Singapore churches – Page 11

Category: Singapore churches

City Harvest Church trials: To sigh, pray and hope

25 August 2014 blogpastor Leave a comment

The trials of the leaders of City Harvest Church have raised many eyebrows. Accusations and blame and counter-blame have started to fly across the courtroom among those who have been charged. This is painfully embarrassing and shameful for the church to bear. Yes, we are all categorized together as the church in Singapore, no matter how we try to detach ourselves from the CHC leaders. The goings on in court makes me sigh in shame. It causes me to pray for mercy and grace. For I know all too well my own weaknesses and fragility and my own tendency towards self-preservation. It makes me hope for God to work all things so that His name may be glorified ultimately.

Brothers and sisters, let us lift up these leaders and the whole trial in petition to God. Pray for truth and humility and mercy to triumph, justice to prevail, and for God’s church to acknowledge her humanity, weakness and vulnerability.

Thank God we have a high priest who sympathizes with us and we can approach Him boldly in times of need to receive His mercy and grace. And this we must do: approach Him who understands our weaknesses.

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Singapore churches City Harvest Church trials, Kong Hee, Xtron

Kingdom Invasion 2014

24 March 2014 blogpastor Leave a comment

Bill Johnson preaching in Kingdom Invasion

I attended Kingdom Invasion from 19-21 March at the Singapore Expo, but mainly the morning and the afternoon sessions. The keynote speaker was Bill Johnson and we missed him the last time round but it was good to have him take more sessions this time. He was full of interesting insights into God’s ways and some of his one-liners stay with you like henna dye. Two of his powerful messages were the ones on culture of honor and the one of the role our desires and faith play in God’s sovereign plan. The basic thesis of the first is that the church needs to recover the key of honor in different aspects of relationships so that what God has gifted and graced the person who we honor may be released to us. Jesus was not honored in Nazareth and thus they were deprived of what He could have done for them. The central truth of the second is that our desires and faith have a way of bringing forward what God may have planned for the future. Jesus said to Mary his mother, My hour has not come (to perform miracles). However due to her persistent faith, that hour seemed to have been brought forward in the miracle of changing water to wine. Thus imagine if the church had the desire and faith to bring forward the promises of the future kingdom to the here and now – bringing the promises of heaven to earth – what kind of glory would the church display to the waiting world. What an inspiring, expansive vision.

James Goll was another proposition altogether. More prophetic and inspirational he spoke, sang and shared some of his encounters with angels and dreams and taught people how to intercede as a privilege, out of the intimacy that the Father offers us.

And as ever the inimitable Heidi Baker facilitate a soaking in the presence of God. We think we need more cognitive content but God knows we ministers need more time allowing the Spirit to fill us and to be inspired by her abandon to the Spirit.

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Singapore churches Bill Johnson, David Goll, Heidi Baker, Kingdom Invasion 2014, Singapore Expo

Love Singapore Pastors’ Prayer Summit 2014

10 February 2014 blogpastor Leave a comment

This years prayer summit was held on January 6-9 at the Equatorial Hotel in Malacca. The theme was Jubilee. There were about 500 pastors and leaders from Singapore in attendance. The speaker was Peter Tsukahira and his theme was the kingdom of God and the marketplace.

The prayer summit this year was Word rich. I suppose there were pastors who attended because of the guest speaker – they wanted to hear his teachings. He is of Japanese origin, speaks with an American accent, and has an Israeli passport. He is married to a Messianic Jewess and both of them lead a ministry and Messianic community in Haifa. In fact the last thing we did during our holy land trip was to visit and support his ministry. I saw pastors who never attended the pastors’ summit attend this summit giving attention to all the teaching sessions. Peter Tsukahira did not disappoint. He spoke about the formation of Israel, and its relation to the return of Christ, the gospel of the kingdom of God and how these give the framework for the marketplace ministry. I was blessed by the teaching it stirred me to return to my favorite writer on the kingdom of God, G. E. Ladd, a professor from Fuller Theological Seminary. Read an excerpt of his concept of the kingdom HERE for an example of his concise writing and clear thinking and grasp of a difficult subject with many different interpretations.

Chance meeting with pastors Lawrence and Guna

This year they also re-introduced pastors Lawrence Chua and Guna to do the stand-up comic thingy. They are two members of the team steering the Love Singapore churches. They are pastors with hearts for community service and have led their churches to be models for such a ministry in the heartlands. They have somehow discovered a chemistry between them for stand up comedy. They brought the house of God down with laughter. Humor is serious business. You need a gift to get pastors in a sober “prayer summit” to laugh shamelessly. So used are pastors to being serious about eternal and earthly issues. Kudos to Lawrence and Guna for their gift of getting all the stressed-up pastors laughing. However, they would do well to expand their range of subjects. They seem too constrained to introducing the chairman and the speaker or the organizing church in humorous ways. They can evolve into a stand-alone act that can help pastors and leaders laugh at themselves and alter some perspectives of church ministry and relations.

The pastors’ summit is one of the best places to keep in touch with acquaintances and other pastors. I met two of my cousin’s daughters: cousins once removed. One morning I had breakfast with Lindy Chee and Dara Chee. Lindy worked with YWAM for many years. Now she is in training and facilitating. Dara Chee is a trained social worker who was in Vietnam for a few years with the Anglicans, and now a residential manager for Highpoint Dayspring, a residential treatment center for abused women and teens. It was encouraging to see young people with a passion for Christ’s kingdom to be realized on earth as in heaven.

This year I roomed with priest Vincent Hoon from True Light Anglican Church. We met years ago when we were randomly put together to share a room in a similar conference. We gelled and this was the second time we roomed again. Vincent drove us all to Malacca -me and pastor Kenny Fan from Woodlands Evangelical Free Church and pastor Thomas my colleague. They were such pleasant company the road trip seemed shorter. On the way back we stopped by Yong Peng, and later, at a Gelang Petah seafood restaurant popular with golfers. Ahhh…Malaysian food.

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Singapore churches Love Singapore Pastors' Prayer Summit 2014, Peter Tsukahira

City Harvest Church trials: heartbreaking and heartwarming

2 September 2013 blogpastor 19 Comments

It is both heartbreaking and heartwarming to read about what has been dubbed the City Harvest Church trials.

A government minister had said, Its not about the church. It’s about the 6 church leaders. However, the Straits Times(ST) headlines screamed City Harvest Church trials. Not even City Harvest Church leaders’ trials. We live in a digital age and to catch eyeballs we have to have the right titles: the one that people are likely to use when they google for news. Looks like what the minister has separated, the ST have joined together, and so they will be. Anyway, in the minds of many, the trial of the church leaders is the trial of the church. Not only City Harvest Church, but all who worship under the Cross of Christ.

I find it heartbreaking because we are talking about people who went about doing good and with good intentions. These people have mothers and fathers, uncles and cousins. They have spouses and children. They are people who are faithful and loving in their relationships and inspiring to the faith of many. Though imperfect, they have found forgiveness in Jesus Christ and experienced a life transforming change in their lives that they are eager for many to experience as well. Though transformed, they are still flawed. If we had a chance to know them personally, and even to hear about how their lives are like, or how they had impacted others, we would have seen how they are like many good Christians who sit in the pews of our churches, or like the pastors who preach in our pulpits. Except for these issues that the trials will examine. How it will all pan out will be seen in this run of trials and the next run in the first quarter of 2014. How stressful all this must be for all concerned, especially the 6 leaders and their families and the City Harvest Church. Wear their skins for just a day. And don’t say I want Serina Wee’s skin.

That is why I am perturbed that the online buzz is about superficial mudslinging of Ho Yeow Sun and the $$$$ poured into catapulting her into fame for the sake of Christ and winning souls, and the sensationalizing of the looks and the style of Serina Wee. There are even salacious comments that compare the two of them. Haven’t the cyber piranhas had their fill of blood and flesh of these our sisters in Christ? Why don’t they stick to the issues that arise in the trials or think more deeply, perhaps about the church’s underlying philosophy, organizational culture, or theology (or lack of it) that fueled these issues in the first place?

It’s also very heartbreaking to read the expositions of the prosecution.

On the other hand, my heart has been warmed by some audacious show of support by a church. Surprisingly a Presbyterian church – Bethany Presbyterian Church. Now if you know about churches: the Presbyterians and the Pentecostals are as alike in relations as the Samaritans and the Jews(some would reverse the order) in Jesus’ time . They have some points of disagreements in doctrine and practice. Yet this particular church put up a huge sign that read: “Bethany Presbyterian Church is upholding City Harvest Church, Rev Kong Hee & the leaders in prayer”. When I first heard this from one of our church’s leaders, I cried out in disbelief, Cannot be lah! But now that I have googled and seen the photo, I am amazed at this church along Upper Paya Lebar Road. When my website is fully repaired, I will be able to upload the picture. Until then please click HERE. May this church be blessed.

Of course we Christians do not support what is illegal or wrong. The verdict has not been given out yet, and even if these 6 leaders were found to be guilty, can we not still pray for them? Wouldn’t we pray for our loved ones if they had to go to court for something they have been accused of? Those who do not know God think that when Christians pray in such circumstances, they are always praying for miraculous acquittal or a suspension of justice. That may be so. However Jesus taught us to pray, Father, May Your name be glorified and hallowed. May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done. Amen. And this is how we too should pray throughout this trial.

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Singapore churches

Preaching at Care Community Church camp

25 June 2013 blogpastor 2 Comments

Care Community Church camp at Pulai Springs, Johor

Pulai Springs, Johor is a good resort for church camps. We arrived there from Singapore within two hours or less. We had ice breakers and orientation and settled into our rooms. The haze however spoiled what would otherwise have been an ideal place for relaxation, seminars and meditation. The food was excellent and the rooms were above average. So was the service.

The Care Community Church is a warm and loving family church. Their welcome quickly put us at ease with them. Meals were pleasant as we got to know different members of the church. As they responded to us warmly, we in turn enjoyed a growing rapport with them. When I am relaxed and feel at home with an audience, I find I can preach and teach more effectively. I found the church to be friendly, unique, and blessed with many talented and faithful people. You could tell they have been cared for and loved.

Small group discussions increases learning

Pastor Amos Yap has been their pastor for more than a decade. I got to know his family better: Juliet, his wife who gives tuition with a twist – counseling and guidance! and his son and daughter. They are a lovely family and all are serving the Lord. The theme was about personal renewal and rebuilding the church. I dealt with the common symptoms of an unhealthy spirituality.

Pulai Springs, Johor is a lovely hotel with good service and food. I adapted some ideas I got from Peter Scazzero’s “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” and filtered them through my experience, and shared 8 symptoms with them over two nights. Detecting some of these symptoms will help people unlock some of the hindrances to the Christ life in them. I also did two morning workshops on the spiritual disciplines of the “Examen” and “Lectio Divina” – fancy Latin names for a review of the day and devotional reading. Short explanations and 25 minutes of actual prayer, followed by 20 minutes of group sharing and prayer. I kept the practices brief and manageable so that the young people can enjoy a taste of these spiritual practices. These are disciplines that will position them to receive and experience more of God’s grace and love on a regular basis. On the last night we had a wonderful ministry time praying for the sick, prophesying and blessing people in the name of the Lord. The presence of the Lord was among us.

There was more hunger and faith among them than I had assumed from the first session. In the final morning session, I encouraged them to rebuild the church together, doing a bare bones expository message of Haggai’s second prophecy.

Euclid Tan was my room mate, a young man who had been in Bill Johnson’s school of the supernatural in the US. He was a great help. He gave me input on the messages, helping me to angle it to young people and contributing stories as well as trimming off unnecessary fats. May the Lord raise a new generation of ministers who will excel in faith, hope and love.

Pardon my rambling all over the place. This is a symptom that I need to slow down, slow down.

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Singapore churches Care Community Church, Johor, Pastor Amos Yap, Pulai Springs