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Men who watch porn double the chance of divorce while women triple theirs. “Wives who know that their husbands access porn consider it adultery,” said Pastor Randy Khoo from The People's Bible Church. How do we resist it? How can we break free from the addiction? Join Salt&Light Family Night tomorrow on Zoom as we talk about how to protect our relationships from porn. Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 Time: 8.30pm–10pm Cost: Free Pre-registration is required Click "Register now" in our story highlights for the registration link.
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When the Lims – Suat Khoh, 66, and Teck Seng, 65 – retired, they told the church leadership they could not serve in committees anymore. But they were not "retiring" from service. Instead, it was a move towards service of a different kind – community work. An associate professor at NIE before she retired, Suat Khoh channelled her love for teaching into tutoring underprivileged children at a family service centre and mentoring them. “At our age, we feel blessed to have the time and the health to be able to help others,” she said. The couple also delivers meals to the needy every week – something they did even throughout the Circuit Breaker. “You know what the Bible says about whatever you do for the least of these you are doing for Jesus? (Matthew 25:40-45) That’s what we want to do.” Teck Seng lives by this verse as well. The elderly have a special place in his heart. He was one of a few who reached out to a lonely old man who had turned up in church one day. When the man went to a nursing home, Teck Seng had Bible Study classes with him weekly and was the last person to see him before he passed away. “These are the things I can do. A little here, a little there.” Last year, the couple spent three months in Timor-Leste teaching the teachers and children in a school run by missionaries. “I always felt that missions was something at the heart of what all Christians should do. But I wanted to do more than a short-term mission trip," said Suat Khoh. The Lims said the trip opened their eyes to the goodness of God. “It was very fulfilling seeing the work there,” said Teck Seng. Suat Khoh added: “We usually think we are sacrificing so much, spending months on the field. But when I see the missionary couple there, they gave up years and years. “Now, we’re still healthy. So, while I still can, I want to do things for God because there may come a day when we may not be able to.” (For the full story, click the link in bio)
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A heart that is divided in its loyalties is subtle and difficult to detect, yet extremely destructive to true discipleship, warned Rev Edmund Chan in a plenary session at the Intentional Disciple-Making Churches 2020 conference on Sept 4. Highlighting 2 Kings 17:33, where Israel “feared the Lord but also served their own gods”, Rev Chan urged the online audience of 5,000 to repent from this “double-mindedness”. “This spiritual syncretism of serving the Lord, fearing the Lord, and yet serving our own gods … is subtle and dangerous, and it’s in the Church of Jesus Christ today,” he said. “We must turn from that which displeases God, to follow hard after Him … There should not be a double love in our lives, a double loyalty in our lives.” However, Rev Chan acknowledged that being a wholehearted disciple of Christ is easier said than done. “Many aspire, few attain. And those who attain know it is not by their own strength. It’s out of a spirit of contriteness and brokenness, out of that understanding and that conviction of the duplicity of their lives, out of the understanding that double-mindedness destroys discipleship,” he said. Shifting his focus to Numbers 11:1-9, where Israel was complaining in the desert, Rev Chan pointed out two sins that can hinder true discipleship. The first is a lingering longing for the past, which can be “a joy robber, especially when we ignore present opportunities and future redemptions in the living for the glory of God”. The second is a deep discontentment with God, which comes from “a spirit of entitlement and a profound lack of gratitude”. Cautioning against being “prisoners of our own passions”, he added: “It is time for Christians to drop their spirit of entitlement and that lack of gratitude, to take a fresh delight in God even through the wilderness. “For even in the wilderness, God’s love never ceases, His faithfulness never comes to an end. “What is needed in discipleship today is a whole-life discipleship that moves us from a double-mindedness to a single-hearted, single-minded devotion in every arena of our life.” (For the full story, click the link in bio)
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Porn. It's everywhere. No one – male and female, adults and kids – is immune from temptation. How do we resist it? How can we break free from the addiction and be restored? Join us this Tuesday night to learn more about how we can deal with the problem of porn. Hear from hosts Carol Loi and Alex Tee and guests Quek Shiwei, Director of Kallos, and Pastor Randy Khoo, The People’s Bible Church. 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 8.30pm–10pm 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭: Free 𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 You can find the registration link in our Instastory Highlights under 'Register Here', or in the link in bio.
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In Matthew 6, Jesus called the religious leaders "hypocrites" as their outward shows of spirituality were dishonest and untruthful. How do we know if our prayers are honest? Here are two things that Jesus said prayer is not. 1. Prayer is not about being seen The whole idea is to pray such that you will not be purposely seen as religious. This simple doctrine is based on the fact that God the Father is “unseen”. God’s invisibility sets the foundation for the manner of our prayer life. Not one else needs to know, only God knows and will reward or respond accordingly. The most invaluable reward is from God. He who “sees what is done in secret, will reward you”. 2. Prayer is not about repetition or eloquence The principle is the doctrine of God’s omniscience – He knows, and God the Father, being a father, knows and cares lovingly. With this in mind, a person who prays need not be heard praying nor is there a need for his prayer to sound elaborately eloquent. True prayer, in any form, begins by realising that we are praying to an Invisible God, to a God who is omniscient, adding to the fact that He is a personal and loving Father who cares for us, because we believe our Father “knows what you need before you ask Him”. Only when we understand these doctrines correctly can we begin to pray in honesty and truthfulness. Seek the deeper, quieter, unseen ways of pleasing God the Father, because we know in our hearts that we are His dear children. (via @scriptureunion) (For the full devotion, click the link in bio)
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Left for dead in a ditch. Electrocuted. Stabbed by a swordfish. Huang Zhongzhu, 42, has cheated death. Thrice. “When something like this happens to you, you have to believe God stepped in,” he told Salt&Light in Mandarin. The first time Huang was left for dead, the native of Henan, China, was just two years old. He was suffering from a high fever, and the village doctor gave him a wrong injection that left him semi-conscious. On the way to the hospital, Huang stopped breathing. His family left his limp body in a ditch, but a rag-and-bone man chanced upon him and realised he was still alive. The second time Huang almost died, he was eight. Electrocuted by a low-hanging wire in his village, he woke from the shock miraculously unharmed. His third brush with death happened in his 20s. By then a Christian working the seas as a fisherman, he would find a church at every port he stopped at. While hauling in a catch one day, a swordfish lunged at him. “I felt the swordfish touch me but then it was like a hand suddenly pulled it away and threw the fish back into the sea. It had to have been God’s hand," he said. Moved to repentance, Huang asked to be baptised the moment his vessel hit land. Four of his colleagues who had witnessed the miracle also joined him. But it was as a chef in Singapore that he truly experienced God’s love. A fall at work left him unable to work for nearly a year, and he worried about supporting his family. Feeling hopeless, he decided to end his life. As he stood on a bridge overlooking a busy highway, he heard a voice in his ear: "You have given Me your burden, why do you still take it back?” It was a turning point. He was later introduced to @healthservesg, a non-profit organisation that helps migrant workers, which gave him shelter and food. They also found him a new job. These days, he journeys with other migrant workers who have been injured, sharing his story and hope. “I have learnt through the many incidents in my life that you can still praise God even when you’re in difficulty.” (For the full story, click the link in bio)
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Porn is no longer just a male problem. 70% of porn sites are geared towards women and children. How do we resist temptation? How can we break free from the addiction? Join Salt&Light Family Night "live" on Zoom this Tuesday as we talk frankly about the problem of porn addiction with guests Pastor Randy Khoo from The People’s Bible Church and Quek Shiwei, Director of Kallos, who have journeyed with those battling porn. 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 8.30pm–10pm 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭: Free 𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝. You can find the registration link in our Instastory Highlights under 'Register Here', or in the link in bio.
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Singapore has always been multi-cultural, but we are now a melting pot of many nationalities. With many churches reaching out to new friends in our backyard, it means that the average church member also needs cross-cultural communication skills, or better cultural intelligence (CQ). CQ is about growing in our ability to be multi-lingual and agile in our cross-cultural relationships. It involves having the insight, understanding and skills to relate to people from other cultures. The common human tendency, however, is to assume our culture’s way of doing things is the “normal” way. In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell touted and popularised the 10,000-Hour Rule. The rule asserts that the key to achieving excellence and mastery (or, in his words, becoming “world class”) in any endeavour is to practice effectively for 10,000 hours. Other writers quibble about the actual 10,000 number, claiming that it is the quality of the practice that matters more than the quantity, but we can reasonably conclude that more quality engagement in a skill and context will give us greater competence. Friendships are bridges for the gospel. If there is low CQ, cross-cultural friendships will struggle to form. If there is no friendship, how will opportunities for conversation rise? If there are no conversations, how will the gospel be shared? And if there is no sharing of the gospel, how will they believe? Swipe to read a cross-cultural team's discussion on cultural faux pas, and how you can hone your CQ. (Contributed by Dr Mark Syn, director of missions agency, @pioneersinasia.) (For the full story, click the link in bio)
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Joyce Lye’s life changed forever on a slippery road 35 years ago. On the way to supper with her husband, George, their car skidded and turned turtle. Her husband died instantly. When she woke from her coma, his funeral was over. She was left to raise her two little girls – then aged three and 14 months – alone. Anger, grief and depression were her constant companions. She took it out on her girls. “I would beat them, scold them, push them away real hard," Lye, now 68, recalled. Beyond the pain of losing her husband, Lye was also deeply anxious about being a single parent. To make ends meet, she would go door to door selling insurance after putting her daughters to bed. One day, nearly a year after the accident, Lye was flipping through a Bible her friend had given her. The page turned to 1 Timothy 5 – a passage about widows who prayed day and night to ask God for help. “I was so shocked. It was like the verse was talking to me. I really cried and I knelt down and I gave my life to Jesus.” As the years passed, requests would come for her to talk to and connect with other widows. Still hurting, Lye did not have the courage to relive her pain. But when the requests kept coming, Lye arranged a tea session for them. Too poor to afford much, she bought one ice kachang for all five of them to share. “When they looked at one another, they began to pour out their struggles ... I said: ‘It really works. They long for other meetings. They can get connected’.” That modest meeting in 1993 was the genesis of Wicare, a support group for widows. Today, Wicare – which celebrates its 22nd anniversary this year – have helped over a thousand widows through their self-help programmes. “Actually, there is no need to counsel. Just put a widow next to another and there is healing. They understand one another. They have similar backgrounds," said Lye. Though she has walked with many who see her as role model, she remains modest: “They actually made me stronger. They are the ones who changed me.” Through it all, Lye admitted: “The calling is very painful. It has never been easy. But God provides.” (For the full story, click the link in bio)
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What started John Xie (above) on his journey to be mentored as a father was the realisation that he could not control the lives of his five kids. “There were all these values I wanted to instil, things I wanted to do, but I just couldn’t force it on them. I found that I needed God’s grace and mercy much more," said Xie, 39, whose children are aged seven months to 11 years. There must be other fathers who had gone before him, and who would know how to see their children grow in the fear of the Lord, he thought. Then, he met Rev Keith Lai, 62, President of the National Council of Churches of Singapore and Senior Pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church. When Xie, who was home-schooling his children, found out that Rev Lai had home-schooled his two sons, now aged 29 and 27, he reached out. Rev Lai ended up running a fathers’ mentoring programme for Xie and the four other home-schooling fathers in Xie's circle. Said Rev Lai: “I realise many fathers need help. Fathers are supposed to be the spiritual head of the family. When the father’s role is not reinforced and strengthened, everything will fall apart.” That was also the reason why Rev Lai started a fathers’ mentoring programme in his own church five years ago. One lesson Xie has learnt from being mentored is that “God gave me children to teach me to grow up”. “I had to grow up and release control of my idealistic goals for them. They are disciples of Christ. So, it’s important for me to pray more for them and ask what God has for them.” Xie now mentors other fathers to share the same love and affirmation he has received. “We get to share how we face challenges, how we deal with them. And we find strength knowing that ‘I’m not alone’. “There’s a kind of assurance (in knowing) that someone else has gone before me and he has brought up his children. I don’t think it sounds as daunting as before, when I was alone. “It takes a community for fathers to sharpen one another and to spur each other on”. (For the full story, click the link in bio)
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Porn. It's everywhere. No one is immune from temptation. A porn addiction can last for decades, and the road to recovery is fraught with challenges. Swipe to read five myths about porn addiction and how you can overcome it. (For the full story, click the link in bio) How do we resist temptation? How can we seek healing and be restored? Join us this Tuesday night (Sept 15, 8.30-10pm) on Salt&Light Family Night (fortnightly on Zoom) to learn more about how we can deal with the problem of porn. Hear from hosts Carol Loi and Alex Tee, as well as guests Quek Shiwei, Director of Kallos, and Pastor Randy Khoo, The People’s Bible Church, who have journeyed with those trapped in an addiction to pornography. Register now at: https://bit.ly/SLFamilyNight15Sep
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The first time she thought about killing herself, she was seven. “A lot of it had to do with relationships with my family. I would turn it inward and it would affect my self-worth," said Rachel (not her real name), 25. Family life was tough. Her father was often not around. When he was, his relationship with the family – Rachel, her younger sister and her mother – was strained at best. When she was 17, her parents eventually divorced. There was no one Rachel felt “safe enough” to share her feelings with. “It was lonely,” she admitted. “I felt like I couldn’t speak up, couldn’t ask for help. I just had to deal with things on my own. So, I tended to withdraw from people, which made things worse.” Suicide became a way to “escape from the emotional pain” throughout her childhood and teens. Although she never really attempted to kill herself, she had to “really stop myself from standing near windows or ledges because there was always that really strong temptation to jump”. She also resorted to self-harm, cutting herself with scissors, penknives and even the kitchen knife. Asked if there was one message she wishes someone had told her in her teens, she said: “You’re not alone. It’s okay to ask for help.” Rachel is not alone. In a @samaritansofsingapore media release in August 2020, it was noted that suicides have gone up. There were 400 reported cases in Singapore in 2019, up from 397 the year before. This was even before the Covid-19 outbreak. Suicide also remains the leading cause of death for youths aged 10 to 29. To better understand the warning signs of suicide and what can be done to journey with those who have suicidal thoughts, Salt&Light spoke to four counsellors. Swipe to read. (For the full story, click the link in bio)
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A grandmother found an opportunity to care for others when placed in a situation that she thought was a waste of time. An active ager who wears several hats in community work encourages others to practice kindness every day in their own capacity. A church planter spends money on making life better for others instead of splurging on holidays. While some fear the arrival of their older years, these three individuals show that there is no age limit for strengthening and serving the body of Christ. Swipe to read more.
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He’s nearly drowned – twice. Had close shaves with vehicles (including an articulated truck) – three times. Was almost shot with an arrow from a bow. And that’s just six of nine brushes with death that Gareth Thomas had before he turned 15. That he escaped unharmed each time was because “God was involved every single time”, he said. When he was 14, he plotted to kill himself. “I had the classic teenage angst. My hormones were raging, parents arguing, lots of zits, no girlfriend and no real friends amongst the guys in the class. My brother was going to leave for university the following year and I had nobody else to talk to. “I decided that ending my life would be a good idea. So I sat there to think how I might carry this out. “As I sat there, I heard a voice saying, ‘Don’t do it.’ “I thought it must be my father, so I went to the landing and called out. There was no answer.” He later discovered that his father was in the back garden and nobody else was at home. Gareth sat down again. This process repeated itself. “The voice sounded very clear, cool and calm, in contrast to how I was feeling at that time.” Looking back, it was the first time he was fully aware of God in his life. Today Gareth and his Sarawak-born, Singapore-PR wife, Teresa (nee Hii), are living out that plan. The 63-year-olds are active in several ministries in Singapore, including inner healing and counselling. Gareth’s gift of prophecy and insight allows him to "get to the core issue very quickly”. One of the joys he has is "seeing the person through God’s eyes”. On a trip to Taiwan a few years ago, where the Thomases prayed for pastors, God showed him a pastor who was researching his sermon “with three Chinese Bibles open and a notepad. “As he sets himself aside, he prays and prepares. He reads the Chinese passage, learns from it and takes notes. He spends hours preparing." When Gareth shared this, the pastor “was amazed that God cared that much. He saw that God was with him as he was doing that”. “God showed me the image to affirm this pastor that God loves him that much and is proud of him.” (For the full story, click the link in bio.)
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Rev Dr Gordon Wong, 59, was today (Sept 7) elected the new Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore (@methodist.sg). He will be consecrated on December 4, 2020, taking on the role of spiritual leader for more than 44,000 Methodists. Rev Dr Wong was elected from 46 candidates at the Church’s 12th General Conference, held online for the first time. The General Conference, from Sept 7 to 11, takes place once in every four years. Since he began service as a Methodist pastor in 1986, Rev Dr Wong has served as Pastor-in-Charge of Cairnhill Methodist Church, Christ Methodist Church and Covenant Community Methodist Church, and pastor of Fairfield Methodist Church and Barker Road Methodist Church. In 2013, he was elected President of the Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC), a connection of the 21 English-speaking Methodist churches in Singapore. Rev Dr Wong succeeds current Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung, who will retire after his four-year term ends in December 2020. “These past four years have been most meaningful, especially interacting with all the local churches of the three annual conferences, and visiting our mission fields,” Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung told Salt&Light. “I thank God for all the leaders, their faithful service and mutual support of one another.” Today’s election was a smooth one, despite being conducted online, he added. “I am thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness in bringing forth Rev Dr Gordon Wong as our next Bishop. He is a faithful servant and a courageous leader with a shepherd heart. I am happy to be handing over the reins to him.” Upon his election, Rev Dr Wong said: “May the Lord have mercy on us all as MCS faces the future together, serving the community as best we can in these still very uncertain times.” Of the past six months of upheaval, he told Salt&Light: “We have learnt that the lack of a physical church building need not stop us from loving God and neighbour with heart, soul and mind.” The most pressing role of the Church moving forward, he added, would be “to love God and neighbour together despite our different definitions of such love.” (For the full story, link in bio.)
