Singaporesunshine's Xanga

Love for God and love for mankind

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 18:39:30 GMT

Will life continues if there is no love? The answer to this question is obvious. But there are moments in our life where we are tempted to reject love and embrace hate. For a number of days, I was going through such 'hate' feelings. The reason being having to return to a land where someone I know and love were killed so horribly. They killed my friend. Suddenly, the love for the people in this land hit rock bottom. Ironically, the reason for me to be in this land is to show and share the love of God to this people. Therefore, deep within me, I have to cry out to God that he fills me with His love.Understanding of God's love has to flow through my heart and embrace the people through my actions. Each face I look at, I have to almost in each instant to vebalise I love you because Jesus loved you and God loved you! With this deliberate act, the love for the people slowly return.

God is love and to love is to demostartes who God is. Only, the unconditional love of God can help us overcome our natural- actions to hate. Hate will always try to find room in our hearts through a valid reason. 'I have the right to hate because he, she, they committed evil.........But, somehow hate feeling cannot have room in our hearts. If we continue in this path it only lead us to revengence. I can only choose God's way that is God continues to love and God said; "vengence is mine!" We need to take God's word for it. Christianity stands or falls depend on the love so clearly demostrated through the death of Christ on the cross! God's love forgive! God's love give! God's love has no room for hate!

It is good to be back in this land. It is good to share the love of God. This is what I know and this is what I must do. To love God is to love mankind.

I am back

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 11:14:17 GMT

Some dear friends of mine want to know what is happening to Stephen Tay in a far away land, therefore, I need to return to my blog and write. Thanks for the reminder.

Christmas had come and gone.Millions of Children and adults are happy because they received gifts. In my team, we exchanged gifts too and had a meal together. The time spent together was really special. One of the interesting thing we talked about was doing away with gift! my fellow-workers came from the reform background of the Presbyterian Church and receiving or giving gift is not a pratcice.But, my view was that as human, we love to recieve gifts.

The important issue to me is that since God had given us His beloved son to us as Lord and saviour, what can we give Him in return? Well, the best verses that convey this is found in Rom.12:1-2.." To present our bodies as living sacrifices...... Thus, this was my mediatation tthrough Christmas time. In fact, a friend from Argentina wrote asking whether have I let Jesus Christ into my life on Christmas's night. I guess, he meant coming into my heart afresh.

We rented a tea-house for our Christmas celebration. On Sunday, we had Christmas songs, drama and sharing of the good news. The godd news is that at least 5 new people came and we shared with them the joy of Christmas. New Testament, what is Christmas all about, Jesus video and books were given to our friends. Please pray that this sowing will bear fruit.

I am well. i am continue with joy, the work in this land.

To grief for the lost.

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 08:50:14 GMT

Firstly, I want to thank my beloved Christian family, who in your own unique ways came to support my family members; especially my mother and niece(Yue Ying) during the time of the death of my sister Grace Tay Bee Tin. I pray and hope that the Word of God shared, the love of God shown and words of comfort will touch their hearts that they will find hope in Christ Jesus. Thank you very much for standing by me as i go through this time of grief.

Somehow, one of my immediate family is no more. My family will never be the same again. Grace will be missed by my family. I know the wider family in the Chinese fellowship will feel the lost too. Grace has gone home to be with the Lord.

This morning I received a call from my mother and she was weeping away. She told me about my Church members were at block 16 to pray and a little memorable service at the spot she rested. It is at the point of death that the promised of resurrection became a 'reality'. Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ rose from the dead! Over the last week, I was reading 1 Corinthians 15 again and again. Life of Jesus, the death of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus will always be the key foundation for all believers and yes those who had past on will one day see them face to face. Of course, those who have accepted the Lord as their Savior and Lord.

I know I will be in grief for some time because the year I lost my father in 1987 i grieved for a year. within a year 2 of my family members were no more on earth. In april my 2nd sister in law past away and now my sister Grace. Henri Nouwen's book ; "Our Greatest Gift"- a meditation on dying and caring, will be my companion for the coming days.

I hope to bring a little closure on the death of my sister here, maybe this friday with my team members. I will plant a plant in-front of my home.

Paise the Lord, death has no victory, we will live with the Lord for all eternity!

My sister has gone home to the Lord.

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 10:15:20 GMT

Today is one of the saddest day in my life. The reason being my beloved sister Grace Tay Bee Tin has gone home to the Lord. I know my sister love the Lord but in her life there were to much pains to face and she decided to go home.

Please remember to pray for my family members; especially my mother and my sister's daughter YueYing.

3 new comers and the 2 Adams

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:26:56 GMT

Every Thursday's afternoon we will meet at our place of worship to meet new comers. Since we started this approach some months back, we have seen many people come by for a chat or discussion. In many occasions, we have opportunity to share with the folks here about the great truth from God. Thus many wonderful discussions came about.

As each individual share their stories, I benefited much from them. There will always be cultural lessons to learn or aspects of an individual that is so personal. Stories are great because it paints the living experienced of an individual and we enter into their world. All kinds of feeling and emotions evolved as we hear their stories. Their stories have filled-in the puzzles in my life as our life in so many ways, is a completing the 'puzzle of our life'.

Last Thursday, three unique individual came to our get together. One is a cook, the other is a medium and the 3rd is a free- lancer but had suffered under police custody. I listened to their personal stories and their knowledge of any things under the sun. They were all very fascinating. Of course, the purpose of our get together is focus on the truth of the Bible and how they have benefited us. Jesus Christ son of the living God and Saviour of the world! He is the way, the truth and the life!

Over the last two Sundays, I started to preach and teach about the first Adam who committed disobedience towards God and the outcome was sin and the impact of that one act on all human race.But, the wonderful news was the 2nd Adam came who is the Son of the Living God, the one who came from heaven to save us from eternal damnation. I read through Romans 5:12-21, 6:23, 3:21-24, Ephesians 2: 8-10, Hebrews 10: 8-10, 1Corinthians 15: 20-22,45 -49. Now you can understand why I have to take two weeks to cover such a topic.

It has been great over the last 2 weeks. Reaching out with words of truth and listening to words that discribed lives. Ultimately, the true Word of God i.e Jesus Christ sets life free!

Thank you for Standing by Me!

Lessons from Mr. Philip Yancep

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 10:22:03 GMT

Mr. Philip Yancep has been one of the many favourite writers of mine. At the moment, I am reading his book entitled;"Reaching for the invisible God." From my reading, I written down some wonderful gems that I would like to share with you.

"A mature christian need not to act from a sense of duty but a sense of desire, for the very action that pleases God pleases self as well."

"Life with God advnces like any relationship: unsteadily, with misunderstanding and long periods of silence, with victories and failures, testings and triumphs. To achieve the perfection that drew us on the quest, we must wait until the race has ended, until death, the waiting itself is an act of extraordinary faith and courage."

Lessons of being a child, adult and parent :

"A child wants to know what she can get away with; an adult understans that boundaries exist for his own good; a parent voluntarily sacrifies her freedom for the sake of others."

Gratitude from the Poor are:

"The poor express their gratitude not by saying thanks but by asking more."

"In a fundamental human paradox, the more a person reaches out beyond herself, the more she is enriched and deepened, and the more she grows in the likeness to God. On the other hand, the more a person "incurres", to use a Luther's word, the less human she becomes. Our need to give is as great as anyone's need to receive."

I hope all of you ou there will enjoy these qoutes.

Keep on the journey with the Lord. Each day brings new wonders and challenges!

It only takes 3 minutes.

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 08:04:51 GMT

This sound simple but it is true. In so many ways this method that I am about to share with you works. It is called ' I would like to tell you my story'. In a very concise 3 minutes you and I could share how we become a follower of Jesus Christ.

In this approach, you want to take out all the christian jargons we tense to use when we share Christ with someone. In so may ways the hearer will not understand. We just simply share our life before we become a follower of Christ, some wonderful thing happened when I came to know Christ and thereafter.

You simply ask anyone 'could tell you my story?. If they say yes, go ahead and share with the person. But, make sure we practice it many times and it should not exceed 3 minutes. Yes, we need to return to sharing our 'testimony'(jargon), rather my story(user friendly).

Well, I am so excited about this, I hope to train our believers to do this and put into practice myself. You and I have a story and we must learn to tell our story. With prayer, your life story will make an impact in may other lives.

Keep telling your life wonderful story, you might introdue them to eternal life in Christ.

Celebrating the Eucharist.

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 18:53:30 GMT

Yesterday, as usall we came together to have our worship service. Scriptures were read Ps.51:1-8....v.6 'Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place'. Many wonderful worship songs were sang, most focussing on the love of God which is so true.

Throughout last week, I was preparing to preach the sermon on Sunday. The word of the Lord came to me as I sat in my room reading the scriptures. Looking out of my widows, I saw a vine started to climb n the iron grills so I decided to stop it, I took a scissor and went out and cut it off. Immediate, life was taken out of the vine and I am reminded of John 15 :1-8. this was to be the sermon last Sunday.

But, the thing that occupy most in my mind was the celebration of the Eucharist. Remembering the body of Christ broken for me, and the new covenant that was made.The cup which represent His blood that was shed and we drank it. The reading of our confession of faith, the prayers and so forth. Indeed, it was a celebration that have many forms and loaded with meanings. That which speak of the past events but also look forward to the future. The thing that prompting my mind was that i should take this seriously. It symbolises life in the present and the future. Let's take this celebration with joy and seriousness. Till we see Him face to face.

Maranatha!

Sharing the Faith

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 07:13:48 GMT

As planned, the little community of ours went to spent a weekend with another community. The family camp was a great time together. What the Lord has done in our life will come to forth in the coming days.

One great news is that from our little folk, there were 3 who has yet to join the community.I hope through the time of exposure to people who are salt and light will bring about the cahnge of hearts. To share the good news in this land takes a lot of effort in working the ground before the good seed can be sown.

One highlights was to see 3 believers taking the step of faith in being buried in the 'water' rising up a new person in Christ. The impact of such an action will be very special. A wonderful acts of sacrement. May their lives be as one that will be a great witness for Christ.

At last, I have a chance to enjoy the sea. Somehow, once summer arrive we have to enter the sea for a swim. I had the opportunity last saturday. It was good excercise for my body.

Thanks for standing with me for the weekend.

One Person At A Time

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 08:54:30 GMT

The work I am involve in, have to do with the 'inner-life'. I carry with me a simple message and this message of the good news once accepted transform lives. But, the people I am trying to share this wonderful message to, have another form of perspective and world-view. As such, I face a tremendous form of resistance to what I have to offer. On top of this, it has a spiritual dimension to it and it is a dimension in which I cannot see but have to wrestle with in prayer and faith. Thus, I have to work in the spiritual-dimension and reaching-out to the people in the physical-dimension.

It brings me great joy when I have people show interest in what i have to offer. Since, coming back to 'home and work', I am very much encouraged that there are 2 wonderful souls( a lady name F and a guy name Er) who are interested in the good news, the Message which reveals the Messiah, Saviour and Lord! Please stand by me as I bring this message that impact inner-life and transform world-view and life, itself.

The little community I am involve in continue to meet every Sunday and Thursday. The progress, what I would called 'slow and steady'. It has to do with choice and will, I hope they will commit these 2 areas to the the Lord.

This weekend(29-30.07.06), we meet with another community. It is a yearly affair and had been a great blessings in the past. I hope and pray those that is from my community will have a wonderful time.

The work, that have to do with the inner-life, on the one hand very frustrating but on the other hand very rewarding.