Report by James Ritchie ( New Straits Times Malaysia 3^rd October 1985)

MAKING OF A ‘CLASSIC’ MOVIE

The phenomenon at Ba Kelalan has all the ingredients of an epic movie similar to Close Encounters … but of the Sarawak kind.

It has all the makings of a classic movie because of the magnificent landforms in the vicinity. To the south-west, about 80 km away, is Sarawak’s highest mountain, Gunung Murud (7,950 feet). (It is believed that it was from the mountain that the name Murut was coined to identify the people living in the general area.) Further southwest is another unique landform called Batu Lawi. Batu Lawi has two peaks, one as tall as 6,700 feet which legend says was once a man, and a shorter peak, which is said to have been a woman. more…

Report by James Ritchi ( New Straits Times Malaysia 3^rd October 1985)

CHANGES IN BA KELALAN

Close to the Sarawak-Kalimantan border, in a valley surrounded by a ring of hills about 2,700 feet above sea level, is a cluster of villages named Ba Kelalan. Named after the Kelalan River which meanders through this fertile village, Ba Kelalan is the home of the friendly and hospitable Lun Bawang people (formerly called Murut) of staunch Christian faith and of the Evangelical Church of Sidang Injil Borneo as it is known in Sarawak. more…

Recently, my daughter, who is in her teens, followed my wife and I to attend a service in another church. She made some keen observations on the service and later shared with me her thoughts. She said, “The service was ok. I felt the presence of God in the congregation. The worship leader was leading the worship in the way it was normally expected of him and everything was so routine. He led in the songs and quoted scriptures in between the singing and all … but he didn’t flow in the Spirit. The prayer was also routine and full of Christian clichés. There was a lack of sensitivity of the Spirit and spontaneity. I could see the difference because my Youth Pastor was always very sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. She would sometimes change the whole order of worship to flow in the Spirit. One time, she even told the musicians to stop playing because she felt that the music was getting in the way of the Spirit and we just sang without music and the Holy Spirit moved in a powerful way. I feel that sometimes Christians behave in the way that they have been taught and expected to behave rather than just being Christian.” more…

Recently, I asked a Christian brother, who was a former journalist and Political Science graduate, about what he thinks of the role of the Church in the politics of the country. He said, “ I won’t advise that the Church preaches about politics from the pulpit. State and religion should be separate.” I wondered whether he has meant that Christians should be politically neutral and unintelligent or that the Church should stay out of politics. If so, there will arise a major problem when it comes to the actual balloting day. Christians will still have to choose one politcian; how shall the Christian vote? He or she will probably vote for the perceived “lesser evil one” among the candidates. Christians will be “forced” to vote in accordance to the general sentiments of the grassroots (majority being non-believers turning their rumour wheel) and often in defiance to the perceived “corrupted government of the day”. Like it or not, if Christians do not find their stand Biblically in politics, they will be swept away by the muddy water of the corrupted world. We need to find a firm hold and stand against the rising tides. Hence, we need to know more about what the Bible says about worldly ruling powers and the believer, as well as be intelligent about our country’s politics. more…

I heard this wonderful testimony of missionaries who worked among the Bedouins. Although many Bedouins today have settled down into more stable jobs working as tourist guides and in the oil fields, there are still many who live a semi-nomadic lifestyle. The Bedouins are scattered over the Arabian Peninsula, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Libya. They make up almost 10% of the population of the Middle East.

Being a nomadic herdsman , a Bedouin’s treasure is in his camels, sheep, goats and cattle. He cares for them daily and talks about them all the time.

Christian missionaries have been working among the Bedouins for some time. One group of missionaries has been trying to reach the Bedouins for almost two years without any success. They were puzzled because they have been using the same methodology successfully with the other Arabic people but not this time with the Bedouins. They prayed to the Lord and asked for wisdom. The Lord told them, “ Where is their heart?” They realized then that the Bedouin’s heart is in his camels, cattle, sheep and goat. The missionaries changed their approach. Instead of sending the usual missionary, they sent in Christian veterinarians. And it worked. When the Bedouin herdsmen found that these visitors were veterinarians, they just opened up not only their homes but also their hearts to the Gospel.

I was very curious on how a Christian missionary shares the Gospel with Tibetan monks. One missionary said that when he started a conversation with a young Tibetan monk, he looked at the open sky and saw that it was filled with stars. Taking inspiration from this, he asked the monk “What do you think of the stars?” The monk from a Lamasery somewhere in Yunnan, China was responsive. This led to more conversation on God, creation and the Gospel.

Another missionary shared that when he approached two young monks, he started a conversation with them on the topic of “Afterlife”. The monks were engaging at first but later started closing up when they were reprimanded by their superior monk on conversing with Christian missionaries.

“The secret lies in finding some common grounds or topics with them. Once they open up, then it is easier to share the Gospel with them. Some will even pray the sinner’s prayer, “ advised my missionary friend.

“Most Christians fail to understand that Buddhist monks will look and behave exactly like any ordinary person once they take of their monk’s apparel (saffron). They have committed themselves to be monks for only a short period. After fulfilling their vows, they return to the secular world and behave just like any ordinary non-monk person” my missionary friend further advised.

“You may be shocked to see the same monk riding on a motorbike in civilian clothes, passing by you. It is the same monk you have met yesterday” he said.

Coming from a non-Buddhist dominated background, it is hard for Christians to understanding the plurality of monkhood and civilian life. A Buddhist can dedicate himself to be a monk for just a period of perhaps two or three years. Once this period is fulfilled, he returns to his former life. He is seldom a monk forever.

Buddhist teachings do not talk much about life after death. The main concern is overcoming the sufferings in this world and to gain better “karma” for the next life. Hence, the afterlife is a topic which may interest them.

Often, when one tries to share the Gospel to a “free thinker”, one receives a rebuttal saying “ I believe all religions teach man to do good to others and all religions ultimately lead man to God. So, it doesn’t matter which religion I choose.” Is this true? more…

A few days ago, my wife received a sms from one of her Christian friends. It reads ;

“Please do not break! Just 27 words,
“God our Father, walk through my house and take away all my worries and illness; and please watch over and heal my family in Jesus’ name… Amen” This prayer is so powerful. Pass to 12 people. A blessing is coming to you in 4 mins A new job, house, marriage or financially. Do not break or ask questions. This is a test. Does God come first in your life?? If so, stop what you are doing n send to 12 people” more…

A few months ago, my daughter spoke with me saying “Dad, you know, I never really knew God until recently. I mean, I have been following you guys to Church since I was born and I have always considered myself a Christian. I read the Bible every night and I pray to God every now and then but I wasn’t quite sure that I really know God or Jesus. I prayed the sinner’s prayer because I was afraid that I might be left behind at the Rapture. You guys would have gone up to heaven and I am left behind on earth to face the tribulation alone…. scary. I really wanted to know God personally and it was only when I started joining the Youth cell group and attended some Youth conferences where I really experienced the Presence of God. I wept because I was so touched and was baptized in the Holy Spirit. In the past, I always dread going to Church because I wasn’t interested in the service and didn’t understand what the Pastor was preaching and I didn’t want to feel like a hypocrite as I considered myself not so spiritual as the other Christians. Now, I love to go to Cell and can’t stand not going to Church.” more…

I was in Church yesterday and we were taking the Holy Communion. In our Church , the practice is that everyone will walk orderly to the front of the sanctuary and take a piece of the communion bread and a small cup from the serving stewards. Each will then return to his or her seat to wait for the minister to instruct us to partake the bread and cup together. Now, seated beside me was an African brother and due to some reasons he abstained from going out and participate in the Holy Communion. My immediate thought was that this brother was serious and sincere about participating in the Holy Communion. Perhaps, he feels unworthy to partake the Holy Communion because of some unconfessed sins in his life or perhaps he feels angry with God. Whatever the reason is, I give this brother his due respect because he didn’t treat the Communion with contempt. more…