16/09 Sabbath: with Jane Yap

Add 12 more years to your life

Mrs. Jane Yap, newly-appointed Health Director of the Peninsular Malaysia Mission, delivered in all her youthfulness a passionate rhetoric on health, longevity and lifestyle habits yesterday morning during an extended Sabbath service that began at 9:45a.m. (click here for regular times).

Here and there in her lectures, which continued into the late afternoon after a most delicious luncheon, Yap taught that 7-8 hours of sleep a day, abstinance from tobacco and alcohol, a wise diet and even faith can contibute more years to one's life. However, she is excited with the prospect of Jesus' soon coming, and understands that the span of her life is not up to her own determination alone. Nevertheless, she admonishes the brethren to honor the body, for it is inseparable from the soul.

Adventists do not believe the soul and body are 2 entities. We don't have souls; we are souls. According to the Genesis account of the creation of Man and a smattering of verses from Ecclesiastes, John, Hebrews and other books of the New Testament, the "soul" per se is made up of "body" and the "spirit of life" given by God.

Yap's afternoon lectures highlighted the importance of regular, comprehensive medical checkups, for prevention is better than cure. Early detection can save pain and save lives.

Her contribution during Divine Worship was a sermon on "Hospitality", in which she explained the difference between entertaining one's guests and being hospitable towards them. Refraining from being too pedantic, she quickly points out that entertaining is self-centred, seeking to impress guests with things and other impersonal objects, exhibiting one's home and accomplishments through fine fixtures, furnishings and "gourmet cooking", while hospitality gives to others from the heart, seeking mutual fellowship and understanding, without hypocrisy in talk, even if simple food is served. Needs are met in the latter and friendships are made. In the end, entertainment lauds the hosts, but true hospitality uplifts guests and encourages everyone. Yap quotes Acts 12:1-18, explaining how Mary of Jerusalem, even in the trying times of Herod Agrippa, opened her home to shelter the followers of Jesus.

She also makes reference to Romans chapter 12, "Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. 8If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."

Jane, and her husband Allan, will continue meeting with some of our more health-conscious church members today.

In other news, SDA-JB members are reminded that anyone who's interested in joining the Pathfinders Club can approach Elder Timon Tan. Pathfinders are a worldwide organization of young people sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, though young people of any religious persuasion, or none at all, are welcome and encouraged to join the organization.

Not unlike the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, Pathfinders go camping, learn camping/survival skills, receive leadership training, participate in activities promoting community pride & involvement (through outreach activities such as collecting food for the disadvantaged, cleaning & maintaining city and county parks, visiting and encouraging the elderly, etc), undergo interactive training in a variety of recreational, artistic, nature, conservation, vocational, and outreach areas (with awards/honors given for successful completion of the interactive training modules), appreciate nature, etc. SDA