kong hee and his multi purpose account

The 5 year trial of City Harvest is ending soon. The accused are guilty as charged. Sentencing awaits. The bible has no china wine made by man’s self effort. It only has water turned into the best wine. God’s first miracle is about rejoicing at the coming of the bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

In the building fund, pastor kong hee often portrayed himself as the leader taking a self less lead, forsaking the church salary, living just on the sales of sermons etc. What he didn’t say was that preaching was very lucrative and reciprocating ie foreign speakers are paid handsomely and reciprocated when kong pays the return visit. There was also the special multi purpose account which was a structured means where both kong and sun was drawing an effective regular income. This was despite publically stating that sun ho was successful on her own account. All was not really a lie, it was just half-truth.

Such incredible appearance of selfless sacrifice, self-denial, and christian faith and trust in God’s provision was made necessary because city harvest demanded 100% compliance in terms of tithing and building fund. We must give and be selfless like kong hee who gave it all.

The issue is not about prosperity theology but the strong teaching of the law. They demanded tithes, building fund, and attendance by God’s law. Therefore, the full compliance of the law is required. There is a heavy burden on the congregation but an equally heavy moral burden on kong.

The law is our school teacher to bring us into a realization that we can’t keep the law. Even the summary of the law, the love commandments is futile because we have failed to love God. When we say all ways lead to God inclusively, we are rejecting the nature, character, and revelation of God in the OT and in Jesus Christ. In the name of loving God, we have made God in our own image inclusive of the pagan gods. We then have the audacity to call it a christian church and loving God.

The futility of the law brings us to Jesus when we realised we have failed to love God. Perhaps, we are greater sinners than kong hee. God has forgiven Kong hee in Jesus Christ. Kong just has to accept that he is guilty. Grace cannot enter when we are full of our self. When we stop fighting, God enters in.

Over the last 15 years, we see that the more Kong failed, the more he preached the law. He wasn’t being a full hypocrite, he was speaking to his sub conscience and justifying his deeds done in darkness. Giving to God by the congregation essentially meant giving to Sun Ho hollywood attempt.

Like Jacob, there is always a far greater con man in laban. Hollywood was a place of great deceit. The persecution claimed that kong was a well practised liar but hollywood was better. Sun could not match even the Gaither Gospel friends but given the hope that money could buy the cross over.

The law isn’t cheap. Kong had insisted and demanded Gods law. He is insisting on his integrity and fighting a case which some say has cost 10 million for the accused. Under the law, we fight for our own righteousness demanding our integrity.

The Cross over became a smoke screen for their delusion of fame. They spent 5 years justifying to the court and fighting to the very end. The more they fought, the more light came in and truth prevailed including the funding of sun ho disguised as investments, the utter failure of Sun Ho’s pop career despite the tens of millions put in.

The extent of self-righteousness under the law is a deep culture and practise. Kong even though was judged guilty as charged by the courts has not openly accepted his guilt, still calling the 6 as the accused. Kong and CHC leaders have said that the court has rendered judgement but never declared their acceptance of the guilty verdict. Their self-righteous religious construction prevents them from seeing the blatant sin, the log in their eye.

Christianity has been undermined by the repeated defence that Cross over was legitimate vehicle for evangelism. But what is good and founded based on the laws always gets corrupted. By the time cross over reached hollywood, there were no more altar calls in the video mtv. Where was the church in Hollywood if thousands were evangelised by China wine?   There was no church and not even album. There was no success. Her salary was paid by the tax free church multi purpose account.

The great depth of self denial, delusion, deception will damage the Gospel message. The church in Singapore in her deep sense of self righteousness wearing white against gays, smells badly and rotten. It is not only about City Harvest. The insistence on the law brought corruption just as it did for the Jewish religious pharisees. Our anti-gay crusade stirs up this self righteousness until we can’t see our sin.

Did the City Harvest guilty verdict happened because of God’s will? Yes it did!. God loves City Harvest Church even sent them a warning seven years earlier in Roland Poon. Brother Chew Eng Han who aggrevesively pursued Roland is now guilty as charged.

CHC is tied into the Anglican church and Festival of praise through Rev Canon James Wong, the founder of the charismatic movement following the Episcopal priest Dennis Bennett in the 60s. The guilty verdict is a verdict on the church of Singapore and not simply a matter of local financial governance. The church can never morally claim to wear white in their religious self righteousness.

Gay marriage in the US would not have advanced so easily if the Catholic church in the US have not been found guilty of very widespread repeated institutionalised child sexual abuse over 50 years. They tried to wear white but the public saw deep darkness. The Catholics and the mormons fought against gays, all the power and wealth and they lost because they were unholy.

The trial will end in the next few days with the sentencing. Will the church in Singapore fight on or will it let grace come into the circumstances. God is purifying her church making her white that the true cross over of God’s love, grace and mercy in Christ Jesus be the true Gospel preached. The true cross over is the antioch church whose light on the mountain cannot be hidden.