Boohoohoo

My throat.

My voice!

And now I can't sing at all! :(

Empty-Handed Go

Must I Go, and Empty-Handed?

Charles Carroll Luther was a journalist and lay evangelist before being ordained as a Baptist minister in 1886. Though not a prolific composer, he authored this hymn in 1877 when he heard Rev. A.G. Upham relate the story of a young man who was about to die. This young man had been a Christian for only one month. Though thankful to the Lord for granting him salvation during his final hour, he was nevertheless grieved that he'd had no opportunity to serve the Lord nor to share Him with others. He explained, “I am not afraid to die; Jesus saves me now. But must I go empty handed?” Upon hearing this account, Luther wrote the following hymn. (From Hymns and Spiritual Stories Online)

(Excerpt)

“Must I go, and empty handed,”
Thus my dear Redeemer meet?
Not one day of service give Him,
Lay no trophy at His feet?

“Must I go, and empty handed?”
Must I meet my Savior so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him,
Must I empty handed go?

How preposterous and shameful would it be,
that I return empty-handed to my Lord of grace and life abundant!

"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "

Matthew 25:14-30

A Letter From Hell

A churchmate recently introduced me a spoof of YouTube. It's called Godtube.com

He showed this video during church fellowship yesterday, and I thought it is an extremely unabashed expression of our inhibitions and excuses for not preaching the Gospel. I'm not for the sensationalistic approach to our faith (just as a personal disclaimer!) I pray we see the souls of our unsaved friends much more important than the excuses we make up to shun the Great Commission.

Disclaimer: "This is intended for believers as it DOES NOT COMPLETELY DEPICT THE GOSPEL. This is not meant as a scare tactic. Watch it for what is worth, but don't condemn it before you read this disclaimer." (quoted from the video details)



"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from Me. When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood."
Ezekiel 3:17-18

Hiatus

"O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!"

My apologies for the hiatus. I've been caught up with slightly more demanding workload on top of increased commitments. It's easy to give way to the crumbling physical and emotional stress, but thank God for the Treasure He's placed in my fragile temple of clay (II Corinthians 4:7) - He gives strength to the weak, so much so that they can give to others. I'm reminded of Helen Lemmel's Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.

"Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace."

Indeed, O Lord, the things of the world have grown strangely dim. Lord! You're faithful, merciful and loving. Give me the heart, I pray, to never turn my face away from You!

Never Again

"Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd;
He will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Revelations 7:16-17

Scarborough Love

In the spirit of Valentine's Day and the celebration of romance, here's the story of the song, Scarborough Fair. It's one of those beautiful heartbreaking stories you want to believe is true.


The Scarborough Fair

During late medieval times the seaside resort of Scarborough was an important venue for tradesmen from all over England. It was host to a huge 45-day trading event, starting August 15, which was exceptionally long for a fair in those times. Merchants came to it from all areas of England, Europe, Norway, Denmark, the Baltic and the Byzantine Empire. Scarborough Fair originated from a charter granted by King Henry III of England on 22 January 1253. The charter, which gave Scarborough many privileges, stated "The Burgesses and their heirs forever may have a yearly fayre in the Borough, to continue from the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary until the Feast of St Michael next following". (On the modern Roman Catholic calendar, the equivalent dates are August 15 to September 29.) Naturally, such a large occasion attracted a lot more than just tradesmen; they needed to be entertained and fed, therefore large crowds of buyers, sellers and pleasure-seekers attended the fair. Prices were determined by ‘Supply and demand’, with goods often being exchanged through the barter system. Records show that from 1383 Scarborough’s prosperity slumped.

In the early 17th century competition from other towns' markets and fairs and increasing taxation saw further collapse of the Fair until it eventually became financially untenable. The market was revived again in the 18th century, but due to intense competition Scarborough Fair finally ended in 1788. Scarborough is a quiet, small town now.

The Ballad

In the middle ages, people didn't usually take credit for songs or other works of art they made, so the writer of Scarborough Fair is unknown. In fact, "Scarborough Fair" appears to derive from an older (and now obscure) Scottish ballad, The Elfin Knight (Child Ballad #2), which has been traced to 1670 and may well be earlier. The song was sung by bards (or shapers, as they were known in medieval England) who went from town to town, and as they heard the song and took it with them to another town, the lyrics and arrangements changed. As the song spread, it was adapted, modified, and rewritten to the point that dozens of versions existed by the end of the 18th century, although only a few are typically sung nowadays. The references to "Scarborough Fair" and the refrain "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" date to nineteenth century versions, and the refrain may have been borrowed from the ballad Riddles Wisely Expounded, (Child Ballad #1), which has a similar plot.

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
For once she was a true love of mine

Have her make me a cambric shirt
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Without no seam nor fine needle work
And then she'll be a true love of mine

Tell her to weave it in a sycamore wood lane
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
And gather it all with a basket of flowers
And then she'll be a true love of mine

Have her wash it in yonder dry well
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
where water ne'er sprung nor drop of rain fell
And then she'll be a true love of mine

Have her find me an acre of land
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Between the sea foam and over the sand
And then she'll be a true love of mine

Plow the land with the horn of a lamb
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Then sow some seeds from north of the dam
And then she'll be a true love of mine

Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
And gather it all in a bunch of heather
And then she'll be a true love of mine

If she tells me she can't, I'll reply
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Let me know that at least she will try
And then she'll be a true love of mine

Love imposes impossible tasks
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Though not more than any heart asks
And I must know she's a true love of mine

Dear, when thou has finished thy task
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Come to me, my hand for to ask
For thou then art a true love of mine.

The Lyrics

The narrator of the song is a man who was jilted by his lover. Although dealing with the paradoxes he sees himself posed to in a very subtle and poetic manner, this was a folk song and not written by nobles. The courtly ideal of romantic love in the middle ages, practised by knights and noblemen, was loving a lady and adoring her from a distance, in a very detached manner. There was hardly a dream and sometimes not even a wish that such love could ever be answered.

As a version of the song exists which is set in Whittington Fair and which is presumed to be equally old, it is puzzling why the lieu d'action of the song eventually became reverted to Scarborough. A possible explanation is that this is a hint from the singer to his lover, telling how she went away suddenly without warning or reason. Scarborough was known as a town where suspected thieves or other criminals were quickly dealt with and hung on a tree or à la lanterne after some form of street justice. This is why a 'Scarborough warning' still means 'without any warning' in today's English. This would also account for the absence of any suggestion of a reason for her departure, which could mean either that the singer doesn't have a clue why his lady left, or perhaps that these reasons are too difficult to explain and he gently leaves them out.

The writer goes on to assign his true love impossible tasks, to try and explain to her that love sometimes requires doing things which seem downright impossible on the face of it. The singer is asking his love to do the impossible, and then come back to him and ask for his hand. This is a highly unusual suggestion, because in those days it was a grave faux-pas to people from all walks of life for a lady to ask for a man's hand. Yet it fits in well with the rest of the lyrics, as nothing seems to be impossible in the song.

Elaborate theories have been proposed concerning the symbolism of these herbs. Parsley, used to this day as a digestive aid, was said to take away the bitterness, and medieval doctors took this in a spiritual sense as well. Sage has been known to symbolize strength for thousands of years. Rosemary represents faithfulness, love and remembrance, and the custom of a bride wearing twigs of rosemary in her hair is still practiced in England and several other European countries today. Thyme symbolizes courage, and during the medieval era, knights would often wear images of thyme on their shields when they went to combat. The speaker in the song, by mentioning these four herbs, wishes his true love mildness to soothe the bitterness which is between them, strength to stand firm in the time of their being apart from each other, faithfulness to stay with him during this period of loneliness and, paradoxically, courage to fulfill her impossible tasks and to come back to him by the time she can.

Adapted from Wikipedia and http://www.geocities.com/paris/villa/3895/
---------------

How utterly, poignantly sad! I thank God for bringing His children together by saving them. Families, friends and couples in the Lord have hope that should anything, even death, happen, there will be reunion finally in heaven. Thank God.

Though not more than any heart asks
And I must know she's a true love of mine.

Trusted With

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,
and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." Luke 16:10


Christ talks about stewardship and its value - the more a steward can be trusted, the more highly valued he is. God gives all believers the same level of starting ground, and then we all, from there, work our way up to be better stewards. No one can boast of a more superior faith than others, because we are saved not by works, but by faith (Romans 10:10). What is meant by being a better steward is to develop our new, Christian life so that it may be more fitting to the calling to salvation that we have received.

In the case of the Thessalonian believers, they were greater stewards of the Gospel, because their acts of love and longsuffering were exemplary and became a model for believers everywhere (I Thessalonians 1:8). Imagine if any church in say, Singapore, alone could bear so distinct and bright a testimony, like the Thessalonian church, that Paul says their faith grew 'exceedingly' (II Thessalonians 1:3, AKJV). In the Bible, this is the only place where a faith has been described as being exceeding, overflowing with abundance, surpassing others. Acts 17 records that Paul was only at Thessalonia for 3 weeks before the believers' escorted him out of the city in view of the violent riot that grew from jealousy. Who else would the hardhearted, jealous Jews persecute now that the preacher of the Gospel was gone? It was under these kinds of harsh conditions that the Thessalonian church was prematurely formed, and yet it grew and instead became an example for other places, some of which were not in as life-endangering places as it. It is without doubt that there was a lot of labour and perseverance required, and because they have been patient and glorified God through it, Paul praises them for exemplary faith, in a sense, a greater, stronger manifestation of the Christian faith. And the Thessalonian Christians suffered because they preserved and protected the Gospel and the faith, according the stewardship they saw they had, not to compromise in face of persecution.

Christ places a test, that the determinant of the value of stewardship is faithfulness. As we have learnt from the Parable of the Talents, faithfulness is the integrity and loyalty to fulfill one's duties, especially the inconspicuous ones, the ones that men cannot or seldom see. In John MacArthur's Twelve Ordinary Men(2002), Andrew is seen, from what is available in the Gospel books, as a quiet servant who saw the value of inconspicuous service. He was the brother of who MacArthur calls, 'the apostle with the foot-shaped mouth', Simon Peter. In the foursome together with the Sons of Thunder, John and James, they were the closest among the Twelve to Jesus. Peter, John and James were recorded as having vied for superiority, or debated over who was greater. As MacArthur has portrayed, Andrew stands in stark contrast with his loud brother, Peter. I was reminded of how these brothers are like the personifications of inconspicuous responsibilities and the otherwise.

We all know what conspicuous responsibilities are - they are the ones that often have an institutionalised ministry for us to serve the Lord. One of the most conspicuous ones, I'd say, is to serve in the music ministry. Be one in the choir, lead the worship or play the piano, for example, during service, serving in the music ministry is often a front-stage service, and it is easy to grow arrogant and forget that the eyes of the audience are not what is important. But I've been thinking more about what the 'little' that we are entrusted with is, and they are definitely not little in value, as the Lord says and judging from the many books written on these little things. The 'little' is the inconspicuous service. I refuse to describe them as being minor or secondary.

Firstly, we are all given stewardship of common grace, things that are given to everyone on Earth, which means both the evil and the good, the righteous and the otherwise (cf Matthew 5:45). Common grace includes time, resources, energy, affluence and health. Take time for example. Even Moses, the meekest man ever, the leader that led the entire Hebrew population on their exodus from Pharaoh Land, prayed, So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. (Psalm 90:12).


Procrastination is something that hits us straight in the guilt spot. I don't believe that all non-work time is consists of laziness. We definitely need to rest, on Sabbaths, as God has overtly ordained us to rest after six days of labour, and also every day after the ever-increasing long hours of work. Taking a nap, watching television, or using the computer are all in themselves normative, or in Paul's words, lawful unto the believer. So when do we cross the line between rejuvenation and procrastination? When the things become our lords and control us, making us committing idolatry to God Almighty.

All things are lawful unto me, but not all things are expedient:
all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. I Corinthians 6:12 (AKJV)

And so I think the same goes for everything given to us under God's common grace to all. Got a lot of money to spend? God wants us to be faithful unto our one-tenth as tithes, and not be unfaithful to the Lord as Ananias and Sapphira had been, which led them to immediate death. Will God one day reprimand us, that we have stolen His things? Many centuries ago, God asked His people the same question, and they denied having been thieves of God's blessings. Will we deny as they did too, in purposeful oblivion? If we cannot take care of the things that are so often taken for granted, and available to all, how can we be entrusted with the stewardship of Christian callings?


Secondly we are entrusted with common Christian duties - to pray in the way that pleases God (as revealed by the best Teacher on prayer in the Lord's Prayer), to fulfil the Great Commission, to be holy, to have quiet time, to be in pursuit of learning God's Word, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and might and love our neighbours...ways that God wants us to take so as allow us to live according to His Will. I find that this is the most challenging stewardship for the Christian. Because it is inconspicuous, it is in nature, not accountable to any person who could exert pressure on us if it were otherwise. Because these are the true actions that believers ought to have in accordance with being Christ-ians, to be changed inside out and thus become a personal witness. And most importantly, because this is the bulk of the spiritual food that we need, spiritual babies and adults alike, that which gives us most spiritual growth and strength, the world opposes it most greatly. Wayne Mack writes in Reaching The Ear of God (2004:34),

...the closer we get to what is most important - what brings us most spiritual power, the more opposition we are going to get from the devil, the world, and our own flesh.

I don't think the right way to approach God's Commandments is to see it through Pharisaic lenses, but to have the wisdom and practice to understand the moral behind it, like how Jesus summarised the greatest of the Law in Matthew 22. I find myself lacking in evangelism and prayer, especially. I know of people who are strong in evangelism and prayer, and others who are equally weak as I am in them. Nonetheless, God answers prayers, and whatever we are lacking in to fulfil our Christians-specific stewardship - be it courage, wisdom, love, intellectual capacity - the Lord gives freely in abundance to the willing steward.

And that would be when the one who is trusted with little, is trusted with much.