The Ultimate Question: Why BSOP?
Joseph Shao
W
ith the onset of globalization, everyone, young and old, has been bombarded with electronic wires and speedy information, which at times could be overloading and compounding. It pays to look within and without us and figure out for our own sanity, what is it that we want from living? What is it that keeps us going? What could be the very main question in our life?? For those who have the burden for lost human souls and who have been called one way or another into making the vow for fulltime service to God, lend me your ears!If Not BSOP, then…
We are born into this world without choice, yet being in this world we find facing us a lot of choices, day in day out! Having been called into fulltime service is a grand and grave task. Grand because God, the Master of this universe is the One who calls men and women into His service; grave because God is a just and holy God, who knows and sees every thoughts and motive from within and without. It is no joke to serve the King of kings who demands the best. God leaves us the liberty of choosing whom we want to serve.
BSOP is instituted for the purpose of equipping God’s worker with God’s Word, for God’s work. It exists to train people who are dedicated to build God’s kingdom and to disciple believers who desire to grow and to bear fruits for God’s kingdom. BSOP has an urgent task to recruit men and women who are zealously and seriously involved in the study and the teaching of God’s powerful word and training others like them to train others too.
A. Another World, Another Place
Yet, not all who come for training stay; and not all who stay get to really do God’s work. If BSOP is not for you, maybe you will find yourself in another world, another place. It could be an entirely non-Christian setting, probably like the one Jonah had planned to run to in Tarshish had God not stopped him halfway! It might also be a very religious setting as in Ephesus, where even a god without a name was also worshipped. Another place other than BSOP may also look inviting and promising, perhaps with more unsaved souls to contact. Only be sure that it is God’s designated place for you.
B. Another Work, Another Race
Still possible is to find yourself landing in another work, another race. Yes, life is definitely a race as much as our Christian life on earth is depicted as such in the Pauline Epistles when he said: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:7) Now this race you enter in may bring you to your goal in life and the reward could be tempting and alluring, attached with high monetary value. Take note, though, that you do not sell your soul to this world and find yourself impoverished for the eternal life.
Because it’s BSOP, thus…
A higher calling calls for a higher sacrifice. Yet no sacrifice can compare with what our Lord Jesus Christ has done to free us from the bondage of sin and damnation. Paul exclaimed in Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” It is this priceless gift of salvation, so freely given to us who have received it and so sacrificially offered by God the Father, that moves us to dedicate our lives for His service and for His keeping. For those who have made the decision to be trained at BSOP for fulltime ministry in God’s vineyard, let us be diligent and vigilant in attaining the servant model set before us by Christ Himself.
A. Godly Assignment
It is therefore not man nor our own prompting that calls us into ministry, but God and God alone who makes it possible for us to work under His supervision and provision. Thus, no one can take away the opportunity for us to serve God, unless we ourselves forego the chance, like Esau who looked lightly on his birthright and lost much in the end.
Most of the time we experience irony in our so familiar boundary of service that we tend to look elsewhere for satisfaction. According to Nouwen, it is so human for us to remain on course, such that having come home, we find it difficult to abide therein; having come to the fountain of life, we fail to drink deeply from its waters. Maybe that’s what the saying “familiarity breeds contempt” meant. We slowly turn and gradually admire the grass on the other side of the fence and every look makes elsewhere greener than where we truly belong. Sad indeed for God’s servants and Bible students to finally set their foot on the higher ground but instead of rooting deep and bearing much fruits, complaints and comparisons abound to create disunity and discord.
B. Godly Commitment
Unless we daily renew our vow and make conscious efforts to fix our eyes on the Author and Perfecter of our faith, we are sure to drift away so easily and so soon by the winds and whim of this changing world and its moving trends.
Our service for God could at times be the place of competition and complacency, instead of cooperation and commitment. Perhaps then, a return to the cross would help us align our purpose for living and our goal for ministering. Many times we thought our old ego or self has died but in reality, it has risen to enslave our spirit into serving the flesh and not for eternity. Let us once again reiterate Paul’s key to effective ministry: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Let Christ be magnified in our living and serving as we learn to hide behind His beaming cross.
Come to BSOP for training! God wants you! Churches await you!