My dear readers,

Answers to Remaining Questions from Calvary Pandan Church Camp 2025 (13)

Question 1: Why don't we use slides for MWS, etc? Such as having a visual aid instead of just talking?

Answer 1: Preaching has been God’s ordained way to declare His holy Word. 1 Corinthians 1:17-25: “¹⁷For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. ¹⁸For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. ²⁰Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ²¹For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. ²²For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: ²³But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; ²⁴But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. ²⁵Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

Slides and other forms of visual aids are distractions from the focus on preaching. For example, when slides or visual aids are used, some will scrutinise and stare at these visual aids projected on the wall. When their minds focus on the visual aids, they will not be listening to the preacher. God designed the mind to focus on or think about one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is the bane of twenty-first-century societies. Nothing is done to the best of one’s ability because of a lack of concentration.

Another problem with visual aids is that they turn preaching into a lecture. There is a difference between teaching and preaching. In teaching, the primary focus is on the mind, with more facts and data, and a secondary focus on the heart. Meanwhile, in preaching, the primary focus is on the heart, with a secondary focus on the mind.

Since preaching is a spiritual gift, and God’s Word is a spiritual Book, the preacher should obey what God has blessed him with, and the Holy Spirit will take what is preached for the conviction and conversion of hearts.

Question 2: What are your thoughts, and how should we consider the eldest child and middle child syndrome in Christians?

Answer 2: The definition – “Middle child syndrome is the idea that the middle children of a family, those born in between siblings, are treated or seen differently by their parents from the rest of their siblings. The theory believes that the particular birth order of siblings affects children's character and development process because parents focus more on the first and last-born children. The term is not used to describe a mental disorder. Instead, it is a hypothetical idea telling how middle children see the world based on their subconscious upbringing. As a result, middle children are believed to develop different characteristics and personality traits from the rest of their siblings, as well as experiencing household life differently from the rest of their siblings.” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_child_syndrome]

“Oldest child syndrome, sometimes called firstborn syndrome, refers to how being the first-born child in a family can shape a person’s identity. Birth order has long been thought of as one of the primary factors that influence our personality and development. In particular, firstborn children are usually characterized as responsible, Type A personalities who are often drawn to leadership-type roles in the family and in their lives.” [https://www.verywellmind.com/how-oldest-child-syndrome-shapes-childhood-development-7866816]

The concepts of the eldest and middle child syndrome are based on observable conclusions. The definitions and conclusions above may be seen in many eldest and middle children, but they are not based on the Holy Bible. Like everything in the world, take such ideas with a pinch of salt. Evaluate them against the Word of God to see if they are true. Every believer’s character and behaviour have been shaped by God, not circumstances. God can use our circumstances and the people in our lives to mould and shape us to be who and what we are. But the One who decides what we become is God, not any man or circumstance.

We must remember that the sovereignty of God is the basis for evaluating all experiences; there are no “bad” experiences in every believer’s life, before and after salvation. God has chosen them in Christ before the foundation of the world. Whether we are firstborn or secondborn, God decides, not man. Ephesians 1:3-6: “³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: ⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: ⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

Every believer is a work in progress because we witness and serve the Lord in an earthen vessel still susceptible to sin. These weaknesses and strengths in every believer’s life are placed there by God. We must recognise this to stop sinning against God by indulging in self-pity or comparing with others and concluding that they are better than us, with discontentment in our hearts. Every believer is a unique child of God, created and carefully shaped and moulded by the almighty hand of a loving heavenly Father. Whatever lot in life we experience, know that God ordained all of them, from the minutest detail to the most important. Every believer’s life has no accidents from the day he began living in his mother’s womb. God alone decides when and where we are born, in which country and century, who our parents are, and how we grow and mature till we meet Christ. Therefore, every believer can confidently say, according to Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Question 3: I love music too much, in fact, I played drums in a band group in my teens and in a charismatic church in the early 80s (I know I could give you a big headache then). From my youth to middle age, I still listen to pop music, even though I have become a Christian. However, after I attended Calvary Pandan BPC, I became more aware of the harm it could subtly instil in my soul, and I started to tone down. But today, I still listen to and enjoy some light jazz instrumentals alone, purely light jazz music without singing. Could you kindly comment if such fondness is considered as "unchristian-like"?

Answer 3: Things termed “unchristian-like” are called sins, including all things that appear like sin. 1 Thessalonians 5:22: “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

When God founded the nation of Israel, God provided her with all that she needed to be a holy nation. He ordained for them dietary laws, teaching them what and what not to eat, rules on how to plant, and what garments to wear and not to wear. He established holy days and taught them the spiritual significance of each of them. He set up the tabernacle (replaced by the Solomonic temple in the future) and taught them how to worship and offer their offerings with understanding. He appointed the priesthood and established laws to help Israel become and remain a holy nation.

But when God established the local church witness to replace the national witness, He just gave some critical essentials, such as the sacraments of Baptism and Lord’s Supper, praise and prayer, fellowship, etc. God taught this in Acts 2:41-47: “⁴¹Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. ⁴²And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴And all that believed were together, and had all things common; ⁴⁵And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. ⁴⁶And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, ⁴⁷Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Christian churches have been founded in different cultures, languages and nations. God gave Christians the general guidelines to do all

things “as unto the LORD and always for His glory.” 1 Corinthians 10:31-33: “³¹Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. ³²Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: ³³Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”

When more churches were founded, church problems arose. God used the apostles to write epistles to deal with all church problems. With these epistles, churches throughout the ages would strive to keep the church holy in Christ. The epistles became the blueprint to help all churches deal with all problems. That is why different churches in different countries may worship God differently as they try to retain the essentials given by God in Acts 2. All cultural aspects in worship must be evaluated against the Bible; if any aspect is not according to the Holy Scriptures, it cannot be incorporated into the worship. This principle applies to the Christian’s personal life as well.

Every believer must live all aspects of life according to the Holy Scriptures, whether it’s about light jazz or something else. There is no list of do’s and don’t’s like what He gave to the nation of Israel, such as what clean animals, birds or fish the Israelites could or could not eat. Every Christian needs to evaluate their life and holy witness individually according to their respective contexts, according to the Bible.

“Fondness” means “tender affection”. There is a fine line between fondness and love. Do not cross that line. Guard your love for God.

Many things we do in the world are usually done with some degree of fondness, such as for certain foods, hobbies, sports, etc. Make sure that these things are lawful to do, but do not come under the power of any. 1 Corinthians 6:12: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

The Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. This means it is holy and must bear a holy witness for Christ. Sin and sinful things and behaviours will tarnish that holy witness. Repentance restores that holiness. Staying away from all things that will not edify and build up the faith will maintain the holiness.