Our Lady VIPs!

On October 30 we arrived at another milestone in the life of the church. The ladies had their first Ladies Fellowship after a long time! Present at this meeting was an old friend, Betty Rode, who spoke about "Your Foundation", with two of her Sri Lankan friends, who shared a testimony.

It is our hope that this fellowship will be a place where hearts and lives can be ministered and refreshed by God's Word and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. May this beginning be followed by many days of rich blessings flowing from the Lord in making this fellowship an oasis for all who come.

Ps Ben

P-R-A-Y

Prayer is a spiritual discipline that should be our constant habit. We are called to pray unceasingly (1 Thess. 5:17) Prayer can be done anywhere and anytime whether silently in our hearts or said aloud. The Lord Jesus prayed a lot and even taught His disciples how to pray. Here is a picture that I took recently to remind us of this important activity. 

We really need to

P - ersist

R - epent in humility

A - sk in faith

Y - ield ourselves to His will



May our prayers be like incense that goes up to the throne room of God! 

Ps. Ben

Acts of Kindness

Have you ever experienced a stranger doing a random act of kindness? Last Sunday at my favourite bakery a stranger I had a short conversation with just offered her discount card to me to use it to pay for my purchase. I did not  ask her nor influenced her in any way that I know of but she just offered it to me. The savings was only 50 sen but it certainly left me surprised and impressed! I can't help but think what our world would be like if more people continue to do random acts of kindness to strangers. People that will never be able to repay you back or you will ever meet again.

On Monday I read in the newspapers of more stories of how some people show kindness to strangers without expecting anything in return. Wow! As Christians, are we not called to be kind? Is kindness not a part of our new nature in Christ (fruit of the Spirit)? Are acts of kindness not a reflection of God's image in us, which ultimately reflects who God is? Who knows that we may very well be ministering to angels unaware?

Have you experienced a random act of kindness? No? Don't wait for one! Why don't you do an act of kindness to some stranger? Think of ways to bless someone who least expects or deserves it. Let your light so shine before men!

Ps Ben

But I Did Not

Last month I organised a dinner with some old friends from Grace EFC and wanted to invite a couple that had joined us for our Bible Study despite attending another church. We had a great time of fellowship in the past but over the years it became less and less frequent. Last Sunday I heard that the husband had passed away the previous week. I should have invited him but I did not. Why should I really be surprised by death? It is an appointment that we must all keep unless Christ returns first. But I always seem to think that my friends will always be around! Surprise, surprise! Death comes when we least expect it. One can never be fully prepared for it in life. I don't like death and the surprise it brings. It makes me feel so helpless.

The last time I met this brother was last year at a church service where he served faithfully as a greeter. I will miss him. But I hope to see him at the Resurrection Day! That's my consolation. Thanks be to Christ who is the hope of our salvation! There are yet others who have not heard about this gift that I need to tell. I don't want to say again, "But I did not"

Ps. Ben

A Different Life

In his eulogy for his wife of 63 years, former PM of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, said that without his wife, he would be a different man with a different life. What a tribute to a woman whom he loved and had shared his life with. A woman who devoted her life for husband and family. I wonder what our lives would be like without the significant partners, family and friends who made a difference in our lives? What would your life be like without your spouse? It is only in times of final separation that we feel the heaviness of heart, one filled with sorrow and grief that is difficult to console. Love them now.

If this is true in the physical realm, what then would life be without Christ? It would be a different life. We would be a different person. A life without Christ would only be a life filled with emptiness and hopelessness. Such a life would be difficult to console. I dare not imagine of such a life. I can only thank God that by His grace He has called me to a different life. A life devoted to Christ and His family. A blessed life.

Ps Ben

Save One Life

Recently I read a story about the life of Nicholas Winton. I have not heard about him before until now. It all started when he was invited by a friend to Czechoslavakia to visit some refugee camps instead of going for his ski holidays. It was 1938 when Hitler was annexing regions in Europe and Jews and political opponents were fleeing. One result of this was the neglect of children especially from Jewish ancestry. As a result of this visit he decided to mount operations to rescue these children who were given permission by parents that were prepared to release their children to him for a better future. Upon his return to England, he managed to convince the government, found foster homes and raised funds to transport these children. He did all these whilst managing his day time job in the stock exchange. In total, he brought in at least 669 children. The rescue attempts finally stopped in Sept 1939 when Germany invaded Poland and Britain declared war on Germany. Winton's humanitarian act was a secret, even to his wife until 1988, when she found a scrapbook with all the names and photos of the children. Several thousand children, grandchildren and great grandchildren owe their very existence to this brave man.

In 2002, a documentary entitled "The Power of Good: Nicholas Winton" was produced and shown on Czech TV. Winton was honored later by the president of Israel, the citizens of Prague and eventually knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. A ring that was given to him by some of the children, that he wears, best summed up his act: "Save one life. Save the world." (Talmud, the book of Jewish law)

God changes the world with people like you! You may not save 669 lives but you have lives of people that you influence daily (like your children). Perhaps one of these could become a Winton that will save many others for eternity! You may think that you are just an ordinary person. But in the hands of the extraordinary God, you are someone special that can make the difference to bring extraordinary blessing into the world. Amen!

Ps. Ben

What Do You See?

At a recent prayer meeting in Sarawak, a photograph was taken by Pastor Lam Kee Hing at sunset that shows the outline of something. Let me know what you see in this photo. Is there any significance of this display in the heavens that was related to their prayers of God's people?