue to look like the Heavenly Father, reflecting His nature and conduct, making an impact, and influence many to know God. That is fruitfulness!
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Reach Message
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Reach Character
Reach / Summer 2018
Practise Gentleness InPractise Gentleness this day and age, when people are so absorbed with personal “rights”, gentleness isIn this day and age, when people are so absorbed with personal “rights”, gentleness is sometimes sometimes perceived as a weakness. I once had a father whose concern for his son was, “He’s too gentle, he’ll be bullied and being taken advantage of at school.” perceived as a weakness. I once had a father whose concern for his son was, “He’s too gentle, he’ll However, the Bible taught us that gentleness is a character strength, it is manifested in be bullied and being taken advantage of at school.” However, the Bible taught us that gentleness is those who are strong and wise. a character strength, it is manifested in those who are strong and wise.
Give consideration and concern for
We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. (Romans 15:1, NLT)
Esteem others above ourselves.
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. (Philippians 2:3)
Never take out our frustration and anger on others.
Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools. (Ecclesiastes7:9)
Try to overlook offenses and restore relationship.
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. (Galatians 6:1a, NLT)
Let God be our focus and boss.
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5, NIV)
Endeavour to keep unity and peace
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1‐3)
Not to be defensive when people
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. (1 Peter 3:15‐16a, NLT)
Embrace heavenly wisdom.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)
Show sensitivity towards others’
And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth. (2 Timothy 2:24‐25)
Speak to others with kindness.
When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. (Proverbs 31:26, NLT)
others.
without compromising the truth.
disagree with our viewpoint.
feelings and hurts.
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Reach Ministry
Parents, Send Your Child to Youth Camp
Reach / Summer 2018
By David Giang
Every year, during term 3 of school holiday, the REACH youth heads to a destination out of Melbourne for their annual youth camp. What do they do? What do they learn? How has God touched them? How have they experienced God? These are some of the questions other church members (those who are too old to be part of the youth camp, or parents of the youths) might ask. Here, David Giang, a dedicated youth leader, shares the inside story with us.
Let me begin by telling you something about me. I am a semi-professional camper. Sure, I enjoy the brisk mountain air, the sound of nature singing in all of its creation, and sleeping under a sky full of stars, but nothing beats going to the annual Reach Youth camp! I have been going to youth camp since I was 16 years old and now, I have 15 years of experience. I told you I am semi-professional! The youth camp provides a powerful platform for ministry to young people, and God encounters His people in ways that transform their lives forever. Each year we pack our bags (or suitcases for those travelling in luxury) equipped for 4 days and 3 nights, and travel to different camp venues located across regional Victoria. We engage in passionate worship sessions led by young and aspiring worship leaders, listen attentively to Christ-centred message spoken in season from the guest speaker, and build community amongst friends and family. And let’s not forget the team chants, camp fires, skit nights and extraordinary fun games. For the parents, here are four benefits of sending your child to the youth camp:
Reach Ministry 10
Partner with God for miracles
The theme of the camp this year was ‘Call The City’. This was inspired from the biblical story in John 4 about the Samaritan woman who had a life-transforming moment with Jesus at the well, and she went on to tell her city! This year some youths from our midst prayed for their non-Christian friends from school to come to the camp and God answered their prayer. We heard a testimony about one youth who was invited as a ‘friend from school’ over 5 years ago, and at her baptism this year she recalled that the turning point in her faith was experiencing the love of Christ at the youth camp. It is often a turning point for many because the camp is an appointed time and God has a time and place for everything when we partner with Him.
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Hear from God through His Word and His voice
This year, we were privileged to have familiar faces, and listen to old friends, Jeremy and Linda Rensford from GVCF (Goulburn Valley Christian Fellowship). They brought with them their passion for evangelism. The message was powerful and resonating. They spoke with clarity and ease, and the youths were very engaged. One of the simple and key take-home messages from the camp was translating evangelism into three words, “Come and see”. This is what Jesus said to two of his disciples in John 1:39-41. They spent the day with Him and their lives were transformed forever, and it all started with three simple and inviting words, “Come and see”. Not only does God speak corporately but He speaks personally as well. During one of the night sessions, Pastor Jeremy spoke prophetically into the life of one of the youths about his spiritual gift of exhortation - the ability to motivate others to respond to the truth by providing timely words of counsel, encouragement and consolation. We later learnt that before the camp, this youth earnestly prayed to God about spiritual gifts and his desire to receive the gift for the glory of God. This is a testament that God answers those who call upon His name and He desires to give good gifts to His children.
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Reach Ministry 3)
Build confidence and a team spirit
One of the classic activities we look forward to at the camp is the Skit Night. This is a unique opportunity where the youths can practise their acting skills without the Hollywood audition, and at the same time learn about the heroes in the bible. Not only does it bring out the creative prowess, comedic rawness and biblical literacy from the youth, it also gives an opportunity for those quieter ones to shine. This year we had stories ranging from Creation to the Parables of Jesus to the Old Testament character Ruth; in the themes of SpyDetective to Game Show to Musical, even incorporating British and Scottish accents. It makes for light-hearted fun and entertainment forever etched in the minds of all in the years to come. It was wonderful to see those who were generally reserved in nature came out of their shell and inspired confidence in themselves. The purpose is to give courage to people and this is the building blocks of developing confidence and boldness in young people in a world that tells them that they are not good enough.
In addition, we had ‘egg’-cellent team games - the purpose is to be the cleanest person while everyone was throwing flour and eggs at your team. All the games and activities are team orientated and success is measured by the team that works together the best. There is no ‘I’ in team.
The best actress and the best actor 4)
Experience the goodness of God
Youth camp is where we experience the provision of God and the blessing that comes when the church comes together in unity. Over the last decade we have been provided with up to three community buses each year to help with the transport. We have a wonderful team of volunteers who dedicate their time to plan, organise and bring to life a camp for over 50 young people and leaders every year. The church sows abundantly with their finance at each year’s fundraising event and this year we received nearly double the highest amount collected in the previous years. The list of God’s goodness goes on and on. Finally, I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 9:8 – ‘And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.’ Each year we have seen the
faithfulness of God - His abundant supply, His transforming power - and young peoples’ lives being transformed forever by Jesus Christ. I will leave you a final question, “Do you want to ‘come and see’?”
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Reach Ministry
Reach / Summer 2018
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Reach Reflection
UnChristian Christians “Christianity has an image problem”, so starts the book UnChristian, written by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. So what? Christianity is not about having a positive image. We have the truth! But if non-Christians “admit their emotional and intellectual barriers go up when they are around Christians, and they reject Jesus because they feel rejected by Christians”, how have Christians represented Christ truthfully to the converts, the cynics, and the critics? David Kinnaman is the president of Barna Group, a company which works with churches and organisations, to research on spiritual issues, with the aim to transform people’s life. He undertook a research project to explore the perception of young people on Christianity, which resulted in his book UnChristian. Although this was first published in 2007, its many findings still ring true today. The research project discovered six major negative perceptions of the Christians by the “outsiders”: hypocritical, judgmental, antihomosexual, too focused on getting converts, sheltered, and too political. Before you go on the defensive, the author summed this up well, “Keep in mind that part of the reason Christians possess a bad reputation is because our faith perspectives grate against a morally relativistic culture… Christians are known as judgemental because we address sin and its consequences. Christians
should be involved in politics because faith weaves itself into every aspect of our lives. Christians should identify homosexual behaviour as morally unacceptable because that is what Scripture teaches. Christians should be pursuing conversations and opportunities that point people to Christ because we are representatives of life’s most important message. And Christians should strive for purity and integrity even if that makes us appear sheltered… The real problem comes when we recognise God’s holiness but fail to articulate the other side of his character: grace. Jesus represents truth plus grace”
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) Here, I do not wish to argue the accuracy and the validity of these negative perceptions, I simply want to reflect on some of the research findings, and how I (and you), an individual Christian, might have contributed to these perceptions (albeit unintentionally), and how each of us can change these perceptions for the cynics and the critics around us. Hypocritical Perception 1: “Christians say one thing but live something entirely different.”
1 The perceptions listed throughout this article are conclusion from the research and direct quotes from the author.
The research found that there was no difference between the lifestyle activities of born-again Christians and those of non-Christians: “When asked to identify their activities over the last thirty days, born-again believers were just as likely to bet or gamble, to visit a pornographic website, to take something that did not belong to them, to consult a medium or psychic, to physically fight or abuse someone, to have consumed enough alcohol to be considered legally drunk, to have used an illegal, non-prescription drug, to have said something to someone that was not true, to have gotten back at someone for something he or she did, and to have said mean things behind another person’s back.” When born-again Christians were asked to list two or three most important priorities for them, the most important priority listed was “lifestyle – doing the right thing, being good, not sinning”, and only 1% responded “family faith – discipling your children, shaping family faith”. Reflection: Christians succumb to temptations and sins despite our best effort, the very reason we need God’s grace. However, 1. If Christians are more concerned about how we look to others – “doing the right thing, being good, not sinning” – our efforts will fail us. Instead, Christians ought to focus on being the person we are called to
be, through a personal relationship with God. This relationship will anchor our faith when life pressure intensifies, preventing us from succumbing to temptations. In addition, when Christians fail, we have the assurance that God is bigger than our failures, we can be transparent, without putting on a false front. 2. When what we confess is contrary to our lifestyle, we will cause others to stumble. Children and young people are particularly sensitive to the inconsistent behaviour. In addition, family faith is strengthened through purposeful discipleship; if it is low down on our priority list, we are in danger of losing the next generation to the increasing oppositional force of their faith.
Woe to you, scribe and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 28Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:25, 28) 25
Judgmental Perception: “Christians are prideful and quick to find faults in others.” Research findings: Non-Christians found Christians judgmental, -“Christians are more focussed on condemning people than helping people become more like Jesus.” -“Christians are more interested in proving they are right than that God is right.” -“Christians are known more for talking about issues than doing anything about them.”
Reach / Summer 2018
Research findings: Collectively, there is a gap between what Christians confess and their lifestyle.
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Reach Reflection
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Reach Reflection Reflection: Christians generally have a strong sense of right and wrong, as we base our moral compass on biblical teaching. There is nothing wrong with it. However, when we impose this standard onto other people in a self-righteous way, unlovingly, and at the wrong time, we appear as arrogant, without the power to transform life. We need to examine our own motive when correcting or criticising others.
Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. (Romans 2:1)
Anti-homosexual Perception: “Christians show contempt for gays and lesbians.” Research findings: Among the many sexual sins, Christians seem to focus most on homosexuality. Many Christians are reluctant to donate their time and money to HIV / AIDS causes, including helping HIV / AIDS orphans overseas. The unspoken feeling is that this is the outcome of their own decisions and lifestyles. Reflection: The author quoted pastor Shayne Wheeler, “There is not a special judgment for homosexuals, and there is not a special righteousness for heterosexuals.” and Billy Graham, “Homosexuality is wrong, it’s a sin. But there are other sins. Why do we jump on that sin as though it’s the greatest sin? The greatest sin in the Bible is
idolatry, worshipping other things besides the true and living God… Homosexuality is also a sin and needs to be dealt with and needs to be forgiven, and that’s why Christ came and died on the cross.” The author also pointed out the difference between “against homosexuality” and “against homosexuals”. Although it is true that there are groups of homosexuals who try to engage political movement to antagonise Christianity, not all homosexuals are the same. We need to exercise discernment and compassion when dealing with each individual, treating them as a human being created and loved by God, beyond their sexual orientation. Too focused on getting converts Perception: “Christians are insincere and concerned only with converting others.” Research findings: Two thirds of young non-Christians do not believe that Christians genuinely care about them. They shared their experiences of encountering Christians who were only interested in inviting them to Bible study and church events. The research also discovered that despite professing to be Christians, only 3% of young believers adopted the biblical worldview 2. Reflection: It is impossible to have a genuine faith without a correct biblical worldview. Why is it that only a minority of young believers hold the biblical worldview?
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Reach Reflection Have we focussed too much on conversion and not enough on discipleship? Saying the sinner’s prayer and attending church is not the end, but only the beginning. Before people enter the church, their encounter with Christians outside the church affects how they view Christianity. Lives can be transformed even before people step into the church.
– all these affect their psychology and emotion, creating a unique challenge to engage them and to address their needs. There are also many young people who live on the fringe of our society, dealing with their own struggles, without hope and help. There is no better time for the church and each Christian to actively seek the opportunity to reach out to them.
God’s power is not limited to church events and buildings. Should our emphasis be building relationship with others to transform life or simply getting them into church?
Although it is appropriate to shelter our children from the negative influences of the world, we need to train them up so that at the appropriate time and maturity, they will become ambassadors for God.
Sheltered Perception: “Christians are boring, unintelligent, old-fashioned, and out of touch with reality.” Research findings: 80% of non-believers do not feel that Christian faith help people to “live a better, more fulfilling life.” One interviewee stated that “Christians enjoy being in their own community. The more they seclude themselves, the less they can function in the real world.” Reflection: The younger generation is growing up in a very different environment – there is a higher rate of fragmented family structure, more sexual exposure at younger age, easier access to illicit drugs, higher use of technology and digital media 2
I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. (John 17:1415)
In conclusion, the perception of Christians by non-believers is complicated and contentious. The purpose here is to reflect on some of these negative perceptions and how we can change them without compromising the truth. The research of the Barna Group suggested that “we have become famous for what we oppose, rather than who we are for.” It is a wake up call! Can we afford to misrepresent Christ, and miss the heartbeat of God for His people?
Defined in this research in 8 components: 1) believes that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, 2) God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and he still rules it today, 3) salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned, 4) Satan is real, 5) a Christian has a responsibility to share his or her faith with other people, 6) the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches, 7) unchanging moral truth exists, and 8) such moral truth is defined by the Bible.
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Reach Book Review
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God
Reach / Summer 2018
Author: Dallas Willard
When I first read this book many years ago, I couldn’t fully grasp the concept of the book. I thought it was too profound, and marked it as a book that is to be re-read at a later stage of my life. This time, I was so immersed in it I didn’t want to put it down, but had to do so frequently, to ponder over what I just read. I realised that appreciating this book the second time has nothing to do with spiritual maturity, only a change of heart that desires the Kingdom of God in my life. So if you pick up this book and feel stuck, I encourage you to pray and re-examine your heart, you will then “rediscover your hidden life in God”, here on this earth. In the Introduction, Willard stated his aim for the book is “to gain a fresh hearing for Jesus, especially among those who believe they already understand him”. He then went on to explain the wrong priority of Christians today, which leads to the “practical irrelevance of Christian faith”. The first three chapters of the book explain the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is more than entering heaven after death, sin management, and doing good to others. It is bringing the Kingdom of God into our life, here where we live, “’the gospel’ is the good news of the presence and availability of life in the kingdom, now and forever, through reliance on Jesus the Anointed.” And this Kingdom is available to all, “There is none in the humanly ‘down’ position so low that they cannot be lifted up by entering God’s order, and none in the humanly ‘up’ position so high that they can disregard God’s point of view on their lives.” God is relevant in every aspect of our life. “The reigning of God over life is the good news of the whole Bible.” Chapter four to seven focuses on what this Kingdom of God looks like on the earth, based on Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5-7. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount gives us heavenly perspective on “which life is the good life” and “who is truly a good person”. Willard’s exposition on the Beatitudes and Jesus’ teachings gives me a new perspective on biblical passages that I thought I knew well. Chapter eight to nine teaches on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, how to be one, and how to train others to be one. It emphasises the important role of the church to make disciples. The chapter on “A Curriculum for Christlikeness” is a great start for anyone with a heart to disciple others. The brief review here really falls short of the richness of this book, which had impacted my thinking and shifted my paradigm on my life as a Christian. “We are invited to make a pilgrimage – into the heart and life of God.” Will you take up this invitation?
Reach Recipe
Reach / Summer 2018
18
Thai Beef
Salad By Emily Ooi
Ingredients: 500g 185g 185g 1 3 tbsp
Photo by Kristen Ooi
Rump or topside steak Mixed salad leaves Cherry tomatoes (halved) Cucumber (peeled and chopped) Fresh mint leaves
Dressing:
1 Stalk Fresh lemongrass (chopped finely) or 2 tbsp Lemongrass paste 45g Fresh coriander leaves (shredded) 1 tbsp Brown sugar 2 tbsp Lime juice 2 tbsp Light soy sauce 2 tbsp Sweet chilli sauce 2 tsp Thai fish sauce
Method:
1. Heat a frying pan over high heat till hot, add beef steak and cook 1-2 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking. Set aside to cool. 2. Arrange salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumbers and mint leaves on a serving platter. 3. Mix all dressing ingredients in a bowl. Stir to combine. 4. Slice beef thinly and arrange on salad, drizzle with dressing and serve.
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Reach Recipe
Smoked Bacon Capsicum Dip
Reach / Summer 2018
By Emily Ooi
Ingredients:
Photo by Kristen Ooi
1 Onion 1 Red capsicum 4 Bacon rashers 250g Philadelphia cream cheese
Methods: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Dice onion, red capsicum and bacon rashers. Heat pan and cook onion, red capsicum and bacon till soft. Leave aside to cool. Using a blender, blend the cooked onion, red capsicum, bacon and cream cheese till smooth. Serve with crackers or raw carrot / cucumber / celery.
Tips: Dip will last for 1 week in a container in the fridge.