Cornerstone Herald I Dec 2015

GENERATIONS / LIVING TESTIMONIES / IN THE HOUSE / TRUE CHRISTIANITY / FEATURE / LET THE CHILDREN COME

...AND MOVING ON!

BCW GLORIOUS OPENING/ GRADUATION

32

DUTCH SHEET’S

THE SYNERGY OF AGES 7

THE MODEL MAN

40

A P UBLIC AT ION OF CORN E RSTON E COM M U NI TY C H U R C H , D EC EM B ER 201 5 , M I C A ( P) 1 01 /02/ 2 01 5 /DECEMBER ISSUE / 1

Faithful Chronicles Family Day 2015 Maureen Low 16 CSCC Annual Family Camp Maureen & Delia 38 A Christmas Carnival Alicia Chua 50 Watch-Night Service Kevin Hing 52

In The House Get Ready For The Harvest Jeremiah Chor 4 is Coming!

Your RSVP to God’s Invitation Carol Foo 12 From Prisoner to Professor Juliet Chia 14 Passover Service Ann Ngiaw 18 Model Man Barry Chou 40 Meeting with Dutch Sheets Ps Tim O’Connell 48

Feature The Synergy Of The Ages Dutch Sheets 7 The Life of Joshua Part 2 Dr. Brian Bailey 43

International Ministry Inauguration & Dedication Various 20 of the Bible College of Wales 20th Anniversary Special The Significance of Our 20th year Ps Yang Tuck Yoong 28 The Promises Over Cornerstone 29 My Years in Cornerstone Rick Chang 30 Pioneers of CSCC Various 31 Milestones 32

True Christianity Speaking the Truth in Love Ps Cameron Walcott 44 Lesson from the Wayside Tam Wai Jia 56

Living Testimonies A Bike Race Cliff Tam 58 A Father’s Conversion Tan Hui Yi 59

Generations The Next Level Conference 2014 Naomi Yang 54 Meeting with Jon Pritikin Natasha Chua 60 Gen Habits Campaign Natasha Chua 62 Bridging The Generations Helissa Rebekah Wong 63

Let The Children Come Mission Trip to Marikina, Grace Ang 64 Philippines Chat with Hannah Goh Song Ting Xin 65 Let’s Go M.A.D! Lynette Yeo 66

Community Buzz CCS 8th Student Financial Rachel Jiang 10 Assistance Scheme Award Presentation

All images are provided by our resident photographers, members of Cornerstone Community Church & purchases from iStockphoto.com. We reserve the rights to all articles and images. Should you need to reproduce any articles or images from this publication or past publications, please send your request to obtain written permission from Cornerstone Community Church.

OR Email us at mail@cscc.org.sg All rights reserved @ Cornerstone Community Church Designed by Sampan Ideation

2 / CORNERSTONE HERALD MAGAZINE

PRINTER Stenprint (S) Pte Ltd (License no. L047/08/2008) Kallang Avenue #01-157, S 339410 CORNERSTONE COMMUNITY CHURCH 11 East Coast Road, #03-01/02 The Odeon-Katong Shopping Complex, S 428722, T: 65 6 344 4733 F: 65 6 3443877 Email: mail@cscc.org.sg

CO N T E N TS

20

years have gone by since Cornerstone was founded. With God it will always be a miracle journey, a testimony to our God. From a top floor shopping complex moving into a shop house, from a dingy old theatre to a 5 star hotel meeting hall, from the WTC auditorium (currently known as Habour Front Center) to our very own auditorium. To say anymore, it was only made possible because of Him! A picture paints a thousand words and captured in this issue will be photos from our 20 years journey. What excites me is not the fact that we can retrace and rejoice in what has been obtained and accomplished but the fact that our God is the Alpha and Omega, He wants us to have perfect knowledge of our beginning and the end. When God had us in His mind He mapped out His desires for us, and our part was to “sama� Him, this is the Hebrew word which means to hear and to obey.

One of the most exciting adventures He has brought us thus far has been the purchase of The Bible College of Wales in December 2012. Even as I am writing now, tears well up in my eyes when I consider His goodness. After the restoration and renovation

works were completed on the grounds, we inaugurated and dedicated the work and ministry of The Bible College of Wales on the 25 May 2015. We will be writing history with the purchase of this property because we have obtained and come into the inheritance of something bigger and greater. There are deep wells to be dug in The Bible College of Wales as well as Pisgah Chapel, another significant site which we purchased in 2014 where revivalist Evan Roberts spent much prayer in, and other inheritance which God may want us to possess and come into.

When we look back to trace our journey in the next 20 years, we can again only say, it truly has been God and none other has brought us thus far! And has that many years gone by.

Every blessings!

Ps Daphne Yang /DECEMBER ISSUE / 3

in the house

GET READY. FOR THE HARVEST IS COMING!

BY JEREMIAH CHOR

4

Jan 2015 marks an important day for Cornerstone. Like every Israelite male who convenes to the feasts of the Lord in Jerusalem three times a year, Cornerstone members from various congregations gathered as one family for our “Vision Sunday” in MAX Pavilion - Singapore Expo.

The morning service began with a visual presentation of our ventures in year 2014.

The number of souls saved, bodies healed, various assistance schemes rendered from our Community Services which impact the lives of various racial groups in Singapore, overseas missions, progressive works of our Bible College in Wales (BCW) – all of these attest to God’s everlasting faithfulness to Cornerstone.

We continued with a time of praise and worship led by our worship team. A spirit of thanksgiving and gratitude ascended to the throne room of God as hands were lifted up, and voices rose while people leapt for joy during this time of exuberant worship. Somehow, I sensed that we were joined by a company of angels together with the presiding angel of Cornerstone as we sang our hearts out in one voice in adoration to the Master.

The Word of God says, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” (Proverbs 29:18A). It was after a time of praise and worship that Pastor Yang delivered his “state of the union address” to the congregation.

He outlined four initiatives that the Church will focus on and resources will be channelled to in 2015. They are: A: ISRAEL B: FATHERS AND MEN C: WIDOWS AND ORPHANS D: BIBLE COLLEGE OF WALES

As a new member of Cornerstone, it brought me great excitement in knowing that each of us has a part to play in the coming harvest. When Pastor Dian delivered his closing prayer, I knew deep in my heart of hearts that I will one day be part of the growing company of harvesters whom the Holy Spirit is preparing, while our petition of “Lord, will You thrust more labourers into the harvest field?” resonates straight up to the Throne of Grace.

4 / CORNERSTONE HERALD MAGAZINE

/DECEMBER ISSUE / 5

6 / CORNERSTONE HERALD MAGAZINE

feature

THE SYNERGY OF THE AGES Reproduced with Permission from Dutch Sheets Ministries This is an excerpt taken from, An Appeal to Heaven, Chapter 1

by Dutch Sheets.

T

he Holy Spirit is an amazing and gracious teacher. Given the task of relaying incomprehensible things to fallible people, He does so with great skill, grace and patience. The Lord can drop entire ideas into our spirit in a moment of prayer, from a verse of scripture or at night in a dream. Other times, He gently takes us on a journey.

I am a man who has been on such a journey. Thirteen years ago, the Lord began speaking to me about the nature of time, and perhaps to prove His point, took an extended period of time doing so. In fact, I had to guess, I’d say He’s not done, although I understand His heart for it far more than I did when the journey began.

In 2001, I was asked to speak at Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. CFNl was dear to my wife Ceci and me because, in addition to receiving ministry training, it is the place where we first met in 1977. I went to CFNl looking for training and found a wife. What a deal! For many reasons, but specifically that one, CFNl will always be dear to my heart.

I love the heritage of CFNl. Founded in 1970 by Gordon Lindsay, the Bible school gave a training element to his love for the scriptures, his life of prayer, his heart for missions and evangelism, and his desire to further the signs and wonders movement that was taking place around the world. As a part of this latter tenet, Lindsay published the Voice of Healing magazine, recounting healings and revivals from across the nation and the world. Lindsay died in 1973, but CFNl continued to grow.

/DECEMBER ISSUE / 7

AGREEING WITH THE CLOUD OF WITNESSES

A

s I spoke to the student body in 2001, I was concerned that CFNl was not walking in the fullness of what Gordon Lindsay had established.

To be clear, it was not an issue of sin; the school was not in an apostate state. The institute was full of good administrators, faculty, and students who loved Jesus. I simply realized that just as it happens to all of us from time to time, the institute was experiencing less than God intended it to experience and needed a stronger connection to its roots.

In response to this burden, I chose to replace one teaching session with a prayer meeting. The Lord can accomplish much more through prayer than any teacher can through teaching, and many times He will also bring great insight within that context.

As I led the student body in intercession, I heard the Lord whisper a phrase to me, “You need to agree in prayer with Gordon Lindsay.” That startled me. Lindsay had died nearly 30 years earlier.

“Lord,” I said, “is that really You speaking? He isn’t here; he’s in heaven.” In retrospect, it’s comical to try and explain something to the Lord, but I felt I needed to state the obvious.

“He’s dead, Lord,” I reiterated. “I can’t bring him back to pray with him.”

The response was simple, “But his prayers are not dead.”

That idea rocked me. Now, if you had asked if I thought Gordon Lindsay’s prayers had died with him, I would have said “no,” but might have wondered if it were a trick question.

The Lord continued, “Until this generation comes into agreement with what Lindsay asked Me to do, I can’t answer his prayer.”

This greatly impacted me, as I realized God hadn’t said, “I won’t.” He had clearly said that without this generation’s agreement with Lindsay, “I can’t answer his prayer.” The idea of God saying He couldn’t do something really turned my thinking on its ear.

8 / CORNERSTONE HERALD MAGAZINE

UNFULFILLED PROMISES

I

began to ponder Hebrews 11, remembering the heroes of faith listed there along with some of their amazing exploits. Interestingly, however, the passage is also clear that some of those faith-heroes did not see the fulfilment of their promises. This has always seemed somewhat contradictory to me. When God searched history to accent great lives of faith, He chose to list some that did NOT receive the fulfilment of their God-given promises.

These people went to the grave with unrealized promises from God, yet they had truly believed, even making it into the great Hall of Faith. Clearly, they weren’t deficient in their walk of faith; why then did they die without seeing the promises fulfilled?

The last two verses of Hebrews 11 give us the amazing answer: they did not receive the fulfilment of their promises because God wouldn’t allow them to be complete without us. That is incredible! We, today, play a role in these individuals’ callings and assignments. The Greek word translated “complete” also means, “to finish; to mature; to reach the intended goal.” Think about the ramifications of this: without us, God can’t finish what He began through these saints; what He started through them cannot mature or reach its intended goal until we grab the baton and run our leg of the race. That is mind-blowing!

God gave these individuals promises, but He didn’t give them timelines. He did not tell them He would bring the fulfilment in their lifetimes, although I’m sure most of them expected Him to do so. The eternal God, who transcends time, speaks promises that are sometimes more reflective of His nature and relationship with time than ours. At times, He makes promises to people, knowing fullywell He will deliver on those promises through their children, grandchildren or spiritual descendants. I wonder what I may be finishing for some pastor or teacher from a few decades ago?

Or perhaps even for some flag waving patriot warrior?

The generations are far more inter-connected than most of us realize. In God’s mind, accomplishing something through our descendants is the same as doing it through us. Our comparatively short-sighted approach assumes every promise He makes will take place momentarily, or at the very least before we die! We can’t fathom that a transcendent God might not share our urgency about the 80-year window we think of as life. Meanwhile, God feels no pressure, and understands that if He fulfils His promises through our offspring, the accomplishments were for us, as well as for them.

Conversely, the opposite is true. The scriptures tell us that the actions and accomplishments of individuals in former generations are sometimes credited to those who follow.

Hebrews 7:9 states that the descendants of Levi paid tithes

through their great, great grandfather Abraham. I wonder what blessing we’re experiencing today that someone else paid for! There is an aspect of our spiritual walk that stretches beyond the boundaries of our window on earth.

We can connect with things that occurred before us, and we can affect things that happen in the future. Our prayers know no bounds, so long as we are open to thinking about time from God’s perspective, rather than our own.

As I prayed at Christ For The Nations, I realized God was saying He couldn’t do what He promised Gordon Lindsay because He was waiting for us, the next generation, to do our part.

But the Holy Spirit wasn’t finished instructing me in this prayer session. He had a seven-word phrase with which He intended to rock my finite human mind. These seven words stretched my thinking yet again, and have resonated in me ever since: “I need the synergy of the ages.”

THE SYNERGY OF THE AGES

“Y

ou need WHAT?” I immediately responded.

It is obvious by now that this prayer time was wreaking havoc on this teacher’s preconceived concepts and paradigms! My 13-year journey was beginning with a series of theological brainteasers that, fortunately, were making me think outside of my God-limiting boxes.

What is the synergy of the ages? I quietly wondered.

Synergy is a fascinating concept. Think of it as a multiplication of power through combined effort. In almost all cases in the physical world, one plus one equals two. But not when people work together.

When two or more people combine their efforts and strengths, power is multiplied-not just added. God so loves unity and agreement that He created a phenomenon through which power multiplies if we will simply work together!

Synergy doesn’t just operate in the natural realm; it also exists in the spirit realm. Prayer is one example. Spiritual synergy takes place when two or more agree in prayer.

The result is that through multiplied power much more is accomplished than would have been had we prayed alone.

Leviticus 26:8 teaches us about this power of multiplication, “Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before your sword.” Spiritually, that’s powerful; mathematically, however, it makes no sense. Think about it - if five of us can chase a hundred, that means each of us is responsible for twenty. At that rate, a hundred should chase two thousand, not ten thousand. But something unusual and supernatural takes place through agreement-synergy.

When we agree in prayer, our power grows exponentially.

Synergy also occurs when generations connect. Honoring our parents multiplies our years on earth (Ephesians 6:1-3), while disconnecting from them brings forth curses (Malachi 4:6). Spiritual mantles, another word for callings and giftings, multiply in effectiveness through generational synergy (2 Kings 2:9). God’s plan is always for the present generation to build on the strengths of the previous. This is the synergy of the ages-multiplied power through generational agreement and honor.

In Al Sanders’ book, Crisis in Morality!, he compares descendants of an atheist, Max Jukes, to the offspring of a well-known preacher of that same era, Jonathan Edwards: Max Jukes. .. married an ungodly girl and among their descendants were 310 who died as paupers, 150 as criminals, 7 as murderers, 100 as drunkards and more than half of the women were prostitutes.

“...Clearly, they weren’t deficient in their walk of faith; why then did they die without seeing the promises fulfilled?

The last two verses of Hebrews 11 give us the amazing answer: they did not receive the fulfilment of their promises because God wouldn’t allow them to be complete without us. That is incredible!”

Jonathan Edwards. .. lived at the same time and married a godly girl. An investigation was mode of 1,394 known descendants of theirs. Of these descendants, 13 became college presidents, 65 college professors, 3 United Stores senators, 30 judges, 100 lawyers, 60 physicians, 75 army and navy officers, 100 preachers and missionaries, 60 authors of prominence, one a vice-president of the United States, 80 become public officials. ..and 295 college graduates, among whom were governors of states and ministers foreign countries.

Could any testimony more powerfully make my point?

Success, favor, and blessing can multiply down through the generations. But due to our ignorance in this area, we unknowingly break the generational storyline God is writing.

When the Holy Spirit spoke to me that day at CFNl, I was already aware of synergistic prayer. I knew I could agree in prayer with the person next to me and multiply power. I just didn’t know I could agree with the generation behind me!

Generational synergy-the synergy of the ages-was nowhere on my radar. Once God had awakened me to the principle, however, He wasn’t about to stop with a Bible institute.

Before He was finished, the Holy Spirit would challenge me to reach back to our nation’s founders, agreeing with what He had birthed through them.

And when he did, a forgotten flag would be an important part of the process. /DECEMBER ISSUE / 9

community buzz

CCS 8TH STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME AWARD PRESENTATION CEREMONY

O

n 7 February 2015, Cornerstone Community Services (CCS) held our 8th Student Financial Assistance Scheme Award Presentation Ceremony. This year, students from more than 40 primary and secondary schools received a total of 204 awards amounting to over $90,000. It was a joy to see the award recipients and their families streaming happily into the Cornerstone Auditorium that morning. Each award recipient received a thoughtfully-put-together goodie bag containing details of CCS programmes, clappers and a pencil case filled with stationery. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement and the sounds of party clappers as the audience awaited the commencement of the Award ceremony.

In her opening address, the President of CCS, Mrs. Daphne Yang, defined “Love” in very practical ways so that her young audience could grasp it: “Love has eyes to see the lack and misery that’s around. Love has ears to hear the moans and sighs of discouragements and the sorrows of men. Love has hands to help and embrace, and love has feet to go places to help the poor and needy.” She encouraged the audience, both young and old, to help someone in need because they would discover that they would not just impact that person’s life, they themselves would also be changed by the fulfilment it would bring.

In celebration of SG50, CCS blessed all beneficiaries with a special Christmas gift, with the aim of fostering stronger family ties. Each family could choose one of four gifts: a Swensen’s meal voucher, a Popular book voucher, a CapitaMalls shopping voucher and a Sentosa 1-Day Fun Pass for the family. It was heartening to see excited families discussing among themselves which gift to pick and then expressing their gratitude as they submitted their choice.

CCS recognises that its award recipients have immense potential and so not only provides financial assistance, but also nurtures them through its Mentoring Programme. This year saw the greatest number of mentees signing up compared to previous years, attesting to the success of the programme and the faithfulness of its mentors. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to observe the heart-warming interaction between a mentor, Sharlyn, and her mentee, who had continued to keep in touch even though the “official” period of mentoring had ended.

Amy Carmichael once said: “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” This resonates with CCS’s mission of serving the community and our desire to serve not just with our hands, but also with our hearts.

10

/ CORNERSTONE HERALD MAGAZINE

BY RACHEL JIANG

‘Amy Carmichael once said: “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” This resonates with CCS’s mission...’

/ DECEMBER ISSUE /

11

in the house

YOUR RSVP TO GOD’S INVITATION

BY CAROL FOO

“IS JESUS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT OF THE CAR OF YOUR LIFE?”

12 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

W

itty and impactful, British multi-hyphenate Canon J. John delivered the Gospel in an insightful yet easy to understand manner. The evangelist-speaker-writer-social activist peppered his message with humorous anecdotes and analogies that both entertained the congregation and clearly conveyed the Good News of Jesus Christ. He spoke at three evangelistic meetings organised by Cornerstone Community Church over the weekend of 7-8 February.

After presenting his thesis that “Christianity is an invitation”, he proceeded to present three main questions that can be answered by one verse in the Bible – John 3:16.

Who is it from? It’s from Jesus.

Who is it to? You and me. Every person.

What is it about? It’s about three things – forgiveness from the past, new life in the present, and hope for the future.

“You and I cannot alter the past but we can bring the past to the altar of God. We can bring it all to Jesus and be cleansed and freed.” J. John stressed that everyone is heading towards one of two destinies – Heaven or Hell, with God or without God – but “we’re being invited into the presence of God for eternity!” The term RSVP is derived from the French phrase ‘Repondez s’il vous plait’.Just as invitations require RSVP, a response from the recipient, this invitation from God also awaits your response. What is your response to your invitation?

A student at Oxford University once told J. John that Christianity is a crutch. The evangelist’s response was, “If you broke both of your legs, would you appreciate a wheelchair to get around? I’m a broken person, and so are you. I’ve never met a person who isn’t broken, and I’m so glad I can lean on Jesus while He’s putting me back together again.” I found this illustration so apt that I related it the next day to a youth with a similar view, and his reply was, “That’s worth thinking about!”

Another analogy he used was that of an overdraft (a withdrawal from a bank account that exceeds the funds available) he told the audience that without Christ, we are all in overdraft, but “Jesus was the only one in credit. By dying on the Cross, it was as if He was cashing a cheque signed with His own blood, to say, “Here is the cheque to clear your overdraft.””

Captivating, creative and enjoyable — that’s how church members described J. John’s messages. I asked a few of them in regards to the meeting and Desmond Koh said he learnt how to share the Gospel in a relevant and lively way. As for Roselene Koh, the speaker so captured her attention that she was surprised when the service ended!

Regina Chung found this car analogy to be very clear and yet nuanced. “Is Jesus in the driver’s seat of the car of your life?” the minister had pointedly asked the audience. “Do you need to re-position Jesus?” If so, he exhorted them to tell the Lord, “I want You to be in the driver’s seat, to be filled with Your presence, power and peace.” The outcome of this would be such a transformation that “wherever you go, you become His ambassador.”

May it be so! / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 13

in the house

FROM PRISONER TO PROFESSOR – A STORY RETOLD

C

hristopher Yuan and his parents, Mr and Mrs Yuan, gave one of the most honest and compelling testimonies of God’s salvation and grace.

Each shared how they experienced the journey of salvation in Christ, culminating in Christopher’s radical transformation from a homosexual, an ex-offender as a drug pusher and being expelled from university, to a bible college professor and a believer who finds his identity and source of strength in Christ. The Yuan family has travelled the world and written books to share this testimony of the power of God to transform lives. Indeed, just one family of believers can be used so mightily by God, to challenge the principalities of darkness and serve as beacons of light for our generation. It is time that we as believers begin to arise for our family, friends and community and make that change. The poem below is dedicated to the Yuan family and also to all of us, to remind us of our part in the Great Commission.

BY JULIET CHIA

“I Chose God.”

Three simple words spoken at a turning point, At the crossroads between life and death; Three simple words that transformed A man, Putting to death the old and breathing life to the new creation In God. A life that once was so desperately bent towards sin, twisted by the lies of the enemy into a dead knot, no man by his own strength could undo.

The knot grew tighter as the enemy wove his schemes – “homosexuality defines who you are, The drugs that get you “high” will give you fame, money and power.”

Once, the enemy had promised the same things to our Saviour, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

When we were born in sin, “these things” appeared good in our eyes Just as the fruit from the tree of good and evil appeared good in Eve’s eyes. We have all fallen short of the glory of God; all we like sheep have gone astray, having lost our way.

But each of us who are now safe in the fold, remembers the day when we were brought back by one who stopped to obey God’s call.

14 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

It could have been that stranger who was feeling discouraged that day from coming to work, but still came because he believed and obeyed God’s call – that stranger picked up the phone when Christopher’s mum called before ending her life.

It could have been that lady being wearied by the daily demands of raising children, answering to bosses and who just needed a day-off, but still came because she understood and obeyed God’s call – that lady met Christopher’s mum and brought her to salvation, discipling her as a new believer.

It could have been a friend who had too many appointments to keep as usual but he still came, because he stopped to obey God’s call – that friend encouraged Christopher’s mum and dad to continue waging war in the heavenlies through prayer for Christopher’s salvation.

What did it take for Christopher to say those 3 words “I chose God”?

What did it take for Christopher to be a new creation, a bible college professor, A man who now identifies himself in God and finds new strength each day to keep the effects of HIV at bay?

It took the One beloved by God to be shamed, rejected by His creation and crucified with common criminals - Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

It took that much of God and heaven.

It will only take our short life span of willingness to be inconvenienced, to be burdened, to be at times misunderstood, to be poured out as an offering.

Hell would be plundered and Heaven will rejoice, When the saints go marching one by one Out of the fold, into the world.

by Christopher Yuan / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 15

faithful chronicles

BY MAUREEN LOW

16 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

F

amily isn’t always blood-related. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs. The theme for this year’s Cornerstone Family Day event was “Celebrating Families!”

On 14 March, we saw hundreds of families, young and old, gathered at East Coast Park for our annual fun-filled event. For many of us it was a good break away from our mundane work life and for the youth, from their study schedules. It was an excellent platform to make new friends or just to let our hair down.

The day started with some warming up exercises before flagging the Amazing Race teams off. We saw groups of young and even the older folks scurrying in search of the clues in such excitement, racing against time to be the first to complete the hunt. My “Pink Sisters Team” was no exception though we had no intention to compete at first. However, we were overtaken by the competitive spirit of the youth.

Those who chose a less rigorous activity, folded out their picnic mats under some shady spots and painstakingly laid their food out. It’s heartening to see little clusters of people chatting and laughing heartily. This is family!

What’s Family Day without food? There was a good variety of food, ranging from finger foods to main meals, not forgetting the yummy desserts too!

Kids were attracted to the colourfully decorated stalls which prepared some fun activities for our young.

Uncles and aunties, “Jie jies” and Kor kors” were there to teach our little ones some traditional games.

The most popular and well-loved stall was the balloon sculpturing stall. The fishing station saw a constant crowd too.

Those who wanted to have a work-out or were in the mood for some competition, participated in the Captain’s Ball, Tug of War and Frisbee Challenge. It was awesome to see the whole field bursting with life.

To end the day, we had a time of thanksgiving unto the Lord in songs of praise and worship and of course, not forgetting the prize presentation. To my pleasant surprise, my team won a prize for the Amazing Race!

Kudos to my sisters!

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 17

in the house

PASSOVER SERVICE

BY ANN NGIAW

I

walked out of the auditorium on the night of Good Friday to a text message on my phone, “How was the Passover Service?” It was from a friend who had regrettably been one of the few hundreds of people turned away from service that evening due to an overwhelming turnout. The Passover Service, featuring guest speaker Rev. Joel Baker, commenced at 5.30pm on 3rd April 2015, and saw 2,000 attendees pack the auditorium and overflow rooms.

“Revelationary” was the only non-word that I could conjure up at that moment to describe how one meal, woven in the narrative of how God liberated the Jews from their Egyptian oppressors, was able to explicate deeply profound biblical truths in the plainest manner.

“And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what

18 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’” — Exodus 13:8, NKJV It was my first partaking of the Haggadah, or the telling of Passover, and I was amazed by how every element of the Passover seder was intricately designed by God to encompass not only the twin themes of slavery and freedom, but also His redemptive plan of the cross for a world He so loved.

The service began with Pastor Daphne, the woman of the house, lighting the Passover candles and reciting the Shehecheyanu blessing — “Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav ve-tsivanu lehadlik ner shel yom tov,” which translates “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the candles of the holiday.” With the flame representative of the manifest

presence of God as the Light of the world, Rev. Joel Baker explained to the congregation, much like a father would to his child, that the kindling of the candle was tasked to the woman of the house for the very reason that just as it was the disobedience of a woman that tore the presence of God from this world, it was also in God’s restorative plan to use the obedience of another woman to rekindle it.

With that, we began our Passover service.

From the Kadeish to the Nirtzah, Rev. Joel Baker led the congregation through a truncated Passover Feast, and expounded on the significance of each individual Seder custom of which all in attendance partook that night. Typically, seder customs include the telling of the exodus story, discussing the story, drinking four cups of wine, eating matzah, partaking of symbolic foods placed on the seder plate, and reclining in celebration of freedom.

We drank four sips of grape juice in place of the four cups of wine — the Cup of Sanctification, the Cup of Deliverance, the Cup of Redemption and the Cup of Restoration – in remembrance of the four distinct promises that God made in Exodus 6:6-7.

“Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” — Exodus 6:6-7, NKJV We ate of the karpas, parsley dipped in salt water, in remembrance that what started as a sweet experience in Egypt quickly turned

into a bitter one with much tears shed.

We ate of the maror, horseradish on matzah, in remembrance of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.

We ate of the afikoman, an olive-sized portion of matzo, in remembrance of the first seder meal in which the Israelites, in their haste to leave Egypt, gave no time for their bread to rise. We ate of the afikoman, ultimately, in remembrance of the broken body of Christ for us.

The Passover service concluded, as does every Passover seder, with a prayer that the night’s service be accepted.

“L’shanah haba’ah b’Yerushalayim!” — “Next year in Jerusalem!” / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 19

HERALD on

BCW Opening INTERVIEWS Pastor Lou Engle / Pastor Dutch Sheets / Andrew Yeoman / Darren Millar / Roy Godwin / Colin Hurt /

PASTOR LOU ENGLE We believe this is not just a great dedication service but it is a sign to the world of the kind of praying community that Rees Howell raised, this Nazarite generation is needed now because of the great darkness that is coming over the earth. It is not just a dedication service this is actually a prophetic call to the world to enter into the lifestyle of a pioneer of faith to produce kingdom result to shift the history of nations. I believe we are in a restoration of a great intercessory movement. You know it says I will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. It is not enough to honour history and it is actually this generation who will turn back to the heart, passion and sacrifices of those who go before. When that happens, revival will break out and I believe the dedication of this Bible College is a sign of that revival, worldwide outpouring of the Holy Spirit is coming. It’s the Welsh Revival again and spreading to the world.

20 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

COLIN HURT

PASTOR DUTCH SHEETS It is significant that God would take us back to old wells as this, which was used significantly by Him in the past, and allowing us to reopen these wells just as Isaac did with the reopening of the wells of Abraham. In Hebrews 11, the Lord talked about the fact that some people who received promises from God don’t experience the fulfillment of those promises in their lifetime because God has something for us to do to finish it.

And I think this is what is happening here. God made promises to Rees Howell and Samuel Howell that have yet to be fulfilled. God knew that He would finish it in the next generation. I think God is doing in this generation some things that will actually finish what He started about a hundred years ago and that we would build on the prayers of those before us.

We would dig the wells a little deeper. We would actually take from what they had and add to it, the multiplying of power, the multiplying of anointing, the multiplying of gifting because we don’t start over.

We go back and take what those who went before us had and add to that. Every outpouring is just a continuation of the outpouring that came before adding to it another dimension of the Holy Spirit. And I think the reason God has decided to reopen this well now because He wants us to grab what they had and add to it, the level of the Holy Spirit that they had tapped into. He wants us to take that and add to what we have and do more. I am so excited to be a part of this. We are reopening what I believe is one of the deepest wells on the earth here in this Bible School.

ANDREW YEOMAN, SENIOR PASTOR OF SWANSEA VALLEY BIBLE CHURCH My wife, Helen and I are really excited to be at the Bible College. We have prayed for Swansea, Wales and UK for decades.

We are thrilled to see this place restored and rebuild. We believe that many young lives will be impacted across Wales, UK and Europe and the nations of the earth.

We believe that the principle of the Bible College of Wales was established upon intercession and world-wide ministry of reaching the lost for Jesus and training leaders for the end time harvest. We believe that is going to take place here and so my call is to everyone who can hear my voice and hear this message what are you doing for Jesus?

Do you want to have a destiny that is going to have purpose to touch the whole world for Christ? Then the Bible College of Wales could be the place that God is calling you to. If you feel a stirring in your hearts right now, contact us on our website, www.bcwales. org The College has a tremendous teaching of the Word of God and intercession for the world. You will learn so many things that will equip you to be part of the end time harvest

ROY GODWIN

DARREN MILLAR, WELSH POLITICIAN & CONSERVATIVE MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES

I am delighted to be here today. This is a fantastic place, part of our heritage here in Wales. And I really believe God wants to use this place again not just to touch Wales but to touch the rest of the United Kingdom, Europe and the world. And I thank God immensely how He shook a guy in Singapore and attracted him to this place in order to invest in what I believe is a project that would have ramification for the kingdom of God for many years to come. And I am delighted to be part of it. .

Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong on his way to our place stopped by here (BCW) and God met with him here and spoke to him about taking this place on and developing it into what we can see today.

It is thrilling to see it having moved this far and so quickly. Every time when something like this takes place in Wales it is a hammer-blow against the enemy.

He has tried so hard to destroy the works of God in this nation. But God is unstoppable and unconquerable and He is moving forward today. It is a great step forward and a great symbol of the things to come but of course nothing becomes great until the praying starts and the people come and the people go out. I am looking forward to seeing the tree not just the seed.

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 21

Special performance by Huw Priday

Richard & Kristine Maton, ex-principal, dean & trustee of BCW

Heritage Centre Tour

Canon J. Johns giving the Benediction

22 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

Inauguration service

Signing the Guest Book

e Th ng ni pe O us io or Gl W BC of

Dutch Sheets anointing & dedicating the plinth

Unveiling the plinth, “Jehovah Jireh”

Worship leaders, Caleb Garcia & Cath Woolridge

Guest-of-Honour Edwina Hart

Lou Engle giving the exhortation

Unveiling the plaque by the Guest-of-Honour, Edwina Hart

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 23

“The greatest revelation for me at BCW was having a firm grasp of who I really am in GOD (my God-given identity, not any job title or label), the authority that comes with it (because I am a CHILD of GOD), and walking in the fullness of GOD with purpose and humility.”

BCW Inaugural Graduation Ceremony

Sally Ann Chan, CSCC Sinagpore “In BCW, God has dealt with the issues of my heart, my character. He showed me that I must serve with a servant’s heart. God was just realigning things within me. Despite being in full-time ministry before, I’d lost the joy. But while being here, the Lord has really re-instilled in me the joy of serving God.” Jerold Chen, Brunei

“My time at BCW has been one of the most significant seasons of my life!

He enlarged my heart and allow me to flourish as never before. Jesus has cap¬tured my heart anew! As the next chapter unfolds, I long to be a vessel used for the transformation, healing, and sound that is to flow from Wales to the nations!”

Cath Woolridge, Wales

“He has demolished old mindsets I had about Him and done numerous things to re¬fine my heart’s intentions and motivations. In prayer and intercession, God has taught me to lean on Him alone, and has led me into a journey of waiting upon Him, to hear His heart and take up His burden for the nations.”

Dennis Chew, CSCC Singapore

“He took me on a journey to see power released in united prayer as a family. My greatest memories would be spending time in the Blue Room, coming to a place where our hearts were one, praying in one accord, moving us from classmates to family.”

Rachel Bulan, CSCC Miri, Malaysia

24 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

“BCW has been life-changing for me.

From the very first week, God started confirming why He brought me here, challenged my faith to believe for more.

I am set to go and do what God wants me to do.”

“During my time in BCW, God freed me from a lifelong phobia that had kept me bound and under control for 15 years!”

Lameck Sinoia, Zimbabwe

Sarah Cowe, Scotland

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 25

pioneers

Milestones

promises

26 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

th 20 l cia pe yS ar rs ve ni An

steps of faith

Breakthrough

The Significance of our 20th Year ................................... 28 Promises over Cornerstone .............................................. 29 My Years in Cornerstone ................................................... 30 Pioneers of CSCC .................................................................. 31 Cornerstone Milestone Timeline .............................32 - 37

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 27

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF OUR 20TH YEAR

2

015 has so far been a significant and extremely eventful year for us. Not only did 2015 mark the 50th Jubilee of our nation, it also marked Cornerstone’s 20th year as a church.

In June 2015, Cornerstone turned 20 and the number 20 is an interesting number in the Bible. It is the number that signifies a complete waiting period and there are a few incidences of this in scripture.

If you recall, Jacob had to work 20 years for Laban before being released to fulfill his destiny, to become Israel. The Ark of the Covenant was 20 years in the House of Abinabad before it was returned to its rightful place on Mount Zion. Solomon’s building projects lasted 20 years. At the end of 20 year, Solomon completed the building of the 2 houses, which I feel has a prophetic significance for us.

I want to declare to you that we are about to enter into the prophetic destiny to which God has called us to, and how we respond to God in this 20th year is crucial. The last 20 years have brought us to where we are now and it serves as a platform from which we can launched deeper into God’s eternal purposes. It will set the agenda for us for the future. In the last 20 years since our inception, we have for every year experienced growth and increase, year upon year, without fail, in every aspect- numerically, in our cells, finances, missions, buildings etc. Right from our inception, the Lord made a promise to us that we will grow, little by little, and we have seen this happen yearly. And that’s really a testimony of God’s faithfulness.

He is above all, a GOOD God. The number 20 is also half the number of a generation. A generation in the bible is 40 years, and 20 of course, is the halfway mark.

I remember at our 20th anniversary celebrations, I had mentioned to the congregation that we were now at half time in the game and I wanted the church to treat the service as a halftime pep talk in a locker room. It is like a coach speaking to his team at halftime, evaluating how we have done in the first half and then plan the strategy for the next half of the game. At the halfway mark, you decide if you need to bring in fresh players and rest tired ones. You review your strategy to see if you attack more or defend more. And in a very real sense, we are at a half time point in our journey, and we have met the leadership on several occasions to talk about where we have been, and are right now in our journey, and all I can say is that our future looks exciting and promising.

I believe that the next 20 years will be glorious and whilst it is actually counter productive to try and forecast where we might be in the next 20 years, all I can say is- “if God is with us, then who can be against us”.

In 2008, my friend David Demian was in town and we spent the afternoon together. He prophesied to me and said, “You are now a father of a vision but the time will come when you must transit to become a father of a nation”. The significance of that is- when you are a father of a vision, essentially you are responsible for the work that God has birthed through you, whatever that might be. You are a custodian and steward of that vision. Cornerstone Community Church is the product and fruit of a vision God birthed in my heart in 1989. The 150 churches that we have planted in 15 different nations have come out of that vision. The Bible College of Wales is a fruit of that vision.

28 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

Ps Yang Tuck Yoong Founder/Senior Pastor Cornerstone Community Church When you are a father of a vision, you take care of that which the vision encompasses. What the vision does not encompass, that is really not my direct responsibility. But when God enlarges your heart for the nation, you feel responsible for the things that happen in the nation, whether the people are in your church or not.

And God has been stretching and enlarging my heart, not just for Cornerstone but for the nation as well. And this enlargement of the vision must somehow be translated to everyone in the church because when the vision is enlarge, all of us get a part to play. It is not just me that God is enlarging; it is the whole church. We all benefit and we all grow. So the whole issue of transitioning is vital because of one of grave dangers is when the time comes to let go, we have all seen this happen before, many people refuse to let go. Whether it is the love of the limelight, the power or the crowds, whatever the reason, if we fail to transit, spiritual atrophy sets in and then the leader or leadership becomes the bottleneck, and we cannot afford to allow that to happen to us here at Cornerstone. And believe me, it is so easy to fossilize and crystallize in God. It is metamorphosis that God is seeking to bring us through. If the caterpillar refuses to go through the painful process of metamorphosis, it will always remain an ugly caterpillar. Interestingly, the Greek word for metamorphosis is the word “Transformation” and the process of transformation is vital in this season. A butterfly is not just beautiful to behold, it also sees the world from a very different perspective. When all you are doing is crawling on the ground and eating dust, that’s also about as far as you can see.

God is enlarging us in 2015. He has vistas for us we have not even imagined. He wants to show us things and bring us to places in Him that will stagger the imagination. But all this is predicated on our ability to be flexible and make the transition. 2015 is the year we make that quantum leap into our destiny. We are entering into the fullness of why we were created and it is important that we do not miss the goal of His high call.

So may the Lord watch over His Word, to bring it to pass in the right time, and may Cornerstone fulfill all His purposes and dreams He has for us.

The Promises Over

Cornerstone

On the 17th July 2006, a pastor Sarah from Korea prophesied that we would have 3000 people and that preparation for it should be made. Then on 24th October, 2006, Dr Bailey gave Pastor Yang the same word; that we are going to have 3000 in Cornerstone.

Isaiah 58:10-12

Psalm 144:12-15

If you extend your soul to the hungry

That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;

And satisfy the afflicted soul,

That our daughters may be as pillars,

Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.

The Lord will guide you continually, 11

And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

12

Those from among you

Sculptured in palace style; 13

That our barns may be full,

Isaiah 22:22 The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.

Supplying all kinds of produce; That our sheep may bring forth thousands And ten thousands in our fields; That our oxen may be well laden; 14

That there be no breaking in or going out; That there be no outcry in our streets.

Happy are the people who are in such a state;

Shall build the old waste places;

15

You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

An apostolic governmental anointing is in the house.

Cornerstone is a church with a global vision and a spiritual warship.

Through Cornerstone, a spiritual beachhead will be established in this nation.

Jill Austin (May 27, 2007)

And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 29

By Rick Chang

I

had the privilege to be part of the church since its founding days. It is an honour to be part of this journey, to witness all that God has done in and through the church. It has been an exhilarating and humbling ride.

As I was watching the video on Celebration Sunday, I recalled those days where, with a very small population, it was all hands on deck, regardless of competency. Some of the things I was involved in include: •

• •

Created the first paper bulletin though I was totally clueless with the computer Led the first church camp Served in the usher ministry, the befriender ministry, even backup in the choir!

My Years in Cornerstone

I also consider it a great privilege to have participated in the purchase of the auditorium in Odeon Katong and witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the 1990s.

Contemplating my journey thus far, I am filled with awe of God’s goodness and faithfulness. I’ve always counted myself as one of those “late bloomers” in the things of God. Looking at some of the pictures from the early days, it is poignant to see that many of those who were with us in the beginning are no longer in the church. There were moments in my life when I too contemplated leaving Cornerstone and even abandoning my faith when the testing was very severe. But one thing kept me on the path - am I obeying God in my choices?

Cornerstone is but part of the body of Christ. The decision we make on which church to anchor ourselves in must be premised on the place God wants me to serve, to grow and to be part of as opposed to whether the church is “happening” or not. At the crossroads of my life, it was the desire to obey His will, more than mine, which kept me under the covering.

Indeed in the grip of His grace, obedience and teachability helped me to stay on the course.

A major breakthrough for me in this wonderful journey with Cornerstone is a divine revelation from God on what it means to be a son of the house. Up to that point, though I was serving faithfully, I had yet to discover the true meaning of service. Through the parable of the prodigal son, the Lord revealed to me that a son does not need to strive for position or possession because the inheritance is his. With that sense of ownership, the son constantly looks out for the best interest of the house. He will give his utmost for the

30 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

house because it is his dwelling place. A true son rejoices to see others being blessed and added to his family.

This revelation caused a paradigm shift in mindset and continually fills my heart with great satisfaction, knowing that I am not “serving time” in church but “serving with a purpose”. I pray that God will reveal the spirit of sonship to all in Cornerstone so that we will live the fullness of life in and through Him and to be a blessing to the people around us. It is thus important to “stay at the well” - be engaged with God and what He is doing in the church. There are seasons in our lives when we can afford more time to serve, to attend cell and other times where we are faced with the demands of a family. For the latter, let it be a season but not a permanence in our lives, lest we end up being disconnected. Regardless of seasons, stay at the well!

Greater things lie ahead for Cornerstone. So let’s all embrace the call of God in our lives, the house He has placed us in and give our utmost for His Highest!

By Calvin Ang

I

started attending Bedok Christian Centre (now Cornerstone Community Church) in 1992. To say that my journey through these years in Cornerstone is important and significant is absolutely an understatement as it is entirely my life journey. I made most major decisions in my life seeking God and with inputs from the pastors and leaders of Cornerstone. I am eternally grateful to God and the Cornerstone family for who I am and what I have today. I met and married my beautiful and capable wife in church, have four wonderful kids, was given the honour and privilege to give up my teaching job to serve God full-time and got to know many friends and families in the body of Christ. The journey is truly marked with the goodness and the faithfulness of God. I am enthralled by what Cornerstone has accomplished in twenty years. What a blessing to be joined to such glorious inheritance and destiny. But greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done, to God be the glory!

By Wu Leyu

O

ne of my earliest memories of church was walking up a dingy staircase to a 2nd level shop-house in Kembangan 25 years ago. This was then the Bedok Christian Centre.

Today the days of dingy staircases are a distant past. Every time I step into the main auditorium I am reminded that God has provided a good place for Cornerstone, and how far He has brought us.

More than a physical place, God has also provided a home, where many are friends who walked through life together.

And more than a home, God has in His mind and heart to establish His kingdom though His church. The purchase of the Bible College of Wales is but a foretaste of greater things to come. May Cornerstone continue to be a formidable tool in His hands. May we remain small in our own eyes and trust and follow the Lord to the very end.

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 31

1990 1994 Started Bedok Christian Centre,

Church office moved to

4th February 1990,

468 Changi Road

under the Anglican Church

Cornerstone Community Church registered as an

Church office at Bedok Central

independent (2nd June 1995),

Church services were held at

multi-congregational church.

Duke’s Hotel

Prophetic word received in the same year that the Lord would give us a building

1992 Church office moved to

Lau’s Arcadia (East Coast Rd.) Church services were held at Sim Kim Kok Theatre

1994 1996 Church services were held at the Westin Hotel (Swissotel) Changed our name from Bedok Christian Centre to Cornerstone Community Church First fundraising project Cornerstone Funday Food & Funfair at Mountbatten Primary School

32 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

1993 DECEMBER

1998 FEBRUARY

Church office moved to 764 Mountbatten Road and church services were held at the World Trade Centre (WTC) Purchased our current property (Odeon-Katong), then known as the MusicWorld Church office moved to Odeon-Katong in Dec. 1997

Second fundraising project

Dinner @ Hilton Hotel

Herald Magazine

was birthed

31st December 1997 - Our first Watchnight Service

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 33

1997

1998

First church service at Odeon-Katong on

22nd February 1998 Bedok Christian Centre Third fundraising project FundAsia (food & funfair at St Margaret’s Primary School

1998-1999

2002

Hosted the “Fire Conference” with Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke Faithworks Bookstore was started in May 2002 (occupied one unit, #01-13) Launch of first English Worship Album

Second album “Burn” was launched in Sept. 2003

Officially affiliated with Zion Ministerial Fellowship Inc., a ministerial fellowship based in Waverly, New York, USA

Ordination of first batch of Deacons on 22nd October

First Women’s Conference, “Unfolding Beauty” First Men’s Conference held on 30th Oct. 2002

34 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

2003 2007 Cornerstone organised the “Asia Pacific Zion Conference� with Dr Brian Bailey

2004

Purchased the first shop unit (#02-12) in April 2004

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 35

2005 1st launch of Christmas@ Katong

Taking over of Shalala Pub, #02-07 (dedication of Theatrette 1 took place on 24 Sep)

Other events happened in 2005 1st Cornerstone Global Summit in Jul 2005 Faithworks Bookstore occupies a 2nd unit on level 1 (#01-02) – Launch of Cornerstone Pictures (TV Ministry), debut broadcast on Angel TV in Dec 2005

1st Cornerstone Sports Day @ Jalan Besar Stadium on 26 Nov 2006 Took over Eternity Pub on 06 Mar 2007, #02-24/25 (Children’s Church) & Massage Parlour, #02-21/22 (Chinese Restaurant, Hua Li Xuan, run by a church member)

2007 36 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

Faithworks Bookstore moved to 2nd level (together with the Olives Café) and took over units #02-21/22

2006

2010

2009 2011

Launch of Saturday Service in Apr 2009 We have a new logo

Launch of Cornerstone Courier Services

Team of pastors visited the United Kingdom and chanced upon the Bible College of Wales which was put up for sale

2012 2014

Cornerstone organised the “Kingdom Invasion Conference”

Purchase of the Bible College of Wales (BCW)

2012

Purchase of Pisgah Chapel in Wales

2014

Dedication and inauguration of the Bible College of Wales on 25 May 2015 (exactly 85 years from the day Rees Howells dedicated the building to the Lord)

2015

International Congregations: 1995 – Prophetic word to launch into China; 1996 – Birth of China Alive Ministries; 1997 – Launch of Chinese Fellowship (current Chinese Congregation); 2001 – Filipino Fellowship began on 24 Apr 2001, 18 Aug 2005 1st Sunday Service (12 pax); 2003 – Bahasa Fellowship began on 2 Nov 2003; 2008 – Japanese Fellowship started on 2 Apr 2008 (2008 to 2011); 2008 – Myanmar Fellowship started in Sep 2008; 2009 – Telegu Fellowship started in Apr 2009, started with 35-40 people, now: more than 150 / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 37

faithful chronicles

CSCC Annual

BY MAUREEN LOW & DELIA WALCOTT

F

amily camp has always been a very important and significant event for Cornerstone. It is a time set aside as a Cornerstone Family to wait upon the Lord.

This year the camp was extra special for us as it marks the finale to CSCC’s 20th Anniversary Celebrations. It was a tear-jerking moment as we reminisce about the goodness and faithfulness of God in our journey as a Church. For many of us, the Cornerstone story is an integral part of our life journey.

As a church we have indeed grown not just in numbers but in maturity. But no matter how much the progression, some fundamentals must never be forgotten. One of our camp speakers, Lee Grady reminded us of the fundamental principle of discipleship, reclaiming relational discipleship. Throughout the camp, through the different messages brought forth

by Pastor Roy Godwin, Pastor Nicky and

38 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

Pastor Yang, God was whetting our appetites for more of His presence and to embrace the new season that God is bringing us into. With the new season comes new strategies and new strength for new battles. All these are to prepare us for the coming outpouring of the Holy Spirit that God desires to send and when revival takes place, we can be prepared to handle and sustain it.

videos and remembered the good times in the journey we have taken as a church. This dinner, and camp, is going to remain in our memories as we add it on to the collection of experiences we are gathering as a Cornerstone family.

The camp came to a close with a dinner celebration of our 20th Anniversary. We took the opportunity to honour our pastors and leaders, and in the name of good fun, gave out some ‘fun’ awards. For example, the “Best Dressed Speaker” Award was given to Pastor Nicky! We saw some old photographs and / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 39

in the house

THE MODEL MAN

BY BARRY CHOU

Dominion

A

bout 400 men from Cornerstone assembled 3 times this year at The Cornerstone for the Model Man’s Meetings.

This is one of the thrusts for the Church in 2015 – “Assembling of the Fathers and Men”.

In Deuteronomy 16:16, “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed.”

The Model Man’s Meeting on 1 April was the 1st of three meetings where the men gathered to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The meeting started with Pastor Yang reiterating the heart behind the assembling of the men in Cornerstone. As men obey the call of God to gather, the Lord promises protection and He shall bless our inheritance. At the same time, the Lord wants us to offer ourselves to Him. Pastor Yang kick-started the 4-part session by addressing the issue on pornography. If the men are to be strong, then we have to be pure. In this regard, the Lord wants to break every chain and bondage to pornography.

Pastor Yang then handed the session over to Pastor Lip Yong who shared on “Dominion, Excesses and Discipline”.

It is easy to live our lives in a careless way. God does not want men to live without restraint, but with a sense of purpose and direction in all areas of our lives. We can live our lives with restraint and meaning when we have a prophetic vision and revelation. We are all called to do something great, and not to live our lives just for ourselves.

40 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

God wants us to rule and have victory over situations and areas of our lives.

Victor Frankel’s book entitled ‘Men Search For Meaning’, states that ‘we can choose one’s attitude in any situation.’

Whatever our situation and whatever confronts us in our lives, we are not to have a victim mentality and be swayed by our circumstances, but have an overcoming mindset and have dominion over our circumstances. God spoke to Cain that ‘sin lies at your door, and its desire is for you, but you can rule over it’. “Two wrongs doesn’t make one right, but makes more wrong”.

Excesses of Our Lives We need to get rid of some excesses in our lives – the little things that we do a little too much. There is nothing wrong with hobbies, but we have to know what is important in our lives. It is these excesses that lead us astray. We are pilgrims, and we have to live as such.

God is saying, “Deal with the excesses in your lives.”

Discipline We have to be men of discipline – men who pray, read and know how to relate to people.

––––––––––––––

P

astor Dian Botha took over and spoke on, “The War on Sexual Purity”.

He started with addressing that sexual drive is not sin, but we need to manage it.

It is essential to have non-negotiables in our lives that set boundaries and protect us. We need to have and make boundaries in our lives. There is no grace outside of the boundaries. Once we step over the boundaries, we make ourselves the enemy’s target. Once we stay within the gates, we are safe.

The language of the Holy Spirit is pictures. The devil wants to pollute our brains and eyes with perverse things.

As such, we have to make a conscious decision to look away and not click on a website that leads to pornography. It is also crucial to be accountable to somebody who won’t condemn but will help you.

––––––––––––––

P

astor Tim O’Connell then concluded the 4-part session on “Making Mama Happy”.

When men live according to the pattern of their God given role, women will feel secure.

A man has to assume responsibility. The desire of a woman is covering from a man.

He encouraged the husbands to build a routine. There are areas of consistency, such as dedicated time together, that anchors a marriage together. Though the seasons of life may change and demands of life may increase, keep the routine.

Find a trigger, something to rekindle the love.

Pornography is adultery. If we look with lust, then we have already committed adultery. We have to make a covenant with our eyes, to make a firm commitment to not look with lust.

Personally for me, the message further iterated the fact that all men face similar temptations and challenges. More importantly, everyone is able to see that no one is alone in the battles, but that we can all stand together in truth, honesty and accountability and overcome by His grace and stand together as one body.

If the eye is good, the entire body will be good. The eye is the gate of our souls.

Gates are not as strong as the walls, and hence in battles, soldiers wreck the gates to enter the city.

The messages emphasized the importance for me to establish a routine and put in place triggers for my marriage to continually rekindle and keep the love with my spouse strong and fervent.

KNOWING WHERE TO GO FOR YOUR THRIFT FINDS, MAKES BEING FRUGAL FABULOUS! WHERE? The Barn, Cornerstone Community Services

HOW REWARDING IS THIS PLACE? Your thrift finds and a place filled with good things to enrich your family life. A place where blessings flow.

‘LIKE’ US OR

Visit us on Facebook.com/thebarn.ccs for upcoming events THE ODEON KATONG 11 East Coast Road, 01-14/15, 01-19 Singapore 428722 Tue - Sat : 11am - 5pm | Sun : 10am - 2pm Closed on Mon

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 41

YAH! IT’S CHURCH CAMP 2016 AT THE EQUATORIAL, MELAKA

TIME TO GATHER THE FAMILY AGAIN!

BOOK YOUR CHURCH CAMP DATE FOR

2016!

13

16 JUN

2016!

Awesome Time Together, Block Your Dates for the

Cornerstone Family Camp 2016

42 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

next

feature

PART 2:

I L LU ST RAT I ON BY GU STAV DORÉ , | “J OS H UA AND T H E COMMAN D E R O F TH E LO R D.”

CHAPTER FIVE

THE LIFE OF

JOSHUA

(Excerpt Taken from “LEADERSHIP Vol.3” by Dr. Brian Bailey) CIRCUMCISION AT GILGAL From Jordan, Israel went to Gilgal; and at Gilgal there was the act of circumcision, as all the generation that had been born in the wilderness and had just crossed the Jordan with Joshua had not been circumcised (Josh. 5:2-7). / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 43

THE LIF E OF JOSHUA

CIRCUMCISION AT GILGAL (..continued)

C

ircumcision, in the natural, is the cutting away of flesh that we were born with, and for which we are not responsible. Spiritual circumcision is the process by which God cuts away and deals with our old Adamic nature (our “flesh”). As leaders, we must lead our people into spiritual circumcision, because it is an essentiality for entering into one’s inheritance.

There are basically three areas of spiritual circumcision: 1. The heart, whereby we no longer desire the things of this world; and because He cuts away the hardness of our heart, we can love the Lord with all our heart. “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live” (Deut. 30:6). “He is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Rom. 2:29).

2. The ears, whereby we hear from God, delight in His word, and do not delight in hearing evil: “To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken. .. behold the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach, they have no delight in it” (Jer. 6:10).

3. The lips, whereby we speak as the oracles of God: “And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?” (Ex. 6:12, 1 Pet. 4:11).

(Taken from Know Your Bible, from the chapter on the Book of Joshua) We must experience these three circumcisions ourselves in order to lead others into that same truth and experience. That was one of the problems in Moses’ life. When God gave him the order to go to Egypt, he went down to Egypt with the power, the authority, and the message. Yet though he was the minister of circumcision, he had neglected to circumcise his own son (Ex. 4:24-26).

44 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

We could say that crossing over Jordan ends our wilderness, and it is a release from our old nature. It is the experience of Romans 6:6. Then we come to Gilgal, the place of circumcision. At Jordan there is an instantaneous change and release from our old nature. Gilgal continues that work and is an act of circumcision of our heart, but it is also an ongoing process. The sharp cutting edge of the Word of God is ever penetrating our inner life and dissecting us, area after area. The driving out of 31 kings from the land of Promise represents the subduing of other ruling lords in our hearts that need to be put to death. Before we can ever reach Zion, the ultimate destination of our journey and our inheritance, there is much land that yet needs to be possessed, as Joshua said (Josh. 13:1,18:3).

We will see that later in David’s time, Zion was the final stronghold to be taken.

At this point, I would like to explain the difference between crossing the Jordan and the Gilgal experience of spiritual circumcision. Crossing the Jordan was an act of faith, which in type speaks of being crucified with Christ. For Christians, it is a spiritual experience whereby we can say with Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

We have died in Christ to the world and the flesh; and Christ lives in us, so that we live our life on earth by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us.

One who has passed through a Gilgal experience is enabled by God’s Spirit to read the Hearts of others But Gilgal is where they used the sharp knives to actually cut away the flesh because circumcision was part of God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen.17:10-14, Rom. 4:11). There is that experience that we must have, of “having a sword penetrate our own heart”, which may take the form of a particularly heart wrenching experience.

This is perhaps best explained from the prophecy of Simeon to Mary which was quickened to me: “And Simeon blessed

them, and said unto Mary His mother, Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk. 2:34-35).

When I was in Portland, Oregon, where my wife was undergoing heart surgery, I was in the chapel there alone, pacing up and down. At the same time that my wife underwent the surgeon’s knife, I felt the sword come into my own heart. There is nothing as heartbreaking as knowing that your wife is going through surgery that will affect and limit her for the rest of her life. That is what happened to me. “…That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” The Lord quickened to my heart that one who has passed through his Gilgal experience is enabled to read the hearts of many, as the Lord, by His Spirit of revelation and counsel, gives insight.

When speaking to the pastor, people put on the best face possible. However, one who has been through Gilgal is able to read the sorrow of the human heart, seeing beyond little phrases such as “I am fine, Pastor,” or “Yes, all is well.” The pastor is then able to help the sorrowful ones, administering to them the Balm of Gilead.

There have been other situations in which I have experienced the sword of the Lord, but that was the primary one, I am saying, dear ones, that we have to come to our personal Gilgal experience-that our ear, our lips, and our heart might experience the spiritual circumcision portrayed by Gilgal. *Portions of this section have been taken from previous books by Brian Bailey entitled The Journey of Israel and Know Your Bible. It is recommended that the reader study these two books for a greater understanding of these topics.

T

he following are some additional verses to meditate upon concerning spiritual circumcision:

Jeremiah4:4: “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it, be because of the evil of your doings.”

Philippians 3:3 “For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

Colossians 2:10-14, 20 “And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power: in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross… Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world.”

He was going to take over command of the forces of Israel and see that they defeat their enemies.

THE BATTLE OF JERICHO

We notice here that David asked two questions: “Shall I go up?” and “Shall I be successful?” These are two good questions to ask the Lord when one is seeking guidance in doing His will: “Shall I do it?” and “Shall I be successful?” It is so important (especially when considering marriage) for the Lord to show us the end of the matter, whether it will be successful or not.

A

fter Gilgal, Joshua now faces Jericho, the first of the great fortresses in the land of Canaan. It is going to be the first battle in the Promised Land.

Joshua gets up early and goes to survey Jericho. In so doing, he meets a certain man, and immediately challenges that man, saying, “Art thou for us or against us?” (Josh.

5:13) I want to emphasize that as a leader, we need to challenge visions, dreams, and appearances of angels. However, this man turned out to be the Captain, the Lord of Hosts.

On one occasion, in my room in London, England, a beautiful angel came into my room. I challenged him, and to my horror, I found that instead of blessing me, he attacked me. If Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, had challenged the angel Moroni who appeared to him, he might have found out the angel’s true identity and allegiance.

In leadership, we have to be very careful when people come to us with revelations.

We are to lay them before the Lord, and in so doing, ask Him, “Are they from You or not?” Then we will not be led astray. This is so important, because we must not forget that when the leader is led astray, the whole congregation will go into a path that is contrary to God’s path and into error.

What Joshua did in challenging this man is a lesson we have to learn. The response came back, “... Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come...” (Josh.

5:14). Thus He clearly identified Himself as Christ the Warrior King. In other words,

When going into battles, we have to enquire of the Lord. For example when King David faced an attack from the Philistines, he enquired of the Lord whether they should go and fight the Philistines or not: “And David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand” (2 Sam. 5:19).

When we go into battle, it is of critical importance that we enquire of the Lord

Joshua knelt down before the Lord; and he received the battle commandments. They were to walk one time each day for six days around the walls of Jericho and be very quiet. On the seventh day, they were to walk around them seven times and then give a mighty shout. Then the walls of Jericho would come tumbling down, and they were to slaughter the inhabitants of Jericho. There was one proviso-they were not to touch the gold or spoils of battle (Josh. 6:2-5, 18).

The Israelites fulfilled the first part; the walls came tumbling down; and Jericho was no more. Joshua issued a curse that anyone who rebuilt Jericho would pay the price of his first son and his youngest son.

This actually happened at a later time, when Hiel rebuilt Jericho, as we see in I Kings 16:34: “In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereby in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.”

THE BATTLE OF AI

T

he next city was a little city called Ai. The captains of the armies of Israel said, “... Let not all the people go up; but let two or three thousand

men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few” (Josh. 7:3). Unfortunately, they did not ask counsel of God; and instead of overcoming Ai, they were defeated and lost 36 men (Josh. 7:5). The number 36 is a product of the numbers 3 (speaking of divinity) and 12 (speaking of government), together referring to divine government.

Therefore, it was God (in His divine government) who had decreed that Ai would win that battle, because there was sin in the camp.

Following the defeat, the leaders prostrated themselves before the Lord. Then God made it clear that there was sin in the camp. The Lord revealed that it was Achan who had hidden the gold of Jericho in his tent. Achan and his family were judged.

They had to be stoned to death for their sin, and after that, the Israelites took Ai quite easily.

THE THIRTY-ONE KINGS The Israelites now faced the 31 kings in the land of Canaan. Joshua, the successor of Moses, paid great attention to everything that Moses commanded: “And he [Joshua] wrote there upon the stones a copy of the Law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel...

And afterward he read all the words of the law; the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them” (Josh. 8:32,34-35).

Here, Joshua wrote a copy of the Law of Moses upon the stones and made sure that the children of Israel understood the law.

This is something that the successor has to do. He must ensure that his generation knows the vision-what the founder has received from the Lord. He must also make known to the congregation exactly what is expected of them and what is the purpose of the fellowship or organization.

THE GIBEONITE DECEPTION The conquest of Canaan was now in full swing. The kings of the valleys as well as the hilltops were very concerned because they realized that God was with the nation of Israel and would certainly destroy them all. At this point, the Gibeonites plotted / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 45

to make a covenant with Israel. They did this by trickery, claiming that they were a nation afar off. Although Joshua and the elders interrogated them, they did not discern the scheme of the Gibeonites, who wanted to join Israel and become their servants in order to preserve their own lives.

We read in Joshua 9:14-15: “And the men took of their victuals and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. And Joshua, a made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.”

We have had situations in which people wanted to join with us when they saw that God is with us. This I have seen in various places and in various denominations.

However, if the wrong ones are allowed to join, they can cause great damage in the congregation, and turn many aside from the original vision imparted by God. I have seen his happen many times. For example, in a number of countries, there have been those who have expressed interest in joining with us, although they do not hold the same doctrines and beliefs. We would be in trouble if we allowed them to join us.

We must be very careful in this matter of alliances. The important thing is this-when people approach us asking if they can join us, we have to ask the Lord, “Who are these people, Lord?” We must be careful that we follow God’s commandments and not make alliances with the wrong people.

After Joshua found out the truth, it was too late. Israel had already sworn allegiance to those deceitful Gibeonites! We must not forget that one of conditions for going to Mount Zion is that we swear to our own hurt and change not (Ps. 15:4).

As we look further into the Book of Joshua we find war after war. Joshua is leading the people in going up against these kings, smiting and utterly destroying them.

JOSHUA IS NOT ALONE When we come to Joshua 13, we are told that Joshua is old and stricken in years, The Lord said to him, “... Thou art old and stricken my ears, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed” (Josh 13:1). There was large portion of the land of inheritance that they had not invaded at that time.

Joshua also had to divide up the land. This is an important aspect of leadership. When the church is growing, we realize that 46 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

our inheritance is greater than anticipated; and we have to allot portions of that inheritance to our elders and to others in the church. Here, obviously, it was God who directed Joshua in appointing the inheritance that each tribe of Israel should possess in Canaan. That is the duty of the leader-to divide up the inheritance and to make sure that the elders under us who have toiled faithfully receive their reward and inheritance. That reward and inheritance must be God-given; therefore, this requires prayer.

We have a little interlude here concerning Caleb, who is now 85 years of age. He had retained his youth and had been faithful; and now he is asking for his inheritance (Josh. 14:6-13).

Although we have been looking primarily at Joshua, who had been commissioned as leader after Moses, Caleb had also been faithful, and would receive his reward from God. In a fellowship, we have to be careful to reward the faithful “Calebs.” These are the ones who, after many years, are still walking with God and are strong in Him. God is going to reward them. We will have the joy of seeing those of like mind, who have been faithful to the Lord, enter into their inheritance.

Then we have Othniel, the son of Kenaz, and the first of the judges after Joshua departed. Achsah, the daughter of Caleb, was given to Othniel as a wife. Joshua 15:18-19 says, “And it came to pass, as she [Achsah] came unto him that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her; What wouldest thou? Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water: And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.” My point here is that you are going to have some people in the congregation who are very zealous; and they too should be rewarded.

The successor to Moses is not going to be alone. There are going to be some very godly people with him who have like vision. We find that much of the book of Joshua is now devoted to the splitting up of the land amongst the 12 tribes according to God’s plan.

JOSHUA’S LAST DAYS AND HIS CHARGE TO ISRAEL There is also something else that Joshua

is very concerned about. This becomes apparent when he is talking to the tribe of Reuben, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh. He said, “And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them. . therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan. But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Josh. 22:4-5).

It is very noteworthy that Joshua is speaking to the children of Israel, saying to them, “Look, it is you who choose whether to serve God or to serve other gods.” In other words, it was not to the heathen that he was speaking, but it was to the children of God. Throughout the whole of the Bible, the warnings are to the children of God, not to the heathen, or unbelievers.

There are consequences when one goes his own way and does not keep the Word of God. As we have seen in Matthew 5:19, Jesus in speaking of the commandments of God, makes it very dear that those who obey God’s commandments and teach them to others will be called great in the kingdom of God; but those who disobey and teach others to disobey shall be called the least in the kingdom of God. Our attitude towards the Word of God (and keeping the Word of God) is going to affect our standing in eternity; and that is assuming we are in heaven.

There is another passage that we do well to meditate upon. Ezekiel 44 makes it very clear indeed that there are divisions in the ranks of the children of God. It speaks of those leaders or Levites who went astray when the children of God went astray (Ezek. 44:10).

There are so many leaders who follow their congregations instead of taking a stand and exhorting the brethren to do the right thing. The consequences are formidable, because when they appear before the Judgment Seat of God, these matters are dealt with. Those who followed their congregations instead of following the Lord will indeed find that their eternal ministry is limited to people. In contrast, those who have been faithful and have kept the commandments shall be like the sons of Zadok; and they shall be able to approach unto the table of the Lord and minister unto the Lord and minister unto Him (Ezek. 44:10-16). I would encourage you

to mediate upon this- the children of Israel and its priests did what was right in their own sight, but that was not sufficient. We must do what is right in the sight of God. Psalm 11:3 says, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

My admonition to those leaders who succeed the original founders is that they must repeatedly place before the congregation the vision of the original founder, which of course, has become their own. We must cleave unto the Lord, love Him, and keep His commandments. The successor should raise up Bible schools and Bible classes in the church, so that the people constantly have the Word of God explained to them.

The children of Israel did not have Bibles as we do; therefore, they had to memorize much of the law. But we have the blessing of having the Word of God in book form; and we should take advantage of that, teaching it and ensuring that our people do indeed know the Word of God. In Joshua 23:6, we are approaching the end of Joshua’s ministry. He gives the congregation the same exhortation that he had received in the beginning of his ministry: “Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the Law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefore to the right hand or to the left.”

The congregation’s key for remaining faithful is found in Joshua 23:11: “Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.” Then Joshua makes a covenant with them: “So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Schechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God” (Josh 24:25-27).

Here is the declaration that Joshua made to the congregation of Israel at the end of his ministry: “And of it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; ‘ whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Josh. 24: 15).

One of the things that is so important in the Christian life is how we finish God’s race. Certainly Joshua finished it in blazing glory. His spirit had wholly embraced the

“In a fellowship, we have to be careful to reward the faithful “Calebs.” These are the ones who, after many years, are still walking with God and are strong in Him. God is going to reward them. We will have the joy of seeing those of like mind, who have been faithful to the Lord, enter into their inheritance.”

love of the Lord. He had led the people in the ways of Moses. He had been faithful to do exactly as Moses had commanded, and he

children of Israel were not wholehearted in their devotion to God, because Joshua told them to make their choice, and he would make his.

was exhorting the children of Israel to do the same. But of course he had not, as God had pointed out, fulfilled all, because the Israelites had not conquered and possessed all the land of promise. Nonetheless, he had placed the original vision before them and had made it clear that he and his house would serve the Lord.

We find that even in the congregations of the godly there are those who will follow evil (Prov. 5:14). John Wesley said that even in the congregation of the righteous, there are those who walk in a perverse way. The danger is from within, not from without. May God grant that by His grace we do all we can to leave a good testimony and be a flaming witness.

That is what we want as Christians and Christian leaders-to end on that note of triumph. Yes, perhaps we have not conquered all that God had intended, but praise the Lord, our spirits are burning with the love of Jesus and we are going to serve the Lord. It was obvious that all the

It is very important to notice that the elders who followed Joshua kept the words of the Lord. But after that generation, we have the Book of the Judges when everything disintegrated; sin was permitted, and God had to judge it. / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 47

in the house

MEETINGS WITH DUTCH SHEETS OCT 1ST- 4TH

BY PS TIM O’CONNELL

How does one define a prophetic voice?

T

he Bible lists several occurrences where direction, alignment and correction were given at key junctures to both Israel and the church. On October 1st through the 4th Cornerstone and the churches of Singapore had the privilege of hearing such a voice through the prophetic ministry of Dutch Sheets.

In summarising the meetings there are two distinct messages that can be highlighted. 1) Dutch presented a vision and mandate for the churches of Singapore to a gathering of pastors and leaders from several churches at a special luncheon. 2) The keys in fulfilling and preparing for that mandate were given at the several meetings at Cornerstone.

Dutch highlighted the 50 years of blessing that Singapore has experienced as a nation. The next season is crucial in order for Singapore to fulfil its God given destiny. The decisions and actions taken over the next 18 months will prove pivotal for the nation. The exhortation was for the churches to hear and discern what God is saying and to CONTEND for it. How can such a vision

48 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

and challenge be realized? The several meetings that Dutch conducted at Cornerstone help to provide some insights:

1) God is looking to bring His church to a higher level of authority. The Key of David was emphasized in being able to employ kingdom authority to open or close doors. This measure of authority will affect governments seeing that the Lord is the chief judge, lawgiver and king.

2) The key to coming into kingdom authority is having the ability to wait upon God. The 5 steps of waiting make allowance for God to speak so that we can hear His still small voice in the midst of busyness. The 4 steps of waiting results in the “weighting” of His presence where His glory shines forth.

3) Part of the journey of a Christian is to be brought through Hebron unto Zion. It is in Hebron where enlargement takes place through testings and challenges. Humility is developed which enlarges true apostolic and prophetic capacities.

2Ch 20:20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

4) The series of meetings culminated on the need to know that which is upon God’s heart. It is an invitation and opportunity God presents to His church but it requires a desire to truly know Him. It is to those who heard the message of captivity and submitted to God’s purposes that came to know his heart. (Jer 24:7)

future destiny. It also provided the keys and steps in how to get there.

Whether intended or not there was a beautiful prophetic flow over the course of the 4 days. This was more than just a series of meetings but a prophetic snapshot of what God is looking to do.

Dutch gave a sobering warning at the Pastor’s luncheon that one’s prophetic destiny is not guaranteed. Israel did not discern her God given destiny and as a result missed their season and window of opportunity. (Luke 19:41, 44) This cannot happen to Singapore. Singapore as a nation and as a church has had 50 years of preparation for a purpose. The next 18 months are crucial as critical decisions will be made. These 4 days of meetings allowed for the church to reflect upon its past while considering in / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 49

faithful chronicles

A CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL

BY ALICIA CHUA

W

ith Christmas being one of the most important events in the church calendar, one can be sure that there will always be a big celebration. For the Christmas of 2014, in line with our efforts to reach out to the community, the church organised a two-day Christmas Carnival (held on 20 and 21 December) within the church compound. The carnival consisted of two parts: the Christmas programme held during the main services, and a bazaar that was conveniently set up right outside the Odeon Katong building. In the weeks leading up to the carnival weekend, Cornerstonians were given invitations to pass to both friends and family and invite them to join in the festivities.

The services started off with an introduction to the nativity story and a lovely rendition of “Little Drummer Boy”. The performance was followed by a dance item by some youth from Generations and then a time of praise and worship. At the end of each power-packed message, a salvation call was given. We praise God for everyone who received salvation that weekend.

From a bouncy castle and pop cars for the kids, to a sale set up by the Thrift Barn, there was something for both the young and old at the bazaar. Of course, no Christmas celebration here would be complete without food and what a spread there was! Aside from the usual popcorn and candy floss, there were also crowd-pleasers like mushroom carbonara, shepherd’s pie, and ice cream. Shwarma, which seems to have become be a standard dish at

50 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

large-scale events in Cornerstone, was clearly the crowd favourite and the stand serving it had a never-ending queue that snaked past the other stalls.

The carnival was definitely enjoyed by all, as evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive feedback received. Many shared that they felt the tentage area provided a good environment for them to mill about and catch up with people they had not met in a while. There were others who also felt it was a good opportunity to meet and get to know more people. Most importantly, the event became a great way to involve the community and even passers-by in our Christmas celebrations. The organising committee did a wonderful job with the carnival, not forgetting the many volunteers who helped in various ways over both days. Their labour of love certainly did not go unappreciated by those of us who benefited from the enjoyment of the celebrations.

Truly, the love and joy of Christmas could be felt during the carnival. We saw many new faces in the services and rejoice with the new believers. All in all, it was a huge success and I already feel excited for next Christmas’ celebrations – what about you?

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 51

faithful chronicles

WATCHNIGHT SERVICE AT SINGAPORE EXPO, MAX ATRIA, GARNET ROOM 31 DECEMBER 2014

BY KEVIN HING

“Like Joshua, we are to cross over to the land of glory and greatness that God has prepared for us.”

T

he Watchnight Service for 2014 was held at the Max Atria, Singapore Expo.

A positive and excitable energy filled the air as the people streamed into the auditorium, coming to reflect on the wonderful year we had in 2014, and to hear Pastor Yang cast a vision for Cornerstone for 2015. 2015 is not only Singapore’s 50th year as a nation; it is also Cornerstone’s 20th year as a church!

The evening started with an uplifting praise and worship session, bringing us all into the very real presence of God.

52 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

The festivities began with a blooper reel from the CNews team that regaled the congregation. The emcees for the evening, Matthew and Cheryl, then conducted a trivia quiz on the history of our church. Did you know that our church was renamed Cornerstone Community Church in 1994? They certainly brought the house down with their antics, games and energy. Our talented youth also put up an amazing beatboxing act and a touching mime performance to express their gratitude to the leaders. A band of our fine young musicians also entertained with two delightful songs.

A video presentation on the testimonies of the brethren in our midst reminded us all of how God has remained faithful and how He has walked with us and blessed us, filling our paths with an abundance of goodness throughout 2014.

Pastor Yang then spoke on the spiritual crossing over to God’s promises. In the Book of Joshua Chapter 5, the Lord commanded Joshua to arise and claim the land that He has given to them. Like Joshua, we are to cross over to the land of glory and greatness that God has prepared for us. This will

require us to overcome fear, to face uncertainties, and to be courageous. Our Senior Pastor exhorted us with the same words that God exhorted Israel, “Fear not!” and bade us to cross courageously over to the promises of God.

2015 will see us dependent on the supernatural power of the Lord to achieve breakthroughs, defeat the enemy and also to have our hearts transformed. We need to be circumcised spiritually, to search our hearts and use the sharpened edge of the sword of the Spirit to cut away the sins in our lives that beset us. We need to change our

paradigms and win the war by going on the offensive – taking and possessing the promises of God. Pastor Yang reminded us that the Church needs to unite and rally to do the work of God. The whole church needs to be orchestrated by and be in sync with the Holy Spirit. The Church and the leadership will come to a fresh revelation of God, and we will begin to see God move in amazing ways to bless and empower us.

Watching the Year in Review vid-

eo really struck a chord in me, as I remember the many moments of joy and the many lessons learnt in 2014. Even as I am inspired by the vision that Pastor Yang has cast for us, I am now more certain than ever that I am in the place that God has intended for me. I believe that this is where God will manifest His Glory and we will see revival and the revelation of God’s power.

As we all shouted the countdown together, my heart swelled with joy, love and expectation for a year ahead with my fellow Cornerstone comrades.

2015, here we come! / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 53

generations

THE NEXT LEVEL CONFERENCE 2014

BY NAOMI YANG

A

lmost 400 youth from Generations Youth Ministry put aside their holiday plans on 18 and 19 December last year, to come together for The Next Level (TNL) Conference 2014. 2014 was our third year running the conference, and after much prayer, deliberation and discussion, we felt the Lord say “Glorious” for the theme of the conference. “The glory of God is in His goodness.” (Exodus 33:18-19). The committee envisioned for Generations to build a place of residence for the Spirit of the Lord, for our young people to truly live out glorious lives, building a glorious church for God. Held in our very own Cornerstone Main Auditorium, this year we were privileged to have Pastor Nicky Raiborde and Pastor Matt Fielder as our guest speakers. During the day sessions, Gen-ers came together and enjoyed extended worship sessions as a ministry, then split up for highly relevant workshops by Pastor Nicky Raiborde for Generations Tertiary, and Pastor Matt Fielder for Generations Youth. Despite this being the first major ministry-wide event since the restructuring of the ministry into Generations Tertiary (GT) and Generations Youth (GY), the unity within the ministry was palpable and unmistakable. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where

two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19-20). GT and GY alike came together to sow in prayer before TNL 2014, serve tirelessly during the event, and worship God as one. Even the messages that were preached in the respective workshops by our speakers were prophetically synonymous, and a word in season for all in the ministry.

TNL 2014 was steeped in the presence of God right from the beginning, when the planning of the conference commenced. Even in the months leading up to the conference, it was clear that God’s mighty hand was upon every single detail. “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” (Psalm 127:1). There were many instances in which God repeatedly turned seemingly impossible situations into reality. We also held 2 Generations-wide prayer meetings prior to TNL 2014 for all to gather and sow in prayer for the 54 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

WITH PS NICKY RAIBORDE

WITH PS MATT FIELDER

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 55

generations

THE NEXT LEVEL CONFERENCE 2014

“LET YOUR BANNER RISE”

conference. They were great times of corporate prayer as Gen-ers came together to earnestly seek God. The hours of crying out to God in prayer intensified the expectancy in the hearts of all, whetting appetites for what God had in store for us at the conference.

This year, TNL 2014 also marked the official release of two of our very own original Gen songs, “Let Your Banner Rise” by Tiffany Yiu, and “It’s You” by Ian Foo. The weeks leading up to the conference saw all who were involved in the production of the songs dedicate their time to working on the songs. They stayed till the wee hours of the morning despite school and work commitments and repeated as many takes as needed to perfect the recordings. Apart from working on the tracks, our Generations Worship Ministry put in hours of rehearsals to diligently practice for the opening act and prepare for Praise and Worship. Their hours of faithful service were definitely well spent, as all were greatly blessed by the presence and glory of God that lingered in the place throughout the conference, especially during the sessions of Praise and Worship. Many genuine tears were shed at the altar, and many lives were deeply impacted.

From the TNL committee who took great pains to plan and run the conference, the conference crew who served without complaining, to all who were blessed by this conference, we believe and know without a shadow of doubt that God has truly worked through TNL 2014 to radically transform lives. We believe that it is not simply a single event in our calendar, but a seminal part of God’s sovereign plan to take Generations, as one, to the next level.

To God be all the glory.

56 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

At Cornerstone Community Services (CCS), we love to make people smile!

We are able to do what we do because you have joined hands with us.

This continued partnering to reach out and bless the many less privileged in our society and even beyond our shores will go a long, long way.

TO SUPPORT US: Donate online at www.sggives.org/ccsc Donate by cash or cheque made payable to “Cornerstone Community Services�

For more information please contact us at 6344 7321 or email us at info@cornerstoneservices.org.sg or visit our website, www.cornerstoneservices.org.sg

living testimony

A BIKE RACE

BY CLIFF TAM

58

/ CORNERSTONE HERALD MAGAZINE

S

oon after my family migrated to Canada, I had a liver transplant a few days before turning 11. A year later, my Dad signed me up for the Canadian Transplant Games. The Transplant Games is likened to the Olympics for transplant recipients. Since I loved cycling, my dad had me compete in a cycling race. As the other young transplant competitors and I neared the finish line, many people cheered us on. That day, I won my first gold medal.

Since then, I have not competed in any sports events till I graduated from the university. After graduation, I got into the world of triathlon and endurance racing. In 2007, I did my first Ironman, which comprised a 3.8 km swim, followed by a 180 km bike ride and a 42.2 km run. In 2009, I went to Australia and competed at the World Transplant Games. Unlike my first Transplant Games when I was a child, this one was much more competitive. Individuals with transplants travelled from all over the world to compete, in celebration of a second chance at life.

I registered for the 5 km run and 5 km bike time trial since they were my best events. The bike time trial is an individual race against time. One is given a set distance and has to ride as fast as he can. I spent months training for it.

I did not realize how fierce the competition was until I saw the equipment of the other competitors. Many of them had bikes that cost more than $10,000.

On the race day, I even met someone wearing a pair of special socks which was supposed to help him achieve aerodynamic properties and thus cycle faster! As for me, I had but just an old bike.

Before the race, I prayed to the Lord for the race results to be for His Glory.

Through the years of racing in triathlon events, He had taught me to dedicate each race and result to Him. Before the race, I meditated upon Psalm 20:7, Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. This reminded me not to trust in my own bike or body, but to trust in the Name of the Lord our God. The race involved five laps in a closed course. During the race, there was a miscalculation by the race organizers – many participants, including myself, were made to ride an extra lap. As a result, I was second last in my age group.

After the race, the organizers announced they had made a few mistakes. Some cyclists were fuming, others were yelling and cursing at the organizers. Though they had made a mistake on my race time too, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to keep my peace. Even though I had sacrificed much time and expense to compete in this race, the Holy Spirit told me to leave the results up to God. The outcome was His and His alone.

Soon after I committed the results to the Lord, the race organizers approached me to inform me that due to their error, I was bumped up from second last to second place!

In that World Transplant Games, I also won a gold medal for the 5 km run race.

Nonetheless, the silver medal from the cycling race meant a lot more.

In that race, I experienced God fighting the battle for me. I could have fought for my rights. But if I had done that, I would not have been able to see Him at work. Indeed, His saving arm is never too short. His vindication is far sweeter.

As my wife and I serve in the mission field in Uganda, I continue to hold onto this spiritual lesson. When oppression and injustice come against us, I am reminded to remain calm, to be in His peace.

Yes, there are those who trust in their chariots or in horses (in this case, their bikes). But for us, let us r emember the Name of the Lord our God, and trust Him to fight for us.

Amen!

living testimony

TESTIMONY OF FATHER’S CONVERSION

BY TAN HUI YI

T

he journey that led my father to Christ was divinely-planned, and a reminder to me of God’s faithfulness and goodness when we choose to wait for His salvation.

Since young, I have always known my father as an authoritarian harsh and unaffectionate in his words. He was firm in his opinions and did not give as much consideration to the opinions of others. A proper and peaceful conversation was rare, for any conversation could lead to an argument. Tensions would build up as a result and not a week went by without a quarrel at home.

When I grew older, I began to understand why he was like that.

I realised that my father suffered from several medical conditions such as anxiety disorder, minor Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and bouts of depression. These explained his unreasonable tendency to pick on the smallest of details or to turn violent when angered. Ever since I received Christ in 2008, I have been praying continually for my parents’ salvation. In the midst of these circumstances, God gave me a hope that He can, and will, unite our family in peace.

The journey in waiting for these promises for my family was undeniably trying and emotionally draining. The constant hurtful remarks and verbal abuse in the house often left me disheartened, disappointed, and sometimes wondering if God was really at work. But having said that, it was always in such moments of surrendering to God and with unwavering support from my cell and zone members that I could step out in greater faith.

After six years of prayer, I started to see God’s divine plan unfold in February 2014. Under the pressure of work and his medical conditions, my father was struck with a serious panic attack. This event shook our family as he was constantly tormented by fear during that period. He was unable to work, and admitted himself in and out of the hospital several times in a month. This situation left me helpless and desperate. I cried out to God every day. He became the only hope that I could cling onto, and the ‘anchor for my soul’ during this time of distress.

God, in His goodness, then showed me that the first key to unlocking my parents’ salvation was for me to forgive my father. I knew that I could not do that on my own. True forgiveness only came when I finally laid down my hurts, bitterness and burdens at His feet. I had to forgive my father even though he was not remorseful for what he had done. I remembered how Jesus chose to forgive us while we were still sinners. Following this decision of forgiveness, God began to release upon my heart a burden for my family, and I began to fast and pray for them like I had never done before.

Through eyes of faith, God gave me visions of my family’s salvation. God started to move within my family and my father started to show signs of recovery. In His divine timing, Kingdom Invasion came around. And in ‘twenty seconds of insane courage’ (quoting our Senior Pastor, Pastor Yang), I invited my parents to the conference. Not only was my father encouraged by the people who ministered to him, both of my parents also received salvation during the night meeting.

It has been one year since God started showing me His plans for my family. Now, both of my parents are attending cell group and services regularly. Though there is still a long way to go, and much work to be done in the lives of my family members, I have faith that all that He has shown me will surely come to pass! / DECEMBER ISSUE /

59

generations

MEETING WITH JON PRITIKIN

BY NATASHA CHUA

STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN

“HIS STRENGTH IS PERFECT, WHEN OUR STRENGTH IS GONE..., HE LIFTS ME UP, WHEN WE CAN’T CARRY ON...”

60 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

A

fter barely making it through the first month of school, Gen-ers from secondary schools were already out and about doing the Father’s business in reaching out to their fellow school mates, handing them postcards to invite them for Generations Youth’s special service with Jon Pritikin on the 17th of January. Though it was the start of the secondary school’s new semester, Gen-ers were not slack in inviting their school mates and their friends for this event. Attendance on that day was 400, a substantial increase from our usual attendance.

The actual event day was nothing short of amazing. The crowd cheered in anticipation when Jon Pritikin stepped up on stage with a frying pan in his hand. He proceeded to amaze the audience by rolling up the frying pan and breaking its handle effortlessly. The crowd cheered and applauded enthusiastically, in awe of what had just happened before their very eyes. Next, he tore a phone book with his bare hands, scattering torn pages and its remains across the stage. When asked for volunteers, Gen-ers rushed to the stage at the drop of a hat and earnestly did what was instructed as two of them held onto a steel bar while he lifted them up, suspending them in mid-air with ease and leaving us bewildered in our seats.

The service then proceeded with Jon Pritikin sharing about God’s love and also his testimony on how he overcame his speech and learning disability. Underneath his hefty and muscular physique that may seem intimidating to most, his unexpected mellow and gentle demure gave him an uncanny ability to connect to youth and speak right into their hearts. Moreover, his testimony about his past and how he found his identity in Christ were relatable and relevant to Gen-ers who are struggling in similar predicaments.

The presence of God was evidently tangible throughout the event and at the end of the service, an altar call was given and 11 people gave their lives to Jesus, with 3 re-dedicating their lives. I believe that few words were needed to convince and lead them to salvation; instead, it was the sweet, assuring love of the Father that drew their hearts to Him. Indeed, the whole of heaven was rejoicing with us!

The event was such a success not just in the salvation of 14 souls but also in seeing how Gen-ers would step out of their comfort zones to reach out to their friends amidst the difficulty of adapting to a new year in school.

What a way to start a new year with a new level of excitement and anticipation of what God can and will do in Generations as a ministry. As we progress forward as a ministry in 2015, may we stand mindful that God has been our Ebenezer; He has been our help thus far and He will be the One who will bring us into greater heights as a ministry.

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 61

W

hile most of the secondary school students were enjoying their end-of-year school holidays, Generations Youth decided that as a ministry, we wanted to embark on a month-long endeavour to cultivate good and godly habits in our personal lives. “Small investments, Big growth” was the tagline to Gen Habits; believing that when we learn to seek God daily in our personal prayer closets, we would eventually learn to hear and discern God’s voice.

The objectives of this program included learning the importance of prayer and cultivating good disciplines.

At 10 o’clock every night, we would all drop our task at hand and head to our secret closets to spend time seeking God through worship, prayer and reading the Word. Throughout the whole month of November, we would remind one another to do our quiet time and to encourage those who were lagging behind. At the end of that one month of prayer, there was, without a doubt, a proliferation of hunger for His presence and a longing to know Him more in our personal lives. Weekly, there would also be souls added to the kingdom of God in our services and new believers quickly caught the heart of God as they passionately pursued Jesus!

Personally, Gen Habits made an impact in my walk with God as I progressively understood the power and importance of prayer, sensing the urgency and the need to head back to my secret closet to prepare for the spiritual battles ahead as we’re not waging war in the natural but with principalities and powers. Furthermore, it was encouraging to witness Generations Youth seeking God together as a ministry.

generations

GEN HABITS CAMPAIGN

BY NATASHA CHUA

Gen Habits has helped me develop a greater desire for prayer and the Word of God. I find myself prioritizing my quiet time, by making it a non-negotiable part of my daily lifestyle, and this is through a mere month of participating in Gen Habits! I’m excited to see Gen Habits continue being cultivated in the lives of Geners and myself!

Darnell Moo, 21

Gen Habits has helped me to know and love God more and appreciate God’s word through the bible. My shepherd would make sure that I read and understand it daily. On one occasion, while practising Gen habits, I experienced difficulty in breathing. When I consulted my shepherd, I realised that it was a case of spiritual warfare, and I needed to spend more time with God to wage war and to win the battle. At the same time, God assured me that I would be alright. True enough, the heart check I went for returned positive results.”

Justin Ong, 15

Below are some of the many testimonies of how Gen Habits has impacted our young people:

It is a never-ending journey to know God. Every time I’m faithful to read the Bible, I’m one step closer to knowing Him more. I believe this is how world-changers and revivalists are birthed; through an intimate relationship with Jesus. Gen Habits has helped me grow in my walk with God and just by reading the Bible, I’ve grown so much more.

Toh Ying Han, 22

I was learning to pray on my own slowly. It was difficult for me to catch up with the pace of Gen Habits with those who were more mature in their walk with God. Nonetheless, it did not hinder me from pursuing God more as I know He sees my desire. God has taught me many things through my daily prayer time during Gen Habits. One of it was when He revealed to me on a personal level that His love never fails. On days I don’t feel like praying, I’ll remember that God is waiting for me in my secret closet. Our cell group has also decided to carry on with Gen Habits seeing how it has benefitted us.”

Joyee Poh, 14

generations

BRIDGING THE GENERATIONS

BY HELISSA REBEKAH WONG

WHAT IS BRIDGING? n Cornerstone Community Church, our leaders value all generations. From the youngest to the oldest individuals, there is great care taken to ensure that a smooth transition takes place from one phase to another in an individual’s life. This process is known as ‘bridging’ in Cornerstone. In particular, for our darling Sunday Schoolers, a bridging team from Generations Youth is formed for this purpose. Instead of bringing Sunday Schoolers to the Youth Ministry, we bring the Youth Ministry to them, even before they transit. Sessions are conducted once a month during children services, where we meet and interact with the transits for a year. As Bridgers, our mission is to ease the transition process for Primary 6 Sunday Schoolers from Sunday School into Generations Youth. It is vital to create a close-knit community amongst the Youth and Sunday Schoolers, to prevent any precious Sunday Schooler from falling through the cracks during transition.

I

AN ANNUAL OUTING At the end of the year, an outing will be organized for the transits to meet their respective cell groups in Generations Youth. A fun-filled day of activities will be planned to foster new friendships and to prepare the transits to move into the Youth Ministry.

OUTING 2014 An outing was held on 29 December 2014. Plans for the outing were customised to ensure a fruitful day of bonding.

With limited manpower but hopeful hearts for a smooth sailing day, the bridging team had faith that great friendships would be fostered between the Geners and transits.

Thinking back to the day of the outing, it was great seeing Geners – from the youngest to oldest – being so proactive in breaking the ice and participating wholeheartedly during the games. Bonding did not just take place within the cell groups. I witnessed how different zones came together with a common topic, chatting away with smiles and laughter.

Apart from fellowshipping, hearing the cheers from the various youth zones supporting those on the gaming field gave me a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that there would always be support in the zone for each and every believer and new friend.

We are also very thankful to the leaders in Generations who stepped up to befriend the transits and take care of them while the Bridgers were busy facilitating the outing. They are examples of the kind of people with exemplary character whom we are raising in this church that we call home. It is a blessing both for us in Generations and for the Sunday Schoolers to be able to grow up in this house. We look forward to the smooth transition of each batch of transits into Generations. God is ever so faithful. / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 63

let the children come

MISSION TRIP TO MARIKINA

BY GRACE ANG

H

ello, my name is Grace Ang and I am nine this year. I am in the group called “David’s Mighty Men” in the Cornerstone Children’s Church. I went for a mission trip to Marikina, Philippines, last November with my daddy and I want to share with you some of my experiences there.

The first morning, our team went for an “Under the Bridge” outreach to the people who live under the bridge because they have no homes. Some of the toddlers had no clothes on, so we quickly searched through the clothes that we had brought and clothed them.

When we began to sing praise and worship songs, some of them cried. I knew that God was touching the hearts of those who were crying. I felt God’s presence in that place. One of our team members shared the Word and about ten of them raised their hands to re-

64 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

ceive Jesus into their hearts. After that, we served food to everybody. Later, we played with the children and some cute puppies that belonged to one of the families. I was happy to be there.

The next day, we went to an orphanage. We did some drawing activities with the children. There were also many babies there; I liked carrying them and praying for them.

We also went to a beautifully decorated Girls’ Home, where we performed a skit for the girls. The idea came from the Bible story of Jesus multiplying the five loaves and two fishes, but we changed them to lollipops and marshmallows and named the skit “Five Lollipops and Two Marshmallows”. In the skit, Jesus multiplied the sweets and marshmallows, which we immediately gave to the children. We told them Jesus can multiply the little that we have, to bless many others

through us. It was fun performing the skit and giving out the candies. I felt very happy to see them joyfully eating the delicious candies.

On Sunday, we went to Cornerstone Community Church, Marikina.

During the service, we performed a Tagalog song on stage. After lunch, we had another meeting, where my daddy spoke to the leaders of the church and prayed with them. After that, we went to a Boys’ Home. The living conditions were very bad. It had broken windows, untidy rooms and smelly toilets. It broke my heart to see them living like that. We helped to measure the sizes of the boys’ feet because the church was getting them some new shoes.

I was very blessed on this trip.

I learnt that I have to be thankful for what I have and not take things for granted. This was my first mission trip and I want to go there again.

let the children come

CHAT WITH HANNAH GOH

BY SONG TING XIN

Hannah, what were the places you visited on the trip?

During the trip, I visited an old folks home, a boys’ home, an orphanage, a woman’s prison and the Cornerstone Church in Marikina Philippines.

Additionally, I also visited the people who lived under the bridge.

How did you feel when you were there?

I felt happy about having the opportunity to help other people. We had to stay an extra day in Marikina as there was a typhoon, so we could not fly back to Singapore. I was very scared as there was also a flood, but Pastor Kathy told me that it would not hit the place where we were staying. This helped me to relax a little.

How did the places you visited look like?

Most of the places looked old and tattered but the orphanage was very comfy. The walls were yellow and very welcoming.

Sally Goh, team leader of a Couriers team, brought her daughter on a mission trip to Marikina. I had a talk with Hannah (9 years old), who shared about her first experience on a mission trip.

What did you do with your team there?

We gave the children lollipops and bracelets. We also taught them how to make rainbow loom bracelets.

We did a lucky draw for the prison women and took polaroid photos for the elderly people with the words “Jesus loves you!” on them. Then we went for Sunday service at the Cornerstone Community Church in Marikina, Philippines.

Did God show you anything or teach you any special lesson during the trip?

I think God was trying to teach me to be thankful. While the people we visited did not have a lot, they were extremely thankful for what they did have.

/ D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 65

let the children come

CORNERSTONE CHILDREN’S CAMP 2014 - LET’S GO M.A.D (MAKE A DIFFERENCE)!

BY LYNETTE YEO

O

ne of the visions that Pastor Bailey received regarding Cornerstone was of arrows being shot forth from Cornerstone. As Pastor Tim O’Connell shared this with the children at the launch of the 2014 Let’s Make A Difference Children’s camp, the children and teachers alike received such an impartation of faith to know that the children of Cornerstone were part of the fulfilment of this promise too.

The theme of the camp was Making A Difference, and the aim was to make

66 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E

a difference in the community. Over the next three days, the children were prepared, sharpened, and ‘shot forth as arrows’ into the community. Everyone was deployed to pack gift bags of food supplies for the elderly, write cards of encouragement, practise songs and help out in many other ways. For most of the children, it was their first time in a nursing home, seniors’ activity centre, hospice or a children’s cancer centre, so some apprehension by the children was expected. An outcome that was unexpected however (but

good nonetheless), was the outpouring of love, enthusiasm and joy from the children as they generously ventured into the community to serve and be a blessing.

Children visited the rooms of the nursing home and sang birthday songs to elderly folks who were celebrating their birthdays that month. They also sang songs with the elderly at the activity centres, held their hands and talked to them. Many of the elderly were visibly touched. At the cancer centre, gifts and personalised cards

MY BEST AND LAST CHILDREN’S CHURCH CAMP 2014.

Testimony by camper Glenna Tan Kai Wen, Primary 6

were presented to the children who were very eager to receive them.

When the children returned to camp, many shared testimonies of being moved by God’s heart for the people they met, of being happy to be a blessing and even of personal breakthroughs. One 7-year-old boy shared in a simple but honest fashion, “At first I was scared, and then I was not scared”. This young ‘arrow’, who had never been to a senior centre, found that he was happy to be with the elderly and talk to them.

We rejoice that this is only the beginning of a series of many ‘arrows’—notwithstanding of age— being shot forth from Cornerstone, into the community and the nations.

I

t was the most memorable children’s camp as we had the opportunity to visit the old folk’s home and make a difference. For me, it was the best day ever. I felt such an achievement just to make the old folks smile.

God has placed a burden on me to care for and love people who may have been forgotten and need love.

As children of God, we should love one another, including these who may have been forgotten by society.

I recall that there was an elderly lady who looked scared and lonely.

When I went to talk to her before we left her room, she grabbed hold of me and refused to let me go. I saw fear in her eyes - the fear of us leaving, and tears threatened to fall.

I could not help but feel empathy towards her.

We went to another room and I saw Aunty Lay, my Sunday school teacher, talking to one of the elderly ladies. I went over to say hello and encouraged her to lead a healthy life. I was shocked when she responded by telling me that life has no meaning because she felt unwanted. It saddened me to hear that so I gave her a hug, and encouraged her that there’s meaning to life when we have God and have full trust and belief in Him. This experience during children’s camp was a close reminder to me to cherish the people God has placed around me. It also made me thankful for my family, friends and teachers who are all so supportive.

I hope that as children of God, we will strive to make a difference beyond our immediate communities, take a step towards being ‘arrows’ and make contributions to the nations as well. / D E C E M B E R I S S U E / 67

68 / C O R N E R S T O N E H E R A L D M A G A Z I N E