Year of the Dragon is Near

It's amazing how John the Baptist and Jesus Christ announced the soon-to-come kingdom of heaven. In about 12 days, the Year of the Dragon is here. When I celebrated it 12 years ago, I was well settled in Singapore, about to be granted Singapore Permanent Residence, but paradoxically upon obtaining the SPR, many things happened until today I found myself in a Seminary located on a hill in Sabah. But 12 years is a one cycle of years and Chinese have believed that if one lives to 5 cycles, it is a good achievement and anything beyond that, the 6th and 7th cycle is a bonus (72th and 84th year). My five cycles of years are to be completed forthwith. I can look back and be contented of what God has done for me, in and through my ministry. But I have a feeling that the greater or better is yet to come for the last wine is the best (John 2) if one does not fall asleep (spiritually) through drunkenness or worldly cares and desires.

I met a new friend today and he was complimenting me on reading the Bible while waiting for my turn. When he knew I was pastor, he listed five things that are good for being a pastor. The first, a good salary. I thought I misheard that and asked him to repeat what he had said. He is Christian, but not an SIB member, and I told him that as pastor in the BM section for more than 23 years in Sabah (about 10 years in total pastoring three churches), my salary never reached RM3,000.00 per month. 

Even my SIB Seminary's salary was the highest when my Singaporean friend sponsored my salary for a year and the HQ paid an allowance on top of that, so it was more than RM3,000.00 per month and subsequent years in Seminary, my salary came way down again. I agreed with my new friend that being a pastor is the best job in the world, not because of the four or five things he listed (most of which are not true for SIB pastors). We have no car allowance and in my last pastorate, I have no housing allowance since I owned my own house though the church could have paid a small housing allowance but it was not meant to be. 

It is the best job because we are serving God and He takes care of His own. If Jesus Christ is alive and the living God, why should His servants worry? He is able and my past 30 years in ministry is a testament to that. But the year of the dragon propels me to think out of the box. My 6th cycle of years is about to begin and that could be my last cycle, by God's grace. Dragon in Chinese mythology is a good sign, with leadership (kings are called dragons and all imperial insignia and robes are dragon-like) as the main trait with power, wisdom, good fortune and confidence being other traits of being a dragon child. And the Holy Spirit multiplied all God-given talents 100 fold for His glory.