READY No*1 - Happy New You!

READY

A publication of Bethesda Frankel Estate Church | 161/01/2014

Happy New You!

“Fearful of transitions?”

Elder Melville Szto tells us how to navigate them with courage

“Enjoy your child!”

Janis Lim’s parenting 101

READY No*1

Februar y 2014

FRONT COVER

“My Ah Ma prayed with me in Hokkien.”

How Priscilla Soh shared the hope of Heaven

4 La Salle Street Singapore 456930 Tel: 6448 1800 Fax: 6448 0831 Email: bfec@bfec.org.sg Web: www.bfec.org.sg

Editorial Team Editor

Jimmy Tan

Editorial team Priscilla Soh Janis Lim Matthias Ong Evelyn Tan Daniel Lau

Design and Layout Abigail Ng

Printer

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Cover Photo

Worship Services: English 8am & 10am/Chinese 9.30am

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Deborah Quek Views expressed in published articles are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Team or the Church Council.

Your contributions to READY are welcome and should be submitted to editor@bfec.org.sg. The Editor reserves the right to accept, reject or edit any articles submitted for publication.

Children: English 10am/Chinese 9.30am Youth: English 12pm/Chinese 9.30am Filipino & Indonesian: 10.15am

Contents READY No*1

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Happy New Year?

Happy New You!

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Life Transitions

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7 Questions

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Spurring One Another On

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A Worship Leader Learns to Worship

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JSS Blurbs

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Our Church Verse for 2014

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A Renewed Worldview

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Bethesda (Katong) Kindergarten: 60 Years of Service and Progress

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A New Field Ministry!

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7 Numbers

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Auntie Esther’s Lemon-Oatmeal Crispies

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And They Call Me Mum...

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Living a New Life in Christ

Photo by Deborah Quek

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HAPPY NEW YEAR? HAPPY NEW YOU!

a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come!”

(2 Corinthians 5:17). What mystery and hope!

While we see decay around us, we know there is such a thing as an inward renewal. God alone, through the Holy Spirit, can transform us from the “inside out” and “from glory to glory”, if only we let Him.

I was listening to the radio one day and heard what I thought sounded like an old song. My daughters were quick to correct me - it was a new song. In fact, it was one of the current hits. Still I thought, “Doesn’t the riff sound, oh, so familiar?”

A few weeks later, it was reported that the singer of the “old” song was making public statements insinuating that the singer of the “new” song had copied her (guess it’s moot why she chose to say this only after the new song had become a hit)!

So in this very first edition of READY, the new publication of Bethesda Frankel Estate Church, our theme is fittingly inspired by a phrase that Advisory Elder Dr. Ernest Chew, the Editor of our previous publication, would often say at the start of each year: “Happy New You!” I think this is very apt and I hope you will experience this for yourself by the time you have read all the articles.

So, is there really anything new under the sun?

I remember what someone once said to me - that God is the only one who creates; the rest of us re-create.

No magazine is ever launched alone. I am grateful for everyone in the team – they put in more work than me! By now it is plain that even a new magazine cannot claim to be original. This “new wineskin” hopes to build on the strengths of READY’s predecessors, “SCOPE” and “The Frankelite”, both of which faithfully distilled our church community’s aspirations for over five decades. It is only fitting we put on record here our deep appreciation to Advisory Elder Ernest, and others like sister Tong Suit Chee (past Associate Editor), who quietly and diligently served for many years.

New things also weather and change. Sometimes it’s for the better (think wine, cultivated friendships, nurtured marriages), but more often, it’s for the worse.

And so we hope and wish for the best, and wish ourselves and each other a “Happy New Year”.

There is another way to think about old vs new.

It is to shift our gaze from what is external and search for what is within to find the source of potential “new-ness”. It comes only from having a new life.

Forget make-overs. Forget divorce-to-restart-with-newflame. Forget even New Year resolutions. The new life begins… in you!

So…are you ready for READY?

But wait! This is even better than any self-help or the “chi” you can muster. The good old verse in the Bible declares how, “anyone who believes in Christ is

Jimmy Tan Editor

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Life Transitions

What are transitions?

Transitions are major turning points in a person’s life.

One kind of transition involves the loss of someone or something that has meaning for you. At the same time, this loss can become the gain of something which has potential to you. The loss of a loved one, or loss of a job, or failure in an important examination are examples of this kind of transition.

The loss of a beloved family member is an especially painful transition as we adjust to a new reality. Loss of a job or career can be equally devastating. At the same time, our loss often opens a way for a new gain. The loss of a job can lead to a career change and a new direction in life.

Bereavement might lead to greater appreciation for other members of our family.

Heard the saying, “there is nothing constant but change”? How can you cope better when you next encounter a new experience, especially one you have little or no control over? Elder Melville Szto and his wife, Salome, are no strangers to changes and life transitions. They returned from the mission field in 2010 after serving a total of 27 years in Japan - 19 years from 1975-1994, and then 8 years from 2003-2010.

The years in between, 1995-2001, were spent at Asian Cross-cultural Training Institute where he served as dean. Elder Melville is currently part of the pastoral team at BFEC and also serves on the pastoral team at the Japanese Christian Fellowship Church. Elder Melville and Salome have been married for 41 years. They are parents and parents-in-law to Sharon and Willy Ong, and Mark and Clara Szto. They have also been blessed with a granddaughter, Astrid, and a grandson, Nicholas. In this article, Elder Melville shares with us the precious lessons that we can learn from transitioning through different stages and new experiences in life.

Transitions also happen when we make major decisions for our lives. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, our lives are transformed.

When we accept a call from God to go into Christian ministry, be it as a missionary, pastor, Christian social worker etc., there is a major transition from work we previously did. A change of career is similarly a transition.

A transition also occurs when we cross over from one stage of life to another. When we get married or when we become a parent, we experience an immediate transition. Our status has also changed.

When we grow from childhood to adulthood, the transition process takes longer and can be difficult as we pass through the stage of adolescence.

Some people have a mid-life crisis and face a different kind of transition. They may ask, “Am I doing the right thing or have I wasted my life up to now?” There could be both negative and positive ramifications for a person going through such a soulsearching transition. Growing old, too, is a transition.

Although this is a non-event for most people since it occurs so gradually, we may not be conscious of it.

Nonetheless, retirement is an eventful transition.

Some transitions are predictable, like having to do national service if you are a Singaporean male.

Others are unpredictable, like injury or death caused by accident, or being diagnosed with an incurable disease, or being suddenly laid off work.

Transitions are part of life Transitions are to be expected in life. What is

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important is how we react to transitions. How can I respond to transition so that its effect on me will be positive? Can I adjust to my new situation or will I continue to live in the past, moaning to myself and those around me, “If only that had not happened!

If only I had not done that!” There is surely a place for sober reflection when we go through a transition.

However, we are not meant to be stuck in limbo as it were, but are meant to move on. The positive attitude to transition is to ask ourselves these kinds of questions, “What is God saying to me? What does He want me to see? How does He want me to move on?”

Transitions are wonderful opportunities for growth We can have a positive attitude to transitions because they are wonderful opportunities for growth! Even devastating transitions, like the loss of something or someone dear to us, are a God-given opportunity to grow. We can grow in our relationship with God when a major life transition pushes us to trust Him more. An unknown, uncharted future may even launch us on a new adventure of faith.

If our transition was brought about by some failure on our part (and this could include moral failure), we can turn to God for mercy and help, and discover that He is able to help; that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. I have learnt this precious truth in times of failure that I could not have learnt in the times of success in my life. Sometimes God allows all the props that we have put our dependence on to be knocked out from under us, just so that we might learn to depend only on Him. This was surely Paul’s experience in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. God had used Paul many times to miraculously heal other people.

This time God refused to answer his prayer for his own deliverance, for the removal of the ‘thorn in the flesh’ the ‘messenger from Satan’. Why? So that he would not become conceited, Paul wrote. So that he could learn this great truth that God revealed to him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God wants us to learn this truth too. Transitions give us the opportunity to learn this.

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The positive attitude to transition is to ask ourselves these kinds of questions, “What is God saying to me? What does He want me to see?

How does He want me to move on?”

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Transitions present an opportunity to learn contentment For most of us, adjusting to a lower station in life is more difficult than moving up. Moving from a more comfortable to a less comfortable situation is more challenging. Herein lies an opportunity to learn contentment. Paul also wrote, “I have learnt to be content whatever the circumstances... I have learnt 7

the secret of contentment” (Philippians 4:11-12).

Transitions may evoke fear, for example, when we are confronted with the unwelcome news that we have contracted a terminal disease. Yet, this is the time we can learn that “My times are in your hands.” (Psalm 31:15). Bereavement can be a time when we learn that God truly is the “God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), and He can give us “peace that surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). When we are perplexed because we do not know what to do next, we can claim the promise of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.”

Transitions allow us to deepen the relationships with those around us Transitions give us the opportunity to learn more about God and to deepen our relationship with Him. They give us an opportunity to also learn more about ourselves and to learn to greater appreciate those closest and dearest to us. Transitions help us to become more aware of the world around us. If we are prepared to open all our faculties (eyes, ears, mind) to all incoming information, to learn from our mistakes, to forget the past when images from there become obstacles to progress, and to re-program when necessary, we can grow through such times. The Bible says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”. (Romans 8:28).

A lesson from my own transition in life Near the end of 2000, in Salome’s and my sixth year serving at Asian Cross-cultural Training Institute (ACTI), I experienced what I later learnt to be the beginning stages of burnout. It was a devastating, totally new experience for me to feel complete helplessness accompanied by panic attacks – I literally could not do any work! Our doctor from the OMF International advised me to immediately relinquish all responsibilities, take a long break, and do nothing except rest, read, go for walks, and engage in relaxing activities.

I praise God that one of the staff at ACTI was able to take on my duties as dean, and friends arranged for Salome and me to spend three months in a holiday bungalow in Perth. I was able to recover and to resume work again at ACTI after that period. I had seen cases of burnout and saw how it took years for a person to recover from it, but never expected that I would myself experience it. As our OMF International

doctor immediately recognized the symptoms of burnout and acted promptly on my behalf in the early stages, I was able to make what was a relatively quick recovery.

What was the outcome of that experience for me? I discovered that God had other plans for me! I continued to serve as dean of ACTI till the end of 2001 (a total of seven years), having informed the board that they had to find a successor by that time. I then took a year’s sabbatical in 2002 during which time I wrote my book “Where Your Treasure Is”. In 2003, Salome and I returned to Japan for what turned out to be the most fruitful eight years of ministry of all our time in Japan (we had spent 19 years there previously, from 1975-1994).

God truly had His best plans in allowing me to go through that difficult transition. What else did I learn?

Two important lessons: 1) To know how to say ‘No’ – I am not indispensable! God can use other people to accomplish His work. 2) It is okay to fail – failure is not the end of the world! Failure is another opportunity to learn and to grow.

So do not be fearful of transitions. Use the opportunity to learn more about God and to grow in faith!

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If we are prepared to open all our faculties (eyes, ears, mind) to all incoming information, to learn from our mistakes, to forget the past when images from there become obstacles to progress, and to re-program when necessary, we can grow through such times.

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7 Questions In this regular feature, we get to know someone by their answers to “7 Questions”. In this issue, we feature Elder Ernest Chew.

Elder Ernest Chew taught History for nearly 40 years at the University of Singapore/National University of Singapore, where he was Head of the History Department and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. He is now an Associate Senior Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Elder Ernest is also the founding chairman of the University Staff Christian Fellowship, and he serves on the Boards of several organizations like EFOS, St. Luke’s Hospital, the Bible Society, and the Singapore Bible College.

He and his wife, Aileen, have three grown-up children (Alistair, Emrys & Alethea), and two grand-children (Mariel & Andrew).

Before you became Advisor y Elder in May 2013, you had been an Executive Elder in BFEC for many years. What were your initial thoughts in becoming one?

After returning from my graduate studies in the UK in 1970 and becoming a History lecturer at the University of Singapore, I became a Deacon of BFEC and participated in drafting our constitution statement of faith, and missions policy. In 1976 I was appointed an Elder. I had already become Chairman of the Discipleship Training Centre Council, and was chairing Campus Crusade’s “Here’s Life, Singapore” evangelistic campaign, and felt the Lord’s leading to keep BFEC connected with wider Kingdom concerns and para-church work.

Christian historian, the late Professor Sir Herbert Butterfield (whom I met in Cambridge) once wrote: “I am unable to see how a man can find the hand of God

in secular history, unless he has first found that he has an assurance of it in his personal experience”. Such a personal assurance of the Lord of History led me to become a professional historian.

One of your favourite quotes is by Soren Kierkegaard “Life can only be lived for wards:but can only be understood backwards.” Please tell us why and how it is special to you.

Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian existentialist philosopher who saw the connection between past, present and future, that we can only live forwards if we have some understanding of the past.

We can make the most of the present; and better envision the future, only if we have a biblical perspective of history and thus of our own identity in relation to God and the world.

Tell us one specific event that greatly contributed to your spiritual formation.

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When I was in my early teens, a turning-point was a message at Bethesda (Katong) by Mr J.Oswald Sanders on Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid!” This changed me from a professing Christian, presuming on grace, into a committed disciple of Christ, saved by grace through faith. Mr Sanders was General Director of the OMF, and had earlier been instrumental in the conversions of my sister Ai Lin and brother Jim. Was there a time when you felt inadequate for a certain change in your life? How did you overcome that?

At every stage of my life -- personal, family, church, academia -- there have been times and transitions when I have felt a sense of inadequacy to some degree or another. However, just as St. Paul’s question, “Who is sufficient for these things?” was answered by “Our sufficiency is of God”

(2 Cor.2:16 and 3:5), I have been encouraged by the Lord’s preparing me step-by-step for increasing responsibilities, in answer to prayers of family and close friends mingled with mine.

One example: as I was completing my Ph.D in Cambridge, there was no assurance of a vacancy in the History Department at the University of Singapore, and my returning to Singapore. There were several hurdles to cross before the door was opened!

Are there any possible changes in the future that you are looking for ward to?

While there are still fresh projects, it’s time to disengage, and to prepare others to take on more responsibilities. Uncle Fred Sabapathy wisely told me, “In Christian work, you don’t drop anything; you pass it on!” I look forward to passing on the baton to more and more faithful servants of the Lord.

Describe briefly something new that you recently embarked on.

Since I retired from teaching History at NUS in June 2009, I have become a researcher at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, and last year served as an adjunct lecturer in Asian Church History at the Singapore Bible College. I continue to serve on the Boards of various organizations and engage in Bible teaching ministry. These have provided God-given opportunities to share my life experiences and historical insights with those in my family and other circles. In my spare time, my hobbies include philately*, deltiology** and gardening. Earlier this year, I assumed a new role as a part-time History tutor and consultant at FINDINGS, an educational study centre started by my son Alistair.

Aileen and I continue to enjoy our privileged role as grand-parents (since 2007), though we find air travel increasingly strenuous.

Editor’s Note: * “Philately” is the study and collection of stamps. **“Deltiology” is the study and collection of postcards.

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Finally, what is your favourite verse from the bible?

It is Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in his time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Spurring One Another On We bring you some of the latest Ministry reports from 2013. Please continue to uphold our ministries in prayer.

Teaching & Equipping Ministry A Ladies’ Special “All The King’s Daughters” - A Ladies’ Special with Ellie Lofaro was held on Saturday, 5 October 2013.

Unique…Precious…Fulfilled.

What a beautiful reminder and assurance from the Lord to the 160 ladies present at the seminar. Women from all walks of life, young & old gathered in the sanctuary (the youngest at 20 years old and the oldest at 94 years old). Many were blessed by Sister Ellie Lofaro as she shared her powerful message with a blend of plain-spoken truth, common sense practicality and disarming humor.

Foreign Indian Workers Fellowship

We were blessed with a gifted evangelist & pastor in the person of Dr Reverend Babu who shared a message from Hebrews 2:15 on the freedom from fear of death. At the end of his message, three people indicated that they wanted to receive Christ as their Saviour.

The India Independence Day was celebrated on Saturday, 24 August 2013 in our church. Praise God for His abundant blessings on this event.

We had 53 Indian migrant workers who came to grace the event. A 10-member worship team from Seletar Tamil Methodist Church led us in worship. In addition to our Ukelele group, an entertaining performance was presented by Maurice & Charles Koh who rendered catchy songs from yesteryear.

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GROW@Noon As part of our Missions Month program, GROW@ Noon held a carnival on Sunday, 25 August 2013 to raise funds for worthy causes, including support for our sister Deborah Foo for her ministry with the International Justice Mission (IJM).

The carnival ran from 9am to 1pm and comprised various stalls offering a variety of food, refreshments and services. These included hotdogs, salad, pasta, chin-chow, cupcakes, ice cream, fresh lemonade and hot drinks. They were lovingly prepared and served by the youths from GROW@Noon, with help from their group leaders and even some parents. There were also stalls providing shoe polishing and photoscanning services, as well as those selling handmade bracelets/friendship bands and even hugs and massages ($1 per hug)!

All the hard work was not in vain and most of the food and drink (especially the hotdogs!) sold like the proverbial hotcakes. There was no shortage of takers for the shoe polishing service as well. Thanks to the strong support of Frankelites and guests who attended the carnival, a total net amount of S$3,760 was raised.

We thank God for a great carnival and for blessing us so that we can be a blessing to others. Thank you to all who visited our stalls that day to buy something or even just to chat with us!

The Committee strives to build a sustained movement that will continuously spur Frankelites to put their faith into action (James 2:17). During the Social Action month in July 2013 and throughout 2013, the Committee organized church-wide events such as Project Shoebox, Home Improvement Projects, outreach to the elderly at St Luke’s Eldercare, and facilitated various NGOs to engage Frankelites to volunteer with the work they undertook with the disadvantaged. If you’re interested to join us, please get in touch with the Committee at social_action@bfec.org.sg to find out more!

Social Action Committee Some committed Frankelites came together to form the Social Action Committee in early 2012, as fruit borne out of the 40 Days of Community campaign.

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Kindergarten Sunday School (KSS)

9214 Frankel Lights 3D/2N Retreat at Katerina Hotel, Batu Pahat

KSS celebrated Children’s Day on Sunday, 6 October 2013 and the highlight of the celebration was a magic show.

42 excited seniors came together for a 3D/2N retreat to Batu Pahat from 19 – 21 October 2013.

We stayed at Katerina Hotel, the only 4-star and largest hotel in town.

KSS Children’s Day celebration is also a Bring Your Friend Day where the children were asked to invite their friends to join them in this celebration. By God’s grace, more than 10 invited children joined the Children’s Day Celebration.

Our first stop was at a home for those with physical and mental disabilities in Kulai. Within the huge compound was also a home for the elderly. We were indeed privileged to visit the home and minister to its residents. A collection was made prior to the trip as a gift for the home.

Teachers came in on Saturday to decorate the AVA room with more than 200 balloons and little “steps” were pasted on the ground and 2nd floor to guide the children to the celebration venue. As the children arrived, they were welcomed with party hats.

We attended Sunday worship service at Gereja Grace (Presbyterian) where we were warmly welcomed by their Elders and members. It was a big church with a seating capacity for 1,000 people and standing on an equally huge plot of 10 acres of land.

The Children’s Day celebration started with worship led by Aunty Janis and her team of helpers. Songs such as “Bible Song” and “Jesus Loves Me” were sung.

After the Sunday service, we visited Malacca town and enjoyed a hearty meal of the best nonya food in town at Restoran Atlantic 1. There was food galore in the meals at the various restaurants on our itinerary. We had a total of three inspiring devotional messages given by Brother Kenneth Wong on the theme of “New Every Morning – Feeling New While Growing Old”. His messages spoke to many of our hearts as we were fed the living Word of God. On our last day, we visited the biggest pasar malam in JB near KSL Resort.

Our thanks to the many helpers including Waileen, Indra, Philip, our musician Maurice, and many others who made the trip memorable. Not forgetting Aishah our tour guide who spoke impeccable English and was a repository of knowledge and many interesting stories. To God, we offer our tribute of praise and thanks!

After the worship, the children were wowed by the magic tricks by Uncle Derek. Throughout the magic show, Uncle Derek taught the children several Biblical truths such as “magic is only an optical illusion and not a real miracle; only God and God alone can perform miracles”, and “Through God, we can do anything.”

After the magic show, the balloons in the net above the children were released so that they could bring back the balloons that they “caught”.

The Children’s Day Celebration ended with a treat of ice cream and cotton candy prepared by Uncle Raymond and Aunty Elaine. The children invited by the KSS children were each given a goody bag which included an invitation card for them to join KSS on Sundays.

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6TH Bible Distribution Trip to Harbin and Qiqihar (Heilong Jiang Province China from 26 October to 4 November 2013) Praise and thank God that 29 BFEC members and one non-member embarked on a 10 day trip to meet the Christian leaders and believers from the Three Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches (TSPM ) in China under the auspices of the United Bible Societies (UBS). We contributed 2000 copies of Bibles, 600 pairs of reading glasses for the elderly people and 300 sets of study books for the Seminary students.

with them.

At Mount Olive Seminary, besides handing out Study Books and Bible Reference Books to a fresh group of 300 seminary students, we shared God’s word, conducted leadership workshops and fellowshipped with them. We also had the privilege to attend a unique worship service with a group of deaf and mute believers known as the Ephphatha Fellowship Group.

Thereafter, we hosted a dinner for them.

By meeting the leaders of the Christian Council and visiting both city and rural churches, we were able to have a better understanding of the relationship between the church and the state. Hence, many of the misconceptions about churches in China were cleared.

We personally handed a copy of the Bible to believers who have never owned a Bible of their own, helped out in the Medical work of the church and had fellowship

It is an honor and a joy to be involved in what God is doing in China especially in the area of Christianity’s growth and the printing of millions of copies of Bibles.

We are indeed thankful for all the prayers and support given by the BFEC Council, Missions Board and many BFEC brothers and sisters in Christ. We went on this trip with the theme verses in Isaiah 55:10 - 11 and firmly believed that the word of God will not return empty but will accomplish and achieve the purpose for which HE sent us.

Missions: Japan In May 2013, a team of 8 Frankelites (Aloysius Ho, Deborah Quek, Dorea Quek, Ian Lim, Kuah Leck Ping, Michelle Ng, Sylvianne Devajothi & Daniel Lau) embarked on a 9-day mission trip to Japan. The purpose of the mission trip was to spread love and joy to the Japanese people. The team visited churches and helped in the homeless ministry in Tokyo, and then traveled to the tsunami-affected town of Kamaishi in Iwate prefecture to conduct tea sessions and after-school programs in temporary housing centers.

Three years after the 2010 tsunami, residents in the affected regions are still trying to cope with the loss of their homes, jobs and loved ones. Please continue to pray for the people of Japan.

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A Worship Leader Learns To Worship

Psalm 96:1-3 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples.

I have a confession to make… I don’t really know how to lead worship. Sure, I’m sometimes referred to as a “worship leader”, and once every few Sundays, I stand on stage and “lead worship”. However, in all honesty, making people worship God on Sunday is something that I am powerless to do because I have learnt that worship is not the same as singing. Worship is so much more than that.

Worship is a Response When I started out as a worship leader, I used to feel discouraged when the congregation sometimes seemed unresponsive. I would get irritated or conclude that it was somehow my fault - that if I could just try harder or make the music better, I could somehow encourage them to “really worship”. But then again, even if I could get everyone to behave as I hoped for, could I be sure that that the “ideal worship behaviour” meant that everyone was truly worshipping God?

When Jesus came, He taught us a radical new way to view worship. It is not confined to a “holy” place or time. Instead, it must be “in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). With all the trends and our own personal preferences in worship, it is easy to forget who or why we worship. Our deaconess and worship leader, Sharon Ngoo, shares her experience of worship from “the other side”. What has she learnt about worship through its leadership? Let us read her very candid sharing.

I have since learnt a little more about worship.

Indeed, singing, clapping and raising our hands at Sunday service is worship, but true worship goes beyond those actions. Romans 12:1 tells us to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to

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God” because that is our “true and proper worship”.

Worship is “our heartfelt response to God and His goodness”. It involves not only what we do in church on a Sunday, but also what we do from Monday to Saturday. Selwyn Hughes puts it well: “In church on Sunday, the individual worship given to God from Monday to Saturday is brought together in a corporate act”1.

I like?”. It’s so easy to slip into my personal comfort zone and give God routine, half-hearted or flippant worship.

4. We must also worship in adversity – There are times when I do not feel like worshipping. Often, these times arise out of difficult circumstances.

Yet time and time again, I have found that when I choose to worship, my eyes are turned away from my circumstances to focus on God who is above all and in-charge of all circumstances. The difficult circumstances don’t always change or get easier, but my perspective does a 180O turn. When I choose to worship God despite my circumstances, I live out what I believe and the Source of that belief.

An additional bonus is that it also encourages those around me when they see my faith in action.

If we understand that worship is not confined to 30 minutes on Sunday morning, then we stop seeing worship as an event but as a way of life instead. God, our loving Creator, certainly deserves much more than 30 minutes worth of “singspiration” a week.

Here are some key lessons that I have learned about worship from the “Worship as God Intends” sermon series in September 2013:

5. Worship is warfare – We live in enemy territory and because of our sinful nature, we often find ourselves having to fight in order to keep our focus on God. I have learnt that I need to lift God up high as my banner, to declare how Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross has saved and cleansed me, so that the enemy cannot have a foothold in my life. Worship helps me to do that because when I worship, I am declaring to the enemy that God is on my side and through Him, I have victory.

1. Worship is expressed in different ways – The people in the Bible worshipped God in different ways – for example, Mary, Martha and Lazarus each expressed their love for Jesus differently. Mary adored Jesus in a lavish display, Martha served faithfully and Lazarus testified about what Jesus had done for him. I have learnt that arranging the chairs in the sanctuary is as much worship as is playing in the worship band. The choice of expression is not as important as knowing that I need to worship Him with every part of who I am.

Most importantly…

The depth of my worship starts from how I see God – who He is and the wonder of what He has done for me. If my relationship with God is perfunctory and distant, my worship will be too. Worship is directly correlated to our spiritual health and flows naturally from a grateful heart that is in awe of who God is.

2. Worship involves sacrifice – Worship is a choice.

In choosing to honour God, we often have to make sacrifices. If we choose not to worship God, we are worshipping something else – our preferences, other people, our pastimes, ourselves. To worship is to honour God above all else, to give up or lay aside lesser things in favour of honouring Him. Like David, I have learnt that I cannot give God something that cost me nothing and have the audacity to call it worship. The word “worship” also means “attributing worth” to something. In other words, how much I am willing to sacrifice for God is an indication of how much I think He is worth.

As a worship leader I have given up trying to “make” people worship. I can’t force anyone to love God but I can keep pointing others (and myself) to the “King of Wonders” we worship so that the more we see Him for who He truly is, the more we will truly worship.

3. Worship is for an audience of One - Sometimes I catch myself thinking “I cannot worship” because the music isn’t right, or because I am distracted or self-conscious. Whenever I think this way, it is because I have forgotten that everything I do in worship is for God’s pleasure and not mine.

I have learnt that if I want to worship God as He deserves, I must constantly be asking “God, what do You like?” instead of asking myself “What do

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See the September/October 2013 issue of “Every Day with Jesus” on the topic of “The Heart of Worship”.

Hey Kids! What is the FIRST thing you would ask God for in 2014?

We went around asking the Junior Sunday School (JSS) children about it and received a wonderful range of answers!

“NEW, good friends!”

Child of God No. 1 (The Friendly One) – Benaiah Hoong, 12

“To thank God for the healing hands of others in Egypt”

“For my brother not to be so naughty!”

Child of God No. 2 (The Concerned One) – Charmaine Chew, 7

Child of God No. 3 (The Global Thinker) – Dylan Koh, 7

“More time with him” Child of God No. 4 (The Prayerful One) – Esther Chua, 11

“I want to have good friends that help me do my work” Child of God No. 5 (The Practical One) – Chan Woon Yee, 8

“No PSLE! And to migrate (for missions, perhaps?)!”

Child of God No. 6 (The Shy One) – Joseph Quek, 11

“Good grades!”

Child of God No. 7 (The Fruitful One) – Sarah Faith Teo, 9

“3 more wishes!”

Child of God No. 8 (The Seeking One) – Daniel Teo, 12

“Nothing!”

Child of God No. 9 (The Contented One) – Timothy Teo, 11) 17

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 3:18a

Photos by Teoh Teng Ngan

A Renewed Worldview

A sweeping change is making its way around the world in the form of ideas that are contrary to biblical truth. How should Christians respond to these troubling issues? Do you find that Christianity is increasingly becoming irrelevant to modern society? In this article, Daniel Lau examines this clash of worldviews, and provides suggestions on how we can engage the world for Christ.

What is a worldview?

First of all, let’s explore what a worldview is.

A worldview can be defined as a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic make-up of our world.1 Essentially, a worldview is the way we view our world and our place in it. It answers fundamental questions such as why are we here?

What is the meaning and purpose of life? Is there a difference between right and wrong? Is there a God? The truth is we all have ideas that attempt to answer these questions.

Here’s another way of understanding what a worldview is: Imagine a tree and its different parts.

We would usually draw a tree with its trunk, branches and leaves. However, what holds the tree up are its roots. Our worldview is like the roots of the tree – it is essential to our life and stability. We cannot see what is in the ground (our worldview), but we see the exposed parts (our actions). Ideas have consequences; each of us base our decisions and actions on a worldview.2 The ideas that we readily receive from the friends we interact with, the movies we watch, or the Internet websites we visit, all contribute to our behaviour.

The question therefore, is not whether we have a worldview, but what worldview we hold to. Christians believe that the biblical worldview is the most consistent and coherent, and provides a reliable framework for all of life. We believe that humans are made in the image of Christ and the Bible reveals God’s design and purpose for all of life. Consequently, once Christians begin to think biblically, they will naturally live according to its principles.

James Sire, The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1988), p. 17.

2 Noebel, David A.. Understanding the times. 2nd abridged and rev. ed. (Manitou Springs, CO: Summit Press, 2006), p.16.

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Why a blibical worldview?

Consider the following statistics: 1. Approximately 80% of youth who grew up in church fall victim to popular ideas of the modern world and renounce their faith by the time they graduate from college.

2. 85% of people outside the church perceive Christianity to be judgmental, hypocritical and anti-homosexual.

3. 57% of evangelical adults agreed with the statement “Many religions can lead to eternal life.”3 We now live in a culture that is hostile to Christian ideals. Many people think Christians are ignorant, arrogant and intolerant. Churches around the world are increasingly succumbing to popular but unbiblical ideas. If Christians do not hold on to true biblical convictions, we will lose our ability to influence society for Christ.

Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church, identifies six dominant worldviews prevalent today: materialism, individualism, hedonism, pluralism, naturalism and humanism.4 Unless you live in a cave, chances are you will possess traces of these worldviews. The task at hand is to identify beliefs that are contrary to Scripture and realign ourselves to a Biblical worldview.

Do you have a biblical worldview?

A 2009 survey conducted by the Barna Group sought to explore how many [adults] have what might be considered a “biblical worldview.” For the purposes of the survey, a person who possesses a “biblical worldview” was defined as believing in all of the statements (see box on the next page) that are derived from the Bible. A biblical worldview does not consist of only these statements, but they provide a basic theological framework from which Christians view all of life.

Morrow, Jonathan. Think christianly: looking at the intersec tion of faith and culture. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2011), p.24-25.

4 Read Rick Warren’s article on the six competing worldviews at http://www.christiantoday.com/article/rick.warren.six. worldviews.youre.competing.against/13420.htm 5 “Born again” Christians are defined as having made a personal to commitment to Jesus Christ that is important in their life today and that they are certain that they will go to Heaven after they die only because they confessed their sins and accepted Christ as their savior.

6 https://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12faithspirituality/252-barna-survey-examines-changesin-worldview-among-christians-over-the-past-13-years#.

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According to the Barna Group, results show that only less than a tenth of all American adults have a biblical worldview (9%). The study also indicated that a minority of people who describe themselves as “born again”5 actually share this worldview (19%).6 The study highlights several implications, but one troubling pattern to note is that although most Americans consider themselves to be Christians and profess to know the content of the Bible, very few of them demonstrate such knowledge through their actions. In short, the Bible has little bearing on how they view the

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What worldview do you hold?

Do a simple sur vey to find out!

Spend some time to read through and consider these statements.

Do you agree with the following?

1. A person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or do good works.

2. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth.

3. God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today.

4. Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic.

5. The Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches.

6. Absolute moral truth exists.

Singaporean Christians may think that an American survey means little to them. However, Christianity in Singapore and America may have more in common with each other than we think. One similarity is that we are increasingly becoming 2nd and 3rd generation Christians who have inherited a culture of Christianity, but the gospel has not truly penetrated our hearts and minds. There are many Singaporeans who have had some form of Christian upbringing or education but stopped attending church by the time they enter the university or the workplace because they find the Christian faith irrelevant. How can the church address this problem?

Sunday, but over 40 hours in the school/office and on the Internet. We can easily find popular “answers” but they are not necessarily correct ones. If Christians do not cultivate a discerning mind, we will be more likely to be influenced by popular ideas around us.

Unquestioned answers If you have grown up in Sunday school, you would have heard numerous “rules” about Christianity.

Sometimes, we simply repeat and believe what other Christians are saying without searching the Bible to find out if it is true. Be humble and question our biblical assumptions. When we do that, we will realize that some of our Christian assumptions are culturally grounded or personally motivated. We should also not be too quick to say: “Don’t argue with me. The Bible says that _______________ (fill in your unquestioned answer), so it must be true.” If we resist the temptation to say that, the world will not view Christians as arrogant, and will likely engage with us more willingly and honestly.

How do we develop a biblical worldview?

If Christianity is true, then it speaks to all of life; it makes a comprehensive claim on reality. The task at hand therefore, is to develop a Christian understanding and response to every area of life: religion, politics, sexuality, entertainment etc. One way of developing a biblical worldview is to constantly think through what we believe as Christians. There are two extremes that we should guard ourselves against: unanswered questions and unquestioned answers.

Unanswered questions If you have some burning or nagging questions about certain life issues or the Christian faith, do not ignore it or wait till later to address it. Search the Bible, speak to a church leader (e.g. Elder/Deacon), and discuss it in your bible study small group as soon as possible. The voices from secular sources are overwhelming: we spend only 2 hours in church each 22

Have courage to defend and live out your biblical worldview The church is now living in an age where worldviews play a pivotal role in our lives. Society is becoming increasingly hostile to Christian ideals.

Christians must develop a robust and defensible worldview if we are to be the salt and light in a world darkened by destructive ideologies. The task of the church is to think critically and engage sensitively.

Sometimes, it takes a bit of courage and logic (e.g., law of non-contradiction) to defend our biblical worldview. When a person exclaims, “When it comes to matters of faith, you can’t be certain about anything.” You may reply, “Are you absolutely certain about that?” When an atheist professor teaches, “You should reject belief in God because you can’t know anything to be true unless it is scientifically verifiable, tested and proven”, you may politely say, “Is your statement or theory verifiable, tested and proven?”7. Ask probing questions to find out what people believe in.

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The task at hand therefore, is to develop a Christian understanding and response to every area of life: religion, politics, sexuality, entertainment etc.

One way of developing a biblical worldview is to constantly think through what we believe as Christians.

Having a biblical worldview would at least equip you to discern a bad idea from a biblical one. However, a biblical worldview is only part of the solution; Christians also need good mentors and a vibrant community to help live out our biblical convictions.

When Christians think biblically and live victoriously, the world will sit up and listen. May we be equipped to communicate effectively the gospel of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of our heavenly Father. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” - Romans 12:2.

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http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2013/09/05/howlogic-can-help-save-a-college-students-faith/ 23

Bethesda (Katong) Kindergarten: 60 Years of Service and Progress Did you know that before our church even came about, there was, first, our kindergarten? Or that in the 60 years she has been in operation, more than 20,450 children have passed through her doors? Here’s a quick snapshot of God’s faithfulness to our kindergarten ministry, as shared by Miss Irene Wee (Principal) and Miss Wong Lee Pin.

Bethesda (Katong) Kindergarten started in 1953 at 21 Jalan Pipit with the vision of an outreach at Frankel Estate. Soon the kindergarten grew significantly and a bigger premise was required, so the kindergarten moved to its present premises in 1955. The growth of the kindergarten from an initial 20 students to its current enrolment of more than 400 is due in no small part to the dedication and commitment of each of the principals, board members and staff over the years.

The current principal, Miss Irene Wee, built upon the accolades of her predecessors and developed the kindergarten from strength to strength. Under her leadership, the kindergarten has been receiving the MOE Innovation awards and MOE Good Practice awards for the past few years. Projects included the integrated approach to thematic curriculum, ‘Stellar’ approach to teaching of English and Mandarin, computer-assisted learning, Art in Our Daily Life and purposeful play through learning centres. In addition to educating the children, the kindergarten seeks to nurture each child in strong character values. In essence, our mission is to “train a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

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In the 50s and 60s ‌

In the 80s and 90s ...

Into the 21st century ...

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A New Field Ministry!

Dear Frankelholics,

Nicholas Poa talks to us about a new “mission field” – on the soccer pit! Don’t play, play! These guys are dead serious about scoring...for Jesus (and for BFEC, but of course!). GOAL!!!

By God’s grace we were re-established in 2013 within 7 busy days as we felt led to join in the Crossroad Cup, an inter-church football competition. Emblazoned on our team’s shield was our motto “Soli Deo Gloria” (Glory to God Alone) and we set out with the lofty ideals of using our team as a platform to spread the Gospel, act as an outlet for healthy fellowship and of course TO CONQUER ALL THE OTHER CHURCHES ON THE FIELD!!!

Were there hiccups and set-backs? Of course there were and they literally came in all shapes and sizes (for example Benjamin Mak and Gabriel Tan decided to order tight-fit XS sized jerseys and ended up with something which could barely fit a 12 year old girl). There was also the small matter of having to face up to REALITY where we were given a hiding from many of the other churches as most of our boys have never even played an 11-a-side football match, much less participate in a competition. It was tough and our boys really struggled against gamesmanship and rough and tumble tactics employed by some of the other churches against us (don’t worry, the only real injury suffered was our bruised egos).

God’s fire is one which refines and purifies.

Learning through our tough defeats and the mentorship of our senior members Uncle Lai Yong, Uncle Ngee Koon, Kelvin Lim, Kelvin Ng, Bryan Ng, Ian Koh, Ray Lim, Alex Loo, EJ Loo and Cohen Tan, our young fledglings David Quek, Gabriel Tan, Benjamin Mak, Arthur Liew, Benjamin Chan, Daniel Chew and Dyeo Xiaoen are starting to take flight.

Alright...on to the business end of things you sayhave we won anything?! Yes we have! Our no-Christian, which comprises about a quarter of the team, have heard the Gospel a number of times throughout the season and some of them have attended our Church services or are now attending other Churches. We were also awarded the Crossroad Cup’s Fair Play Award and we clinched second place in the Soccertron Bowl Competition. At the time of press, our teams had just placed 5th and 8th out of 16 teams at the Ascension Cup held bi-annually and decimated Evangel Baptist Church 5-2 with Gabriel Tan netting himself a ‘perfect’ hat-trick (i.e., scoring one with his right foot, one with his left foot and one with his head).

Moving forward, we aim to organise regular friendly kick-about sessions for members and guests to fellowship in a healthy and edifying manner. For updates on this and more team news, please join

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our Facebook group @ https://www.facebook.com/ groups/345853358867450/ or type in the search function “BFEC Football Team”.

We are also always on the lookout for sponsorship and players to join the team. Ideally, to maximise the player’s experience in the team, he should be free on Sundays for the matches and should have some background in competitive football. If you have any queries, please feel free to contact our Head of Recruitment and Sponsorship, David Quek at davidqyq@gmail.com.

Soli Deo Gloria

Our home kit – Red is the colour of Christ’s blood that was shed for us

Uncle Lai Yong leading the way in the 7- a-side Soccertron Competition

The winning team decked out in our away kit

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David Quek interviews two of our church members, Kelvin Ng (K) and Bryan Ng (B), who are part of the BFEC soccer team.

D: What are your aims for the upcoming season?

Don’t say score more goals than me because I am going to be a scoring machine!

D: Hi boys, we are so happy to see you here with us today at our clubhouse. Now, I would like to start off this interview by asking you how and when did you join our church?

K: Haha, David you are very funny.

K: I first joined Frankel when I proposed to my wife Julienne on Christmas last year. It was an easy choice because her friends here are such wonderful people and I really liked how vibrant Grow @ Noon is. In fact, I now serve at Grow @ Noon too because it is such a wonderful ministry.

B: But seriously, as senior members of the squad, it is really important to be a role model for our boys to follow and to show the world that we will play the right way even if it means that we lose the match.

My aim this season is to groom and mentor our younger players to take on more responsibility on and off the field.

D: I think everyone should aspire to be like Julienne, because of her, we now have two of our best players. Very inspiring stuff for our readers.

What about you Bryan?

K: I must say that evangelism through football is way tougher than I imagined it to be. It’s so much more than just trying to win at all costs on the field because we must also keep to our calling as Christians and be the salt of the earth and light of the world! My aim for this season is that the team will continue to play hard for God and just love and encourage each other to be good disciples on and off the pitch.

B: I followed my brother to Frankel and have never looked back since as the community here is really welcoming and I can really feel His love all around!

D: So what do you fine gentlemen do outside of scoring goals on the pitch and moulding minds at Grow @ Noon?

D: That’s awesome guys! Let’s go out there to win souls and trophies!!! GOOOOOOOO FRANKEL!!!!

K: I am a school counsellor so you can say that helping youths is a full time thing for me!

B: I am teacher on weekdays and when I am not in the line of duty at school, I play rugby for Singapore.

D: Wah, I think Julienne should conduct a course in church. I will sign my sister up! Just curious, how did the both of you come to Christ?

K: Our grandparents were Christians and they exposed us to the Bible at an early age. We went to ACS and attended a number of Christian camps.

It was at one of these camps that I was touched by the Holy Spirit and received Jesus into my heart and life.

B: My two older brothers (Kelvin and Benjamin) were instrumental in bringing me to Christ. I must say that they have always been my inspiration and pillar!

From right to left - Kelvin Ng, Benjamin Ng and Bryan Ng representing us at the Ascension Cup

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7 Numbers... that made a difference in 2013

21 Baptisms

2200 shoeboxes... shipped to children in Cambodia

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8 Weddings...

8 births...

solemnized for members by our Elders

to Frankel members

6 members

above 90 years old

295

New blue seats 29

Transferred in members

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Auntie Esther’s Lemon-Oatmeal Crispies Bite-sized BLESSINGS for the whole family to share!

Freshly contributed by Esther Liew

What Goes In? 2/3 cup vegetable oil 1cup all-purpose flour 2/3 cup brown sugar 1cup rolled oats ½ cup egg white ½ tsp baking powder 2 tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp baking soda 2 tbsp grated lemon rind 1½ cup crispy rice cereal 1 tsp vanilla extract

Making Those Bite-Sized Blessings!

1. Mix vegetable oil & sugar at medium speed until creamy.

2. Add egg white, lemon juice, lemon rind & vanilla extract to the above ingredients and blend well.

3. Stir flour, oats, baking powder, & baking soda together to blend well.

4. Add this flour mixture to the egg white mixture while beating at medium speed.

5. Stir in crispy rice cereal.

6. Drop tablespoonfuls of mixture onto ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Bake at 350ºF/180ºC for 8-10 minutes (or till light brown in colour).

8. Move cookies to a wire rack & cool to room temperature.

And it’s ready to serve!

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And They Call Me Mum...

Janis Lim is a mother of two young boys, Jeremiah and Josiah. In this article, she shares the ups and downs of a stay-home mother and an important lesson she learnt from experienced parents on what it means to simply enjoy her children and to see God’s hands even in the mundane daily routine.

“If you’re not going to listen, then don’t talk to me!” I shouted at the older of my two boys. I had asked him to clean up, while he kept conjuring excuses not to.

I was tired and he was trying my patience. I plopped down on the sofa with Josiah, my younger one, while big brother Jeremiah hopped onto his bike and started cycling around. I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my arm.

“Ouch! Oh no, there’s blood!” I exclaimed. Josiah had scratched a healing wound on my arm. Jeremiah literally jumped off his bike and came rushing towards me. He took a quick glance at the wound, then turned to look at me with eyes filled with so much tenderness that I could feel it. I could sense he wanted to ask if I was alright but the words never came. Then it struck me - I had told him not to talk to me! Yet Jeremiah came running to me when he knew I had hurt myself.

My heart all but melted. My five-year-old son loves me.

Aren’t moments like these what all mummies yearn for?

Looking back on the 5 years we spent bringing him up, I must admit it has been a very tough journey.

Tender and profound moments like these are few and far between. Being a stay-home mum, I am often asked how it is like. My quick reply is, “90% pain, 10% joy”, often to the bewilderment of the person asking!

I would hasten to add that the 10% joy is worth the 90% pain.

Parenting is a tough journey. The bible gives very broad guidelines on parenting. One of my most cherished verses is from Proverbs 22:6: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it”. I was hungry for what more experienced parents could teach me. My favourite question these days is, “Do you have any advice for me on how to bring up my children?” Of the many pieces of wise advice I have been given, two have shaped my manner of parenting significantly.

The first was from a man of God who is also a much sought-after preacher of the Word, Reverend Edmund Chan. Pointing to his teenage daughter next to him, he said simply: “Enjoy them. They grow up so quickly.” His response took me by surprise. Enjoy? The lack of sleep, the constant diaper-changing and the terrible twos? Was he kidding?

I was to hear the same piece of advice many times again. I used to dread the long days filled with what seemed like routine and mundane chores. I wished my boys would grow up quickly. Reverend Chan’s advice set me thinking: if godly parents who have walked this same path of parenthood tell me to enjoy

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On many occasions, I have questioned the need to spend my life at home with the children. There were even days when I wondered if this is what God wants for my life. Pushing trains along tracks and reading the same storybook 20 times isn’t exactly what I imagined myself to be doing after studying for the most part of my life! Nevertheless, over time, I have experienced the peace and conviction from God that He can be glorified in the manner I bring up my children and in the role I play as a stay-home mum. This realization has given me great encouragement.

As we embark on a new year and as we make plans for what we want to do with and for our children in 2014, may we all first take a step back to evaluate our relationship and time spent with them. Whatever we do (or not do) has an effect on their development, be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, whether positively or negatively. Parenting is one of the greatest gifts God has given to us. So while it is to be treasured and enjoyed, it is also a tremendous responsibility which we must take seriously.

Parenthood needs to be carried out in love and reverence for the One who created and redeemed us.

By His grace, He has chosen us to to be stewards of these little ones for a time. What a privilege to shape the lives of our children; of the future generation!

Derek and Janis Pang with Jeremiah and Josiah

this stage of my sons’ childhood, there must surely be some wisdom and truth in it. I thought about it and realised that every stage of their lives, no matter how difficult or mundane it may be, will pass. More than that, every moment spent with Jeremiah and Josiah now is a part of the foundation I am building for their lives ahead!

Mary Carlson, a neurobiologist from Harvard Medical School, conducted a study of orphans in an overcrowded Romanian orphanage. It was an appalling sight - rows of babies lay neglected in their cribs. Overworked staff meant the babies were hardly touched, even during feeds. What was most striking was the oppressive silence - no sounds and no crying could be heard at all. When the babies reached two years of age, they were found to perform at mental and motor levels we normally see in one-year-olds. Mortality rates were high and even those who survived never fully recover1. Carlson adds, “In the past, everyone thought survival depended on satisfying basic drives such as hunger and thirst”2, but here we see that so much more is needed merely for a child to develop normally!

In an excellent article in the Straits Times entitled “Is quality time a working parent lie?”, journalist and father Andy Chen says it is a lie “if we think it can replace quantity”. I love what he has to say next: “If you don’t share enough of the child’s ‘mundane’ experiences - scribbling alongside him, riding a slide with him, playing teatime, building Lego structures how will you discover what his major epiphanies are?

How will you be able to see your child’s world in a grain of sand and find out his idea of heaven in the wild flowers he played amongst...?” 3

The second significant lesson I learnt on parenting concerns discipline. We’ll leave that for the next issue.

I’m still not over the tender, loving look on Jeremiah’s face. So let me savour that moment again and I will share more in the next issue. Till then, enjoy the simple pleasures of parenthood!

Dr. James Dobson, “Bringing Up Boys” www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1998/06.11/OfHugsand Hormon.html 3 The Sunday Times, September 22, 2013 1 2

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Living a New Iife in Christ

Is it ever too late to make a change while one still has the opportunity? John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. Priscilla Soh shares the story of how God sustained her grandmother so He could bring her to a new life in Christ, just three weeks before she went home to be with Him.

Many of us who have tasted the goodness of our Lord and received His priceless gift of salvation none the less remain hesitant about sharing the Gospel with others. I was one of them. For many years after I knew Jesus, I was afraid to speak about Him to those I love.

On one hand, my fears and concerns seemed logical enough. Yet, when I tested them by committing them to prayer, it became all too clear that none of them should stand in the way of testifying for Jesus. By sharing my story of how my 90-year-old grandmotherreceived Jesus just three weeks before she passed away, I hope to encourage you to stand in the gap to be a bold a ­ nd willing witness for Jesus so that those who yet do not know Him can stand a chance for a new life that is only possible through Him who is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

My grandmother (“Ah Ma”) brought me up.

My parents had split up when I was young and Ah Ma essentially brought me up. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour on 8 December 2002 but this story of her new life begins many years before that.

Many people who knew my Ah Ma may be surprised, perhaps they may even be shocked, to know that she became a Christian. In all her 90 years, Ah Ma had been a staunch Buddhist who also took part in ancestral worship. Even up to her early 80s, she went vegetarian on the 1st and 15th day of every lunar month. She had prayer beads over which she chanted Buddhist prayers.

When I became a Christian in November 1997, I did not dare let her know. I had seen her fury when she found out that my cousin had converted to Christianity. Eventually, I still told her. I did not want to be ashamed to confess my acceptance of Christ. Ah Ma did not get angry. Instead, she seemed disappointed and resigned. It took a while before I plucked up the courage to share with her the Gospel.

Initially, she was very resistant and rebuffed every attempt to share the message of salvation in Christ with her. She held fast to the belief that so long as she had a good heart and did not do evil deeds, it didn’t matter which religion she embraced – one of the most common and devastating lies by the evil one.

Whenever I went to visit her, I would continue to share the Gospel with her. With Ah Ma, one can’t be too insistent. I was once a non-believer and, at that time, I had deeply resented it when Christians literally tried to force the Gospel on to me or told me I would go to hell for not believing. The best way to witness is to be guided by the Holy Spirit. One thing I continually emphasised to her was that Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship with God. She can talk (pray) to God like He is her best friend.

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years. I reminded her that no one is forcing her to accept Jesus. The act of acceptance must come from her own willing heart. She looked at me and said, “Yes, I would like to.” We prayed the sinner’s prayer together in Hokkien. That was one of the most significant moments of my relationship with Ah Ma because Jesus came into it too. The countenance of peace on her face was of someone who had made peace and accepted the love of her Father.

As time went on, Ah Ma grew increasingly receptive to the point that when we offered to pray for her, she would agree. However, when we talked about salvation, she would say, “Tell Jesus that I will believe in Him if He heals me.” Whenever she said that, I did not know whether to laugh or cry. I told her that we can pray over her day and night but she needs to believe that Jesus cannot only heal her, He can save her. We cannot bargain with God. The more I shared the Gospel with her, the less she had a “fish market” mentality about Jesus. Things developed to a point whereby she would either ask me to pray for her and give me her prayer requests or I would ask her if she wanted prayers and she would say “yes”. We would then pray a simple prayer in Hokkien and at the end of it, she would say “Amen”.

Soon after, I called my husband to the room and the first thing he said was, “Ah Ma suddenly looks so peaceful.” I told him that Ah Ma had accepted Christ. We said a prayer of thanksgiving to God for His goodness and mercy. When I went downstairs, I shared with my father and stepmother. They were watching TV and I told them, “Ah Ma has accepted Jesus Christ.” I think they were just as shocked as I was initially. I thank God that they were supportive and encouraging.

Despite all this, Ah Ma was still hesitant about taking that step to receive Jesus. She did not tell me the reason but I knew that she was afraid that something bad would happen to her if she did that since she had dedicated herself to Kuan Yin when she was younger. That, of course, was a deception by the evil one and we could only pray to break the bondage.

Ah Ma passed away peacefully on Christmas Eve. Psalm 30 is called the “Blessedness of answered prayer” and that is so apt where Ah Ma is concerned.

I was particularly struck by the poignancy of Psalm 30:3 which says: “O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.”

On 8 December 2002, when we were watching TV downstairs at my father’s home, I felt a prompting by the Holy Spirit to go to Ah Ma and share the Gospel with her. She was happy to see me and we chatted.

But she soon felt depressed and asked me, “I want to die. Why am I not dead yet?” I answered, “Have you thought that you are not dead yet because God loves you too much to let you die without being saved?”

She was quiet for a moment when she heard this.

I knew she was reflecting on my question. I shared the Gospel with her again. She finally told me that she was afraid to accept Jesus as there might be punishment from the gods. I told her that she does not have to be afraid since Jesus is greater than any god.

Indeed, this verse captures exactly what our merciful God has done for Ah Ma. He kept her alive through several cancers and major operations and sustained her till she was saved. Though she rejected Him for many years, He waited patiently for her and never stopped loving her. God was so gracious and gave me the assurance of Ah Ma’s salvation through a vision which came at almost the exact time she passed on. I saw her young and resplendent in a white cheongsam, with so much joy on her face. Indeed, as Psalms 35:9 praises, “And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation.”

Ah Ma was also worried that Jesus may not bother with her as she did not know how to pray. I explained to her that He knows our heart even before we speak with our mouths. She also told me that she was a bit confused about the concept of salvation. I told her to imagine that Jesus is standing behind the door.

He has been waiting for her to open that door for 90 years. He loves her more than anyone of us and wants to save her. She only needed to slip the key in the keyhole and open the door.

After I told her this, she kept quiet. I asked her if she would like to open that door in her life for Jesus.

She thought about it and said, “Yes, I would like to try.” I was rather shocked to hear her response even though it was one which I had been praying for for 35

Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation.

The old is gone! The new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

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