mica (p) 130/09/2013 grace in the face of disgrace · 2014-05-07 · issue 01 ag times may - jun...

ISSUE 013 • AG TIMES • May - Jun 2014www.ag.org.sg 1

A Bi-monthly publication of Assemblies of God,Singapore

ISSUE 013May - Jun 2014

www.ag.org.sg

MICA (P) 130/09/201 3

Report from our missionaries in Paris Pg 6

God’s work in India Pg 10

God healed me of my slipped disc Pg 20

“You are such a disgrace to our family!” – A familiar refrain I had gotten used to from my parents. I would be chided each time they got a complaint about my behavior in school, or a report by relatives who saw me hanging out with my gang and friends. After all, I had just entered secondary school, and they expected me to make them proud as the eldest child in the family.

The pent-up frustrations of a lost boy started out this way. A lack of approval and acceptance at home. I had a great family - intact, supportive, lacking no resource. Yet my teenage angst and rebellion took the better of me. I felt a

GRACE IN THE FACE OF DISGRACEBY GLENN LIM, BOARD OF DIRECTORS TEEN CHALLENGE

AG TIMESAG TIMES

continued on page 19

need to ‘fight’ for a cause and to prove myself; albeit, in ways that were undesirable. I entered my teenage-hood angry and restless - a recipe for a perfect storm!

The pull factor from my friends was strong too. After all, I felt like I belonged and was important to them. I was hailed as their leader, who led them in vice-laden

Rev Dr Robert Lim

Rev Dr Robert Lim Bak Mong received his theological training at the Bible Institute of Malaya and graduated with a diploma of Theology in 1966. In October 1989, he was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from the Bethesda School of Theology (California, USA). Pastor Robert Lim was the founding pastor of Evangel Family Church Singapore and in May 1994 he step down from his many positions to fulfil the vision of planting 100 churches in the Philippines by the year 2000. Today, he is the Founding Chairman of Jireh Evangel Church Planting Philippines Inc. (JECPP) which has thus far planted more than 655 churches.

JECPP has also established Evangel Centre for Missions and Evangelism (ECME), a missions school which specializes in training Filipino pastors in the area of church planting.

Having witnessed and recognized the progress of JECPP, the Philippines Evangelical Council of Churches (PCEC) have accorded JECPP the standing of a denomination since February 15, 2002.

Pastor Robert is a dynamic international missions speaker who has impacted churches and organizations to raise millions of dollars for missions. With God’s help, he has led his home church, Evangel Family Church Singapore, to support pastors, missionaries and Christian workers from Singapore and all over the world. Pastor Robert is happily married to Pastor Marion. They have three children, Dale (married to Chui Chui), Kirk (married to Jasmine), and Dayna (married to Jeremy), and has 2 grandchildren, Joseph and Jada.

THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD OF SINGAPORECOUNCIL ORDINATION NIGHTSpeaker: Rev Dr Robert LimSpeaker: Rev Dr Robert Lim

THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD OF SINGAPORECOUNCIL ORDINATION NIGHT

May 28, 2014 7.30pm

Trinity@Paya LebarFree Admission

May 28, 2014 7.30pm

Trinity@Paya LebarFree Admission

In recent months the story of how a teacher impacted the life of his former student made news on local media. It was the Ministry Of Education’s TV Commercial entitled “Mr Kumar”, which featured the rebellious boy who dropped out of school, went to Boys Home, and subsequently ended up in prison for drug offences. This boy’s name is Glenn Lim, who has since turned around by God’s Grace, and here is his story of transformation!

activities. We drank, smoked, gambled, vandalized and then drank some more. Needless to say, I kept up late nights, skipped school and my grades plunged dismally. I was eventually kicked out of school in secondary four, and was admitted to the Teen Challenge boys’ hostel.

May - Jun 2014 • ISSUE 013 • AG TIMES www.ag.org.sg2

General Superintendent’s Message

TRUSTING GOD

It’s amazing how fast time flies. We have come to the half-year mark of 2014. Like how we do in sports, it is time we call for a ‘half-time’. This is a great time for teams to re-group or just hear and be inspired by their managers to do better for the second half of the game. Similarly, I want to call you to take this opportunity as you read this to allow the Holy Spirit to inspire you with the stories of God’s interventions and be re-grouped for the second half of this year.

As we approach the second half of 2014, I want to urge you to not rely on your own strengths but to press deeper into His Presence. For the Bible exhorts us in Proverbs 3:5-8 to trust in the Lord with all [our] heart, and do not lean on [our] own understanding. In all [our] ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight [our] paths. Be not wise in [our] own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to [our] flesh and refreshment to [our] bones. (ESV)

Trusting the Lord is a fundamental aspect of our Christian lives. And how we go about doing it is linked to the victories we experience in our walk of faith.

To trust in the Lord is to put our entire weight upon

Him. Whenever we stand up from our chairs, we put our entire weight on the floor. Have we ever wondered if the floor can handle our weight? The fact is we don’t! We simply trust that the floor to uphold our weight.

And it is the same way with our trust in Him. God asks us in Proverbs to trust in Him with all our hearts, putting our entire weight on Him. When the Bible uses terms such as ‘entire’ and ‘all’, it refers to a complete 100%.

We can put 100% trust in God because of who He is. We can trust in His character, His goodness and His faithfulness. We can trust in His unlimited power, His incomparable sovereignty and His unfailing love. He is Alpha and Omega and He is the Great I AM.

I believe, as a church body, we need to offer a wholehearted devotion to Him and trust Him in every season of our lives. Let us devote ourselves wholly to Him, trusting Him even when it is beyond our own understanding.

As we enter into the second half of this year, let us, as the AG churches in Singapore, trust Him entirely and acknowledge Him in all that we do, so that we can experience His blessings and fulfillment in our churches and nation!

Personally for me, the second half of the year will involve much travelling to different countries. In July, I will conduct a prophetic ministry conference in Taiwan. From there, I will be flying off to be a part of the World AG Congress and USA AG Centennial event where I will be leading a segment of the meeting. Shortly after that, I will be back to Taiwan to encourage the Quaker’s denomination as their congress speaker. September will then see me flying to Poland to speak at their AG Leadership Conference, along with Malaysia General Superintendent, Rev Ong Sek Leang. These are just some of my schedules from July to September and I would appreciate your prayers as you partner with me in seeing churches and ministries encouraged for His glory!

Thank you again for being a part of this great body of believers in the AG Singapore. Your commitment to your local churches and to the denomination as a whole is inspiring and I look forward to serving you.

With blessings,

REv DOMINIC YEO

专心仰赖神时间消逝之快令人惊讶。我们已经来到2014年的中间点。若以运动术语来说，这是我们该进入“中场休息”的时候。这也是个让团队重组，或聆听经理人的激励好为下半场做出更好的表现的时刻。同样

的，我吁请你乘此时刻让圣灵提醒你神的作为好激励你，让你为今年的下半年进行重组。

在我们向2014年的下半年迈进的同时，切莫倚靠自己的力量，而是要更深的进入到神的同在里。圣经在箴言3:5-8说道，我们应当专心仰赖耶和华，不可倚靠自己的聪明，在你一切所行的事上都要认定他，他必指引你的路。不要自以为有智慧；要敬畏耶和华，远离恶事。这便医治你的肚脐，滋润你的百骨。

专心仰赖神是基督徒生命中基础的一环，而我们如何操练这个基础与我们在信心的道路上所经历的胜利有很大的关联。

仰赖神就是把全部重量放在神身上。每当我们从椅子上起立，我们就把全部的重量放在地上。我们从未思想说这地板是否能承载我们的重量。事实上我们想都没想过！我们只是单纯地相信它有这个能力。

我们对神的仰赖也是如此。神在箴言中要我们专心仰赖祂，把全部的重量都交给祂来承担。当圣经使用“专心”等词，其所指的程度是百分之百。

我们可以百分之百的仰赖神，因为祂是神。我们可以相信祂的品格，祂的美善和祂的信实。我们可以相信祂无止尽的能力，祂无可匹敌的至尊权能，和祂永不放弃的爱。祂是阿拉法和俄梅戛，祂是那伟大的、自有永有的。

我深信，作为一个教会，我们必须献上给主纯一清洁的心，在我们生命里的每一个季节都信靠祂，甚至当事情超乎我们的理解的时候，也要全心的仰赖祂，信靠祂。

随着我们进入下半年，让我们新加坡神召会的教会专心仰赖神，在我们一切所行的事上都认定祂，使到我们的教会和国家能够体验到神的祝福，并进入祂赋予我们的实现里！

对我个人来说，下半年包括了到许多国家的行程。今年七月，我将在台湾举办先知预言研习会。从台湾，我将搭乘飞机前往参加世界神召会大会和美国神召会百年纪念活动，并主领会议的一部分。不久后，我需要飞回台湾参与贵格会的大会，透过演讲为他们带来鼓励。九月份我将到波兰在他们的神召会领袖会议上演讲，一起同行的还有马来西亚神召会总会长，王锡良牧师。这些只是我在七月到九月份的一些行程。希望各位能够为我代祷，透过你们的祷告支持看到各个教会和事工为神的荣耀得着激励！

再次感谢你成为新加坡神召会群体的一份子。你对你的教会、对神召会的委身令人感到鼓舞，我期待在前方的道路继续为你服事。

祝主恩满溢,

杨德文牧师


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AGTimesBrochure_140402Print.pdf 2 2/4/2014 4:35 PM


togetherness - ag communityREADY TO SERVE! IMPACTING NATIONS AROUND THE WORLDBY ROYAL RANGERS SINGAPORE

One of the key experiences of being a Royal Ranger (RR) is the opportunity for service and ministry outreach. Coupled with a heart that is ready to serve, RR commanders (leaders) and youths in various outposts (churches) went on overseas mission trips during the school holidays from November to December 2013. With guidance and mentoring from the commanders, the RR youths emerged from their experiences with a new understanding of the world, their faith in God and service. Here are their stories.

1. Blessed to Serve - Klang, MalaysiaBy Commander Joshua Peh, Outpost #01, Bethel A/GFrom December 6 to 9, 2013, Outpost #01 Adventure Rangers (ARs ages 11 - 14) went on a memorable mission trip to Klang, Malaysia. A team of 21 ARs and 16 commanders went through four days of power-packed activities. Before embarking on the trip, the ARs had intensive training with their commanders in selecting songs and skits, planning events, and managing expectations.

On the first day, we ran a combined day camp for children from four different orphanages: Good

Samaritan Home (GSH), Waja Home, St Barnabas Home, and Philea Home. The ARs led as patrol leaders and took charge of the various game stations. A team of ARs also planned and acted in the opening skit for the campfire lighting.

On the second day, which was a Sunday, our team split up to preach at two churches, TAG Church and Blessed Hope Fellowship Church. After the service, the respective teams had fellowship with their local congregations followed by food distribution in the area. The visit to the homes of the locals opened our eyes to the needs in the area. The day ended with us having dinner with the children of GSH.

On the final day, the team split up to visit three homes and ran a short service. We taught the residents how to make the rope cross and also played games with them. Three older ARs shared devotions at the homes they visited.

We had relied on God to bring us through the challenges. The mission trip was a success. We are blessed to be able to serve God!

Adventure Ranger Faith Chan, 13 Years Old, Outpost #01This was the second mission trip I participated in. God revealed to me an important lesson through a surprising way. While waiting for breakfast one morning, I went on ‘Instagram’ and started scrolling through my news feed. What caught my eye was a picture post that read, “Jesus died for you in public. Don’t just live for Him in private.” I continued scrolling through the rest of the news feed, spent the day without giving it much thought. It was only during the debrief and reflections that I realized that God was trying to tell me that I was just like what the post said: a private Christian. I have Jesus in my life

and also tasted God’s goodness. Yet I was not doing anything to share what I know with the children in Klang. When God revealed this to me I responded cynically with a thought, “I am already on a mission trip. Isn’t that not public enough for God?” At that point, God showed me a scene at the praise and worship session held earlier that day. I was present but not in His presence. I kept to myself, not even lifting my hands or singing with the orphans. It was as if I was ashamed of God. At that moment, I felt guilt, shame, and regret. All these emotions were weighing me down. I felt terrible. After all that God did for me, I was ashamed to be seen with Him in public? It was a revelation that jolted me. From that day on, I felt a boldness regarding my faith and a closer relationship with Jesus. Now, I say my grace before eating no matter who I’m with. I pray regardless of where I am, and I praise God no matter where, when, or what circumstances I am in.

2. Youths Reaching Out To Youths - Iloilo City, PhilippinesBy Commander Conrad Koh, Outpost #01, Bethel A/GFrom December 10 to 16, 2013, Bethel A/G (Outpost #01) Expedition Rangers (ERs, age 15 - 18) embarked on a mission trip to Iloilo City, Philippines. It was truly a remarkable and unforgettable experience for the team of 13 ERs and 12 commanders. We were involved in many different activities ranging from preparing games for school events, rehearsing songs, and planning a program for two youth rallies.

Each member of the team spent time praying and preparing a sermon consisting of a testimony and a devotion, as our team split up to preach in 11 different churches on Sunday that weekend. It was encouraging to see 16-year-old ERs courageously share the word of God before the local congregations. Readiness to adapt to changing circumstances and reliance on God to bring us through challenges was essential to the success of this mission trip. Indeed we are blessed to be able to serve God and the local

Leading games for the children from the orphanage

Interacting with the Klang children through fun activities and gamesThe group of commanders and youths embarking on

the mission trip to Iloilo


togetherness - ag community

Royal Rangers has weekly programs and activities for children and youths aged 5-18 years old. Through Royal Rangers, we want children and youths to develop physically, mentally, socially and spiritually (Luke 2:52); to become great servant leaders of value, integrity and character.

If you wish to know more, email [email protected] or visit us at

www.royalrangers.com.sgPlaying with the children of Iloilo

The RR youths creating their own fun and engagement for the children

Training the local Filipino leaders to run their own RR camp for the children

All the eager Filipino children ready for their DLC

Discovering the joy of serving through leading

churches in the Philippines. Praise the Lord!

Expedition Ranger Isaac Chan, 16 Years Old, Outpost #01I felt God in unexplainable ways during the mission trip, as He opened my eyes to a wide spectrum of things. From having a heart for the lost to worshipping God passionately, I’m finally aware of who God truly is and how real and tangible His presence can be!

Expedition Ranger Ethan Lee, 16 Years Old, Outpost #01I thank God for his grace and mercy during this mission trip! It has been awesome seeing Him work in our lives and the lives of the local people

3. Raising Leaders With a Ready Heart - Cebu, PhilippinesFaith A/G (Outpost #11) sent eight Expedition Rangers and six commanders to the Philippines for a short term mission trip from December13 to 23, 2013. Our team assisted a local Royal Rangers outpost to conduct a Discovery Leadership Camp (DLC), which is a camp that exposes young children (8- 10 years old) to God’s salvation, basic leadership skills and teamwork. In addition to running the camp, the team also helped to train and equip the local leaders with the necessary skills for running Royal Rangers in their outpost.

It was a great joy and encouragement to see the ERs stepping up. We wanted the mission trip to help raise young leaders and expose them to service and ministry outreach opportunities. Our ERs were thrown into the deep end of the pool with their given roles, I am proud that not only did they do their

roles excellently, they came through this experience enriched, mature and more dependent on God.

Commander Daniel Lee, 28 Years Old, Outpost #11I was given the role of chaplain for the DLC and a theme on salvation. Personally, it was exciting to align with God’s agenda in soul winning again! After training the Filipino leaders, I came away feeling that they had equipped me a lot more than what I did for them. I gave them the program and the structure of the camp; they gave me the heartbeat and passion for souls. I came back richer in spirit and heart. I thought that they would be filled with joy and encouragement when they successfully completed their tasks. However, they showed me that their joy and encouragement was not in success itself, but in working on the tasks assigned to them. I learnt that what was fulfilling for our partners was embarking on the journey of faith and service and not so much in reaching the destination.

Expedition Ranger Joy Lim, 15 Years Old, Outpost #11I thank God for the opportunity to be a Patrol Adviser at the DLC camp, even though I was initially prepared for the role of a kitchen assistant. I was worried that the children would not gel with one another, but I saw the love of God at work. My patrol came together very quickly even though they were from different outposts. They even had the cheers ready within 10 minutes! They also received an honor for excellence during the camp. I thank God for helping me develop leadership skills and to be more open and understanding toward younger children, whose high energy levels still amazes me.

Expedition Ranger Sonia Mo, 18 Years Old, Outpost #11It was heartening to see my fellow ERs coming together as one to put the camp and the salvation of children before themselves. We did a lot of planning and our uniforms were drenched with sweat, but it was all worth it as we watched the children accept Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives by the end of the camp.

Expedition Ranger Jonathan Lim, 17 Years Old, Outpost #11Overall, the camp was a success and it is truly by God’s grace that it turned out really well. The sheer number of kids that attended the camp was overwhelming. The language barrier and cultural differences proved to be challenging as well. I received a boost of confidence when the children responded to my leadership, By God’s grace I was able to impact these children.



How are our missionaries in Paris doing? They give us an update through this newsletter. Rev John reports.

ELIM PARIS NEWS LETTER UPDATE BY REv JOHN LIM, ELIM CHURCH PARIS, FRANCE

Sis Xi Hui who works in a restaurant in Paris is presently recovering from a near fatal accident! She cycled to work as usual one morning. While she reached a turn in the road, a car was racing toward her. She was able to swerve the bicycle to avoid a direct collision, but the car hit her on her left side; her bicycle was completely destroyed, but she survived the accident, and thanked God for preserving her life. She must now take three months of rest to recuperate; however, she will certainly spend this time reading the Bible and knowing God more intimately.

God saved me from a direct collision

Our church has started to provide legal advice and administrative “accompaniment” to new immigrants, through our social branch called KOINONIA. We aid them with various tasks: going to the town hall for the application of resident papers; the application for social aide; free legal advice; free food distribution and more. We are grateful to God for volunteers who give their time to Him to lend a hand to new immigrants, who are not fluent in French, especially from the Asian community. We believe God will carry on using His people through the gift of helps, to minister to the lives of the people in the community, who have not yet heard of the love of Jesus Christ!

Being God’s hands to new migrants

Dear friends,

We thank the Lord for His faithfulness, encouragement and support through you! We appreciate your prayers: without it, we are unable to serve Him and build His Kingdom in Paris! We carry on building His church, that she can do the Utmost for His highest!

Thank you for your persistent prayers for France and us, and may the Lord Jesus bless your families and lives in HIM!

Blessings in Him,

John and Rebecca Lim

PRAYER REqUESTS:1. Pray for those who received the message for the Chinese New Year service to continue to grow in God.

2. Pray for God’s strength, wisdom and protection upon John and Rebecca Lim and the church board, to minister and lead God’s flock in this year.

3. “Living Stones” group after the message on Sunday starting February 9, 2014: based on the principles of: E-Encouragement, L-Love, I-Intercession, M-Meditation (Bible)

4. Pray for the special compassion ministry to Chinese street prostitutes in Paris Chinatown, for God to provide for these ladies, as well as to provide committed co-workers for this work.

5. The financial preparation of a church hall which we will purchase in Paris in the future.

For designated gifts for specific ministries or for the envisioned church building, purchase of ELIMParis, please contact us for details.

John and Rebecca Lim

[email protected]

Website : www.elim-paris.org

Here are some testimonies from Paris to share with you all:


Saved and hungry for God

Yiji came to the church a month ago. She came from China to Paris to study. Formerly from a non-Christian family, she met Christians in her school campus back home. Someone invited her to a house church, and in her own words, “I was touched by God!” She then grew rapidly: she went through the Christian foundation class, and was baptized by immersion. Now in Paris, she has become an active member, joining our English study group, evangelism team and the youth group. She is seeking to know God’s will for her future.

Open doors to a new ministry

God has opened up doors for us to connect with a social service organization which provides health care and counseling to Chinese prostitutes in Paris. On a Tuesday night, Rebecca and a French sister, Marinette, will meet and share with the prostitutes about the Lord. In spite of the 3°C chills of winter, they could impart the warmth of God’s love to those who need it most. Praise the Lord!

Rev John Lim is an ordained minister with the French AG, Pastor of ELIM Church Paris since 2004. John is happily married to Rebecca. Their vision: see God raise up a “family without borders in Jesus” in Paris, breaking down cultural barriers to spread the gospel. In 1992, he started to serve God in cross-cultural and missions effort in Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines and Ghana. He was instrumental in starting the first Chinese church in Ghana in 2001, his heart was to see God bring the Chinese nationals to Christ in Africa. John is also the first and only mandarin-speaking Protestant prison chaplain in France, ministering to prisoners and providing spiritual and administrative help to their families.


Salvation at our CNY service

We had a wonderful Chinese New Year service. We taught about the meaning of ‘blessings’ explained in the light of the gospel story – Jesus is the gift given to us. Many newcomers responded to the altar call for the first time. We were glad to have people who came for the very first time to church to hear the message of the Lord Jesus! Our youths presented a song item which sang about Jesus and our new beginning in Him. We were grateful to God that He used the enthusiasm and the energy of the young people as a blessing to the church.



FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION - VIETNAM MISSION TRIP BY TEEN CHALLENGE

Under the Teen Challenge (Singapore) Pastoral Care and Outreach Department, periodic short-term missions trips are realized three to four times a year. Since its inception in the year of 2000, a wide network of connections has been made around the region, opening several doors of opportunity for Teen Challenge to come and minister to others. Mr Michael Lim, who directs the Pastoral Care and Outreach Department, has also taken on the role of the Deputy Director in June 2013, and continues to coordinate mission trips with a small team of two to seven people, including staff, residents and volunteers with the mission to edify and fulfil the Great Commission while encouraging fellow brothers of similar settings.

From October 12 to 17, 2013, he put together a team of six to travel to Vietnam, after receiving an invitation from the New Life Centre to conduct water baptism. The team consisted of himself, his wife, Mr Jacey Singh (a Teen Challenge staff), former staff, Mr Jimmy Goh, and two volunteers who are involved in the prison outreach. On the first day, upon arrival at Ho Chi Minh

City in the late afternoon, the team proceeded to New Life Centre where Mr Michael Lim preached, and was followed by Revival Ekklesia Mission Church the next morning. Jacey and Jimmy glorified the name of the Lord through sharing their testimonies. Next, the team assisted and conducted the baptism service for four youths as they publicly declared their love, and surrender and committed their lives to Jesus Christ. The team also visited an independent halfway house to encourage the residents, and finally they rounded up the whole trip with a prayer meeting together with a group of students prior to their departure on Oct 16. Indeed, there is no greater joy to serve God and fulfill the Great Commission: to live out the Great Commandment and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.


togetherness - ag churches

AG TRAINING AND TOGETHER IN PRAYERBY MERvIN CHIA, BETHEL ASSEMBLY OF GOD

On April 3, 2013, our pastors convened at Trinity Christian Centre for 2 TiP. It was an awesome time of praise and worship where our ministers were led into God’s presence. It was beautiful to see the ministers basking in the presence of the Almighty God. We were privileged to hear from Rev Peter Shurley, President of Australian Christian Churches in Tasmania; and Founding Pastor of Life Christian Church; singer, songwriter, violinist and producer. He gracefully serenaded us with his singing and violin.

Rev Peter also shared with us on the subtlety, the reality of depending on the resources we have, and who we are in doing the work of ministry. It is precarious to think that we are sufficient: given our relevant qualifications, gifting, influences and human strength, even making God’s grace, His blessings to be our achievements. We must not rest on those laurels or professionally doing God’s work. It was certainly a good reminder for us as ministers to be mindful that as God grows us in the process of His work, it is not one of maturing an independence from Him. In fact, He is maturing us toward a deeper and abiding dependence in Him. It was a good time of reflection among the ministers.

After a time of ministry, Rev Robert Lum, Assistant General Superintendent. led the ministers into a time of prayer for our government, families and pastors. It is important for us to pray continually for these areas.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)


LOOK WHAT GOD IS DOING IN INDIABY PASTOR CLARA WONG, SHEPHERD’S ASSEMBLY


God’s heart is missional. As ambassadors of Christ, we need to understand and carry His heart for the nations. The trip started on November 26, 2013 and ended on December 11, 2013. Let us rejoice with the team as many souls were added to the Kingdom of God during those few days in India.

With travelling taking up the first two days, the team started the medical outreach at Kamalabagan on November 28. This place is located inside a remote tea plantation. It was the first time such a program was held there, and the local people responded to us with much openness. We recorded at least a dozen salvation decisions and several renewed commitment of backslidden believers. The house church in this estate will see at least a 100% growth as a result!

The team also conducted leadership seminars and women’s ministry. These are much needed ministries geared to empower leaders and women to be the salt and light in their community.

The first crusade was held at Khoribari on November 29. Estimated attendance was 2,000. The Lord worked powerfully in this crusade: Salvation – estimated 500; healing – estimated 50 testified publicly. The second night of crusade saw an attendance of about 3,500. The third night of the crusade recorded an attendance of

5,000. The total number of salvation cases for those three nights is estimated to be over 1,000.

On December 2, a crusade was held in Malbazar. Altogether 53 churches in Malbazar came together to hold this combined crusade. According to the local security intelligence report, attendance at the crusade was 6,000. Many decisions were made for Christ.

We blessed the school children from Alfa English School (AES) on December 3. AES is a school built inside a tea plantation. The school has a student body of 80 pupils and four teachers (two trained teachers and two mission workers). The team presented sweaters to all the students. A generous Singaporean had sponsored S$1,000 for the sweaters. God bless his heart! That day, the team baptized 22 believers in water.

Another crusade was held on December 5. The venue was Bajendoba (Garo Hills, Meghalaya). The attendance was almost 1,000 on the first night. On the second night, about 1,066 came to hear the Word of God. 1,184 came to the third night of the crusade. The fourth night saw 3,500 people come. The total number of salvations over those four nights is 592 and the number of people who testified of their healing is 43.

During the third morning, the team held a Leadership Seminar and ministered to women and 105 youths. The team covered issues of low self-esteem and boy-girl relationships. The youths received breakthroughs in



Brother Asinlo (one of the church leaders) from Asinlo Khing testifies…

DEATH HAS NO POWER

It is another milestone for Christianity when it multiplies in the regions of Khoribari and Malbazar. Thousands accepted Jesus as their Savior during those few days of crusades. Hundreds of people were healed from all kinds of sicknesses. I believe the highlight of the crusade was listening to the testimony of a woman who came back from the dead! The power of God was definitely at work! She is Mary Oraon, an aunt of one of our organizers. At the first night of the crusade, at about 10pm, we received news that the organizer’s aunt had passed away. The family then prepared the coffin. But our brother did not give up. He got people in the crusade to pray for her.

His persistence and the prayers of the saints were rewarded by Heaven. The next morning, at 4am, suddenly, Mary Oraon made a loud sound and then she was back to life! That was a powerful miracle! Only Jesus can do that! All glory to God. The power of prayers was at work in her life.

On the last day of the crusade, Mary Oraon came to testify that Jesus had raised her from the dead. Hallelujah! Death has no power indeed. It is amazing to experience the power of united prayer.

God is doing a mighty work among the people. Truly it is a time of spiritual harvest for our land. Both crusades were breakthrough events among the unreached people group. It is the first time that a crusade was held in the towns with the bigger population. More than a hundred churches came

together to organize these events. The unity of the churches was so precious.

Praise God that we are able to bring the local churches to a new level of unity. It involves team work, partnership, and networking for a shared vision. As a result, there is unity in the body of Christ and a wider expansion of God’s kingdom in these places.

Even though we faced opposition from the enemy at both crusades, we can now rejoice because the Lord had granted us victory.

understanding God’s ways in these two areas. After the teaching, the youths were divided into groups for discussion and prayer. After the break, the women were ministered to. The team shared on the heart of a mother, a topic which ministered to the mothers in the group deeply.


togetherness - ag churches BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING BY CLIFF LEE, TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTREAs God’s blessings overflow in our lives, it floods into the lives of others. Read these testimonies of how these individuals have been blessed by Trinity’s different language ministries to be a blessing to others

“I was a Christian before I joined Trinity. Through the years, I have been blessed tremendously by the Filipino Ministry. Trinity has also equipped me with the necessary leadership and ministry skills to serve as a Spiritual Parent and a worship leader in the Filipino ministry. It has been great to be blessed by the ministry and in turn, be able to serve and bless others.

Knowing that God has blessed me, I desired to be used by Him to bless others. So when I had the opportunity to go on a Missions Impact Team (MIT) trip to Mongolia recently, I jumped at it.

I was glad to be able to share the Good News with people in Mongolia. There were so many of them who had never heard about Jesus! It was a blessing to be able to be used by God as a vessel to bless others.

I’m now excited to go on another MIT trip in the near future!”

- Jean Soria, Filipino Ministry

“I grew up in a troubled home. When I was 15, I left home for another city to further my studies and stayed on my own.

After graduation, I came to Singapore to work.

One day, my boss brought me to Trinity. Every time I attended services in Trinity, the presence of God overwhelmed me and I would always be in tears. In my heart, I knew that God was real and alive.

I subsequently accepted Christ and joined the Indonesian ministry. The carecell leaders mentored me and with God’s help, I started to change in the way I thought and lived.

I felt a release from the pressure of my family problems and was no longer intimidated by my past. God gave me wisdom to know how to encourage my family and bring about reconciliation.

I thank God for the opportunity to serve as an Associate Leader in my carecell and also on the worship team in church. I want to bless others with what I have first been blessed by - the grace and love of God.”

– Wurgiyanti Siswanto, Indonesian Ministry

Wurgiyanti (left) serving in ministry

Jean sharing gospel on MIT trip

“I was glad when my boss’s cousin’s wife invited me to Trinity’s Japanese Ministry. On my first visit, I accepted Jesus. It was of great delight to hear the preaching of messages by pastors in my own cultural context. I was also glad to be part of a community that made me feel at home.

Having been blessed by the ministry, I actively took part in many church events. I love singing, so being part of events like J-Gospel Choir and Japanese Christmas caroling really allowed me to serve God with this passion. These were events that successfully connected many more Japanese people to the church to hear more about God.

Being part of a church and a community has blessed me and help me grow as a believer. I want to know Jesus more and continue to bless others with the community and love that God has blessed me with.”

- Kanda Kentarou, Japanese Ministry

Kanda(second from right) in Japanese Ministry, with fellow Ministry Expression servers

“I came to Christ when I was invited by a friend to Trinity.

Through the Thai Ministry, I was greatly blessed by the fellowship and felt a strong sense of belonging in a loving environment. I once injured my hand because of a work accident. I was medically advised to go for surgery but after the leaders and members at Thai Ministry prayed for me, I was healed!

Two years ago, I had the opportunity to go on an MIT trip.

On the trip, our team met with an old lady who had injured feet and could hardly walk. After the team prayed for her, she was instantly healed and was able to walk again without pain!

I hope to continue to be a blessing by being more courageous to pray for and proclaim the gospel to others.”

- Pornchai Suraphan, Thai Ministry

Pornchai (first from left) in Thai Ministry’s Christmas presentation

“Five years ago, I was invited by a classmate to Trinity.

When the Spanish ministry started, I was excited as I got to meet people that shared the same cultural roots as me. It was really interesting to see a ministry formed by different regions that spoke the same language – Spanish. The Spanish ministry is a home away from home and gave me a sense of belonging in a foreign country. With the Spanish ministry, I also find it easier to invite my Spanish-speaking friends to church and many of them have been blessed by this ministry!

Now, I serve as a Spiritual Parent and handle the multimedia in RGB. Recently, I also had the chance to go on a Local MIT with the Indonesian ministry and can’t wait to go on another one!”

- Azul Ogazon, Spanish Ministry

Azul serving in RGB



In a time when marriage is no longer seen as a lasting covenant, a group of marriage mentors from Faith Assembly of God rose up to restore God’s original purpose for the institution of marriage. “Life is short. Have an affair.”

This is the tag-line for the latest online dating website targeted at married couples who are looking to cheat on their spouses. Sounds ridiculous? But this is reality in the world we are currently living in now.

Divorce rates have been rising rapidly and warped ideologies have been invading God’s original purpose of marriage as a covenant.

When we first came to join our new family with Faith Assembly in late 2011, Anita and I were astounded by the absolute maturity of married couples in the fold. Though we have never done Family Life Ministry in all our previous 25 years of ministry, God placed a burden in our hearts - to raise up marriage mentors to advocate the cause for strong and healthy marriages both in and out of the church. Little did we know, God has already been at work: we were invited to the first Marriage Mentor’s Training conducted by Focus on the Family, Singapore. With much appreciation, we plunged into it with our senior pastor’s blessing.

The training was enriching and engaging; even our own marriage was enhanced. It spurred us to a greater heights of nurturing and establishing our own

marriage. God also lead us in the areas that we needed to establish in raising up the marriage mentors.

The marriage mentors will walk with younger couples in their marriage journey, offering guidance and advice whenever they encounter obstacles along the way. In this manner, the mentee-couple can learn how to navigate through the problems and without having to go through them blindly, lessening the potential pain and hurts that they may experience. We believe that through this mentorship program, God will bless both the mentors as well as the mentees in their marriage walk and family.

Almost a year later, we succeeded in putting together a training package. The overwhelming response to our invitation to the training really thrilled us. Our training started with eight couples. Even with their additional involvement in the various ministries, they were eager to learn and journey with us. God blessed us with a fun-filled and enriching learning experience. Not only did we gain insight of the roles and responsibilities of a marriage mentor, God also knitted our hearts closer toward the call to establish strong and healthy marriages.

On January 12, 2014 a team of nine marriage mentors was installed; thus, kicking off the start of the Marriage Mentor Ministry in Faith Assembly of God.

This is just the beginning of the journey. Like David facing Goliath, it is a massive undertaking. But we trust that God has already paved the path of victory for us to find success in establishing healthy marriages.

GOD’S TIMELY STRATEGY - RAISING UP OF MARRIAGE MENTORS BY PASTOR STEvEN ONG, FAITH ASSEMBLY OF GOD

In His ShoesIn Her Heels Role Play

Pastor Steven and Anita

Marriage-Mentors sharing moments

Sharing moments Knowing you, Knowing me

Faith’s Marriage Mentors


togetherness - ag churches ETERNAL LIFE’S “TRADITIONAL” CHINESE NEW YEAR SERVICE – JAN 31, 2014 BY REv ALvIN NGO, ETERNAL LIFE ASSEMBLY

New clothes checked!

Red packets checked!

Mandarin oranges checked!

New Year goodies checked!It’s the first day of the Lunar Chinese New Year. There is much festivity in the air. People are busy getting their homes ready for visitations and cooking up a feast for family renunion meals. And here at Eternal Life Assembly, we have a tradition to gather as a Church to bless the Lord and receive His blessings before we proceed on with our visitations and carry the same blessing into the homes of our families and friends.

The Chinese New Year Service is always held on the first day of the Lunar Chinese New Year regardless of which day of the week it is. It’s a long-time tradition

in Eternal Life Assembly where we come to bless the Lord and seek Him first at the start of Spring, ‘春chun’. Hearing the Word of God preached before doing visitations, places in our hearts a fresh reminder that we are called to be Christ’s ambassadors wherever we go.

This service is also one of the only three combined services in the church annually. As we stepped into the service hall, beautifully decorated by our facilities team, the air was filled with festivity. As they would say in mandarin ‘喜气洋洋xi qi yang yang’. With the different language congregations gathering together, it’s really a big ‘family’ reunion in church. We even had our Filipino members joining us! As Proverbs 11:25 puts it – Those that refresh others will themselves be refeshed – the atmosphere of blessing one another with words of blessings and Chinese New Year greetings was uplifting and joyous.

As the service began with worship, we were united

in our hearts to glorify and honor our Lord and King. Pastor Annie drew on a Christian hymn “Another Year Is Dawning” as she shared on prayers and blessings for the New Year. It was a powerful time of reflecting upon God’s faithfulness and grace upon our lives as well as recognizing how we need to continually trust Him and serve Him with our lives.

The Chinese New Year Service reaches a climax as both pastoral and administrative staff of the church greets the congregation with Traditonal Chinese New Year Greetings and hands out gifts to every member.

Feeling absolutely blessed and refreshed from the Chinese New Year Service, we were all ready to proceed on to our respective home visitations! Equipped with the specially designed ang pows and mandarin orange carrier bags with Christian blessings on them, it was time to share the blessings of God with our families and friends.

ANOTHER YEAR IS DAWNINGLyrics: Frances R Havergal, 1874

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it beIn working or in waiting, another year with Thee.Another year of progress, another year of praise,Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,Another year of training for holier work above.Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it beOn earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee.

MY CHINESE NEW YEAR SERvICE EXPERIENCE PS RICHARD CABRIDO, FILIPINO PASTOR, ETERNAL LIFE ASSEMBLY

Participating in this year’s Chinese New Year Service was a very unique experience for me because I am a foreigner.

I was so thankful for this event because despite our cultural diversities and differences, we are still able to come together and celebrate CNY in Eternal Life Assembly. It is because of the love of God for us, which brought every one of us together.


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AMAZING GRACE IN AN UNFORGIVING SOCIETYBY REv DR DAvID LIM, PASTOR MENTOR OF GRACE ASSEMBLY OF GOD

What are Christians to do with this highly stressful, unforgiving culture? Embrace the truth: God’s amazing grace is sufficient for us. Rev Dr David Lim shares his insights. Singapore is a nation with high expectations—and growing higher. Because we are a little “red dot” on the map, we have to do better all the time in order to “keep up” and excel in an increasingly globalized world. We have moved from a third world nation to a first world nation. Because of that, we expect or hope for the 5 C’s as a symbol of our success. Success is only the foundation for greater success. Kiasu (fear of losing out) affects our mentality in every area of our lives from the Great Singapore Sale where we buy things we don’t need because they are “cheap”, to the fear of taking on some projects because we must have every question answered before we take the risk.

We live in an unforgiving culture. We fear one mistake and we will get wiped out. What are Christians to do with this highly stressful, unforgiving culture?

First, realize we serve a forgiving, gracious God. He knows all about us, our weaknesses, our failures, our struggles—and He still loves us. God’s grace is truly amazing. Tim Keller speaks of the parable of the Prodigal Father (prodigal meaning generous, lavish)! He keeps on loving us, defying even Jewish cultural expectations of a dignified father. He longs for his son and even runs to him and kills the fatted calf to celebrate His return. He rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). His grace is continuous. 1 John 1:9 is full of present tenses in Greek. If we confess

our sins (ongoing), he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (ongoing), and to continually cleanse us from all unrighteousness. John is talking about a lifestyle of enjoying the grace of God. Confess your flaws to God. None of us is perfect. Yet he loves us! Paul says (1 Tim. 1:15), this is a trustworthy saying, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. After planting so many churches and writing so much of the New Testament, he still declares he is the chief of sinners. In reality, we are sinner saints. That’s why scholars describe his theology is grace and his ethics is gratitude. We are saved by grace, called by grace, minister the gifts of the Spirit by grace, the body of Christ is God’s grace to you, and you are God’s grace to others. True grace will be reflected in gratitude to God for His goodness and living a life that glorifies God. As John Piper says, we are saved by grace alone, but it is followed by necessary sanctification.

Second, gain the eternal perspective! Know that we are more than conquerors in Christ. We have already won the victory because we are in Christ! We will live with Christ forever and ever! There is no such thing as failure for the blood bought one! When you know the long range questions have been answered, you realize that all our present problems are “small ones.”

Third, realize the joy of being a servant of God. If our whole purpose is to glorify God, our responsibility is simply to do the best we can and then commit the results to God. We can grow, learn, and do the job better, but we are doing it as unto the Lord. God will take care of us. Praise God! I am not number one! God is number one! He is the senior partner. He bears

the heavy side of the yoke. It is His work, and we are His servant. I was senior pastor of Grace Assembly for 21 years. That was an awesome responsibility. Daily I learned how to give it all to Jesus—the stress, the successes, the mistakes, the inadequacies. I am only His servant. I had nothing to lose, nothing to hide, nothing to prove. I serve one Master. Actually, this view helped me to look at each issue from a big picture perspective. What will be best for the church in the long run? I could develop creative options that may touch more people or bring peace to a situation. I could approach problems with less stress and a clearer mind. And I could do succession planning because I knew the baton needed to be passed on, that God’s vision for Grace Assembly would go way beyond my lifetime.

Fourth, give all the glory to God! Be clear on your core values. Live by them. My life must be a witness to the glory of God. If my attitude is right—I am not doing things selfishly, or defensively, or in a reactionary way—I want to serve God faithfully wherever He has placed me, then I will be more effective on the job, at home, or at church.

Fifth, gather encouraging people around you. Join a cell group, get involved in a ministry that is your passion. You need people. They need you. They will serve as a spiritual covering against the fiery attacks of the evil one. Don’t try to handle the stressful culture alone. You will not change the culture, but you can change the context of that culture by understanding the grace of God, your victory in Christ, your servant status, your motivation of glorifying God, and having fellow believers surrounding you with His love.

Rev Dr David Lim, an ordained minister of the Assemblies of God of Singapore, is the Pastor Mentor of Grace Assembly of God, after serving as the Senior Pastor for more than 20 years. He graduated with Doctor of Ministry from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to coming to Singapore, he has served at Asia Pacific Theological Seminary, Philippines; a graduate school for the Southeast Asia, in various functions including that of President for a term during his six years there. He has authored a book entitled “Spiritual Gifts – A Fresh Look”. In 2003, he

has recorded and produced his materials on Spiritual Gifts in a set of 5-DVD package that combines scholarship and practical experience in the exercise of the Gifts. Two booklets on Finding God’s Will and Worship were printed in year 2005. His next book, “The Drama of Redemption: Live the Life God Intended”, was released in January 2008. His involvement in the ministerial training, seminars, conventions, and crusades have touched many lives. He and Rev May Lim, who is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God, Singapore, have 3 daughters, 3 son-in-laws and 5 grandchildren.

In this issue, we explore one of the most powerful truths in the Bible - the grace of God. From a rebellious teen saved by God’s grace to the paradox of grace,

we will understand this truth in a deeper manner.


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GROWING IN THE GRACE OF GODBY REv DR NAOMI DOWDY, PRESIDENT-FOUNDER OF GLOBAL LEADERSHIP NETWORK

Almost every person will have a different thought when it comes to explaining God’s Grace. Rev Dr Naomi Dowdy explains.Most will consider God’s grace as needed for salvation: “We are saved by grace and not by works, lest any man should boast”. However, God’s grace is so much more beyond salvation. It is imperative for us to understand the scope of grace that is ‘Beyond Salvation’ - that is so critical a key for every Christian. Once we grasp this divine truth, it will persuade us of the necessity to grow in grace every day.

One way of seeing grace operate is to consider the lame man in John 5:2-9. This man was beside the pool waiting for an angel. The man apparently did not know who Jesus was, or his reputation as a healer. After he was healed, he did not even know the identity of who healed him. The man was waiting for an angel. His focus for healing was that it could only happen one way. Many of us can miss God’s timing for a miracle because we assume it can only happen one way. Like this man by the pool, God can send us Provision. He can send someone to pray for us. Yet, we can miss the grace of God when it comes because God’s grace does not come to us ‘packaged’ in the only way our minds are prepared to receive it.

Even today, we are often looking for a ‘conventional’ angel. Yet, God extends His grace to us through very ordinary people - through our cell leaders or another cell member. God uses unexpected people

to become channels for His blessings. An ordinary person may be a gift of God’s grace for your life or for your need. We can be so close to a miracle and yet not understand that what is happening is an expression or manifestation of God’s grace.

What then is grace? A simple definition would be: “Grace Is God’s Provision For Our Every Need - When We Need It.”

Grace – Provision for Every NeedThe Apostle Paul refers to another manifestation of grace in a way we often miss. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul describes for us how he himself was afflicted by what he calls a “thorn in his flesh.” He prayed and pleaded three times, asking the Lord to take it away from him. God’s response was not the answer Paul had originally desired. Paul wanted the pain, the problem to disappear. However, God’s response was, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is (being) made perfect in (your) weakness” (italics are my inclusion). In other words, “Paul, through your weakness (your affliction) people will know the things that you accomplish are only possible because of God’s grace and power working in your life.”

Let me say it another way: “Paul, I am not going to ‘remove’ the affliction. Rather I am going to give you such a measure of my grace that it will enable you to go through your situation in victory.” Thus a problem or difficulty we face can become an opportunity for us to grow in God’s grace. They are a chance for us to trust God at a new level.

What was God’s provision for Paul? What is God’s provision for each of us? It’s the Gift of Grace! Grace that is “more than enough” for whatever circumstance we are going through. This is the grace the martyrs had, that Peter had, that David had when dealing with King Saul. This is the level of God’s grace that each of us must grow and mature into each day. When God calls you to do something, He will also give you the grace, the divine ability to do it. God enables. He empowers and anoints us for His purposes which are beyond our natural ability to accomplish. But even against the odds, by His grace we can succeed.

Grace – the Charisma Gifts for the BodyThere is another manifestation of God’s grace that we need to grow to another level. In Ephesians 4:7, Paul says, “But to each one of us grace has been given, as Christ apportioned it.” Notice: Paul assures you that God’s grace ‘has been’ given. He has already given you the grace you need to go through every situation. He has already given you His grace to accomplish every ministry, every business, He has assigned you. He has already given you His grace for business, for healing, for teaching, for counseling, for administration. God has already given some to be Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and some as Pastors and Teachers. All of these gifts are gifts of grace He has given, and now we need to grow in the use of these gifts of grace.

Grace – For Provision and BlessingAgain the Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, explains how God’s grace works in the area of our

Rev Dr Naomi Dowdy is recognised as a global leader for apostolic strategies. Her passion is to see the Great Commission realised, and she travels extensively to the nations, mentoring and equipping pastors, leaders and churches to fulfil their calling and destiny in God. She has a mandate to rebuild and restore the understanding of the 5-fold gifts within the church and the marketplace. She believes that the restoration and setting in of apostles and prophets will significantly impact the current governance of churches, cities and nations. Through the platforms of apostolic-prophetic schools, conferences, summits and covenant relationships, Dr Dowdy brings vision, encouragement, empowerment, and counsel, as leaders learn the foundational principles of the apostolic-prophetic ministry. She mentors leaders on how to serve and build up those under their covering, how to flow together with the rest of the 5-fold gifts, as well as the importance of character, integrity, family life and accountable relationships.

Among her multiple portfolios, she serves as President-Founder of Global Leadership Network, Naomi Dowdy Ministries and Naomi Dowdy Mentoring and Consulting. Through these other organizations, Dr Dowdy equips churches and leaders for ministry. She provides visionary leadership as the Resident Apostle of Trinity Christian Centre, and is the Founder-Chancellor of TCA College. She provides spiritual covering for ministers and churches through her Global Covenant Network. Among her multiple portfolios, Dr Dowdy is also a Council member of the International Coalition of Apostles(ICAL). Apostle Dowdy has also authored 5 books: “Moving on and Moving Up”; “Moving On and Moving up in the Marketplace”; “Moving on and Moving up: From Succession to Significance”; “Strength to Stand” and “Commissioning”.

Website: www.naomidowdy.com.


THE PARADOX OF GRACE BY DR GEORGE W WESTLAKE JR PASTOR EMERITUS OF THE SHEFFIELD FAMILY LIFE CENTER

What does it mean by “Grace is a paradox”? Dr Westlake dives deep into its meaning and explains this truth to us. The Bible is full of paradox such as the Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of people. It is obvious that God is sovereign, yet the Bible indicates He has given us a free will. God has foreknowledge but that is not predestination. Some theologians have difficulty reconciling paradox, but God clearly has no difficulty with them as is evident in His Word. The Bible teaches clearly “it is God’s will that all men be saved and to come to the knowledge (epignosis--explained below) of the truth” (I Tim 2:4) -- yet it is clear some will perish!

Grace also is a paradox. The Bible emphasizes the security of the believer in many, many passages...saved by pure grace, kept by pure grace. But the paradox exists that the Bible is full of warnings to believers of the possibility of walking away from God and despising His grace.

Jesus, Himself, taught in the parable of the Sower, how much of the seed grows for a time, yet dies through not having much root, opposition, cares of life and deceitfulness of riches. Paul exhorts the Colossians Christians, “He will present us holy, unblammeable and unknitpickable (my translation) in His sight, IF we continue in the faith, grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel.” (Colossians 1:21-23) He has also warned the Corinthian Christians that, as the Israelites who left Egypt did not make it into the Promised Land, the same situation can happen to us. (I Corinthians 9:24-10:15) As one leading theologian, Dr. Stanley M. Horton, exhorted, “unless you have a pre-conceived theory, the obvious meaning of the context is that Paul considers even he, himself could become “adokimos” disapproved for heaven. (Same word translated “reprobate” throughout the New Testament.)

The Holy Spirit, in Hebrews, gives 6 warnings to Christians. He warns us “to not neglect or drift away” and he uses WE..not THEM..the non-Christian. (Hebrews 2:1-3). He addresses “Holy Brothers, Sharers of the Heavenly Calling” in 3:1, and warns against them “having an evil heart of unbelief and departing (apostenai--apostatizing) from The Living God,” (3:12) and uses the same argument Paul uses above in 1 Corinthians about the Israelites not entering into the Promised Land.

In Hebrews 6:4-6, he warns discussing those who “fell away” after “being once enlightened (once for all), tasted of the heavenly gift, made sharers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the word of God--good! And the powers of the world to come--good! Reaching the point of

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finances and even in missions. Paul wants to teach the Church in Corinth about growing in God’s grace. His opening words are: “…we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.” He proceeds to explain how God, in His grace, gives us the opportunity to be a participant with Him (co-partners) to bless others.

He even urged Titus to bring to completion the ‘act of grace’ on their part to give and give generously, over and above their ability. It was a joining of faith, a combining of God’s grace that would release enough finances to complete the project at hand. Then Paul commended the church in many ways, saying “...you excel in everything... in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your love for us... (now) see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”

Here we see that God’s grace works in us and through us for God’s purposes. Not only for our own provision but also for the purpose of extending His Kingdom. Remember Paul was teaching the church how they could grow in God’s grace. “They gave as they were able... and beyond their ability” (2 Corinthians 8:3). God blessed their willingness with His grace so they could even give beyond their natural ability. They were not just giving their tithes -- their giving was over and above their tithes.

You see God allows us to be a part of a miracle, a miracle of grace, a miracle of provision as we work hand-in-hand with God. Great men and women in the Bible experienced great success and victory in life, all because of God’s grace. You see that in Noah (Gen.6:8), Moses (Exod.33:12), Esther (Esther 2:17) etc. They all needed the grace of God to excel in whatever they did.

Grace is that God-given ingredient that allows us to succeed even when we fall short. His grace becomes the enabling factor that I can do all things through Christ. God’s grace takes you beyond your limits. Grace does not always choose the qualified--but grace qualifies the chosen. Thus God desires us to grow in our awareness and function of His grace in our daily lives.

apostasy...crucifying the Son of God afresh and putting him to an open shame” - denying who and what He is and going back to another supposed way to God).

In Hebrews 10:26-31, we are warned if after WE have received the knowledge (epignosis) of the truth, WE continue to practice willful sin, there remains NO LONGER a sacrifice for sin and goes on to indicate such a person has “trodden underfoot the Son of God, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and done despite to the Spirit of Grace,” and warns of God’s judgment. It is the habitual practice of willful sin. Not a sin. All sin is willful.

One author has said, “these things are in the Bible in case this could happen, but it can’t happen.” God doesn’t waste words. He means what he says. When the Galatians are warned that “being made perfect by law they are fallen from Grace,” (Galatians 5:4). This is explained away by saying they have fallen out of the system of Grace – “Christ living in me” is not a system (Galatians 2:20) and instructs the Galatians to “walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. He tells them they can’t do the things they want to (Galatians 5:16-17) and indicates those “practicing the works of the flesh will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:21) Another author, writing about Hebrews said, “Only Jewish Christians can apostatize, since the emphasis is going back to the law.” Then why the warning against practicing “willful sin?” He is not writing to non-Christians.

There are two basic words in the New Testament for “know”: gnosis and epignosis. The NIV, even with its strong Calvinistic leanings, in 1 Corinthians 13 translates the two words as “knowledge” and “full knowledge”. In the Greek New Testament there is no such thing as epignosis without experiencing it. In other words, only Christians have the epignosis of God. This is the word used in the warning in Hebrews 10:26 against the practice of willful sin, and the consequences quoted above. Peter also uses the same word for knowledge twice in his warning about going back to the former life like a dog returning to his own vomit and the sow to its wallowing in the mire. (2 Pet 2:20-22)

Jesus, in John 15, discusses the vine and the branches, pointed out that He, Himself is the vine, and YOU (WE Christians) are the branches. He also warns of the need to continually remain (meno) in Him. He clearly states that the branch cannot bear fruit unless it remains in the vine, and indicates we cannot unless we are remaining (keep remaining) in Him. He warns “if a man is not remaining in me (does not keep remaining in me) he is thrown out as a branch and is withered (dies) and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burnt.” (v.6)


Training God’s grace is strong. His love is strong. The main emphasis in Scripture is on the security of the believer. We are not walking on a slippery tight-rope which we might accidentally fall off. But the New Testament teaches clearly we cannot go back to our old lifestyle and remain in Christ. Paul warns the Christians who had been delivered from various life styles that they can’t keep practicing these things and inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-13). The main emphasis is on God’s keeping power.

The Christian life may be pictured as a person walking up a narrow road on the side of a mountain, with a 4 foot wall to prevent the person from falling...but that person can still decide to climb the wall and jump off. The Bible gives us the examples: Look at Saul, the King of Israel. God “gave him another heart,” “The Spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied among

the prophets.” He chose to jump off, and “The Lord departed from him and became his enemy.”

If a person makes up his or her mind to serve Jesus, no demon or person can stop them from doing so; as Daniel “purposed in his heart” as a teenager (youth), and when he was in his 80’s walked into the lion’s den having influenced rulers of 2 empires. But we still have a free will. We are still subjected to temptation, still live in the midst of an anti-Jesus Christ world system.

Again, the emphasis is on God’s keeping power. John exhorts us “if we are walking in the light as He, Himself, is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son KEEPS ON CLEANSING us from all sins” (1 John 1:7). Obviously, it means God hasn’t perfected us, and even if we are walking in the light, we still need the constant

cleansing. He goes on to remind us, “Don’t sin” (in Greek, Aorist tense - don’t commit a single sin) but if any of us do, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.”

All continuous action verbs...HIS BLOOD CLEANSES US....HE CAN KEEP US....BUT THE WARNINGS ARE STILL THERE....WE HAVE THE CHOICE! We can be like Paul, “...I have not yet apprehended that for which I was apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching to the things which are before, I press toward the mark for the upward calling of God in Christ. Let us therefore, as many as would be perfect, be thus minded....” (Phil. 3:13-15). God isn’t finished with me yet...He is still working on me...but I’ve made up my mind to finish the race He set before me. GOD’S GRACE IS A PARADOX!

Dr George W Westlake Jr is Pastor Emeritus of the Sheffield Family Life Center (Assemblies of God) in Kansas City, Missouri. He pastored this church for over 34 years. It is now the largest multi-racial congregation (current attendance of 8000) in the MidWest. His son is now Senior Pastor. Dr Westlake Jr. has ministered on radio and television for over 40 years. He is a sought after camp meeting and convention speaker, and has ministered in Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Far East. He conducts marriage seminars and teaches on “Daniel & Revelation”. He lectures in several Bible Colleges in Asia, East Africa and Europe, including the Assemblies of God Bible College in Singapore. He has also written a textbook on “Daniel & Revelation,” which is used in over 80 countries’ Bible Colleges. He is currently writing

a book on Romans, and a second textbook on “Daniel & Revelation” and has published a book, “The Most Often Asked Questions on Sunday Night Alive.” He serves on the Board of Directors of The Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and The Assemblies of God Family Services, which is a made up of the Hillcrest Children’s Home and Highlands, which is a home for Unwed Mothers and an Adoption Agency. Dr Westlake and his wife have been married for 59 years, and have four children, thirteen grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. He holds the BA & MA Degrees from Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, and the M.Div Equivalency and D.Min from Fuller Theological Seminary, in Pasadena, California. He had post-doctoral courses in Church Consulting and Church Growth.


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Instead of feeling remorseful and changing my ways, I became even more indignant and vengeful.

When I was released, I started the whole cycle again, this time with even more recalcitrance. I had a growing restlessness, and was craving for more excitement to fill up my emptiness. Besides the frequent partying and hedonistic lifestyle I kept, I was drawn to the glitz of music. It seemed that playing in a band was an easy way to gain admiration. The hard rock and metal genres were particularly alluring to me, as I could identify with the emotional angst and anti-establishment themed lyrics. Having learned to play the piano in my younger days, I was naturally musically inclined; I took to learning the guitar almost effortlessly. This quickly became my new pursuit, my obsession, my drug. I became pre-occupied with practicing my guitar well so that I could play in bands at packed-out clubs. This gave me instant access to other forms of vice, like drugs. And before too long, I found myself hooked.

After completing my national service, I had gone ‘pro’ as a musician touring the club circuit. I accepted an overseas job that saw me playing in Malaysia and different parts of Asia. This was the beginning of my downfall as I became more involved in the partying scene and heavy drug use. To support my habit, I would smuggle drugs into Singapore; I persisted, until the law caught up with me in 1994: I was arrested at the Woodlands causeway checkpoint. This time with my largest quantity of drugs on me. Charged with importation, I faced the prospect of a death penalty, or at least a life imprisonment!

This was my wake-up call! I had squandered my potential and future with my self-absorbed lifestyle. Now I was faced with a bleak future behind bars if I was lucky. Unknowingly, this was God’s uncanny way of meting out His redemption plan for me. I had to get right with Him. And by His grace, this wake-up call was an engendering catalyst in my restoration with God. It was also the beginning of my healing journey with my estranged family—my parents in particular. While every one of my ‘friends’ disappeared from my sight upon hearing my news, my parents bailed me out of court, and became a pillar of support. A lot went through my mind, as I pondered over what to do next.

Since I knew people in Malaysia, I actually contemplated absconding and fleeing the country! But I didn’t want to live a life of a ‘fugitive’. I also thought of taking my own life. After all, what hope was there left for me, knowing the consequences that befell me?

Thankfully, as I cried out to God for answers, a peace just swept over me amidst my emotional commotion. No clear voice, no instruction, just a calming presence… I instinctively knew what steps I needed to take from henceforth. No more escaping or blame-shifting. I had to take ownership of my life, and face my consequences.

I immediately called up Teen Challenge, requesting for an urgent admission into their rehabilitation program. I had four months before facing the court for my sentencing. God’s grace extended into His resources for me during this trying time, by providing me a lawyer to help with my mitigation plea. Those four months were a faith-building period—I grew in intimacy with and knowledge of God. When it was time to face the judge during my sentencing, all I could think of was that God was good, no matter what the outcome. I remembered worshipping silently on my way to the docks. I had little expectations, or at least I refused to predict my outcome. Instead, I focused on praising God and lifting His Name in the midst of my trial.

When my case was announced, I took the stand, and the judge scrutinized long and hard on his stack of notes in front of him. Then, the miracle happened. Removing his glasses while straightening himself, the judge said, “I have read all your reports and considered your appeals. I need to let you know that a decision like this has never been made before. Instead of the mandatory life imprisonment, I am sentencing you to six months.”

I have never felt so elated, so thankful, so free before! With my eyes getting teary, I was led to a holding room, preparing to be transported to prison.

Till this day, I often query God about the six-month prison term. Any other prison duration would have just as been a miracle, be it six years, or even 16 years. But why six months? It dawned on me recently that God is seldom interested in the length of time. He dwells in the realm of timelessness. After all, a thousand years are like a day

Glenn Lim is the founder-CEO of GLC Pte Ltd (Glenn Lim Consultancy), a strategic and organizational development consultancy. He is also a highly sought after youth specialist, lecturer, master trainer and keynote speaker at local and regional conferences. He conducts workshops for trainers, youth workers, leaders, parents and educators. Glenn is a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador (ASEAN), former Youth Ambassador (Republic of Singapore) and a multi-award winner. Glenn serves on various national initiatives in Singapore. He has been consulted and worked with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Ministry of

Social and Family Development, and Ministry of Home Affairs. Glenn is the founding-director of organizations like Architects of Life, Empower Academy, Seed Collective, Parents Advisory and Teachers Advisory. As a thoughtleader, Glenn is often engaged in his capacity as a subject expert in media interviews. His views have been featured in all local tabloids, radio stations and publications. He has been featured in a variety of television programs. Glenn’s story has also been made into a short film “Green Grass” in 2005. He published his autobiographical book titled “Wake-Up Call” in 2008.

to Him! What matters is what we do with that time. As it was, I was living on borrowed time. It was during this time of incarceration that I met many of my friends who were in similar predicaments – drug abuse, purposeless, Godless. God used these six months to place His burden for these lost people, and instilled in me a passion to reach out to them with His love and hope. This was the birth of God’s ministry for me.

The real test of obedience began upon my release. I was tempted on many occasions to return to my old ways. And there was an urgency to get back on track with my life; but, the still small voice of God to remain faithful was clear. So I obeyed. I stayed on after my rehabilitation program in Teen Challenge to become an assistant staff for almost five years, before serving as a full-time ministry intern at a local parish. After serving as a pastoral staff for nearly 10 years, the Lord has led me to establish my ministry in the corporate market place. At the same time, His favor has opened up doors for me to consult with government agencies and work in the social service and youth sectors in Singapore and Asia. By His grace, I am reconciled with my family. And together with my wife, He has blessed us abundantly!

Today, I still marvel at God’s redemptive power over shattered lives like mine. His love and mercy is unending. And for those who choose to entrust their lives to God, His amazing grace covers every past stain, so that I can live and walk in His destiny today!


May - Jun 2014

Chief Editor: Rev Simon Ang

Asst. Editors: Rev David Lim Rev Winnie Wong

Coordinator: Carol Lim

Design: InfinitePrintSolutions Publisher: The Assemblies of God of Singapore 8 Lorong 27A Geylang #02-08 Guilin Building Singapore 388106 www.ag.org.sg

Printer: Singapore Press Holdings Ltd

transformation

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

A GOD ENCOUNTERTAN CHIN HWEE, TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTRE

God met me where I was and healed me.Early in 2012, I suffered from moderate slipped disc in my back. Excruciating pain was felt in my lower back and I could not sit or walk for long periods of times.

This greatly hindered my lifestyle.

Since young, marathons and triathlons have been a huge and regular part of my life. But due to my condition, I could not carry on doing either of them. Even the little things, which I value a lot, like bathing or carrying my children every day I could not do because of the inability to bend my spine.

My doctor also advised me to rest and start on physiotherapy sessions. My physical condition has improved vastly since. However, on a Monday before a God Encounter Meeting (GEM) at Trinity, I had a re-lapse. I suffered from the same excruciating pain and my daily activities were affected again.

Upon attending GEM that week, I sought God for healing. From where I was in the sanctuary, I prayed to God saying, “Jesus, even if I do not walk out of my seat to the front, I know you can heal me from where I am. For I know You are the same Jesus that healed in the Bible and You are the same Jesus that will heal me today”.

After saying this prayer, I immediately felt a tingling sensation that went through my outstretched fingers to the part of my back where my pain was.

And I immediately felt different.

Although I have been a Christian for 21 years, I had never encountered an experience like this. It was as if God knew that I had doubts about the healing, because the next thing that happened to me was that I sneezed. Not just once, but four times!

If you ever suffered from a slipped disc in your life, you would know that sneezing or coughing can be an extremely painful experience. However, I did not feel any pain in my back when I sneezed four times.

That was when I knew I was healed. God healed me!

The next day, I went to swim 500 meters. And I can run again today.

Thanks be to God!

mica (p) 130/09/2013 grace in the face of disgrace · 2014-05-07 · issue 01 ag times may - jun...

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