The “True” Value of Prayer April 26, 2007
Posted by rennie in Prayer.3 comments
In one of my recent think-time, I thought about why people seem to not pray enough. Here’s the results of letting my thoughts run wild …
Assumption: God is sovereign and all good things come from God. But we have to A.S.K. – Ask, Seek and Knock! (actually these are not assumptions)
Clarification: God is not a vending machine!
Example 1: 2 months bonus or 3 months bonus
Assuming a person earns $2500 a month. Say the person works in a company that usually pays a 2 months bonus. However, this particular person is praying for a 3 months bonus. The difference between an answered prayer and a non-answered prayer is hence $2500. Since the person earns $2500 a month and works approximately 10 hours a day for 25 days, his hourly wage will be $10. Converted to hours, an answered prayer equates to $2500/$10 = 250 hours. How many of us would actually pray 250 hours for this prayer item? I suspect not. Perhaps I would spend 2.5 hours praying about this, and if that prayer is answered, the person actually leverage up to 100 times!
Example 2: 10,000 members or 100,000 members
Assuming that each member in the church spends approximately 2 hours in discipleship and outreach every week. The difference between a 100,000 member church and a 10,000 member church is a whopping 180,000 hours lost every week in discipleship and outreach! To make up for “lost time”, each of us need to spend 180,000/10,000 = 18 extra hours every week instead of just 2 hours. I see a great (and eternal) value in an answered prayer here!
Example 3: A Quarrelsome or Non-Quarrelsome Partner
Firstly, it must be said that if the husband/wife quarrels, the other should be present to “join in”. I am not talking about a 1-way quarrel here. Assuming that a quarrelsome couple quarrels once a week for an hour, and the non-quarrelsome couple quarrels once a month for an hour. Assuming this couple marries at age 30 and dies together at age 80. The difference between a quarrelsome couple and a non-quarrelsome couple is 2600 hours (50 years x 52 weeks) versus 600 hours (50 years x 12 months) of total quarreling time. The difference is 2000 hours! How about spending just 20 hours in your whole lifetime praying for a non-quarrelsome partner? That will save you 1980 hours of your life! Think of what you could do with that 1980 hours! That’s the “true” value of prayer – believing, you shall receive from our loving Father!
Insights on Worship April 25, 2007
Posted by rennie in Worship.add a comment
Post by Kenny Goh, our YN guitarist. I definitely concur.
Psalm 33:3 goes: “Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy”.
There are three music-related activities that are described in this verse that we can offer to God. We often focus on the last part, ’shout for joy’, in that singing in worship to God is the end result of our compositions, arrangements, practices and rehearsals. However, from the verse, these activities are in themselves an offering to God, and we must take them as seriously as we do for worship.
i) Sing to Him a New Song
I believe this refers to compositions we make. This allows us to offer God the results of our creativity, much like how a child might design a drawing for his or her parents. Our compositions are not only acts of creativity, but also personal acts, because we express what we want to say and feel, rather than what another songwriter felt and said before.
To me, creative arrangements of old songs also count under this category. This is because new arrangements inject new life and meaning into old songs, and like before also requires the arranger to offer his or her creative energies unto God.
ii) Play Skillfully
We can also play skillfully as an act of worship for God. Imagine that the president of your country has requested that you play your instrument for him, for perhaps an hour. You would definitely put loads of effort into practice. The same is required for God, except that God is infinitely more important than any person! An excellent God definitely requires our attitude of excellence, and no slipshod work should be permitted.
Also, practicing on our instrument requires a substantial amount of time and effort, and in this way we give our time, time that could be used for maybe computer games and hanging out with our friends, as a sacrifice to God.
I also did a search for the word ’skillfully’ in the Bible, and it appears about 4 times only, in Exodus and Leviticus, primarily about weaving garments. In Exodus 28, the priests’ waistband is supposed to be ’skillfully woven’ (v.8) in the manner the ephod (another garment) is woven – a garment made of gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen (v.6). Such a garment must indeed require long hours of effort (especially if your clothes had gold on them!), and years of apprenticeship and experience. As a musician for God, you must also be willing to put in such effort and time to play your best for God.
In summary, singing songs to God is not the only music-related action we can offer to Him; we can also offer our creative energies through personalised compositions and arrangements, as well as sacrifice our time and effort to play skillfully for Him.
Solitude Time April 22, 2007
Posted by enerjhee in Events, Interesting Stories, Jhee's Sharing, Testimony.add a comment
Just completed a 3D2N solitude with Ps Adrian, Ps Lawrence and Ps William. It was at Changi Village.
Interesting thing I learnt about myself:
I am so used to listening to God in crowded noisy places.
My normal devotion place is West Coast Macs, not very noisy and not very crowded.
In those times, it is more “mind renewing” for me.
I am not used to listening to God in quiet places, like in a room.
But thankfully, this time round, it was a refreshing quiet time.
In these times, it is more “soul refreshing” for me.
My soul is refreshed. 
Gilgal will Roll Away your Reproach April 19, 2007
Posted by heeguan in OT#06 - Joshua, Old Testament.add a comment
Gilgal is first mentioned in Deuteronomy 11:30. In the vicinity of Gilgal, there are 2 mountains; Mount Gerizim, the mountain of blessings and Mount Ebal, the mountain of curses. The experience of blessings and curses is based on one’s devotion to Yahweh.
The Lord desires that His children, led by Joshua, to experience His blessing. After crossing river Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.
Egypt loves to echo discouragement, shame and accusation into God’s children. God proclaimed that He wanted to roll away this reproach. After His proclamation, He reminded His children 5 more times through experiential learning; the Passover, the central, southern, northern and Hebron conquests.
Experiential Learning 1: The Passover (Joshua 5)
Joshua 5:10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.
Yes, when facing the Jericho enemy, they could still celebrate! The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan. It was time to plunder the enemy and eat of the produce of the land. 
Experiential Learning 2: The Central Conquest (Joshua 6-9)
Using their base camp Gilgal, Joshua cut through the heart of the Canaan land by gaining control over
Jericho, Ai and Gibeon.
Joshua 9:6 Then (the Gibeonites) went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him…
Experiential Learning 3: The Southern Conquest (Joshua 10-11)
Joshua 10:6-7 The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.” So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men.
The main troops of the 5 southern Amorite kingdoms were defeated by Joshua through a sun-stand-still conquest.
Joshua 10:15 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. The allies of 5 southern Amorite kings (Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem, Hohan king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon) were finally wiped out by Joshua.
Joshua 10:43 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
Experiential Learning 4: The Northern Conquest (Joshua 12) From Gilgal, Joshua then launched a Northern campaign that defeated the allies of many northern kings.
Experiential Learning 5: The Hebron Conquest (Joshua 14)
Joshua 14:6 Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me…” And finally, Caleb inherited Hebron through his ‘give me the hill country’ conquest.
Reflection:
· Do you have any Egypt Reproach that tells you that you’re a failure?
· Do you want Gilgal to roll away the Reproach?
· Do you need Mount Gerizim blessings?
· Are you ready to be fully devoted to Him?
· Do you want the experiential learning of Joshua?
· Are you ready to ask God to train you to be a Warrior of Light for Conquest?
Noble Thoughts will Guard our Hearts April 18, 2007
Posted by heeguan in Hee Guan's Sharing.add a comment
Yesterday, I was feeling terrible. My heart was messed up and I felt that my blood vessels would burst anytime. So last night, I prayed with a friend and I felt so much better.
Psalms 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid?
This morning, instead of allowing the unhappy incidents to trouble me, I focus on the good and noble things.
Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.
I thought of the recent blessing that (Ang) Shufang’s G12 family volunteer to do a thorough house cleaning for me; acts of kindness without string attached. It warms my heart. So, today I start with a warm and joyful heart.
Reflections on Shield of Faith April 17, 2007
Posted by enerjhee in Events, Jhee's Sharing, Sermons.add a comment
By Wei Lit (Jhee 12)
The sermon on the Shield of Faith had me thinking somewhat about what faith actually means to myself, as well as to other
Christians, especially those who had known the Lord for some time,chronologically.
Why did I choose to use the term “chronologically”? Well, I believe that most of us would agree with me, that just because one has been a Christian for a long time, does not mean that one knows the Lord well. These two are simply not necessarily related.
A little background. I was having dinner at Joanna Ong’s home, with Jo herself, and Alex Tai and Steph Ong. Later, Aeriel New and Wang Ying joined in the conversation, which soon centred around Pastor Khong’ sermon on faith.
Some of us were having a dry time in our spiritual lives, so we talked about how faith could actually be built, in a time when there isn’t much to begin with. Then we were wondering, how do pre-believers actually come about to summon up their faith, when they don’t even “know” the Lord. Steph brought up a very important point. “Desperation”.
That got me thinking. For us leaders, we have probably had friends, or members, who were once hot for the Lord. But so strangely, despite the fact that they seemed to know Him, when troubles come, they give up. Just like what Jesus said in the parables of the seeds, those who receive the word at once with joy, yet has no root, will quickly fall away, come troubles or
persecution because of the word.
Is it so hard for us to trust the Lord, when times get tough? Seems absurd that hard times and difficult situations drive pre-believers into the arms of our Saviour, yet drive Christians away! The grace of God is so abounding. And sadly, people reject it.
Yes, there are many things out of our control. We don’t always get the grades we want. We don’t always get the pay we like. We may not even get the girlfriend or boyfriend that we are crazy over. But do we trust God’s goodness? Do we trust His power? Do we even believe that He is Lord? Basically, do we have strong and healthy roots?
Joshua said “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” What about you?
GOD made Joshua great that day in the sight of all Israel April 16, 2007
Posted by shufang in OT#06 - Joshua, Old Testament.1 comment so far
What a great God we worship!
As we enter the book of Joshua, we see how great God is in battle. He was completely in charge of making His name glorified among His children & the nations: drying up of Jordan River, falling of
Jericho walls, sun stand still, etc. But what amazes me is that he chose to make Joshua great because God has called him to be the leader. Who is Joshua? I suspect he is not a very bold man; God has to constantly encourage him to be bold & courageous, telling him not to be afraid, not to be discouraged. Are you identifying with Joshua?
But see the loving hand of the Almighty God upon this faithful follower: He knew Joshua has a big shoe to fit (Moses), Joshua needs to win the respect of his followers. God was committed to make Joshua look good so that His will can be accomplished through this mortal man.
What does Joshua has to do: TRUST & BE FAITHFUL. Having COMPLETE FAITH in Him who has the power to do what He has promised.
Today, if you are a leader in our cluster:
Know that God has called you! And your God can made you look good in the sight of the nations.
Trust in the heart of your heavenly Father.
Good Friday Encounter April 14, 2007
Posted by rennie in Testimony.1 comment so far
Together with Matthew, some of my cell members and I went to the Changi General Hospital on Good Friday to bless and pray for the patients. Since we can’t bring them to the Miracle Weekend (for fear that they may perish along the way!), we decided to bring the Miracle Weekend to them. One encounter with the patient at Ward 47, Bed 27 went like this …
Rennie: [thinking to himself] Ha, this guy looks quite young, probably can pray for him, but have to wait for him to finish talking on the phone … ok, don’t waste time, see if there’s another person I can pray for … ha, there is one there … but does not look young … aiyah, whatever la.
Rennie: Hello, my name is Rennie. For this Easter weekend, my friends and I are taking some time to bless the patients in this hospital. [Shows a magic trick]
Bed 27: What’s your intention of doing this?
Rennie: Well, it’s the Easter weekend and we just want to take this time to remember those who are unwell among us, so we thought we would like to be a blessing to them by praying for them.
Bed 27: Are you a Christian?
Rennie: Yes I am.
Bed 27: Me too.
Rennie: Oh. [sits down]
Bed 27: [in semi-English] I am a Filippino. I was a former seminary student in Philippines. However, I did not graduate from seminary and I decided a few months ago to come to Singapore to find a job, so that I can support my family and the missionaries back home. But one month after I came to Singapore, my gall bladder raptured and I was admitted to hospital. These few months have been very trying for me. [With glistening eyes] I feel very lonely, and my wife had to fly to Singapore to keep me company. I kept on praying to God, asking him why this must happen to me? Where is he in the midst of all this? What is his plan for my life? Can he send someone to come and talk to me? I feel very lonely. (This sharing by Bed 27 seems short but it is actually around 20min long)
Rennie: [surprised] Oh.
Bed 27: [puts his hands on his heart, with tears in his eyes] God is good. Praise the Lord.
Rennie: I believe that God really loves you and wants to minister to you today. Perhaps I can pray for you?
Rennie: [prays a faith-filled, tongue-speaking, demon-casting, God-healing type of prayer while trying to keep it soft] [...] Amen.
Bed 27: What denomination are you?
Rennie: [blank stare, and thinks to himself] Faith Community [answers] Baptist!
Bed 27: [stretches out his hand to shake mine] I am also a Baptist.
Rennie: [shocked] Oh [thinking to himself how the expo services reflect a baptist tradition]
Bed 27: Can I have your church address?
Rennie: Oh sure. [remembered there's a Filipino service at TC] We have a Filipino service, and maybe I can have your contact number so I can get some people from the Filipino service to link up with you?
Bed 27: [gives phone number] That is very good. My wife has been invited to a few churches. However, I told her that we must find a Baptist church because we are baptist.
Rennie: Oh, ok, I will find out more and get back to you.
[further talking ensues ...]
In the midst of the Easter weekend, I suddenly have a deep realisation that not only does God care about the pre-believers, God also cares a lot about his children. Like what Ps HG posted in this blog, Good Friday is good because of his love.
Today or Tomorrow? April 14, 2007
Posted by rennie in OT#02 - Exodus, Old Testament.add a comment
In Exodus 8, we read about the plague of frogs. Here’s an interesting discourse between Pharaoh and Moses, beginning in verse 8:
Pharaoh: Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.
Moses: I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except those that remain in the Nile.
Pharaoh: Tomorrow.
Herein lies one of the most peculiar answer in the Bible. In the midst of all the teeming frogs around the palace, why would Pharaoh be willing to suffer another day? However, this may not be so peculiar when we realise that at times, we may just respond like Pharaoh. Should the Lord ask when we will rid the frogs in our lives, what will we answer? Today or tomorrow?
God@Marketplace #2 April 14, 2007
Posted by rennie in Old Testament.add a comment
Indeed, many principles can be derived from the laws of God. Certainly, we are not focusing on the ceremonial laws, which are all fulfilled in Christ; or the civil laws, which are more relevant for Israel than for us; but the moral laws of God. How about applying the 10 commandments in the marketplace for a start, along with examples of how I may apply it.
1. You shall have no other gods before me => I will put God as my first priority.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything […] => I will not make my career, dreams, success, goals, wealth etc as my idol gods.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God => I will not give excuses that I am too busy at church, too tired over ministry issues that I underperform at work.
4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy => I will keep the Sabbath.
5. Honor your father and mother => I will honor my superiors, and will not speak ill of them.
6. You shall not murder => I will be quick to forgive and overlook an injustice towards me.
7. You shall not commit adultery => I will not look lustfully at my female colleagues.
8. You shall not steal => I will not steal time by being late and leaving early.
9. You shall not give false testimony => I will always tell the truth.
10. You shall not covet => I will acknowledge the contributions of my co-workers.
