若是以信主之前的我。以我自己的性格,我不知道也没有智慧去面对和应付我所面对的困难。只能靠自己来处理。但是,感谢 神有主在我的生命里,感受到 神的平安在我的心, 也知道当我寻找父神时, 我的问题都在奇妙的情况下一一决解。

即便事情没有解决没有被排除。我的心里却有来自上帝的喜乐与平安在我的心。心里也不会觉的痛苦难耐而产生苦毒与不能原谅。在生命面对巨大的变故时,透过上帝的话语帮助原谅与释放自己从不可能原谅的局势里得到释放。

上帝的爱充满我使我得以自由,上帝的智慧帮助我处理我的家里的难处。

信主之后,姐妹对我的评价是以我的性格相背的事情。我却能够去做,而且做的很喜乐。比如,探访。这不是我的性格, 上帝在这方面改变了我很大很不可思议。

我虽然目前觉得我不适合做这个事情。但是, 上帝却一直磨练我,一直给我机会有不得不去探访的机会。

除了感谢主还是感谢。甚愿主继续保守我常在祂里面。并帮助我能够好好的来服事祂的教会。成为一个荣 神益人的器皿。

撰稿 林丽卿

The post 平凡中的不平凡 appeared first on Sengkang Methodist Church.

Before I became a Christian, I did not have the wisdom to deal with problems. After knowing God, His peace became my guide whenever I encounter problems. Amazingly, my problems will be resolved whenever I seek Him.

On occasions where problems are not solved, I will have joy and peace from God in my heart. Feelings of pain, bitterness or an unforgiving heart were in the past. Through God’s word, I have learnt to forgive and let go of the past. God’s love fills me and sets me free; His wisdom helps me to overcome my family problems.

After believing in Christ, a few sisters observed the change in my demeanour. I started to pay house visits which are
something I would not have done in the past. While I still feel that I am not suitable in the hospitality ministry, God continue to train me by providing many opportunities to visit fellow brethren.

Thank God! May the Lord continue to keep me and help me to be his vessel to serve His church and glorify His name.

By Cindy Lim 

The post Extraordinary in Ordinary appeared first on Sengkang Methodist Church.

置身于尼泊尔的家庭

尼泊尔的基督家庭, 每个早晨以祷告一起开始新的一天, 傍晚时分,一家人聚集在一起以家庭灵修结束忙碌的一天。这是我从他们当中学习到的榜样。

这几年来,我们一家也一直尽量学习尼泊尔教会的弟兄姐妹,遵守家庭灵修和阅读经文的纪律。这不但拉近了我们家庭的关系,也帮助我们个人灵命的成长, 更加亲近主。

置身于宣教使命的家庭

家庭成员可以一起在灵命成长的另一个方面是通过宣教的参与。过去12年来,我们一家人在尼泊尔侍奉,接触到许多短宣团队, 其中不少的都是父母和孩子全家出动,参与医疗任务或儿童营的短宣活动。

我们亲身体会和经历的就是当家庭成员一起侍奉时,他们也彼此建立关系, 一起在神的 国度里成长。

举个例子,在医疗营里, 父母带着孩子们一起侍奉, 为当地的村民提供医疗保健。孩子亲眼目睹及亲身体会父母侍奉的过程。医生和牙医们的榜样也鼓励了儿童和青年用自己的才能和一技之长为主服务, 从中这激励了不少青年们追求医学。

此外, 在短宣团队里, 每个团员都会面临不同的挑战。孩子们看到到成年人克服自己的心理障碍, 以信心的脚步踏出舒适区, 完全交托给上帝。

另外, 现在年轻一代只能通过电视,网上屏幕接触贫穷困苦的画面。当这些儿童和青年参与宣教团队到发展中国家时,才真正亲身目睹到贫困饥饿的现实惨面。

“你 要 尽 心 、 尽 性 、 尽力 爱 耶 和 华 ─ 你 的 神 。我 今日 所 吩 咐 你 的 话 都 要 记 在 心上 ,也 要 殷 勤 教 训 你 的 儿 女。 无 论 你 坐 在 家 里 , 行 在 路上  , 躺 下 ,  起 来 ,  都 要 谈 论。” (申 命 記 6:5-7)

希望你们都有机会能一家参与短宣,  一起侍奉上帝, 一起从中学习生命的教诲。

撰稿 斯巴祥

The post 置身于道与作为的家庭 appeared first on Sengkang Methodist Church.

Family in Nepal

One of the main lessons that I had learnt from our Nepali Christian community is that families will have a morning prayer and evening devotion together, to begin and end their day.

Over the years, we have been trying to keep to the discipline of scripture reading and family devotion within our family. This has improved our family bonds as well as helped us to grow closer to the Lord.

Family in Missions

Another aspect in which families can grow together is through participation in missions. Our family has hosted many mission trips over the last 12 years in Nepal. We have seen many mission trippers coming as family units to serve in medical camps, children camps etc. As families serve together, they would also grow together.

For example, in a medical camp, children get to see their parents at work as they serve alongside their parents. The doctors and dentists also inspire the children and youth to serve the Lord with their skills. This has inspired many children and youth to study in the medical field.

Also, there are daily challenges faced by all during a mission trip. The children and youth get to see how the adults manage and overcome these challenges and fears first hand as they step out of their comfort zones and put their trust in God.

In addition, many of the young generation these days only see poverty through the monitor screen; as such, coming to a mission trip, many of these children and youth get to experience for themselves what poverty is like as they walk through the streets and villages.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)

Seize the opportunity to impress life lessons into your family as you serve alongside in short-term mission trips.

By Sebastian Gopal

The post Family in Word and in Deed appeared first on Sengkang Methodist Church.

在小四那年, 我的教师黄老师带领我信主。

她向全班同学分享福音信息, 引导我做认罪祷告, 并教导我圣经里的故事与基督教价值观。对于第一代基督徒的我来说, 她是我在基督教路程上的导师。因为她及其他老师在我成长过程中的影响, 激励我志愿长大后成为一名教师。

小学四年级我开始到荣恩堂崇拜。我的主日学校老师 – 已故的林牧,忠邦弟兄,鸿岳弟兄, 龙尚弟兄, 彩凤姐妹 和元珠姐妹都给我留下了深刻的印象。他们塑造了我的信仰, 我的价值观和我的品格。我也从他们的身上学到了如何全心全意地服务而不期待奖励, 从他们的见证看到他们是如何放弃一切跟随耶稣, 活出一个爱神, 爱人及爱教会的生命。他们是我的榜样和属灵的父母, 也一直是鼓励我开始在儿童事工里侍奉的推动力。

我在中四那年开始加入儿童事工。我参加了教师培训,并开始在 每周日的主日学以及每周六开放给社区孩子参与的 ” 喜乐团“侍奉,一周又一周不停的准备课程和活动。

有时我感到孤单; 没人支持和鼓励,没人分担, 没人指导。我教过的许多都已经不在我们当中, 有些也已经长大,成家立业,在不同的社会与教会的岗位当领袖。我深切的了解在儿童事工里侍奉的酸甜苦辣与个人的付出, 并不像有些人认为的那样容易, 往往经过多年的付出才能看到你的侍奉的成果。

在这里,我要鼓励所有老师不要放弃, 我们的孩子需要你们。上帝看到也知道你们爱的付出。你们今天在每一个儿童的生命里所撒的种将会留下持久的属灵遗产。老师们加油!

对与我和妻子莉娜而言, 凯文是上帝在我们生命中给予的奇迹, 带给我们许多欢笑, 同时也带给我们许多焦虑和挫折感。为人父母, 凯文成为我们俩许多决策中的关键考虑因素, 并改变了我们的许多人生计划。因为他的缘故, 使我们, 做了我们原本不会做的决策和事情。

对我个人而言, 儿子凯文帮助我理解无私地爱的定义, 及怎么以孩子般的信心来到天父的面前, 明白天父的心是永远不会否认给予祂孩子美好事物, 也让我理解纪律和爱之间进退两难的困境。

身为人父的重任对我来说, 并不容易承担。我有许多疑惑, 担心我的孩子被世俗的分心迷惑, 在信仰上不如父母。在儿子成长的岁月里,我也担心自己没花足够的时间和精力陪伴教育他, 没为他树立一个敬虔的榜样。在管教孩子方面, 在溺爱与纪律之间取得平衡, 也不容易。愿主赐智慧,帮助我和所有的父亲。

我祈祷所有的老师都会尽心, 尽性, 尽力按照他们的呼召, 教育和塑造年轻的生命。愿主继续祝福他们的工作。我祈求所有的父母都按照主的模式教 养孩 子, 使 他们 走 当 行 的 道, 到 老 也 不 偏 离(箴言22:6)。我祈祷所有的孩子都能理解和感激他们父母对他们的爱, 并且遵守和尊重他们的父母,因为这是圣经记载第一个有应许的诫命(以弗所书6:2)。

祝所有的教师与儿童们,在2018年和未来日子里,教师节及儿童节快乐!

撰稿 罗锦辉

The post “让小孩到我这里来” appeared first on Sengkang Methodist Church.

My Primary 4 teacher, Mrs. Wong, brought me to Christ. She shared the Gospel message to the class, led me to say the sinner’s prayer and taught me Bible stories, Christian values and basic disciplines of Bible reading and prayer. To a 1st generation Christian she is my mentor and guide to everything Christian. She and many other teachers in my growing up years have inspired me to be a teacher when I grow up.

I came to Gloria Methodist Church in Primary 4. My Sunday School teachers – the late Rev Lim, Bro Chong Pong,
Bro Hong Ngak, Bro Long Shang, Sis Choy Fong, Sis Yin Chee, have left deep impressions in my life. They have helped shaped my faith, my values and my character. I have seen and learnt from their lives what it means to serve wholeheartedly without expecting rewards, what it means to give up everything to follow Jesus, what it means to love God, His people and His Church. They are role models and Christian parents to me. They have been instrumental in challenging me into Children’s Ministry.

I started serving in Children’s Ministry when I was in Secondary 4. I attended teachers‘ training and started serving in Good News Club, a Saturday outreach program to neighbourhood kids and Children’s Sunday School. Serving in Children’s Ministry was a weekly affair; prepared lessons week after week and ran Saturday programs week after week.

Sometimes I felt alone; no support, no encouragement, no guidance. Many whom I have taught are no longer with us. Some have grown and are leaders in ministries and leaders in their own work and in their families. I do understand what it takes to serve in Children’s Ministry. It’s not as easy as what some would perceive it to be and very often you will only see the fruits of your labor after many years of hard work.

May I encourage all teachers not to give up. The Lord sees and knows your labor of love. Our children need you. What you do will have a lasting legacy in the young lives you touch and influence week after week. Press on teachers!

Daniel is God’s miracle in our lives. He has brought Lena and me lots of laughter and at the same time lots of frustrations, lots of anxieties and headaches as well. Daniel has become our key considerations in many of our decisions and has changed many of our life plans. He has caused us to go to places and do things that we would otherwise not have done.

Personally, Daniel has helped me understand what it means to love selflessly, what it means to trust our Father in Heaven with childlike faith, understand the heart of a Father who will never deny their child of good things, understand the dilemma between discipline and love.

Fatherhood is a struggle for me. I fear that my child will be drawn away by the attractions of the world and will be less committed than his parents. I fear that I am not setting a godly example for him. I am afraid that I am not giving him enough of my time and attention in his growing up years. I struggle to balance between instilling discipline and sparing the rod. May the Lord grant wisdom to me and all fathers.

I pray that all teachers will press on in their calling to the teaching vocation and may the Lord continue to bless the work of their hands in moulding young lives. I pray that all parents will train up their children in the way of the Lord so that when they grow up they will never depart from it (Prov 22:6). I pray that all children will understand and appreciate the love their parents have for them and will obey and honor their parents for this is the first commandment with a promise (Eph 6:2).

Happy Teacher’s Day and Happy Children’s Day in 2018 and beyond!

By Loh Kum Fei

The post ”Let the Children Come to Me“ appeared first on Sengkang Methodist Church.

《诗篇》第100篇是一首称谢诗， 被广泛地用于崇拜中宣召的时刻；呼召会众前来敬拜主。这首诗共有5节。前4节以命令式的语气发出赞美的呼召，第5节揭示出要赞美的原因。

第1节 – 呼召我们尽情地向上帝欢呼

第2节 – 呼召我们欢唱地来到主面前，乐意地事奉耶和华

第3节 – 呼召我们认识并承认上帝是我们的创造者，而我们是祂立约的子民

第4节 – 呼召我们带着赞美和感恩的心，进入上帝的同在

第5节 – 告诉我们上述命令的原因。我们遵行上述命令的原因乃是因着上帝各样仁慈的属性： 祂的良善，祂的慈爱以及祂的信实。

掌握这篇诗歌中所蕴含的真理是重要的。第一，上帝配得我们的赞美，因为祂是全能又全善的。第二，赞美主是一个命令，不应取决于我们自己的感受。就是说我们必须要做一个决定：顺服或者违背这命令。第三，当即便是感觉上不太喜欢但我们依然选择赞美上帝时，那正是感恩和赞美所期待我们应作出的回应 – 牺牲。

愿我们盛港堂无论在顺境或者逆境当中，都能够定意要将感恩和赞美献给我们的上帝，阿们！

撰稿 梅国耀牧师

The post 诗篇100 –颂赞之诗 appeared first on Sengkang Methodist Church.

The motif of Psalm 100 is thanksgiving and it is widely used as Call to Worship; calling the congregation to come to God and worship him. This psalm has 5 verses. The first 4 verses contain imperative calls to praise and the 5th verse provides the basis for this praise.

Verse 1 – calls us to display uninhibited joy to the LORD
Verse 2- calls us to perform a service to the LORD that is characterized with gladness and joyful songs
Verse 3 – calls us to recognize and acknowledge that God is our Creator and that we are His covenanted people
Verse 4- calls us to enter God’s presence with praise and with thanksgiving in our hearts
Verse 5 – tells us the rationale for the above imperatives. We obey and perform the above commands on the basis of God’s beneficent attributes; His goodness, love and faithfulness.

It is important for us to grasp the truths expressed in this psalm. One, God is worthy of our praise; He is all-powerful and He is good. Two, praising God is a command hence not dependent on our feelings. Rather, it is a decision that we have to make; to obey or not to obey the command. Three, when we praise God despite the fact that we do not feel like doing so, it is a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise expected of us.

May all of us at SKMC determine in our hearts always be it good times or challenging moments to bring an offering of thanksgiving and praise to the LORD our God, Amen.

By Rev Boey Kok Yeow

The post Psalm 100 – A Psalm for Giving Grateful Praise appeared first on Sengkang Methodist Church.

34 “你们不要以为我来是带给地上和平，我来并不是带来和平，而是刀剑。 35 因为我来是要叫 ‘ 人与父亲对立，女儿与母亲对立，媳妇与婆婆对立。

　　36 人的仇敌就是自己家里的人。’

　　37 爱父母胜过爱我的，不配作我的门徒；爱儿女胜过爱我的，不配作我的门徒。 38 不背自己的十字架跟从我的，不配作我的门徒。 39 得着性命的，要丧失性命；为我丧失性命的，要得着性命。”

–《太》10:34-39

和平之子 – 耶稣的这番话多么让人震惊啊！尤其是在与特别关注在“五伦” – 就是君臣、父子、夫妇、长幼及朋友关系的传统儒家礼仪之道相比较的时候。

作为像新加坡这样的亚洲社会居民，优先考量这些关系对我们来说并不陌生。我们当中的许多人都认同这种家庭至上的文化。

对于在这种文化下成长的人来说，这当中似乎就有了一种难以言明的对抗和张力。耶稣是在说家庭并不重要吗？这是否意味着家庭对于我们基督徒，不再有任何的道德约束？

不是这样的。圣经中的多处经文都告诉我们耶稣看重家庭。例如在《马可福音》7:9-13 节，耶稣坚定的维护那些因为宗教信仰而被孩子们抛弃的父母。

在《马太福音》22:40，耶稣明确地指出最大的诫命就是要用我们整个生命来爱上帝，也要爱人如己。这两条诫命就是一切律法和先知书的总纲。

《以弗所书》6:1，也再次强调十诫中的第四条诫命：当孝敬父母。作者甚至写道“这是第一条带应许的诫命，可以使得你得福，在世长寿。”

至此，已经非常清楚了：家庭对于我们基督徒而言，是非常重要的。那耶稣到底在说什么呢？

我们生活在一个充满了选择的世界。我们的生活，就犹如身处于一个无休止的超级市场，我们所要做的就是从众多平等的选择当中选择一个。我们被告知：宗教就是一种选择；家庭，也是一样，依此类推。

但基督徒的信仰却并非如此。耶稣并不是众多选择中的普通一个。这也就是这段信息的重点。耶稣告诉我们家庭是美好的，忠诚是重要的，但祂是首要的。祂并不是众多个首要其中的一个。在历史上，祂乃是独一的、无敌的及无与伦比的。除祂以外，其他的都是次要的。

基督徒家庭的权威中心不是家长而是父母，不是长辈，而是上帝。忠心于家庭，并不只是忠心于家庭本身而已，而是忠心于上帝并且带领整个家庭跟随耶稣基督。因此，寻求耶稣就是忠实地顺服上帝 – 有时甚至是超越我们亲人的意愿。耶稣就是我们的全部，包括我们的家庭。

这就是经文的要义。是的，家庭是重要的。它可以是所有次要的当中最重要的。但是与耶稣是谁和耶稣对我们的要求相比的话，家庭就是次要的了。

真正跟随耶稣意味着放下一切，甚至是家庭的益处。选择耶稣还是家庭，并不是一个问题，因为他们不是平等的选择。对基督徒而言，耶稣永远是首位的。但也不必担心，因为耶稣亲切又满有信心地承诺：那些为我丧失生命的，必要得着生命！凡是耶稣要求我们放下的，最终祂必将奇妙地还给我们，这当然也包括我们的家庭。

撰稿 吴俊强 传道

The post 我带来刀剑 appeared first on Sengkang Methodist Church.

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “ ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—

36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

37 Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

– Matthew 10:34-39

What startling words from the Prince of Peace! Contrast them with the Confucian doctrine of 礼, where the Five Bonds of relationship are emphasized: ruler to subject, father to son, husband to wife, elder to younger, and friend to friend.

As residents of an Asian society like Singapore, the prioritizing of these relationships is not foreign to us. Many of us can identify with a culture that prizes family relationships as one of the most important commitments in life.

To people raised in this general culture, this is a hard saying that seems confrontational and adversarial. Is Jesus saying that the family unit is unimportant? Does this mean that families no longer hold a moral claim on us as Christians?

No! There are numerous instances in Scripture where Jesus upholds the family. For example, in Mark 7:9-13, Jesus firmly defends parents who have been cast aside by their children on the basis of religious devotion.

In Matthew 22:40, Jesus unequivocally states that the greatest commandments are to love God with our whole being, and also to love our neighbour as ourselves. All of the Law and all of the prophets hang on these two commandments.

Ephesians 6:1 reemphasizes the Fourth Commandment: “Honor your father and your mother.” The author even writes that this is the first commandment with a promise: “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

So it should be clear to us that the family is very important to the life of the Christian. What could Jesus mean then?

We live in a world pregnant with options. We are sold on a vision of life as a never-ending supermarket of choices, and all we need to do is choose from amongst a variety of equal choices. Religion, we are told, is one such choice. Family is another. And so on.

But this is not true of the Christian faith. Jesus is not simply one choice amongst other equal choices. And that is the point of this passage. Jesus is telling us that as much as family is good, and loyalty is important, He comes first. He is not first among equals. He is unequalled, unrivalled, and unparalleled in history. Everything else is second. Jesus comes first.

The central authority in the Christian family is not the parent but the Parent, not the senior human beings, but God.

To be faithful within the family is not to be faithful to the family unit for its own sake, but to be faithful to God and to follow Christ as a family and within the family. Thus, to pursue Jesus is to seek to obey God more faithfully – sometimes even over the wishes of our relatives. Christ is our all, in all – that includes our families.

Here’s what we can take home from the passage. Your family is important. It might even be the highest of penultimate concerns. But even the family pales in comparison to who Jesus is and what He requires of us.

To truly follow Jesus means to be willing to give up even the good of the family for Him. It is not a matter of choosing Jesus instead of your family – because they aren’t equal choices. For the Christian, Jesus must always come first. But do not fear, because, as Jesus so lovingly and confidently promises: those who give up even their very lives for His sake shall find it in Him. There is nothing that Christ asks us to put down that He will not eventually restore to us marvellously – and that includes our families.

By Pastor Nathanael Goh

The post I Came to Send a Sword appeared first on Sengkang Methodist Church.