Chen Li Church Life Updates

Easter Sunday!

2011-04-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

Rejoice! For the Lord has risen!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" 1 Peter 1:3

In this Easter Sunday, let us be reminded once again of God's resurrection, and His love for us, that our "God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16

"Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus" Romans 6:8-11

On the third day, we see His glory revealed. From Matthew 28:1-10,

"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

In this Easter Sunday service, we have many youths in our midst who will undergo confirmation, rededicating their lives to God, as well those who have declared that they wish to be baptised. Infant baptisms will be carried out as usual, and we thank God for all these wonderful moments! Another piece of good news is the graduation of the latest discipleship class. They will be receiving their graduation certificate. We congratulate them!

The confirmation list:

1. John Ching
2. Nathaniel Neo
3. Lulu
4. Rachel Gan
5. Sophie
6. Dawn

Youths who baptized:

1. Sherly
2. Jill
3. Joycelyn Liang

The 5 who have graduated from discipleship class:

1. Joanne
2. Jacqueline
3. Rachel
4. Bing en
5. Sarah

Easter bunny

Good Friday

2011-04-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

And so, after a period of lent, the day has arrived when Jesus was crucified. This day calls for us to remember our Saviour who bore all our sins as the living sacrifice. From Isaiah 53:12, "He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many."

Quite a recent video posted onto youtube, and with courtesy of Igniter Media, described Jesus' path to the Cross in a very innovative way.

Here's the youtube video link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-hW680pCLs&feature=player_embedded

Let us continue to walk alongside our Lord during His journey to the cross, and dedicate our hearts to the Lamb of God that has overcome all sin.

A snippet on 2011

2011-02-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

Update from Sarah on the new year:

For Sunday school: Our church youths are moving and adjusting to a new structure. We have formed cell group for youths JC2/Poly 2 and above. It would be less of sitting on small chairs every sunday for bible study but they will go out for cell-group activities, sports, talks on Sundays etc.

First Chinese New Year fellowship on 30th Jan. All the new year goodies and Ba Gua that cannot be missed.

Both Zhi Jian and Pr Luke's father have returned to the Lord in mid Jan and late Jan respectively. Do keep them and their families in prayer.

Playlist updated

2011-01-30T09:40:00.000-08:00

Additional songs to the playlist. A song called 'Speak O Lord' which I sang in my service today. The lyrics are meaningful, and good song for worship. Enjoy.

灵修文章

2010-11-23T02:35:00.000-08:00

今天看了这一篇灵修文章，提醒我们无时无刻聆听主的声音。

高灵敏的天线~看列王纪上十九章11~13节

那时耶和华从那里经过，在以利亚面前有烈风大作，崩山碎石，耶和华却不在风中。风后地震，耶和华却不在其中。地震后有火，耶和华也不在火中。火后有微小的声音向他说：（以利亚阿，你在这里做什么？）

上帝选择在平凡的场合中，把自己显现给以利亚。神的话不在崩山裂石的烈风、地震、大火里，而是在委婉的微声细语中。他的信息不在长篇大论的说教里，反而在一句简单轻柔的问句中：「以列亚，你在这里做什么？」以利亚习惯在火焰中经历神的作为，在大场面的动作中与神同工。如今，以利亚还有一个重要的功课要学习，学习去认识上帝的另一副可爱的面目，去体会他的轻微脚步声与狂飙巨雷一样，拥有无坚不摧的能力。

你习惯了礼拜堂的证道，可能会错过了大草原的赞礼。
你习惯了亢奋的激情，可能会错过了轻柔的微声。
你期待惊奇，所以错过了日常。
你期待神迹，所以错过了自然。
你一心等待太阳，所以错过了烛光。
你一心等待大餐，所以错过了小菜。

一颗柔软的心绝不会画地自限，或在卑微，或在尊贵，随时张开高灵敏的天线，接收上帝的微波。一颗轻灵的心绝不规范上帝，采用哪一个特定的模式显现，或处群众，或处孤独，或工作，或休息，任何的时侯，都准备好迎接上帝的启示。

Tommy

2010-10-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

An article I received from my granduncle. I would like to share it with you the 30 suggestions that would benefit Christians.

"對基督徒有幫助的30條建議"

上帝賜福你，是要你成為別人的祝福！

1. 下次如果覺得自己了不起時，試試行在水上。
Next time when you think you are terrific, try walking on water.

2. 當魔鬼提起你的過去時，請提醒牠的未來。
When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.

3. 你不是幸運，是蒙福。
You are not lucky, you are blessed.

4. 若想要真正活著，得先徹底死去。
If you really want to live, you must go through the experience of death first.

5. 機會也許只敲一次門，但試探卻總是在按門鈴。
Opportunity may only knock once, but temptation is always at the door bell.

6. 我們常在強壯時，忘了神。
When we are strong, we often forget God.

7. 那些只在星期天呼喚"天父"的人，在一星期餘下的日子裡活的像孤兒。
Those who call out for "Heavenly Father" only on Sunday live like orphans the rest of the week.

8. 不要以自我為中心，要以基督為中心。
Do not be self-centred, be Christ-centred.

9. 沒有基督，沒有平安；認識基督，得到平安。
No Christ, no peace; know Christ, know peace.

10. 為什麼我們不常向朋友提起神？因為我們不常向神提起我們的朋友。
Why we don't mention God to our friends? Because we don’t mention our friends to God.

11. 當把你的一切獻給基督，因為祂把祂的一切都給了你。
Dedicate everything you have to God because He has given you everything He has.

12. 你現在所追求的，值得基督為它死嗎？（好問題…）
Is what you are after worth the death of Jesus Christ? (A good question…)

13. 使你向神靠近的人，是你真正的朋友。
Those who make you get close to God are your real friends.

14. 神愛我們，不是因為我們是怎樣一個人，而是因為祂是怎樣一位神。
God loves us not because of what we are but because of what He is.

15. 神的應許像夜空裡的星星。夜越深，星星的光芒越亮。
God's promise is like stars in the dark of night. The darker the night, the brighter the stars.

16. 沒有基督的生命，是無望的盡頭。有基督的生命，是無盡的盼望。
Life without Jesus is hopelessness without end. Life with Jesus is hopefulness without end.

17. 我雖不知道未來掌管著什麼，但我知道誰掌管著未來。
Although I don't know what future will bring, I do know who rules the future.

18. 把你的重擔交給主，讓它留在主那裡。
Leave your heavy burden with God and let it stay there.

19. 不要畏懼明天，因為上帝已在那裡。
Don't be afraid of tomorrow because God is already there.

20. 當你除了神，一無所有時，你將知道神就是你全部的需要。
When you are left with nothing but God, you will know that God is all you need.

21. 放手交給上帝，別再向神講述你的風暴有多大，當向風暴講述你的神有多大。
Let go and trust everything to Him. Don't ever tell God again your life's storms, but tell the storms about the greatness of God.

22. 能夠滿足人心的，是造人心的那一位。
The one who can satisfy what our hearts desire is the one who created our hearts.

23. 請常常保持著你心裡的光，因為你不知道，誰會藉著這光走出黑暗。
Always keep the light in your heart burning because you don't know who will need it to walk out of the darkness.

24. 當我們只顧工作的時候，我們獨自工作；當我們祈禱的時候，神工作。
When our attention is directed only to our work, we work alone; when we pray God goes to work.

25. 神無所不在，所以我們可以隨處禱告。
God is omnipresent, so we can pray anywhere.

26. 一個沒有需要的人永遠見不到神跡。
A person without any need will never be able to see God's miracles.

27. 敬拜提醒我們生命的價值，但世界卻使我們忘記它。
Worshiping helps remind us of our life's worth, but the world keeps making us forget that.

28. 步履艱難的時候，別一味的禱告，卻不邁向神要你走的路。
When the going gets tough, don't just pray and forget to follow the path God has directed us to.

29. 祈禱會帶給我們很多好處，憂慮會給我們製造很多麻煩。
Praying can do many things for us, worrying can do many things to us.

30. 神賜福你，是要你成為別人的祝福！
God bless you, and may you be the blessing for others！

Tommy

What really is your walk with God?

2010-09-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Good day,

Seems that I have 4 viewers that view my last post. I'm glad... gives me reason to blog more about spiritual life.

today's topic is about Your Walk With God.

---------------------------

Let me ask you a question.

What is your walk with God like? What does it mean to Walk with God?

I was going through my QT and went to search the word walk. This verse stuck a chord in me.

2 John 1:6 And this is love; that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

So dear brothers and sisters what is your walk with God? Like what the bibles talks about the walk... its really a walk of obedience; of following his commands of love.

Here, I would like to inject some theological knowledge.

3 processes.

1) Justification - Accepted Christ and He sets us right with God

2) Sanctification - Made Holy with God with the help of the Word as well as the Holy Spirit

3) Glorification - looking forward to an eternity with Christ

So dear brothers and sisters I would like you point towards the bible and look how they constantly refer the relationship with the Father.

Thus we see these processes are a part of your walk with God.

So what actually is your walk with God? Dear brothers and sisters I believe this is what you must find and THINK what is really the walk you want to have with God.

To me this walk is about a relationship that compels me to seek his Grace. May this also be your definition of YOUR walk with God.

Regards,

Sherman

37th Mission Conference in Chen Li

2010-09-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

Good day folks,

As I've promise Tommy to keep the blog updated there are many things that happened these few weeks.

They are as follows. ( Just the main ones )

1) Tommy went off to Ireland with his family on 10 Sept.

2)The 37th mission week was conducted on the 9 - 12 Sept.

3)Daniel Loh will be going off to UK to study on the 30th of Sept.

-------------------------------------------

So today's topic is talking about the mission week that has past. Well... I would like to post a rough summary about what happened.

In sum,

1) Prayers can work wonders

2) The passion for the gospel

3) Having the willingness is not enough, one must equip themselves with the word.

4) Being Gentle servants of the Lord

5) Tests from God is to help us know how much we lack and should compels us to seek the Lord.

So these are the main ideas that have been going around in mission week.

I would Just like to share with you all point 1; Prayers can work wonders.

Many of times we have heard people say how prayers have changed their lives. On top of that we just finish watching Fireproof, a show that show us how prayer was an important part in the show whereby it constantly gives hope to the main actor and his family.

One thing stuck a chord in me. The moment whereby the main actor was struggling with temptations and how he over come it. Well it is very surreal.

Let me share with you how God spoke to me about temptations.

These few weeks I've been struggling to fight temptations of purchasing things. So i decided to pray about these urge and seek help from God.

God spoke to me in 2 ways. Firstly was the sermon during mission week about how prayers will move mountains. Second, was what Sister Diana shared with me.

She said, "pray to God and ask him to help you. Shun away from the things that tempts you. You know, sometimes praying to God to help you is not enough... you must look at the rooted cause of the temptation. Is it greed? the desire that compels you to me tempted? If so pray about it and ask God to take away the greed."

These are the words of wisdom that she shared with me. I will continue to pray about it and DO pray for me : )

Alright this is for today. May the Lord watch over you dear brothers and sisters of Chen Li.

Regards,

Sherman

Music

2010-08-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

Today's sermon was on the topic of music ministry as a sacred ministry, and the 'Daily Bread' devotion for today is titled 'How can we keep from singing?'.

'While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.' - Psalm 146:2

Good news

2010-08-26T06:07:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been hearing good news from people about their lives. Alex (my friend who came to Chen Li a few times) has an aunt who is willing to provide financial and emotional help for him to get a second opinion about his condition. Sarah passed her FTT. Jacqueline clinched a job as a clinical technologist at Gleneagles after excelling at her interview.

Behind these good news, there are struggles behind them. Pain, anxiety, insomnia. But each individual overcame their troubles in their own ways. The result is sweetness, joy, and thanksgiving. And in their joy, we shall rejoice with them.

However in times of adversity, when situations do not seem to produce good news, we must not forget that we have heard this 'Good News' from the bible, where we have received God's salvation through Jesus (See Luke 23:44-24:3, and John 1:12). I recall from the 'Daily Bread' about a lady named Katherine Hankey who wrote a poem, when she was seriously ill, that became a hymm that some of you may have heard of, 'Tell Me the Old, Old Story'. She wanted someone to visit and comfort her with the story of Jesus, just as she shared the story with many others.

Let's tell someone the good old, old story of Jesus and how He sacrificed himself for our sins. They need some good news too.

Tommy

Song playlist updated

2010-08-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

Finally an update to the song playlist on the right!

And remember, worship is a way of life. =D

Daily Bread

2010-08-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 11:1 says 'Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ'.

This is today's article from Daily Bread, a daily devotional material that I encourage everyone to follow. Paul wrote this verse to the Corinthians to encourage them to follow his example, just like how he followed Christ's example.

Let this be a reminder for us to continue (if not start) following Christ's example!

Bing Xian's departure for work overseas

2010-08-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Our brother Bing Xian left for overseas work in Indonesia on 9 Aug 10, Monday, and he will be there for 2 years. We will miss his presence with us, and we will continue to pray for him.

Tommy

2010-07-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

Chen Li Church celebrated its' 76th anniversary on Sunday, 4 July. In this service, we had the presence of a few new friends, and our church members who came back from overseas while on summer or winter break. We shall rejoice in the Lord, for this day the Lord has made!

Tommy

2010-05-06T03:52:00.000-07:00

It's almost half a month since the last entry.

The Chen Li Taiwan Mission team recently came back from their 20th - 27th April trip to Southern and Eastern Taiwan, visiting Xin Xiang Lan Church and Koupi Church, and learning about the churches' efforts there to aid in the reconstruction after the 8 Aug 2009 massive floods that left hundreds dead and villages destroyed.

Coming this sunday is Mother's Day. Do something special to show your appreciation and gratitude to our mothers that have brought us to this world! And let us rejoice in the Lord for His marvelous works and in His creation of life.

Start finding yours friend's and relatives to raise funds for our church through the walkathon card, and encourage them to join us in this exciting event to be held on 13 June at Bedok Reservoir after the combined service that sunday! It will be an awesome day with games and snacks, and a good time to walk together in fellowship!

And do join and support the Amigos (Tommy, Daniel, Sarah, Joanne, and Yurui) in their 'quest' to organise a carnvial on 26 June, at ITE College Central (Macpherson) foyer, 3pm-6pm, to promote intergenerational interaction and bonding! With plenty of exciting game stalls, performances, and many more, it is going to be an afternoon of non-stop fun and laughter!

Tommy

Prayer List for Amigos Taiwan Mission Trip

2010-04-15T05:14:00.000-07:00

(20 April 2010 – 27 April 2010)

Task – To be focused on our objectives (Farmwork, reconstruction, tree-planting, teaching of English, sharing of Chen Li Missions and Singapore culture), so that we can be a living testimony for God.

Action – To go the distance/extra mile. To venture beyond our comfort zone, and learn their culture spontaneously. To walk the talk.

Idea/Inspiration – Creativity in our methods of teaching (English) to the primary and secondary school students (using songs, games, and picture books). To seek God’s guidance while sharing worship songs and mission presentation.

Work together- Unity amongst the mission team, as well as between us and the Taiwanese tribal church groups. To have a fruitful cultural exchange between our youths and their youths.

Attitude – To have a humble and teachable heart. Be flexible with unexpected changes in the schedule. Servanthood spirit.

No fear – To trust in the Lord. Have faith that God will provide, protect, and prepare us in times of uncertainty. To have a safe trip.

Tommy

2010-04-13T05:40:00.000-07:00

Let us come together to pray for Eng Yew, Pr. Eng Hoe's brother. He is hospitalised for TB and other infections. His current condition is very weak. Later this evening, the doctor attending to him will decide on the required treatment based on the scan results. Our senior pastor Rev Phua is there to conduct baptism. Please pray for his healing and for his family!

Huey Huey

Event Snippets

2010-04-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

Some snippets on what events we could be expecting over the next few months!

1. There is the combined sunday school Bible Quiz, held this coming Sunday, 11 April, right after service in the fellowship hall. Remember to come prepared for some serious testing of your bible knowledge! Stand to win cool prizes too!

2. Community Service Sunday on 13 June. We will most likely be having a fund-raising walkathon after the morning combined service, just like the past few years! Stay tuned for more updates on the location, new theme and design, and many other details!

3. 26 June Fiesta All-4-One! A community project by our F3, spearheaded by the Amigos, this event will be attracting hundreds of people, from the young to the elderly! Look out for the updates!

Tommy

2010-03-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

Updates for holy week services!

This coming Maundy Thursday, 1st April, there will be a Good Friday Eve Holy Communion Service. 7.45pm in the Sanctuary. Speaker will be Pr. Enoch.

The next day would be Good Friday, and its a public holiday, so I'm sure you won't have work. Do come for the 10am Good Friday Service. There will be silent prayer starting at 9am. Speaker will be Rev Phua.

And finally, on Easter Sunday, 4th April, 10am, we will have our Easter Sunday Holy Communion Service. Held in the Sanctuary, the speaker will be Rev. Phua. Do join us for a buffet lunch after the service in the fellowship hall.

Do pray for our speakers, and let us prepare our hearts to walk this suffering way with our Lord.

Tommy

Baptism on Easter!

2010-03-23T00:26:00.000-07:00

'Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.' Romans 6:3-4

Let us rejoice for our brothers and sisters who have decided to receive confirmation and transfer or membership on this coming Easter service, 4th April.

Confirmation:

Roanna Phua, Chin Ying Ting, Rebecca Gan, Jaycelyn Choo, Samuel Lee, Lorna Lim, Sherman Lim, Hilary Goh, Vanessa See, Jasmine Lee

Transfer:

Robin Tan

Do remember to attend Lent Service this coming Friday at 7.45pm in the Sanctuary!

Warmly
Tommy

2010-03-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

Silent Retreat, held at SAAC, 1030hrs - 1430hrs, was a spiritually uplifting experience for the Eng-Man service participants.

At the corner of the 4th floor, the simple chapel was filled with songs of worship and praise. We fasted, sang Taize songs to prepare he heart for meditation.

Let us all prepare our hearts in this period of Lent, as we walk through Jesus' journey to the cross.

Tommy

Lent Services and Fasting

2010-03-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

We will have a series of spiritual formation exercises to prepare ourselves for this year's Easter, namely, decentralised synchronised fast and pray on 5th, 12th, 19th Mar, 30min prayer meetings on the same day starting at around 7pm and a silent retreat on 21st Mar.

"Decentralised synchronised prayer" in our case simply refers to praying for a list of items (and ourselves) at wherever we are during lunchtime on dates specified.

Everyone is strongly encouraged to attend and participate in this exercise!

Fasting can be:
a. Full Fast: Drink only liquids
b. The Daniel Fast: Eat no meat, no sweets and no bread. Drink water and juice. Eat fruits and vegetable
c. Partial Fast: Give up at least one item of food.

Do take something light when you break-fast.

Enoch

2010-03-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

I've just updated the blog song playlist, with new additions such as Everlasting Love, and Heart of Worship.

Enjoy =D

2010-03-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

It's been almost 2 months since the last update in church activities! Apologies for the cold stale air in here.

Now is the period of Lent. In Christian tradition, this is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

Yesterday was the second Lent service. We have a few more coming up every friday till Good Friday. Service starts 7.45pm, and ends at 9pm.

The youth from Eng-Man service presented an item last night. 'Amazing love' was the song title, and it was a simple dedication to our God.

2010-01-17T01:43:00.001-08:00

O level results were released, and done well they have!

Sherman's going VJC
Vanessa to either SP or TP
Rebecca chose SAJC
Jaycelyn heading for TP

And now we're waiting for A's results to be released!

Tommy

2010-01-17T01:25:00.000-08:00

Sis Isabella's flight's confirmed to be scheduled 18 Jan, 5.50pm at (most likely T3, as its an SQ flight). Those who wish to send her off, please contact her directly!

Cyprus Cell Group had their boardgames get-together session this afternoon at 2pm in the fellowship hall. Even those who aren't in the cell group joined in the fun and games! Games included Citadel, Saboteur, The Mad Magazine Game, and Scrabble. They certainly had an awesome time!

Tommy

O level results released on 11 Jan!

2010-01-10T06:14:00.000-08:00

For all our anxious youths who are waiting to collect their O level result slips tomorrow, all the best! May God give you the best results! =D

Tommy

2010!

2010-01-10T03:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2010!

Sis Yurui will be joining our church from 1st Feb onwards doing full time, with community services ministry as her primary focus.

Youth Bible Study class is going to be embarking on the book of Ecclesiastes right from January. May the Lord prepare our hearts to learn more about His Word!

Sis Isabella is back from the US for a short break (2 weeks). She's scheduled to leave on 17 Jan in the evening. Do find out the details from her if you want to be present at the airport!

Sis Pei Qi is back as well from Australia, and will be staying for a while more till late feburary before her school term begins. Do catch up with her whenever you can!

Stay tuned for more updates =D

Tommy

Bro. Daniel and Aunt Stella's Birthday Celebration

2010-01-10T02:28:00.000-08:00

Bro Daniel received a pleasant surprise for his 20th birthday (30 Dec) when Bro Sherman jumped on him and pinned the birthday boy to the ground. And the other 'bystanding' youths joyfully added army camouflage cream to his face. And the 'mess' which followed (leaving some with unexpected cream on them, including myself), I better not mention XD.

Tommy

Christmas Celebrations!

2009-12-29T09:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas carols, service and dinner! Pictures coming soon!

Elder Wang's Wake and Funeral

2009-12-09T02:53:00.000-08:00

Our dearest Elder Wang has returned to the Lord yesterday on the 8 Dec.

Do refer to the Chen Li Church Website for details on her wake and funeral.

Tommy

And the war begins..

2009-10-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

Are you ready?!

It's the nerve-wracking time of the year again.. Just wanna encourage national exam-takers to press on for the last lap!

'O's will start from tomorrow (!!!), 26th Oct, all the way to 13th November.

'A' level will commence on the 10th November and ends on 30th November.

Let us all remember them and pray for those in need of God's wisdom and strength to be upon them. Pray that they are able to have a peaceful mind and a calm heart, and fully utilise the time left to revise.

'Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sings songs of praise.'

-James 5: 13-

'Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.'

-1 Peter 5: 7-

Cheers!

Jacqueline

2009-10-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

I'll be away to Australia for NS exercises from 22oct to 25 nov.

Other contributors are definitely welcomed to write articles!

Tommy

Holy Matrimony

2009-10-16T04:11:00.000-07:00

Praise God for His wonderful matchmaking! In His Holy presence, Bro Yaosheng and Sis Bihui tied the knot on 10 October and are now husband and wife. Held in Chen Li Church on a saturday afternoon, the couple exchanged their vows, and had a great wedding reception! Bro Yaosheng wrote a song and sang it specially for his beloved wife, and Sis Bihui returned the love by singing in her melodious voice that left everyone impressed and inspired.

They have set the standard for many more weddings to come, and the next one we'll be looking forward to is Sis Xiaoying's wedding, which will be held in November!

Tommy

2009-10-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

Held on the 3rd of October (definitely not Oktober Fest), Chen Li celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival in the church premises. Commonly known to some as Moon Cake Festival or Lantern Festival, the festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the chinese calenders. Our brothers and sisters were treated to a delightful variety of delicacies, from korean styled pork and beef to amazing kuehs and desserts.

A meaningful video introduced to me. You Love Me Anyway by Sidewalk Prophets.

Lyrics

The question was raised
As my conscience fell
A silly little lie
It didn't mean much
But it lingers still
In the corners of my mind

Still You call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future's so far
My heart is so frail
I think I'd rather stay inside

CHORUS
But You love me anyway
It's like nothing in life that I've ever known
Yes You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me

It took more than my strength
To simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
Why do loved ones have to die

But You love me anyway
It's like nothing in life that I've ever known
Yes You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me

I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas' kiss
But You love me anyway

See now I am the man
Who yelled out from the crowd
For your blood to be spilled
On this earth shaking ground
Yes and I turned away with a smile on my face
With this sin in my heart
Tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night
I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life
My life
My life

But You loved me anyway
Oh God how You loved me

But You love me anyway
It's like nothing in life that I've ever known
Yes You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me

You love me
Yes You love me (x3)
How you love me (x3)

Qiuling's in Sunday Times

2009-09-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

Qiuling's in the papers!

Update from Dawn (facebook excerpt)

2009-09-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

Esther: Hi Dawn, how are u? are u settling well in your new school? We're missing you..:)

Dawn: I'm missing all of you too!!! =) Yep, am settling well here- have survived 2 weeks already =) How are you?

Her timetable's really packed too! When there's free time, she'll force herself to practice. How disciplined!

Happenings in church on a happening day

2009-09-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

Sherman is back from his 6 week trip out in the seas. Visiting 3 countries, including Vietnam and Indonesia for training and to develop diplomatic relations, he has gained a wealth of seamanship experience. Now he's a confident sailor, and definitely someone whom you want to take out to sea with!

The youths of Chen Li celebrated Teacher's Day today, albeit 2 weeks later, but they sure did have a great deal of fun!

Organised by the youth fellowship (I think is Youth Ablaze), the celebration started out with a trivia quiz. The quiz challenged many of the bible groups when they were posed the simplest question such as, "what is his favourite holiday destination?". But coincidentally, quite a few of the bible class teachers had "Maldives" as their answer. Which led to a number of excited individuals shouting "Maldives, maldives!" at every trivial question that arose. This is what our dear ND would say, "Woah, very happening horr!?"

I'm sure our bible study groups had a greater insight regarding what their teachers are most afraid of after the quiz. Lets see, "Something that JJ is most afraid of?" And after much speculation and discussion, the answer revealed was..."Bi Hui"! That made everyone's day =D

The celebration ended with a cheering session for teachers, plus a birthday celebration for the September babies.

For those who wants to know which was the most happening cheer, ask the most hyper and energetic chao on group under SGH. They'll gladly repeat their cheer.

Note from Rebecca Tan, O's start on 24 Oct..jiayou for those studying!

Tommy

Sister Stephanie's departure to USA for studies

2009-09-13T02:27:00.001-07:00

Our dear sister Stephanie will be heading to the Oregon State University for her further studies. Her flight is on this coming tuesday 15 Sept at 1pm. Those who are available, contact her for further details if you wish to be there.

Tommy

36th Mission Sunday Service

2009-09-13T02:07:00.000-07:00

Mission work has been an active ministry in Chen Li. The numerous testimonies from our various missionaries to Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and many others are an encouragement and inspiration for our brothers and sisters to pledge their efforts in contributing whatever means they can.

Rev. Li's sermon on "The Church's Testimony" concluded our church's 36th Mission Week, and with the Lord's grace, our members pledged a total of approx $240k for mission work.

His sermon included stories about how he served the neighbourhood along with other church members to clean up the streets. That effort led to plenty of non-believers joining in the effort, and bonded the 'servants'.

Our senior pastor, Rev. Phua, has also announced that all the elders and deacons standing for elections were elected. Praise God for His faithfulness!

After service, the Thai ministry prepared delicacies for our members to purchase. The proceeds will go to fund their short mission trips. We pray that God will use them strongly!

Tommy

Church Annual General Meeting completed!

2009-09-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

Chen Li Church just completed her annual general meeting with 211 members present in service. The annual church report for finance and budget is passed, and whether our Bro. Yaosheng will be elected into Deacon-ship will depend on what the congregation voted.

Right after the service, we had a farewell lunch for Rev. Sin, who will assume her new post as Senior Pastor at Holy Grace Presbyterian Church.

We wish Rev Sin all the best. May God continue to lead her, give her wisdom to embark on a new journey with HGPC, and tell many others of His greatness!

There will be a service on Mission week this coming weekend, starting on thursday, 10 Sept. Do join us!

Tommy

祂大能拯救嘉蘭部落見神蹟

2009-09-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

A testimony from a pastor in Taiwan. Sent through email by my relatives from Taiwan.

【李鴻志台東採訪報導】

台東縣太麻里嘉蘭部落有五十一戶民宅在這次莫拉克風災中遭洪水沖走，但其中也發生了一件上帝拯救王雲凡一家人的故事。
　
颱風來襲前後，連續下了兩天大雨，八月八日早上河堤崩潰，立時危及附近三十幾戶民宅。這時王雲凡一家五口都爬上木梯，站上屋頂去求援，然而對岸達旺浸信會的劉正宏牧師卻只能在岸上禱告，毫無辦法，因為洪水太大了，根本無法涉水過去幫助他們脫困。
　
手機還可通時，王雲凡的母親就一直打電話問牧師：「直昇機為何未到、為何還未到？」此時水勢仍凶猛，眼見滾滾洪水持續高漲，一棟棟民宅都在他們眼前淹沒了。這時教會的同工們有很多都不敢看下一幕，因為洪水快要把王雲凡一家人沖走。但劉牧師心中想著：「洪水泛濫之時，耶和華坐著為王；耶和華坐著為王，直到永遠。」他也想到摩西如何為以色列人禱告，當他手下垂時，以色列就打輸了，當他的手舉起來時，以色列就打贏了；所以劉牧師的手一直不敢放下來，除非看到上帝拯救他們。
　
這時周遭不信者也以嘲諷的口氣說：「禱告有用嗎？趕快打電話叫直昇機來才有用。」但劉牧師對他們說：「該做的我們都做了，現在只剩下禱告，看上帝如何施行祂的榮耀。」
　
劉牧師在四、五個小時中不停止地禱告，這時七、八百公尺寬的洪流突然在王家面前分成兩道河汊，水勢頓減，因而河水也在這時降下來了。這真是個神蹟，怎有可能水淹到他家之前，就停下來呢？大家看到這一幕後，都不敢相信水真的像以色列人出埃及時，踏進紅海那一刻，河水就被分開了一樣。
　
這時直昇機飛來了，順利地把這一家人都送到安全的地方降落。此時劉牧師隨著直昇機的飛行，跑了快一公里的路，直到看到這家人都被救下來為止，並相擁而泣地說：「哈利路亞，上帝救了我們！」神的名真的在外邦中被尊崇。
　
當河水退去後，王雲凡再看一次自己的家園說：「所有的房屋都毀了，但神是大能者，祂垂聽了我們的禱告，祂用祂的雙手把我們救上來。」王雲凡的父親原是個警察，以前對信仰也不太認真，但經過這次的震撼教育之後，他不得不承認人是脆弱的，惟有耶和華是真神，在洪水泛難之時，祂仍坐著為王。

（2009.8.18 12:40 發佈）

Tommy

沈牧师欢送会

2009-09-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

沈牧师将于9月中离开真理堂，将授任为圣恩堂主理牧师.

本堂将在这星期日(9月6日)设宴欢送沈蕙芳牧师。

请弟兄姐妹礼拜后留步参加沈牧师欢送会!

An update from Sherman (the sailor)

2009-08-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

Some facts:

1. Currently he is in Vietnam

2. He chatted with Tommy over MSN while in a Vietnam LAN shop

3. He still has 4 more weeks to go before sailing back to the Sunny island of Singapura

4. He has bought a pre-paid card, and expect to get some calls from him anytime soon

5. He missed everyone from church

6. He has had a challenging time while on board, but is grateful for the learning experience he gained.

Let us keep Sherman in prayer!

Tommy

A short Facebook chat with Pr Eunice

2009-08-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

Pr Eunice: "Awe, so sweet of you!!! With love from new haven :)"

Tommy: "Glad to hear from you Pr Eunice! how's Yale?"

Pr Eunice: "Everyone is so brilliant and expectation is unbelievable it's scary! besides that, there's so much to learn here and i'm grateful to God!"

Tommy: "Cos you're one of the brilliant! I'm sure you will do extremely well there! God's preparing so much goodies for you to learn haha..exciting!"

Pr Eunice: "Oh you made me blush! Anyway thanks for your encouragement. Yes, i'm indeed excited that school is going to begin next wed."

Dawn's Concert

2009-08-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

Held at Jubilee Hall in Raffles Hotel, Dawn's mini concert was full as friends and family members gathered to watch her perform before she departs for UK. With her flawless performance, she assured everyone that she is ready to embark on her next step in life.

We once again give her our blessings, and may God continue to guide her to greater heights!

Her flight is on 5 Sept.

Tommy

Church News

2009-08-29T03:53:00.000-07:00

There will be a Combined Holy Communion service on the first Sunday of September, 6th Sept, at 10am.

Please prepare your hearts.

Highlights for that Sunday includes:
1. Church Annual General Meeting
2. Rev Sin's farewell lunch

Rev Sin will be leaving us in Mid-Sept to assume the appointment of Senior Pastor of Holy Grace Presbyterian Church.

We give her our blessings!

Tommy

Dawn's Testimony

2009-08-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

英国曼纽茵音乐学院是世界极具盛名的音乐学府，尤以培育青年小提琴家为著。我能获得该学院的录取，实属神的恩典。

其实当我在今年六月到达伦敦时，曼纽茵音乐学院的入学面试期早已结束。然而，在这种情况下我仍获得一个学额，我知道这是上帝的安排，必须感谢神。

当初，我到伦敦去是为了参加一个由曼纽茵音乐学院弦乐主任娜达莎.柏亚斯基所主持的小提琴大师班；而决定到英国去，也是因我当时所就读的学校――新加坡艺术学院为了新流感的缘故而取消参加美国的音乐夏日营。在上大师班的时候，老师对我的表现很满意，她甚至告诉我若学院的创办人曼纽茵爵士还健在的话，他也会很欣赏我。

虽然学院的入学面试期已过，老师仍特别为我作了安排，让我参加入学面试。

在神的带领之下，一切都很顺利。我通过了三轮严峻的考验，在学院音乐家的监督之下演奏，最终成功获得录取。我已获得通知，在今年九月六日到学院报到，开始为期四年的音乐专科课程。同时，我也将直接受教于弦乐主任，向这位世界顶尖的小提琴家学习。

在此，我要感谢神一路来给予我的爱与恩典，也祈求祂继续带领与保护我。

阿门。

易彤

It was a miracle that I got in to The Yehudi Menuhin School, a prestigious music School for young musicians to develop their talents in.

The auditions for admission to the school had already closed, and God had amazingly helped me to still earn a place in the School. It was after a master class with the School’s “Head of Strings, that God weaved a way for me to getting a place in the School.

The master class went very well-- The Head of Strings, Professor Natasha Boyarsky, turned out to be very impressed with me. She even told me that, if Lord Yehudi Menuhin were still alive, he would be impressed and like me very much as well! =D

She immediately specially arranged an audition for me to enter the School.

Everything, under God’s control, went very smoothly. With God’s guidance and support, I got through all three tough stages of the audition successfully.

I will be joining the Yehudi Menuhin School in September this year, and God has also blessed me with the privilege of studying under Professor Natasha Boyarsky, who is an accomplished and well-known violin professor.

I really thank God for always being there for me to protect and guide me, and to give me wisdom, strength, and courage in everything that I do. =D

Amen.

Dawn

Pr. Eunice departs

2009-08-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

Pr. Eunice departed from Singapore for USA about 3 hours ago (11.45pm national day flight). She'll be studying at Yale University for 10 months. Plenty of church members were present to greet her bon voyage. May God watch over her!

Tommy

Pastoral Movement on National Day 090809

2009-08-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

Rev Phua will be preaching at the 1st mission congress of Toong Chai Presbyterian Church.

Pr Luke will be preaching at the Indonesian service today at 8.30am. Please remember them in prayer.

Preacher Eunice's Words before her departure

2009-08-07T21:21:00.001-07:00

Parting Words from Pr Eunice…

Remember to remember…

I had been frowning at my packing list and growing anxious over the fact that I could never be well-prepared for the next ten months in YDS. God saw my problem and whispered to me, “Why are you more anxious about a short trip on earth rather than your one-way trip into eternity?” This question brought me to my knees. I surrendered my desire to be in control of the future, because it is not in my hands. Since God has prepared the way to eternity, He will surely take care of my present needs. As I turned my bible to Ecclesiastes 12, the word “remember” hit me immediately.

1. Remember your Creator when you are still young (12:1)

For those who think they are still young, God wants them to remember that they came to this world not by chance, but by the deliberate will of God. There is nothing we can brag about no matter how strong, beautiful or smart we are. The moment we were born, we were tagged with an expiry date. Soon, all the excitement and fanfare will fade and life will come to an end. “Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets.” (12:5) Before we are fully prepared, our names will be called and we will have to fall in line to enter the gate of eternity.

2. Remember him before you die (12:6)

The second call to remember is issued to people who feel that they still have plenty of time or who don’t care at all. The truth is—we will never know when death will come knocking, and the only chance we have is now! We will never have enough of what we want but pursuing these desires will eventually result in emptiness when God is not at the centre of our life.

The conclusion (12:13-14)

The wise and resourceful Teacher had searched for an answer and this is his conclusion—we will be judged for everything we do: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or bad.”

Paul came to a similar conclusion in Phil 2:12-15, “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation…”

As children of God, we must reflect our relationship with Him in our daily lives. If we are in Christ, we will produce good work that counts towards eternity. Remember to remember Jesus Christ, your way to eternity!

Preacher Eunice

We give Preacher Eunice our blessings and wish her all the best for her studies! To God be the Glory!

Lyrics, Gonna Catch Em' All!

2009-08-07T03:12:00.000-07:00

On 2 August afternoon, Synergy organised a follow-up event to the Parables Camp called "Lyrics, Gonna Catch Em' All".

More than 40 people turned up and participated in the exciting event that had many 'hidden talents' revealing their vocal skills. Despite experiencing some techical difficulties, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the singing and supported their individual group representatives.

Ranging from oldies but goodies to billboard top 40 hits, the participants spared no effort to hit the right tunes with the correct lyrics!

We had a few new and old friends turning up, and indeed it was a great time of fellowship together!

Tommy

2009-07-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

Pr Luke will be preaching at the Thai service today at 2pm.

Please remember him in prayer!

Also, there will be a talk on homosexuality this sunday right after Eng/Man service! Do listen to find out more about what this touchy subject is all about!

Prepare your questions in advance!

Tommy

Farewell Party for Pr. Eunice

2009-07-25T23:11:00.000-07:00

Eng/Man service members held a farewell party for Pr. Eunice today at 10.45am in the fellowship hall.

She will be heading to Yale University to further her studies in theology. Her last Sunday with us before she departs would be on 9 Aug.

She has contributed tremendously to the Eng/Man service in this short 1 year, on top of her relentless inspiration to our brothers and sisters.

We wish her all the best for her studies. May God give her His blessings and wisdom to do well, and serve Him better!

Tommy

Praise God for Dawn

2009-07-22T04:07:00.000-07:00

God reveals his character to us each in a different yet special way.

Dawn shared to us that God is her Confidence, as God gave her the 5th place in the international violin competition in Prague this year. Well, here's another great news! God has given her a place in Yehudi Menuhin School in England. It's the top school for the top musicians in the whole world!

Dawn will be leaving Singapore in September this year, and she'll return to Singapore only in 4 years time. She'll visit us every 6 months or so within these few years, and will still serve in the worship ministry when she's back!

Praise God for His goodness in Dawn's life!

Congratulations to Dawn and may God use her musical gift for His glory! We will all certainly miss her!

Esther

Change in Observers' Classes

2009-07-18T00:14:00.000-07:00

Attention all youth bible classes!

Your observers will be moving to another class for 2 Sundays as part of a rotation stint.

Do welcome them and have a great discussion together to learn the Word of Christ!

Tommy

A place to catch up with our church mates' lives

2009-07-04T00:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome welcome! =D We created this blog to let your brothers and sisters in Christ know how you've been for the past week right after going separate ways once Sunday service ends. Whether the week has been favourable or not, God and your fellow church members will be here to share both your burdens and happiness.

Tommy