Countdown To Zero

This Christmas, we re-discovered the joy of playing board games with our children. Difference is, now they're teaching us the new games and unlike the old days when we introduced each new game to them. I like those games which allow you a way of escape, those "back to zero" moves that bring all players to the same starting point all over again. All's equal again and you get as good a chance as any other player to try again for a win.

Life's like that in many ways... especially so at the end of each year. When we reflect on the year past, we face both our victories and achievements as well as our disappointments and regrets. We are often stuck for the next move. How wonderful to get the chance to go back to zero again. The score chart is wiped clean and you get as good a chance as everyone else to decide how you want your next year to turn out.

The Bible says in Lamentations 3:22,23, " The Lord's loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. "This is the God we worship. He's Alpha and Omega, who directs the beginning and the end.

As we countdown to 2008, let's receive this affirmation from the Lord. Wherever you are and however you've been, you're going to write on a fresh page. Let's wake up to a fresh new morning of our life!

See His Glory!

So, did you see it? See what? See His glory!

The shepherds saw it, that first time the angel appeared to them, announcing the good news of Christ's birth. “The glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified" (Luke 2:9). But that fear turned to joy and worship, and they returned to the fields in a totally different mood, "glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen" (Luke 2:20).

We don't have to wait for an angelic visit or a choir of the heavenly host to see the glory of God. It may be in the face of a child, a moment of joy, a word, or a touch. But it will be a moment of connection, when the human spirit touches God's spirit. Isaiah 6:3 says, “The whole earth is full of His glory."

Christmas comes and Christmas goes. What will make this Christmas a truly blessed one is to have seen His glory and to have the opportunity to share His story. Let's not miss out the CHRIST in CHRISTmas…

Look out! I believe you can catch a glimpse of God's glory today!

A Letter From Jesus

Dear All,

As you well know, we are getting closer to My birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated. During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many Radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that My birthday is getting closer and closer. It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of Me.

As you know, the celebration of My birthday began many years ago. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't know the meaning of the celebration. I remember that last year there was a great feast in My honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. However, do you want to know something? I was not invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation. The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face .. and I wanted to be with them and share their table. In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me. Since I wasn't invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner.

They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a grand time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying: "Santa Claus, Santa Claus" as if the party were in his honor! At midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug Me and do you know no-one hugged Me. Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for Me. What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one?

I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left. Every year it gets worse. People only remember the gifts, the parties, to eat and drink, and nobody remembers Me. I would like this Christmas that you allow Me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give My life for you, on the cross, to save you.Today, I only want that you believe this with all your heart. I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I'm still making the final arrangements. Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book.

Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party. Those who don't answer the invite, will be left outside. Be prepared because when all is ready you will be PART of MY GREAT PARTY.

See you soon. I Love you!

Jesus

Life In The Spirit

Last week's message on the 'Fullness of the Holy Spirit' brings to a fitting close the series of messages on "Blessings For Your Life ". How good God is, for "His divine power has indeed given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3). The Year of Victory does not need to end on 31st December 2007. If we continue to live a life plugged into the power of the Holy Spirit, we will continue to experience new and greater victories as we enter the Year of Sabbath. These victories will come even as we focus on rest and re-creation of our bodies, our soul and spirit man, remembering and relying upon Him, the God of all Creation, who is able to meet our every need. And victories will continue to flow as we focus on rebuilding and restoring the many relationships that God has blessed us with in our lives.

The key to experiencing the true Sabbath rest of God is living life in the Spirit.

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25)

JESUS – Yesterday, Today and Forever !

Even though we were in Israel, we shared the excitement and joy of last week’s 3rd Service.

News came to us that the service was packed to capacity. A record 5,110 people came for this special service where Nick Vujicic ministered with his powerful life testimony of a life lived without limits, displaying the greatness of a God whose grace is sufficient for our every need and whose power is made perfect in our weakness. Hallelujah to His mighty name!

Indeed, Christmas came early for each of the 152 salvations, 222 rededications and 305 who indicated they wanted to know more about Jesus.

Jesus is the reason for the season and the best Christmas gift is to have Him in our hearts. Jesus, the Saviour of the world, Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6 )

We’re back from the Israel Encounter. Renewed and refreshed with all that we’ve seen and heard. There’s much we need to reflect, meditate and pray through. We left Israel with a new surge of faith, hope and love and awed by God’s eternal destiny and plan for a world He loves.

What God says, He will do

Shalom from the land of Israel! We are into Day 5 of our journey in the Holy Land. Spent the last few days around the Galilee area, walking in and around the very places where Jesus walked, taught and healed. With help from our knowledgeable guide, we have gained greater understanding of places and events in Bible history. It has inspired all of us to read the Bible more diligently.

As we walked around in Nazareth – a village where nobody thought any good could come out of it (John 1:46) we were reminded again that truly, “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37) Mary, a simple Nazarene village girl, when told by the angel Gabriel that she was chosen to be the mother of the boy child Jesus, was ready to respond, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be done to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38)

We are praying for the same flow of faith in our service this weekend. We believe many will be stirred and challenged by the inspiring story and life message of Nick Vujicic. His life also echoes the very same refrain, “Nothing is impossible with God.”

God never makes a mistake. He has a wonderful plan for you. What He says, He will do. This is the God we worship.

Israel Encounter

A team of 46 people, led by Ps Eugene and Ps Julie, leaves this weekend for our first YouthNet Israel Encounter. Ps Melvyn and Ps Linda will lead another team from their networks the following weekend. This trip to the holy land of Israel is an exciting and significant trip for all of us. It is a spiritual journey for believers as we touch the very places where our Lord walked, taught and spent His earthly life 2000 years ago. Tiberias, Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Dead Sea, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Our God is the Faithful God, who keeps His covenant of love with His people (Deut 7:9). He honours His promises and keeps His Word. Israel is evidence of God's faithfulness to His people. Israel is one big prophetic act of God and the destiny of this nation is interwoven with our Christian destiny.

Please pray with us that as we walk, pray and seek God during this trip, we will develop a greater appreciation and understanding of our Christian roots and heritage. We need the Spirit of revelation so that we will not miss what God wants us to see, hear or do.

We will be praying for you too, especially for the special celebration service next week with the extraordinary Nick Vujicic. Remember to invite your friends!

God Speaks!

I was reflecting on the call of Jesus' first disciples. Jesus saw Matthew. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. (Matthew 9:9) No questions asked. No big debate. No calculations of risk and pondering over "what if".

Similar experiences with the other disciples Jesus called. Simon and Andrew left their nets at once and followed Jesus. James and John did not hesitate to respond to Jesus' call.

Ahh, we sigh... if only knowing God's direction for our lives and for our next step were that simple. But the fact of the matter is... it is that simple when it's the only thing in your life. No competing demands. No rival throne in our hearts....and we serve only Him. Did we complicate things or did things complicate us?

God is a great Communicator! He will get His message through to you, one way or another. He desires to speak to us much more than we desire to speak to Him. So, if we're not hearing Him, where's the problem?

A Time To Rest

A bad bout of stomach flu forced me into rest for two days. Two days of catching up on sleep, taking my time to slowly get out of bed, lingering over each meal and savouring the joy of just being able to eat.

I breathed more deeply, thankful to regain health and life. Simple chores I do everyday take on a new meaning when I do them with appreciation. Opening up the windows to the sky and the fresh air and watching my two resident mynahs pecking away in the garden was a joy to behold. Whether sparrows or mynahs, they remind me of Matthew 6:26-27, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "

In the busyness of life, where stopping to rest has become a luxury, I'm glad for the daily reminder to place my priorities right as a citizen of the Kingdom of God where Jesus our Lord reigns as King !

I'm looking forward to 2008, the Year of Sabbath. It may take us some adjustment to enter into the spirit of the Sabbath. But we are going to enjoy the year with many opportunities to stop and thank God for creating the world as well as providing for His people, so that we can find freedom to enjoy the rest that He prescribes for us.

New Beginnings

We celebrate many new beginnings this past week.

Chew Hiap Iuh ( from Ps Jeffery Lee's tribe ) testified at his baptism on 26th Oct as to how God has changed him from a self-centred young man struggling to find meaning and purpose in life beyond excelling in Tae Kwon Do, to one committed to pursue God. Woken up by a life threatening experience in a whitewater paddling trip, Hiap Iuh found his way to FCBC. He has since experienced the reality of God in restoring his relationship with his mum and in a new walk with God which gives him a future and a hope.

We had our first YouthNet Marriage Encounter Weekend which gave 30 couples a new beginning in their marriage. Some have been married for more than 10 years; a few just barely a year into their marriage. Nonetheless, all were refreshed by the time out for each other and the teachings as well as many practical lessons of how to make a good marriage better.

We congratulate Ps Lawrence Tan and Ps Fei Fei on the arrival of the 3rd child, Jonas on 23rd October.

It was also a new beginning for Ps Roland & Ps Laifun as they celebrated the birth of their first born, Reuel on 30th October. Many more new births to come!

What wonderful new beginnings in this Year of Victory!

Where Are You?

This was the first question God asked. (Genesis 3:9).

Did God not know where Adam was? It was a searching question for Adam who was faced with the first impact of sin and disobedience. Adam was hiding from the Lord and was soon to be expelled from the place of paradise.

In the Old Testament, much of God's blessings for His people are tied to the place they were to be in or to go to. Three blessings follow us when we are in the place where God has called us to be.

Firstly, it will be a place of Faith. You will find faith and you will be able to exercise your faith. Faith is what helps us to activate the promises of God for our life.

Secondly, It will be a place of Freedom. You will be able to grow with God's purposes for your life and be released to use your talents and your giftings to be a blessing to others. You will enjoy the anointing, authority and the resources to do your work well.

Thirdly, it will be a place of Fruitfulness. You will be like a "tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (Psalm 1:3)

So... Where are you ?

IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU JESUS

"When the music fades, all is stripped away, and You simply come
Longing just to bring, something that's of worth, that will bless your heart
I'll bring You more than a song, for a song in itself it's not what You have required
You search much deeper within, through the way things appear,
You're looking into my heart
I'm coming back to the heart of worship when it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it, when it's all about You
All about You, Jesus"

This song was penned by accomplished song writer and worship leader, Matt Redman, after a season of deep reflection about his heart and attitude each time he leads worship. He was convicted that because of his musicianship and competency in "doing" a good worship, his heart and spirit were sometimes not in the right place and he did not experience his worship as a true encounter with the presence of Almighty God.

I sensed the Lord also wants to hit the pause button with us in our worship here at The MAX Pavilion. We need to take a moment to reflect on, where our heart and spirit is as we come into our time of celebration and worship. I pray that our #1 concern each Sunday is not just that we got the sound right, or the lights synchronised, or that the songs were good and the beat was cool; but really, what kind of heart are we presenting to the Lord?

Worship is not just another experience. We must come with a sacrifice, "something that's of worth". I believe this is a key attitude that will keep our hearts and spirit at the right place.

It's all about you JESUS.

What is your boast?

It's that time of year when budgets, plans, reviews and appraisals fill my thoughts.

I certainly need wisdom and strength to go through this yearly exercise. And I also need riches... (actual and projected ) to try and balance my income and expense budget!

I was glad the Lord brought me to this passage of Scripture in Jeremiah 9:23-24,

"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches, but
let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,
declares the Lord."

I don't want to wait till the Year of Sabbath to find my joy and delight in the Lord.

Let's take a little pause right now to focus our thoughts on what we must finally account for and to pray that we may grow in our knowledge and understanding of the Lord our God.

"A Fresh Touch from the Lord"

The Re-encounter Weekends on 22nd and 29th September brought a fresh touch from the Lord to the 203 participants. Spiritual Warfare is an integral part of the life of a believer. Participants were taught through practical sessions on moving in the Holy Spirit, discovering their spiritual gifts, praying in tongues, releasing of prophecies and praying for healing. Here are some exciting testimonies...

Joshua Chong (Chua Seng Lee Network)

"God reminded me of how much he loves me and wants me to spend more time with him. I thank God for setting me free and taking away my chest pain and the tightness of chest."

Karen Woo (Ps Debra Toh's Tribe)

"I have been ministered to and I was given the chance to minister to others. Many testimonies were shared during the training and I could witness God's power first hand. I have been given opportunities to practice speaking out in faith during the sessions on Prophesy and Healing."

Cynthia Odelia Ho (Ps Lily Chu's Tribe)

"My faith had increased. I learn how to partner with the Holy Spirit and looking forward to learn how to minister. I have stepped out of my comfort zone to release words & visions."

Charles Wong (Ps Poh Yeang Cherng's Tribe)

"It made me eager to use all the gifts of healing and prophecy to bless others. It humbled me that I need to rely on God and surrender more to Him. My faith has grown!"

Cheryl Tan (Ps Evelyn Lee's Tribe)

"Through this training, a new faith was released unto me. There was renewal in my spirit. Each time I came into the worship, there was a strong touch from the Lord. I thank God for the prophecy that was given to my life. It brought new hope and encouragement to me."

Who Do You Run To?

This series of sermon messages based on "Blessings For Your Life" provide us with a great opportunity to check our knowledge of God. To the extent that you know who God is and what He has said, will be the extent you will be able to appropriate God's promise of blessings for your life.

Where do you run to in time of need? When troubles, worries and fears threaten you, who will be the first person you turn to? Is God your first recourse or your last resort? Proverbs 18:10, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe."

Last week, Pastor Melvyn Mak mentioned four names of the Lord found in Psalm 91 alone when he preached about God's Blessing of Protection.

God Most High - "El Elyon";
God Almighty - "El Shaddai";
God Our Provider - "Jehovah Jireh";
God My Refuge - "Elohim".

Do you know any other names of the Lord in the bible?

More often than not, I find myself reacting to the circumstances of life rather than responding to the knowledge of God. Like Paul, I want to know God more (Philippians 3:10) so that I can run to Him more and more and the run becomes easier and easier each time. Run with me?

Storehouse of Blessings

Do you find it hard to believe God wants to bless you ?

Whenever I feel doubt creeping in on me, I would read again Deuteronomy 28. It's the storehouse of blessings which the Lord promised the Israelites through Moses. Just savour some of them :

"The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you." ( v 8 )

"The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands." ( v 12 )

"The Lord will make you the head, not the tail." ( v 13)

God's blessing is complete. He wants to bless you spiritually, physically, financially and in every area of your life. God will answer any prayer for blessing asked in faith. But the fullness of His blessing is enjoyed "if you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands..." ( v 1 )

Would it make a difference to you this week if you take God at His Word and claim these promises for yourself ?

ASK BIG....IN FAITH !

Wonder how many of you still remember the Warrior of Light matrix? Huh??

Personally for us, it's been an exciting Year of Victory thus far. The 3 attitudes, "Always Thankful, Always victorious in Christ and Always a Blessing to all" have kept us on the winning side of life. Amidst all the busyness in the ministry and serving the community, we did our major house renovation project. It was a venture to "look far in vision" for our family. Seven months in a rented apartment and now, we're ready to go home...hurray!

So, we're taking this chance to remind everyone of the 3rd action goal for this last 4 months of 2007 - Ask Big ... in Faith ! Yes, the Year of Victory is not over yet ... have you experienced breakthrough in your personal life, in your family and in your marketplace? This is the time of preparation for exams and end of year job reviews and appraisals. It is also a time where many of us are starting to plan for 2008. If you feel just a bit out of focus, may we remind you to take out your Warrior of Light Matrix, reflect on all that has happened in your life this year and after you've given thanks, accept God's precious invitation to come to Him and in great faith ... ASK ... SEEK ... KNOCK ( Matthew 7:7,8 )

Testimonies from Gateway Cities Youth Convention 2007

Emelia Wilinda - Indonesia

“I have gained a lot from GCYC. God changed my mindset. He taught me not to focus on myself. He reminded me to pray for the nations, especially for my nation.”

Armando Da Silva - East Timor

“It is a great time for the nations to come together in unity to worship God. As a new nation, we know that we have a lot of problems. But I am proud to be from East Timor and I am very happy because many nations wanted to pray for my country and bless us. This is the greatest time of my life.”

Cildo C. Algabis – Philippines

“My eyes were opened and I’m so amazed to see what God is doing. God has put a passion in me to love and pray for my nation, more than ever before. And I believe God will bring restoration and revival to my nation.”

Ho Lien An – Vietnam

“On the way home, a Vietnamese lady sat next to me on the plane. I wanted to share about Jesus with her and took out the ‘100k Blessing’ pamphlet and prayed to bless her. This is the first time I am speaking to another person about Jesus and prayed to bless her. Now, I want to start talking about Jesus to other people.”

Paul Wu – FCBC (YouthNet)

“When people from different tribes & tongues come together for God’s work, there is so much synergy and power. This is powerfully demonstrated when we blessed the families in Bukit Merah.”

Light To the Nations

The blessing flows. The ‘100K Blessing’ campaign is over but what a privilege for FCBC YouthNet to host the 3rd Gateway Cities Youth Convention and to see the blessing flow to the nations. It is God's desire that the nations be blessed. GCYC is our way of involving FCBC youths and the youths from gateway cities in the region to serve and be a blessing to the nations. We thank God for each of the 123 foreign delegates from 12 countries all over Asia. What thrills us greatly is to have close to 1000 of our FCBC youth sign up for this convention. This is a tremendous encouragement to us.

We want to see a generation of youth who are not just passionate to see God's destiny fulfilled in their lives but who want to be part of God's destiny for the nations. God saves individuals but He wants to reach nations and each one of us can be a part of God's kingdom strategy.

As we catch a glimpse of the nations worshipping together in our 3 services today, let us release a mighty chorus of prayer that each of them will rise up to be a Warrior, bringing light to the nations they come from.

Happy Birthday, FCBC!

Today, you must be interested in History.

FCBC celebrates its 21st Birthday! It is a marker of growth, of maturity.

FCBC began as a result of the faith of one man, our Senior Pastor, Apostle Lawrence Khong and his wife, Pastor Nina. God richly blessed us and made us a faith community of believers. He blessed the church with great leaders, many of whom are your pastors today, who built on this foundation of faith.

You have a rich heritage. You have inherited a legacy of faith. From generation to generation, we will be blessed.

Our prayer for FCBC :

May we grow from faith to faith,
from strength to strength,
From victory to victory,
As we continue to look to our Lord, Jesus Christ,
"the Author and Finisher of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2)

Thus Far Has the Lord Helped Us!

I hope you were there on the Day of His Power on the eve of National Day! It was everything it was meant to be, "a prophetic milestone of citywide prayer, a beautiful confluence of revival streams, a visible statement of our unity in Christ, a public declaration of our faith in God and our love for Nation and a worship tribute to the King of Glory!"

Of special significance was the prophetic declaration in the last segment of the night. It was led by 12 representatives from 3 generations, each carrying a stone and together building an altar unto the Lord. If you have been following the 40-Day prayer guide, you must know by now that stones do cry out and mean a lot of things. Each milestone is a mark of God's faithfulness which is from generation to generation. As He helped us then, He helps us now and He will help us in the future! What a powerful declaration!

For us in FCBC, the completion of the month long 100K blessing campaign also falls on the Day of His Power. It is a milestone of victory. Our stone speaks of God's help and God's ability to see us through a bold step of lifestyle evangelism. This will be the spirit that we will have with us as we move on. We press on till we finish. We refuse to give up. We keep our eyes on the finishing line. We keep on going till...it is done! Hallelujah! Give yourselves a pat on the back...Well Done, young warriors!

LoveSingapore 40-Day Prayer - Week 6

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Altogether ... Now!

It has been an exciting week of hearing testimony after testimony of how the 100K Blessing has spread and how a simple act of blessing someone can be so impactful.

How contagious the blessing is! It's positively infectious ... once you have tasted the joy of blessing another and being blessed, you want to pass it on. An old chorus comes to mind,

It only takes a spark ...to get the fire going.

And soon all those around will warm up in its glowing.

And so it is with God's love.

Once you have experienced it,

You want to sing, it's fresh like spring

You want to pass it on.

C'mon warriors, it's the last push before the finishing line. You can do it! But more important, you can help someone do it too! No matter how many you've blessed so far, let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. (Heb 10:24) The greater joy comes from doing it TOGETHER ...You are not just winning for yourself but as part of a great team of warriors of light!

LoveSingapore 40-Day Prayer - Week 5

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GOD LOVES YOU!

The '100K Blessing' has become such a buzz that we are hearing of people who are actually upset that they haven't been approached to be prayed for.

Like the taxi driver who felt kind of left out because he had heard about the 100K from his fellow taxi drivers who have been blessed. "Kiasu" for a blessing! That's a good kind of spirit!

So how are you doing personally? Do you have a story to tell? Some of us just took off from the word 'Go!' but for some of us, it has not been so easy. Does this make one better than the other? Definitely not. God has given to us the spirit of sonship and not the spirit of slavery. The blessing is an act of love and not an obligation of service. God is sovereign. All He asks of us is to be available and willing to step out and He will do the rest.

Jesus had a most important life mission and call. He had a weighty destiny. Was He ever discouraged? Was He ever fearful? I believed humanly He had His moments. In fact it got to a point where He said, "If it be possible, Father, let this cup be taken away from me."

So what kept Him going? He clearly heard the Heavenly Father say, "You are my Son, I love you and I approve of you."

Go Warriors, in the light of this truth… that God loves you.

LoveSingapore 40-Day Prayer - Week 4

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Thousand Linking Hands (Qian Qian Shou)

It was a joy for us to join the 2nd Shanghai Summer Camp this July. Qian Qian Shou started from a seed of an idea. Link the youths from China and Singapore together through friendship and the common vision of serving the less fortunate in the community; empower them through the use of magic as a tool and service learning as a framework; challenge their creativity and resourcefulness as they design and implement various community service projects at the end of the camp. And all this in a bilingual setting.

The 300 youths we saw this year gave us hope that we will see the Thousand Linking Hands in 2008, reaching out to bring a smile to those in need of one in China. It will be the climax of 3 years of "Linking Hearts, Linking Minds and Linking Hands", a special expression of FCBC’s vision of serving the nations. As many of the youths from the project have testified, they were the ones who were touched even as they came, with many different agendas and with perhaps a grandiose idea of volunteerism. The real magic, like they say, is LOVE.

Some wise man once said, "You can count the number of seeds in an apple, but you cannot count the number of apples in a seed."

Ps Eugene used this quote when he spoke at the closing ceremony of this year’s camp. We look forward to QQS in 2008 but the impact of this special project will go deeper and wider than what we can imagine. Although out of Singapore, it was great to know we can carry the spirit of the 100K blessing campaign to Shanghai.

How are you doing mid-course in the 100K?

LoveSingapore 40-Day Prayer - Week 3

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Moving Out....Big Smile

Remember our codeword for this season of the I00K campaign?
 
Exciting testimonies are coming in as our warriors move out on the campaign trail. I hear of a number of you who are close to reaching the target of blessing 20! One young man has prayed for so many of his colleagues, word has gotten around and more are coming to him for prayer. What is common is to hear many share that they're doing something new for the first time in their life. Like plucking up enough courage to talk to a stranger or the person sitting next to you in the train, on the bus, in the foodcourt or in the queue. Many are blessing people they've never thought they'll get the chance to.
 
Just starting to think about others more than we think about ourselves is a good start. So many of us allow what we think we cannot do to dissuade us from doing what we can. We then end up doing..... nothing! You will remember what Ed Silvoso repeatedly said,
 
"If you want to see God do something new in your life, you've got to start doing what you've never done before. For if you continue to do what you've always done, then you will see what you've always seen."
 
Jia You ... Warriors!

LoveSingapore 40-Day Prayer - Week 2

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Reproduced with permission from LoveSingapore

“Transformers”

This is currently the hottest movie in town. Totally awed by the amazing computer animation and special effects. It’s the eternal battle of good against evil. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Jazz and Ratchet take on Megatron. Ultimately, what triumphs is the power of sacrifice. In the famous words of Optimus Prime, “no sacrifice, no victory” Isn’t it so true that the blessings of God are often tied to the sacrifices we offer to Him?

“Transformers”. This is our buzzword and password during this 40 day Love Singapore season of prayer and this strategic 100K campaign of FCBC. We’re talking personal corporate and national transformation that will save our land. If we believe it, we will see it …. a season of divine visitation, incredible breakthroughs where warriors of God are released into the marketplace, spreading everywhere the fragrance and the aroma of the Lord, changing the spiritual climate through prayers and blessings that proclaim the glory of the Risen King of Kings. We are all Transformers of a different kind!

Let the first transformation begin! Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is -His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Ed Silvoso puts it so well:

“If not you, then who?
If not now, then when?
Go forth and change the world! “

Let’s Be Transformers for Our Amazing God!

LoveSingapore 40-Day Prayer - Week 1

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Also available in .gif format:
1/Jul/2007
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4/Jul/2007
5/Jul/2007
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Reproduced with permission from LoveSingapore

Trusting Each Other

When we grow in our trust in God, we will see a corresponding growth in our trust in people.
God meant us to live not just in relationship with Him, but in relationships with people.
Without trust, we cannot develop strong and healthy relationships with those who lead us and with those we lead.

How do we know if there’s trust?
If there’s trust, there will be transparency in relationships, a willingness to be open and real with each other. Accountability and submission flows freely and lovingly in an atmosphere of trust.

Trusting people empowers them. It brings out the best in them because it expresses your belief in them.
All of us want people to trust us and we want to be trusted. Unlike God whom we can trust wholeheartedly because of WHO HE IS, we must build trust in our relationships. And trust is built not just on CHARACTER but on COMPETENCE. Keeping commitments, delivering results, making effort to get better, all contribute to the trust account with our family and friends, our leaders, our cell members.

We want to encourage all of you, young warriors, to cultivate exemplary godly character and at the same time be diligent and competent at whatever task or assignments you are given to do. This is all part of God’s preparation for you as you pursue the journey of your dream.

Growing In Trust

Joseph’s story taught us not to give up on our dreams even when life isn’t working out the way we planned. He trusted “the Lord who was with him “. There’s a lovely saying that goes:-

God is too good to be unkind.
God is too wise to be confused.
When I cannot trace his Hand,
I can always trust His heart.

How is your trust in God?
Is it a Limited Trust - only for a time and season? Or a Partial Trust - only for emergencies and exigencies of the moment? Or a Revocable trust - to be withdrawn when your agenda is not served?

I pray we are able to trust the Lord “with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding ” (Proverbs 3: 5) We can trust God wholeheartedly simply because HE IS GOD - Faithful God (Deut 7:9) who keeps His covenant of love with us and delivers on every promise He makes (Ps 145:13) He’s not only the Dream Giver but the Dream Fulfiller!

Is this the God you trust?

Happy PAPA’s Day!

My father passed away sixteen years ago. Of all the memories I have of him, one little nice memory was calling him, “Papa”. Not “Dad” or “Daddy” but “Papa”. My father would have been described as a distant father by good parenting standards. But no matter how strained our relationship was, no matter how disconnected I felt from him or what my mood was, I always felt a connection with him when I call him “Papa “. I cannot be upset with him for long or carry negative feelings for him and call him “Papa” from my heart.

It was only recently that I started reflecting on the significance of this word. Maybe I was inspired from reading Larry Crabb’s book, “The PAPA Prayer “. It’s about relating to God as our Papa and being able to pray and talk to him on the basis of a relationship with him. It’s about attending to our picture of Him in our minds and purging ourselves of everything that blocks our coming to him as his child, before we start asking him for blessings for ourselves or for others.

As Father’s Day is celebrated this weekend, let us appreciate, first and foremost, our Heavenly Papa who first loved us (1 John 4:19) and who is the perfect Father for all of us. And let us give thanks for His precious gift to us in our fathers, in life and in faith.

Happy Papa’s Day!

Make Room In Your Heart For People

At the close of the YouthNet leader’s Re-Encounter last week, the word of the Lord to us drawn from 2 Cor 7:2 was to “make room in our hearts for people.” This is the crux of the 100k campaign. It is not another evangelistic campaign. It is not about numbers. It is about people. God’s heart is always about people. And if we want to grow anywhere close His heart, we have to say “yes” to people and make room for them in our busy overcrowded lives.

God is relational. He created human beings to relate to Him first and to relate to each other. Every person you will have the opportunity to bless during this campaign matters to God. God wants them to relate to Him, to find their way back to Him, where they belong as a child of God. Some may take a bit longer than others but what a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to leave footprints in their hearts to lead them home to Jesus.

Start praying for divine appointments to bless someone each day.

Together In The 100k Campaign

Today, Senior Pastor will be dedicating the “YouthNet 144”to set them apart as the trailblazers of the 5000 warriors for the 100K campaign. Everyone of them is committed to finding 12 other warriors to join them in this campaign. We have signed up together with them as we look forward to an exciting month, from the 8th July to the 8th August, of asking God for 5 persons a week whom we can pray a blessing for.

Signing up to be a 5000 warrior is both a personal decision as well as a corporate commitment. No one can force you to do what you don’t want to do. You have to decide to take this step of faith and see the reality of God in your life as He answers your prayers. This campaign is also a corporate call to stand together with the church and to move together in unity. An army can only be as strong as each warrior is strong on his own.

E Stanley Jones once said, “It is easier to act yourself into a new way of thinking than to think yourself into a new way of acting. “

If you still have questions as to what this campaign is all about, do talk to your leaders about it.

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