Ushers of Jesus, Ushers for Jesus

Transcript: Loss of Wisdom by Barry Schwartz

2010-09-26T21:48:00.000+08:00

http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_our_loss_of_wisdom.html

The real crisis? We stopped being wise.
In his inaugural address, Barack Obama appealed to each of us to give our best as we try to extricate ourselves from this current financial crisis. But what did he appeal to? He did not, happily, follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and tell us to just go shopping. Nor did he tell us “trust us, trust your country… invest, invest, invest.” Instead, what he told us was to put aside childish things and he appealed to virtue.
VIRTUE is an old fashioned word. It seems a little out of place in a cutting edge environment like this one, and besides, some of you might be wondering, “what the hell does it mean?” Let me give you an example.
This is the JOB DESCRIPTION OF A HOSPITAL JANITOR that is scrolling up on the screen, and all of the items on it are unremarkable. They are the things you would expect: mop the floors, sweep them, empty the trash, restock the cabinets. It may be surprising how many things there are, but it’s not surprising what they are. But the one thing I want you to notice about them is this. Even though this is a very long list, there isn’t a single thing on it that involves other human beings… not one. The janitor’s job could just as well be done in a mortuary as in a hospital. And yet, when some psychologists interviewed some hospital janitors to get a sense of what they thought their jobs were like, they encountered Mike, who told them about how he stopped mopping the floor because “Mr. Jones” was out of his bed, getting a little exercise, trying to build up his strength, walking slowly down the hall. And Charlene told them how she ignored her supervisor’s admonition, and didn’t vacuum the visitor’s lounge because there were some family members who were there all day, every day
Behavior like this doesn’t just make people feel a little better, it actually improves the quality of patient care and enables hospitals to run well. Now, not every janitor acts like this, but those who do, think that these sorts of human actions, involving kindness, care, and empathy are an essential part of the job, and yet their job description contains not one word about other human beings.
These janitors have the moral will to do right by other people, and beyond this, they have the moral skill to figure out what “doing right” means.
Practical wisdom is the combination of moral will and moral skill (Aristotle)
A wise person:
Knows when and how to make “the exception to every rule.”
Knows when and how to improvise. Real world problems are often ambiguous and ill-defined, and the context is always changing. A wise person is like a jazz musician, using the notes on the page, but dancing around them, inventing combinations that are appropriate for the situation and the people at hand.
Knows how to use these moral skills in the service/in pursuit of the right aims. To serve, not to manipulate.
Is made, not born. Wisdom depends on experience, and not just any experience. You need the time to get to know the people you are serving. You need permission to be allowed to improvise, to try new things, to occasionally fail, and to learn from your failures. And you need to be mentored by wise teachers. It takes lots of experience, to learn how to care for people.

At TED, brilliance is rampant; it’s scary. The good news is that you don’t need to be brilliant to be wise. The bad news, is that without wisdom, brilliance isn’t enough. It’s as likely to get you and others into trouble, as anything else. I hope that we all know this. There is a sense in which this is obvious. And yet, let me tell you a little story.
LEMONADE: A dad and his 11-year old son were watching a Detroit Tiger’s game at the ballpark. His son asked him for some lemonade and dad went to the concession stand to buy it. All they had was Mike’s Hard Lemonade which is 5% alcohol. Dad, being an academic had no idea that Mike’s Hard Lemonade contained alcohol, and so he brought it back. A security guard spotted it, and called the police, who called an ambulance, who rushed to the ball park, and whisked the kid to the hospital. The emergency room ascertained that the kid had no alcohol in his blood, and they were ready to let the kid go. But not so fast. The Wayne County Child Welfare Protective Agency said “no,” and the child was sent to a foster home for three days. At that point, can the child go home? Well, the judge said, “Yes, but… Only if the dad leaves the house and checks into a motel.” After two-weeks, I’m happy to report that the family was reunited, but the welfare workers and the ambulance people, and the judge all said the same thing. “We hate to do it, but we have to follow procedure.”
How do things like this happen? Scott Simon, who told this story on NPR said, “Rules and procedures may be dumb, but they spare you from thinking. And to be fair, rules are often imposed because previous officials have been lax and they let a child go back to an abusive household. Fair enough.
When things go wrong, as of course they do, we reach for TWO TOOLS to try to fix them:
Rules (better ones, more of them).
Incentives (better ones, more of them).
What else, after all, is there?
We can certainly see this in response to the current financial crisis. Regulate, regulate, regulate; fix incentives, fix incentives, fix incentives. The truth is, neither rules nor incentives are enough to do the job. How could you even write a rule that got the janitors to do what they did? And would you pay them a bonus for being empathic? It’s preposterous on its face. What happens is that as we turn increasingly to rules and incentives, they may make things better in the short run, but they create a downward spiral that makes us worse in the long run. Moral skill is chipped away by an over reliance on rules that deprives us of the opportunity to improvise and learn from our improvisations. And moral will is undermined by an incessant appeal to incentives that destroy our desire to do the right thing. And without intending it, by appealing to rules and incentives we are engaging in a war on wisdom.
RULES AND THE WAR ON MORAL SKILL
In addition to the Lemonade story, a second example is the nature of Modern American education. Scripted, lock-step curricula. Here’s an example from Chicago kindergarten.
Script for Day 53
TITLE: Reading and enjoying literature/words with “b”
TEXT: “The Bath”
LECTURE: Assemble students on the rug or reading area… Give students a warning about the dangers of hot water…Say, “Listen very quietly as I read the story.” …Say, “Think of other pictures that make the same sound as the sound bath begins with.” …
75 items in this script to teach a 25 page picture book, all over Chicago in every kindergarten class in the city, every teacher is saying the same words in the same way on the same day. We know why the scripts are there. We don’t trust the judgment of teachers enough to let them loose on their own. Scripts like these are insurance policies against disaster. And, they prevent disaster, but what they assure in its place is mediocrity.
Don’t get me wrong. We need rules. Jazz musicians need some notes on the page. We need more rules for the bankers. But, too many rules prevent accomplished jazz musicians from improvising, and as a result they lose their gifts. Or worse, they stop playing all together.
Now, how about incentives?
INCENTIVES AND THE WAR ON MORAL WILL: Motivational Competition. If you have one reason for doing something, and I give you a second reason for doing the same thing, it seems only logical that two reasons are better than one, and you’re more likely to do it. Right? Well, not always. Sometimes, two reasons to do the same thing seem to compete with one another instead of complimenting, and they make people less likely to do it. One example.
In SWITZERLAND, about 15 years ago they were trying to find a place to site NUCLEAR WASTE DUMPS. It was going to be A national referendum, and some psychologists went around a polled some citizens who were very well informed, and they said, “Would you be willing to have a nuclear waste dump in your community?” Astonishingly 50% of the citizens said “yes.” They knew/thought it was dangerous, they knew it would reduce their property values, but, it had to go somewhere, and they had responsibilities as citizens. The psychologists asked other people a slightly different question, if we paid you 6 week’s salary, every year, would you be willing to have a nuclear waste dump in your community. Two reasons: it’s my responsibility, and I’m getting paid. Instead of 50% saying yes, 25% said yes. What happens is that the introduction of the second incentive gets us to instead of asking “what is my responsibility,” all we ask is, “what serves my interests.”
When incentives don’t work, when CEO’s ignore the long-term health of their companies in pursuit of short-term gains that will lead to massive bonuses, the response is always the same: Get smarter incentives. The truth is, that there are no incentives that you can ever devise that are ever going to be smart enough. Any incentive system can be subverted by bad will. We need incentives. People have to make a living, but incessant reliance on incentives demoralizes professional activity; in two senses of that word. It causes people who engage in that activity to lose morale, and it causes the activity itself to lose morality.
Barack Obama said, before he was inaugurated, “We must ask, not just is it profitable, but is it right.” – Barack Obama (12.18.08) And when professions are demoralized, everyone in them becomes dependent on, and addicted to incentives, and they stop asking is it right?
We see this in medicine: [cartoon caption] “Although it’s nothing serious, let’s keep an eye on it to makes ure it doesn’t turn into a major lawsuit.” And we certainly see this in the world of business: [cartoon caption] “In order to remain competitive in today’s marketplace Bentham, I’m afraid we’re going to have to replace you with a sleezeball.” [cartoon caption] “I sold my soul for about a tenth of what the damn things are going for now.”

It is obvious that this is not the way people want to do their work.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO? A FEW SOURCES OF HOPE
We ought to try to remoralize work. One way not to do it: teach more ethics courses. There is no better way to show people you’re not serious than to tie up everything you have to say about ethics into a little package with a bow, and consign it to the margins as an ethics course.
What to do instead?
1. CELEBRATE MORAL EXEMPLARS. Acknowledge, when you go to law school, that a little voice is whispering in your ear about Atticus Finch. No ten-year old goes to law school to learn about mergers and acquisitions. People are inspired by moral heroes. But we learn, that with sophistication comes the understanding that you can’t acknowledge that you have moral heroes. Well, acknowledge them, be proud that you have them, celebrate them, and demand that the people who teach you acknowledge and celebrate them too.
2. AARON FEUERSTEIN AND MALDEN MILLS. A Polar-Tec company. 15 years ago, the factory burned down. 3000 employees. He kept every one of them on the payroll. Why? It would have been a disaster to them and to the community if he had let them go. “Maybe on paper our company is worth less on Wall Street, but I can tell you that it’s worth more. We’re doing fine.”
As practitioners, each and every one of us ought to strive to be ordinary, if not extraordinary heroes. As head’s of organizations, we should strive to create environments that encourage and nurture both moral skill and moral will. Even the wisest and most meaning people will give up if they have to swim against the current in the organizations in which they work. If you run an organization, you should be sure that none of the jobs have job descriptions like the job descriptions of the janitors. Because the truth is, that any work you do that involves interaction with other people is moral work. And any moral work depends upon practical wisdom.
And perhaps most important, as teachers, we should strive to be the ordinary heroes, the moral exemplars to the people we mentor. And there are few things we have to remember as teachers, is that you are always teaching. Someone is always watching. The camera is always on.
I want to focus on one particular thing that KIPP is doing, is that they have come to the realization that the single most important thing kids need to learn is CHARACTER. They need to learn to respect themselves, their schoolmates, their teachers, and most important, they need to respect learning. That’s the principle objective. If you do that, the rest is pretty much a coast downhill. And the way you teach these things to kids is to have all the teachers embody it, every minute of every day.

Obama appealed to virtue, and I think he was right. And the virtue that we need above all others is practical wisdom, because it’s what allows other virtues, (honesty, courage, kindness, and so on) to be displayed at the right time, and in the right way. He also appealed to hope. Right again. I think there is reason for hope. I think people want to be allowed to be virtuous. In many ways, it’s what TED is all about, wanting to do the right thing in the right way for the right reasons. This kind of wisdom is within the grasp of each and every one of us if only we start paying attention. Paying attention to what we do, to how we do it, and perhaps most importantly to the structure of the organizations within which we work, so as to make sure that it enables us and other people to develop wisdom rather than having it suppressed.

Do the Right Thing in the Right Way at the Right Time with the Right People

2010-09-11T13:55:00.000+08:00

The rewards of grace

2010-08-10T18:58:00.002+08:00

Among the clippings I have in my scrapbook is one from the pen of Velma B. McConnell, in which she tells the story of a small child with whom she was personally acquainted. This little one had a deep love for her mother and a constant desire to show her affection. One day, while the child's mother was visiting a neighbor, little Frances, tired of looking at her story book, spied a linen handkerchief her parent had been embroidering. She picked it up and laboriously hemmed it. The mother, returning later with the neighbor, saw the work of her little girl. As she gazed upon the crude results she beheld not the awkward, uneven stitches, but the deep affection that had prompted her child to "finish" the handkerchief. Her eyes filled with tears. To her the work was beautiful. Says Velma McConnell, "How often, with hearts filled with love and eagerness to please, we too attempt to do something for our Heavenly Father. Though our work is bungled or poorly done, yet He sees the heart and the motive behind it." God who can read our innermost thoughts will reward us for every good motive and each faithful endeavor.

A converted girl of thirteen lay dying. A lady visitor asked, "Are you afraid, my child?" "Oh, no!" she replied; "but what shall I say to Jesus when I meet Him, for I seem to have never done anything for Him. You see, Mother died when I was eight. I tried to do as she had done and took care of the four little ones, kept the house tidy, and then -- I was too tired to do more!" Taking the rough little hand into her own, the visitor, with eyes full of tears, said tenderly, "I would not say anything, dear, but just show Him your hands!"

Do what you can for Jesus today, no matter how small or insignificant the deed may appear. You will reap the rewards of grace when "every man shall have praise of God."

When you have given the best of your service,

Telling the world that the Savior has come;

Be not dismayed when men don't believe you,

He'll understand; He'll say, "Well done!"

"If you praise God here, He will praise you hereafter."

... the Lord... will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

1-Corinthians 4:5

Posted by Abigail Kyna Lee

Robb Thompson: True Spiritual Leadership

2010-06-07T01:20:00.001+08:00

Posted in: City News
Contributed by Joshua Chang

Founder and senior pastor of Family Harvest Church, Dr. Robb Thompson is an expert in the area of organization, relationship and leadership. Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading teachers on personal excellence and character development, he has trained and coached business executives and mentored government leaders, heads of state, cabinet members, and royalties in over 40 countries around the world. No stranger to City Harvest Church, Thompson began his elective session on CGI-Asia Conference Day One as the crowd listened intently to his every word.
Thompson began by explaining that leadership is essentially discipleship. To lead, one has to first learn how to follow. He elucidated that this concept has been clearly echoed through Scripture—everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher; the Corinthians were told to imitate the apostle Paul as he imitated Christ.
The goal of leadership is not just to see a change in our lives but most importantly, to have an inward transformation. He further elaborated that the problem was not bringing people into the House of God, but rather ensuring that they receive a special touch to change their lives. There may have been meetings with a million people in attendance, but in such meetings it is very difficult to ascertain whether all will have experienced an authentic inward change.
Thompson then began to share seven traits that true spiritual leaders should have. Firstly, they need to embody courage. Courage, as he defined, is the willingness to stand for what is right in the face of wrong—it is not the same as bravery.
Secondly, leaders need to have a committed life-team around them, as a person’s life is determined by those whom he calls friends; to those whom he grants access to.
Self control is another essential trait. He highlighted how characters in the Bible such as Adam and Samson flirted with the temptation of the forbidden, and as a result, disappointed God.
Leaders also need integrity—the inner strength to choose the rejection of men rather than to disappoint God. People often fail in life because of a fault in character, and a lack of integrity often underlies that problem.

Thompson stated that diligence is a quality that all leaders should strive to have, and that it is the mother of promotion. Quoting from Proverbs, Thompson clearly showed that the scriptures highlight the necessity of hard work for greater success and excellence in life.
The sixth attribute is possessing a successful attitude. This is the different spirit which Joshua and Caleb had that enabled them to enter the Promised Land. It is not the negative circumstances that will determine a person’s future but rather how he responds that will decide his destiny.
Finally, a leader must be a good finisher—to endure to the end regardless of the trials and tribulations that he faces. Dr. Thompson followed by sharing three laws of leadership: Never delay a decision which has to be made eventually; be specific when one has to get something done and to make one’s expectations clear of his followers. He further elaborated on four qualifications to be a leader and ended the message with an altar call for those who had fallen short of certain standards to ask God to make them better leaders.
Thompson ended the session with a short time of Q&A. Financial consultant Mary Tan, 43, asked Thompson how he handles betrayal personally. He answered that no one likes betrayal, that even Jesus was hurt by Judas’ act of disloyalty, but that time is the factor which will cause all evil to eventually reveal itself.
National serviceman Jireh Chew, 20, felt that the session was very ‘enlightening’ and was inspired to be the person that God has called him to be.
CHC member Louis Ling, 51, was deeply impacted by Dr. Thompson’s teaching and was encouraged by a greater understanding of leadership principles.
The session truly left the delegates hungry for more of the truth of God’s word.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2010-05-03T22:13:00.007+08:00

Do you believe that God would alway respond at the right time? If you ask me, my answer would be an absolute YES! We all face crisis at different times. However I am sure He is always watching over us and we are in His safe hands. I have experienced His salvation for so many times, in the right place, at the right time and I marveled with gratitude. Sometimes we are placing limitations on Him when the limitation is obviously on ourselves. We may be limited in certain ways, but He is never limited.

So yes, He will lift me up once again like He did. I will not be left un-restored. I will wait on You.

Ever wondered why some prayers are left unanswered? I used to ponder about this. Thanks to Joshua Goh for the audio sermons, I listened to Dr Bernard's the art of asking and I got it.

(1) For every effect there's a cause, whatever you are getting, there's a reason why you are getting it. If you don't like what you are getting, you have to identify the cause and change it.

(2) Conditions are effects. Thoughts are causes. Whenever conditions you are experiencing, your thoughts brought it all. Your conditions in your life are expressions of what you are thinking. Thoughts govern behaviour.

Believe that you receive.

1 John 5:14: This is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ASK anything according to His WILL, He hears us. If we know He hears us, whatever that we ASK, we know that we have what we ASK of Him.

The question is:
'Is the real issue receiving or is it asking?'

If we ASK according to His WILL, the condition is always placed on ASKING, not receiving. If we ASK right, we'll receive. The issue is not on receiving, it will take care of itself. We can tell ourselves right in the face 'I believe I'll receive', but if we don't ask right, we won't receive. We need to change the way we ASK. It's always in the ASKING.

If we don't ask right, the application will be rejected.

One of the issues of asking is the TONE. It doesn't matter what we are applying for, the TONE must be right.

James 1:5, If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives generously/liberally to all without finding fault and it will be given. When he asks, he must believe and not doubt. We must believe and not doubt when we ask. We need wisdom in asking.

Asking is the basis for receiving. The better we are in asking, the more likely we'll receive.

The attitude of asking determines the emphasis that we put on it.

Forms of asking:

(1) Ask intelligently

Our God is very intelligent. Education is different from intelligence, you can be educated but not intelligent.

When you ask intelligently, you have the understanding of the effects that you are asking for is going to have on the totality of your life. When you ask for one thing, you are asking a lot of other things that come with that.

A lot of times we ask God for something that would wreck our lives, and God in His wisdom puts it on hold. If we keep pursuing, quite often we will get something that will move us out from the perfect will of God into the permissive will of God. Then we have to deal with the consequences of His permissive will. It's not something He wanted us to have but something we insisted on, so He is allowing us to experience the consequences of what we asked for. He hopes that it'll teach us not to ask for it anymore.

(2) Be specific

As we mature in Christ, we become more specific in our conversations and prayers. When we were babes in Christ, we'd ask 'God bless me', but when we start getting things we are not asking for, we realise we cannot give a general term like that. Specificity affects me in the process of asking because when we are general and vague, we cannot be focused in our faith. Our faith loses intensity when we are too general. Like a lazer beam, when we get light concentrated like a lazer, it's more powerful and effective as opposed to it being diffused all over the place. We want our faith to be focused. The more specific we are, the more focused we'll be in our asking. How much, what colour, what kind, by when? The moment we put a deadline on it, it really impacts our activity. Of course when we ask we got to be realistic.

If we really ask begin to ask according to the will of God, it has a radical effect on our lives.

(3) Ask in faith, expecting to receive

What is faith? Faith is the willingness to take intelligent risk. Faith must not become ego. The question is do we have the faith to see through what we are starting? We would rather have a million dollar worthed of faith then a million dollars, because if we have a million dollars and we run out of money, we are broke! But when we have a million dollars worthed of faith and we run out of money, we'd get another million.

Four factors involved in asking:

(1) Attitude - our frame of mind, our way of thinking what we are asking.

We got to have the right attitude, attitude is everything. Our attitude can cost us to not receive what we are going for.

(2) Approach - our tone, how we approach people

Wrong approach will result us to not get what we ask for.

(3) Timing - are we ready to receive?

Faith is in essence the support of things hope for. If our faith cannot support it, to give it to me will create a crisis in our lives. God is not gonna to put on us what we cannot handle

Notice the time when we ask and there's quite a distance between when we ask and when we receive, God is strengthening our support. What happens between the time we ask and the time we receive is the time God deals with us. Quite often, it is to strengthen us in character so that we can support the thing that we are receiving.

(4) Appearance - how we appear

Dress for the right occassion. Appearance is part of asking.

One of the most important thing to ask is yourself. You must ask yourself what kind of person you must become in order to receive what you are asking for. If you don't become the person that you need to become, you won't get what you are asking.

This whole process of asking has an incredible effect on your life!

Encourage Yourself in the Lord

2010-03-28T23:51:00.000+08:00

Written by : Dan Corner
Permission is granted to reproduce this in its entirety only.

In 1 Sam. 30, we read of events that occurred over 1,000 years before the Lord Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. Much truth and relevancy for our modern age can be drawn from this chapter. [Paul said that the Old Testament Scriptures were written down for us in New Testament times, so we could be TAUGHT (Rom. 15:4) and WARNED (1 Cor. 10:11).] This chapter begins with David and his 600 men arriving at Ziklag from Aphek, three days away, or approximately 70 miles. Instead of finding rest in their homes and joy with their families as they expected, they found their hometown burned, plundered and their wives and children taken captive! They were so HURT by this discovery that these warriors “wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.”
At this point in time all were already EXHAUSTED from their three day journey. Now they were HEARTBROKEN because everyone and everything they loved and valued was gone, and they were ANGRY over this turn of events. Their ANGER was in part directed toward David, whom they felt should have had some of the men stay behind to protect their city from such a fate as this. David’s faithful followers spoke of stoning him for this! (Put yourself in David’s place. Try to imagine the exhaustion, grief, regret and anxiety he must have experienced.)

David, in the face of all this, however, “found strength in the LORD his God,” v. 6! The KJV reads:

“David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”
WHO encouraged David to continue on? David encouraged David! It’s great to be encouraged by others when we face adversity, but at times we will have to encourage ourselves like David did. Please notice that he didn’t just “encourage himself,” he “encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”
We all face battles in this life with great opportunities to DESPAIR as David did, but instead of self-pity or giving up, he did the brave thing – he chose to continue for the sake of all who would be adversely affected if he quit! He thought of others not himself. Also, he knew his source of strength was God.

Severe Testing on the Brink of Blessing

Bear in mind that David, at this point, had already been anointed to be the next king of Israel (1 Sam. 16:1-13). He had been fleeing from Saul, who wanted to kill him! His lifestyle had been anything but ideal for the last 6 or 7 years, hiding in the desert and caves from the jealous Saul. During this time, he spared Saul’s life twice (chapters 24 and 26). After showing mercy repeatedly to the very one who wanted him dead, he now faced this great test of multiple disappointments as cited in this chapter. This was the LAST test for David before he took the office as king. (His last test was the most severe.) He was on the brink of blessings, even though he didn’t know it!
David was God’s chosen and ANOINTED to lead all of Israel, yet he faced great disappointments, heartaches and problems, over an extended time. Earlier in his life, his faith was great enough to slay that mighty Philistine, Goliath, but now deliverance was nowhere in sight! As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we too are all ANOINTED (1 Jn. 2:27), even though “we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). The question is: Will we encourage ourselves in the Lord for our sakes and the sake of others we love the most, as David did? It’s our choice, as it was his!

Victory in Store

After this, David inquired of the LORD regarding direction. He then took his 600 men and went after the Amalekites. He quickly lost 33% of them (or 200 men), because they were too exhausted to cross the Besor Ravine. (They couldn’t face another “valley of disappointment.”) With 33% less after that Ravine was crossed, not to mention their added exhaustion from this, they continued on with David in the lead, for he sought the LORD’S strength and direction.
In the course of all this disappointment and frustration as they searched for their enemies, they found an abandoned Egyptian, who had not eaten anything for three days and three nights. They could have very easily ignored this man’s needs with their ardent desire to be reunited with their loved ones. However, they chose to show mercy on this man, while precious time was ticking by! It turned out that this man was God’s means of providing for David and the others the exact location of the Amalekites! (It’s a good thing for them that they were merciful to that Egyptian. Little did they know the important role he would play in accomplishing their goal.)

David and his men fought the Amalekites from “dusk until the evening of the next day” or about 36 hours. (Victory was in store for David, but he had to fight hard and long to get it!) They recovered everything.

“Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back” (1 Sam. 30:19).
Try to imagine how happy Ahinoam and Abigal, David’s two wives, were at this point! Imagine how happy the other wives and the children were to be reunited with their husbands and fathers. Imagine how happy they all were that David and the 400 endured – that they didn't quit – that they didn't leave them abandoned without hope of escape!
Finally, try to imagine how thankful and glad David and his men were when it was all over. They were now reunited once again with their families and had recovered their own goods. The battles were over. Was it worth ENDURING the many hardships that came their way? If they were here to answer, they would unanimously answer, “YES!”

We Must Endure for the Sake of Souls

(Likewise, when we get to Heaven, we will know that it was worth ENDURING ANY and ALL adversity for the sake of precious souls, souls that belong to our loved ones and others. Then, we’ll look back on our lives that we are NOW living, just as David and his 400 men did.) Thank God they endured! Thank God David encouraged himself in the Lord. David and his men fought a good fight that was most crucial, even BEFORE they entered the actual battle with the Amalekites.
(Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said that he himself "fought the good fight," finished the race and kept the faith, 2 Tim. 4:7.) This life is filled with BATTLES against desires and unseen enemies that would tend to hinder our walk with Almighty God. Job said:

“Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (14:1).
Paul said regarding the Christian life:
“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Cor. 15:19).
This revelation, however, didn’t stop or even slow down this mighty Apostle who wrote approximately 1/2 of the New Testament. It didn’t stop him because he knew there was more – much more – in a “better by far” place (Phil. 1:23). Therefore, he chose to endure the hatred, insults, frustrations, beatings, etc. as he lived godly, for his single goal was to please the Lord (2 Cor. 5:9) and WIN SOULS (1 Cor. 10:33). He said:
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that FAR outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes NOT on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17,18).
In other words, don’t let your earthly troubles overwhelm you. They are only temporary, not eternal! Remember, David wasn’t overwhelmed by his troubles!
One Person With One Decision Can Turn Things Around

Let’s get back to the 200 men that were too exhausted to continue, even for the sake of their loved ones and their own possessions (1 Sam. 30:9,10). After the battle was over and ALL was recovered, including the plunder, David and the 400 men that did continue on happily started back with their families and the wives and children, including those of the 200 men that stayed behind. (What do you think those wives and children thought when they learned that their husbands and fathers weren’t numbered among the 400 who fought the battle that brought about their rescue?)
When the tired, but happy warriors reunited with the 200, the 400 wrongly didn’t want to return their possessions to them. David rebuked them upon the fact that it was God who protected them in battle and gave them the victory. Consequently, their possessions were returned to them also. (Can you imagine the SHAME they experienced for staying behind, instead of going into battle.) So, even the 200 were blessed by those who were persevering. Their lives also could now return to the norm, since their families were reunited. All this began with just one person, at a crucial time, deciding to encourage himself in the LORD, instead of giving up. Things turned for David and his men based upon that single decision!

Five Ways To Encourage Yourself In The Lord

Perhaps at this juncture, you’re wondering HOW you can encourage yourself in the Lord and in so doing be a blessing to yourself and others as well. There are five main ways this can be accomplished.
First, we encourage ourselves through PRAYER. In Phil. 4:6-8, Paul cites this most powerful means of receiving peace, in spite of troubling circumstances. We are to pray about everything that produces anxiety. (Are YOU doing this?) If you are worried about the future, PRAY! Also, see Matt. 6:34.

Second, singing praises to God will bring encouragement. This is not only “a safeguard” (Phil. 3:1), but also the God-given means to “silence the foe and the avenger” (Psa. 8:2)! See also Psa. 149:6-9. In fact, just listening to Christian music will help greatly. Saul felt better, just because he listened to David playing his harp (1 Sam. 16:23).

A third way to encourage yourself is through Christian fellowship. Nothing can replace this important aspect of our race. In fact, in Acts 2:42, the early church placed it on a par with Bible study, prayer and communion! The people you choose to fellowship with in your free time will greatly help or hinder your walk with God. See Prov. 13:20; 1 Cor. 15:33; etc.

Fourth, Bible study with meditation upon God and his Word will also help. In Prov. 4:22, the Hebrew teaches that God’s Word is “medicine” for our spirits. Furthermore, God’s Word was directly given for encouragement (Rom. 15:4). We are promised “perfect peace” if our MINDS are steadfast in thinking about God (Isa. 26:3). (THOUGHTS DO create or disrupt our peace. Few realize the importance of their thought life.)

Fifth, try talking to yourself. The sons of Korah used this technique as shown in Psa. 42:5,6. See how they did it.

Now that you know WHAT to do and HOW to do it, the choice is yours, as it was for David! To be victorious, at times, you’re going to have to encourage yourself in the Lord. Victory and blessings followed David’s choice. On the other hand, try to imagine what would have happened if he didn’t!

From Evangelical Outreach
www.evangelicaloutreach.org

My feeling and thoughts about children church.

2010-03-28T01:28:00.003+08:00

Hi!Group 16 Ushers

I would like to make a very friendly request and share out my thoughts after helping out with my children church for the past few weeks so that i can motivate every single one of you to come down on sat whenever you are free.Not only normal Sat children church weekend even big days such as Easter,Children Day and Christmas Day itself we need more manpower to helpout. Especially we need more brothers to help out with the transport bay and setting up the tentage for the bad weathers. After helping out the children church for the past few weeks is that i felt sorry for my Children Church Pastor Eileen is because i have grew up from the children church yet i never choose to serve in this ministry but i choose to serve in Ushers Ministry.Now i felt that it is the time for me to pay back my grattitude towards Pastor Eileen for what she had taught me in the past.Friends i hope that whoever is free on Normal Weekend Saturday and Big Days just come down to Jw church building to meet me and let us help to support our Children Church together.
With Loves:Hui Ping

2010-03-15T00:33:00.002+08:00

Hey there everyone in Group 16.
Joshua Tham here! just wanna share what i've posted in my blog to the people who doesn't have my blog address! (:
just came home after a long sunday.
had usher duty then moved on to debrief and dinner with the rest of the leaders.

was reading the bible.
got affirmed through certain scriptures that i was flipping through.
just wanna share it out to those who does read my blog and hopefully still reading even though i've not been posting for few weeks.

CHC got it's own new building which located at Suntec.
moving in at around March 2011.
the time when i'll end my poly and move on to NS.

But there's something that really caught me today was the debrief by yonghui.
about chasing after the Holy Spirit, expanding my own capacity and growing stronger.
sometimes we may think that we're running after the Holy Spirit but He's already like 1KM ahead of you and when you call out to him, hey let's run together. He's reply would bei'm already way ahead of you. This shouldn't be the case, it should be 2 comrades covering for each other in a battle. Side by side, synchronized in vision and what you want to achieved. This should be the feeling you must experience with the Holy Spirit.

While i was reading the bible, there's 2 verses that encouraged me.

Revelation 3:11-13
¹¹ Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. ¹² He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
¹³ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’

I've bolded and increased the font size of those words that are really the word in season for me personally. This is one of the verse that assured me and it's like an instruction for me.

The second verse is:

John 16:12
¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

This verse is the reason why we must increase our capacity, increase of rate of growing till a level whereby we can absorb the many things that Jesus mentioned in the verse. Not just in terms of ushering but in terms of spirituality. If we can't come to a point whereby we are not receiving much from the Holy Spirit then you would need to do a thorough reflection. Hope this will leave you thinking..

Chinese New Year EDITED

2010-02-11T00:37:00.048+08:00

Chinese new year is coming!! In a little less than 4 days, we will be ushering (punt intended) out the cow and welcoming in the Tiger (no loopholes please).

First up, a couple of announcements.

Service Duty (Friday, 12th Feb)

WE (group16) are ON duty this friday. Whether you're anchoring CNY Service 1 (5-7pm) or Service 2 (7.30-9.30pm), do let your leaders know (we will helping out with our fellow ushers from Expo). Do remember to show up at ~~JW B2~~ Expo Hall ONE on friday.

[Pls refer to note at the top of the page for reporting timings]

Support Duty (Thursday, 11th Feb)

Support duty is ON, this Thursday, 11 Feb at our home ground in Jurong West Church, from 5pm to 11pm. We'll be packing CNY goodies, bulletins and mandarin oranges, if you want a preview of what we're getting during Friday's service this is a good chance.

Phew, that's all for the "official" announcement with regards to duty. Alright, here's the updates on the 'Fun' stuff we're having this CNY.

Bai Nai Entourage (Tuesday, 16th Feb) *UPDATED*

Spread the joy of this Chinese New Year, join Ben Chan and gang in the ~~Ang Bao grabbing~~ 'Bai Nian' entourage on CNY Day3, 16 Feb. From morning till the evening, Ben Chan and co will be visiting homes in the western side of Singapore, exchanging mandarin oranges and auspicious CNY greetings. Do sign up with Ben Chan (+65 8118 5888) / Peng Ru/ Abby/ Gavin if you're interested.

Current entourage members include Ben Chan, Abby, Genevieve, Peng Ru and Eric.

P.S. For those who do not know it yet, our section leader, Ivory, is officially Mrs Chiang!! Congrats =D However, according to certain Chinese traditions, 1st year couples are exempted from giving our Red Packets to the juniors. =(

Chalet \ BBQ (Saturday-Sunday, 20th-21st Feb)

Our fellow ushers Huiping and Quang Yee are having a chalet at Pasir Ris Costa Sands Resorts on the dates stated above. They have kindly extended the invitation to ALL group16 ushers, do let your team leaders/ helpers know if you are keen. Activities lined up include games, BBQ and steamboat.

Lo Hei (Sunday, 28th Feb) *UPDATED*

Lo Hei in Cantonese or otherwise known as "Lao Yu Sheng" in Chinese is a typical celebration in the Singaporean Chinese community. As per tradition, Group16 will be having our very own Lo Hei -cum- CNY gathering next next Sunday evening (BTW it's group 16 duty week)

Venue T.B.C, team helpers/ leaders will be checking with you soon. Let us know if you're coming. Promises ~~guarantee chop~~ to be a fun affair.

Group16 Zoo Outing (Saturday, 13th Mar) *NEW*

"We're going to the ZOO Zoo zoo, what about YOU You you;
You can come TOO Too too, we're going to the ZOO Zoo zoo."

We're having an outing to the World-class Singapore Zoological gardens. The meeting time is 12.30pm at the entrance to the Zoo. For more information, do wait for the call/ sms/ email from your dearest team leaders/ helpers in the coming week.

So with that, to an auspicious and happy Chinese New Year everybody! Have fun, enjoy the public holidays and all the ~~money grabbing~~ fun filled reunions this new year. Gong Xi Gong Xi, God Bless.

2009 Appreciation Party - Special Performance

2010-01-03T09:33:00.001+08:00

"Don't Let Me Go", featuring Benjamin Chan and Peng Ru (aka Penguin). For those who missed it, enjoy! =)

Family of Group 16

2009-11-04T23:26:00.012+08:00

Check out the slide show created by our (ex) usher, Huiping for Group16. We wish you all the best in serving in Expo Huiping. Click on the picture above to view!

Enjoy =)

Recruitment Drive '09 - Join Us as an Usher!

2009-11-02T00:38:00.009+08:00

Looking for a ministry? Do you want to

a) Serve and minister in the house of God
b) Learn to be a better host, attentive to people's needs
c) Be more confident and learn how to engage people
d) Make new friends and be part of a fun loving and dynamic ministry
e) All of the above

Sign up with Usher Ministry, Group 16 (CHC Jurong West Svc 4) welcomes you.

Email us your details/ querries @ chum.g16@gmail.com or inform your cell group leader or an usher you know in your CG.

Group 16 Ushers

Group 16 Outing @ Night Safari

Let's Dance...

2009-09-08T23:36:00.022+08:00

Last Sunday, Beatrice (our dearest Assistant Chief Usher who oversees JW usher groups, in case you dunno) was sharing to the SLs and MTLs about Moses and how everytime Moses felt frustrated by his stiff-necked congregation, he would withdraw himself to meet the Lord and refresh himself. And in God, he found renewed strength again and again... again and again... again and again...

The Word spoke powerfully to me and convicted me. During the worship, I sensed God say to me...

"Let's Dance..."

It puzzled me but after giving it some thought, it dawned upon me that life is really like a dance... and there is a tempo to this Dance of life... and I thought I knew and understood it very well... And I've tried to dance this Dance very well... I danced to the best of my abilities and my understanding and I thought I was becoming good at it... until God beckoned to me and showed me His version of the Dance...

In that instance, I suddenly understood how little I knew and how little of the Dance I have mastered... the Dance is meant to be a couple dance, not a solo dance... The Dance is to be danced at a tempo I cannot hope to master or grasp very well... And in the Dance, should I try to take the lead in this couple dance, the Dance inevitably becomes uncoordinated and messed up... My moves will become off-beat and awkward... But whenever I let God take the lead in this Dance and follow His movement and tempo, the resultant Dance is inescapably beautiful and elegant...

"Are you tired? Are you weary? Are you feeling that the yoke is too heavy to bear? Let Me lead the Dance..."

In this Dance of life, God does the choreography; He leads the dance; He dictates the tempo and He executes the hard moves... Turn to God and find rest in His presence... It is when I try to do everything by myself that I burn myself out... I shall learn to lean on God's strength and directions... Just as Moses did! Although Moses was a very old man when he led Israel out of Egypt, he always had the rigour of a youth because in God, he found the source of everlasting life and strength...

"Are you frustrated? Are you disappointed? Are you unforgiving and angry - with youself? with your leaders? with your friends? or even with Me?"

In this Dance of life, it is natural to feel frustrated and disappointed if we had always danced solo or with the wrong partner(s)... Because the Dance was not meant to be danced that way! We cannot hope for the best when we settle for the worse. I shall turn to God and find a new beginning in Him... Although Moses was a criminal with a murderous past, he became the greatest prophet ever to deliver Israel, because in God, he found purpose, vision and hope for the future...

"Are you scared? Are you intimidated? Are you lacking in confidence? Do you feel that you have no more faith?"

In this Dance of Life, we will be venturing into the unknown... Because every person is different and uniquely shaped by God, so nobody can tell you what your Dance will be like. However, God knows how your Dance is meant to be like and He knows how it will turn out to be... And He assures that His seed in us is imperishable and will bear good fruits! and that He will finish the good work He has started in us! I shall turn to God and be of good courage... Because if God is leading my Dance, what can go wrong? I shall go forth in faith! And dance! and dance! and dance! Although Moses was a mere shepherd, but in his meekness and humility, he became a powerful prophet who performed the most spectacular miracles, because he submitted whatever little that was in his hands (a shepherd's rod) into God's hands... and God turned it into a tool for greatness which left an everlasting legacy!

"Let us all dance..."

Moses humbled himself and let God lead in his Dance of life, and God turned the Dance into a masterpiece that we still marvel today... I shall let God take the lead in my own dance. and I can't wait to see how the dance turns out! God is inviting you today to dance with Him... won't you let Him take the lead? Let us all dance this Dance of Life with God...

Usher Ministry Group16 - Our Photo Album

2009-09-07T16:58:00.002+08:00

Created by Ivy April 09

Group Outing @ Dhoby Ghaut Exchange

2009-09-05T10:45:00.000+08:00

7th September 2009 (Monday), 7:00pm

Dinner and chill-out

Catch Greg with his hair down before his NS enlistment.

Lots of Fun and Enjoyment guaranteed. See you there!

CHC 20th Anniversary & FOP

2009-07-10T23:45:00.003+08:00

Hi all!!! We will soon be celebrating our church 20th anniversary and participating in the Festival of Praise!

Festival Of Praise
For FOP, all shall serve at least 2 out of 3 sessions.

CHC Anniversary Services
As for Anniversary Services, there will be 2 services on sunday itself!
Service 1 - 9.00am to 10.30am (Reporting time for ushers: 7.00am)
Service 2 - 11.00am to 1.00pm (Reporting time for ushers: 9.30am)

Please note that by default all of us will serve both services unless valid reasons are given. Let's go all out to support the running of our anniversary services!

Helpers and above are to report at 6.30am.

Material Signs of Maturity

2009-06-22T01:04:00.002+08:00

When does a boy become a man? The answer goes far beyond biology and chronological age.

As defined in the Bible, manhood is a functional reality, demonstrated by leadership and the fulfillment of responsibility. One mark of manhood is the economic maturity sufficient to hold an adult job and handle money.

The Christian view of manhood elevates economic maturity even more. A Christian man sees his work as an assignment from God—and as a gospel issue. If he fails in his responsibility by complacency and sloth, he knows that he has done injury to the gospel and the cause of Christ.

This portrait of manhood is not popular with modern advertisers and marketers. They know where to aim their messages—at adolescent boys and young men who are enamored with popular entertainment, sporting events, and material goods. The media extol economic carelessness, self-centeredness, and laziness as the standard of young manhood—easy prey for these hucksters.

A real man, in contrast, knows how to hold a job, handles money with responsibility, and, if married, takes care of the needs of his wife and family. Failure to develop economic maturity leads to young men who float from job to job and take years to “find themselves” in terms of career and vocation.

If we want boys to become men, they must be taught how to work, how to save, how to invest, and how to spend money with care. They must be taught to respect labor and to feel the satisfaction that comes from a job well done, and a dollar honestly earned.

The dignity of work is grounded in creation itself, when God told human beings to subdue the earth, to work the earth, and then to enjoy the produce. But a biblical view of work also takes into account the Fall, where we are told that, as a consequence of sin, the earth will no longer yield its fruit gladly or willingly. The cultivation of the land, the tilling of crops, and the entire process of work is now far more difficult.

But even the Curse does not remove the dignity of work. Work itself is dignified, and so is the produce of one’s hands and the yield of one’s investments. We do not know the specifics, but we do know that even before the Fall, a clear link existed between work and the value of the products of our labor.

Too many boys today are coddled and entertained, demonstrating a laziness that will be highly detrimental to their future prospects as a husband and a father. Slothfulness, laziness, and economic carelessness are marks of immaturity. A real man knows how to earn, manage, and respect money. A Christian man understands the danger that comes from the love of money, and yet he fulfills his responsibility as a Christian steward.

Fathers, we must fulfill our responsibility to inculcate such a vision of personal economics into the heart and soul of our sons, parenting with the hope and goal that this mark of manhood becomes established within the next generation of Christian men.

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has been recognized by Time magazine as a leader among American evangelicals. He hosts a daily live radio program, writes a popular blog, and has authored numerous books.

Source: AiG

Combined Grp Outing!!!!!

2009-06-20T12:06:00.002+08:00

Hope you are all gear up for our combined group outing on the 28th June. Details are all in the poster as attach! Group 15 will be on duty so we will go off together after duty on the day.
Do start to give your forecast to your leader!

Yesh! There will be awards given out to Ushers as well as TALENTINE! So wait no more!
Sign up with me now! You can email me @ chcum.group15@gmail.com

Simply email me your Team Name and what are you performing!

Do let us know early if you need minus one sound track!

Hear from you soon!

Grace Euodias Yao (G15)
&
Abby (G16)

June Prayer Meetings!!!

2009-05-27T01:09:00.003+08:00

Do note the following and ensure that these are arranged for our Morning and Evening Prayer Meetings on the 8^th Jun – 12^th Jun 2009 and our Service Prayer Meetings on 6^th and 7^th Jun:

Locations and timings as follow:

Morning Prayer Meeting (7am - 8am)
Date: 8^th Jun – 12^th Jun

JW
Heart of God
Church of Singapore (Kreta Ayer)

Evening Prayer Meeting (6pm - 7pm)
Date: 8^th Jun – 12^th Jun

1. JW
2. RW ( Main Auditorium, MPH, LR7, LR1, LR4, LR2, LR3, LR6, LR5)

Service Prayer Meetings
Date: 6^th Jun – 7^th Jun

Service 1 Prayer Meeting (6^th Jun, 6pm to 7pm at JW B4)
Service 2 Prayer Meeting (6^th Jun, 4pm to 5pm at Expo Main Hall)
Service 3 Prayer Meeting (7^th Jun, 8.30am to 9.30am at Expo Main Hall)
Service 4 Prayer Meeting (7^th Jun, 8am to 9am at JW B4)

June Prayer Meetings!!!

2009-05-27T01:09:00.002+08:00

Do note the following and ensure that these are arranged for our Morning and Evening Prayer Meetings on the 8^th Jun – 12^th Jun 2009 and our Service Prayer Meetings on 6^th and 7^th Jun:

Locations and timings as follow:

Morning Prayer Meeting (7am - 8am)
Date: 8^th Jun – 12^th Jun

JW
Heart of God
Church of Singapore (Kreta Ayer)

Evening Prayer Meeting (6pm - 7pm)
Date: 8^th Jun – 12^th Jun

1. JW
2. RW ( Main Auditorium, MPH, LR7, LR1, LR4, LR2, LR3, LR6, LR5)

Service Prayer Meetings
Date: 6^th Jun – 7^th Jun

Service 1 Prayer Meeting (6^th Jun, 6pm to 7pm at JW B4)
Service 2 Prayer Meeting (6^th Jun, 4pm to 5pm at Expo Main Hall)
Service 3 Prayer Meeting (7^th Jun, 8.30am to 9.30am at Expo Main Hall)
Service 4 Prayer Meeting (7^th Jun, 8am to 9am at JW B4)

Churchwide Bible Study!!!!

2009-05-27T01:03:00.004+08:00

Ancient Patriarchs in Genesis

2009-05-15T06:52:00.001+08:00

Imagine the possible headlines of long ago:

“Methuselah and Adam Have Long Talk”
“Noah outlives great, great, great grandson Peleg”
“Shem and Abraham go fishing”

Many people are unfamiliar with the historical figures in Genesis. It is sometimes difficult to believe that people lived such long lives, too—although they did. There is much to learn from these patriarchs (an early father of the human race). But let’s simply do some introductions to the group here.

The Great Ages

Many of the ancient people listed in the Bible’s genealogies lived very long lives. Methuselah holds the title of oldest-known man at 969 years old. After he died, the Flood came.

After the Flood, we see the ages of these men declining. For example, Noah lived to be 950 years old, Shem to 600, Shelah to 433, and Abraham to 175.

Patriarch Age Bible reference

1 Adam 930 Genesis 5:4

2 Seth 912 Genesis 5:8

3 Enosh 905 Genesis 5:11

4 Cainan 910 Genesis 5:14

5 Mahalalel 895 Genesis 5:17

6 Jared 962 Genesis 5:20

7 Enoch 365 (translated) Genesis 5:23

8 Methuselah 969 Genesis 5:27

9 Lamech 777 Genesis 5:31

10 Noah 950 Genesis 9:29

11 Shem 600 Genesis 11:10–11

12 Arphaxad 438 Genesis 11:12–13

13 Shelah 433 Genesis 11:14–15

14 Eber 464 Genesis 11:16–17

15 Peleg 239 Genesis 11:18–19

16 Reu 239 Genesis 11:20–21

17 Serug 230 Genesis 11:22–23

18 Nahor 148 Genesis 11:24–25

19 Terah 205 Genesis 11:32

20 Abram (Abraham) 175 Genesis 25:7

21 Isaac 180 Genesis 35:28–29

22 Jacob (Israel)

Table 1. Ages of the Patriarchs from Adam to Jacob

Until the Flood (Noah’s day), living to about 900 years old was the norm . . . unless you were Enoch or Lamech. Like Elijah, Enoch was translated without dying (Genesis 5:23; Hebrews 11:5). Lamech, it seems, was a bit unusual by being about a quarter of a century away from making 800.

The Overlaps

It is hard to imagine that Abraham could have spoken to Shem (Noah’s son), who surely talked to his great-grandfather Methuselah, who in turn could have spoken to Adam, the first man, directly. Although the Bible never records that Adam and Methuselah or Abraham and Shem met, that possibility is likely. Consider the other patriarchs that could have talked to one another:

Table 2. Patriarchs from Adam to Israel (Jacob)

Everyone today shares the same lineage from Adam to Noah, since only Noah’s family survived the Flood. After the Flood, Noah’s three sons and wives populated the earth. Noah had three sons: Japheth, Shem, and Ham (Genesis 9:24, 10:21).

The list of men in the table above record Shem’s line to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who is also called Israel. Israel had twelve sons, and through his son Judah, the Bible traces the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:23–38). The book of Genesis ends with the death of Joseph at 110 years old, one of Israel’s others sons.

Extra-biblical Support

Other ancient cultures have legendary periods or ancient kings lists that support the vast ages of the patriarchs. For example, the Sumerian kings list has eight kings whose lives span a great period of time. Then, accordingly, the Flood came. Removing Enoch, who was translated, and Noah, who survived the Flood, these eight could easily “match up” with remaining pre-Flood patriarchs.¹

Greek myths point to the patriarchs as well, equating Zeus and Hera as deified corruptions of Adam and Eve.² The Chinese also have a legendary period with various rulers. Some researchers have said:

Could it be that the Legendary Period recalls a time when the ancestors of China’s first dynasties were indeed kin to Noah’s descendants before the great dispersion of mankind over the earth?

Since all peoples of earth are descended from Noah or his sons, the early Chinese ancestors were likely contemporaries of Noah, who lived 350 years after the flood (Genesis 9:28). Therefore, information could have been passed to them by word-of-mouth, even Noah himself. He in turn, obtained historical data from his father Lamech, who was 56 years old when Adam died.

Thus, all the details of creation and life before the flood could have been passed to the Chinese from Adam with only two intermediaries, Lamech and Noah.³

Such recollections support the idea that information passed from Noah to his descendants who then spread across the globe. (though other accounts were prone to corruption).

Are There Gaps?

The genealogies are very specific in giving the age of the father when the son is born.⁴ However, in some translations of the Bible in Luke 3:36, there seems to be an extra Cainan. Because of this, some have proposed that there may be gaps in the genealogies. However, one needs to understand this specific instance better. Expositor Dr. John Gill points out:

This Cainan is not mentioned by Moses in #Ge 11:12 nor has he ever appeared in any Hebrew copy of the Old Testament, nor in the Samaritan version, nor in the Targum; nor is he mentioned by Josephus, nor in #1Ch 1:24 where the genealogy is repeated; nor is it in Beza’s most ancient Greek copy of Luke: it indeed stands in the present copies of the Septuagint, but was not originally there; and therefore could not be taken by Luke from thence, but seems to be owing to some early negligent transcriber of Luke’s Gospel, and since put into the Septuagint to give it authority: I say “early,” because it is in many Greek copies, and in the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions, even in the Syriac, the oldest of them; but ought not to stand neither in the text, nor in any version: for certain it is, there never was such a Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, for Salah was his son; and with him the next words should be connected. . . .⁵

This appears to have been one of a few copyist mistakes that have crept into the manuscripts after Luke wrote the original, inspired manuscript.⁶ Others have pointed our how this error could have occurred rather easily.⁷ There is no legitimate reason to introduce gaps into the genealogies—other than the desire to extend the dates based on extra-biblical ideas.

Conclusion

The book of Genesis spans nearly one-third of world history, but sadly in today’s church, much of it is overlooked. Perhaps if we realized the heritage that each of us have from these ancient patriarchs, we would gain a better understanding of where we came from and where we are going. Romans 4:3 says:

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Surely, there is much to learn from our ancestors.

	Patriarch	Age	Bible reference
1	Adam	930	Genesis 5:4
2	Seth	912	Genesis 5:8
3	Enosh	905	Genesis 5:11
4	Cainan	910	Genesis 5:14
5	Mahalalel	895	Genesis 5:17
6	Jared	962	Genesis 5:20
7	Enoch	365 (translated)	Genesis 5:23
8	Methuselah	969	Genesis 5:27
9	Lamech	777	Genesis 5:31
10	Noah	950	Genesis 9:29
11	Shem	600	Genesis 11:10–11
12	Arphaxad	438	Genesis 11:12–13
13	Shelah	433	Genesis 11:14–15
14	Eber	464	Genesis 11:16–17
15	Peleg	239	Genesis 11:18–19
16	Reu	239	Genesis 11:20–21
17	Serug	230	Genesis 11:22–23
18	Nahor	148	Genesis 11:24–25
19	Terah	205	Genesis 11:32
20	Abram (Abraham)	175	Genesis 25:7
21	Isaac	180	Genesis 35:28–29
22	Jacob (Israel)

Source: answersingenesis.org

Updates on Work

2009-05-15T01:56:00.002+08:00

Have started work for 2 weeks already and I am happy... I think after slacking for one whole year (including the time spent in army), one grows to appreciate the pleasure of work.

My team leader and colleagues have been very loving and patient in teaching me the ropes and initiating me into the firm... The firm has an excellent structure and system in place - everyone has defined roles and responsibilities and is non-exploitative of one another. The structure also helps very much to prepare newcomers to familiarise themselves with the firm. The hierarchy of the organization is very flat - everyone treats one another with respect and nobody has airs (i think I am the most "dao" person around).

Above all else, the firm has a wide and extensive portfolio of projects covering various scale and typologies. I love it! I am slowly being exposed to the "drudgery" that my peers have been complaining about, but well, I remain thankful that I got the job.

Beautiful morning

Something I got to see when I decided to go to office early to check email and start work early...

a snapshot - my office

the Water Cycle at One Raffles Link (taken with spoilt digi cam, so...)

A favourite sight I look forward to seeing every morning I go to work... If there is one "Heroes" ability I would like to get, it would be Sylar's Intuitive Aptitude - I love to see how every single thing work and come together... In many ways, I share Sylar's endless hunger to know and understand more... LOL... I'm talking geekish here... Pardon me =P

Will try to find time to write about the 1-year testimony I shared with Wanyun's cell group and also BLTC - in which I have been involved over the past month or so...

Pst Kong is Following Us on Twitter!

2009-05-12T23:33:00.003+08:00

Was surprised when I saw this in our g16 email account. Really honoured!

Don't ask "Why?"... Ask "Who?"

2009-05-02T15:52:00.004+08:00

It was exactly a month ago and the date was 1 April 2009, and it was 6am in the morning. I was buying coffee for myself and also to bless Wenkai (a CHC staff) and an uncle (a Kreta Ayer Auditorium staff who helped to open the auditorium for us every morning).

I had very little money left, but I still wanted to bless with whatever I had. I believed it was God's way to bless others, and I wanted to follow God's way. But my heart was already growing cold... It was 3 months into my job hunt, and I was wondering if God was going to bless me with a job at all.

I walked to the auditorium and set up the usher table as usual. Florence - another section leader - came and we set ourselves up to serve the people as they come and pray. In my heart, I was silently wondering why these congregation were so motivated to come so early to pray... And I was certainly questioning why I was there so early to usher, if not to pray. It seemed that God hadn't been answering my prayers for a job for months, so why persist in praying? Why serve a God who seemed so distant and quiet?

In the midst of our ushering, Florence asked how my job hunt was going along and my heart winced in pain. I told her that the job hunt was in limbo. The firm I desired very much to get into wasn't getting back to me, despite having interviewed me a month earlier... The jobhunting experts always said that if the company was taking so long to get back to you, it was most likely they were not that INTO you... I only applied to one firm because that was really the firm I wanted to get into, and I reasoned to myself that I should not apply to firms that I don't want to get into and that God would surely grant me the desires of my heart... Perhaps I should not have acted in so much faith, and just applied to more firms?

Florence then remarked to me, "you have a lot of faith... You sent your resume to 1 firm only and expect to get a job? Experts say that we usually need to send 20-30 resumes to get a job interview..."

After hearing Florence's words, I seriously wondered if I should start sending my resumes en masse... But I decided not to... Instead, I decided to commit my job search to God and really trust God for provision. I wrote down my prayer requests in my prayer book and prayed for:

an interview with the firm which will lead to swift and smooth employment
favour of men and God's grace for a job ($3k/month) to start in April
quick follow-up interview with the director of the firm
to secure the job in 2 weeks' time

The remaining days in April were dark and torturous. Everyday I woke up wondering when the job was coming... Every time I met friends and relatives, I had to tell them how fruitless my jobhunt had been and that I was still keeping hope... Every moment I want to spend a penny, I had to remind myself that I had little money left and rethink my spending options... Day after day, week after week - there was no news from the firm that I applied to...

I began to lose hope...
I began to think that God was not going to answer my prayers after all...
I began to be angry with God...

I was blaming all circumstances possible and God for my situation:

Why did I have to go back to NS last year and miss out on the recruitment season?
Why did the economy take a downturn just when I came out from NS?
Why did I give so much to God's kingdom that I have so little savings to sustain me now?
Why did I serve God so much in ministry that I did not spend more time studying and get better grades? With better grades, surely I would be able to secure a job easily?
God, why aren't you acting to take me out of this mess???!!!

Many people could see that I was sliding away from God and that although I was holding on to my faith with my head, I wasn't holding on with my heart. My sister rebuked me for my lack of faith in God. My leaders were encouraging me with the same old words week-in-week-out... But to no avail... I saw God's wonders in my life, I know God is real, but I just could not be sure if God and I were standing on the same side anymore...

The spiritual attacks then came fast and furious...

The Bible tells us that when God is on our side, we have nothing to fear... In those weeks, I feared EVERYTHING and ANYTHING, because I felt God wasn't with me... I kept praying, and although I felt God's presence, I didn't feel the breakthrough in the spiritual realm. I kept reading the Bible, but no revelations came... I was getting desperate... I did not know who I can turn to... My leaders were not giving me answers; God wasn't giving me answers; who else can I turn to?

I began to feel like an abandoned child in the spiritual realm - I was like a sheep without a shepherd. And if the Shepherd was there, I couldn't see Him and hear Him. I felt that perhaps I was unworthy of God's love, and therefore undeserving of God's provision... I began to condemn myself although I'd read numerous scriptures telling us that there's no condemnation in God's love...

I confronted Wanyun a few times with my dark and unholy anger and challenged her to theological debates... I was asking her...

"Why does God allow this?"
"Why has God allowed that?"
"Why does God not do this?"
"Why does God not do that?"

Wanyun could not answer and almost always broke down in tears... She just pleaded to me to keep faith in God...keep believing... And I would always snare back,

"I believe in God! I certainly do! But I am not sure if I should be on the same side as God anymore!"

I hurt Wanyun with those words... I certainly hurt myself with those words... And I grieved the Holy Spirit... I hurt God... And I could feel it in my spirit... Every tear that Wanyun shedded broke my heart...

It was at this juncture that I received a mail package from Our Daily Bread... Inside was a small booklet detailing of the story of Job... Here is a short summary:

Job was a great man of God who feared and loved the Lord greatly. He was also blessed with great possessions, many servants and a great family.
Satan challenged God to allow Job's faith to be tested; and God allowed Satan to do ANYTHING to Job, except to take Job's life.
Satan subsequently robbed Job of all his possessions, servants, killed all his children and attacked Job with sores all over his body.
In time, Job's friends came and "comforted" him... but instead of hearing the turmoil in Job's heart, his friends were busy composing theological answers to his problems.
Job was struggling to understand his suffering and why it happened... And when God finally spoke to Job... Instead of giving definitive answers to why Job suffered, God asked Job questions - science questions, in fact, covering the fields of zoology, astronomy and meterology, among others.
Job stood before almighty God in dumbfounded silence.
He wanted to know "why?" but God simply responded with "Who?"

I was impacted by this word that God sent to me through snail mail... All this while, I was too busy asking God:

"why? why? why?" "why me?" "why this?" "why now?"

Instead of seeking God for WHO He is... I was more interested in WHY has God done this and that! But God is not interested in explaining to us how He runs the universe... He is more interested in His relationship with us, and that is why He sent Jesus to die on the cross so that we can renew our relationships with Him... I finally knew what I should do in these dark times... In brokenness, I went back to God and prayed,

"God... I am sorry for all that I have done and said... I realise that You are a God of love and second chances. Please forgive me and I will follow you... I will stop asking 'why' as much as I can and I will start asking 'who' you really are..."

Immediately, I felt the peace of God dwell in my heart and I knew I was reconciled back unto God. In a day or two... the firm that I was applying for called and offered me a job. In one stroke, God answered all my prayer requests regading this job hunt:

an interview with the firm (happened on 29 April)
quick follow-up interview with the director of the firm (happened on 29 April)
swift and smooth employment (all conditions and paperwork were settled in 1 hour)
favour of men (my Director and Team Leader in the firm both treated me nicely and warmly)
God's grace for a job ($3k/month) to start in April (I got the salary I wanted and it will start on the 1st working day of May)
to secure the job in 2 weeks' time (did not happen in the time frame I requested, but God plans everything in its own time and purpose...)

At the end of this testimony, I just want to encourage all who are facing difficulties to keep on believing in God. Seek God for WHO He is, not WHAT He does... Delight in God's presence, and surely, God will bless you in all your endeavours.

Proverbs 3:5-12, NKJV
⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
⁸ It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
⁹ Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
¹⁰ So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
¹¹ My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction;
¹² For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

Animals on the Ark

2009-03-25T13:27:00.002+08:00

According to Scripture, Noah’s Ark was a safe haven for representatives of all the kinds of air-breathing land animals that God created. While it is possible that God made miraculous provisions for the daily care of these animals, it is not necessary—or required by Scripture—to appeal to miracles. Exploring natural solutions for day-to-day operations does not discount God’s role: the biblical account hints at plenty of miracles as written, such as God bringing the animals to the Ark (Genesis 6:20; 7:9, 15). It turns out that a study of existing, low-tech animal care methods answers trivial objections to the Ark. In fact, many solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems are rather straightforward.

How Did Noah Fit All the Animals on the Ark?

According to the Bible, the Ark had three decks (floors). It is not difficult to show that there was plenty of room for 16,000 animals (the maximum number of animals on the Ark, if the most liberal approach to counting animals is applied), assuming they required approximately the same floor space as animals in typical farm enclosures and laboratories. The vast majority of the creatures (birds, reptiles, and mammals) were small (the largest only a few hundred pounds of body weight). What’s more, many could have been housed in groups, which would have further reduced the required space.

It is still necessary to take account of the floor spaces required by large animals, such as elephants and rhinos. But even these, collectively, do not require a large area because it is most likely that these animals were young, but not newborns. Even the largest dinosaurs were relatively small when only a few years old.

What Did the Dinosaurs Eat?

Dinosaurs could have eaten basically the same foods as the other animals. The large sauropods could have eaten compressed hay, other dried plant material, seeds and grains, and the like. Carnivorous dinosaurs—if any were meat-eaters before the Flood—could have eaten dried meat, reconstituted dried meat, or slaughtered animals. Giant tortoises would have been ideal to use as food in this regard. They were large and needed little food to be maintained themselves. There are also exotic sources of meat, such as fish that wrap themselves in dry cocoons.

It is not necessary—or required by Scripture—to appeal to miracles for the provision and daily care of the animals on the Ark. Many solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems are rather straightforward.

How Were the Animals Cared For?

We must distinguish between the long-term care required for animals kept in zoos and the temporary, emergency care required on the Ark. The animals’ comfort and healthy appearance were not essential for emergency survival during one stressful year, where survival was the primary goal.

Studies of nonmechanized animal care indicate that eight people could have fed and watered 16,000 creatures. The key is to avoid unnecessary walking around. As the old adage says, “Don’t work harder, work smarter.”

Therefore, Noah probably stored the food and water near each animal. Even better, drinking water could have been piped into troughs, just as the Chinese have used bamboo pipes for this purpose for thousands of years. The use of some sort of self-feeders, as is commonly done for birds, would have been relatively easy and probably essential. Animals that required special care or diets were uncommon and should not have needed an inordinate amount of time from the handlers. Even animals with the most specialized diets in nature could have been switched to readily sustainable substitute diets. Of course, this assumes that animals with specialized diets today were likewise specialized at the time of the Flood.

How Did the Animals Breathe?

Based on my two decades of research, I do not believe that anything more was needed than a basic, non-mechanical ventilation system. The density of animals on the Ark, compared to the volume of enclosed space, was much less than we find in some modern, mass animal housing used to keep stock raised for food (such as chicken farms), which requires no special mechanical ventilation.

It is reasonable to believe that one relatively small window would have adequately ventilated the Ark. Of course if there were a window along the top center section, which the Bible allows, all occupants would be even more comfortable. It is also interesting to note that the convective movement of air, driven by temperature differences between the warm-blooded animals and the cold interior surfaces, would have been significant enough to drive the flow of air. Plus, wind blowing into the window would have enhanced the ventilation further. However, if supplementary ventilation was necessary, it could have been provided by wave motion, fire thermal, or even a small number of animals harnessed to slow-moving rotary fans.

Click to enlarge.

Animal enclosures with sloped, self-cleaning floors, emptying into a manure gutter or pit.

What Did Noah and His Family Do with the Animal Waste?

As much as 12 U.S. tons (11 m. tons) of animal waste may have been produced daily. The key to keeping the enclosures clean was to avoid the need for Noah and his family to do the work. The right systems could also prevent the need to change animal bedding. Noah could have accomplished this in several ways. One possibility would be to allow the waste to accumulate below the animals, much as we see in modern pet shops. In this regard, there could have been slatted floors, and animals could have trampled their waste into the pits below. Small animals, such as birds, could have multiple levels in their enclosures, and waste could have simply accumulated at the bottom of each.

The danger of toxic or explosive manure gases, such as methane, would be alleviated by the constant movement of the Ark, which would have allowed manure gases to be constantly released. Secondly, methane, which is half the density of air, would quickly find its way out of a small opening such as a window. There is no reason to believe that the levels of these gases within the Ark would have approached hazardous levels.

Alternatively, sloped floors would have allowed the waste to flow into large central gutters. Noah’s family could have then dumped this overboard without an excessive expenditure of manpower.

The problem of manure odor may, at first thought, seem insurmountable. But we must remember that, throughout most of human history, humans lived together with their farm animals. Barns, separate from human living quarters, are a relatively recent development.

While the voyage of the Ark may not have been comfortable or easy, it was certainly doable, even under such unprecedented circumstances.

A Look Inside the Ark

This is a cross-section view of a possible design of the interior of the Ark.

Click to enlarge.

Three Decks

Genesis 6:16 instructs that the Ark is to be made “with lower, second, and third decks” (NKJV). In this version of the Ark’s interior, there are two levels that do not extend across the entire width of the ship. These half-floors are not separate levels.

Animal Housing

Genesis 6:14 instructs Noah to “make rooms [nests] in the ark” (NKJV). These rooms or nests would simply be stalls and cages for the animals.

Model created by Tim Foley. Click to enlarge.

This scale model shows the effective design of Noah’s Ark. This second-floor model shows the extra half-floor within the three deck structure that could have been used for possible storage or animal housing.

Stairs

Several staircases and ladders could be fitted throughout the Ark to gain quick access to another deck. Ramps near the ends of the hull (as seen in Thinking Outside the Box) could be used to get animals and heavy loads between decks.

Food & Water

Mezzanine levels improve access to food storage, utilizing gravity to supply grain and water to the animal enclosures below. Water could be directed in pipes (metal, wood, leather, bamboo, etc.) from tanks on upper levels.

Light & Ventilation

The central skylight provides lighting and ventilation to the center section of the Ark. Slatted floors maximize airflow to the lower decks.

John Woodmorappe has been a researcher in the areas of biology, geology, and paleontology for over twenty years. He has two B.A. degrees and an M.A. in geology. John has also been a public school science teacher.

Source: answersingenesis

List of Ushers Excused from CGM for Thur Chair Arrangement

2009-03-25T13:00:00.002+08:00

G16S1A Lee Yin Xue Abigail

G16S1A Loo Le Xuan Esean

G16S1A Ong Yu Zhi Joshua

G16S1B Lim Gregory

G16S1C He Ren Shen

G16S20 Goh Yong Hui

G16S2C Chen Xiaoling

G16S2C Seow Chow Meng

G16S2C Seow Jie Yun

G16S2C Tan Quang Yee

G16S2C Tham Lit Kwong Joshua

G16S2D Goh Chin Boon Bernard

Bus 242 No Longer Comes to JW Church

2009-03-14T14:47:00.004+08:00

For anyone who has not notice yet, bus service 242 no longer brings you to City Harvest Church with effect from 15 Mar (Sunday) onwards. Instead, a new bus service, 241 will now ply a new route and serve the 2 bus stops that 242 once served. The official press release can be viewed here.

Good news, for those taking MRT, bus 241 is available at Pioneer Station (EW28) bus stop, along with 179. More choices for the masses.

Buses available at City Harvest Church, Jurong West: 99, 241, ~~242~~, 179

See Maps below for the updates on service 241 & 242. (Click to enlarge)

Humans: Purposely Designed

2009-03-10T11:49:00.003+08:00

As a designer myself, I am always amazed by the designs of God. The first time I appreciated God's design was way before I was a christian.

I remember looking at the stars during an overseas army exercise and standing there motionless - totally overwhelmed by the spectacular star-studded night sky...

I remember looking at the grass patches back in Pasir Ris and marveling at how every blade of grass is actually a different hue of green and reflects light differently, and yet every blade of grass does not look incoherent with its neighbours...

I also remember practising wushu and marveling at how the different parts/muscles of my body work together - all in perfect coordination and harmony...

It is not easy to design anything. Many people who believe in evolution do not know what they are believing in - they are just searching for something to believe in, other than God. Evolution essentially states that nothing is impossible given enough time for random chances and mutations to happen... The universe was created by a coincidence of multitudes of favourable conditions... Life was made possible on earth created, again, by a coincidence of multitudes of favourable conditions in time and space... Molecules arranged themselves by chance into living organisms which thereafter evolved by chance into more complex living bodies (e.g. jellyfish, monkeys, etc)... The stronger survived while the weaker died away, evolutionists reasoned... Subsequently, certain apes evolved (due to survival necessities, natural selection and chance) into humans who are able to think and reason and create and design... You have to have particularly BLIND faith to believe that: that unaided molecules have created people!

If it was true that time makes all things possible, it should be conceivable that energy from the sun could, given enough time, transform telephone poles into the most complex of flying machines (e.g. aeroplanes, rockets, space shuttles). It should be conceivable that an explosion at a bookstore will produce a printed material (e.g. I-weekly, Straits Times, etc) in the process of the explosion... It should be conceivable that a monkey typing randomly on a word processor would be able to type out the Bible (or for that matter, any other book) given enough time and chances... But it won't happen.

We know that to plan and manufacture something that is vastly inferior to the human body - like a car - takes an intelligent designer or a group of such intelligent beings! An unbiased observer would have great difficulty denying the rational conclusion that the human body - a vastly superior machine to the car - was made by a vastly superior designer (God).

If you are still wondering, here's a article for you...

The human body is designed unlike any other creature. Our ability to communicate and understand, to feel emotions, and to think rationally shows that we are created for a purpose—to have a relationship with God.

I once designed a small knife which consisted of a slender rod with a tiny razor-sharp blade at the end. One of my students came across the knife and started using it to cut up cards.

I explained to him that the knife was for something far more important—for carrying out life-saving operations on newly born boys who have a blocked bladder valve. If the student had looked closely at the intricate design of the knife, he would have known it was no ordinary knife

Many today make the same mistake concerning the purpose of human life.

Evolutionists assume that humans are just an advanced ape-like creature with no special design or purpose.

According to naturalistic philosophy, the design of human beings has evolved to meet survival tasks like fighting, hunting, and gathering. For example, evolutionists say that human hands evolved to make weapons; human faces evolved to make threatening expressions; and the human brain evolved to plan survival strategies.

More Than Survival?

In contrast, the Bible reveals that humans are unique creatures designed for much more than just survival. Humans are creative, emotional, and spiritual beings, separate from the animal kingdom. We are designed to have deep relationships with others and with our Creator.

Humans have a unique ability to be creative in many areas. We have areas in the brain dedicated to the appreciation of beauty and creative thinking. Only humans have thousands of touch sensors on every finger. Only humans have a large part of the brain dedicated to controlling the hands with precision.

Up to 100 muscles are at work during communication, and the brain is processing information at an immense rate.

The precise abilities of the human hand are not what we would expect if we were descended from an ape-like creature; but they are just what we would expect if we are made in God’s image.

Designed to Communicate?

Humans have the unique ability to communicate thoughts and emotions through language. Human speech and writing contain intricate sounds, sophisticated grammar, and thousands of words. Language enables humans to teach and learn, and to develop relationships.

Language requires many complex design features in the human body. Large areas of the brain are dedicated to processing speech. Humans have a uniquely long throat, agile tongue, fine lips, and precise vocal cords. Up to 100 muscles are at work during communication, and the brain is processing information at an immense rate.

Such verbal skills are hardly likely to have evolved just to allow man to be a hunter-gatherer. However, language is just what we would expect if humans were created to worship and glorify their Creator.

Designed for Emotion?

Humans are capable of a vast range of emotions. Scientists know that part of the brain is dedicated to emotional feelings, but science cannot explain where such feelings come from.

Humans are capable of a vast range of emotions.

Humans also have a physical design that complements their emotional nature. This includes crying tears of emotion and communicating emotion by facial expressions. The human face has 50 facial muscles and the unique ability to make on the order of 10,000 different facial expressions.¹ Such characteristics cannot be explained by the idea of evolution.

Humans are also designed to derive pleasure in many subtle ways. We can appreciate beauty through sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. Insofar as scientists have explored these subjects, only a human stops to enjoy a sunset or to appreciate a bird’s song.

Designed for Spiritual Life?

Finally, humans are uniquely capable of rational thought and self-awareness. We decide what course of action to take at every moment and in every area of life. In contrast, animals are predictably obedient to instinct. Apes do not worry about the meaning of life.

The ability to think and decide also means that humans are responsible beings. We are responsible for our actions and accountable to our Creator if we break His commands.

Genesis reveals that mankind was designed to steward the earth and to have fellowship with God. But man rebelled against his Creator in the Garden of Eden.

Thankfully God has also made us capable of receiving eternal life through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8). And those who know Christ are designed to live eternally in Heaven with Him. As human beings, we are designed for far more than survival.

Are you convinced?

Source: answersingenesis.org

ivy =)

2009-02-24T21:24:00.003+08:00

hi group 16!! =) lolx.. it seems like people with the password of this blog didn post up their testimony so let me start first!! how i came to church? well, is my secondary school brought me here.. actually i'm here not to tell you all abt my 老掉牙story!! hahas.. here to share with you more abt my life in nursing with God!! =)

secondary 3 i start to think wat i really wan to be when i grow up as a strong christian.. at first i didn think of become a nurse but a policewomen!! DON LAUGHT PPL!! i tot of becoming a policewoman coz i find it so cool la!! hahas.. but after my 2.4km i think that dream is so far apart from me.. coz i retake 3times than i pass my 2.4km.. hahas.. don a joke man!! but anyway, story doesnt stop here! after than i ask God and read thur the bible + asking around their ppl dream.. but this had like go thur many times yet i don know wat i wan.. beside shining for God in the church i also wanna shining for God outside the church walls..

one day my mum was attmitted to hopstial.. don know why out of sudden i know wat i wan to be.. it was becoming a nurse!! i was shock as well... i never think of becomin a nurse maybe marry a doctor will be part of my dream but NURSE?! i don think so.. than i went home and pray abt it.. somehow i got a strong feeling for it.. the bible say help the poor feed the poor.. so i went to apply nursing in ITE.. was a bad wan.. coz they didn wan anymore student.. than i prayed for 1 week.. i tot of giving up.. but that afternoon the section head called me ask me go down for interview!! that was WOW!! i tot of giving up!! but God didn!! i went for the interview after 5 min the result was out!! and i'm in the nursing course!! praise God!!

starting my life in nursing wasnt that good.. wasnt wat i expected it to be.. but nvm.. i know i'm in the rite path! AMEN! so i press on till now.. few months back i start to think where i wanna to work as... i don wan to be just an asistance nurse in the ward.. as you all know that our church is a 100% mission church.. that day i took bus to home.. i close of eye to have some rest and a small talk with Daddy God.. i start to think abt me myself standing at the mission field feeding the poor, i was looking tired, helpping the poor to get some food for them etc... when i open my eyes i start to talk to God.. asking Him izzit real?? i wont mind if i'm a mission nurse helpping the poor.. somehow my heart is like tearing.. there is a great joy in me!! i wasnt slpping at all!! i was awake!! and i'm sure that is also part of God's plan for me!! who knows??

i wan to overseas study, i wan to have degree, i wan to be an mission nurse, i wan to be an great strong christian nurse for God!! and i know i can be one of them!! AMEN!! keep me in prayer!! =)

thanks for reading!!

sign off, ivy!! love you guys!! =)

Kang Xi - a Believer of Christ?

2009-02-06T18:00:00.006+08:00

Finally, the last part for today... A startling insight into the beliefs of Kang Xi. Some argue that he is the greatest emperor in China's history - I think that remains arguable because different people have different opinions on what constitutes greatness of a king. But I think that he may be the wisest of them all.

Source: patriarchywebsite.com

Could there ever be an emperor of China who had come close to tolerating Christianity? Or even to become a true believer of Christ himself? Impossible, but usually startling are the facts of history when unearthed. Known to all historians and anyone who is familiar with this name, “Kangxi”, the Emperor was indeed one of the greatest, if not the greatest among the 300 and more emperors in the whole history of China and his 60-years reign from the age of 8 was the longest. None of the historians put Kangxi in bad light, for

“All western historians agree that whereas he was a great ruler and distinguished himself equally in peace and war, he was at the same time a superior man; one who stood out from among others in his generation”
(Eloise T. Hibbert, Kang Hsi, Emperor of China).

Once, the Emperor Kangxi presented the Jesuits with a house inside the enclosure of the Forbidden City which formerly belonged to an important mandarin. It was reconstructed to suit them. Dwelling within the Forbidden City was exclusive only to the imperial family with its servants and eunuchs and the highest officials, but such honors and regards were also accorded to the Jesuits. Adjacent to the house, he gave them land upon which to build a great church as well as ten thousand taels towards the cost of its construction. When it was finished five years later, the Emperor wrote with his own hand an inscription to be placed over the door:

"To the true principal of all things. He is infinitely good and is infinitely just, he illumines, he supports, he regulates all things with supreme authority and with a sovereign justice. He has no beginning and no end. It is he who rules and is the true master." (Rene Fulof Miller, The Power and Secrets of the Jesuits)

In the words of another historian de Mailla concerning the great Emperor,

“Just posterity will beyond doubt assign to this prince a distinguished place among the greatest monarchs. Fully occupied between affairs of state, military achievements, and the study of liberal pursuits, beneficent, brave, generous, wise, active, and vigilant in policy, of profound and extended genius, having nothing of the pomp or indolence of Asiatic courts, although his power and wealth were both immense, the one thing alone wanting of this prince, according to the desire of the missionaries who have become the exponents of his eminent qualities, was to crown them all with the adoption of Christianity of which he knew the principles.”

So they concluded, that he knew the principles of Christianity, but fell short in adopting the religion for himself and his people. However, pieces of history when put together proved otherwise, that he was not only an outstanding and upright Emperor who led China into the path of becoming the once greatest empire in the world, but he was also a true believer of (Heaven) God, who had humbled himself to confess and embrace the salvation of Christ and who was Christ-like at heart and in conduct. This idea may be rather unwelcoming to some; to westerners who consider the Chinese monarchs as backward and heathen and to Chinese who would not bow to western superiority and the so-called western religion – Christianity. But facts and truths remain unchanged through time. Was there ever a God-fearing emperor of China who had privately embraced Christianity and put into practice the principles of godliness and set China onto the path of greatness and prosperity thereafter? Here arises 3 issues. First, was there ever a widespread belief of God in "heathen" China? Second, is there proof or documentation of an emperor of China heeding to and embracing the true gospel in a form of worship acceptable to God? Something unimaginable. Third, was China ever the greatest and most prosperous nation in history?

The first and the third questions are quite easily settled if one is prepared to read up a little into historical facts. The second is what the rest of this article would address, that the Chinese ever did have an emperor who knew God and Christ and embraced the salvation of the Cross and in his own way, practiced the truths of this faith in his reign, in heart and in principles. And like the spiritual patriarchal fathers who treasured and practiced the truths of God, he was denied and deprived, but his definition of true worship and his stance of how the Chinese could worship God now open up a deeper understanding to the true righteousness of God. Not because he was theologically trained, but by the faith of a truthful heart, by his love for his people and in defense of true righteousness, the Emperor Kangxi unwittingly challenged the theological depth of the Catholic Church authority and uncovered the shame of her shallowness in true righteousness and true worship. Undoubtedly, the proud Papal authority did not grant consent to the appeal of the “heathen” emperor who attempted to question her spiritual superiority.

As a result, millions were deprived of salvation, for the Truth was unduly made difficult and even impossible or erroneous to be embraced and practiced in the Chinese culture. Ancestor veneration and Confucianism are fundamentals of the nobility and moral values of the Chinese for generations. Due to the lack of in-depth understanding of the west in scriptural honoring of parents by the Biblical patriarchs and the Chinese, the Catholic authority imposed a ban on all such filial practices and veneration. This uprooting of the core values of the Chinese proved too unreasonable to the Emperor and the then missionaries who had stayed long enough in China to understand the depth of it. Compounding this, was the problem of learning the difficult and profound Chinese language which defined its heritage. The arrogance of Western theologians who attempted to read it superficially proved fatal.

The result was as what Jesus would speak of the Pharisees, that they would cross over lands and seas to proselyte and thereafter made it impossible for one to continue in the faith of God. The retaliation of Kangxi to the ban imposed by the Catholic authority forced the door to be closed to Christian gospels of all kinds, whether it be Catholic or Protestant. Emperor Kangxi is now dead, and his reign is over and even if one hard-heartedly put aside the accountability of the deprivation of salvation for his beloved millions, the seeking heart and the righteous spirit of the Emperor lives on to demand an answer to the second issue that relates to salvation and true worship, which is a big one, an universal one, which remains unsettled to this day. The answer involves a challenge to our very foundation, our present interpretation and practices of worship and of the commandment regarding how parents are to be honored and what is meant by leaving parents and cleaving to one’s wife, and if scripturally permissible, multiple wives! It is an issue that will shake the very foundation and fabric of our godliness and a challenge to our interpretations and living of truths, thus even to the validity of our salvation and eternity.

I will first handle the first and the third issue. Contrary to popular belief that the Chinese had always been heathen or polytheistic, the Chinese had actually from antiquity believed, feared and gave the highest reverence to the only one Being who they termed “Heaven”. From the beginning of the Chinese civilization, God was referred to as “Tien” which means “Heaven” as God had not yet made his other names known to them. Yet this Name of God alone was enough to keep them in awe and in faithfulness to their conscience through the many generations. Also, to them, the emperor whom they called “son of Heaven” was mandated by Heaven to rule, and this accords much with the Scriptures that says that governmental authorities are appointed by God. Because they were in awe of Heaven, so they feared the son of Heaven and see the success of a righteous emperor as the vindication of Heaven for him to continue his rule. To this day, the old-time saying, “Heaven has eyes” still serves to remind the Chinese that the “All-seeing Being still accords to each his deeds and misdeeds”. From the rule of Kangxi to the time of his grandson, Chien Long, China had indeed entered its promised land and became the richest and most powerful nation in the world at that time. This answers the first question that the concept of the only one God was not at all new to the Chinese and the third question that China had been a great nation and the world knows that this sleeping dragon is now again awakening. Napoleon once said that when China awakes, the world will shake.

Now to the second question that concerns Kangxi’s spiritual life and thus his decision concerning religious issues in his reign, we need to know a little of what was in the background. Kangxi’s grandmother, Bochita (Mongol descent) and father, Shun-chih (Manchu and Mongol) were religiously inclined. Kangxi's mother was supposedly Chinese. This Manchu family was destined to rule China which was then decaying from internal strives and corruption. A wise woman who raised and groomed her son and grandson, Bochita kept their thrones secured till they were able to fully ascend to it. It was to Bochita’s advantage to be associated with the Lama priests and to gain the support and advices of the Dalai Lama. Not only was Shun-chih a devout Buddhist, he was open and friendly with the Jesuits who were at that time making a foothold in China to spread their faith. Besides giving advices and acting as interpreters to the Court, the Jesuits were employed in areas of the sciences and astronomy and were also tutors to the young Kangxi. They spared no effort in spreading their faith to the imperial family. Yet, despite his father’s openness and respect for the Jesuits and his being in their company for almost his entire life, there was not once recorded by the Jesuits that Emperor Kangxi was ever catechized by them, which was the very unpretentious purpose of their very hard work for many years, laboring in hope that the great Emperor and all his people might one day bow their heads before the all-embracing majesty of the Cross and the supremacy of the Catholic Church. But, like his earthly mandate as a righteous son of Heaven, his spiritual pursuit too carried a purpose of impact and implication, which we shall soon see.

To achieve the hope of being close to the Emperor, they serve with utmost faithfulness in everything called for by the Emperor as long as what they were called upon to do were not a violation of their faith. The benefits that the Jesuits brought to the kingdom were many, especially in the areas of science, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine and even music and arts. The Emperor appreciated the works of the Jesuits who had come to love and admire his person and he applauded their sincerity and accorded recognition for their contributions. They won his heart and his confidence, but over time, he became increasingly disillusioned over the dividing views of the various sects of the Catholic orders and was more and more suspicious of the motives of the Papal authority. There were instances of him coming close to conversion by the Jesuits as he toggled to and fro but finally deciding against the motives of those who had sent them. At times, the Jesuits sincerely believed that he would allow himself to be converted, but although this never happen, many of his children were baptized and made public acknowledgement of their faith in the Christian God.

Despite all, although he was never catechized, he was not deterred in his belief concerning the only one God of Heaven that he had learned from the ancestors which he highly respected. And he gratefully embraced the eternal salvation of Christ which he categorically declared in his poems, that he had come to receive. Emperor Kangxi was never a converted Catholic, but by evangelical Christian definition, his belief and confession made him a saved believer of Christ. But what exactly are the reasons for him to finally become so repelled to the point of deporting missionaries and closing more than 300 Catholic churches with 300,000 Chinese converts? The reasons were in part, a question of what is true and acceptable worship and a doubt about the integrity of those who were supposedly the authority of the Truth and finally a political and a national issue, a big threat to the Chinese moral principles and heritage and a challenge to his responsibility and authority as Emperor over the many millions that were under his rule.

Hidden in the background was the issue of Polygamy that never did have a chance to surface to be confronted openly. The Jesuits were taught, trained and raised to exalt celibacy as holiness and the higher way to be close to God. As the Chinese would understand, it was like the way a Buddhist monk would leave the world to seek for a higher life. But the Chinese had little regard for such begging monks and monogamy was no holier than polygamy which was practiced for many other reasons rather than for more sex. To the Chinese, the honor of husbanding more women and raising more children belongs to the stronger and the more capable. And for the enlargement of posterity and power, having more wives and hence more children was a more viable option and monogamy was a lesser man’s choice. Thus, the strong and the powerful, especially the emperors, kept a sizable harem, especially when intermarriages between tribes and rivals meant peace treaties. Even when Father Schall, a respected and trusted acquaintance tried to dissuade Emperor Shun-chih, it was met with resentment. As Eloise Hibbert in her book on Kangxi put it,

“The Christian theory that monogamy was the only true form of marriage seems strange and barbaric to Shun-chih, whose background and whose entire habit of thoughts were permeated by his acceptance of the system of multiple wives”

Other more pressing issues of honor and importance stood in the way; the honoring of ancestors and Confucius, which was the very fabric and foundation of the Chinese people, where piety was more than life itself, where forsaking parents made one a pariah and considered worse than an animal, where failing to live up to the expectations of parents made one a failure. In the process, the name of Confucius, the one who taught and propagate this teaching was recalled to memory when such commitment and promises were made. Great reverence of bows and prostrations were involved in such rites. Erroneously however, the term “Ancestor Worship” was used and even to this day, to describe such rites. And when the word “worship” was used, such acts became classified as unlawful before God. But whosoever defined it was certainly wrong and cannot be representative of the intentions of the Chinese people who performed them. Perhaps there was no other word closer in meaning, but it is certainly a wrong use of word, for it portrayed the well-meaning act of honoring parents as an act of worshipping them in the way one would worship Heaven (God), which was never the case with the Chinese who knew the simple difference between Heaven (God) and dead souls. The clear conclusion is, the Westerners had coined the English term, “Ancestor Worship” and put it into the mouth of the ignorant Chinese, and in the process, accusing them, the Chinese, of blasphemy and idolatry. Such disaster was the result of the failure to adequately comprehend the depth of the Chinese culture and language.

One may contend that the word “Pai Ancestors" which means “Pray to Ancestors” and thus means worshipping them. But do not the westerners also say, “Pray thee” which means “beseech thee”? In the words “Pai fan”, pray is also used, but it means “respectful visit”, not in any meaning of the word “worship” or "pray". However, there would always be abuses, as in any other things. So in cases were superstitions were involved in the Chinese form of paying respect to ancestors, there was a need to be theologically rectified in the light of God’s Word and practices of magic and spells would have to be removed. Such cultic practices were much hated by Kangxi in his entire life. In the book “Self Portrait of Kang-Hsi” (by Jonathan D. Spence) the Emperor himself said,

“Even though I realized it was quite impractical to close down temples, and order people to return to their secular life, there was no harm in following the principle of preparing for trouble before trouble comes. So I strictly banned all the sects such as the ‘non-action’, ‘white lotus’, ‘origin of the dragon’, and ‘all-submerging Yang’, and stiffened the penalties for all officials who failed to report heterodox teachers in their localities. Also, I banned the so called ‘incense association’ where men and women mixed together and sold erotic works and special medicines; I ordered the printing blocks of certain mystical and magical books burned; and I continued to enforce the prohibitions against the private ownership of forbidden books – though I allowed exceptions for those working at home in astronomy and mathematics.”

But never did he ban the Bible or burn the works of the Christian missionaries. The issues of Confucianism and ancestor “worship” were however constantly debated. And from time to time, the different popes and the various Catholic orders were divided with differing opinions. When the Jesuits were represented by powerful supporters, ancestor worship was condoned. When Dominicans and Benedictines were in power behind the papal throne, ancestor worship was banned. In desperation, the Jesuits residing in Peking turned to the Emperor with the following appeal:

We, your faithful subjects, although originally from foreign lands respectfully beg your majesty to give us instructions on the following points:
"The learned men of Europe have heard that ceremonies are performed in China in honour of Confucius, that sacrifices are offered to Heaven, and that certain rites are observed in regard to the ancestors. As the learned men of Europe are persuaded that such ceremonies are performed for a reason and being themselves ignorant of their true purpose, they have begged us to inform them regarding the subject.
We have always believed that Confucius was honoured in China as a maker of laws and that ceremonies were performed in his honour for that reason. We believe that the rites observed in regard to the ancestors were originally conceived in order to demonstrate the affection of their descendants and to com memorate the good deeds which they performed during their lives. As to the sacrifices to Heaven (t'ien) we believe it is not the visible Heaven which is referred to, but the supreme master, author, and preserver of the sky, the earth, and all that live thereon. That is the interpretation we have always given to these ceremonies. But as we are foreigners we cannot speak with the same certitude in regard to this important point as the Chinese themselves and we therefore dare to beseech your majesty not to refuse to clarify this subject for us. We await your reply with respect and submission." (M.Huc. Le Christianisme en Chine)

Emperor Kangxi agreed with all the points raised and wrote a letter in confirmation to the Pope that Confucianism and ancestor “worship” were not religion but philosophy and customs of paying respect to the ancestors. He thought that as a Chinese emperor who now spoke for himself and for the millions that he represented, his explanation would carry enough weight to explain the case. He was confident. But the response from the Papal authority proved devastating. The Roman Catholic authority insisted that these practices be totally banned. Also, the Peking Jesuits were accused of preferring to have the controversy dictated by a “heathen” emperor than by the successor of Saint Peter. It revealed that there clearly were dissentions and quarrels within the Church Authority who inconsistently toggled between the 'for's and the 'against's at different times and had now disregarded the explanation of the head of the Chinese people, the Emperor himself. Feeling insulted, hurt and disillusioned, he summoned the Cardinal de Tournon, the papal representative to court and demanded an explanation of the Pope’s manifesto to stop all the Chinese believers from honoring the ancestors the way they have done for centuries, saying

“I know your religion is pure and holy,” he said to the papal legate, “and it is hoped that you will be able to propagate it throughout the world. But you make one great mistake. You do not take into consideration the customs and opinions of different people.”

De Tournon admitted to be ignorant of the Chinese language and customs and suggested a M. Maigrot to speak for him. Maigrot then made a grave mistake of trying to oppose Ancestor “worship” and Confucianism without a proper understanding of the Chinese language and this proved fatal. He quoted the texts of Confucius and attempted to prove these teaching as contradictory to Christianity. Thereupon, to challenge and expose the shallowness of his understanding of the Chinese language, thus his inadequacy to interpret and critique on Confucianism and Chinese values and customs like Ancestor Rites, the Emperor required him to translate the 4 simple but profound characters written over his throne. Maigrot knew only 2 and could not explain the meaning of any of the 4. Such pretence of scholarship infuriated the Emperor who had Maigrot immediately imprisoned and deported.

Above his throne, the four characters that Maigrot, the Westerner could not read or interpret were: “Zheng Da Guang Min”

In brief:

“Zheng” which means ruling in uprightness as opposed to being crooked.
“Da” which means ruling with a big heart as opposed to being narrow and small in heart.
“Guang” which mean ruling in brightness of light as opposed to working in shadows of darkness.
“Min” which means ruling in clarity and transparency as opposed to being in secrecy and cover-ups.

The Emperor in his own words (Book - Self portrait) said,“On the question of Chinese Rites that might be practiced by the Western missionaries, de Tournon would not speak though I sent messages to him repeatedly. I agreed that with the formulation of the Peking father had drawn up in 1700: that Confucius was honored by the Chinese as a master, but his name was not invoked in prayer for the purpose of gaining happiness, rank or wealth; that worship of ancestors was an expression of live and filial remembrance, not intended to bring protection to the worshipper; and there was no idea, when an ancestral tablet was erected, that the soul of the an ancestor dwelt in the tablet. And when sacrifices were offered to Heaven it was not the blue existent sky that was addressed, but the lord and creator of all things. If the ruler Shang-ti was sometimes called Heaven, Tien, that had no more significance than giving honorific names to the emperor.”

Concerning the need to thoroughly understand the Chinese language before one can justly address the Chinese and rightly determine validity in their moral and religious values, the Emperor said,

“If de Tournon didn’t reply, the Catholic bishop Maigrot did, coming to Jehol and telling me that Heaven is a material thing, and should not be worshipped, and that one should invoke only the name “Lord of Heaven” to show the proper reverence. Maigrot wasn't merely ignorant of Chinese literature, he couldn't even recognize the simplest Chinese characters; yet he chose to discuss the falsity of the Chinese moral system. Sometimes, as I pointed out, the emperor is addressed honorifically as "under the steps of the throne"; would Maigrot say this was reverence to a set of steps made by some artisan? I am addressed as "Wan sui, Ten Thousand Years"; obviously that too is not literal since from the beginnings of history to the present day only 7,600 years have passed. Even little animals mourn their dead mothers for many days; these Westerners who want to treat their dead with indifference are not even equal to animals. How could they be compared with Chinese? We venerate Confucius because of his doctrines of respect for virtue, his system of education, his inculcation of love for superiors and ancestors. Westerners venerate their own saints because of their actions. They paint pictures of men with wings and say, ‘These represent heavenly spirits, swift as if they had wings, though in reality there are no men with wings.’ I do not find it appropriate to dispute this doctrine, yet with superficial knowledge Maigrot discussed Chinese sanctity. He talked for days, with his perverse reason, his poorly concealed anger, and fled the country when he could not get his way, a sinner against the Catholic teaching and a rebel to China.” He added, “One doesn't blame your attachment to your religion, but one does blame and rightly your obstinacy on matters of which you know nothing."

Concerning the dissensions in the various Catholic orders, he wrote,

“But in this Catholic religion, the Society of Peter quarrels with the Jesuits, Bouvet quarrels with Mariani, and among the Jesuits the Portuguese want only their own nationals in their church while the French want only French in theirs. This violates the principles of religion. Such dissension cannot be inspired by the Lord of Heaven but by the Devil, who, I have heard the Westerners say, leads men to do evil since he can't do otherwise.”

Finally, as what a good ruler would have, the concern of the control of a foreign power, which he had always been cautious of. He wondered if the embrace of the Catholic religion would render him a subject of the Popes and be randomly dictated over? Would he, in the process, be putting his beloved people into wrong hands? Can the different popes and the various orders of the Jesuits, Dominicans and Benedictines who were so divided over times and so inconsistent in giving their papal blessings of the rites of ancestor "worship" be trustworthy enough to teach China on what is true religion and true worship from generation to generation? At one time, ancestor "worship" was deemed permissible and at another time was not, depending on the different popes and the different voices that spoke the loudest at any point in time. The Emperor was disillusioned over the fights in the papacy and this issue led to further suspicion concerning the motives of the westerners. Such untrustworthiness was too much for an upright and disciplined leader and his people who had been consistent in their heritage since antiquity. He was far in advance of his time in realizing the important part which the West would sooner or later play in the Orient and the price the Chinese would have to pay if they would not remain united and surefooted. He wrote in the later years,

“But if our government became feeble, if we had civil war or were invaded by Mongols, what would become of our empire? The Europeans could do with China as they pleased.”

His prediction came true in the generations soon after. He knew though that in the meantime, he could use what the westerner brought to the East as tools to awake his country to prosperity and to spiritual reality, but the division of the Roman Catholic Church into 2 opposing camps, which defeated each other had destroyed the prestige of the Europeans in the eyes of the Emperor and his people.

The Pope’s desire for power and control over the Peking believers became more blatantly clear when de Tournon kept insisting on appointing a leader over the Peking Jesuits and churches, one whom the Pope must have confidence in, and such a one would not be one among those that who had stayed long enough in China to have understood the moral principles and culture of the Chinese or had known the way of the Emperor over his people. To that, the Emperor (Book, Self Portrait) answered,

“If the Pope would send a man of impeccable conduct and spiritual gifts as good as those Westerners here now, a man who won’t interfere with others or dominate them, he will be received as warmly as the rest. But if we give such a man power over the others as you requested, there will be many and serious difficulties. You have seen here Westerners who have stayed 4o years with us, and if they are still somewhat lacking in knowledge of imperial affairs, how could some just implanted from the West do better? I would not be able to get along with him as I do with these. We would need an interpreter, which means distrust and awkwardness. Such a man would never be free from error, and if he would be appointed leader of all he would have to carry blame earned by the others and pay penalties according to our usage.” He added, “One cannot blame your attachment to your religion, but one does blame – and rightly – your obstinacy on matters of which you know nothing.”

He finally issued an imperial edict,

“The church you propagate is neither good nor bad for China… the missionary Maigrot who did not understand, who had no knowledge of literary Chinese and who could not even read. How could he determine the right and wrong of China’s moral principles? Westerners are small minded people (hsio jen) Henceforth foreigners are not to teach in China.”

Emperor Kangxi did not allow China to embrace Catholicism, because he would not subject his people to a religious authority that he was not convinced of. But there was nowhere recorded in history that he denied or defied the “Lord of Heaven” that was synonymous to the Eternal God, for through his Chinese heritage and his own spiritual pursuits, he was convinced of His Supremacy and Divinity.

The death of his grandmother was totally devastating to the Emperor. It was in the month of February 1688 when he was 34 years old. Bochita, the Empress-dowager who raised and groomed him had meant much to him. For many years, the valiant old lady had kept her position with much dignity and had risen above her own personal sorrows to do her best for her grandson and his people. The Emperor showed his respect for her by ordering elaborate funeral ceremonies and for years, he shed tears whenever he passed the palace where she once lived. In the same week of her death, ironically, a trusted friend, Father Verbiest also died. Everyday, for several weeks, the Emperor sent one of his confidential messengers to question the Fathers the condition of eternity, about heaven and hell and purgatory, about the existence of God and how one could obtain salvation.

However, there were indications that his inner conviction and conversion could have been even earlier:

“After he had mastered the principles of geometry and Euclid and was deep in the mysteries of astrology, the emperor had an experience which resembled a conversion, but not in the religious sense as his instructors had desired. One of the Jesuits had presented him with a chart of the heavens and had explained to him in detail the system of Copernicus. The fact that the earth moved round the sun came as a revelation to the emperor. He had heard of it before but had failed either to believe or appreciate its true significance. Suddenly the truth pierced his consciousness and threw him into a state of great excitement. The man who was usually so reserved and restrained in his dealings with others and who never allowed anything to interfere with his duties, for days shut himself away from his ministers, hardly eating or sleeping, lost in the study of a concept which had revolutionized his inner world. His own lack of importance in the vast scheme which controlled and directed the universe was a fact which had to be assimilated. He, the mighty emperor, and his people, who referred to themselves as "all between the four seas", were after all but tiny particles of matter continually whirling in infinite space. Confronted by his own nothingness, the emperor was great enough to accept it. He emerged from his seclusion with eyes that saw the world as a new and wonderful place.
The Jesuits had received their own illumination through their faith. They were Roman Catholics first and scientists afterwards. Science to them was only the means to an end. But the Emperor found his own personal salvation in an increasing awareness of the mysteries of the universe. In the fullness of his maturity, he was what the Chinese call chun tzu, the Superior Man.... Like his father before him who, because of a psychic experience had left the world, the Emperor K'ang Hsi, too, had heard the message of the stars, even though his revelation had come to him from a different source. (Eloise T. Hibbert, Kang Hsi, Emperor of China)

The cautious Emperor made no confession of the Catholic faith, but clearly his experience with his Creator was as what true religious faith would dictate - a very personal and real encounter. More findings revealed the specific direction of his spiritual pursuit where he found his rest and thus his confession in words. For there had been other instances where he acknowledged the God of the Cross and humbly accepted Him as Savior of his life. The following is as proof, poems dedicated to the Holy One, written by himself, an emperor of high scholarly proficiency. Here we see the son of Heaven, the supreme ruler over the millions, humbling himself to receive salvation from one “criminal” Son of God, crucified upon a tree in a little nation, Israel whose land and people were less than an insignificant fraction of his huge empire. If it were not for a divine revelation and true conversion, this would not have been possible. Would a great emperor humble himself to a carpenter of a little unknown land, far away in time and in distance? Yes, because as a true man, he knew his Creator and as a true king, he recognized the Christ, the King of kings and Master of all and there was this divine connection that he had with the Supreme Being, whom the Emperor humbly acknowledged as the Holy One. A truly humble Emperor indeed and a man truly great before God!

POEMS WRITTEN BY EMPEROR KANGXI

OF QING DYNASTY

THE TREASURE OF LIFE

The treasure of heaven is comprised of Sun, Moon and Stars;

The treasure of earth consists of crops, gold and silver.

The treasure of a kingdom is to have righteous officials;

The treasure of a family is to have descendents with piety.
Yet, Gold, silver and jade are not as precious as one's life.
Hundred years of age is nothing compared to eternity.
Coming and going in life is like a dream.
The best food and clothing don't mean a thing.
It's no exception for someone born in a royal family.
The most important thing in the world is life.
Something that white jade, gold and silver can't buy.
Even plain porridge can be satisfying;
No cloth is fit to wear for a thousand years.
The heaven's gate was closed due to the first man's sin;
The path to salvation is through the Son only.
I would like to accept God, the Son and the Holy Spirit;
And receive from thee my free gift of eternity.

By the hand of KANGXI of Qing Dynasty

THE POEM OF THE CROSS

功成十架血成溪，百丈恩流分自西。
身列四衙半夜路，徒方三背两番鸣。
五千鞭挞寸肤裂，六尺悬垂二盗齐。
惨动八垓惊九品，七言一毕万灵啼。

When the work was accomplished, blood formed a creek
Grace from the west was thousand feet deep.
He who lowered himself for us stepped on the midnight trip.
Before the rooster crowed twice, betrayed thrice was He.
Five hundred slashes torn every inch of his skin.
Two thieves at six feet high hanged besides him.
The sadness was greater than anything seen by anyone.
This poem is for You, the Holy one.

THE POEM ON TRUTH
Everything as seen by the eye is His creation.
He who has no beginning and no end, is three persons in one.
The heaven's gate was closed to the first man's sin and reopens through the Son.
Rid of all false religions, we should become real disciples admired by everyone

Towards the end of his days, the Emperor must have had a premonition of his approaching death. During his interviews with the ambassador of his arch-enemy and greatest threat, Russia, he spoke kindly and referred several times to the fact that his life was drawing to a close. He spoke of the vanity and uncertainty of human affairs, adding that he was now an old man and by the course of nature would not live long. He desired, so he said, to die in peace with God and all mankind. So impressed was John Bell (one of the delegates in the Russian convoy) with the kindness and humanity of the old Emperor that he wrote in his journal,

"I cannot omit taking notice of the good nature and affability of this ancient monarch. He still retains a sound judgment and seemed to me more sprightly than many of the princes his sons."

This is my tribute to the GREAT EMPEROR KANGXI – True believer of Christ, Emperor Of China, who rode on China, the great dragon and led her from darkness to the path of prosperity and brightness. And with no lesser than his mandate to rule as a son of Heaven, his spiritual quest awoke the East and the West to what is true worship of God and true righteousness of His commandments. And in all his days, he held a heart of truthfulness that yearned to see a righteous Kingdom of true sons and true princes, which is none other than the vision of the everlasting Davidic Kingdom that Hashem had promised to His people. Truly, not only startling are the facts of history but also the truths of eternity.

Bibliography:

Kang Hsi, Emperor of China by Eloise Talcott Hibbert

Emperor Of China, Self Portrait of Kang-Hsi by Jonathan D. Spence

Chinese Culture Homepage

Faith in the Creator God in Ancient China?

2009-02-06T13:47:00.003+08:00

Two and a half centuries ago a stormy dispute surged through the Christian world about the nature of China’s culture. In Rome, the Catholic Church was deeply divided over the nature of Chinese culture. Did the ancient Chinese, long before they encountered Buddhism, Christianity, or Islam, have an understanding of God in a monotheistic sense as creator and sustainer of the universe?

Matteo Ricci
a jesuit who went to Ancient China,
studied and researched ancient chinese writings and realised that the God of the Bible and
the "Shang Di" / "Shang Tian" of the ancient Chinese were one and the same

Matteo Ricci
wore Chinese robes to engage in Chinese culture actively and
subsequently rose in influence in the chinese imperial court

Matteo Ricci
a Jesuit, Bible Scholar, Missionary, Scientist, Mathematician who was multi-talented and well versed in the reading, writing and speaking of ancient chinese

The Jesuits, who had an intellectually brilliant and profound impact on China in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, thought they did. So, two centuries later, did Rev. James Legge, translator of the Chinese classics into English and a deep admirer of Confucius. But in the eighteenth century, Dominican and Franciscan opponents of the Jesuits, who distrusted the confident Jesuit influence within the Chinese imperial court, disagreed noisily. Ancient Chinese beliefs, they said, were so many pagan superstitions, and needed to be discarded by prospective Chinese converts to Catholicism. Legge’s opponents took the same position, and were only partially deflected in their opposition to his views because the Scottish clergyman was so brilliant that he became Oxford University’s first professor of Chinese.

The “Rites Controversy” in the Catholic Church was so destructive that it caused the Chinese emperor himself to shut down all Christian activities in China in disgust. Catholics who had been granted total freedom to teach and convert in 1691 were by 1722 being hounded out of China. At issue was the question whether Chinese traditional veneration of ancestors was a form of “worship,” or was merely an affirmation of respect for them. Many have speculated how different China’s modern history might have been if China’s greatest emperor, Kang Xi, had been won over to the Christian faith instead of being driven to exasperation by Vatican pettiness.

Chan Kei Thong, a Singaporean Chinese Christian resident in Beijing, and co-author Charlene L. Fu, a former Associated Press reporter in the Chinese capital, have re-examined the issue of China’s cultural origins and come to a powerful conclusion. Not only did the ancient Chinese worship Almighty God (shang di, in the Chinese), they say, but also, in Thong’s words, “striking similarities exist[ed] between the Hebrew and the Chinese approach to moral truth.”

“I have become convinced,” Thong, the president of Leadership Development International, a management consulting firm, writes in his personal introductory chapter, “that the ancient Chinese worshipped the Creator of the Universe in a manner similar to that prescribed in the Old Testament.” Thong’s evidence for this statement, skillfully articulated by Fu, lies in three main sources: the root meaning of many Chinese characters, the references to shang di in the Chinese literary classics, and the elaborate religious ceremony practiced by all eighteen Chinese dynasties called the “border sacrifice.” In the case of the third source, one of Beijing’s most beautiful and famous architectural monuments, the Temple of Heaven, was the site of the “border sacrifice,” an elaborate annual ceremony on the winter solstice, right up to the collapse of imperial rule in China in 1911. In the ceremony, the emperor, who had fasted for three days and was reverentially humble in demeanor, bowed before an altar in recognition of his—and China’s—compact with shang di. In fact, the correct translation of tian tan, the Chinese name for the monument, is “Altar of Heaven.” The building is in no way a religious temple in the manner, say, of a Buddhist or Taoist Chinese temple. For one thing, there are no statues or idols in it.

Thong and Fu skillfully make the point that the Chinese classics are filled with symbolic signposts to shang di as a creator deity who watched over the affairs of humankind and whose moral favor needed to be carefully placated. In fact, the Confucian emphasis on the “virtue” of rulers as the Chinese sine qua non of good government derives from a Confucian understanding of humanity’s moral obligation to the divine. Confucius himself, in his introduction to one of the Chinese classics, the Yi Jing (“Book of Changes”), said that the purpose of this classic was to help people “pursue an exhaustive understanding of the universe in order to do God’s will.”

Many Sinologues might be curious about this dispute, but the pathway that Thong took to write the book was not academic. A student atheist who became a Christian in college in Singapore, Thong says that it wasn’t until 1996 that he realized during a visit to the Temple of Heaven that whatever had been worshiped there originally wasn’t a pagan idol, because there wasn’t a single idol throughout the Temple area. His motivation to begin the research that led to the book, however, derived from his sense of sadness at a common Chinese misperception—common even today—that Christianity is a “Western” religion and that “God” is a Western concept. As a devout Christian of Chinese ancestry, he had probably heard about the dismissive nineteenth- and twentieth-century references of many Chinese towards Christianity: “One more Christian, one less Chinese.”

Although the book was written in English, a Chinese translation was published first for Chinese readers, whom Thong wanted to convince that Christianity was entirely compatible with ancient Chinese thought and the deepest roots of Chinese culture. Startlingly, an official Chinese publishing house in China agreed to publish the book in Chinese, then later, in English. The English version is a handsomely illustrated and laid-out volume, complete with time-lines of world, Hebrew, and Chinese history, a bibliography, and high quality color photographs of Chinese cultural objects that, Thong believes, give support to his thesis.

Western secular Sinologists have traditionally paid scant attention to the monotheistic component of traditional Chinese culture. They, and Chinese scholars, may also not be as convinced as Thong is that the characters in China’s ancient writing system contain symbolic leftovers of moral concepts familiar from Biblical times. But evidence that China manifestly believed in a sustaining, creator God with moral attributes very similar to those of ancient Israel’s Yahweh are hard to dispute. Even harder to dismiss is the sense that the Chinese emperors inherited an understanding that each of them acted as the “Son of Heaven” in ruling China and owed a regular accountability to a force infinitely above themselves: shang di, or the often-used synonym tian (“heaven”).

The question arises therefore, if the ancient Chinese worshiped God, why did they depart from that practice and admit a pantheon of Buddhist and Taoist deities in the course of their long history? Thong and Fu argue that the plethora of lesser deities arose during a turbulent period of China’s history, the so-called Warring States period (475–221 BC). At that point, China also became enamored of the dragon, says Thong, and worship of the creator became worship of the creature. It was downhill from then onwards in China’s cosmology, the authors argue.

Why would a publishing house in the People’s Republic of China be willing to issue such a book? This is an intriguing question. The answer may be found in the fact that Christianity has made powerful inroads into the society during the Communist period, especially since the death of Mao Zedong in 1976. A report from a generally respected observer of the Christian scene in China cites a Chinese official as having complained, behind closed doors, that China’s Christians now totaled approximately 130 million, or ten percent of the population. Perhaps, even in official publishing houses or in the government offices that approve titles to be published, there are hidden adherents—or at least admirers—of the Christian faith. Or, as Thong and Fu would have it, the ancient Chinese faith.

Source: Provocations

Ancient Chinese Language Supports Creation

2009-02-06T13:28:00.002+08:00

Haha, Pst Kong preached not so long ago about the linkages between God and ancient Chinese that are embedded in the chinese language. I did not manage to copy much notes so did some research online and think that the following article is quite informative and covers some of the same issues that Pst. Kong covered. It is really wonderous how the ancient Chinese were so close to the God in their beliefs and practices before Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism were birthed.

Source: arky.org

One of the primary characteristics which separates human behavior from animals is the ability to transfer abstract concepts to another human via written language. The Bible teaches that this ability came directly from a creator God and states that the vastly different languages of the world are a result of the confusion of one original language during an event known as the tower of Babel. Our English word babble (meaning gibberish, chatter, nonsense) has it roots in this event. If this event was a factual, historical happening, there would be clues in ancient writing for such important events such as the creation of man, the fall of man, the existence of a creator (God) and a deceiver (Satan), the world wide flood, and the dispersion of man (at the tower of Babel).
Knowledge of all of these events can be found not just in the Bible but through the ancient writing of people throughout the world. One of the more interesting clues can be found within the very characters of the ancient Chinese letter symbols. Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism dominate the religious beliefs of China today but 2000 years before the appearance of any of these religious beliefs the ancient Chinese served a single creator god known as "Shang Ti".
Ancient Chinese writing consisted of a series of word pictures or pictographs, which combined simpler features to express an idea or concept. The symbol for Shang Ti (God) is a combination of the symbol for emperor and the symbol for heaven (or above).

Þ Thus, the original God worshiped by the Chinese was a single heavenly emperor (not a plurality of many gods).
The Bible describes the creation of man as God having formed him from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life. The Chinese symbol for create is a combination of person (or breath), dust, walking, and alive.

Þ Thus, to create is to bring a person from dust to life and have it walk.
The Bible describes the devil as the great deceiver who first tempted mankind during a private conversation among the trees of the Garden of Eden. The Chinese symbol for Devil is a combination of alive, man, garden, and secret {i.e. something alive tells man a secret in a garden}. Even more revealing is the symbol for tempter. This symbol adds devil to trees and cover.

Þ Thus, the great tempter is a devil telling man a secret under trees.
The Bible describes a world wide flood catastrophe in which all human life with the exception of eight individuals on a floating vessel were destroyed. The Chinese symbol for boat is vessel, eight, and people.

Þ Thus, a boat is eight people onboard of a vessel!
The Bible describes that man was told to spread out over the earth after the worldwide flood yet he rebelled and built a tower to his own glory. God ended this rebellion by confusing man's languages so that they set out and journeyed across the globe in different language groups. Interestingly the Chinese chose to use the identical symbol for confusion and rebellion...a combination of tongue and right leg (or journey).

Þ Thus, to confuse is to set out on a journey with a new tongue (or language).
Many more examples can be found in an excellent book by C.H. Kang and Ethel Nelson called The Discovery of Genesis.

Miraculous Messages from Water

2009-02-06T05:49:00.007+08:00

How water structure reflects our consciousness

I remembered Pst Kong preached about the power of confession and prayer last year at around October, and decided to look up one of the examples he mentioned in his sermon. It is really quite amazing how the non-christian japanese scientist managed to find evidence to prove the power of saying positive messages to water - an inanimate object. And remember a large percentage of humans are made up of water? Imagine how much we are always edified when we say/think positive things to ourselves and our friends! And conversely, the amount of damage done when we say/think negative things... it is definitely better to remain optimistic and to keep on proclaiming and thinking positivities no matter how bleak circumstances may be!

Source: life-enthusiast.com

Water has a very important message for us. Water is telling us to take a much deeper look at our selves. When we do look at our selves through the mirror of water, the message becomes amazingly, crystal, clear. We know that human life is directly connected to the quality of our water, both within and all around us.
The photographs and information in this article reflect the work of Masaru Emoto, a creative and visionary Japanese researcher Mr. Emoto has published an important book, "The Message from Water" from the findings of his worldwide research If you have any doubt that your thoughts affect everything in, and around you, the information and photographs that are presented here, taken from the book of his published results, will change your mind and alter your beliefs, profoundly.

How the molecular structure of water is affected...
From Mr. Emoto's work we are provided with factual evidence, that human vibrational energy, thoughts, words, ideas and music, affect the molecular structure of water, the very same water that comprises over seventy percent of a mature human body and covers the same amount of our planet. Water is the very source of all life on this planet, the quality and integrity are vitally important to all forms of life. The body is very much like a sponge and is composed of trillions of chambers called cells that hold liquid. The quality of our life is directly connected to the quality of our water.
Water is a very malleable substance. Its physical shape easily adapts to whatever environment is present. But its physical appearance is not the only thing that changes, the molecular shape also changes. The energy or vibrations of the environment will change the molecular shape of water. In this sense water not only has the ability to visually reflect the environment but it also molecularly reflects the environment.
Mr. Emoto has been visually documenting these molecular changes in water by means of his photographic techniques. He freezes droplets of water and then examines them under a dark field microscope that has photographic capabilities. His work clearly demonstrates the diversity of the molecular structure of water and the effect of the environment upon the structure of the water.
Discover how each source has an effect on the visual photographed structure...

Snow has been falling on the earth for more than a few million years. Each snowflake, as we have been told, has a very unique shape and structure. By freezing water and taking a photograph of the structure, as Mr. Emoto has done, you get incredible information about the water.
Mr. Emoto has discovered many fascinating differences in the crystalline structures of water from many different sources and different conditions around the planet. Water from pristine mountain streams and springs show the beautifully formed geometric designs in their crystalline patterns. Polluted and toxic water from industrial and populated areas and stagnated water from water pipes and storage dams show definitively distorted and randomly formed crystalline structures.

Sanbu-ichi Yusui Spring water,

Japan Shimanto River, referred to as the last clean stream in Japan

Antarctic Ice

Fountain in Lourdes, France

Biwako Lake, the largest lake at the center of Japan and the water pool of the Kinki Region. Pollution is getting worse.

Yodo River, Japan, pours into the Bay of Osaka. The river passes through most of the major cities in Kasai.

Untreated Distilled Water

Fujiwara Dam, before offering a prayer

Fujiwara Dam, after offering a prayer
With the recent popularity in music therapy, Mr. Emoto decided to see what effects music has on the structuring of water. He placed distilled water between two speakers for several hours and then photographed the crystals that formed after the water was frozen.

Beethoven's Pastorale

Tibet Sutra

Kawachi Folk Dance

After seeing water react to different environmental conditions, pollution and music, Mr. Emoto and colleagues decided to see how thoughts and words affected the formation of untreated, distilled, water crystals, using words typed onto paper by a word processor and taped on glass bottles overnight. The same procedure was performed using the names of deceased persons. The waters were then frozen and photographed.

Heavy Metal Music

You Make Me Sick, I Will Kill You

Adolph Hitler

Thank You

Love and Appreciation

Mother Teresa
These photographs show the incredible reflections of water, as alive and highly responsive to every one of our emotions and thoughts.

It is quite clear that water easily takes on the vibrations and energy of it's
environment, whether toxic and polluted or naturally pristine.
Masaru Emotos extraordinary work is an awesome display, and powerful tool, that can change our perceptions of ourselves and the world we live in, forever. We now have profound evidence that we can positively heal and transform ourselves and our planet by the thoughts we choose to think and the ways in which we put those thoughts into.

Newsletter Jan 2009 - Tomorrow

2009-01-31T23:59:00.005+08:00

Editor's Note: This is the last time this publication will be named as 'Tomorrow'. As the famous saying goes, "never leave till tomorrow, what you can do today." This issue was originally slated for release in early January, but has since underwent several postponement due to the lack of inspiration in writing, and further compounded by the bad choice in naming.

Group 16 - New Roles for 2009!

2009-01-31T20:45:00.011+08:00

Exodus 18:14-23
14 So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

17 So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. 18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”

As we end January of 2009, we will be implementing some new stuff and appoint people into new roles. These things that I am posting here have been under much discussion, thought and prayer over the past month and we are happy to announce these appointments. It is always important for new appointments to be made so that more leaders can be raised up and current batches of leaders can sustain and endure the long run and fight the good fights. Having said the above, I wish to give a few tips:

Appointments are not promotions. However, every appointment comes with delegated authority to act as per necessary to accomplish the tasks given to us. So approach every tasks given to you with humility but act in faith and boldness.
Those who are faithful in the little things will be entrusted with greater things. So, be faithful in whatever little you have been given. Be accountable for the areas that you have been entrusted. You don't have to do everything yourself and you can solicit help from fellow Group 16 ushers, but you are accountable and responsible for things placed under your charge.
Learn to press into your leaders' lives and avail yourselves to serve. Just as Elisha kept on pressing into Elijah's life, many times we can catch our leaders' anointing only when we press in hard into their lives. Avail yourself to do more if you can. And initiate something if your leader is not doing anything. Start the ball rolling! Sometimes, your leader is just waiting for you to make the first move.
Don't compare yourself with other servants of God. Everybody serves onto the Lord and everyone is given their individual tasks by the Lord according to his unique situation. When Peter asked Jesus what would become of John (in John 21:20-25), Jesus told Him to mind his own business and focus on his own ministry.
Learn to delegate! And raise up people to help you! Although you may be the one appointed to be accountable for a certain task, but the burden is for the whole body of Christ to bear. No individual should bear so much that he becomes drained/burnt out. Learn to share the burden and loads. If you have capable ushers with you, share the burden with them!
Learn to ask for advice - from your leaders, from your peers, from your ushers! We are all unique creations of God and everyone of us have something to contribute, so learn to learn from everyone and anyone!

Without further ado, here are the new roles and appointments.

Recruitment Team
Purpose: to recruit new ushers into Group 16 during off-duty weeks
IC: William Tsui
2IC: Abigail Lee
Members: To be recommended and confirmed by ICs. Minimum of 3 pax per section.

Treasury Team
Purpose: to collect and manage finances for gifts and refreshments (on a monthly basis)
IC: William Tsui
2IC: Gregory Lim

Duty Records Team (for both leaders + ushers):
Purpose: to track down positions that leaders + ushers have been doing and ensure rotation (on a fortnightly basis)
IC: Koh Chung Kiat
2IC: Jasmine Loo
Members: Benjamin Aw, Kok Boon Xiong

Paradox Team
Purpose: to ensure personal particulars of ushers are updated regularly (on a quarterly basis)
IC: Koh Chung Kiat
2IC: Jasmine Loo
Members: Team ICs are to take initiative for their own team's collection and updating of personal particulars

Ushers' Admin Team
Purpose: to ensure basic usher administration is carried out (as per necessary, especially when we have new ushers coming in)
Usher Tag IC: Benjamin Aw (for Section 1), Lee Hui Tong (for Section 2)
Photo-taking IC: Gavin Tan (for Section 1), Ivy Chen (for Section 2)
Contact List IC: Gregory Lim (for Section 1), Bernard Goh (for Section 2)

Welfare Team
Purpose: to take care of needs of ushers + raise morale of Group 16! (monthly basis)
Birthday + Gifts IC: Gavin Tan, Kok Boon Xiong
Outing + Celebrations IC: Abigail Lee, Ivy Chen
Prayer List IC: Gregory Lim, Bernard Goh

Group 16 Newsletter team
Purpose: to archive Grp 16 events, share tips + testimonies in a FUN way (monthly basis)
Chief Editor: Gavin Tan
Remarks: Other positions to be recommended and confirmed by Gavin. The more the merrier.

RED ALERT Team
Purpose: to account for every usher's attendance or absence from duties (fortnightly basis)
IC: Jasmine Loo (for Section 1), Koh Chung Kiat (for Section 2)
Members: Team ICs are to take initiative for their own team's collection and updating of attendance

Operation SOP Team
Purpose: to generate the SOP + checklists for key positions in JW so that understudies can be more equipped to take on new positions (2 month project; from February to March)
IC: Abigail Lee
Members: Benjamin Aw, Gavin Tan, William Tsui, Kok Boon Xiong, Bernard Goh
Consultants: Koh Chung Kiat, Jasmine Loo, Jacky Oh

Group 16 Decentralised Library

2009-01-31T07:37:00.006+08:00

An idea that popped up in my mind when I was washing up this morning. The idea is for every Group 16 usher to submit a list of items that they are willing and happy to lend to fellow Group 16 ushers. As of now, these items include Christian books, CDs, DVDs, sermons and other resources.

This way, we can share resources to build up our faith - especially for youths who may want to read certain christian books but can't afford them.

Some ground rules:

All loans are carried out on trust. Pls don't abuse nor violate the trust given to you.
Pls take good care of the items loaned to you.
All items can be loaned up to a maximum of 3 weeks.
There should not be a transference of loaned items to another borrower without the owner's explicit consent.
Lenders who lose borrowed items MUST compensate the borrower - by repurchasing/replacing the lost item.
No items should be "parked" nor stored at Logistics or any part of our church building.

Some issues to consider:

How to track loaned items?
How to maintain database of loanable items?

2009-01-21T09:07:00.002+08:00

to a great leader..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

YONGHUI !!

Colour Game 11.01.09

2009-01-12T09:24:00.005+08:00

To put the mentioned body part on a colour.

Butt on Yellow

legs not allowed to touch the floor

Right leg on White

How creative Peng Ru is, stepping on his HP

spider-men?!

Head on Blue

they all so love CK

Our appreciation gathering!

2009-01-07T14:37:00.005+08:00

It was a simple gathering with food, game, fellowship. . . and Award presentation!!! Presenting to you Group 16's. . . .

MS PRETTY (MOST WELL-DRESSED)

Carine

MOST TRANSFORMED USHER

Brian

MOST FAITHFUL

Quang Yee

MOST AVAILABLE USHER

Bernard

MOST AVAILABLE USHER

Eric

MR SUNSHINE

Gerald MR IPPT

Boon Xiong

RISING STAR (FEMALE)

Abigail
RISING STAR (MALE)
Gregory

. . . 2 more awards MR SMART (Most well-dressed) and Ms Sunshine yet to give out. This Sunday, come for duty and you will know who are the winners! :) YOU may be the one..

There is an appreciation gift for all G16 ushers.. for those who did not join us for this event.. come and claim it!

Once again, THANKS ALL FOR A GREAT 2008! 2009 is the best year yet!

-ivory

Draft SOP: Stage 1

2009-01-04T12:47:00.001+08:00

First contributed by Gerald.

Understudy Stage 1

Before service begins, get the floor plan with the names of the pastors who are coming, security, usher and etc. The list could get it from Hotel 1. After support go to logistic to confirm with the label whether there are sufficient. If it happens that the label has shortage, ask for Hotel 1 to print out the label. After debrief, prepare the ministry box, Pastor Derek’s bible, pen and note pad. Bring it down to the stage area and place them behind the curtain. Next is bulletin for the guest room and the artiste room 1 and 2. About 5 bulletin each. Put on the label accordingly to the floor plan. Do check with the security because they will have the first hand information on pastor or guest who is coming or not. Check Alpha 2 first row that the bulletin inserts are properly done. Make sure I have extra envelope and pen in case pastor ask for it. Remind the stage usher that offering is to be serve one by one.

Things to note:

First 3 rows of alpha are to be fill by stage 1 and 2. First row of alpha 1 and 3 are for Cell group leaders and mature members. For alpha 2 second row is for cell group leaders. Do communicate often with the other stage as we are as a team. Once first 3 rows are filled, coms the status to Hotel 1. During offering, first to observe is the stage pastor and then follow by the alpha 2 first row. During altar call, direct the people to the center and line them up row by row.

Draft SOP: Stage 2

2009-01-04T12:39:00.001+08:00

First contributed by Joshua Tham

Before Going into the Hall:

1. Check with the paper that shows the seating arrangement for the Pastors and others. Get the file that contains stickers of Pastors’ names, Sound crew and others. Bring the file along; Stage 1 & 2 should have both. If there are no stickers for a name, ask your section leader to help you print before going into the hall.

2. Check whether there is a pulpit cup for Pastor, check for Pastor Derek’s bible & notebook. Take some extra pens along with you. Make sure the there are 2 ministry boxes & check everything is inside; tissues, blue clothes, plastic bags, etc. When In The Hall: 1. Make sure stage usher (sister) filled up the tumblers, water for the Pastors’ row. The bottles are to place below every seat before cgls come in. 2. Bulletins for the artist rooms, around 7 for each room.

3. Make sure ministry boxes are placed behind the curtains. 2 boxes at both sides of the hall.

4. Make sure stickers are to be stick on allocated seats for Pastors, Sound crew, ushers. Use an A4 size paper as a rough gauge for the stickers to be stick. In the middle, every seat try to be exact.

5. Inform Hotel 1 that your zone and yourself with Stage 1 is ready. When doors open, fill up 1st 3 rows of alpha immediately with mature members and cgls. In a way to help build up the atmosphere and to help them in a way gain as much from the preacher.

6. Constantly work with Stage 1, your status on your side of the 1st 3 rows. No need keep communicating through comms, but maybe show signs or signals.

7. Check with the security at what time or before or after what will the pulpit moves. Then later on, start of 1st worship, go to logistics and take the pulpit cup and go to artiste room to prepare. Inform Stage 1 beforehand. Pulpit cup should be washed 1st then filled up 1/3 of cold water then 2/3 of warm water. Then use a straw to test whether the warmness of the water.

8. Then inform Stage 1 you’re ready, standing by behind stage area (left side). When security brings out the pulpit, move after they start walking a few steps, try to get the right timing.

9. Return to your seat, then when offering message is being preached, stand with Stage 1. When Pastor needs a offering envelop or a pen, quickly bring both to him. Then when collecting buckets, if no ushers are there to collect, help them collect.

10. Quickly return to your seat, listen to the preacher. Be sharp and focus at the same time on both sides, on the set and on the preacher. If the Pastor needs anything or drops anything, immediately go forward and help.

11. Then if there’s laying of hands, bring out the ministry boxes. Or if there’s altar call, help with the flow infront.

End of Service:

1. Make sure to collect the pulpit cup and wash it thoroughly and wrap it with tissues. Then place it back at logistics.

2. Make sure hall setback is done within a period of time. Inform Hotel 1 to get brothers for you if there isn’t any. Alpha 1 & 3, 4 rows to be removed and place back at the storerooms beside stage.
3. Then return everything back to logistics, like the files for the stickers, pens and ministry boxes.

Draft SOP: Traffic 1

2009-01-04T12:37:00.001+08:00

First contributed by Carine.

Before doors (hall) are opened

- Brief ushers & pray

- Allocate one usher each at Staircase 5 and 6

- Ensure that barricades are placed near staircase door to be used when doors (in the hall) are opened

- Ushers to greet and welcome the people, direct people to Q at the staircases, take attendance

- Report attendance to Hotel i/c

- Balance flow on both sides of the staircases

- Clear the passage as much as possible

- Report any special cases to Hotel i/c (handicapped on wheel chair, group of foreigners etc.)

- Allocate ushers at the lobby to direct the people to Q at the staircases instead of taking the lift down

After doors (hall) are opened

- Place barricades at staircase doors

- Allocate ushers at the lift lobby to take note of attendance and serve the congregation by pressing the lift for them

- Balance flow on both the lifts (1,2,3 & 4,5,6)

- Report attendance to Hotel i/c

- Before off duty, take attendance at the lobby (pple serving at the reception and attributes)

Draft SOP: East IC

2009-01-04T12:32:00.001+08:00

First contributed by Peng Ru.

From before service:
- Brief the ushers on what to do later before, during and after the service
- Double check the number of bulletins before bringing it down
- Ask my ushers to lay out the bulletins in the zone, placing them at the side of the seats
- I go to logistics to collect the buckets, make sure the stickers pasted at the bottom of the buckets and the number of buckets are correct before I sign.
- When my zone has finished laying bulletins, and if Alpha still needs help, I'll send one usher down to help them.
- Ask an usher to stand at the side door, asking them to do a rough count of the people queueing up, and then I'll report to Hotel 2.
- Let the usher at door know roughly what time the door opens

Door opens:
- Place one usher to stand at the side of the door, directing the flow to the stairs between E1 and E2.
- Place another usher at highway 4 to help S3 to block off people from seating the south area, and absorbing at the same time.
- Check the number of reserve seats and empty seats and let hotel 2 know.

Service starts:
- Start to clear reserve seats after praise
- Fill in the loopholes by letting hotel 2 knowing the number of seats that are empty in my zone
- Give out bulletins during 3 min intro
- During offering, make sure my ushers have enough envelopes to give to congregations that don't have
- During altar call, usher the people down towards the stage for altar call.
- During altar call, if any congregation tries to leave, try to hold them until the end of the altar call

Service ends:
- Give end of service briefing, thanking the ushers for serving, encouraging them.
- Clear the bulletins, clear the zones, make sure they go up for recycling after their cg debrief.

Draft SOP: Hotel 2

2009-01-04T12:27:00.001+08:00

First drafted by Ivy Chen.

step 1: i will call up the zone IC for zone Alpha, West and East as well as hotel 3 and 4 before sundays comes. to plan for the flow and zone usher standing position.

step 2: before we go in have need to pass zone IC the attendance card. and let's say chinese church end at 12pm we are able to go that time i will ask Alpha IC to send one sharp usher to stand at the lift 7 and 8. to ensure service 4 CGL are not allow to come into the hall until intsrution is given. and ensure zone Alpha, West and East bulletin is with them and they should have already start laying of their bulletin as well as ensure IC to collect buget for offering.

step 3: check with Alpha IC who is taking pastors roll offering. and by 12.05 to 12.10 they should have finish laying their bulletin. by that time West and East i will send 1 usher each to guide the door for 5 and 6. and i will go around to check the bulletin is done and buget is with them ensure the numbers of counts is correct. and to ask how many chiro memebers sitting together at zone East as well as how many musicians is sitting at zone West.

step 4: get 2 Acupoints from zone Alpha to stand by at high way 2 and high way 3.

step 5: before door open i will ask usher to stand by. let's say zone Alpha got 4 usher, West and East got 3 usher each (incubling the zone IC). door 5 and 6 will open first. let's start from zone West first, i will ask 1 usher stand at door 5 to get ready to doors open and one usher stand at the staircase to directly flow to zone alpha and another usher will stand near Alpha 1 to direct flow. same goes to zone East also. (i feel that door 5 and 6 is not hard to manage only when door 1 and 2 open is the diffcult part comes)

step 6: when door 5 and 6 is already no people will ask the door usher to close the door. and will ask Acupoints to encourage flow to the zone Alpha West and East NOT South area. and will reposition the usher, 1 usher stand inbetween west and alpha so that he or she can bring the memebers to the empty sits. another usher will stand near high way 1 area and the other usher will stand around the Acupointer area. same goes to zone East.

step 7: here is when hotel 3 plays a part. ask the south usher not to fill in their zone but to direct flow to floor area.

first will direct from high way 1 and 4 to fill up my zone east and west.. than flow high way 2 and 3 by filling up my alpha or east and west..

step 8: keep directing flow till 5min before service start zone ushers will may have to start looking for empty sits.

before service start will ask for states.

step 9: during praise and worship will ask for states and ask hotel 4 to flow more people to the most number of emtpy sits to the zone.. and ensure my alpha 1 to 3 first 3 rolls is CGL or mature memebers.

step 10: during 3 mins talk try to scan thur the empty sits of the zone and fill it up as soon as possible..

step 11: during video will need to go to artist room to check for the numbers of people as well as the side console and main console.

step 12: during offering will ensure all buget to be corrected from each zone. to observe all the zone duget is corrected by the zone ushers.

step 13: during salvation call will ensure people is going to the alpha high way 2 and 3. ask usher to direct flow only to both ways.. main purpose is that middle of the stage wont look empty once almost filled than ask direct people to the alpha high way 1 and 4.

step 14: end of the service to collect attendance card pass to whoever doing attednance that week.

step 15: meet with the zone IC for debrifing after their zone debrifing, to see what can be done better for next duty.

Draft SOP: Hotel 3

2009-01-04T12:23:00.002+08:00

First contributed by Benjamin Aw

Pre-Service Planning:

The day before the day of the service duty, I will organize a conference call bet Hotel 2-4 and we will tie down the following:

Position of the ushers before and during the service, especially between points that involves two Hotels. Eg, acupoints, svc flow etc.
Defining Area of responsibility and our position during svc so as to maximize our coverage effect.
How communication between us will be carried out, while minimizing the use of the comm set.
Pre-empt some possible scenarios and devise some solutions.

After so, i will do an allocation of the ushers allocated to my South to each zone and one to nursery and prepare instructions and localised briefing.

What are their responsibilities.
Where can they find me should anything they can't handle arise.
Any questions that they may have.

Pre-Service Preparation:
I'll clarify with Hotel 1 before the general briefing about certain questions:

What is the estimated flow today?
How many rows for South 1-3 will be closed?
Any special instructions or special handouts?

During the localised briefing, i go through with them the duty and set a vision and goal for the group.

Also i will ask them to hep them in the hall set back and recycling after service, and appoint a time for a briefing.
At the same time, i will do arrangement accordingly should any unforseen circumstances occur. (eg, usher didn't come, etc)

During Service:

I'll help prep the hall with the ushers and when closer to the opening doors time. I will place the ushers in the pre appointed positions.
During service, i will place myself somewhere that i can see most of the south areas and will be moving around and welcoming people into the hall from the lift lobbies and address any arising problems.

Possible cases, i'll take haft of the hall while hotel 4 takes the other 1.
So to maximize coverage.

During Service, i will ensure the smooth flow of offerings and also the nursery attendance and offering.
When sermon starts i will take one lift lobby to welcome latecomers and anyone leaving early.
Post Service:

At the appointed briefing time:

How do you think this service went?
What good things have you or the others done?
What are some things that can be improved?

After a quick sharing, i will share what i have noticed with them and what can be improved on it.

After so, i'll help delegate them to help finish up the recycling/hall set back.

Newsletter Dec 2008 - The Straight Times

2008-12-05T01:30:00.005+08:00

Page2

You are Heroes!

2008-11-24T23:39:00.003+08:00

Hi everyone!

Asia Conference 08 is finally over and I am sure the ushering duties had stretched our faith and capacity over the event! Just want to let you read an email complimenting ushers for a great job done! Let's keep up the good attitude and service!

Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:27:39 +0800
Subject: Thank You Ushers - THe Unsung Heroes of Asia Conference

I'm not sure who to direct this mail, hence I'm sending it to you. (Are you still in charge of the ushers?)

I just want to say Big Thank You to all the ushers who have worked extremely hard during the Conference. Throughout the 5 days, my encounters with the ushers have been really pleasant. They are ever so helpful, always smiling, despite the difficult crowd at times.

There was once while I was queuing to enter the hall, when a group of upset foreign delegates were asking to be let into the hall. The door usher was a petite, young girl of not more than 18. She was pleasant yet firm, and was not daunted by the large crowd. Her gentle words of assurance and tact in handling the adults displayed much wisdom. I was really impressed.

Throughout the 5 days, more than the messages, the ushers' attitude truly impacted me. There are frequent incidences when ushers were reprimanded by members, delegates, greeters, yet they tried their best to be pleasant while getting their job done. I'm touched by the ushers, many of them are so young, their servanthood is really commendable.

We showcased many remarkable talents and programmes on stage during the Asia conference, but the church also showcased a great people with great attitude off-stage. That's why I sincerely think they are the unsung heroes. I would like to thank all of them for going the extra mile, I'm sure many echoed my sentiments.

Thank you ushers for going the extra mile, the conference was a remarkable success and a pleasant experience for attendees like me because of your hard word.

You guys are truly the unsung heroes of Asia Conference.

2008-11-13T22:48:00.004+08:00

什麼原因會讓你想哭?
排一下自己最易哭的原因! (1是最容易 , 5是最不容易) 五個選項分別是:
A感動 B傷心 C痛( 是肉體, 不是心靈) D生氣 E擔心/緊張

感動：不是跟你很熟的人覺得你是
1 - 一個常常把自己藏起來的人。很有神秘感。不容易接近。
2 - 一個很會關心別人的人。很容易發現身邊有人不開心。不會很容易講錯東西或話題.
3 - 一個傻傻的人。怪怪的。想做什麼就做什麼。不過很可愛。
4 - 一個不會想﹐老是要人擔心的人。(特別是長輩)
5 - 一個很聰明﹐很負責任的領導人。對你很尊敬.

傷心：跟你很熟的人覺得你是
1 - 對很多事都要求很高的人。不過有很多時候都太固執。
2 - 可以跟你講道理。黑白之間分辨得很清楚。
3 - 心思很細膩的人。很多時候傷心不會表現出來，不過其實大家都看得出來。
4 - 會先想很多才會做選擇。不想自己給人看扁,自尊可以算是很強的人。
5 - 外剛內柔的人。但其實知道你的內心不是那麼堅強。

痛：你想要別人覺得你是
1 - 很需要別人保護的人。
2 - 不是那麼容易接近的人。
3 - 好人一個。很關心身邊的人。不怕做犧牲的人。
4 - 很聰明 , 不過又不會驕傲的人。
5 - 很清楚自己想什麼要什麼的人。

生氣：你最希望你的情人是
1 - 跟你很合拍。你跟他想的東西是一樣 ,不用問便知道對方要什麼。
2 -不會很客易發脾氣。要懂得容忍你。外剛內柔。有自己的性格。
3 - 內心是很可愛的一個人。你猜不到下一步他會做什麼。
4 -很細心。你需要什麼他都有準備。不會因為很少的東西便找你。
5 - 智慧很重要。可以管得到你的人。而且要講道理。

擔心 /緊張：其實真實的你是
1 - 一個很怕給別人看到自己是什麼樣的人。不喜歡自己性格的人。
2 -孤獨的人。很希望可以跟一大堆人在一起。不過很多時候都不知道怎樣跟別人溝通.
3 -覺得朋友比天還重要的人。很珍惜身邊很多朋友。敢愛敢恨。不過不喜歡的人你就不會去管.. 4 -直接的人。很多時候因為這樣的性格跟別人不合。希望有多一點人可以了解你, 特別是你喜歡的人。
5 -不是很清楚自己將來要什麼。不過就很幸運的走過半生。不會對很多東西有要求。最重要是可以開心過每一天!

2008-10-29T21:35:00.002+08:00

I just thought i would like to leave a post after reading Boonxiong's entry...

You know what? Officially, im already, 8 years in Usher Ministry! I joined usher since 2000 and yes, serving since then. One year after im in church, ive always wanted to help out in one way or another. I remembered shortly after i was integrated into the cg, i volunteered to helpout with birthday surprises for our members birthdays! This is one of the best pasttime i enjoyed. Buying presents for them, having surprises and make them REALLY happy....

i started serving as a young girl, since sec 1, unsure of the people, just thickskinned hangout with my another usher (my cgm) friends... who are now our section leaders like Youmei, and caiyun if you know them...

No one knew me... i was just another girl... hmm.. if you have seen me before... i was so not really pretty, didnt know how to dress up, every week wear formal... and becoz i was just sec 1, no much money, i invested in 1 pants, 2 formal shirts.. and every week just wear them alternately. How BLESSED are YOU NOW???

Well, this didnt stop me from serving God. In the little ways, i enjoyed myself alot alot... Making new friends.. stepping out of my comfort zone to talk to new people...

I recalled my leaders and the ushers around me were the friends that really helped me to grow... I started to do more for God during my sec 3 to sec 4 years... Lawrence Zheng, he was the one who encouraged me and urged me to try out little ways.. I always remembered i did my first calling to hubert.. he is not in church anymore.. but it was challenging.. talking to a stranger.. BUT, i still did it.. How blessed are you to call people you have seen before now!

Jacky Ong - our steady and zai stage 1, was part of the group that grew together.. They really took great care of me and love me for who am i...

Well,, really Thank God for people with Grace and LOVE... without them, i will never be able to serve God if you judge my appearance.

Next on, Bai Qingni - G15 SL, she was the one who continued to mould me and push me up for leadership. She really matured me and through her, i learn how to be prettier.. LIGHT PRODUCES LIGHT! hahaa...

And of course, all the rest of the ushers who have served with me before... thanks for believing in me and loving me... Ushers are the best friends yet. WHY? We served God together, fasted during duties.. haaha.. too busy to eat... get scolded together, play together, had fun together... Treasure your friends here! Your stepping stone to a higher level!

OKAY.. LETS DO THIS... GUESS WHO AM I??

Boon Xiong here!!

2008-10-28T01:41:00.005+08:00

Hi fellow ushers!
This is the 1st time i'm Blogging! Seriously. Haha.
I'll share how i joined usher ministry.

I join UM for the 1st time on 4/2/2007. During that time we were in Expo. About 3 months after I accepted christ. I wanted to join the security ministry at 1st. Haha. Dun need to explain why. Those who know how I look like should know, second to that is the choir ministry, cuz u get to know the lastest worship songs and U GET TO SING! Usher ministry wasn't in my mind. Cuz I feel that the ushers are crazy, why are they so happy went we are stepping into church. They line-up in 2 straight rows outside the entrance and greet u every single time u walk pass. All so smiling and happy, but the be frank. Those smiles really brightens my day even it was my most unlucky day in my whole life. Really felt happy coming to church even when i need to wake up early in the morning to travel from Jurong to Expo at 8am.

Cut the story short, XinYi was the usher that recruited me after service ends. She approached one of the helpers in my cg. I didnt wanna serve as an usher becuz I like sercurity and choir more, I told my cgh that I dun wanna join, but she approached me with a great smile on her face. I cant reject her XD! Haha. Soon after that, I realise it was the best decision other than accepting Jesus into my heart. Why it was a Great decision? You get to know a lot of friends even on the 1st day you start to serve! You meet the most smiling group of people in the whole church! Even smilier than the greeters XD! Right? I once heard a leader said, It You dun get to know 100 other people on ur left and right. It's either you walk to the wrong place or u are not an usher. That's very truth! But in JW now, we dun have that much people =X so invite ur friends and cg to the most happening ministry in the church!

Happy Birthday, Ivory!!!

2008-10-25T05:54:00.008+08:00

Happy Birthday, Ivory!

YH's UM Story - How I got into Usher Ministry...

2008-10-24T16:04:00.018+08:00

Seems like nobody has the time to write their testimony yet, so let me start first. There are many testimonies that I've got in my time with Usher Ministry, so before I go into any of them, let me share how I got into Usher Ministry in the first place.

I was saved in Dec 2003, and I got into Usher Ministry in Oct 2004. In these 10 short months, I'd a few spiritual encounters, one of which I believe to be a call into usher ministry.

Back in Jun 2004, I was water baptized. And for 6 months since my salvation, I was agonizing over my repeated failures in sharing the gospel with my friends and winning souls. The joy of water baptism made my failures to win the lost even more painful, and I prayed to God,

"Lord, I love you. You have given me so much, but I've given little back to You. What else can I give you? There must be something that I can give you???!!!"

The reply was

"Serve me in a ministry."

Excited that God gave such a clear answer and confident of God's plans for me, I scanned through the church website for a ministry to join. I was basically interested in only 1 ministry: SECURITY MINISTRY. Why? Because they look cool, and I wanted to look cool. Because they looked fierce, and I looked fierce naturally. Security Ministry would seemed to be the best for me both in terms of my desires and my natural gifts (ie I looked fierce...) But the catch was: I needed to be at least an OM and preferably have 1 year of ministry experience (which I don't have) to join Security Ministry.

"How then?" I asked myself. The only other options left had a lot to do with hospitality and care, plus visitations, which I thoroughly rejected. So I asked my CGL how? He said, "since you are good in design, why don't you join TV ministry? You can utilize your design skills there?" I prayed about TV ministry and there was simply no peace of God whenever I thought of joining TV ministry. So I went back to the church website to look at the list of ministries...

There was still the same old list of ministries... I wanted to join Security Ministry... My CGL suggested that I join TV Ministry... How?

So I prayed.

I felt a gentle prompting to join Usher Ministry... What??? I couldn't believe it... Usher Ministry was an "unglam" ministry; I'd great design skills which would go to waste if I'd joined Usher Ministry; I looked too fierce to be a friendly usher; I'd bad experiences dealing with ushers as a new friend; I was enraged by ineffective ushers during Emerge Conference... Basically, I detested Usher Ministry, but the easiest ministry to join would be Usher Ministry...

So I prayed again.

Then the Holy Spirit invited me for a walk in the park that was just beside my home in Pasir Ris. And I walked (in my slippers and shorts... very unglam... but since it was to be a short walk, why bother dressing up? Little did I know the Holy Spirit had other ideas...)

The Holy Spirit and I walked, and walked, and walked, and walked... till we reached the MRT station. I was puzzled because I thought it was supposed to be a short walk, so I asked, "Lord, You want me to board the train?" The Lord answered, "Yes." "But to where?" I asked again. There was no answer.

So I boarded the train.

I was a bit concerned as I boarded the train, because I had little money with me, and was dressed very sloppily. But since the Lord called, so I obeyed. Anxious to alight asap, I asked the Lord whether I should alight at each and every station that we passed by... The Lord gave no answer untill we reached City Hall.

"Lord, should I alight now?"
"Yes."
"Are You sure?" (I just wanted to be sure... Sloppy clothes and slippers stand out in a place like City Hall...)
"Yes!"

I obeyed, and was intensely mystified why the Lord was bringing me on such a journey. But because I was a very young believer, I had a child-like faith in the Lord and just followed His every bidding with little questioning. Subsequently, the Lord led me to a Christian bookstore near Fort Canning Park (or the previous National Library building). I walked in, saw nothing of interest, made a quick turn and was about to walk out when the bookstore owner stopped me and said,

"Sir, the Holy Spirit wants me to talk to you."
"Oh, really~~~?" (I was trying to act cool and aloof... but I was actually freaking out on the inside...)

"Yes, the Holy Spirit wants me to talk to you about serving God"
"Oh, really~~~?" (I acted even cooler...)

"Serving God is about seeking God's righteousness, not self-righteousness."
"Ok~~~" (I was puzzled, because I did not know the difference.)

"Seeking God's righteousness means to obey the Lord, and do things that He has called us to do..."
"..." (I was still trying to act uninterested, but inside my heart was pumping fast in expectation...)

"Seeking self-righteousness means to do unto the Lord what you yourself think is best for the Lord, without regard to what God truly wants... It is pride disguised in religiousity, and IT IS SIN!"
"!!!" (I realised I was being self-righteous all this while!!! Immediately, I repented on the inside and made a silent resolution to seek God's righteousness first always...)

The bookstore owner subsequently said more and spoke more into my life. And the more he spoke, the more I realised God was talking to me through him. God was answering my prayers for a ministry! And God's message was pretty clear:

Listen to Me and seek My righteousness. Join Usher Ministry and learn to be a servant. Don't question My call for you, just obey it.

So immediately I went home and sent in my application online to join Usher Ministry. I also handed in a manual copy to my CGL just to make sure. It was another 3-4 months before Usher Ministry interviewed me and accepted me into the minstry.

And the adventure began...

(Part 1 finished)

Call for Manna : 16 Oct 2008

2008-10-16T09:15:00.004+08:00

Hi Hi,

We're calling for "Manna" (we mean spiritual food here) from you! Have you got a personal testimony to share? Or perhaps a new revelation from God? Share it! Don't despise your own story/revelation even if it may appear small in your eyes because God may use it in a great way in another person's life! And if God can turn 5 loaves and 2 fish into food that can feed thousands, so can God do the same to your "Manna"!

Certain forms of spiritual food you can share:

Personal Testimonies
Personal Revelations from God
Sermon Outlines (transcripted from church services, bible seminars, etc.)
Reviews of Christian Books, CDs, audio sermons, etc.

Beware of Wrong Doctrines being Spread

2008-10-13T16:42:00.007+08:00

Today, I received the following email. I think it is a good warning, and one that we need to heed to, since Jesus has already warned us that towards the end-days, more and more false teachers will come and try to deceive us into following distorted forms of Christianity.

Hi NUS;
It has come to our attention that there have been groups of people conducting innocent Surveys along the walk ways of NUS and in the hostels. These people are well-dressed, operate in pairs, and they are presumed to be Koreans. Their survey opens with very broad Christian ideas such as, "What is your present religious belief?", "Do you know who Jesus is?", "Do you know the significance of the number 666?"

After which, they will dwell into a conversation that states that they belong to the only true church of God in the world, that God is a mother, and that they have the "right" practices. inviting you to join them in their small group gatherings thereafter.

Lets pray against this spread of wrong doctrines and protect the minds of our friends and our sheep. Such "evangelism" have never been so active in NUS before. It only proves that as we Raise the Standard, the enemy is trying to come against us like a Flood.

Knowledge is power [yonghui's note : that's why we need to read and know our bible inside-out], and we must protect the next generation of leaders in Singapore. If these people are targeting NUS, I don't see why they are not doing the same in NTU and SMU. If you have friends in the other universities, drop them a line to inform them, so that we can stand against this in Unity. [yonghui's note : warn your friends too]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"""World Mission Society: Church of God". Watch this group that is going around handing out their pamphlets in MRT stations and bus stops. This people believe that their church is the only true church on earth. "Our church is the only true church which God has established on this earth (Acts 20:28) [yonghui's note : dunno which version of Bible they are using??!! But my version does not say this]. Through all ages and histories, there has constantly been good and evil and the two have been opposed to each other?truth has always hated falsehood, and falsehood truth" (Rev Joo Cheol Kim).

They also believe that their founder is Jesus Christ: This sect was founded by Ahnsahnghong in 1964, when he left the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The church believes that he (referred to by his followers as Christ Ahnsahnghong) is the second coming of Jesus. Ahnsahnghong died in 1985, three years before his prediction of the second coming of Christ. Today the leader of the church is Zahng Gil Jah, known to followers as the Heavenly Mother, and the General Pastor is Kim Joo-cheol. Zahng Gil Jah usually appears in public wearing a traditional Korean hanbok. Over 70 percent of followers are women and Korean Americans are increasingly found among the new adherents. Its main office is located in Bundang, Sungnam City, Kyunggi Province, roughly an hour away from Seoul.
The church believes that Korean resident Gil-Jah Zahng is "God the Mother" (who they believe is referred to in the Bible as the New Jerusalem Mother) [yonghui's note : Has the Bible ever mentioned "God the Mother"? someone pls tell me where to find in the Bible] as well as that Ahnsahnghong is God the Father. The church regards that the earthly family system is a copy and shadow of the heavenly family system, consisting of a Heavenly Father, Heavenly Mother, and the spiritual brothers and sisters (humans). Members believe that as physical life is given by a physical mother, spiritual life (eternal life) is given by a Heavenly Mother.
The two fundamental beliefs held by the church are their claim that Ahnsahnghong was the second coming of Jesus, and that only those who keep the Passover will be saved. The church believes that Ahnsahnghong is the one who has restored the new covenant in accordance with the prophecies in the Bible.
Sabbath
The church believes that the Sabbath day was established by God to be Saturday and that it is a day set apart to commemorate God as Creator. They argue that Jesus kept the sabbath and established "the Sabbath of Jesus" (Matt. 12:8; Luke 6:5) as the completion of "the Sabbath of Jehovah" (Ex. 31:13; Ezek. 20:12) and that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday by the emperor Constantine and the influence of Roman sun-god worshipers
Soul
Ahnsahnghong taught that "all men are angels who have come to the earth after sinning in heaven." The Church believes that the Spirit was revealed through the creation of human beings. They draw these beliefs from their interpretation of Genesis 2:7, and Ecclesiastes 12:7. They believe that the body is the temporal home of the Spirit, or the soul.

Baptism
The World Mission Society Church of God holds that baptism is the first step toward salvation. They believe that baptism is a law of the new covenant and that it cleanses the soul and atones for the believer's sin. Followers are baptized in the name of Ahnsanghong, and the church believes that salvation cannot be obtained without baptism [yonghui's note : if this was true, then Jesus must have lied to the thug who confessed Jesus as Lord before he died on Calvary]. According to the church, wisdom to recognize God cannot be given without the forgiveness of sin preceding it. Therefore, they believe that a person should be baptized before beginning religious study.
The World Mission Society Church of God is widely believed to be a cult, by those outside of the organization due its deviation from mainstream Christian beliefs. The Christian Council of Korea, which represents Protestant churches in the country, has declared the Church of God "heresy".""

G16 contact list - Draft Design

2008-10-12T01:45:00.003+08:00

G16 contact list cover copy, originally uploaded by yonghui121.

The draft design for our Group's contact list is out. The team ICs will be going through with you to check one more time your particulars (and we'll fine tune the design) before we decide if we should go ahead to print and distribute the contact cards.

Do let us know how you find the design (or maybe you spotted a spelling error?)!

Birthday Babies

2008-10-11T04:29:00.007+08:00

3 Jan - Pui Ye
21 Jan - Yong Hui
22 Jan - Wen Ai
23 Jan - Gavin Tan

17 Feb - Abigail Lee
22 Feb - Jacky Oh
24 Feb - Mallory, Jeremy Shing
27 Feb - Tan Bo Zong

5 Mar - Eric
11 Mar - Ru Feng
17 Mar - Wen Jie
18 Mar - Zi Yang
26 Mar - Yun Xi
27 Mar - Quang Yee
31 Mar - Hui Tong

5 Oct - Nelson
7 Oct - Joshua Ong
8 Oct - Jason
9 Oct - Rebecca
11 Oct - Benjamin Chan, Ivy
19 Oct - Carine, Peng Ru
22 Oct - Bernard Goh
25 Oct - Ivory
28 Oct - Clara

3 Nov - Tan Si Jia
4 Nov - He Ren Shen
6 Nov - Wen Jia Grace
9 Nov - Geneieve Soon
29 Nov - Jasmine Loo

16 Dec - Krishnan Dannel + Chua Jia Hao
25 Dec - Gerald Lim

About City Harvest Church Usher Ministry

2007-09-02T18:39:00.001+08:00

Usher ministry is a ministry which is essential to every move of God and a ministry which desires to support the ministry of the Word and Spirit, by rendering practical support that will facilitates the efficient running of every service and meeting. Ushers are also a team of people with vibrant and friendly personalities.

To contact us for any form of feedback, please send your emails to chum.g16@gmail.com

We are a group of fun-loving ushers in City Harvest Church who lives passionately, serves excellently and play feverishly!

If you are ushers of um.Group16, you are invited to be authors! Please email Yonghui @ um.g16s2@gmail.com, indicating your name, usher team, contact number and email address.

For your information, You can write your posts too. Simply log in as a user - chum.g16@gmail.com . For the password, please check with your leaders.

Sanbu-ichi Yusui Spring water,	Japan Shimanto River, referred to as the last clean stream in Japan	Antarctic Ice
Fountain in Lourdes, France	Biwako Lake, the largest lake at the center of Japan and the water pool of the Kinki Region. Pollution is getting worse.	Yodo River, Japan, pours into the Bay of Osaka. The river passes through most of the major cities in Kasai.
Untreated Distilled Water	Fujiwara Dam, before offering a prayer	Fujiwara Dam, after offering a prayer

Heavy Metal Music	You Make Me Sick, I Will Kill You	Adolph Hitler
Thank You	Love and Appreciation	Mother Teresa

Ushers of Jesus, Ushers for Jesus

Transcript: Loss of Wisdom by Barry Schwartz

Do the Right Thing in the Right Way at the Right Time with the Right People

The rewards of grace

Robb Thompson: True Spiritual Leadership

Encourage Yourself in the Lord

My feeling and thoughts about children church.

Chinese New Year *EDITED*

2009 Appreciation Party - Special Performance

Family of Group 16

Recruitment Drive '09 - Join Us as an Usher!

Let's Dance...

Usher Ministry Group16 - Our Photo Album

Group Outing @ Dhoby Ghaut Exchange

CHC 20th Anniversary & FOP

Material Signs of Maturity

Combined Grp Outing!!!!!

June Prayer Meetings!!!

June Prayer Meetings!!!

Churchwide Bible Study!!!!

Ancient Patriarchs in Genesis

The Great Ages

The Overlaps

Extra-biblical Support

Are There Gaps?

Conclusion

Updates on Work

Pst Kong is Following Us on Twitter!

Don't ask "Why?"... Ask "Who?"

Animals on the Ark

How Did Noah Fit All the Animals on the Ark?

What Did the Dinosaurs Eat?

How Were the Animals Cared For?

How Did the Animals Breathe?

What Did Noah and His Family Do with the Animal Waste?

A Look Inside the Ark

Three Decks

Animal Housing

Stairs

Food & Water

Light & Ventilation

List of Ushers Excused from CGM for Thur Chair Arrangement

Bus 242 No Longer Comes to JW Church

Humans: Purposely Designed

More Than Survival?

Designed to Communicate?

Designed for Emotion?

Designed for Spiritual Life?

ivy =)

Kang Xi - a Believer of Christ?

Faith in the Creator God in Ancient China?

Ancient Chinese Language Supports Creation

Miraculous Messages from Water

How water structure reflects our consciousness

Newsletter Jan 2009 - Tomorrow

Group 16 - New Roles for 2009!

Group 16 Decentralised Library

Colour Game 11.01.09

Our appreciation gathering!

Draft SOP: Stage 1

Draft SOP: Stage 2

Draft SOP: Traffic 1

Draft SOP: East IC

Draft SOP: Hotel 2

Draft SOP: Hotel 3

Newsletter Dec 2008 - The Straight Times

You are Heroes!

Boon Xiong here!!

Happy Birthday, Ivory!!!

YH's UM Story - How I got into Usher Ministry...

Call for Manna : 16 Oct 2008

Beware of Wrong Doctrines being Spread

G16 contact list - Draft Design

Birthday Babies

About City Harvest Church Usher Ministry

Chinese New Year EDITED