Daniel pointed to this report (with video) at The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), which is an insightful and interesting look at Christianity in Singapore.
I don’t know about you, but after watching it, I thought that they seemed to shine this light on Christianity in Singapore more as a response of a well-educated and prosperous populace to a “Jesus-shaped hole in their hearts” (ugh, I cringed writing that!).
Said one interviewee in the program:
“I was at a point in my life where I had pretty much everything I could ask for,” said Ken, a member of New Creation Church. “I had my own house, I had a job ready for me, I had money, doing things I’d love but I still felt empty. So in the end, once you have everything, it doesn’t mean that you have everything.”
While there is an element of truth to what he said — that whatever we have is nothing compared to living for Christ — it seems to say that Christianity, even the Lord Jesus Christ, is somewhat an accessory to an already financially-fulfilling life.
Christ is not the center of one’s life or and joy in life, but an accessory!
And so it seems that Singapore now is also subscribing to the watered-down brand of Christianity that is plaguing the United States of America, and worse yet, we are preaching it to the world around us!
In fact, in light of that, Daniel goes on to state that
Fact of the matter is that what is growing in Singapore is the Word-faith heresy and the New Apostolic De Reformation. Far from becoming an “Antioch of Asia”, we are in fact becoming the church of Sardis — having a reputation of being alive but actually is dead (Revelation 3:1b). The churches are degenerating, compromising and moving on the road to apostasy, and yet we are being joyful (Isaiah 22:13)? What’s the point in being zealous for evangelism when the evangel (the Gospel) that we are supposed to proclaim is corrupted?
Sadly, I’d have to say I agree with him about how many of our churches are falling away — giving way to worldliness, even turning worship services into rock concerts and churches into mega-entertainment centers.
Shabbat Shalom.
HT: Reformata et Semper Reformanda.
Photograph “Singapore Skyline” by Storm Crypt.
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Man, It seems like Asia is full of faith right about now. A lot of Christian blogs come from there;
including Sidharth’s.Chris Jones’s last blog post..How I made my missionary prayer board.
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Isaiah:
as stated, thanks for the link.
Chris:
“It seems like Asia is full of faith right about now”
The question is what ‘faith’ we are talking about. Full of ‘faith’ means nothing; even the devil has ‘faith’! (Jas. 2:19) And not everybody with true faith blogs anyway.
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What can I say except we are to expect these things. It’s been happening since Jesus’ day and getting worse.
I don’t know anything about China and that area but I thought Christianity was illegal there? Is this wrong?
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And getting worse… I stumbled upon an article this morning “Evangelicals’ New Twist on Lent”
Yes, that’s right… apparently there’s a “worship renewal” in evangelical churches that adds Catholic routines in worship services.
Check it out:
http://confessionsofanunchurchedbeliever.blogspot.com/2008/03/renewal-of-apostasy.html -
Carol:
From what I understand, Christianity isn’t exactly illegal in China, but churches have to be sanctioned by the State. And by that, I’ve read somewhere (and let me try to find the source again), it means that the pastor cannot preach the Second Coming of Christ or something along those lines.
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