Tan Hee Guan

Take the City Walk

2006-08-01T10:22:00.000+08:00

Reporters: Teo Huili and Karen Chan (FS tribe)

It was hardly seven in the morning...the trains were packed with commuters, subway packed with eager participants…of “TAKE THE CITY WALK”! As I wriggled my way through the crowd, I saw people of different “makes”, young and old, big and small, smiling their way to THE PADANG. For those who do not know about the history of Padang, Padang is the place where our very first National Day was held, where our Leaders declared Singapore’s INDEPENDENCE! How exciting it is to be gathered in this place again, after 41 years…

The hosts! Ps Hee Jhee and Ps Victor, did a really good job in trying to wake the sleepy heads present. There was a little quiz for us to fill in. Although it wasn’t National Day, we were given a chance to wish Singapore Happy Birthday in advance! At 9:08 hours, we were to watch our watches and shout “Celebrate Singapore”.

With the help of our resident hunk Jonathan Wong and some motivators, it wasn’t hard to move the crowd. “Move it!” A rather unique way of conducting warm-ups, I would say. The last action actually required you to put the back of your hands against your forehead, as though one had a “Headache!!...”.

Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, was our guest-of-honour for the walk. Struggling to get past the crowd, I managed to steal some shots of him walking to the stage. He gave a really succinct but meaningful speech, describing the walk as the remembrance of the poor and needy. He called upon us to not only extend monetary aid, but to bless them from our hearts. Indeed, it is with the heart of worship to God that we give to the poor, as Jesus first gave us.

I was part of the Red Sector A team and we took the coastal route that brought us along the Marina promenade. Along the way, some of us started singing and the company was great! I give thanks for the many road marshals along the way. Some of them were the elderly. Their presence really motivated us to continue. God’s love could be seen through their radiant smiles.

It was a great time of fellowship for many. Werner Lee, a youthnet leader from Pastor Hee Guan network, thought that the walk was really a practical application of the principle of gathering. Though tired, Daryl Ong, his spiritual child, found the walk fun and enjoyable. He had a great time bonding with his spiritual father and brothers.

Despite the long walk, many gladly returned to the field to contribute their most “beautiful” smiles to the four thousand smiles project, a project initiated by the government and supported by TCS.

It has truly been a fruitful event as the nation and hearts are blessed. Hallelujah!

Our Love Affair with Jesus

2006-07-24T09:50:00.000+08:00

Pastor Shufang Tribal Gathering - 24th July'06
Reporter: Sharon Thien

The gathering began with a powerful time of praise and worship, as we, led by Pastor Serene’s girls, sang love songs to Jesus.

Thereafter, Pastor Shufang gave a positive report of the Shanghai Summer Camp, speaking of how the Shanghainese were touched as the team loved and served them.

This followed with Pastor Serene’s debut sharing of: Our Love Affair with Jesus. She shared that the message had been on her heart for a long time and of her difficulties in finding an anchoring verse for the message. The message was a reflection of her heart’s cry and desire to realign our hearts back to the Lord.

“We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19)

Tenderly but pointedly, Pastor Serene realigned us back to the crux of Christian faith.

Pastor Serene explained that according to the Oxford Dictionary love affair means a relationship between two lovers and here, the two lovers refers to Jesus and I.

Our Love Affair with Jesus involves:

1) Passion – The Motivation to Keep Going
2) Purpose – To Please the Lord
3) Prayer – To Live a Life Worthy of God

How Do We See Love?

Pastor Serene described that love usually begins with infatuation which goes through a process of testing and is finally sealed with a commitment called marriage. She compared the impermanence of marriage with the permanence of a relationship with God: In a marriage, the marriage vows will cease upon the death(s) of either/ both, whereas our relationship with God lasts for eternity.

Guard Your Heart

1. Double-Mindedness (with at least two purposes)
v Resulting from unfaithfulness (Matt 6:24, 1 Jn 2:15,16)

2. Disappointment
v Resulting from wrong expectation and image of God
v God is not a wet blanket or spoilsport
v (Refer to Rom 8:32, 35 and 2 Tim 4:7)

Pastor Serene challenged us to think about what it would take for us to choose to forfeit our relationship with God: “What are you asking for? Can you trust the Lord that He will give you the best? What price will you give Jesus up for? (Judas gave Him up for 30 pieces of silver.)

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Purpose - To Please the Lord

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Rom 12:2)

Pastor Serene asked us to examine ourselves: Is my life pleasing to the Lord? And to ask God: Are You pleased with me? (Heb 11:6)

Prayer - To Live a life worthy of God

“Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” (Rom 8:8)

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:10)

Pastor Serene then led us into a time of ministry and many came forth to receive prayer.

Insights

Pey Rou shared that she had a good experience of leading the worship as a vocalist. The thing from the message that struck her most was this: What price will you give Jesus up for? She affirmed that one day the test will come. She was also reminded to stay as a family. She prayed for someone during the ministry time and reflected that the things that could be done for the person were beyond her and she simply left the work to God.

Pastor Shufang Tribal Gathering – 24th May 2006: Run Girls Run

2006-05-25T13:20:00.000+08:00

Reporters: Huiling and Ing Ing

The session started beautifully with worship by our very own Shufang’s band – Fangsiang and her 12. The theme was stillness in the Lord and everyone was ministered to deeply as God’s reassurance came gently upon each of us.

Pastor Shufang shared that this is a season of faith. It is a challenging season. No matter what happens to us, we must keep our faith. Many things are happening to Pastor Shufang and she feels that she needs to pray hard as she has been receiving disturbing news.

Pastor Shufang wants to encourage us to keep running the journey of faith, especially so for the miracle catch. The Miracle Catch is a FAITH journey – we need to pray. And our only confidence is God Himself. We need to expect something miraculous to happen on 25th June!

So what kind of faith do we need to rise up?

We must learn to live to please God…..more & more.

Hebrews 11:6 : “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Faith starts by asking

TODAY is the day to start our faith journey if we have not started. Our God is a God of abundance! So we must learn to ask Him for what we want.

Matthew 7:7;11 THE PROMISE OF GOD - “Ask, and it will be given to you; Seek, and you will find; Knock, and the door will be open to you”

“how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

God is able

Eph3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”

Wang Yin’s testimony:

Wang Yin was struggling with a lot of work load. Her cell group was also hard to manage. She felt herself fighting spiritual warfare, and coming to the end of herself. She couldn’t handle so many things, and this was made worse when she fell sick with a flu and sore throat. Two days before the encounter weekend in which 6 of her members were registered for, she awoke finding herself too sick to speak clearly. In the end though, she chose to go for the encounter weekend as a guide, by faith. She asked the Holy Spirit to come to administer to her girls, knowing that God’s grace is sufficient. During the encounter weekend, her flu didn’t affect her ministry and her voice became better! Even though she didn’t sleep well, she could hear clearly from God, and she saw God working in her girls. God used her, an empty vessel, to do His work. She will persevere in this race and continue to trust God and lean on Him.

Pastor Shufang said that many a time, we need to keep hearing the message of faith. This is because we tend to know it only in our heads, rather than internalize it with our heart.

Faith strengthens through unwavering

Romans 4:18-20 : “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he as about a hundred years old- and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in His faith and gave glory to God.”

We need to experience the miracle of God, we need God to give us a miracle in our lives and for the Miracle Catch (ask for names + proclaim God is able).

The end result of our unwavering faith:

Proverbs 31:25
“She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.”

Pastor Shufang ended the tribal gathering by getting all the girls to visualize the miracle happening in our lives, and then laugh out aloud. That was a symbolic and prophetic act of claiming God’s promise that all that we have prayed for will come to pass in Jesus’ name.

Miracle catch! 7 principals + 5 practical steps:)

2006-05-21T11:13:00.000+08:00

By: Ing Ing (picture on the way soon!)

Hi Pastors, dearies and fellow bros-and-sisters in Christ,

i have typed out what God taught me during our half-an-hour QT at CG... for your reference if u do find some learning points too! :)

For those of u who may not have any idea how it came abt... basically, Watson, my leader's husband, told us to read the book of 1 Timothy. then we are to ask God how it helps us to know how to approach the miracle catch and da vinci code... i didnt have time to consider abt the da vinci code but was somewhat hung up abt watson's remarks that we should try to jote down a practical STEP-BY-STEP approach to the MIRACLE CATCH... that got into me cos upon first reading of the book, i really dun see much link, ha!

but I DONT CARE... if Watson says there is, then GOD MUST SHOW ME... cos i know God desires to talk to me... so there MUST BE... :)

ha, totally amazed by God... cos within 15min, HE OPENED MY EYES TO REALLY SEE HOW 1 TIMOTHY CAN GIVE ME 7 GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND 5 PRACTICAL STEPS TO THE MIRACLE CATCH...

MIRACLE CATCH: 100% GOD (Principle A) & 100% MAN (Principle B-G)

7 Principles to the Miracle Catch

A) Believe that even those who are seemingly impossible to be converted can be redeemed by God

1 Tim 1:12 - God's abundant grace upon Paul who "used to be a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man"

Amazing grace! so everyone can be saved! So dont be deceived that not all can be saved, even the hardest to reach out or the most stubborn "anti-christ" can be saved cos the one who redeems is JESUS Himself!

B) Pray for our leaders

1 Tim 2: 3 - "then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth"

It struck me that we are not just supposed to pray for those we are outreaching to, but also for our leaders cos somehow there is a special link... the bible says that it is good right after mentioning that we should pray for kings and all those in authority...

i believe a special favour comes along and all men will be saved cos God is pleased. So this reminded me of how the church wanted us to be committed and faithful to pray for Pastors in our midst.

C) Develop the qualities of an overseer and deacons - set an example for others

1 Tim 3: 2 - "...temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money"

1 Tim 3: 8 - "...men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain"

There are many examples given in this book about how to lead our lives and

1 Tim 4: 16 - Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

urges us to watch our lives closely as it can save us and people who see us! so we must set a good example.

D) Meet the needs of the elderly, widows & slaves i.e. those in need

1 Tim 5 advises on how to treat this special group of people... God showed me that it is really about putting others before ourselves, giving help to them and meeting the needs of them... similarly, the prebelievers have a need too. They have a spirtual need, they are spirtually blind. To reach out to them, we have to first meet their physical needs or emotional needs. Then with the bridge, we can then invite them to church!

E) Beware of what hinders my faith

1 Tim 6: 3-10 - "...unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between men of corrupt mind... 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction...For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."

God showed me that I need to be aware of what hinders my faith... must do a self-check... is my issue MONEY? or is there something else that stops me from giving my best to the Miracle Catch or believing God for it?

F) Don't give up, last all the way till 25th June 2006

1 Tim 6:12 - Fight the good fight of the faith

God reminded me to last the race and fight a good fight!!! in fact, if you read 1 Tim thoroughly, you will realise that fighting a good fight is mentioned twice. Paul keeps urging Timothy not to give up. Similarly, i cant give up even if my prebeliever friends are not responding at all. I must not give up even at the last hour before service on the 25th June. God can make the miracle!

G) Be faithful with little

1 Tim 6: 20 - "...guard what has been entrusted to your care"

God told me that i need to be faithful with little. Be it the gals who are currently under my care or the few who are more responsive when i invite them to church or whatever, i must be faithful to serve them and love them. When God can trust me with little, then the miracle catch can come for me!

5 Practical Steps to the Miracle Catch

1) List down the 12 names, even the impossible

(Principle A - Believe that even those who are seemingly impossible to be converted can be redeemed by God )

2) Self-reflect

(Principle C - Develop the qualities of an overseer and deacons - set an example for others & Principle E - Beware of what hinders my faith)

3) Meet the needs of these 12

(Principle D - Meet the needs of the elderly, widows & slaves i.e. those in need)

4) Be faithful

(Principle B - Pray for our leaders & Principle G - Be faithful with little)

5) Dont give up (Principle F)

Yup, so this is a precious lesson God taught me and clarified for me practically what i need to do for the miracle catch :) hope u are blessed as u read. feel free to share this with anyone else if u find that it is useful for them too! :)

Bombarbed by God's grace, Ing

Prayer Items to pray for Senior Pastor

2006-05-10T00:08:00.000+08:00

Prayer for SP

Scripture: Exodus 17:8-15

The Amalekites Defeated

8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."

10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."

Prayer for SP

Moses, being the leader of the Israelites, required Aaron and Hur to help hold onto his hands as Moses raised up his staff towards God. As long as Moses held his hands up,

the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning in their war against their enemy, the Amalekites.

Likewise, we need to uphold our leader Ps Khong in our prayers, so that he will continue to lead our church from victory to victory.

After the LORD had helped Moses to defeat the Amalekites, Moses proclaimed the name of God “The LORD is my banner” – Jehovah Nissi.

Let us now pray for Ps Khong that he will experience the victory of the LORD – Jehovah Nissi in every area of his life, that he will be a mighty conqueror!

In his mind, emotions, spirit, lips;
in his family life,
in his spiritual life,
in his relationship with his G12
in his ministerial life – especially in the Magic of Love and in his leadership of FCBC

15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. 16 He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The ^[^c^] LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."

Prayer for FCBC

What are the enemies that must be defeated in our lives?

Spirit of unbelief – that afflicts our spirit man
Spirit of fear and intimidation – that afflicts our emotions
Spirit of negativity – that afflicts our minds
Spirit of grumbling and complaining – that afflicts our lips

Let us now pray on behalf of FCBC against all these enemies that afflicts us. Tear down all the work of the evil one in our midst.
Pray that we will be more than conquerors in every area of our life.

Release the power of scriptures to counteract all these enemies:

Release faith into our hearts to believe God for the harvest.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1)

“ For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power of love and a sound mind.” (2 Tim 1:7)

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”

(2 Cor 2:14)

To counteract the spirit of grumbling and complaining, we must give thanks and learn to praise God. (See Annex 1 for scripture reference).

Jehoshaphat won the battle against his enemies when the Levites praised God!

Let us pray that there will be a spirit of thanksgiving and praise that arises in our midst.
Let us pause for a while now to thank God for Ps Khong and Ps Nina.
Let us thank God for our leaders, cell mates, and members.
Let us praise God in advance for the many souls that will be saved in the Miracle Catch.
Let us now end this prayer time with praise and worship from our hearts to God, for He deserves our praise and worship!

Annex 1: The Power of Praise

Scripture: Chronicles 20:1-30

Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon

1 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites ^[^a^] came to make war on Jehoshaphat.

2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, ^[^b^] from the other side of the Sea. ^[^c^] It is already in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi). 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said:
"O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.'

10 "But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.

14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

15 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

18 Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with very loud voice.

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his ^[^d^] holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever."

22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing ^[^e^] and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Beracah ^[^f^] to this day.

27 Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lutes and trumpets.

29 The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

Sharing on the tribal choir

2006-05-05T12:07:00.000+08:00

The month of April saw our tribe taking to the stage as we served our Lord in the celebration ministry. Despite our complexities and inhibitions, there was great joy and unity in coming together as a whole to worship. May the sharing of our beloved brothers and sisters continue to be a source of inspiration for us.

"Worshipping together as a tribe gives me a strong sense of belonging. Despite us being very different, we are bound together by the Blood of Christ. Opportunities such as these are not just fun, but truly precious.

Worshipping together in syncronity of actions brings personal worship to a higher level as we engage the congregation. Worship through songs are more than just words. It's an embrace of what we are singing, in the form of actions. I have a dream from the Lord. I thank God for this opportunity to see a silhouette of that dream."

- Eunice Lim

"Our tribe took part in the worship team for the month of April and I am proud to be part of this dynamic team.

It was a tough time for me as I was preparing for my end of term assignment papers and trying to fork out the time for worship rehearsals which fell on a weekday. I recalled rushing to rehearsals on Thursdays and rehearsals always ended quite late. But it was always a pleasant gathering each Thursday, as we met in TCT to sing praises to our beloved God.

It is amazing how serving the Lord can be so enjoyable. It was certainly physically exhausting to be jumping and clapping non-stop throughout service and throughout rehearsals. It was mentally grueling as well to memorize lyrics and to remember the actions but it paid off seeing the congregation praising the Lord with similar enthusiasm.

It is great to serve our Lord. Although our tribe lost a dear brother but being able to lay down our sadness at the Cross and conquering the rehearsals and service sessions with smiles, shows the commitment we have towards serving. Our Lord has not forgotten us and He rewards and blesses His children.

On Easter Sunday, our church witnessed many lives saved. That same day, I felt His presence amongst us, blessing us and I’m sure He’s pleased with our praise. I also am richly rewarded by scoring As in all the term assignments that I was rushing for throughout the weeks I devoted time to choir practices and services.

The Lord is indeed faithful and true to His words. Each time I sang, it was such a wonderful feeling. Knowing that He is pleased with my praise puts a smile to my face and pleasing the Lord is of paramount importance to me.

Heaven and Earth will shout Your praise,
The wonder of Your Name,
I’ll proclaim,
Evermore.

May the grace of the Lord shine upon us!
HALLELUJAH!"

- Nicole Chia

The Doctrine of Suffering (by Pastor Hee Guan)

2006-04-27T07:53:00.000+08:00

Suffering

Definition

(12 Heb. Words and 21 Greek words convey such ideas as: to suffer, to endure suffering, suffering, distress, anguish, pain, to cause pain, to be distressed, to be hard pressed, to torment, to permit, to leave or to let alone)

Suffering is a mental distress which may or may not include physical pain. Anguish is intense suffering.

Redemption suffering of Christ
The Principle of Corporate Solidarity says that the action/state of one element of the body can affect the whole body.

Through one man’s sin, death came to all men
Rom 5:12-13a Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- for before the law was given, sin was in the world.

Through one man’s righteousness, all man can be made righteous
Rom 5:17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

The passage that best illustrates the redemptive suffering of Christ is in Isaiah 53.
… He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed… He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken… Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities…

Reasons for Suffering in this world

1 Judgmental suffering
Suffering that come about because of judgement of sin (committed by oneself or by others) - violation of God's law.

* Divine judgement upon 1st sin.
Gen 3:16-19 To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

*Failure to employ our God given resources in accord with wisdom. Judge for laziness, lack of foresight, companionship of fools & greed.
Prov 19:15 Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.
Prov 22:3 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
Prov 13:20 He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Prov 27:12 The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
Prov 11:24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

*Suffered as a result of faithlessness.
Num 14:31-33 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. But you--your bodies will fall in this desert. Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert.

*Israel faced judgmental suffering because of her iniquities.
Psa 107:17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.

*Israel suffered for her guilt.
Isa 24:5-6 The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth's inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.

*Judah destroyed because of sin.
Jer 13:22 And if you ask yourself, "Why has this happened to me?"-- it is because of your many sins that your skirts have been torn off and your body mistreated.
Lam 1:5 Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The LORD has brought her grief because of her many sins. Her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe.

*Jerusalem in ruins and Zion suffered for her transgression.
Neh 9:26-27 "But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. So you handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.

*Ananias and Sapphira died because they lied to the apostles and the Holy Spirit.
Acts 5:1-11

*Judgement for profaning the Lord's body and blood at the communion table
1 Cor 11:29-30 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

*Because of sin, creation is subjected to futility and bondage to decay.
Rom 8:18-21 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

*Those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel suffer from eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of God.
2 Th 1:9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.

2 Testimonial suffering
Suffering for the purpose of bringing glory to God.
*Expected to be partakers of Christ’s suffering.
1 Pet 4:13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may
be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Followers may suffer for
A His sake
Phil 1:29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,
B righteousness’ sake
1 Pet 3:14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear ; do not be frightened."
C the Kingdom of God
2 Th 1:5 All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
D the gospel
2 Tim 2:9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained.
E resisting Satan
1 Pet 2:19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.
F being a Christian
1 Pet 4:16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
G His name
Acts 5:41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

*Through suffering, Job gave testimony to the integrity of his trust in God. It is a test
of integrity as a testimony to others and not judgmental for certain sins.
Job 2: 7-10 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

John 9:2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

3 Preventative Suffering
Pain may be a warning signal of physical dangers. Without pain people would be subjected to many calamities. Some suffering in a fallen world is a beneficial warning of the danger of more tragic possibilities. Pain is a sign that action should be taken; it implies that if action is not taken, the survival chances of the living thing are going to decrease. Sometimes physical suffering becomes a sign of spiritual need (the need for God). God may also allow physical suffering to keep one from more serious spiritual problems.

*Paul's example.
2 Cor 12:7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

4 Empathetic Suffering
Some suffering arises, not from sin, but love. We may enter fully through imagination and concern into another's feelings. Empathy with others who suffer produces suffering.

*The prophets of old (Eg. Jeremiah)

*Paul
2 Cor 2:4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

*All of us are to weep with those who weep.
Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

*God, Himself, experiences empathic suffering too.
Gen 6:6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.

*With loving empathy, He entered fully into the suffering of Israel.

Isa 63:9 In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

5 Educational Suffering
The greatest good of the Christian life is not freedom from pain; it is Christlikeness. God is far less concerned with the comfort than with the character of His people.

*Suffering produces character.
Rom 5:3-4 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

*When we fail to endure, we may require discipline as does any child.
Heb 12:10-11 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained

*The follower of the Lord not only passively accepts discipline, but actively disciplines himself. To achieve the higher values in a fallen world requires disciplinary suffering.
1 Cor 9:25-27 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Response to suffering
We need the wisdom of God to determine whether a given experience of suffering is judgmental, empathic, testimonial, preventative or educational.

1 We need to repent in response to judgmental suffering.
2 In response to testimonial suffering,

*Follow Christ’s eg. of endurance
1 Pet 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

*Continue to hope in God
Heb 11:36-38 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned ; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated--the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.

*Moses consider suffering abuse for Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt
Heb 11:26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

*See it as completing the suffering necessary for the building of the church.
Col 1:24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is
still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the
church.

*Know that it assures future glory
1 Pet 4:13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may
be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

*Eternal perspective – present suffering is slight in comparison with eternal glory
Rom 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the
glory that will be revealed in us.
Cor 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal
glory that far outweighs them all.

*Rejoice
See 1 Pet4:13
James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

3 Receive preventative and educational suffering for your own good.

Result of redemptive suffering in Christ

a. proven genuine faith (1 Pet 1:6-7)
b. glory that would follow (1 Pet 1:11)
c. commending from God as Christ’s follower (1 Pet 2:20)
d. redemption (1 Pet 2:23-24)
e. blessing for ourselves (1 Pet 3:8-14)
f. opposition for evil human desires (1 Pet 4:1-4)
g. joy when Christ’s glory is revealed (1 Pet 4:12-14)
h. dignity in bearing God’s name (1 Pet 4:15-16)
i. strength, firmness and steadfastness in the Lord (1 Pet 5:10-11)
j. comfort as well as comfort for others (2 Cor1:3-5)
k. character (Rom 5:3-4)
l. produces a harvest of righteousness and peace (Heb 12:10-11)

2006-04-26T12:12:00.000+08:00

HG144 Gathering (7): Lord, I Want to See – The Power of Vision (2006 and beyond)

2006-04-10T10:07:00.000+08:00

HG144 Gathering: 7 Principles on Leadership

(1): No Pain, No Gain - The Path of Discipline (1984-1986)
(2): Don't Miss the Boat - The Pursuit for Growth (1987-1991)
(3): The Anointing of Elijah – The Pace-setter’s Legacy (1991-1992)
(4): Give me the Mountains – The Pioneering Spirit (1992-1996)
(5): The Garden of Gethsemane – The Pain of Leadership (1997-2001)
(6): The God of Faithfulness – The Peace in Transition (2002-2005)
(7): Lord, I Want to See – The Power of Vision (2006 and beyond)

Pastor Hee Guan started off by giving an overview of what had been shared in the last few tribal meetings.

He said that when we understand what our vision is and know how to appropriate the power of vision, we will see the coming years and can “live in the future”. There is no limit as to what our future holds because God is with us.

Verses: Mark 10: 46-52

In the process of running in the vision, God has called us to make disciples so that people can come and understand the goodness of God. In the process of running in the vision and conquering the vision, we expect the following 9 things to happen:

1) Dissatisfaction with our Present Condition

46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout….

When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazereth, he began to shout. If Bartimaeus had been contented with the status quo, he would never have had experienced the miracle of healing and restoration.

This is an analogy for our lives. Some of us are doing badly, we are behaving just like beggars, but we are satisfied and live with the deception that “my life is like that”. If this is the case, we will not have a breakthrough. Some of us are doing well. If we dream for God, our lives will be even more interesting, challenging and exciting.

Challenge: Be DISSATISFIED with our present condition. To be dissatisfied means that we know that something better will come.

2) Uncover our Potential with Certainty

47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

First key phrase: Jesus of Nazereth – Carpenter’s Son.
Second key phrase: Son of David – King David is the most respected king of the Jews.

There is a major difference in the ways Bartimaeus sees Jesus. He sees the potential in Jesus – The Son of David. The learning point is that we need to uncover the potential in ourselves. We have to be certain of our potential. Sometimes the spirit of God speaks to us and tells us about our potential, but we are doubtful. We do not know we have TREMENDOUS potential because the spirit of God lives in us – the same God who parted the red sea, who provided manna for forty years, who helped Elijah to call down fire. The same God who lives in us gives us tremendous potential for our present and future.

3) Unleash the Power of Confession.

47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

By the confession of our mouth, we are saved by God. God said “Let there be light” and there was light. Spoken words are very powerful. Many people are traumatized by spoken words uttered lightly during their childhood. If words from normal people can be so powerful, what more then words spoken in faith and supported by the POWER of God? When we say “I’m going to be a failure”, what we are really doing is to speak the curse into reality.

4) Undaunted Perseverance in Conquest

48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

In life, obstacles will come. People may speak discouraging words such as “you cannot make it” but nevertheless, we must persevere. We must learn to be undaunted in spirit. Pastor himself met a lot of challenges over the years yet he feels that “obstacles are not there to stop him but for him to clear”. Press on! He encouraged us.

5) Ultimate Pause that Calls

49a Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

We will hear the affirmation from Jesus. In the stillness, we will feel the ultimate pause that calls us. We need to hear from God intimately so that we can be sure that it is He who has called.

6) Unexpectedly People Changed

49b …So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”

People who rejected previously will suddenly change when the favor of Godcomes and heaven opens. Pastor identifies with this. He had a dinner with high authority leaders in China. There had been many people who tried their best to interact with them but failed. When God's favour went with him, people just become open towards him because God will change the hardened hearts of those people into open hearts. Those were the people who said"Quiet, quiet", while now they say "cheer up, cheer up!"

7) Unbounded by Possessions and Comforts

50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

In our lives, we will come to a point when God will challenge us and ask us whether we are willing to give up our possessions and comforts. Some of ushave big ambitions and are not willing to give up. Pastor used to dream of being a principal under MOE. But as he gave up his this 'principal possession', he now becomes the principal of the School of Leaders at a much younger age.

Today he received an email that there is a China Nation-wide Conference and Pastor has been invited to be a speaker. His profile in China will be highly raised as he will have the opportunity to go to round tables and meet the experts in different fields. Pastor will be flying to China more frequently to address the people.

When we dare to give to God whatever little we have, God will give something better and bigger back to us.

8) Unashamed in the Presence of Christ

51 “What do you want me to do for you? Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

Bartimaeus came face to face with Jesus. Do not be ashamed when God comes to visit us. Pastor shared how ashamed he somehow felt when God visited him and healed him during the time he had a bad fall. He encouraged us with the assurance that God will visit us very intimately and that we should not be ashamed. We have to tell God our vision and be unashamed about our needs and dreams in His presence.

9) United with the Person of Christ.

52 “Go,” said Jesus, “Your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Bartimaeus did not go after he was healed. He chose to follow Jesus. He knew that it was more important to follow the Healer than just receive the healing.

4 Major Conquests

We have to pass on His love for people and help them to tap on the grace of God. We have to help them to uncover the veil to see the blessings of God.

1) Conquer the 12

Stage 1: If we are too satisfied, we cannot conquer.
Stage 2: If we have no confidence, we cannot conquer.
Stage 3: If we do not dare to confess, we cannot conquer. We will miss out on a powerful weapon. Confession strengthens our inner man and it strengthens our faith. We have to keep ourselves aligned so that our faith will rise up.
Stage 4: If we give up, we cannot conquer.
Stage 5: If we are tired, we cannot conquer. We need to listen to God and hear from Him that it is truly He who has called us.
Stage 6: If we keep feeling that it is difficult to work with people, we cannot conquer. Unexpectedly, people will change so we cannot see people as who they are now.
Stage 7: If we are scared of giving up our possessions and comforts, we cannot conquer. Pastor challenged us to give. Do not hold on so tightly.When we dare to let go, God will give it to us. Sometimes, the things we hold on so tightly to are simply not worth it.
Stage 8: If we are ashamed, we cannot conquer. When we come before God, we must know that God is a gracious God. We need to repent of our sins and God will receive us. There is no need to be ashamed. We should approach the throne of grace with confidence.
Stage 9: If we are not united with God, we cannot conquer. God’s heartbeat is for us to make disciples, so we must be united with Him to conquer.

Pastor shared Jonathan's testimony, about his vision to build up a tribe of sportsmen. Jonathan has 3 sportsmen now and by the end of the year, he is going to conquer his 12. Pastor challenged him to conquer his 144 once he has conquered his 12.

Pastor wanted to bring us to National Stadium to see the vision for ourselves. Two years ago, when he was at Bogota, he saw 60,000 people worshipping God together. It was indeed a tremendous and glorious sight. Pastor Caesar asked whether the foreign delegates believe they could fill up such a place in their hometown and Pastor answered in the affirmative.

Last year, FCBC was asked whether she wanted to a 7000-seater auditorium. This is the first time in Singapore that so many people can come together toworship God weekly. We must believe that we are going to bless the nations. About five to seven years ago, US predicted that because of AIDS in Uganda, more than 50% of the population will have AIDS. However, a revival took place in the Uganda churches and many people gave their lives to God. People packed the churches and when they left the church, they found themselves completely healed. The population of Christians increased tremendously and the number of people with AIDS dipped in direct proportion. The President dedicated the whole nation of Uganda to God at the national stadium. They now even have a Minister of Moral and Integrity who would rebuke and correct the wrongdoers and criminals and advise them to repent to God. Indeed we can see that when stadiums are filled up, the whole nation changes for the better.

2) Conquer 144
3) Conquer stadium
4) Conquer destiny

Everyone must have a destiny. If we do not have a destiny, we need to ask God for it.

Pastor invited his 12 men to share their dreams and destinies.

Pastor brings us through a process of tracking history: Whenever there is a revival, the whole city transforms. US has been blessed for so many years because the gospel hit the west and they received it. People live according to the gospel and are blessed. When we receive the blessings of God, we will be transformed. Pastor Hee Guan ended with much pride in his 12 men. He encouraged us that God will use everyone of us, regardless of anything. Walk in faith, the life ahead is exciting. The future is looking to be so additionally challenging with globalization and the latest trends and their assaults on the young generation. The only safeguard we have is God.

Insights

Xiaoshan: He wants his 12 to go out to the nations and create “havoc”.

Rennie: He shares that the Bible says that we have to serve because we want to. He hopes that some of his guys will fix their eyes on a ministry and go for it. He wanted to go into Indonesia because Indonesia is poor. However he learnt something. He realized that if he wants to reach the nations, he cannot reach it by his own effort, especially if there is a difference in culture. He needs to reach out to one person from that nation and that person will in turn bridge the gap and reach out for his homeland.

Isaac (Vincent’s boy): God is teaching him about perseverance and faith in praying for nationals. There was a time when he was praying very desperately to God. He felt himself crying out but did not know who he is crying out for. With God, all things are possible. He knows that even in the sports arena, if he intercedes with faith, God will use him. He hopes that his guys can learn something and impact the rest. He hopes that his team will win the national championship and that will be a Miracle Catch. Then people will be open and the team will be together. He has accepted the challenge to bring 12 friends in 12 weeks’ time! He requested for prayers, because of his injury and it is his heart’s desire to rise up in faith and perseverance for the Lord.

SF144

Pastor Shufang shared that God asked her to ask for her birthday present. She has 158 girls at the moment. She plans to have 320 girls by Dec 2006 initially. Even though Pastor Serene has brought away one-third of the girls, she is still asking God for 320 girls. When we think of conquering our 12, we must go with confidence because God has promised Pastor Shufang with a birthday present and God will surely give her the birthday present. Pastor encouraged us and gave us confidence that we will CONQUER!! She rounded up by wanting us to do 3 things:

1) thank Pastor Heeguan for the teaching session
2) email our dream to her
3) conquer our12

G12 Conference Session 14

2006-04-06T14:45:00.000+08:00

G12 Conference Session 14
Reporter: Teo Huili

During the last session of the G12 conference, Pastor Lawrence Khong took emotions to a new peak when he conveyed his loyalty and faithfulness, the mark of true sonship, to his spiritual father, Pastor Caesar Castellanos. Indeed, during the most difficult and trying moments of Pastor Caesar’s life, when his church at Bolgota experienced a spiritual ‘tsunamis’, Pastor Khong stood by his side and extended his unequivocal support.

In response, Pastor Caesar affirmed his love for Pastor Khong through the act of washing his feet on the stage, imitating the example set by Jesus, when he washed his the feet of his disciples, to affirm his love for them. It was indeed a touching moment as all witnessed to their expression of love for each other in the midst of hugs and tears.

Pastor Claudia, who was deeply moved by the sight, went on stage to pray for Pastor Khong and his church. All hearts stirred and rejoiced as she prophesised that there will be an outpouring of anointing on Pastor and that he will proclaim freedom and healing for many nations. Key people from governments of different nations will open doors for the gospel to come in and nations will turn to the Lord. The vision will be fulfilled in a very short time. Praise the Lord!

Pastor Khong has indeed set an excellent example to FCBC and other international delegates of what a G12 family is all about. Indeed, I believe that the church of FCBC will be strongly united in one body, as they run in the G12 vision.

The G12 conference ended on a high note as many people brought home a new revelation, a renewed faith and spirit.

G12 Conference Session 13: 12 Values of G12 (cont’d), Ps Khong

2006-04-05T23:55:00.000+08:00

G12 Conference Session 13: 12 Values of G12 (cont’d), Ps Khong
Reporter: Sharon Thien

Ps Khong began by sharing about his mission trip experience to Mongolia during his earlier days. At that time, God said “Go” and he went. The temperature was at a freezing –40 degrees Celsius and there was no power supply. He highlighted that Mongolians had the spirit of conquest when they conquered China, and with the same spirit of conquest, they can conquer vast territories for the kingdom of God when redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Ps Khong then invited a pastor couple to share about how they used G12 and how their church became the biggest church in Mongolia. Thereafter, Ps Cesar prayed for them.

Ps Khong went on to list the 12 Values of the G12:

1. Revelation of the Cross – Gal 6:14
There is no obstacle in our lives that cannot be overcome by the power of the cross.
2. Discipleship – Matt 28:19, 20, Matt 10:37
It is about building strong & deep relationships.
3. Family & Fathering – 1 Cor 4:15-17
It is about authenticity and relationships.
4. Mothering – The release of women
Men & women rising up together & fulfilling the purposes of God.
5. Strengthening the Home – 1 Tim 3:5
6. Three-Generational Ministry – Exo 3:15

Ps Khong said that he had spoken much about the values of the G12 (in the 4th G12 Int’l Conference) but he wanted to add on and highlighted that his main point for this session was yet to come.
The G12 ministry is based on three-generational ministry, which ensures perpetuity, safety and legacy.

Perpetuity – The Importance of propagation

In the history of Israel, when God revealed Himself, He spoke, “I am God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob”. God first spoke this to Moses. We want to leave behind not just disciples but disciple-makers; not just 12 but 144. The three-generational ministry is the key to multiplication.

Safety – The Importance of the Patriarch

Nobody taught us how to become a father when we had children. But when we have grandchildren, we can mentor our children how to parent our grandchildren. He explained that when the Senior Pastor rises up as a patriarch, he will rule the church with the heart of a father. He shared about how he started the cell-church. He said that the church must be led by one anointed man of God. One man will make the decisions as opposed to layers of committee members who will trap one another & frustrate the plans of God. He illustrated that God picked one man – Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Peter & Paul to specific purposes. He acknowledged that he would have trusted leaders who would provide feedback and counsel but eventually, he would make the final decision.

Legacy – The Importance of Loyalty

Ps Khong assured that he was sharing this not because he was an egotistical maniac. But he highlighted the importance of loyalty and submission. Disloyalty is the greatest sin of the end times.

2 Tim 3:1-4

1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—

We are called to be loyal to our spiritual fathers.

Jos 1:16-18

16 Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!"

Heb 13:17 – We are to obey, not just respect our leaders.

17Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Ps Khong said that we ought to look for mighty & loyal men to do the work of God. He added that we would never know whether a man is loyal or not until he is tested and that while we may disagree with our leaders, we must still make the choice to obey. He shared his story about an incident when he disagreed with his seminary Pastor when he was in Dallas Theological College. But despite of that, he supported his Pastor and did not utter a single word against him. He knew that his job was to help his Pastor succeed and to be loyal to the man whom God had set over him.

Finally, Ps Khong reiterated that he gave up his cell-church concept for the G12 vision as he would rather be in a troop that is winning the battle than be a general in a losing battle.

G12 Conference Session 12: The 21st Century Gideon, Pastor Art Suplveda

2006-04-05T23:33:00.000+08:00

G12 Conference Session 12: The 21st Century Gideon, Pastor Art Suplveda
Reporter: Teo Yating

Judges 6
We are the people of destiny, purpose and assignment. This assignment demands the anointing of God. Only God knows our destiny and purpose.

Pastor Art spoke to us through the story of Gideon.

Like Gideon, we might feel a strong sense of inadequacy to fulfill any huge plans for the Lord. However, there are people out there who are ready and waiting for us to bring the Lord to them. These people just do not know that it is Jesus that they need. God is going to change their lives and set them in a powerful direction because God is the giver of dreams. This point was further illustrated through the video entitled “Bring Jesus to me” This video illustrated the sufferings and pains of people. Suffering people who are waiting for us to bring Jesus into their lives.

The people of the world are crying out for help, like the Israelites: “when the Israelites cried to the LORD because of Midian” (v.7). In the next verse we see that God “sent them a prophet”, and our role as 21st century Gideons is to be prophets to a world needing help, to bring Jesus to them.

Pastor Art challenged the congregation to believe in God who believes in us.
We should not question but believe in God regardless of whether others believe in us. To illustrate, Gideon was a man with no natural ability and gifting, He had been rejected by his own family - "’But Lord,’ Gideon asked, ‘how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family’” (v.15).

Despite Gideon’s failings, God believed in him: “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior” (v.12). Note that Gideon was called a mighty warrior even though he had not accomplished his task – God sees potential in us beyond the deeds we have done.

Similarly, many of us battle with insecurities in our lives. When people do not believe in us, we feel rejected and worthless. However, when the Lord Jesus comes into our life, he makes us significant because he has a purpose for us as men and women of God. This is the destiny that God has created for us.

Though we are but ordinary people, God believes in using ordinary people to do his works. Pastor Art shared his testimony about how he would have been the most unlikely person to succeed. He had flunked his second grade and grew up without his father in his life.

Why would God do such an imperative work in our life?
God is doing this because there is someone waiting for us to bring Christ to them. These are the people who are lost and empty inside. They need Jesus in their lives. God has appointed us to reach the powerless and with that appointment comes his anointing. We are invested with supernatural abilities through God’s power and grace and He gives us the courage to empower the powerless. This is because God is with us, and His promise to Gideon extends to us too: “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together” (v.16).

This is a time to be courageous and to rest assured in the knowledge that God’s love will transform us.

The video “what are you willing to do when it comes to love” set many of us thinking. Jesus never turned away from people. We should give life to people who need Jesus in their lives.

Are we so busy with our lives that we have forgotten the multitudes and we cannot hear God? In the midst of our business, have we forgotten that we were once like Gideon who was crying out to God? Have we walked past someone crying for help without stopping to help them?

The key to reaching the multitudes is to have compassion. The Lord will give us the compassionate heart if we have the faith and boldness to ask of him.

At the end of the session, Pastor Art gave an invitation to those who wanted to be restored and transformed. Many people stepped forward to ask the Lord to empower them to feel compassion for the lost. Pastor Art prayed for these people and proclaimed this year to be a year of the supernatural. He ended victoriously with a verse of promise from Psalm 65:11 – You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.

G12 Conference Session 11: Vision – Not Why but How, Ps Eugene Seow

2006-04-03T20:50:00.000+08:00

G12 Conference Session 11: Vision - Not Why but How, Ps Eugene Seow
Reporter: Jesslyn Chia

The church is now 20 years old. God has given us so much within the last 2 decades.

The church vision that God has given us last year is applicable to other churches too. It is a vision to be shared. In this session, Ps Eugene shares with us how we should carry out this vision. It is not in the “why” but in the “how”.

All the many problems that we would face in carrying out the vision can be summarised into 2 key challenges:
Building bridges between community and church
Sowing the love of God.
If we can do so, it will help others know why we do what we are doing.

There are 4 keys we can use to reach out to the communities.

The Compassion key – the Touch Key
The Communication Key – the Magic Key
The Connection Key – the Youth Key
The Conquest Key – the G12 Family Key

The Compassion key – the Touch Key
This unlocks the community to open doors.

Ps Eugene used his favourite line, “At the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.” If the person’s heart is what we are going after, we should aim to touch the person’s heart right from the start. Although very often, the church ‘targets the head’ by appealing to logic and rationale, touching the heart is actually most important.

1986 Vision
Ps Eugene contrasted the church vision of 1986 with our current one. In 1986, our church vision was to establish integrated ministries of outreach, discipleship and service which encompass the whole of Singapore. This was a far more localised vision. Touch Community Services was later set up in 1992 in response to the vision.
Nevertheless, the 1986 vision already encapsulated the idea of reaching beyond our boundaries. We were tasked to head into the communities without being subsumed under the banner of FCBC.

TCS
The purpose of Touch Community Services was to demonstrate God’s love in a practical way, with no strings attached.

Since then, TCS has made a tremendous impact on Singapore. Currently, TCS has already expanded beyond national boundaries, as Touch Community Services International! It was recently honoured in Singapore with the Public Service Medal for its involvement in the tsunami recovery efforts. This has become an endorsement, a stamp of approval, which opens many gates into communities in other nations. We have also been asked to host major government agencies from overseas when they arrive in Singapore.

The Communication Key – the Magic Key
This unlocks the multitudes, regardless of whether they are rich or poor.
The Magic of Love is the medium by which the message of God’s love is brought out into the community.

Magic of Love
The media is a pervasive influence in our world today. It is a new source of power which the church is still trying to grapple with. Churches are usually one step behind. However, the Magic of Love works to pre-empt this. It allows us to gain some influence in the realm of entertainment.

The Magic of Love works, regardless of the audience. After all, Romans 10:12 states: “There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.” The story of the Prodigal Son is a universal one, overriding cultural differences and touching people from all walks of life.

This is the age of the Internet and rapidly developing technology. At no time in history has power ever been as localised. It is now placed in the hands of just about anybody who has access to the internet.

Project S.M.I.L.E
S.M.I.L.E. is the acronym for Sharing Magic In Love Everywhere.

Pastor shared about a student in Beijing who took part in Project SMILE. After the 2-day course, he went for a Magic of Love performance. He added his stint at Project SMILE into his SV and it won him a job. This student shared that Project SMILE brought to him new confidence. Although he was not a Christian, he praised Project SMILE, saying that it changed his life.

The Connection Key – the Youth Key
This unlocks the generations from apathy to synergy.

Fast facts: 6 out of 10 people on this planet are under 25. 90% of all professions Christians come to Christ before the age of 30. 75% do so before the age of 25.

1 Timothy 4:11-12 calls on the youth to be examples to the believers “in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity”. We must not underestimate the young, because they are the leaders of today, not just of the future.

Pastor shared some future projects with us.
i. Shanghai Connection
It is translated as “a thousand linking hands”. This is a vision for engaging Shanghai youths. 1000 Shanghai and 1000 Singaporean youths will come together to link hands in a show of friendship and eagerness to engage. This is projected to take place in 2008.

ii. Service to the Nations
100 local youths will head off for a camp in Shanghai, joining 200 other youths from Shanghai there. At the camp, they will learn leadership skills to equip them in serving the community. These youths will rise up to be youth leaders for the abovementioned “thousand linking hands” project.

The Conquest Key – the G12 Family Key
This unlocks the church into the community.

Previously, FCBC employed an old missions-based strategy, which involves planting missionaries in different countries to engage the different unreached people groups. These nations were called Restricted Access Nations.

This concept has changed. G12 focuses on family, faith and fathering now.

Conclusion
At this point, one of Ps Khong’s 144, Daniel, shared. He was a Project SMILE trainer and had helped out in the Magic of Love performances in Guangzhou. He spoke of how the Lord had moved in Guangzhou, where people generally had no affinity for theatrical performances.

In Matthew 16:19, it is said:
“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” It is with this last word that we should guard the keys we were given with.

G12 Conference Session 9: Your Best is Yet to Come, Art Sepulveda

2006-04-02T22:02:00.000+08:00

G12 Conference Session 9: Your Best is Yet to Come, Art Sepulveda
Reporter: Jesslyn Chia

We all encounter obstacles and face inhibitions that make us wonder if it is ever possible to reach out to the multitudes. However, to quote Hebrews 6:13, “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying: “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”

There are two things we need to possess in order for blessings and multiplication to occur in our midst.

We need God’s world view

Firstly, we have to possess God’ world view.

God told us to imagine the impossible. The 2 key words in the abovementioned verse are:
i. Blessing
ii. Multiplication.

The crux of the sermon is encapsulated in this statement:
In this day, God will expand your vision, ignite your passion and make you dream like you have never dreamt before. Call on the Holy Spirit for extra empowerment to let you imagine the impossible. Invite God into your heart to do the miraculous.

Looking at the world with the eyes of God

Rationally, it is incredible to us to envision the harvest field and all the sowing that needs to be done. But we have to step into a whole new dimension, so we can step out of the ordinary into a whole new dimension of the extraordinary. Once we see what God sees, we can do what God wants us to do.

Blessing

The meaning of the word “blessing” is, to be
i. Highly favoured,
ii. Empowered,
iii. Impossible to be cursed and
iv. Anointed to win.

God’s vision is about winning souls and making disciples. We shouldn’t look at the multitudes as mere numbers, because these are real people who need God’s power and life that He has blessed us with. And he has charged us with the commission to set others free.

We are history-makers

Our mission to win the multitudes will be marked in the books. There is a paradigm shift occurring in our midst. More and more churches are being built; more lives are being saved. It is our moment to seize the birthright that God has for us.

Whatever it is, no matter how impossible it may seem, if it is consistent with the Kingdom of God, you must strive for it.

The G12 vision is changing the church in a powerful way. There are no longer anymore borders or boundaries that prevent us from reaching the multitudes. Regardless of the country or region you live in, there are people who need your anointing. And they are now within your reach.

However, there is one qualification – power must still flow through the church. Hence we must reach out to people through the church.

We need to understand our purpose

The model to follow in understanding one’s purpose is Paul. He had constantly exhorted his disciples to follow him as he follows the Lord. Paul’s ideal is Christ and Paul is always aspiring to imitate Christ as best he can. This is exactly what we should do too.

Two key roles we should play:
i. A minister – A minister is one who gives and imparts and pours out his life.
ii. A witness – A witness is one who testifies and who also ministers.

In Acts 26:16, Paul recounts his conversion to King Agrippa, where he had his encounter with Jesus. Jesus told Paul,

“But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you…”

Our assignment on earth, our great commission, is to found in v 18. Paul is further told, in v 18, that he will be sent to “open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in [Jesus].”

We are called to this very vision. And there is power flowing through the church if we all collectively submit to this same vision. To reach out to the communities, we have to be rooted to a church.

A church united in the same vision will be as what God had intended. In Genesis 11:6: “And the Lord said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.’”

G12 Conference Session 8: Spirit of Conquest, Ps Cesar and Ps Claudia

2006-04-02T21:44:00.000+08:00

G12 Conference Session 8: Spirit of Conquest, Ps Cesar and Ps Claudia
Reporter: Lim Ing Ing

Spirit of Conquest

Pastor Claudia shared with us that year 2005 was a year when they learnt that all things work for the good for those who love God. Pastor Claudia saw a vision of her father running healthily like an athlete. God gave the promise to heal him and for the first time in many years, Pastor Claudia saw him walk. 15 days later, the Holy Spirit took him peacefully. Pastor Claudia knew that she had to release her father because it was God’s will. Her father’s last words were Isaiah 1:6 “Be strong and of good courage”. And God further comforted Pastor by reminding her that, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

In the days ahead, Pastor Claudia understood that that the loss of her father signaled that she must now rise up to take over the responsibilities of her father. God’s rhema word in Joshua 1 came to her. Before this, Pastor Claudia’s mission was mainly pastoral but when she rose up to lead the women in the church, 3000 women came to know the Lord in the first miracle catch!

Pastor taught us that we have to conquer other areas and we need to have a renewal in the mind. We need to conquer a nation, not just establish a big church. We need to conquer governments, media and reach key people like journalists, academia, artists, people in the cultural world. When Mosses passed away, Joshua had to rise up to make decisions be dependent on God. He had to learn to seek God and to walk the unknown path that all leaders must face with faith. It is easy for any pastor to preach and for any worship leader to sing but the key is to get out of the comfort zone. This is the reason why God kept reminding Joshua not to be afraid! We have to recognize that we can take the nations for Jesus and be that prophetic voice for the nations! We have to learn to die to fear and embrace the spirit of conquest! Doing unfamiliar things like the political campaign was uncomfortable but Pastor obeyed because she wanted to bring the word of God into governmental meetings. Each time before the meetings, she would apply the power of the blood of Jesus and declare that the message would reach the masses through the anointing and authority that God has given to her. She reminded us of the great need to go into the world and conquer!

Pastor Claudia’s second daughter is a song-writer and Pastor will always bring her along during her interviews so that the journalists and reporters can interview her as well. Her daughter speaks to them with faith about her music for the youth. The new generation needs topics that are updated and practical and we need to get involved in these areas. Pastor’s goal for the church is to have 1 million people in the church with the Holy Spirit’s help. She is now a senator and wants to eradicate poverty in the nation in the next 4 years. She wants to reach the poor and pass laws that will bring prosperity to the nation of Columbia.

We have to learn to move into the new and the unknown. We have to get people involved in art, preach through movies, fashion and art so as to impact people n all areas. Pastor challenges all of us to be conquerors and this year, all of us should ignite a new project. We should ask God to show us a void in the nation and ask God where we should be. Before Pastor Claudia became a senator, there was no Christian senator in Columbia. She prayed and because she was willing, God raised her up!

Enemy 1 – Fear

Pastor Cesar shared that we will all face enemies when we are out in the world. When God told Mosses to lead his people, people saw many miracles at first. However, the first inner struggle surfaced after a period of time – Fear. Fear is not a sensation of emotion, but a spirit. It is crafty like a serpent and we do not know when it is coming. It surprises us when we are not paying attention to it. When we accept fear, it becomes the Lord of our lives and governs us. When the people came out of Egypt, they gave a negative report when they inspected the land for 40 days. Fear and discouragement took over and the spirit of conquest left them. They felt let down by God and stopped fighting. A lot of us also lost our homes/ministries/ marriages because of fear.

Satan did that to Adam and Eve too. He first got Eve to doubt God and when Eve felt let down by God, she walked out of God’s divine plan and purpose for her. King Saul failed too because he had the enemy of fear in him. When God first called him, he did not feel worthy. God chose him but he did not do his best. In his first mission, he did not give his best of flocks to God. Later in his life, he was afraid that people will take hold of his kingdom and his son Jonathan will not be the king. In his last days, he requested to be killed because he lost battles. Fear paralyzes Saul and it does the same to us. We have to overcome this spirit to become conquerors. We must dare to speak about the mercy of God. In a survey on politics in Columbia, 12500 people testify daily of God’s goodness in the streets. There are 12 services in Pastor’s church during the weekend and people come to receive the spirit of conquest and go to the streets to testify. During one of the workshops that teach people how to testify, a young man shared that he goes door-to-door in his residential area to preach the gospel. People received him well but the administrator chased him out. He and his friends decided to book several buses and returned to bring these people to church. That very day, 370 people came to know the Lord! We need to go and ignite that passion and fire for Jesus! The nations need the word of God!

Enemy 2 – Negative Thoughts

The second spirit is the spirit of Amalekite. This is the spirit of negative thoughts in the lives of the people. Pastor shared with us the experience in Miami where 750 people came to know the Lord during a service. The leader who brought most visitors that day had 220 salvations. However when the service ended, the spirit of Amalekite attacked the wife of the leader. Her disciple came to her and discouraged her that the people who had received Christ will not return again because the distance was too far. She believed it and out of the 220 salvations, none except 20 returned the following weekend. The spirit of Amalekite affected the whole church and many fruits were lost. The leadership gathered and confronted the people. The wife of the leader confessed and repented. The disciple of hers remained in church for another 2 years and during the 2 years, the group of the couple could not grow. But on the day she left, the group grew. spirit of Amalekite searches for lives and brings the sin of doubt into the minds of people whenever the pastor/leader releases a challenge/mission. The spirit of Amalekite will cause us to think that it is too difficult and impossible for us to accomplish. We cannot let the spirit of Amalekite prevail and we must eradicate every root of negativity in the mind to set ourselves and others free. If there is anyone who has negative thoughts in the mind, he must be sent back to encounter Jesus again. Only those with the mind of Jesus will be victorious. Gideon brought his army out for war and God said that 32000 men were too many. Even when 22000 men returned, God still felt that it was too many. He wanted Gideon to choose only the best. The criteria is the mentality to conquest. Gideon watched the way they drink. Those who licked like dogs had a thirst and were quick and brave. Those 300 men were chosen to go to war.

Enemy 3 – Doubt

The third enemy is doubt – the opposite of faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Doubt is a stumbling block and it prevents us from flying for Jesus. This is why the men of God are all well-known for their faith. Pastor had a new revelation of the scripture that talks about the wide and the narrow door. We often interpret that the wide road is the worldly way and those who walk through the narrow door will have salvation and everlasting life. Pastor shares that the wide door is the way of logic and the narrow door is the door of faith. For the latter, we have no option except to trust in God for miracles and provision. For the wide door, there are many options. For example, we can believe in doctors or do a self-medication when we are sick. We cannot walk by faith and by logic at the same time. The road to total dependence makes us leave what is comfortable for us. Logically, we will not do that. But we have to obey by faith. No pastor will logically let go of the ministry he has built up, but when God asks for it, he must let go as the ministry belongs to the Lord. During the past 3 years, God has asked Pastor Claudia to step out of her comfort zone and revived her back into the politics arena. God had asked for her daughters too. By faith, she obeyed all that she has heard. He who let go to God what He requests will win. The more superior way is the way of faith!

Enemy 4 – Murmuring

Murmuring can come in 2 forms – active or passive. It is like a plague and both ways are sinful. Murmuring comes about when pastors/leaders do things which God told them to do but the people do not understand. The seed of murmuring is thus released. In 1990, the Lord gave a word that Pastor Cesar’s ministry will pass through a time of testing. It was also going to be a time of murmuring as the people will not understand. During the first stage of the prophecy, Pastor Claudia started getting involved in politics. Even the top leadership could not understand and looked with critical eyes. Many left and those who stayed on are faithful and they serve as captains. After the testing, the church entered into another season of new faith. We have to learn to guard our hearts against murmuring because God is against those who touch His servants. Murmuring is destructive and leaders must be firm to stop it. We will not accept murmuring or allow anyone to speak against the pastors of the church. The church has to be one. The unity of heart is essential to be victorious. This is why Pastor Claudia was finally able to reach the position of the senator and received one of the highest number of votes in Columbia.

G12 Conference Session 6: Spiritual Mothering, Ps Nina Khong

2006-04-02T21:19:00.000+08:00

G12 Conference Session 6: Spiritual Mothering, Ps Nina Khong
Reporter: Philip Loh

1 Scriptural Reference

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

(Titus 2:3-5, NIV)

2 Introduction

The way a woman glorifies God in her life is when she practices all the traits listed above. To be able to do that, a woman – in this case a spiritual mother – must understand 3 principles: the principle of God’s Time, the principle of God’s Tool and the principle of God’s Task.

2.1 The Principle of God’s Time

In Ecclesiastes 3:1, it is written that “there is a time for everything”. God knows the perfect time for everything to happen. Not only does He know the perfect time for everything to happen, He wants us to know His perfect time for our growth too. God has planned for the G12 Vision to release the women into the ministry – and now is the perfect time for us women to take up the challenge and grow!

2.2 The Principle of God’s Tool
However, a question to ponder about is this: who are we? Yet the answer is found in Ephesians 2:10. We are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” – and the good work we must do is to become a strong spiritual mother for her daughters. This is not belittling our calling to the nations as found in Jeremiah 1:5 where it is written that God has set us apart and appointed us to be prophets – in this case prophetesses to the nations. We are set apart for the nations, but our first step must be to become spiritual mothers. We are a new creation, a new person in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17) and we can do it (Philippians 4:13)! However, at the end of the day it is still our choice whether or not we want to become a spiritual mother for God. We are urged to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) – to truly understand the three key principles and rise up to the calling to be spiritual mothers!

2.3 The Principle of God’s Task

What is this task a spiritual mother is to do? It is to train the younger women! The Apostle Paul believed in spiritual mothering and thus instructed Titus to teach the older women to train the younger women! The reason behind it is so that no one will malign the word of God. Of course we do want to glorify God’s name, don’t we? Then all the more must we strive to accomplish this task that God has set for us!

3 The Definition of a Spiritual Mother

To be a spiritual mother is when you, a woman of faith, enter into a ‘nurturing’ relationship with another woman in order to encourage, exhort and equip her to live her life for God’s glory!

4 The Prerequisites of a Spiritual Mother

As we can see from Titus 2:3, a spiritual mother has 3 prerequisites: she is to be reverent in her everyday living, she is not to be a slanderer and she is not to be addicted – in this case to anything – not only wine. Why? It is because they are the backbone for instruction, granting them the ability to train a younger woman.

4.1 To be Reverent in Everyday Living

A reverent lifestyle is a God-fearing lifestyle that is overflowing with love. This love that overflows is the identifying mark of our Christian walk. Why? It is because the Bible acknowledges that love doesn’t come easily. John 13:34-35 says that Jesus “commanded” the disciples to love one another. Just by the nature of the word we can know sometimes it is really very hard to love others – but we are commanded to do so. The extent of our love is thus the identifying mark of our Christian walk, because others “will know that [we are Jesus’] disciples” as we choose to live out his commands. Because love doesn’t come easily, it has to be taught! It has to be trained up in a younger woman’s life! It is our responsibility to do exactly that.

4.2 Not to be a Slanderer

Many times we don’t slander others intentionally. It is almost never deliberate, but we are just not careful of what we say. If we have an issue with a person, we are not to spread to (or the more common phrase, share with) someone else. We are to go back to the brother or sister to resolve the issue bilaterally. We have to be careful of what we say to others about others – we might accidentally spread rumours because of what we unintentionally say. Therefore we must surrender our speech to the Lord; only then can we influence the younger women to build right relationships. What are the right relationships they are to build? They are found in Titus 2:4-5. The younger women are to love their husbands and children, be kind and be subject to their husbands. They need to be taught to affirm and encourage, to love and accept, to influence and not demand.

4.2.1 Love Their Husbands and Children

We are to teach the younger women to love their husbands and children in the following ways:
a) See the good qualities of their husbands on not focus on shortcomings.
b) Understand the differences between men and women and not to expect their husbands to meet all their needs. However their husbands must not take advantage of their wives and give excuses. Simply said, the couple must learn to live interdependent lives – they must need each other, but must be able to function without.
c) Recognise the selfish attitudes in their hearts as they are barriers to right relationships.
d) Train their children for righteousness, to relate to each other in love and acceptance.
e) Look for opportunities to affirm and encourage their children as it is better to influence than to demand.

4.2.2 Be Kind

We are to teach the younger women to be kind in and outside the home.

4.2.3 Be Subject to Their Husbands

It is taught in scripture too that wives are to submit to their husbands.

4.3 Not to be Addicted

To not be addicted is to have and exercise self-control, as overindulgence enslaves. Self-control works to shape our conduct, ultimately our lives. We must train the younger women to live disciplined lives of purity marked by self-control, purity and productivity. First, we ourselves must live such a life.

4.3.1 Self-Control

There must be no addiction towards anything. Common traps are television, compulsive shopping sprees, eating disorders (be it too little or too much), promiscuity and dependence on drugs.

4.3.2 Purity

We are to live our lives under the scrutiny of God’s word – so that no one will malign the word of God.

4.3.3 Productivity

We are called to be busy – and that applies not just at home but out of home. The emphasis is on being busy (productive) and not being at home. Titus 1:12 urges us not to become “lazy gluttons”. Even in Proverbs 31, in the description of the virtuous wife, productivity is placed in high regard – it is found in Proverbs 31:13-19, 22, 24, 27 – 10 out of 22 verses!

5 Our Call

If you are a Christian woman who is seeking to grow in faith and to live according to God’s teachings then you are qualified for spiritual motherhood. All you have to be is a woman with knowledge of sound doctrine on the road to spiritual maturity. You don’t have to be an expert in theology or be super saintly to qualify. All you have to be is a woman growing in knowledge of the Word who has the desire to apply it in every aspect of your life!

ARE YOU WILLING TO BE A SPIRITUAL M.O.M. (Mother Of Multitudes)?

G12 Conference Session 5: Values of G12 (Part II), Ps Khong

2006-04-02T21:10:00.000+08:00

G12 Conference Session 5: Values of G12 (Part II), Ps Khong
Reporter: Nicholas Wong

Testimony by Rev Brian Lui (Taiwan)

Rev Brian Lui struggled to ditch the cell system, which has proven a reasonably effective tool for multiplication in his church, when the G12 system was introduced to him. Coincidentally, this was the type of transition Pastor Hee Guan was sharing about a week ago – how one has to deal with uncomfortable changes in order to conquer greater territories.

‘I think of the work of the Father. I want to serve my God. Taiwan has 20 million people who do not know the Lord. China has 1.2 billion who need Jesus.’ This was what Rev Lui wept before God. He recognised the G12 vision and its opportune calling for the end-times. Hence, he entered the vision without turning back, and he felt as if he had dedicated his life to the Lord for his first-time service.

This was the turning point for his ministry - one which required a new leap of faith and commitment. It was about touching lives and transforming the ministry into a lifetime of discipleship. Not a strategy, but one which enabled him to look for 12 lives to build in them and ultimately present them to God. The only focus of his ministry was his 12. Also, he no longer viewed his subordinates as administrative units, but rather as one valued in a living relationship. This made him broken before God.

Besides this change of mindset, entering the G12 vision transformed his lifestyle. Habits were changed, for example, the cable TV was removed. This was because he believed that only when ‘I change, my disciples change.’

The power and greatest blessing of the G12 vision for him lie in their strengthening the heart of the family and the home. His relationship with his wife experienced a marked improvement. The vision brought him back to the cross every time he squabbled with his wife. G12 also brought about the revelation that man and wife would labour in the ministry together, side by side. Their statuses as pastor and wife were renewed as ‘father and mother’ to the church.

Put simply, to Rev Lui, G12 is about Growth. In the first year when his church entered the vision, there was a growth of 200-300 cells. This meant that 200-300 leaders rose up! Rev Lui also testified that Encounter is the greatest tool for evangelism.

It all begins with faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Only when we believe, we will see G12 transforming us in every aspect of our lives.

Rev Lui’s wife emphasised that the ‘G’ of G12 is government. This entailed the power and decision we reap in our hands.

Sermon by Apostle Lawrence Khong

3) Family and Fathering
About authenticity, honoring, covenantal relationships, loyalty and connectivity

This value - family and fathering - forms the nucleus of Asian culture and values. What is more is our move towards building a Christ-centred family.

a) Family

The demonstration of true spirituality is transformation in the family. This is because we understand what it means to be fathered (mothered) and in return to be a spiritual father (mother). As Pastor Cesar Castellanos said, ‘Men lead men, women lead women.’ and later was questioned, ‘Will not the separation of husband and wife in ministry actually bring about the straining of ties?’ No, Ps Cesar said. In the G12 vision, both husband and wife will learn to carry their ministries heart to heart, spirit to spirit and run the vision together, in the same direction. No longer would there be one who would dominate the other, with gaping gulfs and tired tensions in between. The children would learn the one heart from their parents. This effectively binds the heart of the family as one.

b) Fathering

‘Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel…’ 1 Corinthians 4:15-17.

As such, Ps Cesar became Ps Khong’s one and only spiritual father.

We need to have a father’s heart to be a father. We need to learn the heart of true love and concern. This is the challenge. Be a father inside, and the son will recognise you as a father. This means that we treat our cell members as sons, in every aspect, especially discipline. Tell yourself – ‘I am the spiritual father.’ Speak directly to your son because you care. Do this, driven by the love of our Father.

4) Mothering – the Release of Women (as elaborated in the next session)

5) Strengthens the Home

‘If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?’
1 Timothy 3:5
The church is the family.

6) Three-Generational Ministry

‘“I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”’
Exodus 3:6

(as elaborated in Session 13)

7) Total Mobilisation

In G12, everyone can be a leader. As distinct from the previous system where a leader needed to be literate, knowledgeable and equipped with the 4Ws, now the G12 system enables everyone to be a spiritual father or mother. Pastor emphasised that being a leader was not dependent on the antiquary of theological knowledge we have, but rather, living as a leader, listening from God and depositing the rhema word into our children’s hearts.

Build their faith by challenging them, ‘Will you join me to believe?’ If not, say, ‘I believe and I pray till you believe.’

G12 Conference Session 4: The 12 Values of the G12 Church, Ps Khong

2006-04-01T21:21:00.000+08:00

G12 Conference Session 4: The 12 Values of the G12 Church, Ps Khong
Reporter: Rachel Yau

Ps Khong began the session by explaining why he believed in the G12 Vision. He said that in the previous cell model, the emphasis was on books and methods. People were caught up with the form, and lost the spirit of discipleship. The G12 Vision, on the other hand, helps us to have a deeper level of understanding about the Cross, about Fatherly love, and about relationships.

Pastor then invited Ps Sam Lai from Hong Kong to give his testimony of how the G12 Vision has worked for his church. Ps Sam started off by saying that he believes that Hong Kong is the stepping stone to China. He explained the struggles he had, in ministry as well as his personal life, before he embraced the G12 Vision. His church is located next to a temple, and he had to engage in spiritual warfare everyday. He was also physically ill with hepatitis. But 4 years ago, Ps Sam caught the G12 Vision. He tested out the G12 system by sending a young pastor, together with 6 others, to the northern part of Hong Kong. In 3 years, one cell multiplied into 33 cells. Last year, Ps Sam’s church fully transited into G12, and the result was a church growth of 50%. Ps Sam also testified that he had been miraculously cured of hepatitis. He reiterated that nothing is impossible with God. Ps Sam ended by sharing how his relationship with his wife has become closer after G12, as she has taken on an active role in church. She is no longer just supporting him from behind the scenes, but now stands with him, working hand in hand. Ps Khong then asked the delegates from Hong Kong and China to stand so that the rest of the congregation could pray for them and Ps Sam.

Taking to the pulpit, Pastor began with a word of encouragement to the congregation , saying that the G12 Vision releases faith that everyone can have a big dream for God. He said that finding the multitudes is not hard at all. It is the believing, that is difficult. He then went on to share how it was not easy for him to do away with the old cell system, and to transit into G12. The old cell system had been used by God to bless many countries, and he had “pushed it to the max”. Ps Khong was well-known around the world for it. However, God spoke to Ps Khong about the G12 Vision, and Ps Khong recognized Ps Cesar as a man of God. Ps Khong shared that it took FCBC 5 years to transit into the vision, and the church had lost half a million US $ worth of materials.

He then proceeded to explain the 12 values of the G12 Vision.

1) The first value is the Revelation of The Cross.

But God forbid that I should glory except in the cross, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

-Galatians 6:14

Every problem, every difficulty, every obstacle finds its solution at the foot of The Cross. The Encounter Weekend is not just about deliverance or healing or getting lives right; it is about coming to The Cross, where God’s love and sacrifice overwhelms us. Ps Khong said that our motivation in ministry should be The Cross of Jesus Christ.

2) The 2nd value is Discipleship. G12 is about making disciples and not simply converts.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age

-Matthew 28:19-20

It is only when we encounter The Cross can we become disciples, and only disciples are able to make disciples.

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

- Matthew 10:37-39

A true disciple will place God above everything else in his life. In order to produce disciples, it calls for people to die to themselves.

Pastor then went on to explain the different stages in the Vision and how they are in line with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.

Consolidation has such great importance as it is the gateway to discipleship. A person is wonderfully saved only if he is consolidated. There is no point in winning lives if they are not consolidated, as they will walk away with the same sins and baggage.

Pastor further illustrated this by pointing to the way Jesus disciples His people, by living with them. Jesus never conducted bible studies. In true discipleship, the content is you. In the G12 system, every disciple can make disciples, including the uneducated person. It is about the knowledge inside the person, gained through a personal encounter with God.

G12 conference session 3: Having a heart to serve God, Ps Cesar Castellanos

2006-04-01T20:31:00.000+08:00

G12 conference session 3: Having a heart to serve God, Ps Cesar Castellanos
Reporter: Sharmaine Lin

Pastor shared from Matthew 12:18 (Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him) that God has chosen us to proclaim His Word and to do so, we need to have a heart to serve God. Some of us struggle because we do not know if God has called us to His ministry and as such we all need a supernatural experience with God.

We need a supernatural experience because it is that which will help us withstand the pressures and temptations of the world. The raging voices of Hell that constantly haunt us can only be overcome by the immensity of His grace. Everyone is susceptible to temptation and sin but God will protect those who are faithful and will guide them out of temptation. Indeed, God will not tempt us beyond what we can bear. And along with temptation, we will find a way out of it.

Pastor Cesar also shared about the revelation of the Cross, which is the door of blessing to our lives. It is through the Cross, that we have victory in our lives. The revelation of the Cross is an experience of what it was like for Jesus to be crucified on the Cross.

Pastor shared his personal testimony that his experience of the revelation of the Cross, was the surfacing by the Lord of the sins of his past and of disordered passions that he renounced. He shared that it is important to confess our sins, even our sins of the past as that allows the breaking of chains.

Colossians 2:14

having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross

Indeed, when we confess our sins, there is a cancellation of every argument in the spiritual world and a breaking of our bondage to evil spiritual forces. As we confess our sins, God will cleanse and purify us and will lead us to a declaration that God is holy. Through the revelation of the Cross, we will have a supernatural experience of God and God will be pleased with us and call us into His service.

Pastor Cesar shared with the congregation of Pastor Claudia's supernatural experience of God which started with her prayer for the revelation of the Cross during a G12 meeting. Pastor Claudia experienced what it was like for Jesus to be crucified on the Cross. She also experienced the greatest moment of anguish, feeling the pain and loss that Jesus felt when God turned away, leaving Him to the attacks of the demonic forces. Pastor Claudia was transformed through the revelation of the Cross and it was this revelation that gave her the strength to press on in the face of the enemy and to rebuke the enemy’s attacks. When one has been brought to an understanding of the pain of Jesus, their spiritual lives will never be the same again.

Pastor ended the session by praying for the congregation to have a revelation of the Cross. This followed with a time of ministry and brother to brother, sister to sister, gave each other a hug from the Father.

G12 Conference Session 1: Three Important Keys to Fruitfulness, Pastor Lawrence Khong

2006-04-01T10:45:00.000+08:00

G12 Conference Session 1: Three Important Keys to Fruitfulness, Pastor Lawrence Khong
Reporter: Jonathan Wong

The G12 conference opened with a worship session focusing on the cross, a powerful reminder that we have received freedom through Jesus’ work on Calvary and can now enter boldly into the presence of the Lord.

Ps Khong’s sermon began with a question. “How may we be more fruitful?” The answer lies in 1 Thess 1:3.

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

There are 3 key items that are the keys to fruitfulness.

Work produced by faith
Labor prompted by love
Endurance inspired by hope

1) Work produced by faith

Faith is the key to productivity because it unlocks and releases us into the supernatural. Works that are not produced by faith are lacking in eternal significance. Hence, when we move out to disciple the nations, we must first begin with a belief in the supernatural. Believing God for an excellent life and ministry is not possible until we move in the supernatural. Even believing God for our 12 and 144 is done first in the supernatural before it can be accomplished in the natural. We were posed this question by Pastor “What would you like to see God do?” and he challenged us to dream great dreams in faith for the Lord.

2) Labour prompted by love

Where love is concerned, Pastor encouraged us to ask for a greater endowment of God’s Love. Do we really care about those who are lost and hurting? Do we love people? Is the love of God in us? For though we dream in faith, it is love that is the motivation to painful labour. It is love that will compel us to put aside ourselves for His people.

3) Endurance inspired by hope

Hope is the inspiration to finish the race: that which propels us to go all the way, believing that all the dreams God has placed in our hearts will be fulfilled.

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?

1 Thess 2:19

Pastor urged us to keep running the race in such a way that we may win the prize.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

1 Cor 9:23-24

Ps Khong then showed us his “dream”. To present his spiritual sons to God when we meet him.

To dream for God, he shares, is to do the following:

1) To dream for God is to live in the future.

Both past hurts/failures and past successes/glory must not hinder us from claiming the future. Instead we should interpret the future in terms of the past.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God

Hebrews 12:2

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

Philippians 3:13-15

2) To dream for God is to stay focused.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
1 Cor 9:24-27

In the G12 vision the focus is on our 12, our 144 and on birthing out spiritual children. One Illustration that was given was of how Ps Khong focused on his preaching skills because he wanted to become a world class preacher. The other illustration is about Pepsi vs Coke and how the more focused company – Coke, had far greater success than the unfocused one, which branched out into many different areas.

3) To dream for God is to grow in faith.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Rom 4:18

HG144 Gathering (6): 7 Principles on Leadership

2006-03-16T10:23:00.000+08:00

By: Sharmaine and Nicholas

HG144 Gathering: 7 Principles on Leadership
(1): No Pain, No Gain - The Path of Discipline (1984-1986)
(2): Don't Miss the Boat - The Pursuit for Growth (1987-1991)
(3): The Anointing of Elijah – The Pace-setter’s Legacy (1991-1992)
(4): Give me the Mountains – The Pioneering Spirit (1992-1996)
(5): The Garden of Gethsemane – The Pain of Leadership (1997-2001)
(6): The God of Faithfulness – The Peace in Transition (2002-2005)
(7): Lord, I Want to See – The Power of Vision (2006 and beyond)

As the men and boys started streaming into what used to be our post-service hangout, TCT Blk 162 Rm 4, they gathered in groups, fellowshipping while awaiting the start of the 6th of the series of Ps Hee Guan’s 144 meeting. In a corner of the room, pastor was preparing Daryl from JT’s tribe to be his guitarist for the session. Pastor called for his 12 and gave them some instructions... There was silence as the rest of the guys gathered and patiently awaited the sharing of our dear Pastor.

Pastor shared that the key to handling transition is to recognise that God is faithful. In transition, some people experience fear while others get stuck in a new system. However, when we exercise faith, we see possibilities which in turn gives us hope in the Lord.

Pastor recollected how Pastor Eugene challenged the youth pastors to move from Touch Centre to Touch Community Theatre for a second venue for youth service on Saturday evenings. Pastors Hee Guan and Shufang were the first to volunteer to move from a comfortable worship place to a new venue. It was a good move because Pastor gained exposure and growth even as he anchored youth services on Saturday evenings for 2 years.

In Psalms 85:7-13, Pastor highlighted verse 10. “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” The word ‘kiss’ is likened to deep intimacy. Pastor shared that when we know God is faithful, we experience His peace. We do not need to be anxious and fearful because we know that God will carry us through.

Psalms 40:10 “I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.”

Pastor shared that all who are living will praise God and that as a spiritual father, he would like to share the faithfulness of God to his spiritual children. He then led his 144 to worship God with the song “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever” and thanked God for His faithfulness despite uncertainties, despite our weaknesses and our fear. He prayed too for the peace of God to be in their hearts and minds.

Pastor highlighted 3 key issues one faces in transition.
1) Leadership
2) Gender Composition
3) Ministry Platform

Leadership

Pastor reminded the guys of last week’s sharing on how the key leadership and experienced leaders left. This meant that the wealth of learning that was accumulated was mainly in the hands of himself, Pastor Shu Fang, Pastor Jhee and Thomas. The situation was such that there was a leadership vacuum. Despite such a major change in situation, Pastor had peace because he knew that God is faithful and He will help train up the young leaders. He had the hope that they would eventually rise up to be spiritual giants.

Pastor then extended the invitation to his 12 to share about their journey in the last 4 years in terms of transition and of God’s faithfulness.

Jianhui was the first to share about the transitions that took place where the leaders under him moved on due to the homogeneity of G12. He also shared that he became directly under pastor’s leadership and that there was a lot of uncertainty. Jianhui had to adjust to pastor’s leadership style and spirit of excellence (which lead to discipline on certain occasions). As pastor walked through with him from 2002 to 2006, he saw a change in their relationship from that of leader-member to that of father-son. In this, Jianhui also started to learn what it meant to be a spiritual father to his guys. In short, there was a change in relationship and Jianhui also felt more at ease to learn and grow.

Rennie followed up by sharing how he used to be under the leadership of a pastor in the Arts, Business and Law (ABL) faculty. He had a big shock when the leaders decided to leave. However, he chose to be faithful in ministry as he saw the other leaders who remained faithful and stayed on in the ministry. Rennie felt that the key was to have an open heart, to be open to being a disciple and to being a disciple maker. Over time, his relationship with pastor began to grow and he experienced the reward and blessing and he quoted Matthew 10:41 “Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward.”

Rennie added that the transition did not really seem like a transition for him as he felt that it was smooth and he experienced peace in the process.

Pastor shared that there was actually a lot of turbulence around during the transition but he gave assurance to his people because he knows that God is faithful. As a result, a peaceful and smooth transition took place.

At the beginning of the transition, Pastor maintained that nobody was to leave unless it was of their own will. He also disallowed leaders to get their members from other tribes hence there was not much changes in the people in the tribe. After a few years into the transition, pastor started to shake up the tribe and started to challenge the ‘problematic’ ones to grow after the relationship had been firmed up.

Jonathan Wong testified of God’s faithfulness through the stability of the 12. He admitted that he did not really know Pastor very well when he joined his 12. Jonathan experienced security because his spiritual father made him feel secure and made him feel that everything was in control. He looks forward to G12 meetings and being able to listen to Pastor’s sharing.

Vincent shared that he used to be in the Engineering zone under Pastor Yeang Cherng. While preparing to go to India for mission work, he transited to be under the pastor of the ABL zone. Upon returning from India, it was the time where most of the leaders were either gone or leaving and he was invited by Pastor Hee Guan to join his ministry. In view of the various transitions, Vincent shared his learning.

He grew in confidence through time, trials and practice.
He had a commitment to the relationships in the family and to the community.
He learnt to conquer and to persevere.
He also learnt that our God is a covenantal God, who is faithful to His Word and promises.

Pastor shared about how the church history transited over time from one where Christianity was contained only in the church, to people starting to read God’s Word, to the cell group concept and finally, the present G12 concept. He envisions that in the years to come, instead of wanting to be a leader, Christians will have the pastoral heart. He shared how the lines between clergy (full time pastors) and laity will be blurred. Pastor gave the example of how Pastor Shu Fang and Pastor Jhee are doing the same things as full time pastors like himself. Hence, he shared that the next era paradigm shift in church history would be that of pastoral work.

Hong Ping was next to share about how everybody was very comfortable in the PRC setting. There was a lot of reluctance to transit to G12 and challenging members to rise up to be leaders was painful. Hong Ping shared that even though people came and left, he still felt peace because he knew he was going in the right direction. He felt that he was aligned in the vision and that was gave him the peace. In early 2005, 3 of his members left and he felt very upset and downcast due to the broken relationship. However, one member who chose to follow him because of his alignment in the vision caused him to pick himself up and move on in ministry.

Pastor reiterates that it is indeed important to be aligned. He gave an analogy of how when a zebra herd is aligned, they are able to defend themselves against a ferocious lion. However, if the zebras were to panic and there is no alignment, the lion will succeed in its attack.

Gender Composition

The second key issue in transition is gender composition. We transited from the non-homogeneous cell group concept to a homogenous G12 vision. Pastor invited the 12 and 144 to share if there were thoughts such as “Will it be boring in homogeneous cell without girls?” and “Will there be anything to talk about?”

Timothy (from Daniel’s tribe) shared that in the non homogeneous cell, there were times where there were feelings that may have crossed the line between members of opposite sex due to deep sharing during cell group and getting to know each other better over time. He also felt that it was more likely for people to fall into the trap of getting into a relationship when they are not ready. However, in the G12 homogeneous setting, he felt that with the guidance and advice from leaders and pastor, members would be more ready when entering a boy-girl relationship.

Andrew (from Rennie’s tribe) shared that it was a tough transition for him as he was from the Arts faculty (where majority are girls) and where he was previously under 5 female cell leaders. Andrew found it easier to relate with female leaders because he felt that they listen more and he enjoyed sharing with them. He also valued the processing that followed the sharing and the sound advice that they sometimes offered. The transition to a homogeneous cell also meant that he was to join brothers from the Biz Ad faculty and they were people he did not really know. However, after his experience and journey in the homogeneous setting, he feels now that it is much easier to father guys rather than girls.

Ministry Platform

In the past, the ministry platform was such that each faculty would take charge of their own faculty’s outreach. In the G12 vision, the transition made it possible for anyone to do outreach in various platforms. However, the situation can be scary because not everyone has the skill set to reach out to the platform they desire. Pastor felt that for undergraduates who were not able to father their peers, it might be more effective for them to reach out to those from colleges and secondary schools. When he shared such a vision with some leaders who had since left, he was accused of losing the vision of reaching out to the various faculties. Yet, Pastor held on to the vision and invited those who have experienced growth from the diversification of outreach platforms.

Sern Chiew (from Jianhui’s tribe) volunteered to share his experiences and talked about his difficulty in reaching out to his peers staying in Prince Georges Park (PGP). He felt that it was because they saw him as his peer and were not receptive to what he had to share with them. After prayer and seeking the advice of his leaders, he moved to serve in the Boys’ Brigade. Initially, he did not have the skill set to lead the boys. Over time, he grew and brushed up his skills and after 4 years of serving in the Boys’ Brigade, he has seen growth.

Shu Fan (from Yifan’s tribe) shared about how he did pioneering work at NTU among the SM2. He shared that it was difficult and out of his comfort zone as there were no resources. With the support from his leader and some other members, he pressed in and learnt to lead cell group, organize activities and to be on the ball. Such growth would not be possible if he chose to remain in his comfort zone as there were already other leaders doing the leading.

Pastor shared that in the past, the skills acquired for ministry only focused on undergraduates in NUS. However, as we go out to serve the various platforms, we accumulate a myriad of skills as a tribe. He reminded us that it is God who has been faithful in equipping us with the different skills to serve. He quotes Psalms 57:10 “For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.”

Pastor ended the session by praying for the blessing of God’s peace upon his spiritual sons and for a fathering spirit upon each of his 144.

Insights...

Ansley (from Vincent’s tribe) shared about his transition from the Indonesian lifestyle to the Singaporean way of living in pursuit of his tertiary studies. Initially, he felt that the messages preached at FCBC services were intellectually offensive, aberrant to his usual Indonesian resignation. At FCBC, our faith was coupled by deeds – we have to enter ministry and start to serve at one point of our lives. This understanding confronted him with the moral dilemma to leave or not to leave the church. Also, he felt that relating to Indonesians, be it at cell group or on campus, was not his preference (despite his being Indonesian) and ultimately not his platform to start a cell group. Usually, he would follow Vincent around in ministry and tap onto the latter’s skills, but this was without motivation of his heart. Soon, he discovered that he could relate to Malaysians much better, hence discovering the true call to having a heart of mentorship. For him, commitment comes after having been challenged to fulfill tasks. In all, the transition in country and culture, together with ministry platform, proved to be an enriching experience for Ansley.

Vincent testified that God has been faithful all these years, while people come and go, God’s peace amidst the currents of change still prevailed. Several transitions have been noted.

1) God has widened his scope of ministry from the pool of undergraduates at NUS to the youths at the school he is teaching.

2) A change in mindset: Since there is common conception that leaders are mature in age, and even those who are 20 years and above could feel an unwillingness to abide in the call of leadership, what more can 15 year olds do? Indeed, Vincent was convicted to believe with all his heart that these young souls could be transformed and become cell leaders.

3) A transition in ministry platform: The service-learning platform is a tool for reaching out. Under his mentorship, students would serve the poor and needy, and grow in compassion and humility, which is throughway to their coming to know Christ.

4) A change in mindset: Just recently, inspired by a new addition to the cell, Vincent was challenged in the respect of discipling and transforming lives which on the outset appear to be naughty and outrageously demanding. But Vincent believes God for His faithfulness in handling members whose personality generally differs to that of the cell. Specialisation in a niche area where God calls you to.

HG144 Gathering (5): 7 Principles on Leadership

2006-03-16T09:50:00.000+08:00

By: Ing Ing and Huiling

HG144 Gathering: 7 Principles on Leadership
(1): No Pain, No Gain - The Path of Discipline (1984-1986)
(2): Don't Miss the Boat - The Pursuit for Growth (1987-1991)
(3): The Anointing of Elijah – The Pace-setter’s Legacy (1991-1992)
(4): Give me the Mountains – The Pioneering Spirit (1992-1996)
(5): The Garden of Gethsemane – The Pain of Leadership (1997-2001)
(6): The God of Faithfulness – The Peace in Transition (2002-2005)
(7): Lord, I Want to See – The Power of Vision (2006 and beyond)

In serving in NUS, Pastor Hee Guan learnt the pain of leadership through one of the significant events of his life. It began in 1996 when they started the operation of spiritual mapping. Spiritual mapping helped them to open their spiritual eyes and ears, and allowed God to speak to them. It was their stepping stone to NUS-wide planting of cell groups in different faculties, hostels and even ethnic groups. Not long after, Pastor Hee Guan was then raised to a leadership position when his pastor in charge of the entire NUS left. From his rich experience, he shared with us the struggles and pain he went through during those years of leadership.

The Four Kinds of People who Gave him Pain (Matthew 26-27)

1) Unteachable People

One of the difficult times Pastor Hee Guan went through was to have to deal with unteachable leaders. One would most likely hear this from an unteachable leader :"You're a leader, I'm also a leader. You have your way, and I have mine." The frustration comes when the whole group becomes stagnant when there is an unteachable person in the group. Pastor Hee Guan was not discouraged. He continued to believe in God's directions, but he ultimately had to take a longer period of time to fulfil his dream for God, because of the presence of unteachable people in the group.

2) Unreasonable People

Pastor Hee Guan strongly believes that the "Kingdom of God is advanced by forceful people". This pushed him to beat his own body to the limit, causing his health to deteriorate and it came a time when he had to be hospitalized. He had a very challenging experience during those times when he was sick with a weak voice. He met a lady who was keen on further developing their relationship. When Pastor rejected her, she became unreasonable, accusing Pastor of not showing her enough care and concern, and demanding that he meet her to answer the many questions she had. This drained Pastor Hee Guan, especially when he was without his voice and had to resort to answering all her questions in written form. The lack of understanding from the lady was disappointing. Unreasonable people would say often say, "You are a leader and you need to solve my problem, and you need to solve it NOW!" Many people were unable to take care of their problems themselves and pushed the responsibilities of their problems to their cell leaders. There are even people who move to a different church simply because they feel that their leaders have not been caring enough towards them.

Pastor Hee Guan shared from the bible, Matthew 27:19.

While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."

Pilate's wife warned him about the innocence of Jesus, but he acted unreasonably by allowing Jesus to fall into the hands of the people. The people were acting unreasonably too by choosing to release Barabbas and not Jesus. Without thinking, they spoke, "Let his blood be on us and on our children" and the consequence of this is that the Jews became the most persecuted population in the world today. Using this, he showed that unreasonable acts and words can lead to God's judgment and serious consequences. Pastor urges us to not only be reasonable but also to be careful in what we say and to take up responsibility for our problems and words.

3) Ungrateful People

An ungrateful person will complain, "You never do anything good for me!", after having received all the blessings. Ungrateful people will receive all the blessings and will not attribute their successes to their leaders. However, when things go wrong, they will blame their leaders. Pastor Hee Guan had his share of experience with ungrateful people. When he took up leadership position during his times in serving NUS, he faced many accusations, saying that he was not caring enough. This was unjustified as he spent most of his time preparing material for them for cell group and silently serving the leaders, resulting in a lack of time for interpersonal relationship building.

4) Untruthful People

Pastor Hee Guan sees the years 2000 and 2001 one of those most challenging years of his life of serving in NUS. As he was leading 180 people and 20 key leaders to take the whole of NUS, 10 of his leaders wanted to leave. He was disappointed and angry, as this meant a loss in morale of all the members at the very beginning of the "war". However, when Pastor Hee Guan managed to see this as a way of starting afresh and re-building, he was happy, as he knew that those who stayed were loyal to him. He shared that untruthful people will say, "You're a leader, I'm just a supporter. I can support you but I can go anytime." He sees those leaders as good leaders, but not good fathers. Fathers, to him, will not leave when their children are sick. Pastor Hee Guan stayed on and persevered because he saw his people as his children.

Conclusion

Pastor Hee Guan concluded his teachings by telling us about servant leadership as exemplified by Jesus. He said that he felt like Jesus during those tough times, being in a state of physical and emotion anguish. Just like Jesus, he would very much like for the cup to pass from him. But just like Jesus, he declared that "not as I will but as You will" (Matthew 26:39). The journey of suffering in the footsteps of Christ strengthened Pastor Hee Guan and was a test of his tenacity.

Insights...

Shufan feels that he has a long way to go, in enduring sufferings. He wants to prepare himself emotionally for what is to come and to be prepared for the price of leadership. He added too that it is hard to understand a leader's feelings unless one is really a leader. So, the only way he can understand how a leader feels is to become a leader himself. For him, the G12 is a path that follows Jesus and His sufferings.

A 12 of Pastor shared his own experiences about persecution. He was confronted with people accusing him of not being caring enough and he struggled through the times of watching his people leave him. Not just his 12 but also his 144, all of whom mean very much to him. He tried to convince those leaving to stay by advising them that they will never get to learn how to be committed in a community if they keep on changing churches, but ultimately they still chose to leave. The sense of pain he endured in the aftermath was a testament to his love for them.

Hong Ping shared about 2 main points: 1) Consistency and 2) Say what you do and do what you say. He feels that often, leaders face many problems with their disciples but it is important for the leader to be consistent, because the disciple will one day return and be touched by the leader's refusal to give up.

Sanctification Week with Tabernacle Experience

2006-02-15T01:30:00.000+08:00

Sanctification is a gracious work of the Holy Spirit
in freeing sinners from the guilt and domination of sin,
in calling them to strive for a Christlike character, and
in dedicating them to loving service to God and their neighbours.

Tabernacle is the Dwelling Place of God amongst His People!
1. Garden of Eden (Gen 1-3)
------ SIN ------
2. Tabernacle (Exodus)
3. Contrite Heart (Isa 66:1-2)
4. Jesus (John 1:14)
5. Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16)

What is the relationship between Tabernacle and Sanctification?
We are more sanctified by God <--------> God is more pleased to dwell

How do we enter into the Dwelling Place of God?
Through Jesus who is the Way, the Truth & the Life

Where then was Jesus in the Old Testament Tabernacle days?
Jesus is revealed through the Tabernacle!

The Revelation of Jesus through the Tabernacle

1. Through the arrangement of the Tribe (Num 2)
The tent-layout of the 12 tribes formed the shape of a cross.

2. Through the arrangement of the Articles (Ex 25-30)
The article-layout of the Tabernacle also formed the shape of a cross.

Prayer:

May we encounter the Cross!

3. Through the Government of 12 (Num 2 & Mark 3:14;16:15)

The Nation of Israel is governed by the 12 tribes.

Prayer:
• Faith to believe that he can find his 12 and 144
• He will run in the Vision

4a. Through the 4 Standards. (Num 2, Eze 1, the 4 gospels, Rev 5:5 )

East Standard - Lion

West Standard - Ox

South Standard - Man

North Standard - Eagle

4b. Through the 4 colors of the curtains; purple, scarlet, fine linen & blue (Exo 26:1; 26:36; 27:16)

Prayer:
Lion (King; Matthew) – Strengthening
Ox (Servant; Mark) – Humility
Man (Man; Luke) – Love
Eagle (God; John) - Soar

5a. Through the Bronze Altar (Heb 9:22)

Prayer:
• Repentance
• Cleansing

5b. Through the Bronze Basin (John 1:1-5, 1 John 1:1 , Eph 5:26 & James 1:22-25)

Prayer:
• Love the Word
• Obey the Word

5c. Through the Table of Shewbread (1 Cor 11:17-34)

Prayer:
• Unity with the Body
• Forgiveness & Acceptance

5d. Through the Lampstand (Isa 11:2-3, John 16:7-15, Rom 8:9)

Prayer:
Filled with:
• Spirit of the Lord
• Wisdom & Understanding
• Counsel & Power
• Knowledge & Fear of the Lord

5e. Through the Altar of Incense (Rev 8:1-5)

Prayer:
• Trust in God
• Prayerful

5f. Through the Veil (Luke 23:44-47)

Prayer:
• Seeking
• Enter into intimacy

5g. Through the Ark of the Covenant (Heb 9:15)
5h. Through the Mercy Seat (Tit 3:3-8)

Prayer:
• Embrace God’s mercy
• Merciful to others

5i. Through the 3 items in the Ark (John 14:6)

The Way - Aaron's Staff

The Truth - 10 Commandments

The Life - Manna

Prayer:
• Follow Jesus wholeheartedly

6. Through the Pillar of Fire & Pillar of Cloud (Exo 13:21 & John 8:12)

Prayer:
• Know the will of God

7. Through Worship (Exo 7:16 & Mat 2:1-8)
The central focus of the Jewish community is to worship God through Jesus.

Prayer:
• Develop a heart of worship

Conclusion
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Come! And be Sanctified!
As you Dwell with Jesus in the Tabernacle

HG144 Gathering (4): 7 Principles on Leadership

2006-02-11T14:00:00.000+08:00

By Zhaoyan and Adeline

HG144 Gathering: 7 Principles on Leadership
(1): No Pain, No Gain - The Path of Discipline (1984-1986)
(2): Don't Miss the Boat - The Pursuit for Growth (1987-1991)
(3): The Anointing of Elijah – The Pace-setter’s Legacy (1991-1992)
(4): Give me the Mountains – The Pioneering Spirit (1992-1996)
(5): The Garden of Gethsemane – The Pain of Leadership (1997-2001)
(6): The God of Faithfulness – The Peace in Transition (2002-2005)
(7): Lord, I Want to See – The Power of Vision (2006 and beyond)

Following last week’s sharing where Pastor spoke of the anointing of Elijah that could be passed down from leader to disciple, he now continued to share about his pioneering experience that began in Raffles Hall. A consistent prayer that his cell group had in his first year in NUS was that a cell-group would be established in every faculty and hostel in the university. However, he came to be increasingly frustrated with the prayer that was not backed up by any actions and as the days dragged past, the condition remained the same. There were still no cell groups in the many hostels in NUS. In 1992, he finally decided to take a greater initiative to fulfill his vision. It was with that heart and passion that Pastor began spying the land in Raffles Hall, but not without first aligning himself with two co-laborers who would aid him in his pioneering effort, Pastor Shufang and Pastor Yearng Chern, the latter who was already very active in Raffles Hall.

Pastor Hee Guan recounted an experience with a freshman when he was starting out. The freshman was consistently torn between two groups, Pastor’s and a secular group of friends who indulged in the lust of the flesh. Amongst them, ironically, was a ‘Christian’, who confessed God by his lips but denied Him with his actions. Finally, the freshman, convicted that this other group of friends were only going to mislead him further, decided to join Pastor. It was on that note that the first cell group in Raffles Hall was birthed. It was around that time when Pastor Hee Guan encountered Pastor Hee Jhee, who was then the orientation committee chairman of Eusoff Hall. When Pastor Hee Jhee was invited by Pastor Hee Guan to join them in the pioneering of cells in NUS hostels, he at first declined saying that his heart was in Eusoff Hall. But he was challenged to a greater vision, of planting cells not just in one hall, but in halls all over the university. In 1994-95, Eusoff Hall and Temasek Hall had cells planted, in 95-96, King Edward VII, in 98, Kent Ridge and Sheares. However it did not stop there. Pastor and his team moved into the ethnic groups. In 1999-2000, the PRC cell was birthed, following that the Indonesian cell. At one point, there was even an Indian cell running.

Despite the common perception then that one was already fulfilling one’s role as a Christian if one managed their own cell group well, Pastor felt that it was a limitation on his capacity and felt a greater calling by God to do more than just manage a single cell. It was with this burning passion in him, that he went on to plant many cells, raising up along the way great leaders such as Pastor Hee Jhee and Daniel. He gave the example of the Prc ministry, which began with the 周日聚会, O Yeah！ Hostelites were asked to pass on by word of mouth an invitation to this weekly event and at the first gathering, there came a crowd of a hundred!

Surveying the Land

In Numbers 13, twelve leaders were sent to explore the land of Canaan. The best, the sharpest, the most courageous leaders were selected for this important task. Yet when they returned, ten of these leaders came back with daunting reports.

13: 27-28
They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.

Believing the reports of these ten leaders, the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, forgetting already that God had delivered them from Egypt, the place where they suffered terrible persecution. Only Caleb and Joseph had faith and believed that victory was possible because the Lord was with them.
14: 5-9
Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them."

The ten leaders were struck down because of their faithlessness (v 36) and the Israelites subjected to forty years of wandering in the desert. What were the failings of these ten leaders, who though entrusted with the heavy responsibility of surveying the land, fell so completely?

Characteristics of a non-pioneer

1) A non-pioneer always sees the difficulties. (Numbers 13:28)

These leaders were aware of the fruitfulness and abundance of the land. In fact, they reported according. However, things became terribly wrong with the word ‘But’. But the people who live there are powerful. But the cities are fortified and very large. But we cannot possibly win them. Seeing only the ‘buts’, these leaders closed their eyes to the goodness that God had in store for them.

2) A non-pioneer always sees disaster

13:31-33 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."

They saw only impending doom, only their frailty and their enemy’s seeming prowess. Instead of holding onto the victory that God promised, they saw the destruction that they believed laid in store for them if they entered the land.

3) A non-pioneer allows himself to sink into despair

14:1 -2 That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert!

Discouraged by the negative reports of the ten leaders, the people allowed themselves to fall into despair, forgetting that their God who had so faithfully delivered themselves from Egypt would not lead them to destruction. Instead of seeing things with faith and exercising the strength of God, they began to lament and complain against Him and even started wishing for death as deliverance.

4) A non-pioneer sinks into depression

Taking the step out into the missionary field, into pioneering, is an immense task. If missionaries do not choose to see past the present difficulties and hold on to the promise of God, they can easily sink into depression. Rejection, feelings of being unloved, questions and doubts about one’s vision will cause him to fall short of God’s purpose and plans for him.

How shall we then equip ourselves in such a way as to have a pioneering spirit, like that of Caleb and Joshua who saw the fruitfulness and abundance and despite being presented with the difficulties, continued to trust in Him?

What a pioneer possesses

1) Conviction: the strength of your passion

Joshua 14: 7-8
I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.

Despite the passing of 45 long years, Caleb continued to hold on to his convictions. The strength and intensity of his passion did not fade with time. Drawing a parallel, Pastor spoke of Daniel who shared his burden for the PRCs in 1999 and felt a calling to China. Pastor challenged him to serve the PRCs in Singapore first and through this period, his passion never wavered.

2) Consistency – sustenance of your pursuit.

v 12: Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.

Caleb continued to sustain his pursuit of his inheritance. Even though the Israelites had by that time already received areas in Canaan as their inheritance, Caleb persevered for the hill country of Hebron. He never faltered or stopped believing in the inheritance that was promised to him. Eventually victory came to him because of his relentless pursuit. Similarly, Pastor Hee Guan never gave up on his vision despite the mockery from people around him nor was he contented after winning just one hall, but he continued his cause!

3) Courage

v. 11: I am still as strong and ready for battle…give me this mountain….I will drive them out just as He said. [...]

Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites but Caleb was not discouraged by this and courageously strove to take on the strongest fortress. While people around him melted in fear, he believed and trusted in the might of his Lord.

Similarly, Pastor’s foray into foreign territory, surround by people who did not welcome him, taught him the importance of courage, to persevere despite the odds, despite the language barriers and the fears of being ridiculed and unappreciated.

4) Conquest

v. 12 [...] You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."

A pioneer is always on a conquest to conquer new territory. Once we have the sureness of His promise, we cannot afford to be laid back. We must lay hold of the vision and move into battle! The battle for Caleb, did not end with Hebron, but he continued thirsting for more and God rewarded him abundantly. (Joshua 15: 13-19)

With that, Pastor concluded with a word of prayer, to remove in us faithlessness, our eyes that lose sight of Him in the face of difficulties. He prayed for strength of conviction, for consistency and sustenance of pursuit, the courage to soar in Him and the confidence to go forth in conquest driven by the sureness of His promise.

Insights...

Ethan, from Jianhui’s tribe, feels that faith is very important as he learnt about the 4Cs of a pioneering spirit. The teaching reminded him about having faith in God and trusting His words. He related it to how he once lost his wallet and was very worried that he could not find it. He prayed and trusted God’s word that he would find it.

The ‘C’ that spoke to him most was ‘conviction’, which he feels is the key to trusting God’s power to carry out what He promises in his life. He wants to apply the teaching and build up his faith in God by reading the Bible consistently, believing in thepromises God says in His word and having a faith that is fanned upon constantly. He also feels that pioneering requires submission, where one submits to God’s timing and purpose. Ethan believes that when one acts in faith, God will work something out for him.

Sen Chou, who is directly under Jianhui, learnt that conviction requires a level of steadfastness and that one should not give up easily, especially in the face of depression and despair. He felt that with conviction from God, one will feel and know the reasons and motivation to do things, especially in the area of serving. Coming from a history of seeing his own leader serve the community, he knows he is not alone in his conviction to serve his own community,the Boys’ Brigade (BB). He wants to be firm with his Secondary Four BB boys and speak into their lives about God’s purpose for them.

HG144 Gathering (3): 7 Principles on Leadership

2006-02-03T15:03:00.000+08:00

By Jesslyn

HG 144 Gathering: 7 Principles on Leadership
(1): No Pain, No Gain - The Path of Discipline (1984-1986)
(2): Don't Miss the Boat - The Pursuit for Growth (1987-1991)
(3): The Anointing of Elijah – The Pace-setter’s Legacy (1991-1992)
(4): Give me the Mountains – The Pioneering Spirit (1992-1996)
(5): The Garden of Gethsemane – The Pain of Leadership (1997-2001)
(6): The God of Faithfulness – The Peace in Transition (2002-2005)
(7): Lord, I Want to See – The Power of Vision (2006 and beyond)

Just as Elisha met Elijah and received the latter’s legacy and anointing, Pastor Hee Guan similarly met a pacesetter who would put him on the accelerated path to leadership in the church. This session revolves around this pacesetter’s legacy. Over the course of the session, Pastor likened his pacesetter to Elijah and himself to Elisha.

It started at about 8pm, when Pastor Hee Guan’s spiritual family gathered outside the Hon Sui Sen auditorium. We piled onto the flight of steps, while pastor spoke from the bottom of the ‘amphitheatre’. It was a tight squeeze, but it was a mercifully balmy night.

The Beginnings

In the previous session, Ps HG talked about his pre-NUS days and about his spiritual growth within the Boys’ Brigade Headquarters. He was given a choice – he could continue serving in BBHQ, but this would require him to join another church. Alternatively, he could return to FCBC. Pastor was convicted to choose the latter.

Back then, cell groups were segregated according to where members lived. He had been serving in the east district cell group. However, he had a burden to lead in Touch NUS instead. Incidentally, he was challenged to be an intern in the cell group in the very same week he was planning to inform his cell leader that he wanted to leave to lead in NUS.

It was upon his arrival into Touch NUS that God introduced a very important person to him. This was Veronica Lim, a NUS 3rd year arts student, whose cell he joined in March 1991. She was Pastor’s Pacesetter. God’s hand was evident in their meeting because she herself received a prompting from God that a male leader would rise up from her cell group!

Veronica Lim impacted pastor’s life greatly in this period of time. She asked Pastor to join a camp committee for a Touch NUS camp in June, which only leaders would be involved in. Through that committee, he suddenly became acquainted with almost all 140 of the NUS leaders. He suddenly became very adept and experienced with the workings in the NUS ministry. Pastor listed down 2 points about Veronica that propelled him to the forefront of church leadership. As a pacesetter, she knew the right time to empower him. She did it very quickly, thus accelerating and intensifying his growth. He became more focused and driven.

Pastor listed down 4 phases of empowerment that he went through.

a. May to June 1991 – The “I do, you see” phase
b. July to November 1991 – The “I do, you do” phase
c. December 1991 to February 1992 – The “You do, I see” phase
d. March to April 1992 – The “You do” phase

“I do, you see”

The first phase(May to June 1991) is characterised by “a gentle whisper”. Pastor referred us to 1 Kings 19:9-13. In this passage, God spoke to Elijah in a cave. The Lord told Elijah to stand on the mountain in His presence, because the Lord was about to pass by. But the Lord was not in the great powerful wind that tore through the mountains, nor in the earthquake that proceeded, or even in the fire. He was in the final gentle whisper. God isn’t always associated with what is grand and titanic. Conversely, His presence may be experienced in the subtle. Pastor used this analogy to describe the impact that Veronica Lim had on him. Even if she introduced life-changing events into Pastor’s life, it would be in her little daily suggestions and proddings that she helped to fine-tune and soften his leadership approach. This was especially important because Pastor was used to leading in army, where the no-nonsense approach worked best.

“I do, you do”

The second phase spanned 2 months, from July to August 1991. Although he knew that he was to be a leader in March, it was only in August that he was officially challenged to take up a leadership position. However, this was a gargantuan move for Pastor. It was not just about being committed to one single cell group. To him, taking up leadership was a lifetime commitment. There would be no halfway house for him. He put in much thought and prayer before finally agreeing to it in November. This covenant of commitment lasts to this very day.
The pacesetter possessed the same mindset as her legatee. Veronica fully approved of the seriousness with which Pastor considered this, because to her, once the decision was made, there would be no turning back too. Pastor acknowledges her to be one of the most dedicated leaders in Touch NUS that he has known to date. She has fulfilled the purpose of TOUCH – acronym for “transforming others under Christ’s hand”. Pastor alluded once more to Scripture when he referred to the lifetime commitment that Elisha put into his role as disciple of Elijah.

“You do, I see”

In the third phase (December 1991 to February 1992), the key phrase that pastor emphasised on was “Rise up among your peers and you can live differently from the world.”
At that point, some of his cell members were a few years older than him. Nevertheless, Pastor was inspired by Veronica’s example. He realised that living a Godly life by his word would transform a person. It would foster respect among one’s peers and even amongst people older than one. With Godly wisdom, there is no age limit. This was what he saw in Veronica and he decided to heed the example of his pacesetter, by doggedly living a life of God. He started mentoring people who were older than him too. Within this third phase, he rose up amongst his peers. The more he lived by the word of God, the more authority and power he had. He even managed to teach the entire Bible in this short period of time.

Pastor then referred back to 1 Kings 18:22-40, where the God of Elijah was pitted against Baal, who had 450 prophets. Baal’s prophets failed to ignite the altar, to which Elijah taunted the prophets, by suggesting that Baal was probably “deep in thought”, or “busy” or “travelling”. Just this morning, Pastor had a revelation about this passage. Baal was “deep in thought” because he wasn’t omniscient. He was busy because he was not omnipotent. If he was unavailable because he was travelling, it showed that he wasn’t omnipresent. But our God possesses all three qualities!

Elijah evinced the power of God by calling down fire onto a wet altar, which none of the 450 prophets of Baal could do. He summoned 12 stones, each representing one of the tribes of the government of Israel. And he asked for jars of water to drench the altar. Then he stepped forward to pray. Elijah had utmost trust that God would prevail because he knew he was serving God. It was not for personal vanity that he was doing so. There was nary a hesitation or worry.

Like Elijah, Veronica lived differently from her peers. This made her stand out, but she did it without fear because she was serving God. To reach out to some of the unreached people of NUS, she started wearing a veil on campus daily. Unlike her peers, she never considered her career options post-graduation. Her life was different from the rest of the world.

“You do”

Pastor then brought us into the fourth phase. He referred to 2 Kings 2:8-14 and he borrowed the analogy of a young man transforming into a father figure to describe Elisha’s transition after Elijah left him. A young man relies on his father for most things, even if he is keen to learn and experiment. But ultimately, there will come a time when he must cast off the cloak of protection and provision to assume the reins, when the father figure has departed. All young men must become independent eventually. Like Elisha, pastor’s leader graduated one day.

Her legacy to him comprised of two things.

First, she passed on “integrity of word and action”. He referred to 1 Kings 17:17-24, where Elijah revived the sick son of the woman who fed him. He talked about how Elijah assured the woman with his words and his actions that her son would be saved. It is this integration between his words and action that Pastor admires, and this was found in Veronica. To reach out to the unreached people groups, she lived the life they lived, and she lived side by side with them, even transforming her appearance to assimilate with them.

Second, she released life through the prophetic. Veronica left Singapore to be a missionary, but before she left, she revealed to pastor that by doing so, she would be paving the path for him. This would enable him to “lead the people of the nations one day”. This prophetic word is currently being lived out in our ministries!

The 4 Blessings

Pastor then imparted 4 blessings to his spiritual children. He quoted 2 Kings 2:1-11. When the Lord was about to take Elijah up in a whirlwind, both Elisha and him were on their way to Gilgal. Prior to that, Elijah told Elisha he was going to Bethel but Elisha insisted on following suit. Elijah also wanted to head to Jericho and subsequently to Jordan, but Elisha similarly insisted on coming along. The four blessings are linked to the landmarks mentioned above – Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho and Jordan.

i. Gilgal – Place of prosperity

Gilgal is significant because this is the place where the Lord has removed away the reproach of Egypt. It was after the Israelites’ arrival from Egypt to Gilgal, that all the shame of Egypt was wiped away. Gilgal is defined in Joshua 5:9 as the place of prosperity. In Joshua’s time, Gilgal was the ‘headquarters’ from which the Israelites launched all their victorious battles. It was a symbol of victory to the Israelites.

ii. Bethel – Place of provision and protection

Jacob named Bethel(formerly known as Luz) in Genesis 28:16 after he awoke from his dream. He then announced that if that was the house of God, there would be provision and protection.

iii. Jericho - Where the power of God lies

Jericho has always been a strong fortress, as exemplified in Joshua 6:1 and 20.

iv. Jordan – presence of God

Jordan was a place where the presence of God could be felt, as shown in Joshua 3: 13. Joshua led the people across the waters, because the water level had dropped till it became dry ground.
At the end, Pastor left us with a thought. What should be our posture of receiving these 4 blessings? In Deuteronomy 21:15, we are told that as a spiritual child, we can inherit a double portion of blessings from our spiritual parent. In 2 Kings 2:9, Elijah gave to Elisha a double portion of his spirit. His anointing and his legacy flowed into Elisha at his departure. Elisha sought Elijah’s prophetic anointing not for personal power or prosperity or even for personal provision. He desired it because it sprung from the parental relationship he shared with Elijah. Without this relationship, the blessings would not have been able to flow to him. It was with his call “My Father, My Father” that the spirit of God rested on Elisha.

Food for thought...

The session ended with a time for discussion.

Breaking into groups for reflection, Daniel shared the importance of unity, of rejoicing in one another’s success and supporting one another through the difficulties. To say, in place of “why did you?” that you can and you will. He emphasized the importance of being able to come to your brothers knowing that there will be no judgement or criticisms but love and acceptance. Once that has been established, it will become easy to shed one’s reticence or reservations and come boldly and transparently before one another.

In response to Bowen’s questions of the seeming lack of involvement in one another’s lives, Daniel pointed out that unity and relevance is not about knowing every detail of one another’s lives, but to act upon what you do know and to think about how you can support your brother with the knowledge that you do have.

For Mun Kin, what struck him most was the importance of the heart, of the need to lay hold of God and a willingness to pay the price. For the leader, this refers to the price of possible rejection and for the discipled the willingness to submit to authority. Hong Ping shared of his personal struggle with knowing exactly when and how to empower, but he stressed that leadership is not dependent on one's personal abilities but on one's ability to engage with the Lord intimately in the spiritual realm.

The next session will take place next week on Friday 10 February.

喜源牧师144聚会(2): 乘上机遇的船舶 – 长进的追求

2006-01-17T10:37:00.000+08:00

罗志安报道

喜源牧师在2006年1月13日（周五）晚上在少年旅(Boys’ Brigade, BB)总部与他的144开了一次以“乘上机遇的船舶”为主题的聚会。此主题表示的是“长进的追求”，聚会上喜源牧师诉说了自己从1987至1991年的长进。

牧师的故事 – 长进的历史

第一艘船：露营
在‘O’水准考试之后，喜源牧师与九个同属BB的朋友在考完高级数学试卷的那一天（1986年12月）到了他们BB长官的家。总共十个人，他们夜以继日地为着同个月内将主办的BB露营。群策群力的过程当中，喜源牧师开始了他长进的追求。终于，十人在三天内成功策划出为期五天的BB露营。

他们没想到，这长进的追求来得正是时候；因为他们的BB长官正打算在十人考完‘O’水准考试后管理整个BB分队！

BB露营里，因为十人策划出露营时毫无约束而背离了常规，再加上十人的年龄不比下属们的年龄大多少，因此在喜源牧师十人掌管之下的BB队员们轰动起来叛乱。当时，当真乱得差点打起架来。可是喜源牧师十人在三年的BB里长进许多，不再是从前鲁莽的“古惑仔”。他们把自己锁在一个房间里，开始祈祷。“神啊，到底是不是你给我们这些灵感让我们主持这个露营呢？” 答案很明显，肯定是。所以他们心中不再有恐惧；十人坚信地祈祷之时，神的平安真的降临在众人上。他们开门走出去发现不再有人叛乱了。喜源牧师问：“我们到底会不会完成这个露营？” 露营最后圆满结束。

那次露营变成了他们BB分队的转折点。在三四年里，他们成为了全新加坡最佳BB分队。他们的BB分队展现出一种超出一般的团结与坚信；成员们都来自各种各样的背景，可是神总是创造奇迹。一切开始于那个对他们有那么多信心，又给了他们一个长进的机会的BB长官。

第二艘船：圣经学
1987年，喜源牧师自愿教BB中一队员们圣经学。这可不是开玩笑哦，喜源牧师只有三年的信主经验，BB队员们有的很多是来自信主家庭，可能也会有十三年的信主经验！可是喜源牧师依然很有自信地教。他认为如果一个基督徒有读圣经，并把圣经里的学问在生活中体现出来，他就远远超越了那些懂了十三年的圣经学但没有应用那些真理的人。

第三艘船：开放日
同一年(1987)间，喜源牧师逃了四个月的下午课；十二点铃声一响喜源牧师就离开初级学院的校园了。原因是因为他的BB分队有史以来第一次要主办一个开放日招生。二十年里，那个掌管他们的BB分队的教堂没有过一次开放日，这次搞活动是想要把BB开放给教堂以外的人。BB队员们有什么专长都在那个时候尽力发挥；有擅长画画的，设计的……。当天所有人都把开放日弄得十全十美。从五十、六十余人的BB分队它们变成了百余人的BB分队。离开常规是离开了常规，可是收获远远超出了他们的奉献。1988年,喜源牧师又再同样地搞了一个开放日。

第四艘船：经历神营
服兵役的时候，喜源牧师仍然服侍神与神的子民。就是在这个时候，喜源牧师参加了许多*祈祷会议；也就是这个时候，喜源牧师参加了“力量经历神营”，并被治愈。那次是坚信浸信教会参加的首一次“经历神营”，也是在那时之后坚信浸信教会学会了如何在灵界里行动，并应用了许许多多的属灵的恩赐。之后的许多周末崇拜，他们都深深地感觉到神的同在。当初，参加这个“经历神营”是需要付很多钱的，可是喜源牧师仍然不肯错过机遇之舟。如今，他会说没有参加那个“经历神营”的代价会更高。

第五艘船：BB全国圣经学比赛
1990年至1991年，新加坡举行了首届的BB全国圣经学比赛。出题范围是加拉太书、以弗所书、歌罗西书、民数记还有申明记。其中旧约的民数记和申命记是喜源牧师不太了解的。可是，那并没有阻止他自愿地训练他的BB下属们熟懂这五本书。喜源牧师深入地研究了那两本他不了解的书，什么表啊图啊他都画出来，也花了很久很久的时间在复读民数记和申命记。经过喜源牧师的训练与教导，BB下属们都很有信心可以夺得全国冠军。可是就是因为一个BB下属对训练不认真，懒惰，因此害了整组人。当时他们是计算每个BB分队前四名的平均分，而喜源牧师掌管的BB分队的前三名就是全国的前五名；可是因为上面所说的那个人，把平均分拉下，结果他们得到全国第七名（首六名才有机会进大决赛）。从中我们可以领悟，一个不求长进的团员会害了整组人的。虽然故事很让人感到痛惜，可是喜源牧师并没有后悔过。民数记的申命记的知识在他心中已有十五年之久。今天，喜源牧师是数一数二的民数记和申命记“高手”，对于两本书可以说是了如指掌。

可见，喜源牧师一生中都不肯错过机遇之舟，如今能为神效劳都是因为他一直都力求长进。

牧师的教导 – 如何求长进
§ 不要再给借口
§ 不要再懒散着
§ 要开始志愿提供自己
§ 要开始积极行事

一、不要再给借口
路加福音第九章第五十七节至第十章第一节

文章里说的第三个人是喜源牧师所针对的“给借口的人”。耶稣所说的“手扶着梨向后看的，不配进神的国”是说服侍神的人就如一名农夫。坐在牛身上耕田的人一向后看那只牛就会歪着走，整个耕田过程都会被破坏。借口可以是无理的，可以是有理的，但这都不重要；我们不可以给借口。给借口的后果就是没有长进。忙可以忙一生，但机遇之舟不一定时时都有。

二、不要再懒散着
箴言第六章第四节至第十一节

懒散的后果就是灭亡。神赐于你的所有恩赐（比如生命、时间）我们都必须好好的利用，因为我们是神所选用的管家。如果我们藏着属于神的而不把它用来做神的工，我们都是“盗神者”。最后，我们将被“盗”得一无所有。懒可以懒一生，可是剩下的“一生”是怎样的就不敢说了。

三、要开始志愿提供自己
撒母耳记上第十七章第一节至第五十二节

文中的以色列人都属于上面所说的“给借口的人”。这个时候，大卫的机遇之舟上岸了。他千载难逢的机会，就是在众人面前声明耶和华神比九尺高的歌利亚更强更有为。这将带给他信心与领导能力的长进。从小，大卫都不曾给过借口。有狮子、熊来攻击羊羔，他都把它们杀死。喜源牧师呼吁我们都应高积极地志愿提供自己——要知道他在逃了八个月的下午课之后依然得到奖学金上大学哦！

四、要开始积极行事
撒母耳记下第二十三章第十三节至第十七节

就如三个勇士一样，我们必须积极行事，创造机会；要知道我们不可以一生都等船到，我们必须“建船”哦！

受益良多 – 小组分享

对于“不要再给借口”
“有些事情是很急，但不重要；这些东西应该少做，因为它会夺走重要事情所应该有的时间。”

“急但不重要的事情若有个性，那它就是‘吵’；重要的事情都需要我们静下心来慢慢思索探讨，唯有急但不重要的事情才会逼迫我们在嘈杂之下做决定。”

对于“要开始志愿提供自己”
“我志愿提供自己之后的第一二年我都一直在做一些很基本的东西。如今回想，这些基本的知识和技术都是必需的；志愿提供自己就是给自己一个长进的机会。”

对于“要开始积极行事”
“积极行事固然好，但是我们必须要有周密的计划，要不然我们会事倍功半，长进的效率不会很高。”

综上所诉 – 笔者感慨
这一周，喜源牧师的分享真的是很有影响力。他成为了我们奋斗的榜样，就如早期的基督徒有保罗为榜样一样。喜源牧师在这个阶段里面从一个“男孩”毕业成一个“男人”；成熟了，也长大了。真希望我们都能变成成熟的主内弟兄。

HG144 Gathering (2): 7 Principles of Leadership

2006-01-16T09:49:00.000+08:00

By: Nicholas Wong

HG144 Gathering: 7 Principles on Leadership

(1): No Pain, No Gain - The Path of Discipline (1984-1986)
(2): Don't Miss the Boat - The Pursuit for Growth (1987-1991)
(3): The Anointing of Elijah – The Pace-setter’s Legacy (1991-1992)
(4): Give me the Mountains – The Pioneering Spirit (1992-1996)
(5): The Garden of Gethsemane – The Pain of Leadership (1997-2001)
(6): The God of Faithfulness – The Peace in Transition (2002-2005)
(7): Lord, I Want to See – The Power of Vision (2006 and beyond)

Last week, Pastor Hee Guan shared his life journey of 1984-1986, characterized at first by wild abandon and merrymaking. However, entering the Boys Brigade (BB) has awed him into a new dimension – the path of discipline, in which there was ‘no pain no gain’. It is a choice to restrain and submit, to be disciplined by the Lord. Pastor made this choice, and indeed he grew.

From Dec 1986 to the year 1991, Pastor transited into a phase of intense leadership development, called ‘Don’t Miss the Boat – The Pursuit of Growth’. In all, these years were filled with 5 landmark events, all of which served to equip Pastor in areas then unknown to him.

The first occurred in December 1986, a post ‘O’ level period. Pastor and BB Company went to Officer Steven Tay’s house to plan for a BB company camp. This was a watershed in his spiritual life. The company faced the daunting task of preparing the events of the 5-day company camp within 3 days and 3 nights. The brainstorming for numerous games within a pressing time limit was nerve-racking, but no doubt it brought transformation. Unity and intense prayer for its success saw the presence of God descending upon the campsite, impacting many lives. At one point of time, rioting broke out amongst the campers, and the 10 leaders in the making had to handle the crisis. But prayer and pleading to God brought them through – intense planning coupled with intense crisis was solved through intense prayer. The result was a wholly God-inspired camp, life-changing and unprecedented in its scope. It was the turning point of this BB company.

When Pastor entered his Pre-U days, he was passionate, holding onto dreams for BB. Within 3-4 years, Pastor's BB company became the best company in Singapore. This showed that when the opportunity arose, Pastor had no qualms but confidently laid hold of it, and in leadership he grew.
The second event followed closely in January 1987. Without a Bible Knowledge teacher in BB, the boat of opportunity docked on the shores of someone’s life, someone who was to teach the word of God. Fearlessly, Pastor volunteered. He was given the task as bible teacher over Secondary 1 students for an entire year. This birthed in him the love for reading the bible. He grew tremendously, reading, immersing in and living out the word of God. No fear, he thought, even though he was teaching students who knew the bible since young. This episode of rising up to teach inspired in Pastor a growth, a hunger for the living word of God.
Pioneering the BB Open House event became the third significant event in Pastor’s life. For the 2 periods of Jan-Apr 1987 and Jan-Apr 1988, Pastor missed 8 months of afternoon lessons to plan for Open House. This inaugural event was to attract neighbourhood youth to join Pastor’s BB company. Apart from that, the planning stage of 8 solid months acted as training ground for organizers in areas such as camp crafts, design and layout, band, publicity. This huge amount of sacrifice paid off, not only in the development of personal skills, but also the multiplication of Pastor’s BB company to a hundred-man strong. Here, jumping into the boat of opportunity was the first step to beholding greater promises of God in His uncharted seas of growth.
In Pastor’s army days, October 1989 to March 1990, there were no giving excuses. He attended church events faithfully and passionately. Of which the Prayer Meeting and Power Encounter was of particular anointing. The Power Encounter had been the first ever in FCBC, and the thrust of the church was hinged on it. The church moved in signs and wonders, was filled with the Holy Spirit; in receiving healing, casting out demons, they saw the mighty hand of God. They pursued growth by grabbing hold of the opportunity, and the presence of God manifested in the outpour of the spirit.

The last event of these years was the BB National Bible Quiz. Again, Pastor unleashed the rope of potential and volunteered to train a team to participate in the quiz. In this faith movement, Pastor immersed in the books Numbers, Deuteronomy, Galatians, Ephesians and Colossians. The word of God equipped him thoroughly in exceptional knowledge and wisdom. In the quiz, every one of his boys could answer every question immediately. They were destined to be champions. It seemed as if their hard work paid off. However, one of the boys missed the boat of opportunity and was half-hearted in his preparation for the quiz. In effect, the boy’s individual score pulled the entire team score down to the seventh position. They missed the final round by just one placing. Indeed, this brought great grief and disappointment. What is more important, however, is the message that this one boy did not pursue growth when given the opportunity – he allowed it to pass him by, rendering himself shortchanged by his actions.

Do not miss the boat, this boat of opportunity. If you truly desire growth, act upon the given chance. You will discover yourself in a ship, not guided by the impulse of a free-wheeling compass, but by decision, direction and finally, destination.

Message Application...
Here are four practical steps to ensure that you are on the path of growth:

1) Stop excuses
2) Stop idling
3) Start volunteering
4) Start initiating

Stop excuses
In reading Luke 9:57 – 10:1, you will discover two excuses given. The first – ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ and the second – but first let me go back and say good-bye to my family.’

These two excuses are like looking back from the buffalo you are seated on. Such an action will tilt the arc of the plough tilling the soil, making it veer off track. The result is a curve. In the kingdom of God, giving excuses, even relevant ones, is a sign of falling off track. When the opportunity arises, look forward and go ahead. Stop giving excuses. Do not be lethargic in the status quo, giving explanations to justify stagnation. In fact, the consequence of giving excuses is no growth. But when you take the risks and make decisions, you will be stretched and blessed beyond what you comprehend.

Stop idling
With strength, do something! We refer to Proverbs 6:4-11.

v.9-11 ‘How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.’

The consequence of idling, pushing back things that should be done and should have been done is heavy. The italicized verse shows that an idle person will be robbed of his present possessions eg. talents, properties, situations etc., thus lapsing into spiritual impoverishment.

Given what you have, do something. Then you will receive growth and transformation.

Start volunteering
The epic story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) exhorts us to start volunteering.

Drawing our attention to v. 16 – ‘For forty days the Philistine (Goliath) came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.’- we will pause to question. Why was there inactivity of an arduous forty days in a heated time of war? Why were Saul and his commanders giving excuses? What excuses did they give?

The Israelites were bowing into the trap of excuses, even when the boat of opportunity struck them at their heels. The boat of opportunity, indeed, was to declare that Jehovah God was mightier than Goliath. Even when they could grow in hope and trust in the Lord God Almighty, they chose not to.

But there was David, who gave no excuses in his youth. He engaged, seized and struck the Philistine, knowing that God’s covering was upon him. In v. 32 David said to Saul – ‘Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.’ Here, David started to volunteer himself. Then in v. 36 he named his courage – ‘Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear.’ Never, never did David give any excuse that the lions and the bears were too formidable to overcome, too implacable an enemy. He never idled when the lion and the bear attacked his sheep. Instead, he fought them. Head-on.

Victory!

To pursue growth, start volunteering.

Start initiating
2 Samuel 23:16 – ‘So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well…’

Of skill, of ability, of knowledge, of understanding, the means of attaining all these are through initiating. From the example of the exploits of the three mighty men who out of their own will, risked their lives and opened a blood path when David longed for water, we see not only their faithfulness, but their determination in the frontline of initiation.

So which of the four do you have to do?

Insights...
On volunteering and initiating, Rennie recalled a statement made by one of the great financers, George Soros. In the book "Soros on Soros", Soros wrote that he could learn a great deal more through action than through contemplation. Recalling the example of Pastor preparing the BB boys in the Bible Quiz, Rennie also recalled a quote which he found apt - In learning, I will teach. In teaching, I will learn.

Rennie summed up his learning through a traffic light analogy. The colour "red" which signifies "stop" means that we should not be idle and give excuses. The colour "green" which signifies "start" means that we should start volunteering and initiating. However, the "amber" light signifies "beware", which to him means that in his zest for learning, it should not be haphazard but directed.

To Matthew and his sons, time plays a big factor in determining their management scope in their career as doctors . On top of their commitment to provide medical support for the church, they are thinking of initiating on professional grounds, expanding their territories.

What's Next?
From this week’s powerful sharing by Pastor, illustrating his transformation from boy to instructor to Christian gentleman, the basic foundation for him as leader was laid. Thank God, he did not miss the boat of opportunity because he was determined to pursue growth. After leaving BB as an officer in March 1991, he served in the NUS ministry in April. There he met ‘Elijah’, someone endowed with a ‘pace-setter’s legacy’.

Stay tuned and don’t miss it!

God bless you as your meditate and ponder upon His truth, His glorious word. Start volunteering and start initiating this week.

Shufang Tribal Gathering: The Search for Significance

2006-01-14T22:26:00.000+08:00

By: Adeline & Huili

Sobs of my sisters filling the room, cries of lives plagued by insecurities and fears that kept them, bound them too tightly to the world and too, too far away to feel the warm abundance of His love… His love that covers a multitude of sins, His love that sees all the things we are and can never be but which remains nonetheless persistent in its grace and magnitude. His love that calls us beautiful.

Breaking the ice, we played a game of Chicken Academy, some graduating from eggs to full-fledged chickens, others restless in their undeveloped stages as nuzzling chicks. Then lifting up our hands and voices, we sang Emmanuel. We sang Magnificent. Our Magnificent God who calms the raging seas crashing over us, Yet, as we sing these words, exalting the glory and beauty of our Lord and Savior, how many of us struggle with the gaps in our hearts? How many of us have surely and truly learnt that we were never meant to bear the burdens of guilt and shame, of regret and anger, of inadequacies that flow into our heart, staining our lives with their stench?

So it was, Pastor Shufang began the night’s message with John 10:10, a message that would finally climax into a session of conviction and realization, hope dawning on weary souls who have long been promised the eternal peace yet never knew quite how to claim it.

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." - John 10:10

Abundant life is promised to us in His word. Not just life. Not just a barely-there existence, not just frazzled nerves and frantic hearts struggling, but abundance, fruitfulness, cups and souls overflowing with goodness. But so often, we are prevented from claiming the abundance that God desires to fill our lives with. The thief traps us in our insecurities, binds us with fears that we are and we may never be good enough or worthy enough. Living in a world saturated by images and ideals of ‘perfection’, a world which chooses to gloss over the insufficiencies and realities, only feeds that perpetual sense of inadequacy we as women, are so often a victim of. Playing by the values of the world then, our self-worth would only be the sum total of our performance and of the opinions of others. But this is really not the case! We, as humans, suffer from severe limitations and weaknesses and the evaluations and judgments that we make on one another are sorely lacking in wisdom. Why then should we allow our own abilities and disabilities as well as the gaze of others impact our lives so severely?

How often have we looked in the mirror, teary-eyed telling ourselves once again that we must meet certain standards in order to feel good about ourselves? How often have we ran home defeated feeling that we’ll never be enough, not good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, nice enough, worthy enough? How often have we succumbed to the Devil’s trap and fallen to this fear of failure?

Fear of failure can manifest itself in the following ways.
v Perfectionism
v Avoiding risks
v Anger and resentment
v Anxiety and fears
v Pride
v Schizophrenia
v Depression
v Chemical Dependents
v Dishonesty (exaggerating the truth)
v Low motivation

To counter the fear of failure that haunts us, we must fully understand the truth of justification. The justification of God that proclaims with boldness that we are okay. That there is no mistake too big for His love and grace. That He having seen all our mistakes and sins, the shame and the pain, the times we’re going to let Him down again, has made the choice to love us. It is finished. We have great worth apart from our performance because Christ gave His life for us and therefore imparted great value unto us.

Having said that, Pastor Shufang invited us to affirm our sisters with the following words of love.

You are deeply loved, fully pleasing, totally forgiven, accepted and completed in Christ!

The Devil’s second deadly trap: that of the fear of rejection. Sharing her past, a formerly extroverted, active Pastor experienced a completely personality change after experiencing public rejection by her school teacher at the tender age of 9. The fear of rejection can lead us to put on a mask, hiding our hearts behind a wall, guarding ourselves so zealously that nobody can ever draw near enough to hurt us. It can turn us into approval addicts, people who live their lives clamoring for approval from the people around them. The Devil uses this fear of rejection to lure us into making decisions that are not right and even when a still inner voice cries out against the wrong that is being done, the fear motivates us to such an extent that we silence the voice. And so we crumble to peer pressure, to the weight of eyes and judgments on us and we forget that our self-worth comes not from the opinion of men, but that of God.

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. -- Galatians 1:10

We need most importantly to comprehend the truth of reconciliation, that we are God’s friend, that we have been completely accepted by Him. Our search for significance can only end in one place, in an intimate, intense fellowship with our living God and we are the ones who decide how much we want God in our lives. When we are finally able to learn from His love and understand the magnitude of His grace, it is only then we can find release and take joy in the revelation that He has completely accepted us.

Many responded to the call to come forward and receive the healing that God promises. And even if there were cries and pain, unseen, hidden stories of brokenness and fear that surfaced, there arose above that, the peace of healing and the promise of Him. That we are good enough for Him. That we are beautiful in His eyes and that, is all that really really matters.

Insights:

Limeng, whose personal struggle is that of the fear of failure, spoke of how there was the constant worry in her life of the perceptions of others and the tension to conform to the expectations and demands of her peers. With a reawakened conviction now to place pleasing God as her topmost priority, she believes that the sharing will help her to change the way she goes about doing things.

Freed from the bondages of the fear of rejection and failure, Juni heard God’s voice speaking to her clearly and boldly. No more “I should haves”, no more looking back into the past, no more picking and scratching out memories! No more pain, but only victory in Him!

2005 RETREAT

2006-01-13T00:13:00.000+08:00

2005 just whizzed by. After a year spent developing our cutting edge tools in gateway cities, the grounds were ploughed and the fields were sowed. It is time to slow down for 2006 – the year of Celebration.

The last weekend of the year is oft spent in quiet reflection, a time spent projecting a better vision for the year ahead. Spending this last weekend in the company of one’s spiritual family made sense. While last year’s retreat was an initial orientation to the family, this year’s was an exercise in developing better relationships with the people we’ve met but hadn’t gotten to know. This year’s gathering was much smaller, making for a more intimate setting.

Friday night

After a round of ice-breakers, Pastor Shufang’s sermon immediately set the tone for the retreat.
Based on the vineyard parable in John 15, she drew an analogy by likening Christians to three types of vine branches – those that bear no fruit, those that bear some fruit and those that produce much fruit. The first category will receive discipline from God, but this discipline is the product of God’s love. The second category will be pruned. But while pruning is as painful a process as discipline, it is the culmination of obedience and a desire to follow God. It is necessary for further spiritual growth. The paradigm for the last category is Paul the Apostle.

Saturday
The next day kick-started with our own version of the Amazing Race, courtesy of Jonathan Tan and tribe. We were arbitrarily split into 12 teams of about 7 persons and we traipse through to 9 stations by sniffing out clues. All the stations were within a 1km radius from the retreat site. Thank God for the cloudy day because it was a race on foot! However, as the day wore on, the teams started to breach the “walking only” rule (public transport became an arresting option)!
Initially most of the teams ran into one another en route and at the various stations. But this became less frequent over the day due to delays, misreading of clues, water breaks, etc. Team 10 found themselves opposite Touch Community Theatre at one point while looking for a “community center in the vicinity”. Team 1 also wound up at the Esplanade while searching for a brightly-coloured bridge”(It was actually at Robertson Quay). There were some who wisely equipped themselves with a Street Directory.

Some of the interesting stations:

The clue was to look for a park named after a famous WWII event. This led most teams up the top of Pearl Hill Park, nestled in the heart of Chinatown. It was a long trek up the many flights of stairs. Looking for the station itself was also no mean feat, given the wide expanse of the location.
We were told to look for “Luck(in Cantonese)”. This brought us to Block 88 in search of well-hidden clues.
The station at the Park proved entertaining. Each team was given a choice of Brain or Brawn for the challenge. The Brain challenge involved a set of 50 mental sums and the Brawn was basically a series of high intensity workouts to be performed by all team members (pull ups, chin ups, push ups, etc). A mini human jam ensued as teams took time to deliberate on the answers and later teams started to arrive. The stressed stationmasters didn’t get to read their 8 Days. =) Most teams chose the Brain challenge because the Brawn proved too intimidating!

A heavy downpour ended the game abruptly. Nevertheless, it’s two thumbs up to the organizers for the exhilarating experience!

Some time later, we gathered once again for mingling over dinner. The downpour spoilt all plans for al fresco dining in the basketball court. We retreated into the tent for our post-dinner programme – Appreciation Night and the New Year Countdown.

All the “blood, sweat and tears” over the year cumulate at this point as cell members come forward to recognize their leader’s efforts. There was Shufang, who gave up all the free time slots in her calendar for her girls. There was Fangsiang, who had the “most challenging” group to handle. And Daniel’s group expressed their high regard for their leader, even though he was in absentia. Who can forget the story of how Ellison conducted cell meetings through webcam? Plus Jianhui, who was given a couple’s devotional bible as an appreciation present! We heard about the tears, the laughter and the sweat.

Listening to these stories of love and dedication together as a network creates a greater sense of family and togetherness. As cell members themselves start to rise up and become leaders in their own right, these are the stories they will someday create.

Later, Ps Hee Guan and Shufang led us in the countdown to 2006 followed by the first praise and worship of the year.

HG144 Gathering (1): 7 Principles on Leadership

2006-01-10T14:05:00.000+08:00

By: Grace Soh

HG144 Gathering: 7 Principles on Leadership

(1): No Pain, No Gain - The Path of Discipline (1984-1986)
(2): Don't Miss the Boat - The Pursuit for Growth (1987-1991)
(3): The Anointing of Elijah – The Pace-setter’s Legacy (1991-1992)
(4): Give me the Mountains – The Pioneering Spirit (1992-1996)
(5): The Garden of Gethsemane – The Pain of Leadership (1997-2001)
(6): The God of Faithfulness – The Peace in Transition (2002-2005)
(7): Lord, I Want to See – The Power of Vision (2006 and beyond)

58 people gathered at Bethesda Frankel Estate Church (BFEC) on the evening of 6 Jan 06 to hear from Pastor Hee Guan some teachings on the principles of Christian living. Entitled “No pain, no gain – the path of discipline”, the session allowed Pastor to share with his 144 his growth journey as a BB boy at BFEC and some leadership principles which he had gained. The 3 years spent at BFEC were in some sense a milestone in Pastor Hee Guan’s life because these were formative years in his maturity towards being a leader.

Pastor Hee Guan joined BB when he was in Sec 2. In contrast to the impression that most people have about a person belonging to a uniformed group being disciplined, Pastor was of the exact opposite. He led an unrestrained life even after joining the BB. What attracted him into joining were the unrepressed activities, described to him by his friend that went on after the usual BB parades. The first two years after joining the BB, our yet-to-be-reformed Pastor participated in all activities which included stealing sessions, car-racing (without driving licenses), fooling around in cemeteries, disturbing couples at Mt Faber and fishing within restricted areas.

All these activities attracted Pastor Hee Guan because he was someone who detested discipline. He felt that by doing the things he liked, he would be like an adult, mature and having the ability to make decisions. However, Pastor cautioned his 144 of this faulty mindset that he once had. In contrast to having confidence and control over mind, which epitomize adulthood, these actions were childish and irresponsible. And the one thing that hindered the acceptance of discipline into his life was his own pride. To him, having to submit to authority and acting upon the commands given by others was a disgrace. Therefore, he chose an unrestrained life to reflect the apparent control he has over his lifestyle. But the correct attitude one should have towards discipline should be an embracing one. Indeed, Proverbs 17:27 states that “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.” The one who shows restraint is the one that displays wisdom. And God will bless those who are faithful and disciplined in keeping the law of God; this point is illustrated in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law”. Humility and the willingness to be disciplined are virtues and a display of inner strength; they too will help us strengthen our steps towards maturity.

Furthermore, God disciplines those He loves dearly. As written in Hebrews 12:10, “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness”. A lot of times, we may be asked to do things that we do not like but all these train up our discipline. As a BB boy, Pastor was always asked to run errands and wash toilets. But these seemingly mundane things that he was asked to do has toughened him up to be able and ready to serve when the need arises.

This learning process of doing things we do not like but we know are beneficial to us is greatly affected by the immediate culture. The culture in his BB company was such that everyone wanted to be a leader, so much so that Pastor was inspired and he aspired to be a leader in the BB. Pastor recalled that when he first joined the BB, he was standing on the extreme left of his squad. He told himself that he would be the squad marker, standing on the extreme right, one day. This is the person squad members take instructions from in the squad and look to him for alignment. Pastor termed this as the ‘Right Marker Principle’. The ‘Right Marker Principle’ is a natural culture that shapes people’s minds in wanting to be a leader. Pastor learnt that culture could well be a better ‘teacher’ than curriculum and content. This motivation of wanting to be a leader caused him to be disciplined in completing his tasks.

Pastor Hee Guan also gave some practical handles when dealing with the different seasons of culture. In the first season – the season of centralization, when there are less than 20 people under a leader, the group should meet together often and hear from the leader. But when the number of people increases to about 30, the main leader should decentralize and allow other leaders under him to rise up and take control over a few groups. This is termed the season of decentralization. In this way, the main leader can put these other leaders to test, watching how they handle and disciple their groups. This concept is very much like G12 vision where there is a hierarchal system of fathering disciples. But when the groups expand in numbers, there is a need for all the people under the various leaders to meet the main leader so that relationships can be built between the ‘grandfather’ and the ‘grandsons’. This period is said to be the time for recentralization.

Having said that, the kind of culture that Pastor wants the tribe to have is a culture that is of religion (i.e. God) and discipline. In Hebrews 12:10, “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.” We should therefore view discipline as a privilege because it trains our ability to take the pain.

Before Pastor closed his 144 gathering with a prayer, he reiterated the necessity of discipline in our daily lives because it will bring about growth. His own journey of growth was one that was transformed from having an unrestrained lifestyle to learning to do things he did not like. All these were due to the culture he was in at the BB.

Insights...
Leo, from Vincent’s tribe, related God’s discipline to his job. He holds a job that is less structured with his schedule more or less fixed by himself. Since his character is one that requires some ‘pushing’ by others in order to perform, he felt that his boss plays the role of a disciplinarian in his life. This figure, he surmised, is one that has been put in place by God so that he learns discipline.

Vincent shared his own journey of having to face discipline. To him, discipline is something that everyone cannot run away from. He used the example of having to handle administrative matters in school even though it is not his strength. He is usually not keen on doing all these administrative work but he does all these because he knows it can help him grow as a person; and that the more he procrastinates in learning to do the things he does not like, God will prolong the period in disciplining him and letting him learn. Therefore his advice to everyone is to face the discipline.

On the issue of discipline, Xide noted the example of his spiritual father, Rennie. He noted that it took much discipline for Rennie to juggle the various aspects of his life (family, girlfriend, ministry, work). He recalled that Rennie once told him that he would spend hours preparing for cell meetings even if there was only one cell member. Rennie taught him to put his best foot forward in serving others. In the midst of serving others, Xide learned humilty. Xide acknowledged that there were difficult moments in the process of serving, but has chosen to persevere, subjecting himself to the pruning and discipline of Christ.

Reflections on the 2005 retreat

2006-01-09T14:08:00.000+08:00

We began with laughter and games. Parodying the behavior of pastors and super-heros. The lamb the Lord prepared in place of Isaac in the form of a brother dragged in a hysterically funny fashion towards the mock altar, the stunningly violent King-Kong being attacked left, right, center by paper planes whizzing in mid-air. And so it was, that through the laughter thick in the air, we fell into a strangely comfortable familiarity.

And launched into a teaching on a life of abundance in Christ, in between refrains of How great is our God, we had to ask ourselves…are we fruitful? Are we? And if the pruning by the Lord should draw blood and cause us to squirm in discomfort, can we still see His hand in the midst of the storm and thank Him that He loves us so much that He disciplines us?

Is this our summary of the retreat then? Nothing but a tired formula? Laughter, games, then bended knees and tears. Or can it not be something more? Will that spark of inspiration, the insights that we’ve gleamed stay with us long after we’ve walked away from the retreat? Can we not let the lessons learnt go into our store of armoury, such that when we are next under the assault of the world, we can hold our ground unyieldingly?

As the year begins, let us make the commitment to no longer traverse the middle kingdom but to live the way He intended us to, bursting with fruitfulness. Let the 2005 retreat, as innocuous as the label sounds, be remembered as that which launched us into the new year and set the pace for extraordinary possibilities!

And Finally a Blog for Hee Guan

2006-01-06T14:19:00.000+08:00

Hello Family, I have created a blog to post our dear pastor's thoughts, teaching and other things. Please feel free to visit this blog whenever you like.

In His Service,

Thomas Khoo