I was going for a retreat in Changi. When I reached the hotel, I found none of the other participants there. After a phone call I realised that I was at the wrong hotel. I assumed this was the hotel. However, it was wrong. Fortunately for me the correct hotel was only a few minutes away. So, I managed to get to the correct place without being late.

Of course, that was not life and death issue. At most, I would be reprimanded for being late but I will not lose my life or be damned forever.

There are many, however, are in a precarious position of being wrong to the extent that they may be in eternal perdition. They assume that they “know” what they believe. Unfortunately, most time they do not. I am not saying that they are not intelligent. It is that they merely assume that they know because their parents and grandparents believed. There is no deliberate effort to check if their beliefs make sense. For example, burning paper items and assume that the dead ancestors will receive them in full forms. No address, no recipients, no understanding of what the other world is like. Can the “offerings” even make sense? But they think that they know. Or they do not really care as long as their ‘conscience’ and duties are done.

What should we, as Christians, do? How do we help them know the truth? Well, we must know the truth first. How do we do that? By studying the bible and attending lessons to know more. There are many resources available today. Just a word of caution about resources via the internet; you must verify the teachings with the Holy Scripture yourself. Do not take it as gospel truth just because it was “taught by some big names.” The local church has the responsibility of educating the members. SJCp had been trying to provide biblical teachings and more will be provided next year.

Brothers and sisters, I encourage you to stop assuming and start to know for sure. Let us come together to learn from the Holy Word the God that loves us.

God bless,
In Christ’s service,

Barry Leong

我正前往樟宜参加一个退修会。当我抵达酒店，在那里却找不到其他的参加者。我打了一通电话才发现自己走错了酒店。我以为就是这间酒店，但是却错了。幸亏我前往正确的酒店只需几分钟的时间。于是我能在不迟到的情况下抵达正确的地点。

当然，这并非关乎生死的事情。最多我可能因为迟到而受责备，但却不至于失去我的生命或永远被诅咒。

然而有很多人却因为犯错而处在岌岌可危的境地，甚至可能落入永恒的灭亡。他们以为自己“知道”自己所相信的。不幸的是，很多时候他们并不知道。我不是说他们并不聪明，只是他们假设自己知道，仅仅是基于他们的父母和祖父母所信的。其中也没有刻意和极力的去察验自己的信念是否有意义。例如，焚烧纸制物品并假设逝世的祖先仍会完好无缺的接收到。没有地址、没有接收者、也对另一个世界一无所知。“祭拜”是否有意义？但是他们仍以为自己懂得，又或者只要他们完成了“良知”及职责，他们并不真正在乎。

身为基督徒，我们又应该做些什么呢？我们怎么帮助他们知道真理呢？当然，我们必须懂得真理。我们如何办到？藉着查阅圣经及参加课程以了解更多。今天有很多资源垂手可及。这里要针对网络上资源稍作提醒；你必须自己以圣经来验证这些教导。不要因为是“鼎鼎大名的人”所教导的，就将之视为福音真理。我们的教会有责任教导会友。SJCp一直都在尝试提供圣经教导，明年也将有更多的安排。

弟兄姐妹们，我勉励你们停止假设，开始确定。让我们从圣经中一起学习去爱我们的上帝。

上帝赐福，
基督里同工的，

Barry Leong