SMA President 1999

The Vision in 2000

Steps to achieve the vision

A challenge to YOU

1:16 AM 31^st August

Dear SMA,

Tonight I have been handed down the awesome job of leading SMA next year. I feel very honoured but somewhat inadequate for the job. However, God is reminding me that it is not by MY strength and not by MY power, but by HIS SPIRIT!

I am not yet able to sleep. Perhaps it is because of my terrible sleeping habits the last few nights, or the watery hot chocolate James made for me. What is more probable is that my spirit is stirred and excited about what is coming in the year 2000.

It is very difficult to explain what I feel right now. I remember hearing a speech similar to this last year made by Mike and I just took it in rather matter of factly. However, while I’m actually in this position, I can tell you, there’s nothing "matter of fact" about it! It feels overwhelming to have such responsibility placed on my shoulders. However, I know that this experience will encourage me to lean on God totally. For it will be God’s will, God’s vision, and God’s way.

Before I launch into what God has spoken in my heart, I must thank God for 1999 president Michael Chong. His leadership this year has been very inspiring and to be more specific, I will list down some of the traits that I have learned from him and hope to attain next year. Amazingly enough, after looking through a little bible study on leadership and looking at the headings, Mike has demonstrated ALL these traits. I can only pray that I’ll be able to follow his footsteps next year.

1. The giver

He has given himself to God’s will. All of us that have talked to him know that he is down to earth, never proud, always striving to serve us and to serve God. The mark of a true leader : the servant’s heart.

2. Appreciative

I can’t remember how many times this guy has thanked me for even the smallest things I’ve done. I’ll never forget the little thank you note he sent a few of us at the beginning of the year. I couldn’t believe a GUY could be so sensitive!

3. Perseverance

1999 was not an easy year for SMA. However, Mike never gave up. His passion and desire for the people of SMA never dimmed.

4. Christ’s character

Wisdom, understanding and respect.

These attributes made this man a great leader this year. Thanks for being such an inspiration, a leader and a friend. <applause!> <hug> <awwwwwwww> J

This is not MY vision for SMA. It is not even YOUR vision. It is Jesus that has commanded us to do this. I don’t think it can be any more straight forward than that!

2000 will be year where the events will stem from the vision. Not the other way round. We are not going to form committees for this and that and the other without a purpose.

It may sound a bit too simplified to have a vision of "oh yeah, let’s get everyone saved, AS IF it’s that easy!!!". The truth of course, is that it is NOT easy, and if you are not walking in the Spirit and hearing God’s voice each and every day, revival is not going to just happen like that.

Let me start with a very specific vision statement for SMA. I want you to capture this vision and to put it into your hearts, because I can’t do this by myself. Understand that it is God’s will, not just for medical student’s in SMA but for YOUR life ANYWAY! So start getting excited about it. Don’t be a bystander!

Hold up, you may say. Maybe it’s not the right TIME for them to hear it? This did cross my mind for a minute before God reminded me.

"Today is the day of salvation" – remember that verse? If "today" is the day of being saved, surely TODAY is the day that you here the gospel FIRST? How can someone become saved if they haven’t heard the gospel?

What I mean is that God will not blame us if we tell someone and they reject the gospel for it is not our responsibility.

Just a short anecdote :

At the end of third year (1998), Jeremy Beckett and I felt lead to hold a Christian "concert" where we could preach the gospel. A few nights prior to the event, I was getting anxious as to how people would respond. Would they get "put off" by our singing? What if it’s too blunt? There were a lot of doubts floating in my mind that I’m sure Satan injected into this big head of mine.

Anyway, I turned to the bible late at night and the bible fell open (as it does occassionally!) to Mark 6:10. (NCV)

"When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. (11) If any town refuses to accept you or its people refuse to listen to you, then leave that town. Shake its dust off your feet. This will be a warning to them. (12) The followers went out and preached to the people to change their hearts and lives"

The message wasn’t immediately apparent to me at the time, but after asking God "So what are you trying to say", I felt Him saying that "the responsibility for their salvation does not rest on you. However, the responsibility of TELLING them lies on you and if you do not, then the blood will be on your hands". I felt totally at peace with going ahead with it after that.

Though we are not responsible to actually SAVE people, we are responsible to God other ways. Before we can be effective preachers of the Word of God, there need to be some steps taken on our behalf.

First semester will be focussed on fellowship for a few weeks then we will begin discipleship as soon as possible.

We want to be people that "obey EVERYTHING that I (Jesus) have told you".

I believe that by first semester, we will have everyone who is a part of SMA at PEACE with God.

This peace with God arises from :

1. A relationship with God – knowing how to pray, read the bible and hear God’s voice
2. From (1) – the assurance of salvation – knowing in our hearts for sure that if we were to die right now, we would be in God’s presence.

Step 2. Peace with EACH OTHER

Through fellowship and being in God’s presence as the body of Christ, I pray that we will be united in this vision, putting petty doctrinal differences aside and loving Jesus together.

I would also like to encourage you guys to get to know the other Christians in the group. Make an EFFORT! If it means a little bit of akwardity, let it be a bit akward at first. We need to be united and part of that is that we actually need to be friends with each other before we can WORK together as a team.

I am not trying to encourage a segragation of Christians from the rest of your group, but think about Jesus’s disciples. Imagine if they just met together once a week for 45 minutes to hear what Jesus had to say, then went their separate ways. They spent practically day and night together! Why? Because they were a body!

It doesn’t mean that you only have Christian friends. However, meeting together once a week will not establish friendships and without friendships, true fellowship can not occur. There will be limited sharing and any encouragement you give to each other will be on a very superficial basis. On the other hand, knowing each other well because you have made an effort, will do the exact opposite. There will be true fellowship, with deep sharing and strong encouragement from each other leading to a united body! A body that will be seen by everyone.

3. The Power of God

After being at PEACE with God, it is time for us to obey his commands. The power to evangelise stems from :

1. The Holy Spirit (who is ultimately responsible for convicting the heart) – Know Him, and know how he works.

It’s not by might but by my Spirit says the LORD!

2. Hours spent in Powerful PRAYER
3. The Word of God – either read or as spoken BY US to the non-believer.
4. Our lifestyles
5. Our words and testimonies

1. Perseverance

Our drive is not based on emotion but by our hope we have in Christ Jesus. It is the peace in our Spirit and the knowledge in our hearts. Even when it gets tough and we may not "feel" like doing things, we persevere being obedient to the Spirit and not our emotions.

Notice that nowhere in this letter is any mention of making people happy. I did not do a survey to find out the vision for SMA because it doesn’t matter what any MAN thinks. It is what I discovered through prayer and reading God’s Word.

Whenever God’s work is done, there will be opposition from people because the darkness does not want the light. Most people think that they are happy to be in the dark so when you bring along a torch, they immediately push you away.

God is looking for vessels that don’t care what man will say. I’m going to do a lot of different things this year. I may even scrap a "traditional" event or two, but that all depends on God, not if people are going to be happy with me.

I challenge all of you to join with me in declaring Jesus Christ as Lord of this universe.

The logistics of everything is yet to be worked out. However, I strongly believe in the vision that God has given me. I earnestly pray that you will capture this vision with me and lets see revival sweep our university, into this city, this nation and the world.

God is a HUGE God, and He has a HUGE vision. Let’s not limit Him!

Yours Sincerely,

Solomon Ong