A New Year Reflection...

On Behalf of C.K. Lim.

--- I Am The New Year ---
Author Unknown

Life, I am the new year.
I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your next chance at the art of living.

I am your opportunity to practise
what you have learned about life
during the last twelve months.

All that you sought
and didn't find is hidden in me,
waiting for you to search it out
with more determination.

All the good that you tried for
and didn't achieve
is mine to grant
when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All that you dreamed but didn't dare to do,
all that you hoped but did not will,
all the faith that you claimed but did not have -
these slumber lightly,
waiting to be awakened
by the touch of a strong purpose.

I am your opportunity
to renew your allegiance to Him who said,
'behold, I make all things new.'

I am the new year.

Worship Extravaganza - Meeting God in the Arts..

During the Family Retreat, Jessica shared some drawings that came out of her worship and experiences with the Lord.

Some of these drawings can be found here. Linking them for your enjoyment and encouragement.

Drawings by Jessica

Forerunners Retreate 2008 reflection by Xin Hui

Forerunners Retreat 2008 - My Reflections

The message from ‘Driven by Eternity’ is hard and I left the retreat with a heavy heart. But there is no doubt that God spoke to me during this retreat.

Throughout the teaching sessions, there was this nagging sense that I have perhaps grown complacent and have started to neglect God in my daily life. I have become lukewarm. And the more worrying thing was that I somehow found a way to convince myself that being lukewarm is fine as long as I don’t fall away from God totally. Based on what happened to the characters in Affabel, I realized that my thinking was quite dangerous. Yet, my pride and self-righteousness caused my heart to harden against the truth.

During the worship session, when Adrian called for those who needed prayer to step forward, I struggled. Part of me told me that I was alright since I have not been convicted of any serious sin by the teachings. Yet, the other part of me said that I was NOT alright because not being shaken by the teachings probably implied a hardened heart. Thank God, the latter part got the better of me and I went forward.

To cut the long story short, God reminded me of what Jesus did on the cross and of what it truly means to be a Christian. It is not simply about going to church weekly, attending cell group, reading the Bible or even serving Him. The foundation of our faith is the cross and God’s love for us. God also brought to my mind the parable from Luke 18:9-14 –

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Along the way, I have become like the Pharisee. God wanted to humble me. As I knelt there that day, I felt like I was the helpless tax collector, pleading to God for mercy because of all the times I have not put Him first in my life, questioned His goodness and complained against Him.

Adrian asked me to confess each of the things I have not obeyed God in and to ask for God’s forgiveness. After that, he told me that God’s love is not conditional upon the things that we do for Him. Nothing we do can earn us God’s love. It is given freely. Wow. That hit me hard again. God’s ways are sometimes so difficult to comprehend. But I suppose that is how God wanted to assure me of what Jesus said at the end of the above parable. Whenever we humble ourselves before the Lord and surrender to Him, He will justify and exalt us.

Having eternity in mind will definitely help me to keep things in perspective and to persevere through this race which we are running for God. I know that I will need to continually pray against the lukewarm-ness and the self-righteousness, especially once I get catapulted back into the busy-ness at work. I pray the same for all Forerunners.



Xinhui

Prayer Focus 4: A World Evangelised

(Review instructions here)

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
~ Acts 1:8 ~

Pray for greater synergistic partnership among churches, mission agencies, humanitarian networks, international corporations and foundations to transform the nations.

Be bold today and ask the Lord to enlarge your vision and show you a glimpse of His work in the world-at-large. Allow Him to break your comfort walls, enlarge your heart, challenge your mind and stretch your spirit to accommodate the Kingdom He desires to establish in the world, beyond the shores of our home and nation.

Prayer Focus 3: A Nation Transformed

(Review instructions here)

"Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever."
~ Daniel 12:3 ~

Pray for Singapore to be:-

• A bright shining star where Christ is feared and honored in every level of decision making, every expression of society, every arena of national life and influence - Home & Family; Justice & Law; Defence; International Relations; Education; Health care; Life Sciences; Home affairs; Info. Technology; Media & the Arts; Entertainment & Tourism; Environment; National & Community Development; Manpower; Transport; Sports, etc.
• A bright shining star in the arena of public administration, human resource development, economic innovation and entrepreneurship. That Singapore will bless the world in big ways to bring strategic change and practical benefits, with no strings attached.
• A bright shining star in the arena of foreign policy and international affairs. That Singapore will be a peacemaker and a bridge builder, God's ambassador of reconciliation.
• A bright shining star in the arena of humanitarian concerns, servant-leadership and volunteerism.
• A bright shining star in the arena of media and the arts. That Singapore will showcase world-class works that are clean, creative and contemporary to unlock nations of His glory!

Pray for Singapore as the Spirit leads. Pour out your dreams, hopes, desires and burdens for this nation before the throne of grace. Ask the Lord to reveal to you His heart for this nation.

Prayer Focus 2.3 - A Church Revived (GAC)

(Review instructions here)

The General Conference (04th - 07th Dec)

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This year, the Methodist Church of Singapore will be electing a new Bishop at the General Annual Conference (GAC). Pray that all the representatives from the 3 Methodist Conferences (TRAC, CAC & ETAC) will carefully seek the Lord and cast their votes wisely.

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Ask the Lord to prepare the heart of the leader that He has set apart for His purpose in such a time as this. Pray that the Spirit of the Lord will rest mightily upon this person as he takes on the mantle of representing the Methodist churches of Singapore to the world.

Pray also for members of the GAC Executive Board as well as the Finance and Administration Committee that God will grant them wisdom to handle matters pertaining to the work of the Methodist Church in Singapore

Prayer Focus 2.2 - A Church Revived (TRAC)

(Review instructions here)

TRAC 33rd Annual Conference (17th - 20th Nov)

This year, our new TRAC President will be elected. Pray that the hearts and minds of delegates will turn towards the Lord Jesus Christ as they deliberate and decide on matters.

Pray for unity in the Spirit as our leaders discern and elect various office bearers for the next quadrennium.

For the new TRAC president, that God will grant him wisdom, discernment and strength as he leads the TRAC churches with vision and vigour to pursue a collective spiritual breakthrough in the 21st century.

Prayer Focus 2.1 - A Church Revived

(Review instructions here)

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the Word of life."
~Philippians 2:14-16~

In this day of revival, ask God to brand your heart with the fire of His holiness. That you will fear Him, love Him and serve Him with singleness of heart, renouncing all other gods and worthless pursuits that drain energy, waste resources, and distract us from our true mission - to be ambassadors of Christ and herald of the Gospel.

Ask God to change you and your church inside out to be His blazing torch to light up the world! To be a people of distinction, a people of destiny: victorious, visionary, visible, vigilant, valiant, vibrant and vocal!

That we would mould and mentor a young generation in the fear of the Lord, passing a legacy of humility, unity, compassion, servanthood, prayer and passion for the lost.

That you and your church will be the compass and conscience of our nation, rightly representing God.

Ask the Lord to speak to you regarding your church. What is His heart for our church? What does He say about her now? What is He saying about your role in our church? Journal your response and act out your obedience where appropriate.

Retreat 2008 - Reflections from Wee Peng

Forerunners’ Zone Retreat 2008

Reflections

1. What God has spoken to you about?

• My family. Why have I not been sharing the word actively with them? My prayers are not consistent and I’m not spending enough time with them. Is it the lack of fear in the Lord or is the lack of love for them?

• My pride. Do I always consider myself better than others? This is an absolutely wrong attitude that I shouldn’t have, but unknowingly have I been adopting that and refusing to be corrected? It took an encounter during retreat for me to realize this.

• 1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4

  
  

• Even as I seek to grow in this church, I must not be like “Selfish”, which is the closest I could identify with.

• Relationship with Swee Ching. Are we bearing fruits. Is it honoring to Him and would He use it to speak into other people’s lives?

2. What God has impacted you the most and why?

• Fear of the Lord. My understanding of it is now better and that it has to go hand in hand with Love for Him. For fear keeps us from lawlessness, love keeps us from legalism. I realize that sometimes I have many human fears (especially in my work) but this should never outweigh the fear of the Lord. I asked that God gives me the courage to overcome the human fear for courage is not the absence of fear but the overcoming of it. May I overcome any human fear with Him but may the fear of Him remains in my heart.

3. How has the past 5 sessions changed your view about Christianity and your life from now on?

I’m sure of my salvation but after these 5 sessions, I realized that there is much more to it. It’s not about where, it’s about HOW!

• There is much more to eternity and we need to be really driven by it.



• Relationship with God. Is He please with me, to allow me to spend eternity with
  Him in his kingdom, near to Him and not in the outlands?
  

My Weeping Moment

I wept during worship extravaganza 2. I did not know why I wept when it started. I have written down some thoughts that went through my mind during the time when Adrian is ministering to those who stepped forward but as I walked to the center of the room, it just happened suddenly. First, my face got contorted and then tears started streaming. Incontrollable sobbing followed next. I could not restrain it and I did feel like I want to because it felt really felt good to cry (The last time I cried was when my dad suffered a stroke and I cried with my mother. It was moved by my feeling of overwhelming sadness. This time round it was different. I was not moved by any emotions) There was a sense of relief though I did not know where it came from.

Subsequently, Matthew and Xinglong came to me and prayed for me. I began to realize why I wept. There was joy and fear at the same time. Joy because I am assured of my salvation but fear because I’m afraid I might not see my parents in heaven. As Adrian continued speaking while we have sat down, tears were still streaming. I also had a strange thought: if I have not laughed in 6 years, God would have made me laugh out instead. What an amazing God, He just told me in a most tangible way that He was with me at that very occasion. Never felt that before. Let me work boldly towards my family’s salvation. Praise God.

In Faith and Truth,

Wee Peng

29/10/2008

Prayer focus 1: A life changed.

(Review instructions here)

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
~2 Corinthians 5:17~

Thank the Lord for every person alive in Singapore today!
Stand in agreement with God our Maker that every person matters. Every life is a gift from Him, precious.

Praise Him for the people in your web of relationships. Bless every one of them in Jesus' name. Ask God for His grace to open their eyes and awaken their hearts to experience His love for them.

Praise God for every effort and project in our nation that aids transformation and a renewed life. Bless and pray for these efforts as the Lord leads. Example of projects you can pray for are:

• Yellow ribbon project
• Works done by various rehab centers (eg: The Helping Hand, etc)
• Initiatives by Workforce development agency

Is the Lord speaking to you to respond in any other way? Trust and obey.

Pray-a-thon 2008

Pray-a-thon 2008 has begun.
In case you have not managed to get a copy of the prayer guide, I'll be putting up the prayer focus along the way to help you pray along with us.

But before that, here are the instructions and guide:

1. Begin your devotion thanking the Lord - for His faithfulness: To you, to your family, to your church and to your nation.
2. We encourage you to dedicate at least a good half-hour for the Lord as an offering to Him to this purpose.
3. Meditate upon one of the four prayer focuses. Do not attempt to meditate all four prayer focuses in the same sitting. We want you to really take your time and dig deep as you allow the Holy Spirit to speak to and through you. You may be led to pray on a prayer focus more than once during the course of this pray-a-thon. Obey the leading of the Spirit.
4. Press in deeper as the Spirit leads and reveals. Journal your reflections, thoughts, response and other things that the Lord may be speaking and showing you.
5. (Optional but encouraged) If you receive anything that you feel the prayer leaders of the church should know (visions/encouragement/verse/etc received for the church or nation, etc), please feel free to email your responses to Sue or Serene.

God working in India...

Hi folks, Below is a testimony from Jessica's friend in India. His name is Shital Ramteke. May it encourage you as you see how the Lord is moving amongst the people in India, and the children. =)

As a ministry we have been conducting several Sunday school classes all over Yavatmal. This year we collaborated with other organizations in the area to hold a Sunday School Kid's Games Event. This program was held on Nov 4th and 5th. The event officially began at 11:00 AM on the 4th with speeches made by some local leaders.

Nearly 1,000 children attended the program. They competed in some sport activities. There was ball passing and a game called Snake Tail. The children thoroughly enjoyed these games. However, the highlight of the program was the teaching. With manuals provided by Joyce Meyer's ministry the teachers were able to provide exciting and thought provoking messages for the children. Through the Bible story of 'Jesus feeding the five thousand' children learned that the young boy who provided the loaves and fishes had a very important role to play in the miracle. They came to understand that they too have an important role in God's kingdom purposes. In the story, "The Sowing of Seeds', children learned that they must have a teachable spirit and as players they not only should be hearers of the Word but doers. In the story of the 'Persistent Blind Man', children learned that they too must persevere. We learn in the Bible that Jesus was honest and faithful. The children understood that we all must live in honesty and be faithful in order to be good players. Finally, Jesus was victorious over sin and death. We too can be victorious players.

Also, the film, 'The Hope Giver' was shown. Through that film the children were shown God's abundant love towards them and all peoples of the world. Action songs were also taught. The favourite was one that said,' Somebody wants to be like Sharukh Khan (movie star), some like to become like Sachin Tendulkar(cricket player) but I want to become like Jesus.

Many of the children were deeply moved by these stories and how they can apply them to their own lives. Ten children spontaneously shared their testimonies in this regard. Even the parents were enthusiastic about it. They were so thrilled that they expressed their desire to participate in future similar events.

Each day the children were provided with a meal. At the end of the program each participant was given a gift. Certificates and gold and silver medals were distributed to all participants. It ended at five PM on the 5th.

All in all the program was successful. Many children dedicated their lives to Jesus. The teachers and volunteers all did an excellent job. Our appreciation goes out to them. We also thank Joyce Meyer's Ministry for sponsoring the program and DinBandhu Ministries for hosting it. But most of all we give Glory and Honour to God who blessed the event with the power of The Holy Spirit's presence.

shital

Thoughts from Forerunners Adult Retreat 2008 - Marcus

Marcus’ Thoughts from Forerunners Adult Retreat 2008

“Driven by Eternity” lives up to its name, to wake up Christians all over and challenge all on what it really means to be preparing for eternity with God (and not the devil)

And I’m one such person. It’s good fright to know that Affabel’s characters are some of the traits that surface in my life now and then. What have I been doing about it?

It’s encouraging to know God’s wonderful plan for us and hell was created for the devil and his minions, not us. God has paved the way and sets such high expectations that it can only be fulfilled through Jesus. He has not deserted us (yet), but has shown us the way to live and how we can achieve eternal life with God. The question is “am I living the life that God has intended?” Holy and Righteous, Faithful and Obedient…

Prior to this retreat, I was deep in thoughts on a particular question “What does it mean to be a Christian?” … and I’d say the retreat provided a good and apt answer. I’m very taken aback by my lack of the “Fear of the Lord” in my life, and enlightened just how important it goes hand in hand with Love of God. This is indeed a necessary basic Christian doctrine that must be emphasized. And Spiritual Disciplines are important to develop the Christian fundamentals, developing a healthy thirst for God’s Word and a heart for service. I’m also encouraged to “Believe what I read” rather than “Read what I believe”. All these lessons are beneficial and necessary these days.

I believe we’re living in the end times, and on borrowed Grace. How much longer can I go on testing God’s Grace? I believe many of us can identify with Paul when he “want to do what is right, but don’t do it. Instead, he do what he hates” (Romans 7:14 – 25). In the first morning QT, I’m led to read 1 John 1:5-10. A lack of Christ and His teachings leads us to walk in darkness. The converse is true, to Walk in the Light, we have to fellowship with Jesus. It’s time to stop deceiving ourselves and wise up. And that is so necessary. The Time is Now! We’ll never know when Jesus will come again, so make haste the need to return to the Lord and walk in His Ways.

Let’s press on together, in Christ and with one another. We have to spur one another on. We’re our brothers-keeper. Remember God’s two greatest commands: Love God & Love People.

Living for eternity,
~Marcus

Forerunners Retreat 2008-Swee Ching

Forerunners Retreat 2008

Personal Testimony 30 Oct 2008 – By Lee Swee Ching

I anticipated the annual retreat simply because I have no duties and responsibility assigned and I can focus on the teachings and receiving. Probably because last year I missed all the sessions as I was helping in the children programs.

HOUR 2 ETERNAL HOME OF THE DEAD

As Adrian started teaching from Day 1 till Day 2, we absorbed 4 sessions of teachings. There was already fear in the hearts of some of the members but to me, I am pretty confident that I have secured a place in heaven.

After Hour 2 when Adrian shared that Demons operate by functions eg. Bitterness, anger etc, I shared with my cell group that recently I experienced bitterness as I serve God. I am like Martha who feels angry when she saw Mary sitting by Jesus’s feet, and demanded Jesus to tell Mary to help her. I felt like Martha, doing a lot of work, running around, and at times I feel bitter that I have to do so much and God never send anyone to help me. I realized that I need to be like Mary, who has chosen what is better, I need to sit at Jesus’s feet to listen to what he said, and not be distracted. SIGH.

And as we continue to discuss what is the driving force behind our lives, guess what is my answer? Work again!! I shared that I am someone who seems to “learn” by working and I serve God by working for him. Which is why I take every opportunity of work to “serve” Him, work is equivalent to serving God. I am actually pretty deceived.

WORSHIP EXTRAVAGANZA

I chose the song As The Deer. I need to be like a deer who pants for the water. I think my soul is crying out for God..

DAY 3 QUIET TIME

God spoke to me through Hebrews 6: 7-12 He reinforced that if my life like a field produces crops useful to those it is farmed, I will receive blessing, if my life produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and is in danger of being cursed and will be burned.  BUT the beautiful thing is God assured me that He is NOT UNJUST. He will not forget my work and the love I have shown Him as I helped His people and continue to help. 

I need to be diligent to the very end in order to make my hope sure. I cannot be lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. After the QT when XH led the song “I’m Amazed”, I just couldn’t stop crying.

SIGH.. I feel very sorry for myself.. and I feel the love of God overwhelming me.. and I feel sorry for those of us who are far away from Him like me.. so quite a mixture of feelings.

HOUR 5 THE FOUNDATION

During Hour 5 discussion, I shared that I do not have the full manifestation of obedience! I don’t think I fear God as much as He desired. And when Adrian invited us to come forward to receive prayers, I have to go up. Something is wrong with me. I confessed to Adrian that I am striving very hard to win God’s favour and I do not have any desire to read God’s word. I couldn’t think of any reasons why I don’t love the word of God. Adrian asked me to go down on my knees, lift up my hands and as he prayed over me, he spoke of pride and self-sufficiency. I have became proud and complacent, thinking that I do not need the word of God anymore. I have been deceived and pride has caused me to sin by willfully choose not to open the bible to read. I repented and confessed that I serve out of self-glory instead of His glory.

HOUR 6 HEAVEN & FINAL DAY

It is only after the last session’s discussion that I started to doubt if I can really enter through the narrow gate of heaven. Thank God for humbling me. Yes it took a total of 6 lessons to reveal that I have been over confident and complacent! SIGH but God is good. Really. He never fails to surprise me. 

On the last day morning, Joan shared the vision she receive for me when she was standing behind me interceding. She saw a running stream of water, gushing down fast. The water symbolizes God’s living water and His presence in my life. However in the water, there are pebbles and rocks. God assures me by saying “Despite all these obstacles (pebbles) in your life, my power is enough to move you through”. Amen!

As I write this testimony now, I know that pride is still in me. It does not disappear overnight after retreat ends. But I thank God that He revealed this sin in my life and I pray that I will overcome this. Please continue to remember me in prayers.

FR Retreat 08 Reflections-Esther Su Cheng

ForeRunner Retreat 2008 will mark the 4^th retreat I’ve attended since joining the zone in 2004. Thanks to God for His faithfulness and love in guiding me through these years and for using each retreat to speak to me powerfully. This year, as part of the Retreat Com, I was privy to the trailer of the curriculum we were using this year – Driven by Eternity during one of the meetings held at Adrian’s place.

I remember my reaction to the wonderfully produced video was, “Wah…so serious ah?” Serene’s response was, “Yes, this is a serious topic.” After that, I was left pondering what I had seen earlier and that stirred my heart to be excited to receive what God had prepared to speak to me through the retreat.

Let me backtrack a little to weeks before the retreat. I have just started a new job in social services and I’m certain God has called me here. (That’s another story for another time…)
While excited that I’m here serving where God has put in my heart since yonks ago, friends around me have also started on other journeys in their life such as pursuing a degree, getting attached/married, starting a new job, etc.

To be very honest, as I look at these friends, I felt that God has forgotten about me while He is moving everyone forward rapidly. As these friends moved on more, I felt that God has left me behind everyone else even further. And thus the instinct to compare myself with these friends so I don’t feel so bad about where I am started growing within me...

Fast forward to the FR retreat held at the Girls’ Brigade Retreat Centre this year. So, the week prior to the retreat was super busy and packed with endless things to complete, hence not much time devoted to preparing me spiritually for the retreat except for a quick prayer now and then. Even the morning before the check-in time, I was at work, alone in the centre where I worked because the rest of the team was busy at an external event.

The morning itself was busy as I was busy with work, and busy writing the skit for the Retreat Committee’s item for Worship Extravaganza. In the end, I was later than I thought I would be and most certainly, that did not start things on a good note for me. However, I prayed that God would take away the feelings of unsettledness within me so I could be fresh and ready to receive what He wants to say to me.

Even though the teachings by John Bevere spoke to my heart and reminded me to look at my life differently, in my heart, I felt strangely distant from the Lord even though I was at the retreat to encounter Him. Besides being physically tired, I could not understand why I was
feeling so detached from God.

During the Spiritual Formation on Monday morning led by Adrian, I was journaling down some thoughts about my current relationship status – Single. I wrote the following down in my journal:“Lord, I cannot believe that You will bring me a man who will meet my
needs…” (Underlined and bolded for emphasis).

When I read the words I wrote, I froze immediately. Suddenly, it became so very apparent that I’ve really been very self-absorbed! Read those words again and tell me you don’t agree. I’m
certain you’ll agree with me what I’ve written will sound like I’m expecting God to meet my desires to meet a man who will meet my needs. Who am I but a little being on this vast
universe? Compared to the Almighty Creator, who am I?

What a self-centered and self-serving person I’ve become indeed, expecting that God will meet my demands as if I deserved it! I thank God that He is also a merciful and loving God who did not choose to terminate my existence here on this earth following such pride! Immediately, I prayed for forgiveness and turned to Psalm 51:
1
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
2
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,^[a]
And blameless when You judge.

And,

10
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

Indeed, I prayed that He would forgive my transgressions and forgive me for I had sinned greatly against Him and Him alone. I prayed that He would restore to me the joy of His salvation so I may teach transgressors His ways and then, sinners will be converted to Him.

However, if I thought God was done with me, I was wrong because He certainly had a greater message in store for me during the Praise and Worship session led by Davinia. During the session, Adrian gave an altar call and I went up to receive prayer.

Through Adrian, God told me to stop comparing myself with others. Whatever glories He has given them, it is theirs alone. He has a unique plan for me and I just need to trust Him. He is my Jesus and no one can change that. I was also told to stay obedient to what He wants so He can bring me further.

Those very words spoke to my heart and tears started flowing uncontrollably. As I sat there meditating and reflecting, I heard God asking me – Why are you rejecting My love for you? I
cried even more as I recalled one of the passages covered during the teaching taken from Hebrews 4:6:
6 if they fall away,^[a] to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for
themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

With each comparison I made, I was telling God that His dying on the cross was not good enough for me. With each comparison I made, I was sending Jesus back to the cross to be crucified again and again and again and again and again. With each comparison I made, I was telling the world that whatever Jesus did on the cross was not enough.

With each comparison I made, I was telling God He didn’t know any better than I. With each comparison I made, I was telling God that He doesn’t know what’s best for me. With each
comparison I made, I was putting myself in God’s position, much like Lucifer who thought he could make a better God.

As I meditated some more, I realized that these seeds of comparison had so insidiously taken root in my heart and I had failed to notice how serious it had become. Our enemy does work
in ways like these and I cannot give him too much credit for what I’m responsible for as well. Though I had been prompted to study His Word seriously and to spend time growing in His Word daily, I have become like the analogy I used in my sharing with others – getting changed and ready to go for a run but I ended up sleeping instead.

God also further revealed to me that these seeds of comparison had given birth to the fruit of envy and jealousy of others. With that fruit, it has choked up my ability to be loving towards others and sharing in and rejoicing with each step in life they had made. I had become selfish and self-centered and self-serving which is the total opposite of the fruits of the Spirit God had told me to cultivate.

With that revelation still fresh in my mind, I renewed my commitment to spend time studying His Word daily and to continuously reject any thought of comparison that comes up in my mind, and instead, to counter those thoughts with things that are pure, noble and good as instructed by God in Philippians 4:8.

Through the many teaching sessions, God stirred my heart to be a true Disciple of Christ so I can make a different for Him in the world and I want to be that ForeRunner for the Lord! I am committed to taking my walk with Him seriously because His warnings for those lukewarm
believers are severe. And because heaven is far more wonderful than my human comprehension allows, I want to be there in heaven to see for myself what it is like! To ensure I get there, I have to start right here, right now and to obey everything He has told me to do!

I’m also heartened to hear of the many testimonies shared during the retreat about how God has spoken to my fellow brothers and sisters-in-Christ to make the changes in their lives. I pray that we will all continue to spur each other onto greater faith and obedience in Him, and not just allow ourselves to return to our former older habits in the weeks to come.

I trust that the Lord will continue molding the hearts of fellow Forerunners so we can truly become people who will bring glory to the Lord with each thing we do so others may see His
works in us and praise our Father in heaven. Most importantly, as each of us rise up to the unique calling God has given to each of us, may we impact lives of the pre-believers in the world around us, and the lives of our lukewarm brothers and sisters so we can truly approach the throne of our God in the judgment day with boldness and hope, and confident of where we will spend eternity.

Eternity begins right here, right now! 

Journeying with you in Christ,

Esther Marikea 

29 Oct 08

It's Back...

Be Driven...

...by ETERNITY.

More details at http://www.forerunnersonline.com/

Building A House by Faith

Building A House by Faith…

A testimony by ZJ

We have been married for almost 2 months now and looking back in our journey, we are overwhelmed at the faithfulness and goodness of our Lord and how our heavenly Father has provided for us everything that we need as we embarked on the journey towards being husband and wife. This testimony is quite overdue but it is still needful for us to pen this down as a reminder to ourselves and an encouragement to others that God is indeed faithful in every step and every season of our lives.

As with typical Singaporeans, our journey of marital union began with the hunting of our new home. When the holy spirit worked within our hearts to confirm our desires to tie the knot and enter the covenant of marriage, he has already gone ahead of us to prepare a dwelling place for Himself as a sanctuary of worship for our new family unit. A couple of weeks after we have decided on getting married, the Lord provided the opportunity for a walk-in selection of housing units in the Yishun/Sembawang/Woodlands area. Through the years before as we talked about where we would like to reside when we got married, staying in Yishun has always been the desires of our hearts. But we were uncertain how that would be possible, as there were no new units coming up, and we foresee that we would not have the capability to buy from the open-market. There were previous walk-in selections before and there was always talk that it would be the “last” walk in selection for Yishun area. But in those earlier times, the Holy Spirit had not led us to join the frenzy of application. Still, the Lord knew what was in our hearts and in his divine time, he led our hearts to confirm our commitment to marriage and opened the door to apply for a house at Yishun!!

So we went forward to send our application. With the vast number of applicants, our balloted queue number was in the range of 300 (out of over 2000 applicants). We waited patiently for our turn to select the unit of our choice, and in the mean time have made a list of the top 50 units we would like to consider. On the day of selection, it was quite an interesting experience as we head down to HDB hub and sat at the waiting area, our eyes fixed on the TV screen, watching closely which units were still available. The first choice on our list was quickly taken. Our second and third choice remained available as we waited – one was in Yishun, and the other was in Sembawang. Based on our limited research from the floor plans given online, we were quite drawn to both. We asked the Lord to guide our decision and make the choice clear and simple for us. We decided that we would choose the Yishun one if it was available at the time of selection. We prayed that if the Lord so willing, to keep this unit for us, if not, to make it clear to us by letting someone select it before we go in. We give God praise and thanks for providing us with this Yishun unit and making it clear to give up considering the Sembawang one. (It was selected by someone else just moment before our turn!)

Now, being a walk-in selection, we only have the generic floor plan to look at. As this Yishun unit was a re-possessed unit (2^nd hand unit that was taken back by the government and then released for sale), we did not know the condition of the place at all. After selecting the unit and paying the deposit, we arranged for a viewing with the HDB branch office. To our pleasant surprise, the house was wonderfully tiled with marble flooring and kitchen cabinet! This meant that we would not need to do major re-works! How the Lord knew what we needed and provided so graciously for them! There were also the many bonus factors like it being a corner unit, having nice and friendly neighbors, being a lift landing floor due to the lift upgrading that was completely just as we began renovation works, and having an open view in the living room – all the little nitty grittiness that we did not really know to look into. In our inexperience, the Lord covered us.

We praise God also for the smooth transactions and finalization of the paper works involved. There were tiny bumps here and there due to our inexperience in working with HDB, but the Lord graciously guided us through each process. We were eager to collect our house keys, but the Lord has divinely spoken to our hearts that the keys will come in December! True enough, we finally collected our keys on 1 Dec 2007, having completed our marriage preparation classes. Despite our anxieties on timings and finances, the Lord assured us and provided for us at every step of the way. In our weakness and knowing that we are not savvy when it comes to housing, renovations and stuff like these, the Lord sent His aid through friends and His divine grace covered us at every moment and through every decision that had to be made. We give God praise and thanks for the resources He provided through our parents, friends, and his divine acts.

Truly as we reflect upon this journey of building a new home, we can’t help but give Him thanks and all the glory for He is the true builder of our house and our home. There were just so many factors that could have come into play and not within our control that we know it is God who was never changing and holds all things in His hands. Our trust and most confident reliance had to be upon Him alone. We pray that just as He has graciously provided this dwelling place to be our home, that we will remain faithful stewards of this grace and build unto him a household of faith and a sanctuary for His glory.

Refreshed by God!

Testimony – Workplace Alpha Day Away on 26 April 2008

(By Carol Yip)

In March this year, at the encouragement of my cousin Yvonne, I enrolled myself in the Workplace Alpha program over lunchtime at Telok Ayer Methodist Church. As I am already a believer, I went with the aim of grounding myself once again in the foundation – which is the Word of God. I also hope that through the Alpha, I’ll be refreshed by God as the past year (2007) has been a traumatic one for me.

25 October was my dad’s birthday. Unfortunately, it was also the day which he passed on after a sudden heart attack. I was devastated and no amount of words could describe how I felt. I could not express myself and only managed bouts of tears occasionally. My dad was not a believer and thus the buddhist rites at the wake did not make me feel any better. More often than not, my heart was filled with fear and flashbacks of how my dad grasped for his breath during the attack. I remembered telling God that I did not want my dad to suffer on my way to the hospital and I would like to believe that God answered my prayer as my dad look peaceful at his death and the time of pain was relatively short.

When all the rites and wake was over, when friends and relatives resumed their routines, I was still in a state of shock and fear. I could not sleep well during the night as I was constantly haunted by flashbacks. Eventually, I broke down and had to confront the pain of losing my dad. On many occasions, prayer was difficult and I doubted the goodness of God in my life.

Despite the fact that I was faithless, God remains faithful. He has surrounded me with many friends and a loving community of believers who was there to catch hold of me when I was down. My leaders and cell members at AMKMC also took time to keep me company at almost every time interval during my dad’s wake. My colleagues and friends also showered me with their love and concern.

More importantly, God also spoke to me during the Alpha Day Away on 26 April 08. God reminded me through the word of knowledge that I needed to spend more time with my mum and I believed God also wants me to share Christ with her. I was also moved by the presence of God during the time of worship and ministering during the Day Away.

I thank God also for my cousin Yvonne, without which I would not be attending alpha and sharing my testimony with you. I also thank God for Peggy, my group leader for praying with me and for her faithful service every week.

Moving forward, I pray that the joy and presence of God will continue to be my strength. Amen.

In His Grace,

Carol

Journey to know Christ...

Recently, Forerunners Families finished a series titled "Connecting with God's Family". In the last session, we were encouraged to reflect and record down significant moments in our lives that act as spiritual markers/memorial stones of God's faithfulness.

Below is a testimony from Jessica on how the the family of her Alma Meta has contributed their stone of grace into her river of life through her salvation experience. May you be blessed as you read it, and may you too begin to give God praise for the things He has done in your life.

My Journey to Jesus Christ – How the Lord pursued and saved me.
(From: Jessica)

As of today, 20 May 2008, I’ve been a Christian for almost 14 years. Looking back, there has never been a day where the grace of Christ had not sheltered me or the presence of God too far from me.

The seed begins to grow…
The journey of my faith truly began to take form in my 7th year, when I was in primary school. Despite the fact that my parents were pre-believers, I was enrolled into a mission school – Paya Lebar Methodist Girls School. For this I truly praise God for His grace paved the way for me on this journey. It is here that I would spend the next 10 years of my student life, and eventually discover Jesus and forming my understanding of how a Christian should be.

Through the school songs, morning devotions, prayer times, chapel worship services, the Lord was showing Himself to me and teaching me who He is. Even though my young mind could hardly understand the sermons or appreciate the words of the songs we sang, my heart was slowly being drawn by the Holy Spirit to this Jesus in ways I would only later understand. While I was like any typical student going through the set schedules of lessons, assemblies and devotions (and occasional complains about the principle, vice-principle, teachers and their “blabbering” at the pulpit.), the Lord was beginning His good work in me. He brought a Christian friend into my life and through the years in Primary, I spent much time at her place after our weekly swimming classes. In those moments, I learnt how Christian love in a family looked like and was deeply blessed by the love that she and her parents showed me as well. At some point, I started following them to church and I did enjoy church service. I stopped going after a while because it was quite difficult to make my way there on my own if they did not bring me. I did however, develop a hunger for more of God and a desire to be in fellowship with God’s people in the church grew in me. I visited a few churches through my years in primary school and settled for 2 years in Paya Lebar Methodist Church’s Sunday school where one of my good friends worships.

Looking through my collection of treasures from the past, I realized that it was also during these years that I developed a habit of journaling and soon, instead of “dear diary”, I was beginning my journal entries with “dear Jesus”. I give God all praise indeed for it was He was had begun a good work in me and it was He that taught my heart to fear and acknowledge Him.

As I graduated to secondary school, my friend went on to another church and so I followed her for a while. Soon I was enjoying myself and even took part in the Christmas performance to sing in the Sunday school choir. However, my parents were increasing getting worried about my involvement with church. They were concerned that I may be getting influenced by these “church teachings” and may get too involved for my own good. They started to plan “visits to grandma’s place” on Sunday mornings instead of the usual Sunday afternoons. So my opportunities to worship in church on Sunday morning came to a halt.

Encountering Christ…
While all these were happening, the Lord was preparing my heart to have a personal encounter with Him in school. In my lower secondary years, I had a group of friends which I usually “hang out” with and do things together with. Through those times, I was mislead to think that they were not studying at home (mugging their books, as a student would put it), apart from completing our given assignments. Hence I took to that believe and did not put in too much extra time on revisions. The truth was revealed after our final examinations in the first year. All of them topped the class and went on to the best class the following year (the “A” class). I, on the other hand, suffered the consequences of my faulty assumptions and plummeted to the “C” class. Obviously I was not going to be in the same class with my friends for the 2nd year and perhaps the rest of the years. I felt betrayed and left behind, because through the months before when I asked them about work or if they had studied and prepared for certain tests or exams, they would tell me not to worry, and that they have not started studying or preparing at all. They would assure me that even if I did not study for it, I would pass certain tests.

In my despair, I vowed that I would never again trust anyone and that I would study for myself and get to the top. I began to make for myself rules that I would abide by; rules like “I will not harm or sabotage anyone, but I would not share my notes or help them either.” I became a self-centered and selfish person. I began to strife to be the top of my class and each time when test papers were returned, scores and rankings was all I was concerned about. I made sure I was doing better than my partner, and whoever did better than me became my next opponent to beat.

On Ash Wednesday of 1994, I attended chapel services as usual. The school had invited an outside speaker. I could not remember what exactly was shared that day. What I do remember was that as he spoke, I felt my heart was tugged by a sense of warmth and assurance. The weight of the burden I was carrying became so apparent but I did not know why. When he finally finished his sermon and gave the call for those who would like to receive Jesus and trust in Him to raise their hands, I knew he was calling out to me. In that moment of grace, against my pride and fear that others may be looking and what they would say, I raised my hand and went up to the altar. There, I began to tear as the minister prayed for me. As he ministered, I felt the Lord say to my heart “You can trust me.” And I felt the weight upon my shoulders lifted. I wept, for my soul was tired, stressed out from having to protect myself and placing such rigorous rules to live by. I returned to my class after the short follow up session. I felt that I was given a new life, and for a while, I enjoyed life. I laughed more, I shared more and I began to accept the title of “Christian” in my life. That year, I too achieved my goal of getting out of the “C” class and was promoted to Secondary 3”B”.

The flesh is weak… but the Spirit is willing…
Having seen the fruit of my “labor”, I continued to work hard to maintain the “top” position within my class. I was no longer as “selfish” and became more willing to help others but I was just as driven. I still wanted to do my best and ranking the best way to gauge where I stand. But at the same time, I learnt what healthy competition is and soon, I was working hard together with the rest of my classmates. I wanted not to defeat them, but to win together with them, so that we would spur one another on.

Through friends and experiences in these final years of my secondary school, the Lord began to open my eyes to Christian living – what’s right and what’s not. I had not yet learnt to read the Word, but the Holy Spirit was a faithful teacher who began to work in my heart and soften it so that I can experience more of God’s presence in my life. He led me on one occasion to join a small prayer group in my class, led by my form teacher and I learnt how to pray for others. He stirred compassion and faith in my heart through a video screening of a man who lived victoriously and died gloriously in the midst of nose cancer. He taught me about Jesus’ faithfulness and love through the songs we sang at chapel worship services. As I grew intellectually, I also grew in understanding and appreciation of the lyrics that we sang in our school anthem, school creed and school hymn.

.

School Anthem
O Let our youthful voices ring

with all their joyfulness

In praise and gladness let us sing

Of Paya Lebar MGS (2x)

.

Here may we seek all wisdom, truth

And ways of kindness

Through all the years of golden youth

At Paya Lebar MGS (2x)

.

So when we leave its sheltering walls

We go with fearlessness

Enriched to face life's greatest call

By Paya Lebar MGS (2x)

.

Now let us pray and learn and trust and obey

To serve Him in every way

Glory to God we give and pray

For Paya Lebar MGS (2x)

.

The first 3 verses of the School Anthem were written by Miss Nancy Coggan who taught in the school from 1955-1957. The 4th verse was written by Mrs Winnie Tan and added in to incorporate the school's statement of faith.

.

School Hymn
I hear the bells of PL ring

The notes of golden youth;

I hear His voice in every peal

Calling me to seek the Truth

I hear, and seek to make my life

A mirror of His shining light,

Do the chimes stir within your heart

His awesome peace and might?

.

Chorus

Let your light so shine before men

That all may see His face;

Let our school be a torch aflame

Teaching love and His saving grace.

.

I hear the pipes of PL sound

The Majesty of God.

I hear the songs we sing in praise,

Lifting His name with one accord,

O PL girls make Him as our King;

Let us enthrone Him as our King.

Our God has promised those who trust

His loving care and blessing.

.

It is amidst these sounds of PL that I began my journey in Jesus Christ, and looking back now, I understand that the seed of the Master’s call upon my life was sowed in these precious years that have gone by. Even when I did not know Him, He knew me, and loved me. His mighty hand protected me and He himself led me to salvation and faith in Him. Through those years and in the years that follow, the Lord brought me closer to Himself. Today, by His grace and the faithful stewardship of the teachers, principle, vice-principle, chaplain and other staff, I give praise to God that just as the school has adopted the following hymn of Howard Walter as her creed, so have I adopted it as my mission and aim that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.

I would be true for there are those who trust me

I would be pure for there are those who care
I would be strong for there is much to suffer
I would be brave for there is much to dare (2x)

I would be friend of all - the foe, the friendless
I would be giving and forget the gift
I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
I would look up and love and laugh and lift. (2x)

I would be prayerful through each busy moment
I would be constantly in touch with God
I would be tuned to hear his slightest whisper
I would have faith to tread the path Christ trod. (2x)

And as a well-learned PL-lite would end off saying…
To God be the Glory!

God of all possibilites...

Another thanksgiving to share :)

Our wireless keyboard suddenly stopped working. Mun Loong thought it was battery problem so we changed new battery but it didn't work. So Mun Loong went to buy a new one today. However, it didn't work too. So he called Meng Piow to borrow a cabled keyboard to try to trouble shoot the problem. The cabled keyboard also didn't work.

He was on his hands and knees with tools, opened up the desktop system and tried to fix the problem. At that moment, it was time for me to fetch Samuel back from taekwando.

Samuel asked where was daddy. I told him fixing the keyboard problem. He was hopeful (the boys needed the keyboard to play computer games) and asked if the keyboard could work. I told him cannot.. Buy new one also cannot.

So, I suggested to Samuel to pray. He shook his head and said keyboard is non-living thing To that I replied, "So? Our God is a God of all possibilities. Non-living also can pray." He said Mommy prayed.

As we were walking up the stairs, I prayed and asked God to help us solve and fix the keyboard and just finished praying when we reached our doorstep.

After Samuel changed, we went to the study room and then Mun Loong exclaimed with relief that the wireless keyboard can work. Hallelujah! Prayer works :) I told Mun Loong that we just prayed and related the incident to him about Samuel's response about non-living thing cannot pray for God to work.

A seed of faith has been planted in Samuel's heart today, I believe, that God can answer our sincere prayers, whether living or non-living things. He saw with his own eyes his daddy with tools all over, system opened up and trying to fix the problem. He experienced first hand experience that it's not our human effort that counts. It is God who works through our simple faith in prayer.


John 16:24 in BMC we learnt that, "until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete."
We are grateful to God for allowing us to share this testimony to Samuel.. And tomorrow morning, Daniel and Gabriel will hear about this miracle as well :)
With A Grateful Heart,
Lucy

BMC testimony (Elin)

I came to know Christ via a broken relationship that I experienced in early 2001.

The bible was first given to me by my ex boyfriend, a backslided Christian. A feverent reader by nature, I was not offended at the sight of it. In fact, I blazed through the first chapter of the bible as it is peppered with many amazing stories of miracles and courage. For obvious reasons to all readers of the bible, I did not go beyond the chapter of Exdous. During the last stage of my relationship with him, he demanded that I go to Church with him if we were to give the relationship going. Of course, I did out of the great desire for him. This started my amazing journey with God.

I went Church hopping with my ex boyfriend, who was trying to find a Church to settle in. I wasn’t sure what was to him, the deciding factor of the best Church. However going to a Church, provided a form of peace and brief moment of restoration to my soul. I was holding on to every word that comes out from the pastor's mouth like a form of hope and praying with all my heart that the man standing front of me would love me once more. Without knowing what the concept of prayer is, I was already journaling incessantly everything that was going on in my life to this God. Amazingly even though the relationship did not work out, I was still going to Church on my own as it was the way that I knew how to find the momentary of peace and hope that I very much needed at that point of time.

Nov 2001 marked the start of my life transforming journey. I received Christ at New Creation Church. Since then, God and I have been walking together like old pals through thick and thin. As I did not get to know God through the best circumstance, in the infancy of my faith, I already knew that I could present my true self before His throne of grace and count on Him to hold me in His tender, loving hands.

I can still recount the day when I was sitting in my bedroom in tears, He came and said to me ' I have taken your ex boyfriend away from you but I have given you the best gifts ever which are Church and cell'. As I grow in my faith, I know the greatest gift that He has ever given is actually His Son, Jesus.

Glory to God for all that He has done in my life. I am excited about my impending marriage (baptism) to this LORD! Like what the wedding vows always say ‘For riches or poor, in sickness or in health’…May the LORD have mercy on me, as I carry the cross in the name of Jesus, Amen.

God provides...even the tiniest needs.

I wanted to give thanks for God's goodness.

Since I lost my handphone and handphone pouch last Dec, I was looking aorund for one that has the same quality that I lost.

On Thursday, 17 Apr 08, I saw my eldest son, Samuel brought home a brown Hello Kitty handphone pouch. I asked if he could give to Mommy. He said no, lend me on a daily basis. Fine, I borrowed it.

During BMC group discussion that evening, Roland asked us what does the Father God do to us. I answered, "God as a Father provides for all our needs".

I came home that night, my children were already asleep. Early the next morning, Friday, 18 Apr 08, I came home after sending my husband to work. Samuel greeted me at the door and handed me a handphone pouch - a brown and plain one! Exactly what I like! He said he found it on a red chair below my mother's block on thursday night!

See how God knows and provides for my needs. Hallelujah!

From: Lucy

God knows...

(A testimony from Lucy from Forerunners Families)

Hi all

Would like to give thanks to God!

When I checked in at the airport for my company group incentive trip to Dubai, I knew that our seats were already pre-arranged. Nonetheless, I asked if I could get an aisle seat and the reply was no. Fine.

It was a long flight and I was flying middle of night so I was very tired. Couldn't sleep properly with an upright position.

The last day I had some time to pray and read the bible. So I prayed to God that if possible, I would like to have an aisle seat and an empty seat in between so I could lie down and sleep during the flight.

Our God is an amazing God. When I reached my seat, I was pleasantly surprised I got an aisle seat! It was a full flight with all the 3 seats filled up. However, I've got an empty middle seat in between my row! So I could lie down and sleep :)

Our God is so good! Thank God for answering my prayers!

Often God already knows what we want to pray before we open our mouth to him. All we have to do is just pray and ask. He has predestined everything. We just have to claim.

Btw, God also answered my bold prayer to ask for Mun Loong's promotion this year and thank God, he got his promotion this year. He's very happy and thankful.

SF102 - A reflection

Spiritual Formation Retreat 102 – A Reflection.
By Jessica Tan
(below is a sharing from her experience at the recent Spiritual Formation 102. May you be blessed.)

It could have been another busy weekend, filled with outings with friends, serving in church and meals with the family. But on that weekend, I had other plans. I had an appointment with Silence and Solitude. I had an appointment with God, my Maker.

19 April 2008. I had signed up for this Spiritual Formation Retreat 102 (SF102) with the Prayer Ministry 3 weeks ago. At first, I was double-minded about going for this retreat because of the multitude of tasks I needed to accomplish. To my logical mind, it was simply a case of bad timing. But deep in my soul, I was yearning for a break. I knew I needed to take time off the hectic schedules and To-Dos and tend to myself – the person. I finally made the commitment to go for this retreat (and yes, including the commitment to keep my mobile phone switched off at ALL times for the duration of the retreat.)

SF102 was an extension of SF101 (Spiritual Formation Retreat 101*). This time, it was a 2 day 1 night stay-in event. There was more silence, more solitude, but also more depth as we reflect upon the issues and events of our lives. While SF101 focused on the fundamentals of the Spiritual Disciple of Silence and Solitude (like learning how to hear God through scripture, silence and nature, how to prepare ourselves for Quiet Time and our own personal times of Solitude), this retreat focused on learning what it means to rest in God and taking time to examine our own lives and how we have lived.

The times of reflection and guided questions provided were especially insightful. In the blessing of solitude and providence of much time, I was able to bare my soul before the Lord and allow Him to bring to light the areas I have fallen short of His standards. I came to understand that the stresses I feel in various areas of my life was because I had, in my busyness, unwittingly kept Him out of those areas. As a result, I constantly find myself battling with unrest at work, frustrations at home and confusion about my future. I also came face to face with wrong deeds in my life that desperately needs to be confessed and changed. There in the safety of my retreat center room, I found myself confronted with the Holiness of my God and at the same time restored by the magnitude of His faithful love. Tears of repentance flowed freely in the privacy of that room as I came to terms with my failures as a disciple of Christ, my humanness and pride. Overwhelmed by the presence and love of my Heavenly Father, I came honestly to Him, asking Him to empower me to be as He wants me to be – in thought and in deed.

Over those 2 days, I wrestled with God over many issues, some of which I quickly resolved and found peace; others more long-drawn and painful. Yet by the end of the 2 days, I left that sanctuary not with a “high” as some would expect from a “Spiritual Encounter”, but rather with a hunger for more – More intimacy with my Lord and Maker, more clarity on issues revealed and more grace to persevere in working through them, more commitment to feed on His truth, more resolve to do the things I have committed to do.

I have been blessed greatly through this retreat, not because of faith-filled teachings or because I saw great miracles. I am blessed simply because I met with my Lord. In those 2 days, I was fully His and like Mary, I truly felt that I was at the feet of Jesus, simply listening to Him, receiving life directly from Him, fully yielding to Him.

Departing from the retreat, I have since returned to the world to face its daily demands, to manage the lists of tasks and fulfill the various responsibilities that have in no way diminished. Yet, I feel confident that my heart has learnt the great value of solitude and the treasure of time away to be with God. That hunger for more of God has led me to weave such a precious discipline into my schedule and I have been greatly blessed. I pray that as you consider attending such a retreat, you will be enriched in your walk with Jesus and that through the discipline of solitude and silence; you may grow “to (truly) gain Christ and be found in Him.” (Phil 3:8b) (Italics mine)

* - Spiritual Formation Retreat 101 (SF101) is a 1-day guided retreat that aims allows participants to learn and experience the Spiritual Discipline of Silence and Solitude. This retreat is held twice each year.

Spiritual Formation Retreat 102 (SF102) is the extension of SF101, and is open to all worshippers who have been through SF101. For more information on each of these retreats, please look out for announcements in our Sunday Bulletin or contact the church office.

Transformed in Christ: A family’s journey into love and life.

- By Mrs Patricia Wong

As the mother of two young children, I used to feel burdened with the responsibility of bringing my girls up the right way. I was often frustrated when they asked me about God, so I would tell them that God does not exist. I now thank God for placing the hunger in them to long to know Him and to persevere in finding out the truth. God has been very kind to our family. He did not leave us even though my heart was hardened.

We were having dinner at my sister’s house one evening when Jaymie (my younger daughter) asked innocently, “Is there a god in the world?” My sister’s best friend, Christine was patient in explaining the answer. “In the beginning, God created the earth. Then God created man. We can’t see God but He sees us and He loves us!” The girls’ faces lit up when they heard about our good God and how powerful and mighty He is. Their hunger for God was evident.

I knew then there was no way I could deny my children of the opportunity to know God but at the same time, I felt unworthy of His love. I prayed for strength and courage and God gave me both and much more. The Lord said to me, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand.”

We started our walk from darkness towards the path of light.

The first lesson I learnt was that the Christian walk is not a bed of roses. I was terribly uncertain when I faced challenges. However, God has been faithful to send Christine into my life. She encouraged me greatly with these words. “Just tell God you are uncertain and let Him handle the rest. He knows what you are doubtful of because He is your Creator!” During this time, I grew more intimate with the Lord as He taught me that "He will redeem us from our iniquities’” (Psalm 130:8)" …"and present us before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 24) Praise the Lord!

The first challenge came when the girls started asking many questions about God’s nature. I felt helpless and embarrassed as I was unable to answer to most of their questionsqueries. Tamie (my elder girl) wanted to know if God has hands and Jaymie could not believe that God is everywhere! Fortunately the teachers in Sunday school took time to explain things to them.

The biggest challenge came when I faced objection from my husband. He was upset with me for bringing the girls to church every Sunday morning and frowned when we turned on worship songs in the car. I felt that God was taking us away from my husband. It was later on that I found out it was far from the truth! Our marriage is a blessing from God.

My relationship with my husband Peter was not good. Before I accepted Christ, I was too busy with my children to remember that Peter is the head of the household.

As I read the Bible, I found out that God wants us to respect our husbands. The Word also says, ‘”A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies”’ Proverbs 31:10 Thus, After this realisation, I started showing love and respect for to my husband out of obedience to God. I now recall that would have been impossible to do without God’s help! God strengthened me with His Word each time I needed encouragement and to my amazement, our marriage improved over time.

I thanked God when Peter came to realize the change in me. Eventually, he also accepted Christ. Tears flowed down my cheeks when I heard him say the sinners’ prayer with brother Cam Yew, Calvin and some of our cell group members on 23^rd December last year. The girls were delighted that daddy has gained eternal life.

It is so wonderful to know God. There is now peace and joy in our family and we experience God’s love in our daily living.

Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare His praise?

Psalm 106:2

Patricia now worships at 10.30am service and serves as an usher. Her girls are attending Sunday School at the Hub, while her husband worships at the Mandarin Service at Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church (CAC).

Nurture Your Soul...

Flyer as received in our bulletin last sunday. =) For your prayerful consideration.

Feel free to forward to friends who may benefit from these sessions. =)

Quiverful of blessings!

By God's grace for for His glory, Jeremiah Chng Ern Ci has been born!!

Birthed on 12 Feb 2008, 1643hr after an intense but short labour without epidural, both mother and child are perfectly healthy! =)

Glory be to God!!

Thank you for all your prayers and love!

From: The Chngs

A Disciple's Journey...

A Testimony from Brother Lee Keng Lun on his journey as a Disciple of Jesus Christ.

It has been 2 months after the completion of the discipleship course I've been taking since last April.

I remember that time when Cam (my beloved current housemate) told me to about this course that he has embarked on and encourage me to enroll in this course, I was reluctant to this idea, mostly because I was (or thought I was) “not ready” for the course.

But the Holy Spirit has impressed on me on these verse later on:

“Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:13-14)

I realized that Jesus has always been only a part of my life, but I never really let myself to be mature and full grown in the Lord. Ii seem that God is challenging me thru this verse to move on, to “pick up the cross” and be a true follower.

Thus I changed my mind and decided to take the course. I’ve to say it was a giant leap of commitment and faith on my part, as I really had NO idea what I was getting myself into for 34 weeks!

As the weeks went along in the course, I found myself reading and meditate on scripture, more than any other time as before. There is time were I found the course was difficult to participate in due to extensive scripture passage reading and heavy workload, my mind was lack of attention. Sometime I can read a chapter in a bible and all of a sudden realized that I do not know what I have read at all :-p. Then I realized how hard it is when Paul say, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection” ….

But Praise the Lord! For His grace and strength that sustain me, prayer from my cell members and encouragement from my discipleship members to preserve faithful. :-) .Christ was with us every week when we come together to worship, learn God’s word, sharing and praying.

It started with ruts of routine but slowly it had helped me to develop a consistent pattern of spiritual disciplines. I learn that good spiritual disciplines are crucial if I want to be transformed into Christ-like and transformation needs patience and it is an on-going process (definitely more than 34 weeks …)

In overall, Discipleship is not as tough as I expected:-p. It required a full-time, life-time commitment, but as pastor mentions on week one Discipleship Explored, it is indeed “an active, vibrant learning process”, if we depend on God’s grace and the Holy Spirit to work in us….

God Blessed!!

Lun