Cornerstone Herald | May 2016

MAY ISSUE 2016

Carol Foo 13

GT CAMP 2015

Gary Low 32

IS IT STILL BIBLICAL TO MAKE VOWS?

Bob Sorge 8

A PUBLICATION OF CORNERSTONE COMMUNITY CHURCH, MAY 2016, MCI(P) 073/02/2016 Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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Contents A Kairos Word from R.T. Kendall

Generations

“Dear friend, be encouraged, He has heard your cry.

He has seen your struggle. Help is on the way! Just don’t stop praying!”

In the House 4

By Ps Dian Botha

The Seven-Month Journey to “A Night to Honour Israel”

By Julie Samuel

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24

The Biggest Day 2015

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Campfire 2015

26 28 32

By Natasha Chua

By Jonathan Lim

It’s Christmas LAH!

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Kingdom Invasion 2016

13

The Next Level Conference 2015

Feast of Tabernacles 2015

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GT Camp 2015

By Alicia Chua

By Carol Foo

By Maureen Low

Serving the House

Shepherding His Flock 22

Gen. T

By Claire Lim

By Gary Low

PRINTER Stenprint (S) Pte Ltd (License no. L022/11/2015) 7 Kaki Bukit Road 1 #04-04 Eunos Technolink S 415937

Let the Children Come Little Ones to Him Belong

Baby Divine 30

By Jonathan Tan

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By Tam Wai Jia

Testimony of My Father’s Salvation 37

By Lynette Li

By Jamie Neo

Feature

By Susan Goh

Living Testimonies

Stepping Out in Faith & Obedience 40

Is it Still Blibical to Make Vows?

By Bob Sorge 8 2

Read the Bible

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Matthew 7:7, “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you…”

Don’t give up!

Community Buzz Receiving Through Giving

By Elijah Chan

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Editor’s Note

“At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which He speaks and acts, by which He fills everything with His presence.”

By Pastor Daphne Yang

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verything that’s happening around the world, economically, politically, socially and environmentally is making it pretty clear that things will not get better, but life goes on.

Do you know that approximately 350,000 babies are born each day which works out to 4.3 births every second, and over 150,000 people die each day averaging 2 deaths every second, and the daily activities continue in the market place, the buying and selling. Does anyone stop, does it take a pause? Everyday babies are born and people die and have we become immune to the fact that a life has value. What is value and what is valuable to us? Value is what one judges to be important in life.

It is what you hold in regard that has merit, benefit, importance or significance. It is also commonly identified with the idea of money, the price or cost of something, something that is bought at a fair price.

Life itself is a gift of God, for each one has been fearfully and wonderfully made. For God knows our frame from the inside out and there’s really no place where we can hide from Him. Darkness is as light to Him, there is no difference to God. Does that put fear, hope and value in you?

We are an open book where God desires to write on if we allow Him to do so. The thoughts of God towards us are described as beautiful, rare and precious and if we can only understand, for we are told that we will be unable to count the blessings He has purposed for each one in Psalm 139:17.

Jesus humbled himself when He considered us, even unto death that He may fulfil the purpose and desire of His Father that through the Holy Spirit, He may bring many sons to glory, to manifest to the principalities and powers the wisdom and glory of God. For our Lord Jesus to go through what He did, what value does He place on a life? Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to thrust forth workers into His harvest.” (Matt 9:37-38) I understand that as much as the word encourages and focuses on the necessity to sow, the weight of the matter rested on the issue of the harvest during harvest time. To the son who sleeps in harvest, he is described as one who behaves shamefully or disgracefully. For when the harvest is ready, we must not leave it out to waste but bring it in. If we do not, it is as good as having seen an opportunity which has come round and not to seize the hour of the day.

Jesus said, “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. ‘Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal;’” (John 4:35-36) It is clear that the reward is with the one who gathers in the harvest. There is always joyful shouting, song and dance at harvest time but when there is dead silence and inactivity it should be a reason for grave concern. Harvest marks the end of the growing season and it is the most labour intensive activity. At the end of it, the focus is celebrations. Therefore when the harvest is ripe and ready, we need to know how to put in the sickle.

We need to awake to be about our Father’s work. There is a thrusting forth which can be translated to mean, to eject, expel, to send away, cast out, to drive out which in greek is the word “ekballo”. And I have this vision of a race, a race against this age which we are in, and to press into the powers of the age to come as Hebrews tells us. The enemy knows that he has not much time and is doing all he can to throw out his schemes but we are not a people who are made unaware of his tactics.

Thanksgiving is a place where we start from in God, but we have to go beyond that into the fullness of His purpose and not just rest on the blessings we have obtained. In Ephesians 1:17-23, the Message Bible in contemporary English translates it like this, “But I do more than thank.

I ask — ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory — to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him — endless energy, boundless strength! All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church.

The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.”

My prayer is that the harvest will not be taken from us and that we are not going out to salvage what remains or have found none. That something will change for us all and there will be the ekballo experience!

Grace to you and peace from God

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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A Kairos Word from

R.T. Kendall In the House

By Ps. Dian Botha

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hat a feast we had with RT Kendall!

Paul exhorted the Corinthians to be living epistles and RT Kendall is definitely one. His life is a testimony. And a man with a testimony is a man with a message. I believe the messages he delivered were not just sermons but God’s message to Cornerstone and all those who have ears to hear.

His message was simple but profound: study the Word, pray and forgive.

In fact, these are the basics of Christianity. Why then did he preach these messages to us? The question begs an answer. God never speaks superfluously. He addresses the issues at hand, clearly and simply. For when we do the basics well, we do well; but when we don’t, we crumble.

Let me start with the Word. We really don’t know our Bibles as we ought. We have time for everything in the world but the Bible. Men preach heresy, and the church applauds! Isaiah nailed it when he said, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isa 8:20) My dear friend, if we don’t know the Word, how can we judge? How can you build a house when you don’t follow the plan? How can you bake a cake when you don’t know the recipe? Now is the time to make a drastic change. Make God’s Word the priority of your life!

When you are full of the Word, the natural outcome is a life of prayer. You will pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done!” How we need His Kingdom to come in our lives, families, Singapore and the nations! Luke 18 encourages us to never cease praying, for God will surely answer. James admonishes the reader: “You do not have because you do not ask.” Jesus promised: “Whatever you ask the Father in My name, I’ll do for you.” Dear friend, be encouraged, He has heard your cry. He has seen your struggle. Help is on the way! JUST DON’T STOP PRAYING! Finally, unforgiveness is like drinking poison and wishing your foe dies! Bitterness will kill you, not the person who offended you. Regarding our hurts and offences, a friend put it this way: “You nurse and rehearse till you end up in a hearse!” The hour is late. We can no longer waste our time being angry when a lost world is racing towards judgement. Live in forgiveness — your life depends on it!

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“Let me start with the Word. We really don’t know our Bibles as we ought. We have time for everything in the world but the Bible.

Men preach heresy, and the church applauds!”

INTERVIEWS:

Xin Yi: Dr R.T. Kendall’s messages were life-changing testimonies that carried with them an anointing to convict the heart and demand a response to the Lord.

Ps Tim O’Connell: A common thread seen in all of his messages was the love and respect he had for God’s Word.

His insight on the first night regarding the divorce that exists in the church between the Word and Spirit-based ministries was powerful.

Yes! Cornerstone will be a Spirit and Word Church!

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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“ How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

Psalm 133:1

The Seven-Month Journey to “A Night to Honour Israel” In the House

By Julie Samuel

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t the start of 2015, the Lord began to stir up the heart of our Senior Pastor, “I don’t want you to forget Israel. Israel is my firstborn. I love Israel.”

On 4 January 2015, at our Vision Sunday Service, Pastor Yang shared with the congregation, “In this initiative, there are three things we would like to do this year as I set the agenda for 2015. For Israel, we are going to first of all, organise a night of prayer to honour Israel. We are inviting the ambassador, we are inviting our Jewish community, and it’s a time we are going to affirm our stand with Israel. Cornerstone will always be pro-Israel…I am excited about this because as we bless Israel, I tell you, we are going to be blessed. Amen!”

His words were met with excitement and fervour as many of us at the Vision Sunday service wanted to jump out of our seats and shout a ‘Hallelujah! Amen!’

Within three months, partners from across churches and ministries in Singapore came together to stand in agreement to organise A Night to Honour Israel and a working committee was formed to run with the vision. The purpose of A Night to Honour Israel was to invite the Jewish community in Singapore to a dinner function to let them know that Christians in Singapore are their friends and to take the opportunity to honour and bless them. The organising team led by Pastor Timothy Chong then began seven months of effort to organise the event.

Skilled Hands Entwined with His Hand The Lord provided a multi-faceted team that looked into the invitation list that would include the local and international Jewish community, and oversaw every detail from the programme and security for the evening and to the kosher dietary needs of our Jewish guests. Besides the team of volunteers, the staff of Cornerstone was key in bringing things together for the evening.

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When the working team met in July, it was unanimously agreed that the theme for the evening should be taken from Psalm 133:1 “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Even as God united our hearts together as a team and with His, we knew that He would unite our hearts with our Jewish friends as well.

The event was held in Mandarin Orchard ballroom on 25 November 2015. The event was initially catered for about 400 people, but the guestlist had increased to about 930. Of these about 60 of the guests were Jewish while the rest represented about 36 churches and ministries in Singapore and beyond – from places like the Philippines, Indonesia, Holland and Israel.

At the start of the evening, a six-minute video documentary of their contributions to the building of our nation was presented in honour of our Jewish friends. One of the key contributors from within the Jewish community in Singapore that was featured was David Saul Marshall. Marshall was born in Singapore to Baghdadi Jews based here. He became a politician and lawyer and served as Singapore’s first Chief Minister from 1955 to 1956.

He also served as Singapore’s Ambassador to France, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland from 1978 to 1993. In his various roles, Marshall always defended Singapore’s interests. Besides Marshall, the Jewish synagogue in Singapore and the important role it played since even before the Japanese Occupation of Singapore was featured and the richness of the Jewish culture was highlighted as well.

The dynamic duo of Lynette Tan and Alex Linton, emcees for the evening, set everyone at the dinner at ease and smiling with their banter. The lovely Singaporean and Jewish duo worked remarkably well together to bring about the unity between the two communities. Special performances by Pastor Katherine Minoza-Cueson and Pastor Jonaver Luklukan, our very own Cornerstone pastors

from the Philippines, mesmerised the audience with their duet rendition of The Prayer and I Will Be There.

The Guest of Honour for the evening, Her Excellency, Ambassador Yael Rubenstein, Israel’s Ambassador to Singapore , then addressed the dinner party. She spoke of the strong relationship between Singapore and Israel not only through military, economic and political ties but also through cultural ties.

She mentioned that Israel’s gift to Singapore for her Golden Jubilee was a performance by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in January 2016 led by the renowned Maestro Zubin Mehta. This and her desire to see direct flights to Tel Aviv from Singapore were received with resounding applause from everyone.

Mr Moodi Sandberg, Global Chairman of Keren Hayesod, shared the vision of Keren Hayesod including helping the Jewish diaspora to make aliyah – the immigration of Jews from the diaspora back to the land of Israel. As a video was played featuring young Jews making their aliyah from war-torn places like the Ukraine, the dinner guests were silent, probably reflecting on the grave reality of anti-semitism around the world and how they can help with the return of the diaspora to Israel. When the last video was played, everyone in the room became all excited again as they listened to Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu express his support of the efforts by Keren Hayesod and his words of appreciation to the international community who have been supporting Keren Hayesod in this.

One of the highlights of the entire dinner was probably the presentation of a prophetic piece of art created by artist Evelyn Ong – Courage – to Her Excellency, Ambassador Yael Rubenstein. Evelyn explains the art piece as “the hand of God raising up the nation of Israel”. Upon closer scrutiny of the hand, it shows a vast congregation of people worshipping God with their hands raised high as they are carried away by a gigantic spiritual wave.

The spirit of ‘courage’ is represented by the Lion of Judah who goes before His people as a shield. Finally, the Star of David painted in rainbow colours and placed on the Lion as a prayer shawl depicts the covenant between God and King David as written in 2 Samuel 7:16 “And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.”

Before the evening ended, the Aaronic benediction was pronounced over us in Hebrew by Rabbi Mordechai Abergel. I personally felt the electrifying presence of God as he did so.

The evening was crowned with the Horah, an Israeli circle dance typically danced to the music of Hava Nagila and traditionally danced at Jewish weddings and other joyous occasions. Both Jews and Gentiles danced together on the dance floor that brought the night to a reverberating end.

Pastor Yang commented, “The evening was a resounding success and beyond all my expectations. But it wasn’t just the excellence of the event, it was the unity of hearts that was so real and tangible. There was a true bond that was forged between our communities...

Heaven rejoices and so do I.” Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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Feature

By Bob Sorge Excerpt taken from “A Covenant with My Eyes”

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W

hen we talk about making covenants or vows with God, some leaders in the body of Christ have strong reservations. Realizing that this topic is controversial, my purpose in this chapter is to answer the most common objections to the making of covenants.

“VOWS ARE OLD TESTAMENT, NOT NEW TESTAMENT”

Our leading text for this book ( Job 31:1) is in the Old Testament, and most of the Scriptures dealing with vows and covenants are in the Old Testament reality not a New Testament practice. It’s claimed that the cross of Christ abrogated the invoking of vows, making them no longer useful or applicable to New Testament believers.

In actuality, however, vows were practiced on two occasions in the New Testament church. The first time was in Acts 18:18, where it says that Paul “had taken a vow.” Later, we’re told of four believers in Jerusalem who had also taken a vow (Acts 21:23). The Holy Spirit gave us two witnesses to vows in the New Testament, thus satisfying the criteria of 2 Corinthians 13:1, “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” With two examples of New Testament vows, it’s difficult to claim that they’re abrogated by the cross.

There’s a third New Testament mention of vows that’s indirect and harder to see, but it’s there for those who are willing to recognize it. In Matthew 19:12, Jesus affirmed the integrity of eunuchs “who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake.” When Jesus spoke of eunuchs making themselves eunuchs, He wasn’t speaking of self-mutilation; He was meaning that some believers will voluntarily take a vow of celibacy in order to be more devoted to the kingdom of God. Thus, Jesus was extoling the beauty and honor of making a vow of sexual consecration.

In addition to these three New Testament witnesses, Isaiah spoke of a time, after the cross, in which Egyptians will make a vow to God. Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. Isaiah 19:21 It seems that Isaiah had the millennial kingdom in view. Whatever the timing of its fulfilment, it’s clear that this Scripture

has not yet been fulfilled. There’s coming a day when Egyptians will both vow to the Lord and perform it. If Egyptians will make vows in that day, it’s safe to say that making vows to the Lord is still biblical practice today.

I have one final argument to support the idea that vows are still fitting in today’s New Covenant era, and this argument regards marriage vows. Someone might ask, “But where in the Bible does it say that marriages were sealed with a covenant?” In two passages, actually.

In the first, Solomon described the immoral woman as someone “who forsakes the companion of her youth, forgets the covenant of her God” (Prov.

2:17). Solomon affirmed that, at weddings, couples make a covenant both with each other and with God. In the second passage, the Lord rebuked men who were divorcing their wives by saying, “Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant” (Mal. 2:14). God Himself acknowledged that marriages were solemnized by covenant. We see that it’s biblical, therefore, to exchange vows at wedding ceremonies.

If the cross had rendered vows unbiblical, then marriage vows would be wrong. But I think we all agree that it’s still holy and noble for a couple to vow themselves to one another on their wedding days.

Our conclusion, therefore, is that vows are still valid in this New Testament age.

The next objection is even stronger.

“JESUS FORBADE THE TAKING OF VOWS” There are some who believe it’s wrong to take vows today because they say Jesus prohibited them. The words of Christ they have in view are also referenced by James in his epistle.

Here are the two passages they have in mind: Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord. But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, forms God’s throne; nor by the earth, forms His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes” be “Yes, “ and your “No” “No:’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one (Mat. 5:33-37).

But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your”No;’”No;’Iest you fall into judgment (Jam. 5:12).

Are these passages forbidding vows? Actually, no. Virtually all commentators agree that in speaking against the swearing of oaths, Jesus wasn’t addressing vows. Here’s what Jesus was after.

In those days, to convince someone of your

honesty, it was common practice to swear an oath that you were telling the truth. Over time, the practice took on tricky subtleties and nuances. For example, if you swore by the name of God, your oath was considered binding (because to break it meant you took the Lord’s name in vain); but if you swore by something lesser than God, such as the temple, then you could get out of the oath by trivializing it, “Well, you know, I never did actually swear

by God Himself. So I didn’t take the Lord’s name in vain.” They developed all kinds of complicated rules to make it okay to get out of an oath.

Jesus decreed that when you swear by heaven, it’s as binding as using the name of God. Instead of saying, “I swear by heaven that I’m telling you the truth;” Jesus told them to simply say “Yes” or “No.” “Yes, that’s the truth.”

“Yes, I will do that.” “No, I didn’t do that.”

When they got into subtle twists on words, they were actually co-operating with the evil one.

The devil was in the semantics.

Jesus was saying, “Your word is your word.

There’s no such thing as a non-binding oath.

So don’t swear by anything. Just be true to your word. If you say yes, then it’s yes. Or if you say no, then it’s no.”

The two above passages don’t address vows to God at all; they address the swearing of oaths between people.

Peter fell into the trap of swearing oaths at Jesus’ crucifixion. “Then he began to curse and swear, ‘I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”’ (Mark 14:71). When Peter cursed, he wasn’t uttering profanities or expletives; he was calling down curses upon himself if he was not telling the truth. And when he swore, he was swearing by heaven, or by Jerusalem, or by God, or some other important entity. It was excessive practices like Peter’s that caused Jesus to forbid these oaths.

Swearing of oaths to people was forbidden by Christ; vows to God were not forbidden.

Someone might argue, “Jesus never took any vows, so I’m not going to either. I’m only going to do what Jesus did.”

In response, I would like to present evidence that it’s possible Jesus did, in fact, make vows to God. We see this possibility in Psalm 22, which is a messianic psalm about the cross and the sufferings of Christ. In this psalm, the Messiah is quoted by David as saying, “My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him” (Psa. 22:25).

David was prophesying that the Messiah would both make vows and pay them.

What were Jesus’ vows? We aren’t told, but I’ll offer my best guess. I think it’s possible, when Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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He was in Gethsemane and looking ahead to the cross, that He may have prayed along the lines of, “Abba, if You’ll deliver Me from death and Sheol and raise Me up again to Your right hand, then I vow to...” And of course we can only imagine what kind of action Jesus might have vowed to the Father. This would come under the category of a conditional vow. “Father, if You’ll do such-and- such, then I’ll do such-and-such.”

One day you may watch as He pays those vows.

Since Jesus didn’t forbid the taking of vows, but actually seems to have made vows to God Himself during His time on earth, our conclusion is that vows are still legitimate for us today. The next objection is perhaps the strongest of all.

“VOWS ARE A VEHICLE OF CONDEMNATION, NOT GRACE”

In my opinion, the strongest argument against making vows to God is right here. The argument goes something like this: “If a person makes a covenant with their eyes and then violates that covenant, they are likely to come under intense levels of accusation and condemnation. Anything that produces condemnation in the life of a believer is of the accuser. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit’ (Rom. 8:1). Anything that is a vehicle for condemnation is outside the grace of God.” Those holding to this argument would counsel believers to make resolves rather than vows.

They would rather that believers resolve themselves, in God’s grace, to walk in purity, and if they violate their resolve, they can return to the Lord for forgiveness, get back up, and begin a fresh start. They see resolve as a vehicle of grace and a vow as a vehicle of condemnation.

The concern here, which I share deeply, is that believers not foolishly set themselves up for condemnation by taking a vow prematurely or inadvisedIy. Imagine, for example, someone expressing themselves like this: “I’ve been resolved to walk in sexual purity for a long time, but I keep on experiencing failure. I struggle regularly with intense levels of condemnation, guilt, and accusation because of the failures.

Sometimes I hardly know how to live with the guilt of failing in my resolve. If I make a covenant with my eyes and then have a failure at that level, I can’t imagine the weight of guilt and despair I would encounter. I think it could bury me. Why would I want to increase my commitment from a resolve to a covenant, when at the resolve level I’m already under a huge load of guilt and accusation?”

I care deeply about this objection and will give it my best answer. If a vow is invoked prematurely, it can in fact become a vehicle of 10

greater condemnation. This is why I emphasize in this book that it’s very important to make a vow in the right timing. You need to have a firm conviction in the Holy Spirit that you’re ready to make a vow, and that the grace of God is inviting you into it.

First of all, I agree with my objectors that trying to fulfill a premature vow in the strength of the flesh is a recipe for catastrophe. When believers get in a performance mode and try to overcome sin through will-power, they’re headed for inevitable failure-because no one is capable of overcoming sin in the power of the flesh. The last thing we want is for believers to become saddled with accusation because of a premature vow.

This is why I hesitated for years to speak about this covenant-because I didn’t want to burden people with a yoke of bondage. But then I began to think about the alternative. If you don’t make an eye covenant, but give yourself the leeway to have the occasional indulgence with sin, sin is the worst kind of bondage. Staying at the resolve level saves you from violating a vow, but it also keeps a crack open in the door to temptation. An eye covenant slams the door shut, thus giving you the best opportunity to overcome bondage.

If an eye covenant seals shut a doorway of sin, it’s not a source of bondage but of freedom.

Closing the door fully is the only wise option for freedom from sin.

There’s a way to make a covenant with your eyes that isn’t contrary to, but actually releases grace. When you do it at the right time, in response to the Holy Spirit and in the fear of the Lord, you will discover that the Lord has been waiting to empower this kind of consecration.

His heart is moved by your devotion to please Him (He views your covenant as an expression of love). If you make this covenant, you’ll feel His smile as His grace rushes in and strengthens you to fulfill your vow. He’s eager to help you walk in obedience.

Paul wrote, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). The eye covenant is a tool to help you walk in the Spirit. If you have no struggles with the lust of the flesh, then this tool isn’t necessary for you.

But if you’re like many, this eye covenant will equip you to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

Vows aren’t a return to legal ism. Actually, they predate Moses ‘law because Jacob’s vow came before the law was given’ (Gen. 28:20). They’re rooted not in the era of law but the era of promise. When you invoke a vow, you enter realms of promise, faith, and grace.

Could someone potentially make a covenant with their eyes in a premature way and end up in accusation and condemnation? Yes-just as someone under a marriage vow could violate that vow and end up in accusation and con-

demnation. But if a married person commits adultery, we would consider it appropriate for them to feel some accusation and conviction.

They have violated covenant!

But never would I suggest that a marriage covenant is a vehicle of condemnation! Quite the opposite, it’s a vehicle of grace that empowers a couple to remain true to one another.

Similarly, an eye covenant is a God-ordained means to strengthen our pursuit of holiness.

Before you make an eye covenant, ask yourself:

· Is it God’s will for me to make this covenant?

· Do I believe that I’ll be able to fulfill this covenant by God’s grace?

· Is this the right time for me to take this vow?

Don’t make a covenant with your eyes until you can answer these questions affirmatively and confidently.

I want to return to the earlier hypothetical question someone might ask, “Why would I want to increase my commitment from a resolve to a covenant, when at the resolve level I’m already under a huge load of guilt and accusation?” Here’s why: Resolve took you 98% of the way up the mountain, but kept you slipping and sliding just shy of the summit; covenant has the potential to help you scale the final 2% of the mountain.

The resolve level kept you at a place where compromise was still an option. The door to your mind was still slightly ajar, keeping you at a place of repeated failure. Resolve wasn’t enough to thrust you into full victory. Is it time to burn the bridges, sell all, and buy the great pearl of an eye covenant?

God is extending a gracious gift. The wisdom of the ancients is being rediscovered-a return to the “old paths” that have empowered those who have gone before us. As the Lord spoke through Jeremiah, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, “We will not walk in it”” (Jer. 6:16).

You should never feel any soulish compulsion to make an eye covenant. Do so only as you’re led freely by the Holy Spirit, in the grace of our Lord Jesus. If you do take this vow, may the full strength of its blessings and holy enablement be yours!

VOWS CAN BE ABUSED Let me mention what may be one final objection to in making an eye covenant: The fact that vows have sometimes been mishandled and abused in the past.

For example, I was told of one prominent

preacher who taught his listeners to make vows regarding offerings. He used what the Bible taught about vows to seek to increase the amount of money coining to his ministry.

Leaders will give account to Jesus one day for these kinds of abuses.

Vows were abused in Bible times, too.

Jephthah’s vow was certainly regrettable ( Jdg. 11:30-40). Furthermore, Numbers 30:6 tells how to handle a woman who had bound herself with a “rash utterance.” Clearly, some vows are rash and foolish.

If you ever realize that a vow you made with God was foolish, confess your foolishness to your gracious heavenly Father, ask His forgiveness, and receive His release from your unfortunate vow.

Just because vows have been abused doesn’t make them wrong or inadvisable. It’s still biblical to make vows to God. We just want to be sure we’re making them in biblical ways.

God’s grace isn’t opposed to vows; rather, God’s grace enables us to make vows and keep them.

Stories of vows in the Bible have inspired me to make vows of my own with God. My first covenant with God was when I confessed my faith in Christ, got baptized in water, and became a participant in His salvation. Like you, I confessed Jesus as my Lord and came into covenant with God. That was my first and – for many years- only covenant with God. My second covenant came in 1981, this time to God and my wife on our wedding day. I vowed myself to her in the presence of God and witnesses, and I thank God that by His grace I’ve remained true to that vow.

The third vow I made with God regarded intimacy with Him. The Lord led me, based upon Jeremiah 30:21, to pledge my heart to draw near to Him in holiness every day of my life.

I wrote in detail about this vow in my book,

POWER OF THE BLOOD. And then I came into a fourth vow when I made a covenant with my eyes, as per Job 31:I. Vows have been a source of empowerment for me personally, and I wish the same for you.

In the next chapter, I’m going to define and describe some of the vows found in the Bible.

My hope is that you’ll gain from them, as I have, courage and confidence to make a covenant with your eyes.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works (Tit. 2:11-14).

For Small Group

DIG

Do you have any reservations, biblically, about taking vows?

Bring your argument to the group, and let’s see what wisdom the Lord gives the group together.

SHARE

Have you made vows to the Lord in any other areas? Tell the group about it. Has it been helpful to you?

PRAY

Express to the Lord your desperate need for His grace and help when it comes to sexual consecration.

Are you ready to ask Him if He would inspire you to make a covenant with your eyes?

Excerpt taken from “A Covenant with My Eyes” by

Bob Sorge

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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It’s Christmas LAH!

“The singing was nice!”

– Jonathan C.

F

or Christmas 2015, Christmas celebrations were organised with a Singapore twist. Excitement had steadily built throughout December, and the main event took place over the weekend before Christmas. From carols sung by the choir to a creative video on the true meaning of Christmas, there was something for everyone to appreciate. Pastor Yang delivered a powerful sermon on hope and having a kingdom perspective and we witnessed many people giving their lives to Jesus. Many Cornerstonians had a warm reception towards the celebrations, identifying either with the introductory video, the choir’s performance or the pastor’s message. Here are some of the responses from Cornerstonians who enjoyed the celebrations.

Comments from the attendees:

In the House

By Alicia Chua

“The video was a nice lead up to the sermon, and very humorous. The performance put up by the choir was great too!” – Rachel J.

“It was one of Pastor Yang’s best sermons.”

– Mr. C.

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“Pastor Yang shared an awesome message - simple yet cutting to the heart. There was not much fanfare, but the simplicity & power of the gospel was able to penetrate hearts. We had 47 salvations, & 13 students received salvation in the last service.” – Elijah C.

“The choir’s performance was good! It sounded very nice, I really enjoyed it!”

– Andrew C.

The local twist to the festivities’ theme was greatly identifiable for many Cornerstonians, and this was a memorable experience that gave much promise to the Christmas festivities in 2016.

For those who felt like they missed out, there is always next year LAH!

“It was heartwarming to see people get saved into the Kingdom & a great reminder that we should learn to see things from God’s perspective!” – Vera T.

“The video was engaging & it was really good that the talents [of the young people] were showcased. Pastor Yang’s sermon was good reminder of how we should not perceive things through our short sightedness but to rely on God’s leading & wisdom in all things. Christmas is the best season to invite [my friends] to church; hopefully there will be an outreach event next year!” ” – Serene T.

In the House

By Carol Foo

“G

o, attend the conference and receive what I have for you.”

With that clear word, I signed up for KI 2016 and plunged into three days and four nights packed to overflowing with praise and worship, teaching, exhortation, healing ministry and fellowship. I gained a renewed sense of purpose and vision for Marketplace Ministry – where, as Kingdom citizens,,our Heavenly CEO. It would be impossible for me to recount all that I received, but from the sampling of my gleanings below, as well as the responses of the conference participants, I hope you too will have a taste of the rich feast that was prepared for us.

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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Bill Johnson

Heidi Baker

Randy Clark

Samuel Sinamo

Lou Engle

Mahesh Chavda

Sarianna Tarigan

Katharyn Peh

Stanislaw Gawel

On Renewal of the Mind & Enablement Bill Johnson, Conference Speaker Work in the realm of God’s dominion towards the problem. Live conscious of the unseen realm. Why does your thought process start with what you don’t have? ‘But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?”’ (Mark 8:17). If you exalt the inferior, you empower it. When you believe a lie, you empower satan, the liar. Real faith denies the problem a place of influence; it comes from surrender not strife; it draws from the One who is faithful!

Jesus modelled for us how to do life. Everything we do is about releasing the Presence of God, to give attention to the Son. Over every believer is an open heaven. Move slowly and carefully to protect what we treasure most. Release and leak the Presence as we walk up and down. Turn our affection towards the Lord.

Let the Spirit of God rest on us before we go 14

into a situation. Let the power flow out of the genuineness of a relationship that has been developed when no one is watching.

The mind of Christ in the believer terrifies the devil because nothing is impossible with such a person; he or she illustrates, demonstrates and proves the will of God – heaven on earth!

Not all Christian culture is Kingdom culture.

Kingdom culture is transferable to any part of the world; Kingdom principles work anywhere.

Many people define their call by their giftings, but the call of God gives you legal access to the giftings you need. God enables whatever He commands. We are used by Him to distribute His grace. We have authority to carry out what we’re assigned.”

Joel George, Student

“The message about the renewing of the mind really spoke to me. I didn’t see things that way but now I know and I can apply it. I really feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. When I’m worshipping here, pains and hurts just disappear because I can feel His presence.”

will shifts the atmosphere. We come into agreement. Our “Amen” releases the power of what He’d promised to do. ‘But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak’” (2 Corinthians 4:13).

Katharyn Peh, KI Usher

Intentional. That’s the word I received from this year’s conference. I was reminded that we cannot take our inheritance as sons and daughters of God for granted; we must know that our act of decreeing and declaring His promises in our homes and at our workplaces releases God’s will to establish His Kingdom here on earth. We must be vigilant to align ourselves to what our Father is doing now and be intentional in proclaiming that His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven!” (Matthew 11:12-15).

Gregory Yong, Healing Team

I’m no longer a slave to fear; I am a child of God!” – as decreed through a song on the final night.

On Authority & Decree

On Intercession & Multiplication

Bill Johnson, Conference Speaker

Lou Engle, Conference Speaker

You only have authority over the storm you can sleep through. You will release whatever’s going on inside you. The Kingdom of God is WITHIN you. God targets our internal authority so we’ll reflect that in our external authority. The disciples of Jesus were trained to carry His authority, stand in His name and enforce His purposes. Sometimes God doesn’t do something for us because He wants to do something through us!

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God” ( John13:3).

Jesus in me makes me significant. Serving well is the real proof that we know who we are. The outcome is not self-promotion. What we obtain through self-promotion, we have to sustain by self; what we obtain through God’s promotion, He will sustain.”

Randy Clark, Conference Speaker When there’s breakthrough in the Kingdom, we step into it. At times you can just declare; you don’t even have to pray. The declaration of the Word based on the revelation of God’s

“Sometimes betrayal happens just before the greatest victory and breakthrough. God is looking for partners who will bear the scars with Him in love and offer themselves as intercessors. God puts the future of the earth in the hands of the intercessors. Prophecy is often an invitation to intercede. Prophetic intercession is among the best vocations!”

Mahesh Chavda, Conference Speaker “The Holy Spirit is singing a song over us. We have to be in harmony. We need to be in receiving mode. Talking is an aspect of the soul; connecting is in the spirit. Don’t talk when receiving! Believe that we are in a season of tremendous multiplication. Every small thing is a doorway to greater miracles and greater glory. The Holy Spirit is the Promise Keeper; All God’s promises are in Him. Let the King of Glory come in and change the equation.”

Sarianna Tarigan, Missionary, Indonesia “I feel really refreshed. Seeing how all the speakers are so close to God, I feel we can also

be like that because we have the same God. I felt the presence of God in my life. God asked me, ‘Do you love the children [in the orphanage where I’m head of staff ] in My way?’ I told God I will do that. I want to hug them and share the presence of God with them, to tell them how big our God is!”

On Being Filled & Staying Full Heidi Baker, Conference Speaker “You can have as much of God as you want.

Yield so fully to Him that He will possess you.

God created you, uniquely you, to be fully filled by Him, so that you would do exactly what you were created for. When the living God possesses a human being, he or she can do things that nobody else on earth can do.”

God has anointed us to carry the love of Jesus all the time. ‘For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee’(2 Cor 1:20-22).

How do we react in our day-to-day lives? God has called us to shine in this world at all times so that people can know the love of God. God is always looking at the little things and teaching little ways. We have little chances to shine for Jesus all the time. Use every opportunity to go in the opposite spirit, to be a light where we could have been a grouch.”

Stanislaw Gawel, Pastor, Slovakia & Director, CHEVRA “I found very powerful Heidi Baker’s message about being possessed by God – a complete dedication of my life, to be completely His, to hold nothing back, for His will to be fulfilled in my life. I understand that if I’m fully possessed by God, I can minister to those who are fully possessed by the enemy. However, if I have areas which are not fully submitted to God, they can create a gap for the enemy to use his tricks against me.”

Samuel Sinamo, Pastor, Indonesia “So blessed! I learnt many things. I learnt that we can manage anywhere to whoever is in need of salvation. We need to be sensitive and open to the Holy Spirit to guide us. If we want to be used by the Lord mightily, we have to be willing to do whatever He wants us to do.”

Having had this little taste of the conference, sign up for the next KI to enjoy the feast yourself!

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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KI 2016 Healing Testimonies Kingdom Invasion’s Special

KI2016 | Testimony “God healed & restored my mother!”

Audrey Koh

Christ Methodist Church

I

wish to share the healing testimony of my mother, Mrs Judy Koh.

I had attended on the last day of the healing service during Kingdom Invasion 2016, standing in proxy for my mother who was hospitalised at that time.

My mother had been battling cancer for 19 years. She suffered from lymphoma, had a relapse twice and had been on long term treatment since 1997.

In 2012, she was diagnosed with bladder cancer. She had undergone the operation to remove the cancer tumor and went through three rounds of targeted therapy but to no avail. The cancer spread to other parts of the bladder. In late 2013 and early 2015, two rounds of chemotherapy were administered. However, all attempts to kill the cancer tumor were in vain.

In March 2015, Mom could only go on palliative care therapy as she was too weak to undergo any more chemotherapy.

My mother was a pre-believer. But my spouse, children and I stood in the gap and continued to pray for her salvation and for God to send us an equally effective but gentler alternative method of treatment. Specifically, we prayed for the gift of God’s living waters. We believed that the Mom would receive complete healing when she receives Jesus as her Saviour.

It didn’t take long for God to answer. The alternative treatment indeed came in the form of a water drinking and soaking therapy. This water that is oxygen rich is called Elo water, manufactured by a Singaporean company.

My mother started drinking the water from Sept 11, 2015. Her overall constitution improved and by December 2015, she was strong enough to go through radiation therapy.

The side effects of radiation therapy were severe and my mother was crippled by it. She spent weeks in and out of hospital.

I had attended past Kingdom invasion conferences. So I was determined to attend the healing prayer sessions. I had faith that God would hear our prayers and that He would honour the heart of a daughter.

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A

As the worship time was about to start, we had a quick but effective prayer. The intercessor was a petite young adult. She kindly allowed me to record the prayer so that I could share it with my mother.

t the healing service, someone prayed for the discomfort caused by an after-meal indigestion and the pain I had been experiencing in my left heel. When she laid her hand on my stomach, I felt the warmth inside. After the prayer, there was no more discomfort in my stomach or pain in my left heel despite pressure being placed on it. My response was that to, Praise God!!! ~ Jane

It has only been about 2 1/2 months. My mother had a PET Scan done on 16 March 2016.

The cancer tumor did not appear on the scan report. There were only bits of ‘debris’ in the bladder but the doctor clarified that they appeared to be non-active.

I

I barely made it to the conference that night.

Though the prayer for healing session had ended, the organisers were kind enough to help me find someone from their team to pray with me.

My mother has what doctors termed as a ‘poorly differiated’ tumour, which means a very aggressive tumor in layman terms. Usually, this tumor takes the life of the patient within three months.

In my mother’s case however, she not only survived more than 18 months, but the cancer DID NOT SPREAD to any other part of her body or organs!

It was a miracle indeed, Praise the Lord!

The prayer intercessor specifically prayed for the cancer tumor to die in the Name of Jesus.

She prayed for good healthy cells to ‘Arise and Shine’ in Jesus’ Name.

I wish to praise and thank God for the finished work of Jesus at the Cross.

God has healed and restored my mother. My mother invited Jesus into her life on 8 December 2015. She is now drinking the living waters of God. Thank you for patiently reading my testimony.

Thank you for organising Kingdom invasion conferences and prayer sessions to bring believers and pre believers to witness the mighty works of God!

KI2016 | More Healing Testimonies

I

had suffered a blurred vision and I was awaiting a pending surgery in my right shoulder and neck down, which was caused by an accident from a few months back.

I was unable to carry things or lift my right arm. During prayer, the pain intensified before subsiding, until eventually I was fully able to lift my right arm up again. Praise the Lord! ~ Janet

have a friend whom I met on the streets selling tissue. He has been in a wheelchair for the past 3 years due to a fall. We believed that God would heal his legs and restore him so that he would be able to walk again.

On the last night of the conference, he came to the healing service. By the grace of God, the healing team member was able to lead him to confess his sin and unforgiveness and renounce the vows and curses that had been made to some idols. Thank God for His grace in this man’s life. When the healing team member laid hands on his back, he felt a warmth and a rolling sensation down his spine. They also prayed for his legs and knees. Soon, he was able to stand up and walk with the help of the healing team member. It was completely God’s love and forgiveness of sins that enabled this miraculous healing for this man. Praise and glory be to God! ~ Alva

M

y husband received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gift of speaking in tongues during Randy Clark’s impartation. To God be the glory!! ~ Moon

I

was having neck pain and ache for some time and it was really bothering me.

During the service, Pastor Mahesh called out for healing and I stood up. In that instant, a bolt of electricity went through me and I knew I was healed immediately. Thereafter Pastor Mahesh asked for those who stood up to go to the altar area. I went up and while I was there, Pastor Yang prayed for the FIRE of God to come upon me! In that instant I literally felt the fire of God on me, I could literally feel his zeal and it was burning hot. I can still feel God’s presence and fire even when I was typing this testimony. I felt God’s grace coming upon my life and the fire burning away my impurities. ~ Paul

I

had a grade 2 deltoid strain on my right shoulder resulting from a fall from an electric scooter. For 2 days, I could not lift my arm up beyond 45 degrees without feeling extreme pain. It got worse on the 2nd day as I went back to work even though I was on medical leave. During KI worship session, in the spirit of worship, I lifted my arms to God....

And after a while, I realised there was no more pain! God had taken the pain away and allowed me to have the ability to lift my arms to Him. After worship, my shoulders got better.

Though there was still some discomfort, the pain had lessened tremendously and I could lift my arms up without any fuss. ~ Jace

F

or the last 6 years, after over 3 years of on-off treatment for Tuberculosis, I had struggled with the complications caused by the disease. My lungs were severely damaged. I was often short of breath, I struggled walking let alone running. Sometimes I could not even say a full sentence without taking a breath. I could not take deep breaths as this would cause pain down my throat and into

my chest. I would wake up every morning and cough up to 4 hours at times. My body could not keep up with the amount of energy my lungs needed to keep me alive. When Randy mentioned about God being the creator of our faith, my heart began to beat very fast. I felt God moving in me, my heart was beating so hard and so fast. I felt like God was telling me to declare the faith God had created in me to everyone in the room. When Randy asked those feeling 80% better to raise their hands, I began to take deep breaths to test how my lungs were. I could not even remember the last time I took such breaths without any pain! I was so excited! I had so much energy that I began to jump up and down, over and over! It was at this moment that I knew God had accomplished more than I had EVER expected Him to do.

Now I can run for I am healed! I have been healed because of the faith that God has created within me! ~ Winda Selong

I

was healed as I sang in the choir. I was worried that I could not sing well but something told me to just do your best and just

enjoy His presence, singing His praises. By the time I finished singing, my throat no longer hurt. While I still sounded hoarse, my throat did not feel any pain anymore. ~ Yvonne

I

had forgotten about the dull hearing in my left ear. I did not even stand up to receive healing after the video Ps Randy showed because I had forgotten that I had hearing problem on my left ear. I have gotten used to it being dull over the years. There was a sudden pop on my left ear and Ps Randy’s voice suddenly became extremely loud. I was shocked at first then waited to see if my left ear was healed.

It was indeed healed! I recalled too that during the time of impartation earlier in the day, my left ear was burned and I had wondered why.

God is amazing! I did not even ask for my ears to be healed because I had forgotten about it! I was busy praying for my left arch to heal but my left ear was healed instead. I was truly amazed by the experience. ~ Julie

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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A pictorial journey of the Kingdom Invasion 2016 | Praise be to God!

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Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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Join us for Kingdom Invasion 2017 | Details coming up!

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Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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Serving the House

By Grace Hong

Gen. Y

Filippino

On 2 January 2016, Cornerstone held its Leaders’ Dedication service. Befitting of the New Year, the service—though a somewhat formal event—was a small step forward for those being dedicated that day. We had almost 300 in attendance and 73 names were from the various congregations. Their appointments ranging from service overseers, cell leaders to ministry leaders. Some were new leaders while others were receiving larger appointments that day.

Bahasa 22

C.

Myanmar

Cluster 1

Cluster 2

Gen. T

Children C.

Cluster 3

Cluster 4

Cluster 5 Chinese C,

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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generations

By Natasha Chua

read the

BIB LE

W

hy is it of such paramount importance to read the Bible? In Deuteronomy 17:19, kings were commanded to read the Scriptures all the days of their lives The Scriptures have spoken to various groups of people in different nations and eras. God’s word needs to be taught individually (Ps. 1:2, Ps. 119:11) and to families as well (Deut. 6:4-9; 2 Tim. 3:15). As some will say, the Bible is our manual for “basic instructions before leaving earth” (forming the acronym BIBLE). It is not an ordinary book, but the truth etched in the revelation of God’s nature and will.

The Bible is “profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). It can make us wise as we grow in maturity. It distinguishes our thoughts and can test and approve of the intention of our hearts.

It is not only powerful, but living as well (Heb. 4:12). Ultimately the Word is able to save our souls (2 Tim. 3:15; James 1:21).

In conjunction with #365, here are some helpful tips to aid us in reading the Bible during our daily devotions.

PRAY FOR UNDERSTANDING Before opening our Bibles, ask God to 24

guide and show us His will and revelations.

Additionally, it is the Creator who gives true understanding of the Word, which is not based on our own intellect. We cannot gain His revelations on our own, but have to be taught by the Holy Spirit (Ps. 119:33-40; Prov. 3:5-8; Jer. 9:23-24).

LET GOD’S WORD BE LIKE A MIRROR The Bible also reveals our identity as sons and daughters of the Most High, and every flaw in our character. Hence, we should approach the Bible with a teachable and humble attitude and be open to corrections ( James 1:23, Jer. 10:23-24; Is. 66:1-5; Rom. 8:6-9; Mt. 5:48).

READING WITH EXPECTATION We read Scripture expecting to receive a divine word that could serve to comfort and also confront.

Reading the Bible involves delighting and dwelling on it. In Colossians, Paul taught us to

let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly. Reading the Word should not be a chore and once we learn to delight in God’s Word and His laws, we can be weaned away from the counsel and path of the world. We can then too, root ourselves in the faith, like trees firmly planted by streams of water, whose leaves don’t wither and yield its fruit (Ps. 1:1-3)

APPLY THE WORD

The degree to which we study, memorise, and meditate on God’s Word is the degree to which we understand how it applies to our lives. However, understanding is not enough; we must actually apply it ( James 1:22). To prove that God’s Word is living and active, we have to put it to test by practising things which we have learnt. When we apply the Bible, God Himself will be with us (Phil. 4:9).

THIS REQUIRES OBEDIENCE We can never finish the journey of sanctification in this life. Likewise, we can never finish our meditation on Scripture, with each day offering the potential for a new experience, both in word and sacrament. We must wrestle with the Bible. In reading it as Scripture, we are not the masters. Rather, it involves a posture of surrender; where we allow ourselves to be mastered and enlivened by the triune God.

generations

By Jonathan Lim

The Biggest Day (TBD) 2015 N

early 10 years ago, Cornerstone’s Generations Ministry launched its first harvest event, One Big Day, when queues of students lined up outside the Odeon Katong building and eagerly awaited their turn to be seated in church. Many received Christ into their hearts that day, and the size of the youth ministry doubled overnight! Little would anyone expect that God would eventually use a group of these new believers a decade later in organising The Biggest Day, an event that reached out to other youths for gospel-sharing and evangelism.

Colourful flyers and Instagram challenges with attractive prizes were used to advertise the event, and Cornerstonian youths actively invited their friends to church. Dance and drama rehearsals were scheduled, shuttle buses and food vendors catered for, and top grade commodities for the winners of the blessing draw were arranged – the top prize of which was a brand new Fixie Bike! Up to the day itself, youths were busy preparing the photo booths and game stations, with some even sacrificing their sleep the night before the event, just to decorate a fun environment for their friends to enjoy the next day! Most importantly, our youths gathered on their knees in the Katong Auditorium to pray for their friends and cry out for revival in Singapore; to contend for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of God’s glory during the event. This was truly a picture of the army of God arising, a warring generation to advance the kingdom of heaven against the gates of hell!

On 24 October 2015, the building of Odeon Katong was alive with music and bustling!

Flocks of people queued to receive free Garrett popcorn and cotton candy, and have fun at the

exciting game stations set up, which included foosball tables and Kinect video games. Fortunately, I was there early with my cell members and their friends to have lunch and explore the decorated church rooms. “Okay, let’s take a photo!” I called out, eager to capture a memory with everyone at the photo booth. Even a designated area for Kendama players was provided for! As the young teenagers flaunted their skills with the wooden toys, I could not help but chuckle in amusement at the sight of them enjoying themselves in a confined space.

The time was now 1.45pm. “Welcome to The Biggest Day!” shouted friendly ushers, who greeted us with warm handshakes and big smiles as we entered the church auditorium. Nearly every seat was taken and I could

in the place! Passionate youths were jumping as they worshipped at the altar area, and though there were newcomers in the place, they were not ashamed to proclaim their love and adoration for our Saviour.

When the worship ended, the emcees took over and engaged everyone in a series of funfilled “Minute-to-win-it” games! Then came the dance performance and the tragicomedy drama, which spoke about one of life’s biggest problems – loneliness. It was at this point in time that the same speaker for One Big Day, Pastor Christopher Long, took over the stage, just as he did 10 years ago. He began to preach to the youths, addressing the problems that youths face nowadays and shared his life testimony with them about Jesus. As he gave the altar call for salvation, more than 80 people gave their lives to Christ!

The Biggest Day was indeed a milestone event in the history of Generations Ministry. On that day, the excellent standards of Cornerstone youths were displayed through the wellplanned event activities and performances. On that day, the prayers of passionate youths were realised when approximately 800 individuals of different races stepped into the church building and experienced the presence of God in their lives. On that day, the church caught a glimpse of the great harvest that God has in store in the latter days. Revival indeed is on the way!

feel the excitement in the atmosphere, as both newcomers and youth members alike waited in eager anticipation for the programme to begin.

It was not long before the worship band took the stage and started the service with a time of praise and worship to celebrate God’s presence

“Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory.”

Psalm 24:9-10

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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generations

G E N E R A T I O N S

Y

By Susan Goh

O

n the 17th to 20th June 2015, Generations Youth Ministry had their annual youth camp at Sembawang Camp Challenge. The theme of the camp was called ‘Camp Fire’ as we felt the ministry needed a re-alignment to return to the fire of God. After much prayer and discussion, we were led to the camp verse - “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29). The Camp Committee envisioned the young people catching the fear of God, and desiring to live a holy and consecrated life to God. We were very blessed to have Pastor Andrew Yeo, Pastor Rupert Lim and Ivan Tan, our Youth Director, as camp speakers. Each of

What we saw harvested in this Camp was a higher level of unity and tightness in the ministry. During our historic Gala Night, the entire Camp put aside their competitive desires of winning and concluded the night with a united cheer initiated by the young people. It was a sight to behold as the ministry came together as one body, breaking the boundaries of zones

and cultures. Throughout the camp, it was also heart-warming to see Gen-ers look out for one another across the zones, and pray for any who felt ill. Following the Camp, we also saw a wave of cross-zones friendships develop, which led to combined outreach initiatives beyond the boundaries of cell groups and zones.

The Camp Committee also experienced a breakthrough in the level of unity. When they were first gathered and chosen to form the Committee, most were mere acquaintances.

They were also new and unsure of how to plan a camp. Interestingly, during the publicity weekend in our Gen Youth Service, a guest speaker, Pastor Sabrina Low, preached on the Fire of God. That certainly helped to confirm the theme and direction for the Camp and inspired the Committee to put aside their differences, and rally together in unity to see God

Campfire 2015 them revealed different facets of the heart of God, and collectively conveyed a fiery message that led the young people to confess their sins, surrender their lives to Jesus, and understand the Father-heart of God. Beyond the encounters, we also aligned the day-to-day games and activities with our theme of Fire. Our group names were titled according to the different types of fire Ablaze, Pyro, Luminous, and Wildfire. The storyline was about four kingdoms that were bestowed a portion of fire from the King, and there was peace in the land until an adversary came to wage war. Although the nature of the activities made the four kingdoms compete against one another, the designed way of winning was to gather all the groups to fight in unity to ultimately defeat ‘the adversary’.

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use the Camp to usher in a fresh move of God. Little did they know, their tight camaraderie influenced and snowballed to a greater unity amongst the campers.

Not only was it a powerful camp, the Lord also moved mightily prior to the Camp. We had a couple of prayer meetings before the Camp, and the last prayer meeting saw a mighty move of God that led the young Secondary School Gen-ers to step out in courageous faith to pray and weep for revival in their schools. It was truly a significant moment for Generations Youth because the young people no longer took a passive stance towards revival, but were actively taking ownership of the promise – a heritage of revival.The camp was definitely a faith and fun-filled journey where friendships were forged and lives radically changed by God.

Ablaze, Pyro, Luminous, and Wildfire.

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

27

By Claire Lim Yi Xin

28

Y

ouths from both the Generations Tertiary and Generations Youth ministries gathered together on the 17th and 18th of December as one ministry for The Next Level (TNL) Conference 2015. The previous three years of TNL conferences have been nothing short of amazing as God continuously revealed and poured out his Spirit, teaching us how to live a glorious life of sanctification for His holy purpose.

Held in our very own Cornerstone Main Auditorium, it was our utmost privilege and honour to have Justin and Abigail Stumvoll from Bethel Church in Redding, California to join us at this year’s TNL. Justin and Abigail Stumvoll are life consultants who are passionate about emotional healing and life transformation, especially in our generation today. Abigail yearns to empower youths with courage and hope, enabling them to walk in true love, joy and freedom. Her life is filled with testimonies of how she has learnt to love herself and see the beauty that God sees in her, allowing her to impart this to others. Justin also had his own journey of discovering God’s love and thus being radically transformed. He dreams of seeing a generation free from fears, lies and shame and seeing God’s children step up in courage to walk into the fullness of their destiny.

At a time when this generation is constantly exposed to media influences from the secular world, TNL 2015 was a reminder to have our

identity rooted in God alone. Finding an identity in God is the first and most crucial step to loving yourself and then loving others.

“Real power is not letting what others say define you. You cannot be who you are called to be, if half of you are running away in the opposite direction. If there is a façade or an image that is put up, that false identity will be the one receiving the love and starving the real you of the love that you are yearning for.”

The overarching theme of TNL 2015 was Purity. Justin and Abigail had individual workshops during the afternoons for the guys and girls respectively. It was a time of learning how to respect and truly love one another with the love of Christ.

“Love protects; you protect everything about the people you love. Their purity, their heart, as well as their future.”

There was a powerful time of corporate confession and the presence of God came so strongly upon the people. Gen-ers from all family backgrounds tore down their walls of pride and self defence and bared their hearts to God and each other. There was such an

earnest expectancy in the atmosphere to see what God had in store. “Instead of your shame you shall have double honour, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.

Therefore, in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.” (Isaiah 61:7) It was a powerful session where hearts and minds were once again restored and renewed. Genuine tears were shed at the altar and many lives took a turning point, radically transformed forever.

From the TNL committee, the conference crew, to all who were blessed by TNL 2015, it had been an incredible two days. We believe that this was more than just an annual conference, it was a part of God’s sovereign plan to truly bring Generations Ministry to the next level. To God be all the glory always.

“The Stumvolls boldly shared about certain issues that many of us would have avoided because of the stigma that they carry. However, it gave us an insight to what sexual purity is like, and that it is actually achievable. More than knowing the right and wrong, I learnt that it is equally important for us to find out why.”

– Lee Xuan Cheng Mark Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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Baby Divine Living Testimonies

By Tam Wai Jia

“M

y baby is going to die, and there’s nothing you can do about it?”

Those words out of a new father’s mouth, borne out of an utter despondency, pierced right into my heart. Before coming to Africa, that was my worst fear. After all, it is every doctor’s nightmare, to be willing, but unable to offer medical care.

As I heard this new father’s response after my pathetic reply of, “I’m sorry… I’m not a baby specialist.”, this fear took on a magnitude of reality as it sunk in.

Just a few days ago, we were at a dilapidated hospital, aptly named “Grade B Hospital”, to celebrate the birth of Vic’s new baby. Hours before, Vic had called to share the anxious news of his wife going into early labor and requiring a Caesarean section. Knowing that his heart was in knots, we prayed together for the safety of this baby’s premature birth.

This couple had a special place in our hearts.

We had journeyed 8 hours together with the couple’s family to a remote village to celebrate their wedding. We had witnessed them join hands in matrimony, in dazzling colors of traditional African wear and before a raucous community of villagers peering from the sides.

Shortly after the couple’s marriage, Vic’s wife, Vero, shared with us a dream she had of me: “I dreamt I was pregnant and I lost my baby. It slipped out of me and the doctors could not save it. That was the first scene of my dream. Suddenly, I was in another room, and there was you Dr. Wai, and a man... his face was so white and bright I couldn’t see it. I saw him standing behind you, and it was you, together with him, who put my baby back into my womb; and my baby lived.”

With the vividness of Vero’s dream and her pregnancy which followed soon after, it was difficult not to recognise the dream as one which was not divinely inspired. Vic was convinced that the man in white behind me was God Himself.

When Vero experienced early labor pains, Vic called us. Upon the birth of the baby, nothing brought more relief to the nagging dream, than to hold the little bundle of joy in my arms, whom the couple had named “Divine”.

However, things took a sharp and sudden turn the next day. It was found that baby Divine could not breathe without the provision of supplementary oxygen. As there was no neonatology facility available, the couple was referred to the National Referral Hospital, where the baby could receive special care. Yet, as ‘Grade B’ Hospital had no ambulance fitted with oxygen, the baby could not be transported safely, leaving the already anxious family in further distress. Vic called me to ask my professional advice. His tone, was crumbled in compari-

30

son to a calm one full of fatherly pride the day before. I replied to comfort the family that we would be praying, before uttering those dreaded words, “I am sorry, I am not a baby doctor… so I can’t advise further.” Vic replied that he understood. As his voice trailed off with despair, my heart broke.

The minute I hung up, images from Vero’s dream came back into my mind. My spirit stirred, heaved and ebbed like a tempest, and refused to be quelled. I had to do what was within my capacity to do.

Upon consulting pediatric colleagues back in

‘No matter how “qualified” we think we are or need to be, we will always face situations beyond ourselves. In those trying times of helplessness, it is not our own abilities, but our reliance on God’s wisdom and grace which will provide the answers to our greatest fears.’

Singapore, their advice was to conduct X-rays and blood cultures, and to monitor the baby in a Neonatal Intensive Care setting, all of which required facilities which the “Grade B Hospital” did not have. It was unrealistic within a developing setting to provide that intensity in level of investigation. My heart sank as I thought about how cruel it would to tell Vic what his baby needed, if reality could not support it.

Attempting to numb my sense of helplessness, I tried to convince myself that there was nothing I could do. I was not a neonatologist and I did not have a vehicle fitted with oxygen tanks. Perhaps what Baby Divine was experiencing was simply TTN (Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn), and it could be resolved in the next 72 hours.

But the significance of the dream lingered and I remembered what Cliff had shared before, “That dreams mean something.” Restless with many thoughts running through my mind, I knew that deep down it could be pneumonia, RDS (Respiratory Distress Syndrome), or even a pneumothorax… Countless diagnoses were possible, all of which needed an Intensive Care Monitoring setting. The reality however, was that Grade B Hospital was a questionable facility, often having no doctors on duty, especially on the weekends.

At the besetting of all these doubts, I was reminded that God would never ask us to give what we do not have. What He asks of us how-

ple, we saw baby Divine sleeping peacefully in a phototherapy box, totally weaned off oxygen.

Both parents beamed and told us how grateful and happy they were to see their baby live!

Both mother and baby were discharged to go home the very next day.

Looking back, I realised that too often, we demand too much that is of ourselves and underestimate the power of prayer and availability.

As a medical doctor here in Africa, what God required of me in this situation was not Neonatology expertise or provision of first-world care in a setting that could not support it.

All God required of Cliff and myself was a willing heart that believed in prayer. It was through a heart of prayer that this baby’s life, was divinely saved.

What I have learnt and am still continuing to learn is that, with a willing heart, anyone can serve in the mission field. While having skills is a bonus, one does not have to be a medical specialist, a PhD graduate, or an award-winning individual to be a know-it-all, fix-it-all missionary. A vessel that relies and depends on Him, is the one God wants and chooses to use.

No matter how “qualified” we think we are or need to be, we will always face situations beyond ourselves. In those trying times of helplessness, it is not our own abilities, but our reliance on God’s wisdom and grace which will provide the answers to our greatest fears.

ever, is a completely yielded heart, one that is ready to let Him multiply the little we can offer. We could always trust that the greater the needs around us, the more that He is able to do, without our self-sufficiency. Placing our faith in Him could replace our deepest doubts and fears.

Searching the Medical Centre online, and after a referral, I spoke to a man, who informed me that immediate payment had to be made through “Mobile Money”, before any ambulance could be rented out. Without knowing what ‘mobile money’ meant, my husband and I were determined to find out.

Remembering the symbolic dream of God Himself helping me restore the baby’s life, I knew that I was not alone in my struggle, fear and doubting. Overcome by a divine peace, I prayed aloud, “God, please show me what to do!” Immediately, I was prompted to walk to a nearby clinic to speak to a local doctor instead.

Pulling up our missionary socks, we drove down to a little phone kiosk, which could do “Mobile Money”, but was without “credit”, and directed us to a little shack across the traffic-laden road to try our luck instead. At this first shack, a stout-looking lady referred us to yet another shack down the road. By this time, we were both running.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Wai and I live next door. Do you know how I could get an ambulance from Grade B Hospital to the National Referral Hospital?”

Local doctor: “Ah, there is Emmanuel Medical Centre nearby. I’m sure they would have private ambulances for hire.”

After multiple phone-calls, a few blunders and a long convoluted journey from one shack to another, the full amount for the ambulance fee was finally sent via Mobile Money, a mode of transferring credits of cash via one’s cell phone.

Upon completion of that deceptively simple task, we both heaved a sigh of relief.

Me: “WITH oxygen? Cos Grade B Hospital has an ambulance but it doesn’t carry oxygen!”

Vic felt he could not thank us enough. Not long after, the much-anticipated ambulance screeched past our home towards the city.

Local doctor: “Yea of course, WITH oxygen!”

A day later, when we visited the National Referral Hospital sprawled with throngs of peo-

As in that divinely-inspired dream, it was the man in white, with a face so bright and white it could not be seen, who was behind the restoration of the baby’s precious life. I was simply His willing and obedient vessel.

You’re going to live a full life, baby Divine.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”

- Proverbs 3:5-6

‘At the besetting of all these doubts, I was reminded that God would never ask us to give what we do not have. What He asks of us however, is a completely yielded heart...’

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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generations

G E N E R A T I O N S

T

By Gary Low

GT CAMP 2015

“G

T Camp? More ‘siong’ (fierce) than Youth Camp or not?”

“Maybe Tertiary Camp can get to relax a bit!”

“I heard the rooms are better than expected!”

One of the highlights for Generations Tertiary (GT) in 2015 will indisputably be GT Camp 2015, held from 19 – 21 June 2015 at the City Beach Resort. It is no surprise that everyone was in anticipation to be part of the first inaugural camp for the ministry. Many wondered what a tertiary camp would be like, and expectations were widely mixed. It would be a milestone for GT and also set the bar for subsequent GT camps to follow.

I was privileged to be a part of the camp committee. The committee had a lean manpower team – there were only thirteen of us – yet we were committed and dedicated to ensure that this camp would be a success. Primarily, the camp had three main goals in mind. Firstly, to bring about a family-like culture into the ministry. Secondly, to encourage the congregation to step out of their comfort zone. And thirdly, to enable the congregation to experience a fresh revelation of who God is.

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Prior to the camp, we held a prayer meeting.

As a ministry, we prayed for the Lord to move strongly, and there were several promises that God released to the congregation. We believed that the Lord would move powerfully amongst His people, and we knew that the Lord’s anointing would be with us.

On the first day, after the check-in, Pastor Matt Fielder shared on the topic ‘Passion to Serve’.

If the enemy could not stop us from serving, then he would attempt to slow us down through distractions. God is looking for more people to serve Him! Although He does not need us, He still chooses to use us. Simply put, we learnt that making mistakes was not a problem – not trying was. Overall, it was a great session and we felt that we were indeed empowered by God. “God does not choose the qualified ones, but He qualifies the chosen ones.”

After the session, the camp started off with its first set of bonding games. The teams worked hard and competed in a series of wacky challenges that fostered camaraderie among them.

At the end of the night, some campers even bonded through fellowshipping over supper.

What an amazing opening night!

The second day kick-started with a time of devotion. Some groups went out to the beach to share about what God had been doing for them in their lives. Others conducted praise and worship basking in the warmth of the sunrise.

We came back together for the Word of God, and Pastor Matt expounded on Matthew 5:13, exhorting us to be the salt of the earth. One of the greatest takeaways during the session was the idea of ‘availability’. Indeed, sometimes God does not look at how able we are, but how available we are to Him. The highlight of the second day, however, was the afternoon games. We were engaged in a massive games session, and every group pitted against one another in a series of competitive games. For an added flavour, all of the games had a unique twist to them. For example, we played a match of soccer – with blindfolds on!

Hilarity ensued and it was truly amusing to watch everyone struggling to communicate in a chaotic pitch. After the games, the teams were then sent on a treasure hunt, and everyone was armed with water bombs in order to thwart the progress of the other teams. It was fun to watch each team strategise and cooperate with one another, and everyone had a great time.

On the final day, the campers had devotions as usual, and we set off back to church to compete in another series of challenges for the Amazing Race. Activities included singing a short segment of the song ‘Flashlight’, blessing strangers with bubble tea, and having them give a call to their fathers to tell them how much they loved them, in conjunction with Father’s Day. We came back tfor the Gala Night, and celebrated the goodness God shown over the last three days. It was an amazing time, and everyone shared freely about what God did for them. Broken dreams were mended, broken hearts were restored and broken lives were made whole again.

Indeed, it was such a great time! Praise God! Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

33

Receiving through Giving

On 23rd January 2016, Cornerstone Community Services (CCS) held their 9th Student Financial Assistance Scheme Award Presentation.

CCSI Community Buzz

By Elijah Chan

O

n 23rd January 2016, Cornerstone Community Services (CCS) held their 9th Student Financial Assistance Scheme Award Presentation. This year, CCS gave out 238 awards to more tha 90 different schools amounting to $140,000. It was truly a privilege to assist our youths in the pursuit of their education.

The mood in the auditorium was joyous and laughter filled the air as our fun Emcees entertained the crowd and started the proceedings with their delightful antics and “kung fu” demonstrations.

In the opening address, Ms Karen Lee, the Vice-President of Cornerstone Community Services, shared the story of Derek Redmond to illustrate this year’s theme of “Building Strong Families”. Redmond is a retired British Athlete who held the British record for the 400 metres sprint. In the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, he was the hot favourite for the 400 metres race having posted the fastest time in the first round and quarter finals. Derek was determined to clinch a medal at the Olympics.

Unfortunately, Derek tore his hamstring at the 250m mark of the race when one of the most significant moments in sports history transpired. Jim Redmond, Derek’s father barged past security to get to his son, giving Derek his shoulders to lean on for support. The crowd rose to give Derek a standing ovation as the two crossed the finish line.

In her closing remarks, Ms Lee urged everyone to remember that when life gets tough, it is our family members who will walk to the finish line with us.

Besides the Mentoring Programme, one way CCS is contributing towards building strong families is to conduct talks on how to coach children to set goals and manage their time.

Other topics include personal wellness and developing good money management habits.

CCS also presented two of their programmes during the ceremony - Activities for the Fami-

34

ly and Mentoring Programme - both of which cater to the students and their family members.

The Mentoring Programme started three years ago. Its aim is to provide additional social and emotional support to students. A testimony from a mother whose daughter is in the programme states, “My daughter looks forward to meeting her Mentor. She has benefited from this programme.

She has opened up to not only the Mentor but also to her school counsellor. She is better able to manage her emotions. We are appreciative of what Cornerstone has done for our family.”

The ceremony concluded with a sumptious spread of delicacies sponsored generously by French confectioner La Cure Groumande. La Cure Gourmande, having spent the past 25 years building a reputation for handmade vintage biscuits, chocolates and sweets graciously sponsored 24 boxes of nougats, salted caramels and herb biscuits for the ceremony. The guests were indeed tremendously grateful for the delicious spread. Many kept coming back for seconds!

John Bunyan once said, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” This is true indeed, for it is in giving that we truly receive.

Family Life Education - Highlights

INDIVIDUALS 30 JUL (SAT) 9.30 TO 11.30AM O D EO N KATO N G # 01 -1 4 / 1 5

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 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”

At Cornerstone Community Services (CCS), we love to see families

Thrive!

Our Family Life Education programme covers talks and workshops that will equip and build strong families.

For more information on our other activities visit our website www. cornerstoneservices. org.sg

MONEY HABITUDES Money is never enough. The key is to learn our attitudes towards money and how to manage it within our means. Join us for this interactive session to gain awareness of how we handle money and areas to improve on.

MARRIED COUPLES 25 JUN (SAT) 9.30 TO 1.30PM ODEON KATONG #02-25 MARRIED COUPLE BONDING WORKSHOP: KEYS TO BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE This experiential workshop, based on PREP 8.0, is for married couples to learn the three keys to having a successful marriage that lasts. Participants will rediscover the joy of being together, discover each other’s personality, improve communication and renew your commitment in the relationship.

Suitable for couples married more than 3 years.

Children facilities are available.

PA R E N TS 2 JUL (SAT) 9.30 TO 11.30AM O D EO N KATO N G # 01 -1 4 / 1 5 PARENTING TALK: HOW TO COACH YOUR CHILD ON GOAL SETTING & TIME MANAGEMENT Through interactive activities, learn how you can coach your child as they learn to correlate the importance of goal setting and time management to achieving their purposes in life. Parents will also get some practical tips on how to coach their child when preparing for exams.

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

Charges: Free by registration only. Limited places.

Like us at facebook.com/CornerstoneServices

Closing date is 2 weeks before workshop/talk commencement.

Register by emailing info@cornerstoneservices.org.sg or call 63448063 .

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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Mark Your Calendar...

Danny Silk serves on the Senior

Leadership Team of both Bethel Church in Redding, CA and together with Sheri at Jesus Culture in Sacramento, CA. Together they founded Loving on Purpose a ministry to families and communities worldwide.

Danny is an author of four books: Culture of Honor, Loving our Kids on Purpose, Powerful and Free and the top selling Keep Your Love On (KYLO).

Sheri travels as a powerful speaker and serves as the Director of events for Jesus Culture. Danny and Sheri married in 1984, and have three children and three grandchildren.

Tabernacles The 7th feast given to Israel is the Feast of Tabernacles

(Sukkot). Sukkot is associated with the ingathering of the harvest.

Come and join us for a time of celebration!

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October, 2016 We care and value families! Let’s build strong families together!

October, 2016

Testimony of my father’s salvation

Living Testimonies

By Lynette Li

M

y father had always been a traditional Chinese dad, coming from a Buddhist background and worshipping our ancestors faithfully as an act of filial piety. My dad was the eldest and only son in the family and hence, he played a major role in taking care of my 92-year-old grandma and his family.

A year ago, my father was hospitalised for pneumonia. It was then that we discovered he was only surviving on less than 10% of his lungs and there would be no hope for recovery as it was a chronic lung disease in which 90% of his lungs had already hardened. I knew that our time with him was short and he really needed to know the Lord.

I was crying out to God for the salvation of my father. It was difficult for me even to believe he would get saved because I had already reached out to him multiple times over the years. In the Chinese tradition, he cannot turn to Christ because being the only son, he has to oversee his funeral when she passes on. His name was already in the temple plaque and his “seat was secured” in the temple. The stronghold for my father was real and strong but I knew no matter how impossible the situation seemed, our God is still the God of the impossible. He loves my father and desired for my father to turn to Christ more than I did.

After months of praying, I was getting desperate. Knowing that time was short and I had come to the point where I wondered, “Would prayer make any difference?” The Holy Spirit

gave me an inspiration to make a video for my father one day. Since he wouldn’t allow me to share the gospel with him nor allow a pastor to visit him, I’d record a pastor preaching the gospel to him and arrange a time to show it to him. The enemy knew what I was doing and constantly messed up my schedule such that it was difficult to show the video to him. The enemy, through my father’s friend, sent my father a video of a Taoist monk being possessed by a god just before I showed him my Gospel video.

It was a battle for my father’s soul. After some difficulty, my father finally watched the video for 15 minutes but there was no conversion.

On the 14th of February, my father was once again hospitalised for pneumonia. The doctor told us to prepare for the worst and I was pleading to God for the opportunity for my father to respond for salvation. That day, God displayed his miraculous work. My aunt, the only other Christian in my family, spoke to him about Jesus once again and it was the first time my father said he was willing to believe but would only do so if my grandma allowed him. My backslidden brother encouraged my father to make the decision to turn to Christ and even told him about the great salvation Christ has come to give. Miraculously, my grandma called my father that evening and gave him permission to believe in Jesus. With my mum and brother, we led my father to Christ at the end of the day! My aunt, who had been praying for my father for 39 years, broke into tears.

The next morning, I received a call from the hospital telling me that my father was dying.

The whole family went to the hospital and I was in time to bring Pastor Kevin Graves to the ward for his water baptism. God was powerful to arrange matters in such a way that all the extended family members, mostly Buddhists, were present to witness my father’s confession and his decision to follow Christ and be baptised! Even my grandmother, who initially had refused to visit my father at the hospital, was present and witnessed the baptism.

The water baptism was a display of God’s resurrection power. Instead of being on morphine and waiting for death, my father’s oxygen level soared up to a record percentage! He experienced peace and joy and had rosy cheeks by evening time. Instead of collecting my father’s death certificate that day, we collected his water baptism certificate! My father was raised from death to life and was discharged from the hospital 2 days later!

One week after that, during my morning prayer, I saw Jesus holding the hands of my father and subsequently, I received a call saying that my dad was not doing well. This was the third time he had been admitted for pneumonia. He was placed in a ward where one of our church members, Grace Tan, was the nurse for the night shift and I knew that our good Father was in control.

On the evening of 24th of February, the Lord told me that my father would pass away the next day. I knew that God was fully in control and as true as it can be, the call came at 2.45 am on the 25th February that my father was no longer responding. We didn’t make it in time to be with him as he took his last breath, but God led Grace to be present to minister to him as he left this world. Grace played a Hokkien song for my dad, not knowing that it was the exact same song that my husband wanted to play for my dad. God is so good.

My father passed away on the 25th of February.

God brought much comfort to my family members and non-believing relatives as I shared what God had revealed to me. God wanted to show my relatives that He is a God who loves, cares, speaks to us and is alive. It was a glorious departure as the testimony of Christ was shared and His grace displayed through the sequence of events.

My father’s salvation was a breakthrough for my extended family in many ways. His name shall not be written in the Buddhist temple’s plaque but in the Lamb’s Book of Life. There was no certificate of death until the certification of water baptism was collected. God knew every step my father was going to take; He made provision for everything and He wanted to let the entire family know God is right in the midst of it all. My father had the first Christian wake in my family line and the Gospel was preached to relatives and friends who had never heard the Gospel before.

I want to testify and encourage many who are still praying for the salvation of your family members to never give up. Prayer Can Change Your Family! Our God can move miraculously in your family. When God revealed to me that my father would come to salvation one week before he actually did, I learnt that it was a breakthrough in prayer and a victory won in the Spirit for a soul! Matthew 7:7, “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you…”

Don’t give up!

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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Cornerstone Couriers 2016

Going to Nations

Cornerstone Couriers 2016, “Beautiful Feet” going to nations, has 58 trips available. If you are interested to be part of a Courier team, click onto this website missions. cscc.org.sg/couriers-2016/allcourier-trips/ to find out more.

58

Trips Available

2016

India

Cornerstone Couriers

2015

The 2015 programme had the theme of “Open Doors”, and we sent 376 people on 42 trips to 13 countries. Hundreds of salvations were recorded and countless lives were touched.

Visit our Cornerstone Couriers website at missions.cscc.org.sg/mission-report/cornerstone-couriers/ for testimonies and videos of the trips

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Africa

42

Trips Made

376 People

2015

13

Countries

Little Ones to Him Belong Let the Children Come

By Jonathan Tan

“L

et the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of heaven…”

In the book of Matthew, we see how Jesus passionately embraced these little ones whom His disciples attempted to turn away. But He didn’t stop there. Jesus made it a point to minister to them and lay His hands on them before He departed.

There were two key principles that stood out to me through this short scripture. Firstly, Jesus treasures the little children and they are important in His eyes. Secondly, no child is too young to be ministered to and they are equally capable of receiving spiritual nourishment as adults! These had formed the core foundation and motivation of my desire to serve in the Children’s Church.

The Children’s Church is a place where we equip and grow the roots of our children’s early spiritual foundations deeply in the Word. It is a place where our children can exercise full freedom and liberty to approach, experience and encounter God. Being part of this excites me greatly as I see myself helping to build up their pillars of faith.

It brings me great joy when I see our children worshipping God with the sweetest of voices; when our children listen intently to the sharing of the Word and display understanding; when our children busk in His presence during our soaking sessions (where we get the children to lie down, close their eyes and meditate on the Lord while a worship song plays) and share what God had spoken to them. The simplicity and humility where they display through their faith encourages me in my daily walk. Once, I asked the children to share about something that they had thanked God for during one of our soaking sessions. Many hands shot up into the air.

“I thank God for mummy and daddy…”

“I thank God for food…”

“I thank God that I have a home…”

Their responses touched me deeply. It reminded me what it meant to possess child-like faith. It reminded me of the many things in life that God has faithfully provided for, which I had taken for granted. It reminded me that there was no reason why I shouldn’t be giving thanks to God more often. That Sunday, I received more than what I had given to them as their teacher. This was just one of the many moments when our young ones had impacted me through their lives.

Moving forward, my hope for our little ones is that they will grow up from young seedlings into strong oak trees that are rooted deeply in the Lord. That one day they will become strong leaders for Christ and never lose their child-like faith and love for God.

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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W

hen most people think of joining Sunday school, they think that some kind of calling, or at least a great affection for these little ones is required. For me, it was quite different; I have never had an exceptional fondness for kids, nor would any of my friends consider me to be a particularly maternal person. All I was certain of was the fact that I wanted to serve in any way possible.

Initially, I was concerned about whether I would be able to work well with children, as I did not have any experience nor talent in dealing with kids. Fortunately, I soon discovered that only a willingness to learn and serve was required.

One of the first things we learn as volunteers in the Children’s Church is that we are not just baby-sitters. I recently heard someone mention that “there is no such thing as ‘Junior Holy Spirit’. God desires to fill His children with the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit no matter their age.” This quote really struck me. Prior to this, I had never considered it possible that God would speak to young children or even use them in any of His plans or purposes. Now I realise that God’s heart is indeed for each and every one of His children to know His presence and the fullness of who He is, regardless of age or background.

Serving in the Children’s Church for me has also been about building relationships. It started with recognising the children by face, then getting to know their names. Soon after, I was greeting them even outside of children’s church. Whenever one of the kids recognises me and offers a wave or even a smile, it reminds me that I have been given the privilege and honour of pouring into the lives of the next generation and that the time spent serving is worthwhile.

Being with the kids on Sunday refreshes my mind and their innocence reminds me on Monday that the world is not as complicated as we make it out to be.

Stepping Out in Faith & Obedience Serving the House

By Jamie Neo

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My time in the Children’s Church has been an amazing journey of experiencing the grace of God working visibly through me. I had never thought it possible for me to serve children with such eagerness and joy, but today, I can say that it is my honour to be serving in the Children’s Church and to be serving alongside such excellent volunteers.

So if you have decided to serve in a ministry, I would say pray about it then take the plunge and choose a ministry. You will never know the extent of God’s grace and call upon your life until you have taken the first step in obedience.

The Barn is not only a place to pick up pre-loved toys, bags and home items; it is a place for mums to find support and be connected.

Join us at the Barn for Mums where a series of workshops are conducted for mothers to be able to gather, share tips and ideas to encourage one another and learn more about certain topics. Children facilities are available.

Closing date is 2 weeks before event commencement.

Like us or visit us on facebook.com/thebarn.ccs/

Venue #01-14/15

Register by emailing info@cornerstoneservices.org.sg or call 63448063 or scanning the QRcode.

The Odeon Katong 11 East Coast Road, 01-14/15, 01-19 SInagpore 428722

Free! Registration required.

Time 10am to 12nn

Operating Hours: Tue-Sat 11am-5pm, Sun 10am-2pm Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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Feast of Tabernacles 2015 In the House

By Maureen Low

O

n the 29 September 2015, we celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles or known as Sukkot in Hebrew. This is the seventh feast given to Israel and it is a major Jewish festival held in the autumn to commemorate the sheltering of the Israelites in the wilderness.

The festival is usually marked by the erection of small booths covered in natural materials.

It is related to the feast of the ingathering of the harvest. Hence, it calls for a time of thanksgiving and celebration.

We started our programme with the reading of the Torah, which is the first five books of the Bible, from three in the afternoon to half-past five. Meanwhile, a sukkot, Hebrew word for hut or booth, was being set up at Level 1 of our building as a reminder of the temporary shelters of the Israelites when God brought them out of Egypt.

In the evening, the time of praise and thanksgiving started with the blowing of the shofar and dance of joy. The atmosphere was one of celebration and festivity!

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Cornerstone Internship Programme Right side up again.

Turning the upside down world....

Cornerstone Internship Programme is an initiative taken

by Cornerstone Community Church to provide a dynamic and vibrant programme to develop the next generation of Christian leaders. It is a mentoring and experiential learning journey focused on understanding the Bible and Bible-based ministry skills.

Interns will spend 2 months from May to July in Cornerstone. In this programme, they will be: • Taught on the fundamental values necessary in a local church.

• Personally mentored by pastors and leaders of Cornerstone.

• Gaining working and ministerial experience in various departments within the Cornerstone office and ministries, on-the-job training and apprenticeship.

Join us

as we journey together with the right programmes that point towards the Biblical way of raising leadership that leads to Biblical Transformation.

•

•

•

Contributing to significant projects and events Reviewing and reflecting on ministerial experiences, on-thejob training and apprenticeship.

Having presbytery session with Cornerstone pastors and Christian ministers.

Visit our website at www.cscc.org.sg for more information or email us at internship@cscc.org.sg

Herald | May 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

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FALL TERM 2016

SPRING TERM 2017

FALL TERM 2017

FALL TERM 2016

SPRING TERM 2017

FALL TERM 2017

05 September 25 November 2016

06 March – 26 May 2017

04 September – 24 November 2017

GRADUATION

GRADUATION

GRADUATION

24 November 2016

25 May 2017

23 November 2017

Registration opens on 01 January 2016

Registration opens on 01 July 2016

Registration opens on 01 January 2017

3-months course fee:

For non UK/EU citizens who require a visa:

For non UK/EU citizens who require a visa:

For non UK/EU citizens who require a visa:

Non-refundable administrative fee:

Registration opens on 01 January 2016

Registration closes on 30 November 2016.

Registration closes on 31 May 2017.

COST

£1,300.00

£65.00 On-site accommodation:

and closes on 31 May 2016.

£750.00 For all other applicants:

For all other applicants:

For all other applicants:

Registration closes on 01 August 2016.

Registration closes on 01 February 2017.

Registration closes on 01 August 2017.

Prepare yourself to immerse in the The Bible College of Wales, where the well of revival never stops flowing. Enrol now and start having revival in your hometown, or where God places you.

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