To Royston:

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To Royston:

Forum: Theological Expressions
Re:

My Cell Group Experience (Wahshing)
Re:

hello Wah shing (SL)
Re:

insightful (Royston Ong)
Re:

Hello Royston (SL)
Re:

Take your time (Royston Ong)
Date: 2001, Aug 22
From: SL sl

Thanks for the advice and caution, Royston. I'll try to keep this message positive and constructive, and this shouldn't be too difficult as I have more good things to say about fcbc and the man than bad things.
I don't know the kind of questionable church practices you have encountered before, but I am sure we have heard of the kind of scandals and bad theology being practiced in certain quarters. Before I attended FCBC, I was with a small little known Pentecostal church in M'sia where there was (at least from my point of view) an over-emphasis on the health and wealth gospel and the supernatural gifts. I knew of people who had failed in their businesses and were given the impression by the church leaders that God would restore their financial wealth if only they had the faith. The pastor would sometimes practice his "word of knowledge" on the congregation during the services - with embarrasing results (it was quite obvious to most present that he was "practicing"). He also said he believed his full-time workers should receive minimum pay in order that they might learn to walk by faith. Well Royston, that's a brief description of the questionable practices in a church I once knew. Allow me to introduce you also to the Mandarin congregation of the same church which my parents used to be a part of. In recent years, the Mandarin service enagaged a new pastor who is very determined about raising the dead. Corpses would be brought into the church premises and the members would "pray" (well, actually "scream" is the more correct word) over the dead bodies for days and nights, scandalizing (perhaps, horrifying) the neighbourhood. And about one or two years ago, this pastor proclaimed that El Nino would destroy all the pagan temples in the town with flood water - he actually looked forward to the occasion. Today, we know his prophecy did not come true and although he was not stoned, his car certainly was - by the people of the town who took offense at him. He derives his spiritual directions more from a teenager (known to the church as "the little prophet" - in Mandarin) than from the Scriptures. And last I heard (and that was less than a year ago), he has no intention of changing his style of ministry. You might think this church can't exist for long, but when this pastor first took over the Mandarin service, his congregation grew from about 50 to 500 within a period of about one year. No doubt, the many Mandarin and Hokkien songs he has written and sung have endeared him to many Christians in the country.
Well, this was the church thru' which I came to know the Lord many years ago. So Royston, believe me when I tell you that I have mostly excellent things to say about LK, and that I sincerely appreciate LK's ministry. LK is a far, far cry from all these excesses. When I first attended FCBC, I was very impressed that God has indeed raised a Charismatic church - one that is "sober" - so to speak. Though it is true that his preaching was too "loud" for some people and that he seemed to be a little blunt at times, I believe it was his constant preaching of the cross, challenging the congregation to a deeper commitment to Christ and the applicability of his sermons both to the vision of the church and to our every day lives that constitute the primary factor that drew people into his church.
Try picture this:
1) I used to have a non-Christian colleague (and that was in the early nineties) who sometimes visited FCBC on Sunday. I don't know how he first started going to fcbc, but even when nobody encouraged him to come to church, he would visit the church anyway at his own initiative because he found LK's sermons to be interesting - they squared well with reality, so he said. I wonder how many non-Christians visit churches on their own without the encouragement of other Christians?
2) I also remember there was once when LK announced to the church that for the next few Sundays, he would be preaching a series of sermons which he had preached before. I found myself actually looking forward to the "re-run" sermons and to be spiritually challenged again, even though I have heard the same sermons before. I wonder how many preachers would dare to repeat their sermons to the same congregation without worrying that they might be bored?
3) There was a time when the Toronto Blessing was making a small impact in the church and some members in the cell group of which I was a part reported their urge to giggle while praying. But it was also during those days that I noticed LK would sometimes try to preach from the pulpit that emotions are really quite secondary in our Christian discipleship.
4) Church members once asked whether they should tithe ten percent of their gross income or their net income. One of the junior pastors replied from the pulpit that he believed the Bible actually teaches that the ten percent should be based on the gross income, and not on the net. LK responded differently: he remarked that those who ask such questions have yet to appreciate the grace of God in their lives, and hence steered the congregation away from the legalism suggested by his deputy.
To summarize my answer to your question, Royston: was LK Scirptural? Generally speaking, yes. The sermons he preached for the most part of the 90's indicate he was at least as sound theologically (if not more) as the most orthodox Charismatic preacher I have ever known. Some may beg to differ - I think that's OK. Some may think I should at least balance the positive image of fcbc painted above with the not-so-positive image of which I am certainly aware. True. But I have to stop - for now :)
I will respond to your other questions some other time, Royston. Its a pleasure interacting with you.
SL