Rev May Ong
25 Aug 2019
Good morning. Penang is a lovely place. Thank you Pr Koay and Pr Melinda for the invitation. I’m glad to be back. I don’t know if you remember me but I’ve been here before. I think this is my third time here. The first time was two years ago when Pr Ronald invited me to share a little bit about the Global U programme and last year December to bring you the word and today again. Thank you so much for the honour and so glad to see all of you here.
I come from Bible College of Malaysia and if you don’t know, this is my president, we call him Doctor Reverend Victor Lee, who just got his PhD two months ago (holding up BCM Newsletter). This is our latest newsletter and I brought a few copies today. It’s bilingual or rather trilingual. We are so blessed to have a young man leading all of us. He’s bold and courageous and we’re excited on how he’s leading Bible College of Malaysia.
Next year BCM will be 60. We will be celebrating our 60th Anniversary. I invite you to join us, to partner with us. We need all of you.
I’d like to continue from where I ended last year. Last year I shared with you Romans 12:1 and 2. And today the topic is ‘Who Do I Belong To?’. It’s a very simple message but I believe the Lord has something to say to us, and to answer this simple question. Let’s look at Romans 12 verses 3 to 8. Let us hear what God has to say to us.
Romans 12:3-8 (NIV)
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
If we go to Romans 12, it is very practical after the first 11 chapters and all the subsequent chapters. To answer this question, I think all of you have an answer. There are 2 answers to this question. Very clearly or obviously, you would say you belong to Jesus Christ because he has come to save us and we have responded to him. You have been bought with a price. Amen?
We all also belong to a family, like me from the Ong family. Whatever family you come from like the Koays or Pr Melinda Song, Pr Melinda comes from another family but got married to the Song family. And we also represents our organisation that we serve or which church. For example I come from BCM so I need to know something about BCM where I serve.
And because you belong to Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords and the King of Kings, you are not just a Christian by name but that you belong to Jesus Christ.
We belong to Jesus Christ is no small matter. We have been bought by a price and that price is none other than the blood of Jesus. God extended his hand and we made a choice. Because we belong to Jesus Christ, it is very fundamental that we need to know God. How many of us know God? You come from a family, you know your father and you know your mother. You come to your church you know your pastors and you know your leaders. The question today is we say we belong to Christ, we say we are Christians, do you know your God? How much do you know your God?
No matter how long you’ve been a Christian, we can know our God more and more. Just like if you’ve been married many years, yet they can still surprise you. I’m still discovering my husband after 21 years and there’s still a lot of surprises.
You study and observe and you learn. You’ll want to know the person more and more. I’d like my husband to say something. I came to the Lord at 13 but there’s still so much to know about my God. God’s word is a real treasure. I’d like my husband to say a few words.
(Bro Lud comes forward.)
My wife put me in a spot. Shalom good morning. SHALOM! I work with the youth so I have some energy. I want to thank your pastors and leaders who invited us here.
She passed the microphone to me and she’s taking a risk because I can talk and talk. I can talk the entire session. The youths will know and got a taste of whether I can talk or not.
I work for the Methodist Council of Education and it’s three months already. If you look over here at Jelutong there’s a new school right? Wesley Methodist School belongs to the Methodist Council. Of course we are very proud of that school, it’s a big school but let me tell you there’s a history.
The Methodist church has schools for almost 150 years already. At one stage they actually asked themselves what they want to do with education and they almost pulled back but thank God they decided not to because somehow God told them education is still very important. And it is still where the heartbeat of God is. And that’s why we start building schools now. And this is our flagship at this moment.
I’ve always believed in education. So is Pr Koay, and mind you I have no education in one sense. My highest achievement is STPM so I encourage everybody to study. Especially about knowing the word of God. It’s very important for scriptural studies.
My wife became a Christian at 13 but I was born a Christian. I accepted Christ when I was 12 so I am 1 year more than my wife as a Christian. My wife went to Bible College, so she got some degrees lah but I don’t have but I want to proudly tell you okay, I know my Bible more than my wife lah. Action action action lah, okay or not? Let me action a bit lah. Because after this she throw her degrees at me and ask ‘I have degrees, you have or not?’ I don’t have.
But why I want to say that? Because I love God and I study the word of God for many years. I was born in a Christian family right? I attended Sunday School, so I know all the Bible stories because I was born a Christian. Ask me which one I don’t know? Seriously, I know all the Bible stories, because I go Sunday School all the way. And I went to a brethren church you know. They only pride themselves in the Word of God.
But when I finally entered Bible school har, why I entered Bible School? Because my wife work in a Bible school I get very cheap price, 50 ringgit only to study. I started to study lo. But once I entered, then I realised many things I don’t know. This one I don’t know. How come that one I don’t know.
For example the parable of the good samaritan. I shared this with the youth yesterday. It was a story told by Jesus Christ to answer the experts of the law. Usually the experts of the law are the Pharisees right? The expert of the law asked, how to inherit the kingdom of God? Eternal life. So Jesus ask him that what does the law say? He should know because he is the expert of the law. The law says love the Lord your God with all you soul, mind and strength. Second law, love your neighbour as yourself. So he asked who is my neighbour?
We know the story about the man who got robbed halfway in his travels. Then here comes the Priest. He saw and go one side. The came the Levite and the Levite saw and go one side, correct? Then came the Good Samaritan, who came and helped. Cut the story short, Jesus asked who is the neighbour? The one who showed mercy right? So we all think this is the end of the story. But after I study, there are more things to the story. Why did Jesus used the Priest? Why did Jesus used the Levites? Why?
It’s because the experts of the law asked the question. How to go to heaven. Jesus said if you do all the law you will go to heaven. The law is what? Love. The Priest represents the law and the Levites represents the law. Why the Priest and Levites doesn’t help? Very bad right?
It’s because they considered themselves clean coming from the temple at Jerusalem. They don’t touch because they become unclean but the Samaritan was the one who helped. What Jesus is trying to say is that love is supreme over law. If you love you fulfil the law, that’s what Jesus said. If you observe the law, nobody is perfect you cannot observe all the law. If you practise love you fulfil the law.
That’s why Jesus said I am the Lord of the Sabbath. Do you understand this statement? If he performed miracles on Sabbath, he disobeyed the law but if he love, love covers all law. This I leave with you because she asked me to share about the Good Samaritan.
(Rev May Ong takes the mic.)
He said he knows the Bible more than me and that’s true. In Bible school I asked him a lot and I learned so much from him. He loves the Lord and fears God and he studies the word. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. But he doesn’t like to study so he does not have a degree. But a degree doesn’t make a person.
It is possible to get lots of A’s and degrees, yet you don’t really know the Lord. But when you study the word of God, don’t just know the Word but you know the Lord. As you equip yourself, it is to know God and not just the word of God.
The word of God is very unique as you go deeper and deeper. My husband asks a lot of questions and that’s how he learns. To be critical and to ask and to wonder.
We have to always cross-check what people say with the word of God. Today we are exposed to so many teachings but we need to see what is the content and so we know what we hear and if there is an alarm that says something is not right.
As long as you cross-check with God’s word it’s safe. So we don’t get led astray with thinking like if God love us we won’t fall sick. We may serve God faithfully but that doesn’t mean we won’t fall sick or things will all be okay. We need to know what the word of God says, that he is faithful and sovereign and that all things will work together for good.
We think that if we ask and God isn’t giving, we think God don’t love us. He does and maybe what you ask is not the best for you. God says wait. Trust in me. I will bring it to pass.
Even death is God’s way. Sometimes, we don’t have all the answers but we know who God is and we trust in the character of God. In who he is. He is the God that created you.
Jesus said in this world you will have trouble. God is sovereign. He created us with free will and free choices. So we sometimes like or don’t like things because we have choices. God is always watching over us. So when you’re in a difficult situation and things seems to go the other way, trust he knows what’s best. Even when we don’t understand.
Don’t ever ever doubt God or that he has forgotten you or too busy for you. We don’t know what each of us is going through but God knows. God says I love you. I’ve called you and I’ll walk with you. Trust me.
For those of you taking the GU, persevere because it’ll be worth it. It’s not just about the degree. It’s a lot of work and we know your limitations. Sometimes you think you want to study but you just cannot because it takes a lot of time and a lot adjustments to your schedule.
Some things have to go but for some who cannot commit to this, you can commit to Christian Service Diploma as a stepping stone. You can use the 8 credits for BCM. It’s objective questions and you just attend and you will pass. You need 70% to pass. 35 marks out of 50. If you don’t get 70%, you call me and I will let you do again. Our God is a God of second chance. It’s just a discipleship programme.
You can resit and we don’t ask you to pay. So you’ll sure pass. The only way to fail is if you give up. I took my driving test 4 times. Until I pass. Don’t paiseh(shy). I encourage you to take the exam so you know how much you know.
Go for this because it says in your heart that you want to study properly. Not just for the score and A’s. It’s for people like ‘me’. You can do it. Some people can take longer time and others can do it in one day.
When this programme is introduced to you next year, sign up for it. Can or not? It’s a course on the Bible and theology and other courses as well. Like prayer and worship. Go for it. I’ve some brochures for you. Take a look, don’t say no first. All 18 subjects.
You belong to Jesus Christ. We belong to one another. The word of God says this.
There’s a lot of relationships in this world and we choose. But there are relationships you don’t choose. Can you tell me what are those? Like your parents. Or siblings.
In a way you choose to belong to Jesus Christ. But you do not choose who else? It is in the church. We are inter-related to one another. Brothers and sisters in Christ. We have no choice. You are linked to one another. Members of one body. We need one another. It’s not just a phrase that we say.
Mother Theresa said “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot. Together we can do great things.”
I want to rephrase this.
I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot, together by God’s grace and with God’s enablement we can do great things for God’s Glory!
When as parents children fight one another, it’s so sad. And that’s how God feels. We honour one another. Do not think of yourself too highly than you should. But also don’t think too lowly of yourself.
We don’t look down on each other but encourage one another. Stir the gifts. Pray for people, that’s what all of us can do. Or you can send messages to encourage. That’s what we can do to encourage and honour one another. Don’t look down on other people’s gift or be jealous of another’s gift. It is not to compete.
When all of us can do something and do it well it will be great. Some do it in the background and if there is no thank you, it’s okay. God remembers you. Whatever you do in secret God will reward you.
Use your God given gifts to serve one another. The gifts don’t come from you but it’s God given. We are faithful servants to serve God and one another. And because it is God given, we use it as faithful stewards to glorify God. To serve, not just to serve God, but when you use your gift within the body of Christ, even as you reach out to the community, you are actually serving one another. You are encouraging one another. Sometimes when other see you do, they will also come alongside you. So you are serving one another as well.
You have just celebrated your 40th Anniversary last year so you continue to go on. All of us have a journey, and Tabernacle of Praise will still be here. People come and people go but the church will still be here. And the body of Christ is here. Remember as you are in this church, don’t go around elsewhere. Unless the Lord specifically has mission and a call for you. We don’t leave just because something happened, like someone hurt us, but because we are here as a family.
So this morning, I hope you will remember the word of God that you belong to Jesus Christ and my encouragement to you is that you know your God and know the word of God. This is God’s letter (holding up the bible), you want to know what God is like and know what God is saying and to obey God, you need to know what he says before you can even obey.
If you want your life to be transformed, you soak yourself in the word of God. And secondly you belong to one another. And this is one family. We will close with a word of prayer and I want to encourage you to hold hands across the aisle as we pray.
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