by Admin | Nov 8, 2024 | Dion Goh, • Timely Word •
In my computer’s hard drive, there’s a folder called “temp” for files that are temporary—things like bills, articles, and manuals, which may be useful now but will eventually be deleted. Over time, the number of files has ballooned, even storing files from older computers for “just in case”. As a result they take up valuable space that could be used for more important files. There is a reluctance to remove this clutter because of the sheer number of files. Culling them is a time-consuming chore. So they happily accumulate, turning from temporary to permanent.
This tale of woe is admittedly trifling in the larger scheme of things, but it brings to mind that our earthly existence is meant to be temporary. Yet, we often accumulate both tangible and intangible treasures, believing that they are what defines us and what truly matters in the long run. However, Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV) says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Jesus’ words are not against ownership of things. Rather, He helps us focus on what is important and permanent. Earthly things, wealth, success and reputation may bring temporary happiness and security, but these can be lost in an instant. Natural disasters, like the flash floods in Valencia in late October is a stark reminder of the impermanence of life. Instead, Jesus encourages us to invest in spiritual riches that are secure and eternal.
This is echoed by Paul, who writes in 2 Corinthians 4:18, “So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
The temporary nature of human life does not diminish its value. On the contrary, it calls us to focus on what is eternal and to live intentionally to fulfil God’s individual plans for us. Jesus sums up this purpose in Matthew 22:37-39: “… You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself…”. By focusing on the eternal, we are asked to help others do likewise. As God’s children, our charge is to share His love, make a positive impact, and expand His family (Matthew 28:19).
Focusing on the permanent also reshapes our perspective on the suffering and challenges we face. Whether financial, health, relational or personal, these problems can feel overwhelming. However, we take comfort that these problems are fleeting in the light of eternity because of who we place our hope in (Romans 12:12 and Isaiah 40:31). I am especially cheered by 1 Corinthians 15:19, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” The good news is that our hope in Christ is not limited to this life—it extends into eternity!
To conclude, it is easy to become preoccupied with what is fleeting, to fill our lives with temporary “files” that distract us from the permanent. Let us instead adopt a long-term perspective, fixing our eyes on Jesus as we make our temporary moments count towards eternity.
By brother Dion Goh
by Admin | Oct 29, 2022 | Dion Goh, • Timely Word •
Deepfake videos (or simply, deepfakes) are artificially created media posing as actual video recordings. A commonly seen example involves the face of a person in a video being swapped by someone else who is originally not in it. Many are produced for nefarious purposes such as pornography and the spread of misinformation. Imagine a video of a church pastor spewing hate speech when he actually did no such thing. Instead, someone else acted in the video and then AI algorithms were used to swap in the pastor’s face. Put differently, deepfakes are a form of fabricated reality accomplished via a thin veneer of pixels.
Like deepfakes, the Bible recounts numerous examples of purported followers of Christ with antithetical underlying realities. John 6:66 tells us, “As a result of this many of His disciples left, and would no longer walk with Him.” These disciples refer not to the twelve apostles but Jesus’ other followers or students, those listening to His teachings. Many of these people likely witnessed and feasted on the miracle of the five loaves and two fish the previous day (John 6:1-14), but could not stomach the spiritual truths taught to them subsequently. Here, Jesus referred to himself as “… the bread of life; he one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35).
Jesus was asking his followers for total belief and commitment to Him so that they would have eternal life. This call to commitment was too much for some. These people wanted Jesus for what they thought He could give (John 6:26-27) and not for what He actually came to give. Their commitment faltered and they turned away.
As God’s children, we are called to be committed to Him. It is something required, not optional. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment” (Matt 22:37-38). Likewise, Paul appeals to us in Romans 12:1, ”…to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.“ Total commitment to Christ may sound daunting, but in 2 Cor 5:14, Paul offers a different perspective, “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died.” Jesus’ love was so motivating that he cannot help but to remain committed to Him and to the preaching the Word.
Just as real videos have characteristics that enable them to be distinguished from deepfakes, committed Christians have a distinct set of traits. First, a personal relationship with God. As in human relationships, communication is key, through prayer, the reading of His Word, and worship. Second, committed Christians perform God’s work wherever they are, fulfilling the Great Commission whether through local or global missions, at home, at play, or at the workplace. Third, committed Christians understand and have counted the cost of following God. This means making sacrifices for His sake, surrendering fully to God, and putting His will first and foremost. Finally, committed Christians put their trust in God. They understand their inadequacies and the challenges of making a difference in this sinful world. They rely not on their own strength or wisdom but in Him who is called “Faithful and True” (Rev 19:11).
by brother Dion Goh
by Admin | Nov 5, 2021 | Dion Goh, • Timely Word •
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to two terms becoming endemic to our daily vocabulary: “pivot” and “new normal”. We are warned that we have to adjust to a new normal arising from restrictions to lives and livelihoods. Businesses are exhorted to pivot their operations to this new normal to survive, and perhaps thrive. However, this new normal seems suspiciously like the old one. We still do the same things, sometimes with more difficulty than encountered previously. Others face challenges and are now worse off than in the old normal. Despite all our pivoting, things seem the same, but different, and often bad.
As Christians, we are thankful that despite the difficulties faced either currently or in the future, God will pivot us towards a newer and better normal. This is aptly captured in Romans 8:18-19, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God.” What Paul says is that even though we may be suffering here on Earth, our current condition is only temporary for we will one day be as God intended us to be, a new creation, transformed, Christ-like.
We are not there yet though. We still live in a fallen world where there is decay, destruction, and death. Paul says in Romans 8:22, “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.” The childbirth metaphor tells us that the pain that results in groaning and suffering is not without purpose, much like birth pangs which lead to new life. This pain will one day lead to our glorification, our final state as children of God. Our sinful selves will be removed, we will have new eternal bodies, and we will enjoy fellowship with God forever (Philippians 3:20-21).
What happens in the meantime? We wait for the arrival of God’s new normal. However, this waiting has important characteristics. First, we wait with perseverance as stated in Romans 8:24-25, “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, through perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” In other words, we continue to wait even in the face of suffering because we know that our hope is based on the immutable foundation of God’s promises.
Second, we wait with confidence that our transformation will eventually come to pass because God has given us “the first fruits of the Spirit” (Romans 8:23). This is God’s pledge that we will receive our future inheritance, that is, our glorification in His time (Ephesians 1:13-14). Third, we wait with reassurance because we know that we are not alone. To borrow another favourite pandemic phrase, God, specifically the Holy Spirit, is in this together with us. The Holy Spirit knows us, helps us, and intercedes for us. This is found in Romans 8:26-27, “Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” When our troubles become too much to bear, we can take comfort that the Holy Spirit is there to sustain us.
God’s new normal is something that we as believers can look forward to, knowing that our current struggles are fleeting in the eternal scheme of things. As we wait for that day, know that “the whole creation is on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own” (J.B. Phillips’ New Testament, Romans 8:19).
By brother Dion Goh
by Admin | Nov 7, 2020 | Dion Goh, • Timely Word •
In a shocking development for many including me, Robinsons, Singapore’s oldest home grown department store, announced on 30th October 2020, that it would be closing its last two stores in the country. After more than 160 years in Singapore, the venerable brand that survived World War II and other crises fell victim to changing consumer buying patterns, online shopping, and COVID-19.
Permanence is seemingly elusive. In 2020, the harsh reality of impermanence has been even more stark, with an ongoing pandemic that has devastated livelihoods and lives, shattering the illusion that the ingenuity and industry of humans can build things that are enduring. James 4:13-14 admonishes us, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away”. This is reinforced in Hebrews 1:10-12 which reads, “And: ‘You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail'”.
However, the last sentence of Hebrews 1:12 offers hope that there is permanence after all. First, God is permanent. He “is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). This means that the God of the Bible is the very same God we worship today. This sameness means that in uncertain and fast-changing times, we can cling on to Him knowing that He is trustworthy and we are safe in His hands (Proverbs 29:25).
Second, God’s love and compassion are also permanent. Afflictions of various forms may come our way and God may seem distant. However, He is merciful, faithful and compassionate. God will, in His time, provide for us what we exactly need if we entrust ourselves to Him. Here, Isaiah 54:7-10 aptly illustrates this, “‘For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you’ … ‘For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has mercy on you”.
Next, God’s word is permanent, as Isaiah 40:8 poetically proclaims, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” In a society where values and preferences shift ever so often, and what was wrong in the past is now right, we take comfort in the knowledge that the Word of God endures forever. We have the assurance that His commandments, teachings and promises will never change. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away”.
Finally, God’s Kingdom is permanent. We may not see it yet, but it is waiting for us. Revelation 22:3-5 promises us that, “… there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever”. It will be a glorious place filled with light and God’s love, and there will be no more death, sorrow or pain (Revelation 23:4). And this will be a permanent arrangement.
By brother Dion Goh (YCKC Bulletin 7/8 Nov 2020)
by Admin | Oct 6, 2019 | Dion Goh, • Timely Word •
When I was asked to write an article for today’s message based on John 4:1-30, I began to search for an interesting angle, perhaps something intellectual or profound. As I read and re-read the passage however, a verse that I so often skimmed over because it seemed mundane, struck me, “… so Jesus, wearied as He was from His journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour” (John 4:6). Here was Jesus, our Great Redeemer, King of Kings, tired and probably very hot as well because it was noon, according to many interpretations of the sixth hour.
A spent, sweltering Saviour seems like an incongruent image of Jesus, but this also demonstrates His humanity. More accurately, Jesus is both God and human. He has experienced what we have experienced in life, and feel what we have felt. When we are hot, tired and thirsty, Jesus has been there too and knows what it is like. When we are in despair, we can cry out to him, knowing that Jesus understands our emotions because He has them too. We can draw comfort from the fact the our Saviour is not some distant God devoid of empathy. Instead, in Jesus, “… we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).
Returning to the passage, it also dawned upon me that Jesus was tired for a purpose. Yes, it was probably a long journey to Galilee, but Jesus deliberately stopped at a specific town (Sychar), at a specific time (noon), and at a specific place (the well) so that he could meet the Samaritan woman. This woman was someone that Jesus should not have wanted to have dealings with. First, she was a Samaritan and Jews did not associate with them (John 4:9). Second, she was a sinner and Jesus knew this, “for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband” (John 4:18). And yet, Jesus was there at the well, intentionally tired so that He could offer the woman the precious gift of living water that will lead to eternal life, “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).
Finally, the passage shows that our weary Saviour dealt with the wayward Samaritan woman lovingly, not lashing out or talking down to her as many of us may do so when our tiredness leads to irritability and impatience. He pointed out the woman’s sin but did not shame her. Instead, Jesus reached out and offered to her the cleansing of her shame-filled life through living water. Because of this, the woman’s life changed. She no longer shunned others because of her sin, as suggested by her drawing of well water in the heat of noon when no one else would do so, but introduced Jesus as the Christ to the entire town (John 4:29-30). As a result, many of the town’s people believed in Jesus (John 4:41).
Romans 8:38-39 reads “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Certainly then, a little tiredness will not stop our loving Saviour from meeting us at the well.
By Dion Goh (YCKC Bulletin 6 October 2019)
by Admin | Oct 27, 2018 | Dion Goh, • Timely Word •
We often associate the word prodigal with wastefulness, recklessness, loose living and other negative terms. The younger son, in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-31) illustrates this word well, when he goes to his father to ask for his share of the inheritance and then squanders everything away on sinful living.
Interestingly, this word has alternative meanings and various dictionaries, including Merriam-Webster and Oxford, have definitions such as yielding abundantly, as well as lavish in giving.
Set in this context, the father in the parable was prodigal. He was extravagant with his wealth. The younger son, in asking for his inheritance, indirectly wished him dead, but the father gave it to him anyway. The older son treated him with contempt when he heard about the celebrations but refused to participate, and yet the father said “everything I have is yours” (Luke 15:31).
Continuing with this line of argument, God’s love may be characterized as prodigal as well! The Bible is replete with verses describing God’s love for us. Consider for example, the following:
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1a)
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8-9)
But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)
As sinners, we do not deserve God‘s love, mercy, grace, and all good things He chooses to give us. Yet, God was wastefully extravagant, in sending His Son Jesus to die for our sins so that we may have eternal life (John 3:16). Through the lens of the unsaved, such an act does not make sense. It is not logical, practical or sensible. After all, why should God die for mere mortals? However, perfect love does not count the cost. It is not based on human logic or practical sensibilities. It is not about how much one can extract out of a transaction. Instead, the perfect love of God is prodigal.
Being God’s children, we are called to be imitators of Him, “and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, as offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Ephesians 5:1-2). Further, Jesus would say to people, “follow me” (e.g. Matthew 4:10), and not “believe in me”. The term “follow” encompasses not only belief but also living the type of life he lived. That is, we are to reach out to the lost, the unsaved, the unloved and the prodigals in a manner that is consistent with God’s own love for us. In other words, we are to be prodigal with our love to others.
By Brother Dion Goh (YCKC Bulletin 27&28 October 2018)
