Group 12s2b

Being a leader

2010-03-21T20:01:00.001+08:00

I would like to share something meaningful about being a leader from somebody’s blog… :)

Leader – comes with Vision, Passion and Action

Set Targets, Objectives, and Achievements
Keep on moving
Challenge
Change
Improve
Just do it

Vision:
A leader without a vision leads no one, no where.
Without a clear view of what to expect or want, we will never know where we are heading towards. Liken to sheep without a shepard, everyone goes around in circles, not knowing what to expect and what will happen.

Passion:
A leader without passion will most probably be leading a group of walking zombies. Looking up to their leader, they took on the character and attitude of him whom they follows.

Action:
A leader without taking actions, is liken to participating in a lucky draw dip without prizes intended. Broken promises, all talk no work.

We are called to lead, in the marketplace and campuses. Take up the challenge, keep moving forward, and take the lead.

Aileen

'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts - Zechariah 4:6

2010-03-16T13:57:00.005+08:00

What is Love?

1) Unselfish, benevolent concern for another; brotherly concern; the object of brotherly concern or affection

2) - The self-denying, self-sacrificing, Christ-like love which is the foundation of all other graces

3) - Unselfish, loyal and benevolent concern for the well being of another

4) - The high esteem which God has for His human children, and the high regard which they in turn should have for Him and other people

To love, to have affection for someone; to be a friend; the love of brothers for each other
Now here are two very good verses on what is found in true love:

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

This last verse from Paul is a real mouthful. True love will always be kind. True love will never flaunt itself for attention. True love will never be jealous of others and their accomplishments. True love will always be thinking of others and their welfare. True love will never rejoice or wallow in evil and sin.

The first verse from John states that there is no fear in love. Those who are trying to love you by trying to rule over you in fear are not truly loving you in the way God has intended. Those husbands who are physically and/or verbally abusing their wives in an effort to try and control them with fear are not operating in true love - contrary to what they may be thinking in their warped and debased minds.

They verbally and/or physically beat their wives down and then pick them up, and then tell them how much they love them so they can keep on perpetuating this cycle of violence and abuse. This is not true love - this is pure evil! The above verse from John says that perfect love will cast out all fear. If these men truly loved their wives, they would not be physically or verbally abusing and violating them in the ways that they have been. These kind of men are an abomination to the Lord - and what they call love - God calls pure evil.

So many people's idea of love for another is to try and manipulate other people for their own personal gain and profit. The last verse from Paul says that true love will never think of evil, much less ever do evil to another - and that it will not seek its own, which means it will never attempt to love another person for his or her own personal gain, profit or ego.

As a result of all the contamination that is in this fallen world, many people have lost the ability to truly love other people in the pure way that God has intended. This is why all Christians need the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit started in their lives - so God can begin to get them cleaned up in their thinking and in their actions towards others.

Stay Tuned

2010-02-25T01:37:00.002+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year 2010!!

2010-02-17T23:44:00.004+08:00

Remember Next Week Prayer Week! Lets avail ourselves ro serve yea and All the Best to Norman and all havin exam battle next wk! God is Strong!

G12S2B Take it to the top of ION

2010-02-03T23:03:00.003+08:00

If you guys havent know of our trademark game, "I've Never", now's the time to move on to the next game "请你跟我这样做". Stay tune to a g12s2b member near you.

See You Guys There!

2010-01-24T22:47:00.002+08:00

Come Ready to receive & Ministered by Pst Niko this Sat!

G12S2B is honoured to be supporting G11 this week for such a special weekend Svc.

Way to go guys! Pray pray pray!

G12S2B Takes Dinner right up @ Youth Park

2010-01-20T23:24:00.004+08:00

Super Junior(S) Wardrobe Fitting. Stay tune for more updates.

For Bookings: Norman Wong, Media Enquiries: Rebecca Ho.

This Saturday G12 Duty, Lets go for God! Push it to another Level!

Usher Appreciation right up @ rooftop!

2010-01-09T23:40:00.004+08:00

G12S2B Officially signed Rebecca Ho as our Public Relation Manager.

For bookings/events: Contact - Norman Wong

Image/Grooming Management: Contact - Rebecca Ho

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- On a serious note, Aileen will discharge on Wednesday from SGH.

Lets keep praying for her recovery. Prayer watch Thursday night @ 10pm.

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- The Big Recruitment Exercise 2010!

Lets get down to be the most loving person to the new friends in our cell! Lets have influence over people's life and sow a seed in them. Remember our big recruitment goal for 2010! E1R1! Any good news pls contact Justin Koe.

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Have a great week ahead G12S2B! Every member a Servant Leader!

1st Holy Communion of the year! Way to go 2010!

2010-01-02T21:11:00.004+08:00

Set Your Goals for 2010 & Recruitment Starts internally from your own cell grp!! Lets be the friendliest & the most influential ppl over our members life! Letsgo4God!

G12S2B LAST DINNER TO CAP OFF 2009! Happy New Year!

2009-12-29T23:57:00.003+08:00

GOD IS DOWNTOWN!
FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES AND BOOKINGS FOR 2010, CONTACT NORMAN WONG.

Dec Babies! Xmas Service Up next!!

2009-12-21T21:53:00.001+08:00

Guys serve with Your Heart!

Hello Trainees !

2009-12-12T23:36:00.005+08:00

Coming Soon in the team near you!

The night @ Seoul, God Expands the fellowship!

2009-12-11T00:42:00.003+08:00

4 Tables, 16 peeps right down central Takashimaya!

Jester Birthday! 5 Dec 2009!

2009-12-06T01:00:00.002+08:00

Today we celebrate a joyous occasion of Jester and the official introductin of Norman Wong into our wonderful team!! Welcome all to this happening G12S2B! Lets Go For God!

Welcoming Jester to G12S2B

2009-11-28T23:54:00.001+08:00

Hi guys, this is our new happening addition! More to come!! God loves a cheerful servant!!

Christmas Services Duty Timings

2009-11-25T00:17:00.004+08:00

Hi guys, pls take note of the service timing below for this year xmas and update me asap on which service u can serve by next week 4 Dec 2009!

I know many of you sure got friends,(by faith), No matter what time u can reach if got constraints, lets just come whatever timing we can and serve for God ya! The joy of the Lord is our strength!

All Ushers Required to serve the 2 JW Services + 1 Expo Svc(if possible)

Service 1 @ JW, 24 December 2009:
Reporting time for Support: 12 PM
Reporting time for Service: 2 PM
Please stay back for recycling after service till 8 PM

Service 2 @ EXPO, 24 December 2009:
Reporting time for Support: 12 PM
Reporting time for Service: 5 PM
Please stay back for recycling after service till 9 PM

Service 3 and 4 @ Expo, 25 December 2009:
Reporting time for Service 3: 0730 AM
Please stay back for recycling after service till 2 PM

Reporting time for Service 4: 11 AM
Please stay back for recycling after service till 4 PM

Saturday 26 Dec @ JW:
Reporting time for Support: 1230 PM
Reporting time for Service: 1330 PM
Please stay back for recycling after service till 6 PM

Happy Birthday Iris! And welcome the Zebra Prints....

2009-11-08T19:35:00.003+08:00

Staying Faithful in Our Service

2009-10-21T23:12:00.002+08:00

Psalms 101:6:
Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect [complete, sound] way, he shall serve me.

Proverbs 28:20:
A faithful man shall abound with blessings....

One of the most valuable traits or qualities in a person’s life is faithfulness. These scriptures help us see that God respects and honors faithfulness in the life of an individual, and He brings forth an abundance of blessings to believers who exhibit this attribute.

“Faithful” carries the meaning of firm, steady, and steadfast. Those who demonstrate these attributes in regard to the service of God can fully expect to have an abundance in every area of life. They will have enough to meet every need and abound with blessings and prosperity so that they can give to and serve others. This is because God is faithful.

I Corinthians 1:9:
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
God is faithful to bring His promises to pass in our lives when we trust, believe, and serve Him. Because God is faithful and trustworthy, His Word is also faithful.

Titus 1:9:
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught....
A tremendous aspect of our faithful service to God and to others is holding fast the Word of God and holding it forth.

Philippians 2:15,16:
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;Holding forth the word of life....

Let’s consider three important actions we can take to remain faithful in our service to God and to others:

• Stay in God’s Word
• Stay thankful
• Stay aware that we do it for God

Worry for NOTHING, Pray for EVERYTHING!

2009-10-05T23:08:00.002+08:00

Three simple exercises will help you stay worry free.

1. Feed your mind positive thoughts.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

No matter what you’re dealing with or how bad things seem to be or why God may be permitting them, deliberately letting your mind dwell on positive, uplifting thoughts will enable you to survive. Literally. I frequently quote those words from Philippians 4:8 to myself. I say things like, “Okay, Chuck, it’s time to let your mind dwell on better things.” And then I go over the list and deliberately replace a worry with something far more honorable or pure or lovely, something worthy of praise. It never fails; the pressure I was feeling begins to fade and the peace I was missing begins to emerge.

2. Focus your attention on encouraging models.

The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things. (Philippians 4:9a)

In the Philippians’ case, Paul was their model. From his example, there were things to be learned and received and heard and seen. What a demonstration of encouragement he provided!

In your case and mine, it will help to focus our attention on someone we know and/or admire. That life, that encouraging model will give us a boost, a quick charge when our battery starts getting low.

3. Find “the God of Peace” in every circumstance.

. . .and the God of peace shall be with you.(Philippians 4:9b)

This is the crowning achievement of recovering from anxiety addiction. Instead of living in the grip of fear, held captive by the chains of tension and dread, when we release our preoccupation with worry, we find God’s hand at work on our behalf. He our “God of peace,” comes to our aid, changing people, relieving tension, altering difficult circumstances. The more you practice giving your mental burdens to the Lord, the more exciting it gets to see how God will handle the things that are impossible for you to do anything about. And as a result—--you guess it—--you will begin to laugh again.

Matt 5:14-16

2009-10-04T00:08:00.000+08:00

I got a session booked for 7 and its 6:35
so I got 25 minutes to conjure up this rhyme
its been a long time right stepped away from the limelight
but the breaks over Holy Spirit takeover
they say the truth will set you free if you so believe
Jesus is the truth with Him freedom can be achieved
I feel the need to let loose right at this instance
confession booth vocal booth really what's the difference
see when I use to battle I declared I'm the boss
I couldn't be defeated.. until I lost
not once not twice my opponents were killin' me
ego crushed but it also taught me humility
was once on the top sent straight to the bottom
some thought double r dropped him others straight forgot him
I used to hear the side commentary and get upset with it
until I realized what was said had some sense in it
no excuses for the stupid records that I made
would I still be sayin' this if those records had got me paid?
I can't call it either way I'm tryin' to save what's left of
my soul and not just what's goin inside my wallet
the beat was the canvas the paint was my rhymes
never thought that I could use my art to infiltrate ya minds
i used the mic to express how I possessed a lota skills
my lust for the opposite sex and 100 dolla bills
Common said He Used To Love H.E.R. yo she still
my baby so it's only right I learn to treat H.E.R. like a lady
you want raps about pimpin' killin' snitchin' ballin'?
you won't get 'em from me naw that's not my callin'
God Almighty reached out I mean this sincerely
He spoke to me like Morgan Freeman did to Jim Carey
it's no coincidence he got me out in Hong Kong
that I'd get it poppin' out here He knew it all along
listen to have much faith requires practice
they'll probably say I'm trippin' they did it to John the Baptist
this is not a rumor God is so great
I'm a late bloomer got baptized in '08
better late than never that's how the saying goes
all my brothers and sisters that are praying knows
Mark chapter 10 the 31st verse
the first shall be last and the last shall be first

Amen.

Prayer Time

2009-09-13T15:14:00.001+08:00

Hope you guys took something back from last week duty. Esp for those who had been debriefed by Alan. Looking forward to more leaders arising from our warriors here. Work hard! Thanks for praying together as a team after service on sat.

Signing off.

- ruix

G12S2B Games Day!

2009-09-05T23:00:00.000+08:00

To take a break from all these stress of exams, lets chill down and have abit of fun this sat after service!

2009-08-30T14:19:00.021+08:00

Some Internal Traffic Pointers

Praise Starts. =>

- Always help to flow upon instructions, usually to east or west more.

- Switch to side doors and draw the curtains(doors close, curtain close, door open, curtain open)

- Standby to lay chairs if there is a need.

- Temporary hold the congregation in the lift lobby when we are laying chairs

- Ensure the correct colour and right no. of chairs are being laid and linked

- If there are no more seats available, standby for parapet/staircase overlfow. Only open parapet/staircase overflow upon instructions.

- Always make sure doors+curtains close till service ends. only use side doors for congregation to exit.

Launch of G12S2B Tee 22nd Aug 2009

2009-08-23T01:29:00.018+08:00

Happy Birthday XiangHua!!

Alpha

2009-08-16T00:20:00.003+08:00

Please feedback and discuss on alpha zone problems and what can be done to improve tis week to ruixiang or during our conference call. cya! Have a gd rest tis week! Jiayou for papers on mon aileen, val yong for POA and study hard justin, xianghua, iris for o'lvl!

Happy National Day! God Bless this nation!

2009-08-09T00:09:00.002+08:00

Looking forward to our jersey presentation ceremony this sat 15th Aug!

Church Anniversary Sunday Breakfast & Lunch.

2009-07-26T00:35:00.001+08:00

Hey guys, I'll be buying lunch for you all... All I know is Mcdonalds only... Ha ha!!!

Below is the link to Mcdonald's menu... Do let me know what you wants to eat by this coming Thursday, 30 July 2009 by comments on this post with your name and orders! :)

Any upsize, special order or anything, do indicate it!!!

Thanks!

Aileen

https://www.mcdelivery.com.sg/wos/jsp/style/01red/art/menu_printable.pdf?WT.mc_id=int_mnu_b01

Welcome to the playground of G12S2B

2009-07-26T00:09:00.002+08:00

Introducing Justin Jackson

For more hottest photos & videos, check back @ our facebook site. till then cya guys at Festival of Praise Indoor Stadium!

Recruitment!

2009-07-19T01:05:00.001+08:00

Hello! I'm G12S2B Recruitment Ambassador! You want a trial with us?

G12S2B meant real business

2009-07-12T00:30:00.013+08:00

Guys & Ladies formal wear dresscode

More principal photography coming up.
For more, visit our facebook group.

Time-honored Qualities of Good Leadership

2009-07-08T22:52:00.001+08:00

Time-honored Qualities of Good Leadership by St Paul

The following quotations are from Charles R. Swindoll’s book, “Paul---A Man of Grace and Grit,” published in 2002.

Most people of my generation would name Winston Churchill as one of the world’s greatest leaders. We remember the qualities that great British war hero not only wrote about but emulated in his life. Optimism. Kindness. Magnanimity. Gratitude. Independence. Justice. Self-criticism. Loyalty. Calmness under stress. And the rare ability to face and communicate bad news squarely. Every age enjoys a few remarkable individuals who, in times of crisis, rise to the occasion and lead with courage and integrity. Our man Paul was no exception. He is, in my opinion, in a league of his own.

Frankly, I am more impressed with Paul than I am with any other leader I’ve ever studied. He never led a nation in time of war, or stood toe to toe against a mad man who desired to control the world. However, he was constantly buffeted by the powerful forces of Satan and his domain as he set in motion a Christian enterprise that would impact the entire world for centuries.

Like fine gold thread, excellent leadership qualities weave their way through Paul’s ministry life. Admittedly, an entire study of those outstanding qualities requires more space than I’m allotted in this book. That’s why I’m limiting my discussion to those qualities implicitly stated in a letter he wrote to the Thessalonians while on his second missionary journey. During his extended stay in Corinth, some trouble in Thessalonica compelled him to write a pastoral letter to encourage that flock and defend his apostolic authority. The letter is filled with grace and grit. We’ll focus on eight essential leader ship qualities I observe in the first twelve verses of 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. The first four are negative; the last four are positive.

THE LEADERSHIP STYLE OF THE APOSTLE PAUL

You know yourselves, my brothers, that our visit to you has not been pointless.
Although, as you know, we had received rough treatment and insults at Philippi, God gave us the courage to speak his gospel to you fearlessly, in spite of great opposition.
Our encouragement to you does not come from any delusion or impure motives or trickery.
No, God has approved us to be entrusted with the gospel, and this is how we preach, seeking to please not human beings but God who tests our hearts.
Indeed, we have never acted with the thought of flattering anyone, as you know, nor as an excuse for greed, God is our witness;
nor have we ever looked for honour from human beings, either from you or anybody else,
when we could have imposed ourselves on you with full weight, as apostles of Christ. Instead, we lived unassumingly among you. Like a mother feeding and looking after her children,
we felt so devoted to you, that we would have been happy to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, so dear had you become.
You remember, brothers, with what unsparing energy we used to work, slaving night and day so as not to be a burden on any one of you while we were proclaiming the gospel of God to you.
You are witnesses, and so is God, that our treatment of you, since you believed, has been impeccably fair and upright.
As you know, we treated every one of you as a father treats his children,
urging you, encouraging you and appealing to you to live a life worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and his glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:1—12 NJB)

Before addressing those eight qualities, let me make a general observation, followed by a couple of impressions. I observe that the Thessalonian Christians knew Paul and his ministry well. He was no distant celebrity; no aloof executive in a pinstriped suit who communicated solely through interoffice memos. On the contrary, he walked among them and worked alongside them. Quite likely, he had enjoyed Sunday afternoon meals in their homes and getting to know their families. He knew them intimately and allowed them to come “up-close and personal” with him.

Several times in the opening verses he makes statements suggesting their personal knowledge of him and his work.

For you yourselves know, brethren. . . (v. 1)

After we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know... (v.2)

We never came with flattering speech, as you know. . . (v.5)

For you remember. . . (v.9)

You are witnesses . . . (v.10)

And on it goes. They knew all about his suffering, understood his words, and trusted his motives. He was no stranger to those folks.

Over and over he implied, “When you look back on my ministry with you, you remember, you know, you were witnesses, you were there, you saw it in action.” They knew the founder of their flock intimately. He was truly a shepherd among them.

Now my impressions:

First, Paul was not offering them leadership ideals. He didn’t write a theoretical textbook on Christian leadership. He wrote a personal letter, appealing to his readers’ intimate knowledge of him and his ministry among them. When he wrote them he reminded his readers of significant leadership essentials they would remember seeing at work in him. They are attainable qualities for all of us and worth the time to cultivate.

Second, Paul style of leadership was neither aloof nor secretive. He lived among them. They knew his address. He talked to them. He didn’t preach a sermon and then conveniently slip out the back door during the benediction. He remained approachable, accessible, and real. His life was an open book. Most would agree, that kind of leader is refreshing. They’ve got nothing to prove, no secrets to hide, no pretense or air of self-importance, never feeling compelled to remind you of their qualifications for the job. That was Paul. He was believable.

John Stott writes, “Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica had been public. It was exercised in the open before God and human beings for he had nothing whatever to hide. Happy are those Christian leaders today, who hate hypocrisy and love integrity, who have nothing to conceal or be ashamed of, who are well known for who and what they are, and who are able to appeal without fear to God and the public as their witnesses! We need more transparency and openness of this kind today.”

A leader who lives his life in the open has nothing to guard or fear. But if he is always on the move, forever hiding behind locked doors and drawn blinds, the public has reason to suspect he’s not genuine. Be careful about following a leader who is inaccessible and invulnerable.

In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian church, he looks back on his ministry there and writes, “You yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain.” How encouraging that must have been for them to hear! Many a pastor looks back on former ministries and sighs, “That was a frustrating ministry, a sad disappointment.” Paul thought the opposite about the Thessalonians. He enjoyed pleasant memories of effective service and loving fellowship.

Please remember, however, his ministry was no bed of roses. He literally limped into Thessalonica, his body bruised and tender from being beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. Thankfully, I’ve never had to endure such brutal persecution. Paul did. But here’s the good news: It didn’t impede his resolve. He writes, “After we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition” (2:2)

One of the secrets of the man’s success can be stated in three words: He plodded on. He led the same way whether the winds were at his back or blowing hard against him. Opposition and hardship didn’t matter. The only priority that mattered was that Christ was proclaimed. Every trail he blazed led others to the Cross.

Since Paul stands as the Bible’s sterling example of spiritual leadership, we would be wise to take a closer look at several of the qualities that made him the leader he was.

LEADING AS PAUL LED

I see eight principles for leading as Paul led. Four are negative, four positive. Let’s look first at the negatives. I call them negative because of Paul’s use of the word “not” or “nor” or “never.” In other words, the following principles demonstrate what spiritual leaders are not to be.

The Negatives

First, spiritual leaders are not deceptive. Paul writes, “For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit” (2:3). Look closely at the word error. The original Greek word means “wandering” and was used often to describe what appeared to be an aimless moving of planets through space. The word was eventually used when referring to people suffering under delusion. Paul reminded the Thessalonian flock that there was nothing manipulative about the way he led. He used the word “impurity” to buttress that point. Nothing off-color or under the table characterized his ministry. No religious traces. No double-talk in fine print designed to trap the unsuspecting. He played it straight. The words “not. . . by way of deceit” simply mean “nothing devious in method or motive.” Paul didn’t conceal the cost of discipleship. He told them it was a rugged journey. Neither did he hold out a promise of fraudulent blessings and benefits. No name-it-and-claim-it theology—--as if God promises to double your money each time you give to some fund-raising appeal. That’s nonsense. Paul knew it and said so. Some people give their lives in places of obscurity and never realize on this earth any significant return on their investment. More often than not, tangible rewards are deferred.

Paul avoided sleazy tactics. He deliberately stayed off the slimy paths of manipulation. He operated on higher ground. No verbal voodoo. No lies. No schemes. Honesty was his middle name. Integrity marked his steps.

General Dwight Eisenhower wrote, “To have followers, one must have their confidence. Hence, the supreme quality for a leader is unquestionable integrity. If one’s associates find him or her guilty of phoniness, if they find that he lacks forthright integrity, he will fail. His teachings and actions must square with each other.”

Second, good leaders are not people pleasers. A sure sign of personal insecurity is wanting to be liked by everyone. Peace at any price. Remaining neutral lest someone be offended. Paul had learned to resist that trap by speaking not “as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts.” Would that all ministers and ministries could resolve to maintain such a standard! Paul understood the perils involved in telling people what they wanted to hear, rather than declaring what they needed to hear. To him, the stakes were eternal. His motive for ministry wasn’t complicated: Please God, not people.

Years ago, while serving a previous church, I got caught between a rock and a hard place. A sticky issue had presented itself, and the board had reached an impasse. A vote was called to resolve the issue democratically. Of the seven of us voting on the elder board, three voted in one direction, and another three voted in the opposite direction. The tying vote would be cast by the pastor—--yours truly. It was your classic no-win situation. We adjourned for twenty-four hours to pray, but mainly to give me time to sort out the matter.

I went home and said to Cynthia, “I’m going to get away for some time alone. I’ll spend the night thinking and praying about the dilemma somewhere other than at home. I need a change of scenery.”

A good friend of mine, a pharmaceutical salesman I had come to respect, was spending the night in a hotel an hour away. I planned to spend some time in prayer with him and hopefully benefit from his wise counsel. En route to his hotel, a passage of Scripture hit me square between the eyes. I nearly drove off the road as I read from the Bible perched on the steering wheel. Pulling off to the side of the road I read aloud Paul’s words to the Galatians: “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10 NASB).

Boom! Like a heat-seeking missile, the truth of that passage detonated deep within in my heart and destroyed every objection to doing what I knew to be right. For me it was a turning point. It was time for me to be true to my convictions. Either I served Christ or men. You cannot be a faithful bondservant of Christ and spend your life making people happy. I made a U-turn and headed back home.

When I returned after less than an hour on the road, a surprised Cynthia met me at the door. “I know exactly what I need to do.” With some embarrassment, I admitted, “I knew what my heart was telling me; I just didn’t want three of those men not to like me.”

Some feared a church split over the sensitive matter. I didn’t let that intimidate me. Twenty-four hours later I voted my conscience, and the Lord honored that decision. Not only did we not split the church, attendance soared during the next eighteen months.

A warning is in order. Don’t take this as an opportunity to justify your abrasive style. I can almost hear some deacon slapping his knee, thinking, Hot dog! Now I’ve got a biblical reason for offending as many people as I possibly can. The Bible teaches I’m not supposed to please people. Stop! Don’t go there. That’s an extreme reaction which will help no one.

Notice also the word “flattering” in verse 5. You might ask, “How do I please God and honor people without resorting to empty flattery?” Glad you asked. Paul says focus on the Lord “who examines our hearts” (2:4). You listen closely to Him. If you don’t know, admit that. If you’re certain, say it like you believe it. Some may get up and walk out of the meeting. (Rarely have I preached a sermon where someone didn’t walk out of the place.) I see anger reflected on some people’s faces at times. Disapproval and disagreement aren’t uncommon either. The fact is, I’ve gotten to the place where when I don’t see opposition to truth, I’m a bit surprised. Invariably when you come down strong on an issue, you’ll have some who won’t like it. And they leave in a huff. My response? Adios! At my age you get a little ornery.

Leaders who focus on pleasing God gain people’s respect.

Third, spiritual leaders are not greedy. I like Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase in The Message of verse 5: “We never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you.”

Godly leaders avoid putting up verbal smoke screens. Sadly, some leaders, who call themselves “Christian,” use their giftedness to manipulate and mislead God’s people. Greed is a vicious master. And it’s not always related to money. You can be greedy for desire or power. You can be greedy for your own agenda. Greed can be a hidden motive that causes you to orchestrate events to move in your direction. Greed flows out of discontentment. Actions spawned by greed usually backfire, causing more heartache and pain for everyone involved.

A couple I read about recently was having a double celebration. Both of them were celebrating their sixtieth birthdays, and their fortieth wed ding anniversary. During their quiet evening together, a fairy appeared and said, “Because you have been such a loving couple all these forty years, I want to grant each one of you a wish. The fairy pointed her wand to the woman first. Being a faithful, loving spouse, the wife wished for an all-expense-paid cruise to a romantic Caribbean island for her and her beloved. Whoosh! Instantly the tickets appeared in her hand. She squealed and beamed with delight. Next the fairy turned her wand to the husband to grant whatever he asked. The man pulled the fairy aside and whispered, “In all honesty, I’d love to have a wife thirty years younger than I am.” The fairy wiggled her nose, waved her wand and poof! He was suddenly ninety years old.

Greed backfires. When people follow greedy leaders, they get hurt. Ministries suffer. Worst of all, Christ is dishonored.

Finally, spiritual leaders are not self-serving. Apostles were a rare breed. To qualify they had to have seen the resurrected Christ. They performed miracles and founded churches. They possessed supernatural discernment and wisdom. They served as the Lord’s chosen men at crucial junctures during first-century church history. Paul stood in their ranks.

By the time he wrote to the Thessalonians, he had proven himself a worthy apostle and exclaimed with a clear conscience that he did not “seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority” (2:6). I admire that sense of authoritative restraint. One of the marks of genuine humility is the restraint of power; it’s what’s held in check that reveals true leadership. No throwing their weight around. No taking unfair advantage. Paul said they could have done that, but they didn’t.

In his excellent book Empowered Leaders, Hans Finzel writes, “There is nothing about leadership that says we have to make people think we are powerful and important. On the contrary, servant leadership finds great strength in serving the needs of followers. . . Top-down leadership is out of place in the church.”

Hans’ words cut across the grain of current church leadership trends. The apostle says, “We never once sought the glory of men.” That’s a remarkable statement. Good leaders are not self-serving. They are passionate about meeting the needs of others.

Enough of the negative. The final four principles for leading as Paul led are positive in tone. The contrast occurs in verse 7 with the tiny-though-powerful word “but.” (Anytime you see that word in Scripture, prepare yourself for a sharp contrast.) Where deception, flattery, greed, and pride did not mark Paul’s ministry, gentleness, affection, authenticity, and encouragement did. The final four principles represent what good leadership is supposed to be.

The Positives

First, good leaders are sensitive to the needs of others. Paul compared his ministry to a mother, who tenderly cares for the needs of her children. I love that word picture. I watched my wife nursing our children when they were tiny, without giving one thought to her own needs. It has been my joy as well to witness my grown daughters caring for our grandchildren too. It’s a precious sight to behold.

Watching my wife and daughters gently cradle their little ones close to their breasts, and lovingly providing for their needs, helps me understand what Paul meant by “gentleness.” His ministry was marked by a gentle nurturing of the flock. Paul says, “I was like a mother nursing a child, in my manner among you.”

If God has placed you in a leadership responsibility, I urge you to cultivate a spirit of gentleness. It is after all a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). Your tenderness will work wonders in the lives under your care.

In the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy, the world watched in wonder as powerful leaders spent time tenderly listening to the gut-wrenching stories of rescue workers and grieving New Yorkers. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani impressed the world day after day standing before the people of that great city chronicling the grim progress reports from ground zero. He spoke softly and compassionately, sometimes with tears, as the gruesome figures stuck in his throat. Somehow he made it through each meeting. Holding back his tears seemed as futile as trying to recover victims from the ten-story mound of twisted Trade Center rubble. Americans needed to see gentle leaders weep.

So do Christians. Spiritual leaders need to be just as real, as gentle, as understanding, and as empathetic. You and I appreciate spiritual leaders who consistently reveal their human sides. Contrary to popular opinion, Paul, the strong-hearted, passionate, gritty leader was also known for his gentleness and grace.

Second, good leaders have affection for people. Paul writes, “Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God . . .“ (2:8). Is that great, or what? Paul didn’t shrink from sharing his emotions with his flock. That strong man, an apostle of Christ, looking back on the Thessalonians said, “Oh, what an affection I had for you. How dear you were to me.” Those are affectionate words of intimacy.

To keep this simple and easy to remember, I want to suggest that affection for people can be demonstrated in two ways: Small yet frequent acts of kindness and stated and written words of appreciation. Those you lead should have a few notes of appreciation and encouragement from you by now. They should be growing accustomed to your expressions of affection that include small yet frequent acts of kindness. No one is so important that he or she is above kindness. That aspect of leadership takes courage and a spirit confident in God’s grace.

I came across a couplet that summarizes this point nicely:

Life is mostly froth and bubble.
Two things stand in stone.
Kindness in another’s trouble.
Courage in your own.

I’m grieved by strong leaders who consistently walk over people. We wonder how people like that make it into significant places of influence. Here’s some free advice. If you don’t enjoy people, please, do us all a favor, don’t go into leadership. Choose another career stream. Everyone will be better off. Say no when you’re offered an opportunity to lead.

Neither the world nor the ministry needs more bosses. Both need more leaders—--servant-hearted souls to lead as Paul led, with sensitivity and affection toward others. Love and affection, when appropriately given, fills the gap when words alone fail to comfort. If people know you love and value them, they’ll go to the wire for you. Paul told the Christians at Thessalonica that he loved them. They never got over it.

Third, good leaders demonstrate authenticity. Paul continued, “We were leased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own yes.” He reminded the believers at Thessalonica that he gave them himself. I can already hear your question: “Chuck, are you saying that the gospel isn’t important?” I’m not saying that. I am saying the gospel alone isn’t enough. Simply delivering truth doesn’t make you a leader. A computer or commentary can do that. So can tracts and tapes. Paul went a step further and said, “I had such affection for you, when it came time to serving I gave you my whole life.” How refreshing!

It gets better.

Paul continued, “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” Hey, this is Macedonia. Not Newport Beach. Times were hard. Thessalonica didn’t enjoy the strong, vibrant economy of Corinth. Folks lived lean, dirt-poor lives. Paul wrote, “Knowing that it was hard for you I paid my own way. I earned my own living.”

He’s not bragging; he’s reminding them of his diligence and sacrificial commitment to them and to the ministry. He had a job to do and he did it. Plain and simple, he had no expectations.

A leader who isn’t authentic will never break through the tough layers of self-preservation so prevalent in our culture. Being real melts away those barriers and lets in light.

Fourth, good leaders are enthusiastically affirming. Again, Paul writes, “You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children” (2:10-11). He started with a mother tenderly caring for her children. Now we see a father encouraging and exhorting his kids.

Ever sat on hard bleachers, in front of the father of the high school quarterback? He’s his own cheer section. ‘Why? He’s a dad! The kid on the field’s going, “Dad, come on, knock it off” But his old man’s standing up there, yelling at top volume, loving very minute of it.

Perhaps you’ve longed for more affirmation from your father. Let’s face it, encouragement goes a long way in preparing a child for life. No one should be getting more encouragement from us than our own children.

Pretty convicting stuff, isn’t it?

What’s true of children is true of all God’s people. Good leadership balances the tender nurturing of a mother with the loving affirmation of a father. Encouragement is like an oasis in the desert. It brings needed refreshment to weary individuals whose souls are parched from time spent in the desert of self-doubt. There’s also the desert of failure when we’ve tried so hard to succeed and the desert of no progress when we so wanted something to happen. And there’s the desert of family rejection, abuse, and a thousand other arid, barren landscapes of life.

In those desert experiences you long for an oasis where you’re able to get a cool drink of water. Though it didn’t come from your father, at last it comes from the affirming words of a leader, who, in speaking, dips his ladle deep in ice water, and as he pours it out, it cools your spirit and refreshes your soul.

Paul understood the importance of enthusiastic affirmation. It motivated people to better living. In fact, that’s the goal of all these leadership distinctives. Paul writes, “so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (2:12). That’s it. We lead like this so others will live like that!

Question: Where did Paul learn how to lead like that? He started out as Saul of Tarsus, that once arrogant, pretentious Pharisee. Remember? He was a vicious savage around Christians back then. What happened to transform that vengeful, Christian-hating crusader into a dynamic model of Christian leadership? He met his Master. He went from being in charge, to submitting to another. Again, I invite you to consider the words of Hans Finzel: “Servant leaders must be willing to live filled with submission on many levels: submission to authority, submission to God the Father, submission to one’s spouse, submission to the principles of wise living, and submission to one’s obligations. Though conventional wisdom says everyone should submit to their leaders, the real truth is that leaders, to be effective, must learn to submit.”

What happened to the proud, self-sufficient Paul? It was the same thing that happened to Joseph and Moses and Joshua and Samuel and the magi and Peter and John and Mary and Martha and Cornelius and Lydia. He met the Master. He came under new management. He met the Master! And after meeting Him, he surrendered control to Him. That’s the first step to leading as Paul led.

I had walked life’s way with an easy tread,
I had traveled where pleasures and comfort led.
Until one day in a quiet place,
I met the Master face to face.
With station and rank and wealth for my goal,
Much thought for my body but none for my soul,
I had entered to win this life’s mad race,
When I met the Master face to face.
I built my castles and reared them high,
Till their towers had pierced the blue of the sky;
I had sworn to rule with an iron mace,
When I met the Master face to face.
I met Him, and knew Him and blushed to see,
That His eyes full of sorrow were fixed upon Me;
I faltered and fell at His feet that day,
While my castles melted and vanished away.
Melted and vanished and in their place,
Nothing else could I see but the Master’s face.
My thoughts are now for the souls of men,
I’ve lost my life to find it again;
Ever since that day in a quiet place,
Where I met the Master face to face.

Somewhere between the Damascus road and the visit from Ananias, Paul’s life was transformed forever. He started taking orders from Christ his King. He advanced on his knees.

BRINGING IT HOME TO YOUR PLACE

Searching stuff, isn’t it? What is it going to take to convince us that the last will be first and the first will be last? For some it will take a lifetime, for others only a few semesters in seminary.

Each May, at the end of the spring term at Dallas Seminary, we have the joy of listening to the school’s top preachers. They’re nominated and selected by pastoral-ministry professors. One year a talented young man preached on that pivotal passage in John 13 where Jesus washes His disciples’ feet. After a compelling exposition of that simple text, the young senior class preacher leaned low into the microphone, looked across the faces in Chafer Chapel, and asked his fellow students, “Do you want to have a great ministry. . . or do you just want to be great?”

The packed-out chapel went silent. Nobody blinked. I’ll never forget his question. None of us will. I hope he never does either.

In a single question he captured the crucial issue: Greatness. Not as the world defines it. But greatness according to the standard of Almighty God. Great leaders are servants first. Like Paul . . . like his Master Jesus Christ.

This is for you and this is for me. If you’ve never submitted fully to the Master, this is your moment. If you’re still arrogant, you probably won’t be struck down with blindness or find yourself shackled in a Roman prison. That was Paul’s experience. But now that I have your attention, I suggest you take a good look within.

You do know how strong-willed and proud you are. So do the people you lead. You know how slow you are to encourage and how reluctant you are to affirm. They do too. You know if you’re greedy. You know if you’re self-serving. Frankly, it’s time to give all that up. We’re back to the crucial question: Do you want to have a great ministry, or do you just want to be great?

How you answer will determine how you lead. (216-230)

Hot off the Press!

2009-07-01T22:59:00.006+08:00

To find out more, gota ask the Man himself! Congrats!

A.S.A.P

2009-06-23T00:52:00.001+08:00

Ever wonder about the abbreviation A.S.A.P.? Generally we think of it in terms of even more hurry and stress in our lives. Maybe if we think of this abbreviation in a different manner, we will begin to find a new way to deal
with those rough days along the way.

There's work to do, deadlines to meet;
You've got no time to spare,
But as you hurry and scurry---
ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

In the midst of family chaos,
"Quality time" is rare.
Do your best; let God do the rest---
ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

It may seem like your worries
Are more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather---
ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

God knows how stressful life is;
He wants to ease our cares,
And He'll respond to all your needs---
A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

Happy are you if you have a Servant’s Heart

2009-06-23T00:00:00.001+08:00

The idea of leadership is very popular in Christian circles these days. People write books about leadership, Christian magazines feature articles about leadership, and flyers advertise special
courses or conferences.Sometimes I get invited to speak about leadership, but, truth be told, I am not very eager to talk about it. Usually, I warn the people who've asked me that yes, I can speak on that topic; however, my emphasis will be on servanthood, not on "effective" or "powerful" leadership. I tell them that because our Lord and Master Jesus was the Servant of all, I believe that a leader must be a servant first and always.

In Jesus' day, the Pharisees found this difficult to understand. They were men who appreciated public recognition and the exercise of power. They noticed that crowds of people were following this obscure rabbi and that His authority held much sway over the people. They became jealous of His popularity and influence. Little did they know that one of His leadership-training techniques was, of all things, foot-washing.

We know the story: Jesus the Teacher and Healer, took the position of the household servant who was lowest of all, stripped off His outer garments and wrapped a towel around His waist. Carrying a basin of water, He carefully washed the feet of each disciple, even Judas, whom He knew would soon betray Him into the hands of crucifiers, and Peter, whom He knew would later deny being His disciple.

When he had finished washing their feet,
he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have
done for you?" he asked them. "You call me `Teacher' and `Lord,' and rightly so,
for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your
feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that
you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is
greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (JOHN 13:12-17, NIV)

This is almost as difficult for us to grasp as it was for the Pharisees. The apostle Paul said that he was willing "to spend and to be spent for you" (2 Corinthians 12:15, KJV). Are we willing to do the same, to lay down our preferences, to sell all in order to buy the pearl of great price? Jesus said that if we are not prepared to get rid of all our possessions, we cannot be His disciples. He asks us (no exemptions for Americans) to sell all, to give up the right to ourselves, to forsake father, mother, family, possessions, home, and everything that we have, in order to be His disciples.

What does this look like?

Self-Denial

As His servants, we lay down our desire for a certain quality of life, our insistence that our life must be arranged in a certain way in order to be acceptable. In a word, we deny ourselves. Making a radical departure from the ways of the world around us, we accept thefact that our preferences and our agendas will not be honored. After all, what are we but mere bondservants who have been bought with a price? As His servants, we pay attention to how we react to slights and hurts, because we realize that wherever we are being self-protective or irritated, we most likely do not yet possess a servant's heart.

We also accept (with joy, because it represents a great spiritual liberation), the menial tasks that come our way, knowing that God is more interested in our response than He is in the tangible results. One day I noticed the footnote to Romans 12:16 in my NIV Bible: "'Live in harmonywith one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.' Note: 'Be willing to do menial work."' As servants, we are willing to do menial work; we don't grouse about it. Christians are not TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) people nor are they Blue Monday people.

When I lived with the Auca Indians for two years, I learned more about servanthood than I had known from my Christian upbringing. The Auca men left the clearing every morning by six o'clock if it wasn't absolutely pouring rain, and they didn't return to the settlement until five or six o'clock in the late afternoon, having run or walked barefoot thirty miles or so looking for food. The women would go out to the fields as soon as they had taken care of the babies and fed the small children and had eaten whatever might be left over for them.

At the end of the day, an Auca woman would come home carrying her fifty- or sixty-pound basket of manioc and plantains by a strap over her forehead, usually with a baby on her hip and a machete in the other hand, caked with sweat and mud from head to toe. She would walk into her house, stoop down to drop the basket behind her, and set to work stirring up the fire, cooking the food, very calmly and quietly doing the things that needed to be done before the family went to bed.

Sometimes far-away Westerners, who had little idea of the actual situation, commended me for my "wonderful work," probably because they thought of it as difficult, isolated, dangerous, or even nobly sacrificial. There were others who for the very same reason condemned me, for I had had the audacity to take my three-year-old into that setting. Some envied me, some pitied me, some admired, some criticized. I could not help but ask myself if perhaps I had been mistaken to come. Was I really obeying God, or had I merely obeyed some misguided impulse, some lust for distinction, some masochistic urge to bury myself in that forsaken place? I became reconciled to my situation by watching the Indians, serving each other and me untroubled by the relative value of their work, free of the pressures of competition or comparison.

There was for me here a lesson in simplicity and acceptance of one's place in life, which, because I was a Christian, I could take from the hand of God. My duty was one thing, theirs another. My responsibility lay there for the time being. The responsibility of some of my correspondents who gazed starry-eyed at my role lay perhaps in an office or a kitchen or the cockpit of an airplane.

Self-Effacement

When I get to heaven, I want to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant," not "good job, excellent and committed CEO." In spite of the clamor of society around us, the urgings to succeed and conquer, I would rather emulate my fellow believers who have taken the narrow, lower way.

One of them, a seventeenth-century monk, has influenced generations of Christians through a slender volume called The Practice of the Presence of God. Born Nicholas Herman in French Lorraine, he became a Lay brother with the Discalced (barefoot) Carmelites in Paris in 1666 and was known thereafter as "Brother Lawrence." He was undistinguished in academic matters and ended up in the kitchen of the monastery, where he found that the most menial tasks could bring him nearer to heaven. He died when he was eighty years old, having become a bit of a legend in his own time for his cheerful servant's heart, his love, and his willingness to choose the humble path.

If we ever get the idea that any job is beneath us, we're off the path of Jesus. My second husband, Addison Leitch, was the dean of a college. One evening he was told that pranksters had slathered peanut butter and shaving cream all over the walls of a certain men's dormitory. So he made his way over there and went down the halls knocking on doors, asking if anybody knew how the mess had gotten there. Nobody had a clue. "I had a couple of choices," he said. "We had a wonderful janitor who would do anything for anybody, anytime.

But I didn't want to take advantage of that man at that hour of the night. I could either force the students to come out and clean it up themselves or I could call the janitor, which I had decided I wasn't going to do. So I decided to do something different. I went and got a bucket and a brush, and started scrubbing the walls myself." It wasn't very long before heads began to pop out of the doors one by one and the guys saw their dean scrubbing down the walls.

One after another, they located rags and began to help him. What a simple example of servanthood. My own dormitory experience also helped me understand servanthood. My housemother at Wheaton College had come from a very wealthy home in Augusta, Georgia, one with "white columns in the front and many servants in the back." Her family had disinherited her after she became a Christian. Like most Southern belles, she had been raised to be beautiful and to be a "lady." There she was, single and with a good classical education but no particular skills. She certainly had never expected to have to make a living for herself.

Somehow, she made her way to Wheaton, and she and I became friends. In her wonderful Georgia accent, she called me"Baaeeddy" (Betty/, stringing the "e" into two or three syllables as only someone from Georgia can do. We used to walk to Sunday school together because she was my teacher.

One day she said to me (charmingly clasping her very ample bosom), "Oh, Baaeeddy, I came to Wheaton to be a spiritual counselor, but here I am carrying mops and toilet paper across the campus." She was a spiritual counselor, of course, to me and to several hundred other girls. And the very fact that she was willing to carry the mops and toilet paper tremendously enhanced the effectiveness of her message as a spiritual counselor.

Years later, when she was living in a retirement home in Florida, my second husband, Add Leitch, and I visited her. Now somewhat smaller and gray-haired, she still had the wonderful smile. I reminded her of what it had meant to me for her to be willing to carry mops and toilet paper across the campus. Again in her charming accent, she exclaimed, "Oh, Baaeeddy! Just think of the mercy of God, that He allowed me to carry mops and toilet paper for His glory!"

Cooperation With God

There is no better example of servanthood than motherhood, because mothers are literally cooperating with God in His creative work of bringing another human being into this world. He needs a mother's body in order to do that; He doesn't create people in any other way. He requires the cooperation of one woman and one man to bring that child intobeing.

Cooperation with God entails self-effacement, self-denial, and all the rest. I have had the opportunity to speak at many women's weekend retreats, where the hostesses go to tremendous effort to make everything perfect. In many of those places, it takes quite a chunk of time at the end to thank all those who have served.

Sometimes I have wondered how many volunteers they might have gotten if the women were told in advance that there would not be any public recognition of their service.

I am reminded often of the humble heart and willing hands of Mrs. Kershaw, the elderly woman hired by my mother to "do for" our large family. The first time I ever saw her, I had come home from college for Christmas vacation. In her letters to me, Mother had been writing about this lovely lady who was now working for her. I walked into the kitchen, and here was this very humpbacked lady bent over the dishpan with her back to me. I exclaimed, "Oh, this must be Mrs. Kershaw, isn't it!" She didn't move a muscle.

My sister was standing on the other side of the kitchen, and she said, "She's deaf."
I said, "You mean, she can't hear you at all?"
"No!"
"Not even if you shout?"
And Ginny shouted, "Not even if you shout!"

Still Mrs. Kershaw didn't flinch, so I went over and tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned around, a radiant smile lighting up her face. "Oh, here's the daughter!" (She always called me "the daughter." My sister was "Ginny," but I was "the daughter.")

One day I came across a list of the things she had done during a typical day. My mother apparently had planned to go out for the day and had made a list of duties for Mrs. Kershaw, careful as usual not to overload her. Mrs. Kershaw had made her own counterpart list to report back to my mother. Between "Did dishes" and "Did ironing," she had written "Rested, and had prayer for all." This was repeated more than one time. "Swept floor," "Made applesauce," and "Rested, and had prayer for all." And, somewhere in the middle, "Visited with Nana."

One of the daily tasks that was uppermost in Mother's mind was to keep her stepmother, who was confined to her room upstairs, company. We children were very remiss in the way we treated our step-grandmother, because she was a very gloomy person to be around. We didn't like to go into her room.

Mother would encourage us to go visit her. "Please go in and talk to Nana." We would always say, "What in the world are we supposed to talk about? She is not interested in anything." But Mrs. Kershaw would go upstairs willingly to talk to her, whether it appeared on her list or not. Their conversations were worth overhearing, because not only was Mrs. Kershaw totally deaf, so was Nana. Whatever Mrs. Kershaw would say had nothing to do with what Nana would say. My grandmother hardly smiled at all, but Mrs. Kershaw never stopped smiling, bringing sunshine wherever she went, "resting and praying" for our whole family.

At His Service

Besides self-denial, self-effacement, and a willingness to cooperate with God, a true servant puts his or her gifts at the disposal of the Master. We tend to assume that God wants to use our highest-ranked gifts, but that may not be the case.

Once a former missionary came to me with a grievance. She had come back from the mission field to her home church and had told her pastor that she was available to serve in any way that she could.

"Elisabeth, he asked me to take charge of the nursery! I explained to him that I have three degrees and that in all my fifteen years on the mission field I had not taken care of babies. I have other experience: teaching Bible classes, organizing a school. And he insisted that what he really needed was a nursery worker! I told him that I did not feel I could do that."

"What did he say?" I asked.
"Well, then he asked me to bake bread for communion. I don't think he understood my qualifications."

This lady was asking the wrong person for advice. I said, "I think you should go back to him and tell him that you'll take charge of the nursery and you'll bake the bread, too." She was quite hurt.

I wonder how Jesus compares that attitude with, for instance, the attitude of Amy Carmichael, who would not ask anybody to take on a job that she herself was not willing to do. When there was a cholera epidemic in the village of Dohnavur, Amy gathered up her pail of disinfectant and her rags and went down into the little village huts where nobody else would go, not even the doctors. She scrubbed and she saved lives.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them" (John 13:16-17, KJV).

There is great happiness in having a servant's heart.

This was the same woman who had had a very effective ministry as an itinerant evangelist for the first seven or eight years she was in India. She had a small band of godly Indian women who traveled with her by bullock cart, bumping along rutted roads from one remote village to another, reaching out to Hindu women who were sequestered in the inner courts of their homes. In the opinion of the Indians as well as Amy's European supporters, this was true "spiritual work."

Then came the day when a little girl appeared on her veranda as she was having her morning tea, having escaped (only God knows how) from the captivity of being a child prostitute in the Hindu temple. Appalled at the practices of the temples and the conditions under which small children were raised, Amy began to take them into her own compound.

This meant, according to the Indian Tamil proverb which says, "children tie the mother's feet," that Amy could no longer be an itinerant evangelist. Her gifts were "on the shelf" and she found herself doing the last thing she would have imagined when she came to India, mixing formula and changing diapers and finding workers to help her. She once said, "I must have cut tens of thousands of tiny toenails and fingernails!"

And inasmuch as Amy did it to one of the least of those babies, she did it for Jesus Himself.("Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," Matthew 25:40.) Some of the women who had been part of the itinerant evangelistic band had come from high-caste Indian homes, and the daily duties of orphanage work were anathema to them.

The spiritual work of traveling from village to village was one thing, but changing diapers and wiping little runny noses was quite another. (Even into the 1980s, 98 percent of the nurses in India were Christians, because Hindus would not do that kind of work). So Amy, who had been raised in a very wealthy home in Ireland, showed them what servanthood is like and gradually taught them how "the servant is not greater than his master" (John 13:16). In part because of her willingness to lay down her gifts, she became a true leader, and to this day we see the fruits of her ministry for the kingdom of God.

It's a tall order to take the lowest place, to lay it all at His feet, and to listen for His next small wish. Yoked with Him, we can do this as easily as we can conquer more exalted worlds. [97-110]

Justin , Valerie Birthday

2009-06-20T21:30:00.008+08:00

Wonderful weekend of birthday celebration for our 2 lovely babies. Next week Song of Solomon remember be on thursday night! cya guys!

Choosing the uncommon Life

2009-06-14T23:51:00.000+08:00

One can't, at once, promote two reputations.
Promote God's and forget yours.
Or promote yours and forget God's.
We must choose.

Joseph did.
Matthew describes Jesus's earthly father as a craftsman (Matt. 13:55).
He lives in Nazareth: a single-camel map dot on the edge of boredom.
Joseph never speaks in the New Testament.
He does much.
He sees an angel, marries a pregnant girl, and leads his family to Bethlehem and Egypt.
He does much, but says nothing.

A small-town carpenter who never said a Scripture-worthy word.
Is Joseph the right choice?
Doesn't God have better options?
An eloquent priest from Jerusalem or a scholar from the Pharisees?

Why Joseph?

A major part of the answer lies in his reputation: he gives it up for Jesus.
"Then Joseph husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly" (Matt. 1:19).

Mary's parents, by this point, have signed a contract and sealed it with a dowry.
Mary belongs to Joseph; Joseph belongs to Mary.
Legally and matrimonially bound.

Now what?
His fiancée is pregnant, blemished, tainted ... he is righteous, godly.
On one hand, he has the law.
On the other, he has his love.

The law says, stone her.
Love says, forgive her.

Joseph is caught in the middle.
But Joseph is a kind man.
"Not wanting to disgrace her, [he] planned to send her away secretly" (v. 19 NASB).

A quiet divorce.
How long would it stay quiet?
Likely not long.
But for a time, this was the solution.

Then comes the angel.

"While he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit' " (v. 20).

Mary's growing belly gives no cause for concern, but reason to rejoice.
"She carries the Son of God in her womb," the angel announces.
But who would believe it?
Who would buy this tale?

Envision Joseph being questioned by the city leaders.
"Joseph," they say, "we understand that Mary is with child."
He nods.

"Is the child yours?"
He shakes his head.

"Do you know how she became pregnant?"
Gulp.
A bead of sweat forms beneath Joseph's beard.
He faces a dilemma.
He makes his decision.

"Joseph ... took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS" (Matt. 1:24--25).

Joseph tanked his reputation.
He swapped his reputation for a pregnant fiancée and an illegitimate son and made the big decision of discipleship.
He placed God's plan ahead of his own.

Would you be willing to do the same?
God grants us an uncommon life to the degree we surrender our common one.

"If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it.
But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life" (Matt. 16:25 NLT).

Would you forfeit your reputation to see Jesus born into your world?

Sentosa Outing June Holidays Getaway 2009!

2009-06-14T22:58:00.009+08:00

This is it, for more photos, check out our facebook events page. till then cya this coming week for an exciting round of birthdays!

G12S2B in action @ expo

2009-06-07T23:08:00.001+08:00

Sentosa Outing 2009!

2009-06-03T14:34:00.002+08:00

Hi guys! yes, 1 more week away from our combine outing! It will be lots of fun under the sun! Host be our team and lets help valerie yong and valerie ang(grp11) in logistics wise ya. cya!!

Dress Code of the Month!

2009-06-03T14:28:00.006+08:00

emerge wkend + song of solomon bs

2009-05-25T03:18:00.001+08:00

hello guys, tis wk is gona be exciting. its e last week of school and we are few wks closer to our outing! our exam results as a whole has been disappointing but lets not dwell on whats past, know exactly where our mistakes lies and work towards it k. Let it be a promise to each other and God that u can excel way more than ur current grades. O'levels n N'levels is nt a joke! For all students, tuition class be open for those who needs help k. Last lap already, all e way! - ruix

2009-05-18T11:54:00.004+08:00

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." - 1 Cor 13:1-2

2009-05-11T19:49:00.004+08:00

Zone Alpha To-Do-List

Preparation
- Lay Bulletins and Buckets
- Check chair alignment and chair count
- Ushers should have extra logistical items
- Ensure that ushers are in position ready for door opening ready to usher congregation into their zone

Door Open
- Welcome congregation
- Direct congregation to fill up the zone from 4th row onwards.
- Check status of reserved and empty seats
- Do fishing at the acupoint
- Keep checking status and make sure the zone is filled.
- Give up reserved seats approx 5-10mins before service starts
- Pack congregation to the centre, leave reserved/empty outside.

Praise & Worship
- Check status of reserved and empty seats.
- Do fishing at the acupoint. (Acupointers pls be more proactive)
- Update ICs regularly of zone status.
- If extra chairs are being laid, priority to get the congregation in before laying the bulletins.

Welcome/Announcement
- ensure all seats are filled
- Give out relevant items and be sharp to what Pastor is saying (eg, Welcoming of newcomers, ushers to give out NCS)
- During Offering, stand up only when Stage 1 and 2 stand up
- Check all buckets are collected back
- A1: OCP1, A2 and A3: OCP2
- Check and update attendance card

Offering
- Do a final round of check on the loopholes in the zone.
- Watch out for Stage 1 and 2 to stand up for offering.
- Ensure that offering envelopes are given out.
- Make sure stand on the left side of the aisle.
- Check that all buckets are cleared.
- Ensure that buckets for A1,go to OCP 1, buckets for A2,A3 go to OCP 2.

Sermon
- Stay alert for any instructions

Altar Call
- Laying on of Hands:
Sisters - Lay blue cloth;
Brothers - Direct flow

Post Design of ur tees.

2009-05-05T23:39:00.004+08:00

2009-04-28T13:46:00.002+08:00

April 28, 2009
CHURCH PRAYER LIST

EASTER RETENTION
1) Decisions: Radical salvation; newcomers to be integrated quickly into the church.
2) Pastors & zone supervisors: Wisdom in strategizing and planning for retention and growth.
3) CG Leaders & Coordinators: Effective in their visitations, follow-up & bible studies.
4) Cell Group: Good CG meeting, good retention.

WEEKEND SERVICES WITH DR. STEPHAN K. MUNSEY (MAY 2 – 3, 2009)
5) Members will be excited and bold to invite their friends.
6) Great anointing upon Dr. Stephan as he brings a word in season for CHC.
7) Strong anointing upon all the song-leaders and musicians as they lead the congregation in
praise and worship; strong tangible presence of God to permeate the entire hall.
8) Anointing upon all actors and crew as they stage the drama.
9) Salvation: Many open hearts & responses during altar call.
10) Every cell group will experience exponential growth; CGLs to have great capacity to contain
the growth.

KONG FAMILY
11) Wisdom of God upon Ps. Kong to take CHC up to another level of breakthrough.
12) Health and protection upon the Kong family in all their trips.
13) Sun: Speedy recovery & no more adhesions in the intestines; no more abdominal pain; food can be easily digested.
14) Open doors for Sun to do humanitarian works among the poor and needy.

CITY HARVEST CHURCH
15) Wisdom and anointing upon the Board Members & Pastors to lead CHC to a higher level.
16) Great Commandment: Members to love God wholeheartedly and love people fervently.
17) Members will experience greater breakthroughs in their daily encounters with God; attend Bible Study classes regularly and develop a strong and consistent lifestyle of prayer.
18) Members to have greater servanthood and willingness to be involved in church ministries.
19) More members will be committed to a lifestyle of tithing and giving.
20) Great Commission: More members to sign up for upcoming mission trips; all our affiliated churches and Bible schools will continue to grow.
21) Cultural Mandate: Creativity, boldness and anointing upon members as they engage the government, media, arts and entertainment, education and business arenas.
22) Strong and happy marriages among members; no affairs/divorces.
23) Youth will do well in their studies and have good relationships at home.
24) Cell Group: Stronger spiritual atmosphere and anointing; Caring System will work effectively; growth and multiplication; more Cell Group Leaders will be raised up..
25) Ministries: Greater breakthrough in Children’s Church, Chinese Church, Dialect Church, JAMs Church, Indonesian Church, Tamil Service and Filipino Fellowship. Great capacity to contain growth from the Easter Big Day services.
26) Arise and Build Campaign: Members will be committed to fulfill their six-month pledge; many will experience financial breakthroughs, promotions and salary increments.
27) Favor on the Board members as they actively search for a new land in the marketplace.
28) 1 May (Fri): Great anointing upon Dr. Allan Meyer as he ministers to the men during the manhood conference.

29) 5 May (Tues): The Marketplace Business Luncheon will be an effective platform to engage the marketplace and bring our businessmen up to another level of breakthrough.

SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
30) Wisdom on Ps. Bobby Chaw & his staff team; the administrative and logistic aspects of the
school will run efficiently.
31) The international students will be able to adapt to the new culture and environment.
32) Anointing on the lecturers as they teach the students.
33) The students will be tremendously blessed and will grow in their spiritual life this year.

ASIA MISSION WORK
34) More members will sign up for upcoming mission trips; financial provision.
35) Anointing on all our preachers as they impart the Word of God to the members:
• May 4 – 6: Kumamoto, Japan
• June 1 – 7: Surabaya & Indonesia, Indonesia
36) Our branch churches in Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Taiwan and Japan will grow to more than a thousand in attendance.
37) All new converts will grow and be discipled in the local churches.
38) Safety and protection on our members throughout all the mission trips.

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUESTS
39) (W53) Marcus Yuen: Healing from cancer; pray that his bone marrow will produce strong red blood cells and he will be able to breathe without an oxygen mask.
40) (W421) Sharon Ruth's father: Suffering from fourth stage lymph node cancer. Pray that he will respond positively as he currently undergoes chemotherapy treatment.
41) (N428) Cheah Wan Chin's mother: Suffering from third stage cancer. Pray for good response to chemotherapy, complete healing and assurance of her salvation.
42) (N428) Ong Bee Chin's father: Divine strength, total healing from stomach and lung cancer.
43) (N309) Christine Chong: Suffering from brain cancer (first stage). Pray for good response to chemotherapy sessions and full recovery.
44) (E51) Patracia's mother: Suffering from lung cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. Pray for divine strength as she undergoes treatment; complete healing and salvation.
45) (CC52) Xiao Fen: Smooth chemotherapy treatment; complete healing from breast cancer.
46) (W152) Esther Toh’s father: Speedy recovery from colon cancer and ballooning of the main artery; salvation.
47) (E461) Esther Yap’s brother: Developed a bone growth which affects his nervous system. Pray that the two upcoming operations will be successful and he will experience complete healing.
48) (BBG17) Lawrence Fong: Wisdom upon doctors to diagnose the correct treatment. Divine strength and complete healing from blindness and liver cancer.
49) (BBG25) Sharon’s father: Total healing from prostate cancer.
50) (N169) Sharon Tan: Total healing from advanced stage of breast cancer.
51) (W452) Wong Song Xian's mother: Healing from advanced stage of lung cancer; salvation.
52) (N111) Sarah Tan’s father: Cancer relapse in the lungs. Pray for salvation and healing.
53) (W96) Cindy Lim: Adenomyosis condition with severe pain. Pray for total healing of womb.
54) (E325) Sabrina Leow’s grandmother: Final stage of lung cancer. Pray for salvation & healing.

Aileen / Waiseng Birthday.

2009-04-20T20:31:00.002+08:00

2009-04-20T19:45:00.001+08:00

Hello! :D
Please send me your weekly prayer requests every Monday.
I will be posting them every Tuesday and you can refer from here the prayer requests.
& Please suggest which blogskin to choose at www.blogskins.com
and if you prefer Cbox or just comments. To comment, click on 0 Comments.
Thanks! :D
- Iris.