Pro 28:6 Better is the poor man who walks in his integrity than he who willfully goes in double and wrong ways, though he is rich.

It was albums not enough at the mega church. Members buying multiple copies of secular CD of their pastor as giftaways, church buy back as gifts to other churches or at events, large marketing expenses to improve the dance chart ratings. It was desperately loosing and they knew it but still maintain a cover of 4 million albums being sold in Pastor Kong’s Shallow Wholesome blog entry.

Ironically, Sun Ho’s singing was actually quite good. It was just she tried to be someone she was not. She was not a slanged Jamaican reggae singer drinking chinese wine. She was a great gospel singer.

The poor man in Pro 28 remained poor but kept his integrity. In City Harvest previously, my cell group friends never stopped complaining about me, no car, no house, no vision, and not rich! But better to live simply than to fake being rich. Being gay is not a lifestyle, it is who we are. Faking being rich and successful is a chosen lifestyle.

In Christianity, you speak words of faith into the circumstances as though they were true even though non existing just as God telling Abraham that his descendents were to fill the night sky like the stars. Perhaps that was what the 4 million album was!

The largest mega church in court for the last 4 years, judged by the courts of men when the church was so used to pronouced judgement of God in the end of days. What happened? Was it worth covering a struggling career of China Wine.

It started even before the Roland Poon affair in 2003 who claimed that the church supported Sun Ho’s secular singing career. Denied vehemently, this was exactly what the church did wholesale in the next 8 years perhaps discreetly. It started with their hearts being corrupted by wealth and power because of a law based theology as opposed to God’s unmerited grace and mercy. Law is self centered whilst grace is Jesus centered.

Their self righteousness feeding the law based theology was fed by their anti-gay theology where Sy Rogers was invited by City Harvest to peddle their anti-gay aggenda. When you look at the sins of others, you tend to let lawlessness reign in hidden white tombs. The church will be known for her hypocrisy and this tag looks permanent.

In a law based Christianity, lawlessness is hiding our sins and blaming others eg gays for being greater sinners. When they wore white at Love Singapore to declare their stance against the Pink Dot, they risk sin being hidden. When we declare our own righteousness instead of Christ’, we will fall well short and end up hiding our sin.

The trial of City Harvest church gained much exitement when Sun Ho the co-founder and ex-cross over pop star was asked to testify by her once close friend Chew Eng Han who is now fighting for his life.

We are reminded that Pastor Kong has asked the congregation to be patient to wait for the court proceedings where they will tell all. Sun Ho now at the dock seems to know not much outwardly, not even how many album sales. These are highly intelligent people who had changed the Christian scene in Singapore now claiming ignorance.

Not knowing the album sales whilst collecting millions in allowances and not asking where the money is from, makes it a very tall tale by the church leaders. It only invites others to mock the Christian faith. Alas, where is the National Council of Churches?

It is like a billionaire stating that he doesn’t know much money he has, and depending on unverifiable newspaper reports as the guide. Either the billionaire has not much wealth or has a lot of money. When a person has a lot of money, he is seldom hesitant to declare his great wealth.

The court case has now become a circus of amazing responses contrary to facts. The more that is said, the greater harm to the integrity of Christianity. The drama series of intrigue has gone on too long, whilst in the background their Love Singapore supporters claiming gays as the greatest sinners.

Why boast of album sales? to get into the US market and to justify the investment spent based on potential returns. The truth was that the records at Xtron revealed a figure of not more than 60,000 albums, far less than the 4 million hitherto claimed on various linked sites.

The US album was destined to be a failure unless God had intervened. They more they tried to be worldly like China Wine, the deeper hole they dug. They could have made it big in the US Gospel market with so much bulding funds to build a spiritual kingdom.

The problem had always been not enough public album sales for the secular album which were driven largely by church members buying multiple copies, and buy back by the churches themselves. The mega churches have a lot of money and so it was a scheme to channel money as investment to revive a failing singing career instead of relying on miraculous faith for potentil returns.

An image was potrayed of a successful mega pop star from a mega church impacting millions in the market place, when they were struggling and needed constant blood transfusion of a sickly patient.

If indeed there were 4 million album sales or 80 million in sales, there would be no need of a cross over of charity funds to the business venture.

The Rev AR Barnard, attempting to defend the church far away from New York described this as a religious right issue. It is more aptly called an abuse of religious freedom much as the Pharisees were abusing their position for self interest and acting with deep hypocrisy and lawlessness whilst wearing white.

Some mega churches constantly used the name of God to obtain the funds, and to spend the funds as they chose to call it investment if you may. But at the end, it was done in the name of Jesus.

Jesus the Son of God had nowhere to lay His head, yet our make believe mega stars lived in 30,000 a month luxury with the money not earned but paid for as a Christian Ministry.

We can’t really blame the mega church pastors, for who would admit that they have failed in life.

It is not easy living with not much. No house, no car, not much belogings. I live out of a suitecase. Simplicity is difficult. I am too gentle and too innocent with no evil skillsets. It is not my integrity or righteousness, it is Christ. I have got nothing because Jesus is my righteousness. But in having nothing, I have got everything, perhaps not in this life but in heaven above.