Journal Jottings and Fruit of Revival

19 May 2023 Leave a comment

I had this big box from buying a Philips all in one cooker. I decided to use it to store all my journals because the current box was too small. Since I was transferring it I decided to specify the years on the spines of the journals. The earliest existing journal was 1982. I had journals from an earlier period but I had somehow discarded them. The earlier ones were mainly devotional notes of my Bible meditations. On a whim, I picked up the oldest and began to read it. Surprisingly I could not put it down as it was so fun to read. I put some up on my Instagram story, and sent some to relevant individuals to affirm them, and stir pleasant memories. 

I noticed that 1982 was a year that displayed some spiritual fruit ten years after the revival of 1972 caused my home church, World Revival Prayer Fellowship, to be formed. The significant fruit was the number of people who heard and responded to God’s invitation to them to serve Him in different ways. My journal recorded them.

Examples of revival fruit

There was Simeon and Jacob, two brothers who joined the Discipleship Training School of YWAM. The former went on to serve in a YWAM in Taiwan, and as a leader in two big Asian regions. It has been about 40 years, with more years to come. My journal jotting on 28 July 1982: “We prayed for Simeon Siau. The Committee sat down together to pray and seek the Lord’s will. I felt that the harvest is great but workers are few and the Lord wants to thrust him forth as a gift to the nations.”

The latter, Jacob, joined YWAM Calcutta on staff (see my actual journal entry below), and then YWAM Nepal where he got arrested with a YWAM team and spent a few days in prison for “preaching the gospel”. Later on, he returned to our home church to serve in a church plant, and later to return to the workplace. This is revival fruit.

My journal jot for Thomas Tan on 27 June 1982 was a mere 11 words: “We sent Thomas Tan with the blessings of God upon him”, but he has been serving the Lord the last 40 years. He joined Operation Mobilization Pakistan land team for two years. This was followed by WEC Missionary Training College, and then seven years with Frontiers, reaching the unreached Pushtun people group in Peshawar. After that, he returned home and has since been serving in the local church as a pastor. This is revival fruit. 

My sister Joyce was not sent by the church but she felt a call to enter into the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary to live in community and service. She has taken her vows and her new name is Beryl. She served in the Australian branch and returned back to the mother house in Darmstadt, Germany. I jotted in my journal on 20 May 1982: “Went to Crest book room to buy a Bible for Joyce before she leaves for W Germany next week. There was none suitable so I decided to give her the money $200 as a gift from us.” She has been serving with the sisterhood about 40 years now. This is revival fruit.

I was called into pastoral work in 1979, and that very year attended Tung Ling Bible School. However, it was in my third year of theological education (1982), that I was officially installed as assistant pastor to Pastor P.J. Johney. Later, on the 9th March 1986, I was ordained. I served my home church for 40 years. This is revival fruit.

There are many others in my home church who went on to serve the Lord before and after 1982. Revival fruit.

Evidence of true revival

When the Spirit is poured out in mighty streams of living water, the lives of many are transformed. The desire to serve God is pervasive and is very strong and lasting in some individuals. It is like fire in the bones and it propels them into His service in the local church. Over the years of faithfulness, their spiritual gifts and strengths are identified and developed, and the passion is narrowed down and more specific. The flame does not die out, it keeps energizing them and carrying them over obstacles. When they fail it drives them closer to God and deepen their life. They respond to God with enduring faith. This is a significant fruit of true revival. Lasting fruit is one of the marks of a genuine revival. Going viral on YouTube does not qualify as revival fruit.

Journaling journey

My journaling journey seemed to have begun as Bible meditation notes. It was Rev Brian Bailey of World MAP, who encouraged this practice of writing down the insights one gathered from Bible meditation. Then it went into simple diary-like reports of what I did and what happened around me, without much reflection of where God had been present or what he may be saying to me. This was what my 1982 journal was like. I wonder how my journaling evolved. I do not know if I will go on to read a few more journals, maybe in 5 year intervals to get an overview of my journaling journey. This sounds like an interesting project, but I do not have time for this right now. God willing, I would like to do it. 

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MFIS Equip Seminar: Prophetic Ministry

23 February 2023 Leave a comment

The Ministers Fellowship International, Singapore (MFIS) Equip Seminar was held on Thursday, 23rd February 2023 at Covenant Vision Christian Church and the participants were blessed by the hospitality of this church that worshipped at Cemtex Industrial Building.

The MFIS leadership has put considerable thought into the programs that they offered. Their goals of 2023 were to build the 5-fold equipping tracks, form 5 ministry equipper teams, and develop a 5-level ministry training framework. This Equip Seminar focuses on the often misunderstood and underappreciated ascension gift of the prophet, the Cinderella of today’s church. 

After praise and worship, Rev Calvin Lee gave a devotional meditation about what we can do to flourish like a palm tree as a minister. This message he gave never gets out of date. It is a constant reminder that busy ministers in Singapore need to hear again and again. Calvin reminded us of the recent honest confession of Jacinda Adern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, who announced her reason for resignation, “I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It’s that simple.” Thankfully, when Christian ministers do not have enough in the tank, they do not have to resign. They can go to the Lord’s presence and receive fresh power.

He Gave Some To Be Prophets

The devotional word imparted a tenderness and humility in our hearts toward the Lord. We could feel God inviting us to draw near and keep close to Him. It was the entrée that whetted our appetite for the next speaker, Rev Dr Amos Jayarathnam, my favourite prophet, a local Singaporean that God raised as a prophet to the nations. He delivered the burden of the Lord he always carried in his heart. I have heard his heart cry many times when he preached in the church I serve, and in other meetings. THE CHURCH MUST LEARN TO HEAR THE LORD ACCURATELY AND OBEY HIM UNCONDITIONALLY.

He talked about how God’s people are of different levels of faith. Some remain on the land content to have experienced the miracle of five thousand fed by a boy’s lunch. But there are those whose faith are like the disciples’ who went on the boat to the sea and left the safe and dry land. Then there are the few who like Jesus, walked on water, living in the spiritual realm where winds and waves, depths and sea monsters does not bother them. Finally, there are those who like Peter are willing to get out of the safety of the boat and take risks, and fail forward, to reach the level of faith that walks on water. He shared some inspiring stories of radical faith that landed him in great danger, strange adventures, and standing before Presidents to deliver God’s word. 

He bemoaned the two weaknesses of the Singapore church. First, the church’s inconsistency in hearing God accurately and obeying Him. Second, the church’s weakness in demonstrating the full authority and power of God. However, he believes that there is grace and favor upon the Singapore church to turn around and respond to God’s invitation. The message stirred my soul and I could sense God’s invitation to me to kneel and pray with an open Bible, and to seek God. I am sure God was stoking the fire of love in many other ministers too.

Round Table Discussion on Prophetic Ministry

The next session was interesting with the leaders of Ministry Equipping Team(MET) representing the ascension ministries (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) sharing from different perspectives in a panel discussion about the practice of prophecy in the church. The discussion covered the fears of pastors, untrained prophetic ministers, accountability and biblical boundaries, gifted but immature ministers, restoration of wounded prophetic members and other matters. I loved this session because it answered questions, probed problems, suggested solutions, and promised hope and development. The discussion was practical, balanced and enriching.

After lunch we worshipped and interceded and I felt the presence of the Lord and was refreshed and washed with the Spirit. I saw younger pastors from different churches lead everyone in intercession for the churches of Singapore – revival among young people, marriage and family life, soul winning and discipling churches, and anointing on ministries of preaching and teaching in the churches. 

After a heavy lunch and prayer session, my attention was beginning to fade as Rev Dr Francis Khoo took the pulpit. He looked young for one in his mid-seventies. As he preached on, I got more absorbed and captivated as he weaved his life and faith story into how God loves us and have a plan and destiny for each and every one even at our conception in our mother’s womb. We are Called, Appointed and Anointed. His story was encouraging, whole-hearted, and inspired my faith and hope in God’s sovereignty in the midst of the world’s increasingly uncertain and perilous future. 

I could see that these seminars have been planned with deliberate and intentional steps towards nurturing and encouraging the growth of the five-fold ministry in the church so that they will equip church members to do the work of soul-winning and discipling.

If you wish to catch up with an earlier MFIS event click HERE.

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Pastor Hock Lin & Dora Chua’s Golden Anniversary

11 January 2023 1 Comment

What a memorable Golden Anniversary! Pastor Hock Lin and Dora Chua have been married for 50 years. That is 18,250 days, or 438,000 hours, or 26,280,000 minutes of journeying together in covenantal love! Pastor Gabriel Han, the apostolic elder of Ministers Fellowship International, Singapore, gathered pastors for a celebration for the Chuas at the stately Singapore Cricket Club. We were blessed by the fellowship, food, prayers and the speeches.

The Chua’s marriage was marked by God’s grace.  I could see God’s hand upon their life together, as they shared and encouraged us in their speeches. “Out of His fulness have we all received, grace upon grace, blessing upon blessing” (John 1) seem to me to be the verse that best describes their marriage. 

Opposite traits attract before marriage, but after marriage they can attack. This was part of their experience and they were transparent in sharing glimpses of the tension, which resolved with communication, the input of loving community, and sheer patience. This couple was very real in their sharing, and we all could relate to them. 

The talented Wallaces sang
Forty one in all were present

It was an encouraging, inspiring time as different people impacted by this couple shared their stories. Clearly, the Chuas have ministered effectively to a wide variety of people and situations: singles and couples, ministers and businessmen, church members and those outside of church circles. The one element that marked their ministry was the love of God that they reflected in and through their lives, marriage and ministry. More than one mentioned how personal and caring they were. 

The second element was their gift of ministering the word in season, even when the word was challenging. A pastor shared how Hock Lin said to him, “You have to spend more time with your wife”. The Chuas were tutored at the Lord’s feet and often spoke for Him. “The Lord has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning He awakens; He awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught” (Isaiah 50:4a).

As I reflected on the celebration, three of the memorable quotes I remembered were, “God gave marriage to help us grow in Christ-likeness, but if this was not enough, He gave children”, “It takes a community to grow a marriage”, “The Seawards helped us in our marriage.”

The Singapore Cricket Club is a lovely place with a British colonial feel and the rooftop space offers a vantage view of the Padang and the cityscape. The buffet was superb and as we sat around the table we got to know other pastors and leaders. It was a wonderful evening and I personally felt blessed. 

After the celebration, as we walked to the City Hall MRT Station we could see people lying down or seated on the grass field, watching a light show projected onto the Singapore Gallery (former Parliament building). This relaxed scene was the cherry on top of this lovely anniversary celebration. My wife and I seldom go to the city, and it dawned on us that it could be quite interesting to do so at night. 

If you have been blessed by the Chuas and wish to add your story or simply congratulate them, do add some words in the comment box above.

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Meeting Up With Blogging Friends

21 November 2022 Leave a comment

It was pleasant to meet up with blogging friends of yesteryears. I have been blogging a long time and in the course of these years I have met some fellow bloggers and chatted with them. Well it so happens I met with a few of them in recent months. 

With one of them, Terence Yeo, we planned morning ride to the Jurong Lake Gardens, culminating with a brunch at Taman Jurong Food Centre. The day was cloudy and pleasant. The weather prediction was that it would rain but thankfully he was already on the way when I informed him of my wet weather plans. Too late. But as it turned out, it hardly rained. 

Terence Yeo and myself

We talked about a range of different things. Terence has always been well informed and has intelligent views on all kinds of information and news whether biblical, extra-biblical, or current news and events. Of course, we also caught up on personal matters and talked about what we have been up to and about our families over a meal of the famous bak chor mee of Taman Jurong. 

A fortnight later I met up with Jeffrey Teo and pastor Joshua Lye, two acquaintances from long ago. We met at the Republic food court at Westgate and caught up after a period of about a decade. I was very apologetic because I had forgotten an earlier appointment with them.

Big changes have taken place since I last met them. Jeffrey Yeo who is one of those serious runners who travel overseas to do races, had moved to an Assembly of God church, and Joshua had planted a church, which meant he was a bi-vocational pastor for several years, until he recently answered God’s call, “left his nets” and went into Singapore Bible College’s Master’s program. I shared with them some of the things happening in the church and I was happy to hear that both of them are still very much involved and interested in the church at large, and what’s going on today in the world.

Pastor Joshua, Jeffrey, and I

Joshua was a participant in a revival among the members of the Lutheran Church of our Redeemer at Duke’s Road. I asked if he minded if I linked him to Galven Lee and Sina who are collecting Singapore revival stories, and he did not mind. I thought such a story is worthy of retelling over and over again, recorded for posterity to read and be inspired at what the Lord can do when hearts are open to him. Just think about it, the Lutheran Church experienced some form of renewal among some of its members the extent of which I am unsure. Evidently it did not spread as widely in the denomination as the renewal that spread in the Anglican denomination.

I have referred quite a few of these pockets of revival in schools and churches to Galven and Sina and they are very earnest and diligent in seeking such stories so if you know of any let me know in the comment box, and I can pass the tip to them.

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MFIS Leaders Seminar: When Angels Tiptoed

24 September 2022 4 Comments

The morning of the one-day “I Will Build My Church” seminar was stormy and I was disappointed that I could not take the MRT and ride my foldable Brompton bike to get there. I was anxious as I waited for the storm to wane. I lived in Jurong while the venue was Riverlife Church in Pasir Ris. However I was thankful that the path to the Chinese Garden MRT was mostly sheltered. Even then my pants got wet because of the strong wind. By the time I reached Pasir Ris station, I grabbed the first cab I saw. 

Even then I was late, and entered the hall of about almost 150 pastors and leaders seated in the first worship hall of Riverlife when the church used the current location. The first plenary speaker Senior Pastor Ben Lee of Riverlife Church, was already teaching about the fourth of the top ten concerns about the ascension gifts. I like what he had to say and resonated with what he explained so systematically, clearly and emphatically. 

Pastor Gabriel Han delivers his message

The second plenary session was delivered by Pastor Gabriel Han, formerly senior overseer of Victory Family Centre. He is the set leader of Ministers Fellowship International, Singapore (MFIS). Already I could see the different impact each speaker brought. While Ben Lee enlightened and clarified, Gabriel inspired and imparted faith. By the time he ended, I was blessed and armed with faith that the Lord himself will build his church, and it will be a prevailing, equipping and glorious church. 

The surprise bang was when the guest preacher was Tan Ye Peng, once the deputy pastor of City Harvest Church. He preached about how radical grace forms the new humanity that is the church. It turns upside down the honor-shame culture of the first century. In this new creation, everyone whether male or female, slave or free, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor is graced with an honor that is founded not on abilities, wealth, job status, lineage, or power, but upon God’s radical grace. The shame is of course removed by forgiveness, reconciliation and the love found in Christian fellowship. Such radical grace is best demonstrated in the way Christians treat each other with honor as bearers of the image of God.

Pastor Tan first began his talk by asking forgiveness for the hurt that the City Harvest Church had inflicted upon the body of Christ. While in prison for two years, he had often imagined himself apologizing to the pastors of Singapore churches. He ended his message the same way he began: asking forgiveness. Everyone could sense the sincerity of his heart, the sacredness of that moment. Even the harps of heaven hushed, and angels tiptoed around the stage as the leaders of MFIS surrounded him with prayer, prophetic encouragement, and Pastor Lawrence Lee even apologized on behalf of the churches. The presence of God was palpable and I was deeply moved by the radical grace that was demonstrated before my eyes.

Pastor Ye Peng also shared how he decided to pursue a Masters in Singapore Bible College and how a monthly Bible study he led grew from a small group of ex-CHC members who ceased attending church, to a fellowship of about 200. He also shared how God is using him to minister to people about to go on trial, those in ongoing trials, others who are already incarcerated, and still others who have come out of prison. These people find it safe to share their woes with him. He has become a wounded healer.

I had a great lunch and enjoyed the hospitality of the Riverlife Church team. However, I had to leave after lunch. I left thinking I could walk to the MRT, since the weather was fine. However, when I saw a bus stop, I decided it was better to wait a while and take the bus. Indeed, it proved to be the better choice.  

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