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Behind the Writing of “The 26 Gifts of Christ’s Finished work”

11 December 2024 blogpastor Leave a comment

My sincere apologies for the lengthy period when this blog was down. Something went wrong and it needed to be fixed. My friend Vee, was occupied with her work but thankfully she found some time to do the backend work on the blog to get it up again.

Quite a few exciting things have happened in the meanwhile. While the blog was down, I concentrated on editing my first book. I had been stuck for some weeks after I had edited four-fifths of the book. This time, I used Grammarly and Co-pilot to help me spot grammatical errors, improve clarity and sentence structure but I noticed there was little editing input from their AI. Free apps are useful only to a limit. Chat GPT does a better job but after edits of two chapters it stopped serving me. It wanted money. Ultimately, I decided two rounds of editing with the former tools were sufficient although I have a sneaky feeling some error may have escaped my attention.

The more exciting thing was the book cover. I met with Grace Phua, founder of O’ LIVE & WRITE, a copywriting, design and brand building company. I requested her help in designing a book cover and she graciously consented despite her busy schedule. I was glad because she worked for many years in this line of work before she started her business. After interaction over WhatsApp, we finally met for further discussions. I picked up some solid ideas from her and somehow was persuaded to change the title of this book, and another possible future book.

She came back in a fortnight and sent me two options, one of which (see below) seem to call out to me to adopt it. I love it for the simplicity, elegance and class. I love minimalist designs. They appeal to me. What do you think of the cover and title of the book? Love to have your comments.

The Lord has really gone ahead of me to prepare the way. A Tung Ling Bible School classmate, Benjamin Foo, who is a speaker, author, coach, and publisher, generously offered to guide me through the process of publishing a book without consultation charges, taking on himself some of the onerous tasks in book publishing. Conversing with him, I was persuaded to print physical books although my original plan was to do an ebook and circulate it free of charge. “The mind of man plans his way but the Lord determines his steps,” goes a bible Proverb.

Currently, I am sending my book to pastor friends and seeking their comments and endorsements to include in my book and on its back cover. I see the generosity of these friends who had taken time out to read and comment. Here are those that have already come in:

“I highly recommend ‘The 26 Gifts Of Christ’s Finished Work” by Rev Kenny Chee, a profound and insightful exploration of the riches of God’s grace. This book is a treasure trove of spiritual wisdom, empowering believers to live in the fullness of Christ’s finished work. Rev Chee’s writing is both refreshing and anointed, making this book a must-read for all who desire a deeper understanding of God’s amazing love.”

– Rev. Gabriel Han, Lead Apostolic Elder, Ministers Fellowship International, Singapore

“It’s a unique way to utilize the 26 letters of the English alphabet to cover the finished works of Christ. Well written and succinct!”

-Rev Vincent Hoon, Priest and former missionary of St. John’s – St. Margaret’s Church

“Rev. Kenny Chee’s “The 26 Gifts of Christ’s Finished Work” is a theological treasure trove, creatively arranged with an alphabetical structure that mirrors the poetic brilliance of the acrostic Psalms. Each chapter unveils a profound aspect of Christ’s finished work, blending rich biblical insight with practical application. This book is not just a study; it’s an invitation to rest in God’s grace, rediscover your spiritual inheritance, and live out the transformative power of the gospel.”

-Rev. Dr. John Sim, Assistant Professor of Theology, Vanguard University of Southern California, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in Religion, and Who’s Who Among Asian Americans

“This book gives us a refreshing reminder of all the spiritual blessings that are already ours based on what Christ has done for us. We do not have to earn these blessings, but appropriate them for our daily living.”

-Rev. Cheng Eng Hwa

“Rev Kenny Chee and I were first-fruits of a powerful revival in Singapore in the 1970s. I was a witness to how the founders of World Revival Prayer Fellowship travailed in prayer for three years before revival broke out among youths and the church was formed. This book reveals the divine truths and gifts God has prepared for us, to empower us to advance in his kingdom. It equips us to become the new wineskin for today’s end-time harvest.”

-Rev Dr Amos Jayaratnam, Prophet and Founder of Kingdom Apostolic

“The 26 Gifts of Christ’s Finished Work” distils precious insights from Pastor Kenny’s steadfast walk with Jesus. Written with clarity and simplicity, these transformative truths are powerful. Reading this book brings to mind Colossians 2:3: “For our spiritual wealth is in Him, like hidden treasure waiting to be discovered—heaven’s wisdom and endless riches of revelation knowledge” (Passion Translation). May this book help us rediscover our blessedness in Christ as we explore its many facets.
-Ps Andrew Foo, Rivers of Life Church

Deaf Faith Fellowship: Preaching to the deaf congregation

8 November 2024 blogpastor Leave a comment

They may be deaf or hearing impaired physically but spiritually their ears are opened by the Lord and they have come to know Christ and to follow him. Pastor Barnabas Phua has retired after decades of faithful and fruitful service and the ministry staff Mui Keng is now in charge. While I was their senior pastor, I could not help them much. I preach there once or twice a year because I have to be at the English congregation most of the time. Now that I have retired, I have more time to preach there. In fact, after retirement, I preach there four or five times a year.

Kenny, Ps Barnabas, Mui Keng, Daisy (sign interpreter)

I do enjoy these preaching opportunities. Communicating with the deaf has its challenges. Abstract ideas are difficult to communicate. To give them a definition of “faith” in abstract terms makes it difficult for them to grasp. I have to concretize it into a story like how Abraham believed in God and demonstrated his faith by forsaking his household gods to follow God, and by accepting God would fulfil his promise and give him a descendant when Sarah is barren and he is already old. To make it even clearer, I have to provide them with practical examples of what faith looks like in today’s life situations and context. It trains me to condense a message to its bare essential truth and explain, illustrate, and apply it multiple times. I learn to keep it simple and understandable. In other words, I have to preach the way Jesus preached!

Jesus did not have to do PowerPoint slides, but I had to do many slides because though they cannot hear, they can see. A picture is worth a thousand words and it really helps them understand.

I work with someone who translates my message, using American sign language and gestures of face and hands that express what I mean. This in itself isn’t easy. Furthermore, I like to converse with them from the pulpit to keep them engaged, asking questions, and hearing their replies. More work for the interpreter! This requires thorough and earlier preparation so that the interpreter can have the slides and message notes beforehand. This helps the interpreter to get ready. The advantage of an interpreter is that I have time to frame the next sentence while she is interpreting my earlier sentence. I can also observe the cues from their body language that tell me if they understand and are engaged with what I have been saying.

The deaf members appreciate my preaching. They find it relevant and helpful. I normally pray that God will fill up where I may fail to deliver. God is faithful and he always does his work of guiding them into all truth.

If you know of deaf people who need a church family please direct them to Deaf Faith Fellowship. They worship in the same building (on the third floor) as World Revival Prayer Fellowship , and are the deaf congregation of the church.

A Satisfying Weekend

1 November 2024 blogpastor Leave a comment

Day of Prayer: Gift Immeasurable

This past weekend was significant and satisfying. We accompanied participants in a Day of Prayer at Montfort Centre. The retreat theme was “Gift Immeasurable.” Kelvyanne Teoh and Zerah Goh were the retreat facilitators and Chris Joy and Diana Tan were the coordinators. Held at Montfort Centre, this was organized to create opportunities for the formation program graduates to practice what they have learned. We were there to accompany participants and received as much as we gave.

Kenny, Corrine, Eileen, Dawn, Lisa, Sr Bernadetha, Fabiola, Malcolm

The day of prayer was peppered with creative activities that evoked reflections on what we were going through, noticing what we needed and how we could respond to God. For example, there were figurines of people and objects in the centre of each table where the several groups were seated. We were asked to pick one that resonated with us. I chose a tree because that had been a key image for me when I felt drained and inadequate during the latter years of pastoral ministry. In a retreat, I was drawn to a grand old tree. It was rooted deeply and had withstood many a storm. It was old yet provided shelter, home and food to all kinds of birds, insects, and other creeping plants and parasites. The Lord saw me as that tree although I saw myself as worn out and unfruitful. “You are that tree!” I clung to that faith image throughout my dry spell. It helped me through a period of turmoil and near burnout. This strengthening experience of the past flooded my memory and I could feel confidence gradually building up within and replacing the anxiety and inadequacy about the next day’s preaching engagement.

Another activity was to take a postcard-sized picture that spoke to you. It’s like a visio divina instead of a lectio divina. A picture of a path leading through a forest of trees caught my attention and I felt it was an invitation to silence and solitude, to be alone with God and to enjoy his companionship. I am so used to doing things with my wife these days that I wonder if I can be alone with the Lord all day. I also needed to find space in my regular schedule of activities. It has to be a day untouched by any activity. I prayed for grace to overcome these barriers.

Other creative activities, including drawing and making collages helped the participants reflect on their lives, and experience God’s comfort. These reflections often became topics of discussion during their spiritual direction session.

It was a joy to work with my fellow graduates. We were together for a year and nine months of formation and deep sharing. Bonds had been formed and it was pleasant to be in ministry with them. We began at about 8:30 a.m. and ended at about 5:00 p.m. It was a long day but one that was deeply meaningful. Life Direction Singapore organized this. It was the last of the year. I do hope they will continue planning these days of prayer.

Preaching at Rivers of Life Church

Sunday came and I went to preach at Rivers of Life Church, a charismatic church in Henderson. God was gracious. The worship was so anointed and dynamic that I was carried away by rivers of grace and filled with God’s Spirit and power. As I worshipped, my anxieties melted away. As I preached, my faculties were heightened to speak God’s message about “The Sacrifice That Pleases God” based on Leviticus chapter one.

Pastor Andrew Foo of Rivers of Life Church with 99 years old convert

Earlier, the lead pastor Andrew Foo gave certificates to recently baptized candidates. One was a teenager, another was a middle-aged lady, and the third lady had the loudest cheer: an Indian whose age was 99. This is the first time, I have seen someone so old, almost antique, with a reasonable mobility for one that aged. It moved the congregation, as for years they were involved through financial support and practical service in the church’s outreach ministry towards the residents of the nearby rental blocks, and two persons have received Christ and were baptized. Great is your mercy O Lord. You can read more about this church HERE and HERE.