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The task that energizes me

6 October 2014 blogpastor Leave a comment

On the subject of equipping, the three main tasks of a pastor are to feed, to care and to lead. Feeding entails the teaching of God’s word to God’s people. This is done through Sunday sermons, facilitating study groups, through cell group learning, and through the equipping stations. God’s people grow by feeding on the explanations and applications of God’s word. It is the hundreds of home-cooked, wholesome meals over many years, and not the occasional Michelin standard restaurant meals that grow you physically. In the same way, it is not the occasional inspiring, moving sermon that grows you spiritually but the faithful interpretation, teaching and application of the sacred text over many years.

On a personal note, the teaching and learning process is my preferred equipping task. It is what God gifted me for and what energizes me. There are pastors that find this task draining. Not I. True, the challenging and exciting moments of selecting a passage, allowing the Spirit to illuminate it, poring over what others have said about the passage, and preparing a message, can sometimes be tense and a struggle. However when all is settled, and the message is delivered and you trust the Holy Spirit to show Himself strong though a sermon that is often “five loaves and two fish”, it gives you pleasure, humility and peace. God’s word has resounded among God’s people and for another Sunday they have been strengthened in the faith, encouraged to hope, and renewed in love. It is fulfilling.

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Preaching equipping, Preaching, teaching

The Ark: a place of rest

2 October 2014 blogpastor 3 Comments

The Ark is a Pentecostal church. What a unique name. Pastor Jimmy Hoo started this church after he left the Emmanuel Assembly of God. It is small fellowship of 30 plus and they worship at the Village Hotel Bugis at 390 Victoria Street on the 6th level. I got to know Pastor Jimmy on Facebook. I was introduced to him by Pastor Peter Sze who also helped linked up quite a few grace-based churches and ministers in the region. We met once with Joshua Lee, pastor Kevin Choo and another minister and talked shop over tea at Funan Center. He invited me to take the Sunday message and I was most happy to do so.

I took a cab there with my wife and my son who wanted to visit. It was the first time I stepped into the Village Hotel Bugis and the hotel function room was the size of two large classrooms. They also had a separate room for the children. I met with the members who were there early and we chatted with Pastor Jimmy Hoo and Mabel, his wife, who was very warm, hospitable and friendly. The service started at 9.30am and like the other grace-based church services I attended, the Holy Communion was conducted every Sunday. Soon I was at the pulpit and preaching a modified version of what I preached in my worship service the previous week at WRPF. I talked about how a Christian can still live under the old covenant and experience the miserable Christian life. I talked about what it meant to live under the new covenant. My main text was from Jeremiah 31:31-34. I drew my three main points and contrasts from the text itself, and drew sharp contrasts of what it would look like if you lived as a Christian under the old covenant or under the new covenant. I enjoyed partnering with the Holy Spirit in delivering the message.

After the service we had and early lunch at about 11.40am at a Bugis Junction food court. I enjoyed the nasi padang and the fellowship and warm banter. Inevitably from the topic of family, the conversation went to ministry and I heard a dramatic and grace-filled story of how this sincere and humble couple were initiated into the message of grace, and how they moved from being burnt-out and effort-driven to a place of rest in the grace of God.

Though many people crowd the Star Vista to hear the grace messages of the New Creation Church, small churches like this also deserves better support and encouragement. I am sure there are people who love the grace message but prefer a small church setting where things are less concert-like and more family-like, less distant and more personal, where they feel less like a spectator and more like a participant. This is one church you may want to explore visiting and being a part of, if you want to learn to rest in His grace, and a have a stronger community life. Pastor Jimmy and Mabel are well equipped with the message, the experience and love to give you the care, the rest and community you need.

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General grace-based churches, Pastor Jimmy Hoo, small church, The Ark

Of PSLE and all other dreaded exams

29 September 2014 blogpastor Leave a comment

The PSLE examinations and results can be a forbidding hurdle that both parents and children have to navigate. It is a stressful time for all. Everyone prays and works and hopes for the best. We hope our child will manage to get at least into the express stream. We would even accept the normal stream, and hope he gets into the express stream soon after. We get elated or secretly disappointed if our prayers were not granted.

However, life goes on and reality sets in, and sooner or later we realize that God loves all his children, but they are not equally gifted for academic rigours and demands. Sooner or later we will accept that our children have different kind of intelligences and gifts and we perhaps begin to stumble into a more sane view that life will present unequal economic rewards to people with different talents and opportunities. Some of our children will grow to be adults and surprise us, for despite their academic qualifications, they out-earn the scholars. But is earnings the bottom line that frames our perspective of success? Then how different are we from the worldly minded?

Let me put it to you that God’s purpose in creating us is so that we may glorify God and serve and enjoy Him forever. Staying in this zone is what makes us truly “successful”. You can earn a lot and be highly qualified but yet live a life that disregards God’s purpose. This is a failed life. Or you can be a PSLE failure but live a life of faithful service and fellowship with God. This is the fulfilled life. The one essential thing is whether you fulfilled God’s purpose of glorifying Him and serving people with your God-given talents and opportunities.

Our job as parents is not just PSLE and all the other exam hoops our children have to jump through. It is guiding our children to discover their God-given abilities and to use them for serving people and for His glory. It is imparting the values of service, contentment and God-centeredness to them. As for PSLE and “O” and “A” levels, we do our best to support our children, and discover more about ourselves and our children. Shalom.

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Society and religion exams, God's will, PSLE

Hyundai Matrix: farewell

22 September 2014 blogpastor Leave a comment

The Hyundai Matrix, the faithful servant

Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, metal to scrap. The Hyundai Matrix that was bought by the church and that has served so faithfully has used up its entitlement to be on the road. It has been ten years. It is durable and roadworthy. But this is Singapore – a cemetery for 10 year old vehicles. It’s such a sad under-utilization of resources. Some of the cars will be re-exported to other Third World countries to be re-conditioned and used for perhaps another 20 years. The rest will end up as scrap metal. Very few will continue on Singapore’s roads. Today I said Goodbye to my Matrix.

Singapore is probably the most expensive place in the world to own and use a car. If you buy a new Toyota Vios at today’s prices, live in Jurong and work in Changi, include all expenses such as repairs, servicing, insurance and road tax, minus inflation, you would have spent about S$200,000 by the end of ten years. This was what I read somewhere.

It is strange but though the car is not a living creature we develop some kind of feeling towards it. The feeling could be positive or negative or both. For me it is all positive. It is respect. The car looks petite but this lady has a big inside that can even squeeze four in the back seats. The luggage space can handle four persons luggage. It is gratitude. This car has done its bit for the Lord, and for my family too. It is fondness too. After so many years, I have grown to like it. Maybe I am not fussy. Nor have I driven many cars in my life to provide any kind of comparison. I only drove passenger church vans before this car: a Toyota Hiace van and a Isuzu van, before this blessing from the church came into service. She is a petroholic, but I am still fond of her.

Now it has become too expensive for the church to provide a car. I am very thankful to the church that I had one for so many years. The church has been good. The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

Even my children said, Take some photos before it goes. The family got sentimental with the car. So before it went we took some shots after lunch. I want to remember its spaciousness, its usefulness and faithfulness.

Well done thou good and faithful servant. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, metal to scrap.

Now I will undergo some major adjustment. I am converting to a BMW (B for bus; M for MRT; and W for walk). Add on a double turbo (T for taxi and T for tompang). First heard this BMW thingy from Benny Ong a popular church speaker. Stuck with me. This will be a challenging and interesting change. Like the Minister of Transport once did, I will take the MRT. But unlike him, I cannot do anything to improve it. I can only adjust and live with it. Let the hardship begin. It cannot be as bad as what others suffer in other countries.

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Personal and family

Barclay’s Premier League 2014/15 predictions of top four places

2 September 2014 blogpastor Leave a comment

Now that transfer deadline date has passed we all have a better idea of the new players in each squad and can reasonably predict the top six teams of this season’s Barclay’s Premier League 14/15.

All the betting companies and their expert panels have placed Chelsea as the champions. Most football pundits and reporters have done the same. Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea.

CHAMPIONS: ARSENAL

Arsenal the perennial bridesmaid is finally showing that they are willing to spend serious money on proven world class players in the last two seasons. They have also bought well but mostly I will be keen to see how the Danny Welbeck, Sanchez, and Walcott forward axis will operate. It will take time but I hope they will be as deadly and unstoppable as Liverpool’s SAS. 25 goals to Welbeck is my dream and this dark horse to take the trophy at long last.

SECOND: CHELSEA

Most reason that Mourinho will be highly motivated to make Chelsea champions for Abrahamovic may axe him for consecutive failures to haul any trophy. He now has his kind of team formed, having got rid of failed strikers, those who do not work hard at defending, the older hands, and those who take too much risks, and let the team down. His signings are astute to fill up deficits of last year. Costa seems to have a recurring hamstring problem, and in this merciless league, it may take him out for vital games, without equivalent striking capability to replace him. Thus I believe they will be beaten to the title by Arsenal by a mere whisker.

THIRD: LIVERPOOL

Liverpool under Rogers is like a dragon resurrected. Dangerous and unstoppable in their fiery attacks they will melt down many teams. They have lost their bite when Suarez left. But the circus clown has been hired to entertain the fans and if he puts the team results above his antics, Liverpool will surprise doubters and take the third place.

FOURTH: MANCHESTER CITY

Manchester City will come in third and their focus will be on the Champions League to improve on last year’s results. The Arab owners want this new achievement. They have the group of death and priority will be given to getting out of that group and try to enter the finals. They have won the premier league twice. Key players have had their contracts extended on improved terms. Complacency will be a recurring problem. Fourth place, and definitely above Manchester United. That alone is great comfort.

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General Arsenal, BPL predictions, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City