Shipwrecked!

"...You may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith". 1 Tim 1:18-19

In Ezekiel 27, there was a graphic description of a shipwreck involving heavily laden ships from Tyre, meeting a storm at sea. Mariners, sailors, merchandise and wealth and everyone on board sank. The prophecy spelled the doom of the mercantile trade of Tyre and broke the back of Tyre, a once prosperous city. It did not survive history and lie in ruins today.

Reflecting on the sudden, unexpected COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the whole world over the last month and threatening a global recession, one wonders how many businesses will be bankrupted. An infection tsunami followed by a sudden economic tornado will leave behind much devastation. Lives, families and businesses will lie in ruins, shipwrecked.

This sudden downturn can also affect the spiritual life. At times of difficulties and even during times of plenty, Paul warned that we must guard our faith, hold on tightly to it or else we may lose it all. The Boys Brigade hymn places a question for us, "Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?" This pandemic requires us to send an affirmative answer, "We have an anchor that keeps our souls, steadfast and sure while the billows roll". Our faith can be fragile and we need to be properly anchored.

Byron Bay Lighthouse

Innumerable shipwrecks have been prevented by lighthouses. The ships were warned to steer clear of the rocky shores. Similarly we have a lighthouse in Jesus Christ warning us to steer clear of the pitfalls of life; of temptations and wrongdoings that can lead us astray.

I have always been fascinated by lighthouses. I have a collection of photographs of different lighthouses that I have visited, all over the world. The latest visit was to the Byron Bay Lighthouse in New South Wales, Australia. When one pictures the strong light that beams from the lighthouse, Jesus' proclamation comes to mind, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of of life". These visits to the lighthouses assure me of the steadfast guidance of God. His light is constantly warning us of hidden dangers which can come so suddenly and unexpectedly.

The suddenness of the COVID-19 pandemic unsettled us. We took extraordinary precautions to guard our health. The Rev Sng Chong Hui observed, "If only we 

• monitor our spiritual temperature as regularly as we do our physical temperature
• wash our souls like we wash our hands
• mask ourselves to stop sin from infecting ourselves and others
• read God's Word like we read daily updates about COVID-19
• fear God like we fear COVID-19". 

When Life is good, it pays to keep in touch with God so that with any downturn we need not become unsettled but can rely on our immutable Saviour. The whole world was enjoying peace and prosperity when suddenly this COVID-19 descended upon us. Like Charlie Brown said, "This world is suddenly crazy".  Will your anchor hold?

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,

when the clouds unfold their wings of strife?

When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,

will your anchor drift or firm remain?

Refrain:

We have an anchor that keeps the soul

steadfast and sure while the billows roll,

fastened to the rock which cannot move,

grounded firm and deep in the Saviour's love!

Will your anchor hold in the straits of fear,

when the breakers roar and the reef is near?

While the surges rave and the wild winds blow,

shall the angry waves then your bark o'er flow?

Will your eyes behold through the morning light

the city of gold and the harbour bright?

Will you anchor safe by the heavenly shore,

when life's storms are past forever more?

Lionel

Written at the start of the Covid-19 epidemic just before the global lockdowns

Out Of Chaos Comes A Calm

'I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber' Psalms 121:1-3

On 11 Mar 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the Corona Virus, COVID-19 infection a pandemic which affected many countries and continents. Many are afraid to contract the virus. Although for the most parts, the disease is quite mild, mortality rate is significant in older people who have underlying health concerns. The death rates among the elderly in China, South Korea, Iran and Italy are extremely high. The virus is highly contagious and some countries resorted to closure of schools, large public events and curtailed travel. It may even derail the Olympic Games to be held in Japan later this year. Several churches in Singapore and other countries are no longer meeting but virtually beam the worship services to parishioners through the Internet.

In times like these, people of all faiths turn to prayer. Christians pray, expectantly, that God will answer just as the Psalmist declared in Psalms 121. This assurance of help from God is the cornerstone for our confidence which allows us to live a full life even in periods of adversity. 

There is a favourite anthem of the Charis Methodist Church Choir. Noel Ong, who helps select songs for the choir wrote, "On Path to Answered Prayer' is a beautiful and touching piece that Heidi Fuller wrote after going through much trial and seeming unanswered prayer, as well as helping a close friend through similar issues. Their specific circumstances were different, but the underlying issues of faith in God, whether he hears and answers prayer, and waiting for God's timing and plan, were underlying both their journeys. Indeed, they underlie the journeys that each one of us Christians would take in our respective life journeys. Indeed, we can be encouraged through the message of this song because God brings amazing things through the trials of life and we need to 'learn to trust Him as you (we) travel on the path to answered prayer."

My favourite phrase in this song is "Out of chaos comes a calm". It assures me that the COVID-19 pandemic will dissipate, this world will return to normal, the economic recession will pass and God will restore the earth.

"Have you ever wondered if your prayers are really heard?

Why is your path so lonely if God listens to each word?

When answers seem so distant through years of faithful pleas.

Still your Guide is right beside you each moment on your knees.

In the wilderness He’s working, in the dark, do not despair.

In the storms, He’s sanctifying, in the thunder He is there!

Out of valleys, He gives vict’ries, out of chaos, comes a calm.

Out of testing, He brings triumph, out of sorrow, comes a song.

There comes a song.

So find power in His promise, though at times not understood,

as you love the God who leads you He will guide your paths to good.

Though there’s weeping in the waiting, in the morning, joy is there.

Learn to trust Him as you travel, learn to trust Him as you travel,

learn to trust Him as you travel on the path to answered prayer.

He answers prayer."

It is this song that the chairperson of our choir, Raymond Chiang clung to as he lived through cancer affecting his health. He prayed for healing of a colon cancer he suffered which had spread to his liver and subsequently he lived a normal and active life through two surgeries and chemotherapy. Click to hear, Raymond's encouraging testimony, how God gave him the faith to overcome his illness. 

Raymond spoke about trusting God and praying for healing. After a colectomy, it was found a year later, that there was a secondary to the liver. He underwent surgery to remove the tumour in the liver. After the surgery, the surgeon asked whether he had undergone chemotherapy prior because 70% of the tumour cells from the liver was found to be not viable on the biopsy. Raymond answered negatively which surprised the surgeon. When informed, the oncologist replied, "A supernatural force is at work here". Today Raymond has completed the post-surgery chemotherapy and he is hale and hearty.

The response to the corona virus pandemic in almost every country, underlies the innate fear and panic in many people, they run to the supermarkets and pharmacies to hoard daily essentials. People were jostling for rice and canned food, masks and alcohol wipes and even toilet paper to the point where nothing was available on the shelves and the national stockpiles were depleted.

Fear and panic are not the ways we should confront the challenge of COVID-19 pandemic; instead of fear there should be faith and instead of panic there should be prayer. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Lionel