ISSUE 15 A YOUTH MAGAZINE
Welcome Home!
Your Identity As A Child Of God
mica (p) 122/07/2012
Our Excellent Movement Team
What Makes The Zone Home?
Musings on Serving, Prayer and Jesus, Our Friend
H
ow do you know when you are home? It is when you can w knocking and sink into your favourite couch after a long tiri can just relax and make yourself comfortable, be well-fed and well-r the feeling we get too when we come for The Zone services? That s and warmth as we come to a place where we can just be ourselves a fellowship with Jesus and our kingdom friends. We quiz some of our The Zone is home to them.
In the Father’s house, many servers sow their time to ensure Th smoothly every weekend. For this issue, we feature the Movement t what they do and the significance of their name, exactly why they’re Indeed, the Lord has blessed each and every one of us to be a bless only we can. A bunch of youths is taking this very seriously and goin bless those in their community. Read their story and be inspired to b you too. Like the boy who offered his five loaves and two fishes, the no gesture is too small.
The only reason why we can love and give is because we have b – by the very best, no less. When we know our identity as beloved c Heavenly Father, we are truly empowered to reign in life. Pastor Ben this powerful truth in this issue’s sermon as we look at the incredible of Daddy God. Complementing this is our photo essay of the prodig modern interpretation, that is).
And of course, don’t miss out our recap of Legacy 2013, the Ge Chiang Mai and our amazing Prayer & Praise event. The Year of The over yet, so as we keep on praying and praising, walls are coming d are being broken. We are the free and Yours is the glory! Woah-oh, oh oh oh oh oh!
walk in without ing day. Where you rested…hey, isn’t that sense of familiarity and enjoy sweet ur youths about how
he Zone services run team and find out e so awesome! sing in a way that ng out of their way to bless those around ese youths prove that
been loved ourselves children of our njamin reminds us of e love and generosity gal son story (the
enRev mission trip to e Key of David is not down and strongholds oh oh oh, oh oh oh
[Contents]
[Credits]
#04: No Place Like Home
executive producer:
Find out about what makes The Zone home for some of our youths
#08: MOVING DEDICATION
I Reen lim Editor:
Rachel Leong ASSISTANT Editor:
Andrea Tan
ART DIRECTOR:
We get up close and personal with a
ELizabeth lee
special group of young people who
Assistant ART DIRECTOR:
enjoy moving people
#12: Occupy SG On National Day, a group of 18 Arrow youths took time out to shower fellow Singaporeans with random acts of kindness
#14: Praise reports Powerful testmonies of provision and healing among us
#20: The Father’s Heart Learn about your Heavenly Father’s heart of grace, love and mercy towards you
#30: Little big thoughts
Tami Lai Writers:
CHERLYN TUNG DARREN LIM DEACON SAMUEL QUEK Jenna Chua JOLENE KANG JUSTIN LIM LEE JIANWEI LEE WEIYI MICHELLE HOON PRISCILLA GAN SHANA SIOW SIM WEIXUAN Designers:
Charissa Kow Jeannie Tan Jonathan Goh Ng Shi Ting Rachel yin Sara Ho Wong wan ting Yang Yan Stylist:
Three different musings on serving, prayer
justin chua Gan Weiling
and Jesus as our friend
Photographers:
#34: The Freedom Generation Highlights from Legacy Camp 2013
#38: Open heavens raining love The GenRev Mission Trip team experienced a powerful revelation of His ‘grace grace’ as
CALEB LEOW CHERYL MUI JACQUELINE CHANG JEREMY LIM JONATHAN CHAN KELVIN LIM Transcribers:
HO KIAN CHONG JIRALDA WEE KENNETH YEO MEYYAPPAN SOMASUNDARAM NG QUNKAI WANG CHUN HUI
they ministered in Chiang Mai, Thailand
#42: Partying in our father’s house The Zone’s Prayer & Praise night for Arrow and GenRev was a night akin to having an Adullam cave experience
#44: Homecoming The story of the prodigal son and the Father’s heart of grace and mercy told through modern lens.
#50: Scene @ The Zone #52: Events #53: CG/DG LISTING
[COPYRIGHT STATEMENT] This is a publication of New Creation Church in Singapore, a non-profit organisation. The publication is distributed free to its members and has no subscription or newsstand price. Copyright © New Creation Church, Singapore, 2013. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without prior written permission. Unless stated otherwise, all scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1982. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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home no place like
This is home, truly, where I know I must be. Stealing a line from the National Day song, Home, seven Zone youths share with us why The Zone is truly home. [TEXT: LEE WEIYI]
Home. A nice warm bed that we snuggle up in and dread getting out of each morning. Home. Where worn out tees and shorts are perfectly acceptable – even if purple clashes with yellow. Where there will always be food specially set aside for us even when we return in the wee hours of the night. Indeed, there’s no place like home.
In so many ways, The Zone is our home as well. Here, there’s nothing to prove, no one to impress. There’s definitely good spiritual food to partake of and most of all, it is where the Father’s love is everready to embrace us. We find out from some youths about what makes The Zone a place to call home.
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Abigail Lois Yong
Bryan Ng
DARE, Level 3 @Cross DG
DARE, Level 3 ArmourBearers DG
Being in DARE is home to me because I can fully expect Jesus’ awesome love to sweep me off my feet and into His loving embrace. Abba’s arms are always open to His children, and every time I come back to my Father’s house I can see myself as a child running to Him. When I am in DARE, I cannot help but be conscious of Jesus because the kingdom friends I have in here never fail to point me to Jesus. And when Jesus is in the centre, everything falls into place! Better than physical comfort food, I get to feed on the everlasting Word and His comfort delights my soul.
The Zone/DARE is like a second home to me. It is a place where I really feel the presence of the Lord and also a place where I can just chill, be myself and have lots of fun! Every Sunday, I’m around godly people — my DARE group leader as well as my DARE group mates! I really thank God for them! DARE has really changed my life, through Pastor’s preaching and all the friends I’ve made! All glory to the Lord!
Nikolai David Kea
Elyssa Neo
Alvin Mak
Arrow, NAFA & LaSalle CG
Arrow, JC South A CG
Arrow, NUS Arts (Psych/ Social Work) CG
To me The Zone feels like home because of the people in the ministry. Everyone in the ministry is so friendly and welcoming. I would never have a feeling of loneliness when fellowshipping with anybody in The Zone. The spirit that the people carry makes me feel that I am coming back to see family every time I come for Arrow, care group or just spending time together over a meal. There is always this sense of God’s love that gives me a sense of rest and peace whenever I spend time with people in The Zone.
Home is where the heart is. Time and time again when I come for Arrow, this sense of love and peace never fails to surround me, drawing me close to Him. I am extremely blessed to have my care group mates that never fail to point me back to Jesus and to remind me that although we are not perfect but we have a Perfect Saviour that loves us! Indeed, my heart is where Jesus is and you know what? Jesus has His heart for this ministry – The Zone!
One snapshot that best captures how The Zone is home to me is when I was going through a dark season in my life, and my care group was just praying over me and just speaking good over my situation. As they were praying I just kept crying, because even though not everyone knew the specific situation, they were all agreeing in faith that things would work out for me. At that moment, I felt very loved by Jesus. I think The Zone is a place where I can be vulnerable, and see the Lord loving me by placing friends in my life who always point me back to Him. 5
Leong Jun Ming
Belinda Foo
Josiah Tan
GenRev, Braemar Drive CG
GenRev, Telok Kurau CG
GenRev, Yishun CG
Nothing beats coming for a GenRev service or attending a care group at the end of a hectic week. There’s something about fellowshipping and sharing about Jesus and what He has done in our lives that is so refreshing. Not forgetting the glorious food that accompany each fellowship session. I have also found my close friends in this ministry. We do life together, are vulnerable to share our challenges, and encourage one another in prayer. Being in the youth ministry since my Junior College days, some friends and I have progressed through a few seasons; some are even married today! I believe that the kingdom friendships forged in The Zone are timeless and akin to family. For this I am grateful!
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The Zone is home to me because it is the place where I encounter the presence of the Lord in the most tangible manner – be it during care group, services or chilling with kingdom friends. I can be free to be who I am with all my weaknesses and idiosyncrasies yet still be unconditionally loved by my greatest Saviour, leaders and friends. Just like Mephibosheth who was carried to the table of David, we who were once lost were also invited and carried to the King’s table. The table where we do not see each other’s infirmities but focus on the roasted lamb that has been prepared to enjoy the feast (both spiritually and literally) and grow together as a family!
GenRev has become a huge part of my life as a working adult in so many ways. It creates a place or environment where I can simply be myself. The two most powerful contributing factors are the people and the love of Christ they have in them. Looking back, I cannot recall a time when I felt out of place. There is so much fun hanging out with friends in my care group. Though I wish I could have attended DARE and Arrow when I was in that season, I cannot express how grateful I am for being in GenRev now. To me, it’s a place that is like a family, a home.
If you can the see
Inv ible, YOU CAN the do
Imp ible! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT)
Moving D
E
D
I
We get up close and personal with a special group of young people who enjoy moving peoplE [TEXT: PRISCILLA GAN]
Time check. 1:15pm. It is the calm before the storm, so to speak. DARE service will be ending soon, and the Movement team is all prepped and ready: neon vests on, placards in hand, voices trained and shuttle buses on standby to send the youths to Marina Bay Sands or The Star.
As soon as DARE service ends and the flood of youths appear, the action starts. Placards go up, bellowing calls and announcements start to sound, snaking queues are formed, and the ushering of youths up various buses begins — all this amidst non-stop chattering from
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C
A
T
the youths, the decibels getting louder and louder by the second.
“I was nervous [the first time] because everyone was so much louder than me,” says Arrow server Diya Butta. “But over time, I’ve learnt and now manage 20 to 40 youths at a time, escorting them onto the bus.” Just as quickly as the youths appear from service, so they are organised, ushered and driven off to respective main service venues to meet with their parents. This is what the Movement team does every Sunday, and they do it with one common desire — to serve our DARE youths and be a blessing to the youths’ parents.
I
O
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“It was on the ministry’s heart to help youths get to service easily after DARE services shifted from Saturday to Sunday. Movement was birthed from that desire to make things more convenient for parents, so that they don’t have to rush to and from main service to drop off or pick up their youth,” shares department head Edmund Yap. “Now, many youths are able to attend DARE services and the best part is that everyone (parents included) gets to be on time and enjoy the service.”
The Movement servers are a special breed. After all, which young man or woman wouldn’t like a few extra hours of sleep on a Sunday morning? When approached by members of the public on several occasions who asked why they were doing this, Arrow server Alvin John Tan says simply, “Because we can, because we get to. It refreshes me when serving.”
Marie Hashimoto, also an Arrow server, recalls one significant moment when serving, “It was raining heavily that Sunday afternoon and we were particularly short-handed. We struggled with getting the buses to come quickly and sheltering the youths as much as possible.
What really caught my attention were the other DARE servers who, after finishing their serving duties, grabbed umbrellas to help us shelter the youths. It hit me that this is what serving is really all about — it is not limited by what our responsibilities are, what roles we play or even what ministry we serve in. We all serve to honour one God!” Speaking of rain, watching the Movement team serve on stormy Sundays is an awesome sight to behold. When it pours, the servers gamely remove their shoes, roll up their jeans and stand in a row to create a sheltered pathway for the youths.
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The team’s heart of service is not just reserved for the DARE youths. There have been instances when the servers have also been a blessing to the Chinese ministry, who also gather at Shine Auditorium for the Chinese service on Sunday. And on the servers’ part, the opportunity to be a blessing to the main church is a much-welcomed one.
Having the heart to serve is important but when time is not on your side, how can this desire be fulfilled? For Ang Kai Jie, an Arrow server, Movement was just the right fit. “I was looking for a ministry to serve in during National Service and God opened the door and led me to serve in Movement,” he says, explaining that serving for that short period on Sunday was something he could commit to. 10
For sure, standing in the Singapore heat while trying to organise a whole group of youths is no mean feat. Shavonne Wong, a GenRev server, shares how being in Movement has completely put her out of her comfort zone. “This is the serving area where I can safely say it’s not me, but the Jesus in me.” So what kind of person would be suitable to serve on the Movement team? Edmund shares, “They should carry a gung-ho (can do) spirit, and would like being outdoors. Being alert, quick thinking and accountable are also important.”
When finally asked why Movement is a good place to serve, Edmund says unequivocally, “It’s a great place to sow your time because it may only require low commitment, but it has high impact!”
What’s in a Name? Move-Men-t = Moving Men to the Cross The team’s vision is to be Christ-filled movers, bringing men to Christ.
Did You Know... • Movement is made up of 25 servers who transported a total of 12,727 passengers from January to June 2013. • They have made a total of 806 bus trips since the year started. • The team coordinates 15 40-seater & 20-seater buses every Sunday. • A record high of 770 passengers was recorded on 26 May 2013. • On a given Sunday with DARE group lunch, there are more than 700 youths transported to DG lunch venues.
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OccupySG With His Love On National Day, a group of 18 Arrow youths took time out to shower fellow Singaporeans with random acts of kindness. Zone Magazine tails their trail to find out what fuels this joyful caravan. [TEXT: LEE JIANWEI]
“We have $1.20 left for every hamper, what shall we get?” Sherrie Tay announced.
“Hello Panda chocolates?” David Hu and Samuel Sim wondered as they scurried down the supermarket aisle. Probably not. What would the residents in the poorer estates really need that would fit under that budget?
It is 10am and Arrow youths from various care groups have come together with one purpose – to appreciate public servants working on a public holiday, bring food items to the underprivileged and encourage random strangers who would serendipitously come across their little notes. Termed OccupySG, this initiative is simply about occupying Singapore with the Lord’s love.
“I realised we don’t have to straight up preach to strangers in order to impact lives. Kindness is universally accepted and appreciated, and it’s awesome to have the opportunity to love and bless everyone regardless of race or religion in Singapore with these simple, small acts!” – Ariel Lim 12
Being the third time that Samuel has initiated this project, he shares what keeps him going. “I was inspired by a YouTube video of a man who performed 22 random acts of kindness on his 22nd birthday. One act showed him having a heart to heart chat with a foreign worker and it impacted me deeply because I know how little our foreign workers are being paid relative to what we are used to, and the number of hours they work. They tend to be unappreciated even though they are building our infrastructure. So in our first outing, we distributed refreshments to them. It has been a humbling experience to know that Jesus is using us to impact lives and be part of something bigger than ourselves. Even though we are not directly preaching the gospel, we believe that these seeds of love sown will not go to waste, but the love of the Lord will minister to them and touch them personally.” “We are not an event or an organisation. In fact, just living everyday with the Lord brings so many opportunities for us to impact others with grace just because we have the greatest gift of grace in our lives – Jesus.” – Benjamin Tan
The group went door to door in poorer estates to distribute food and supplies to elderly folks, dropped by a hospital to bless those who were working on National Day with treats, left happy messages on people’s cars and even distributed tissue boxes at a hawker centre.
“It feels good to bless people, with no strings attached — to sow a seed without being preachy,” shares Isaac Yeo. And when all the giving was done, they finally sat down for supper and fellowshipped around the One who first gave His all.
“Sometimes we feel that our efforts are insignificant measured against all the shortcomings we see. But a seemingly insignificant act can go a long way in someone’s life. The joy the giver feels in giving is immeasurable and we can all show kindness in our small ways.” – Rachel Ong
(Above): To Sheng Siong to buy groceries and packing of food bags for house visitation
(Left): Writing to healthcare workers who work on National Day and also to patients of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital
“People always receive summons on their cars so we wanted to give them a pleasant surprise.” – Sherrie Tay
“They didn’t understand why we were doing what we were doing! We did not have time to say much but a connection was made with a simple thumbs up. Bus drivers tend to be underappreciated, providing a service that we take for granted, so we wanted to show them that we cared.” – David Hu
“On a previous house visitation, at the very last house, a fellow church member opened his door. I believe the Lord led us to his house as not everyone responded when we knocked on their doors. We fellowshipped and prayed over his finances and health and also invited his son to youth service! It was an unexpected encounter.” – Paul Ho
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Praise REPORTS Testimonies of the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness in our lives.
Divine Protection in Accident Zoe Chang // GenRev, Pasir Ris CG
“One thing I know is our God is a good God and He makes all things work together for our good...”
I want to share my testimony of how the Lord saved me from a terrible accident. Three weeks ago, I went on a road trip with two of my friends. We drove from Kuala Lumpur (KL) to Kelantan and Kuantan and I was going to take the flight back to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur on 17 June 2013. Three of us were driving to KL airport in the afternoon. I was sleeping in the backseat on the left side without the seat belt on, when a long trailer hit our car on the side that I was sitting. I awoke and was conscious during the whole accident even though I could not open my right eye. I wasn’t scared nor felt pain, and did not even know how serious it was until my family told me later. I remember people pulling me out from the driver’s window. According to my friends, it was a passer-by who sent me to the nearest hospital. Thank God for that because the doctor said if I had reached later, my condition would have been worse. The words “saving grace” kept repeating in my mind when the accident happened. I really believe that it was God’s saving grace that saved my life. I was admitted into the ICU, but I believe the prayers from my GenRev CG sped up my recovery process. I was transferred to the normal ward in less than a week.
Afterward, I also heard from my friend that some people on their way to Legacy camp saw the accident and prayed for the people in the accident. God really placed them at the right place at the right time to pray and avert what could have been disastrous. The prayer of the righteous avails much! God is really good. I don’t know why this happened and I don’t need to know why. One thing I know is our God is a good God and He makes all things work together for our good and He will restore what the enemy tried to steal. Even my nonbelieving family members have seen the hand of God in this incident. Praise the Lord! I am recovering now, healed, well and alive! Praise the Lord for His protection.
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Endorsement Through God’s Favour Isabelle Li // Arrow, RP B CG
“He did not forget what I had forgotten about and blessed me even when I was limited in my thinking.”
At the beginning of 2013, one of my three prayer requests was to have endorsement opportunities as a professional table tennis player. However, as soon as I wrote that, I thought that it seemed a shallow thing to ask God for. I decided to change my prayer request and hence left this out of my year’s three prayer requests. However, in the month of June, I was told that a company would make a donation of a hundred thousand dollars to The Singapore Table Tennis association. The money would pay for my training and competition and a third of it would go to a youth endowment fund meant for my tertiary academic pursuits. This was the biggest sum of money ever pledged towards a single athlete’s development. That would also mean my university fees have already been taken care of even before I enrolled!
God did not cancel what I cancelled even when I thought it was a shallow prayer request; He did not forget what I had forgotten about and blessed me even when I was limited in my thinking. Just as it is His good pleasure to give, He over exceeded my prayer request. Now, it wasn’t just God opportunities for endorsement, it was God Himself endorsing me! All this came about after I was feeling a little disappointed about missing out on every sports award this year. But I was reminded that I am God’s child. While the world has to perform by their efforts, I simply receive His abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness because I’m marked by His favour! I had obviously no part to play in this donation and there were certainly other athletes who were more deserving but His favour zoomed in on me and marked me out. Praise the Lord for His goodness in my life and all that He has done for me! All glory be to Him!
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Supernatural Healing of Cancer
Evita Wijaya // DARE Level 4, Rejoice DG
“The Bible says in Matthew 19:26 – “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God, everything is possible.”
In July 2012, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma cancer, a type of cancer in the nerves. Stage 4 is the terminal stage of any cancer, where the cancer is no longer localised to one part of the body, but has spread to other parts of the body. I stopped attending school and started chemotherapy treatment sessions at the hospital. During this time, my family and I visited the prayer and healing room in church where I got connected to DARE. I did not attend youth ministry services prior to that. I met with Pastor Daniel and my leaders who prayed over me, declaring that all would be well and that I would be cancer-free. During that prayer, there was such a sense of warmth from the Lord all over me.
I continued attending DARE services every Sunday. I remember sitting on the 6th floor balcony of the Shine auditorium with my leader, away from the main congregation because the doctor had advised me to avoid crowded places in view of my body’s low immunity. There were also some weeks where the doctor advised me to stay home because of my low blood count from chemotherapy, but I went for DARE anyway because the Word preached at the services really blessed me. My family continued to pray and declare me to be cancer-free, and we partook of the Holy Communion every day. In September 2012, I underwent a surgery to remove a tumour. Post-surgery, the doctors took my tumour for a biopsy and it turned out that they couldn’t find a single cancer cell that was alive! They said that 99.9% of the cancer cells were dead – we were so happy and believed healing was manifesting 30, 60 and 100-fold. Following that, towards the end of the year, I did a scan that showed that my body is CANCER FREE!. It was a miracle from the Lord.
Today, one year from when I was first diagnosed with cancer, I am healthy and alive. I’ve stopped the chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions, and in fact, I just went for another scan two weeks ago at the doctor’s which continues to testify that I am ALL-CLEAR from cancer. I am extremely thankful to the Lord for His healing. I am also back in school, attending church regularly and will even be going to Israel together with the other Level 4 youths at the end of this year. I believe that so long as you put whatever worries you have in God’s hands, He will help you through it. The Bible says in Matthew 19:26 – “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God, everything is possible.”
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BORN THROUGH
JESUS'
BLOOD DIVINE into a heavenly,
inheritance.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1: 3-4
serve your generation! We are living in exciting times and we invite you to get in on the action! As God pours forth His blessings on The Zone, we encourage you to not just be a spectator, but be actively involved. God is working miracles in The Zone and you have an opportunity to see it firsthand as a server!
Where Would You Like to Serve?
DARE SERVERS
ROYAL STEWARDS
MOVEMENT
LOGISTICS
EVENTS
VIDEO
LIGHTS
SOUND
MEDIA RESOURCE
SPARK ACT
SPARK ANIMATE
SPARK COLLECTIVE
SPARK GROOVE
SPARK INK
SPARK DESIGN
SPARK SNAP
WORSHIP
SPARK FILM
SPARK UNPLUGGED
Simply fill up the form online at http://bit.ly/serveinthezone
The Father’s Heart Knowing your divine identity as a beloved child of God brings untold blessings in Christ. (Excerpted from Pastor Benjamin Lim’s Arrow sermon on 8 June 2013)
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What blessedness to be able to call the Almighty God our Heavenly Father! In Matthew 11:27, Jesus spoke to the crowds, saying that nobody knows the Father except the Son. This was true during the time of Jesus. Back then, the Israelites knew God as their banner and victory, their Righteousness, their Shepherd, and the Captain of their salvation. They knew the names of God in the Old Testament, but none of them knew God as their Father. But it was this name that Jesus came to reveal to mankind.
Today, when we receive Jesus into our lives, we receive more than just the forgiveness of sins and the gift of righteousness. The gift of righteousness we possess allows us to have a relationship with God as Father. The enemy is trying to distort and destroy our sense of identity as sons and daughters of the Most High God, making us question who we truly are.
Your divine identity as a child of God You’ll notice that who we truly are is tied to who we are related to. For example, I’m Pastor Benjamin Lim. This is because my father’s surname is Lim as well. Therefore, my sons are also Lims. People will recognise them as Pastor Benjamin’s sons, whether they like it or not. This is because their identities comes from their relationship with me.
When Jesus came to reveal God as your Father, He did not want you to base your identity on the things you possess. This is because the things that we own are temporal and transient; they will not last forever. If we base our identities on the schools we attend, the cars we drive, and the houses we own, those identities can be easily crushed. But Jesus came to establish our true identity: the one we have because of our relationship with the Father. God isn’t a God that is far away, and God isn’t just an Almighty God, He is your Father! It doesn’t help us face our problems when we only know that God is powerful and able. How can
we know that God is willing to help us? This is why knowing God as our Father is important. When we have a relationship with Him, we will know that He is willing. Take for example a president of a country. His little son would be able to run past every security huard, dignitary and minister to jump onto his father’s lap, even if the president were having a meeting. Nobody would stop the little boy. And for those few moments, the president would probably stop everything and turn his attention to his son. However, a representative from another country would have to go through security searches and obey the proper protocol when meeting with the president. None of these things applied to the president’s son because they are related to each other.
Today, we are related to our earthly fathers because their blood flows within us. Spiritually, we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and have the forgiveness of sins and the gift of righteousness. And because of this blood, we have been redeemed into divine sonship and are now sons and daughters of the Most High God. There is a spirit of orphan-ship that the enemy uses to attack believers. The devil wants you to believe that God is an impersonal God, instead of the Father He truly is to believers. When we wrongly believe that we don’t have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, heaven’s supply is also cut off. Conversely, when we know that God is our Father, we can have confidence that all His creative power is available to supply our every need.
Party in the Father’s House Luke 15:20–24 (NLT) 20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer
worthy of being called your son.’ 22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening in the pen. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. We are all sons and daughters of God, but the enemy wants to convince us that we are slaves. Christian life isn’t a religion; it is a party! The Bible actually says this in Luke 15:24. Right after the prodigal son returned home, it says, “so the party began”! Beloved, the same thing happened the day you received Jesus and came back to your heavenly Father! As the prodigal son walked home, the Father ran to meet him, embraced him and kiss him. He gave his son the ring of authority, new clothes and new shoes, then called for a party! Our life is a party where there’s dancing and singing in the house of God. The Christian life isn’t meant to be sad, sombre or sorrowful; stale religion is like that. Christian life is full of heavenly fun. God believes in parties and He knows that we enjoy parties too. Best of all, when we go to God’s party, we don’t need to bring Him any gifts. Instead, there will be door gifts for us! God’s kind of party is a celebration of what Jesus has done, who we are and who we’re becoming in Christ, amen!
Called to be sons, not slaves
Let’s return to the parable in Luke 15:25–30. As the party started, the older brother was in the fields working and suddenly, he heard music and dancing. The older brother was told that his brother has returned, and that their father has killed the fatted calf to celebrate his safe return. Thus, the older brother became angry. This older brother’s behaviour is typical of some believers. We may be in the Father’s house but lack the close relationship with the Father Himself. Is it possible to serve the ministry yet remain far from God?
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“Jesus came to establish our true identity: the one we have because of our relationship with the Father. God isn’t a God that is far away, and God isn’t just an Almighty God, He is your Father!”
Yes, it is. There are Christians who become angry and jealous over God’s goodness to the undeserving. Yet, the Father’s heart is still for the angry older brother. In the story, the father pleaded with the older brother to join the party.
In verse 29, the older brother replied: “But after all these years I have slaved for you…” He wasn’t serving the father, he was slaving. The enemy wants you to feel as if you are slaving for God. Beloved, we don’t need to work for the Father because we are His children. We serve Him out of an overflow of gratitude because He is so good to us. The older brother felt that he needed to perform well in order to meet his father’s impossible standards. As for us, who among us can perfectly keep the Ten Commandments? Nobody can except Jesus. Through the divine exchange at the cross, Jesus got all the bad that we deserved while we get to enjoy all the good that Jesus deserves.
The moment we try to produce these fruits on our own, we face problems. We begin to think of ourselves as slaves. Beloved, your life is meant to be lived with your Father, forever in His presence. His grace is sufficient for all of our challenges!
In verse 31, the father replied: “Look, dear son, you have always stayed with me and everything I have is yours.” Because we are related to our Heavenly Father, everything He has is ours, as well! But as long as we don’t realise it, we’ll never ask Him for what we need. The older brother never had the audacious faith to ask from his father because he didn’t think that his father would give audaciously. Beloved, our Heavenly Father will give audaciously and generously because we are His children. In Matthew 7:7, Jesus says to “Ask, and it will be given to you…” No qualifications, no marathon prayers, simply ask. Simply ask God to give you the best, and He will supply it.
In Matthew 7:9–10, Jesus asked: “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
At times, however, God doesn’t give us what we want immediately. God knows the best timing to give unto us: He will give it to us when we are ready. Early indulgences can produce destruction in a person’s life. God wants you to enjoy the blessing, not be enslaved to it! For example, God gave me a car only 15 years after I had first asked for it. This is because my ego was too big back then, and owning a new car would have inflated my pride. I would have felt indignant and fallen victim to road rage often! God dispenses His blessings at the right time for our maximum enjoyment.
Redeemed into Sonship forever Hebrews 2:9-10 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory.” This is the reason for our sonship under God. Our Heavenly Father gives us good things because Jesus brought many sons to glory, making their salvations perfect because of His death. The first recorded words of Jesus can be found in Luke 2:49, where He says to His parents “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” From that tender age, Jesus knew God as His Father and was going about His business.
son may publically deny me as his father but it will never change the fact that he is my son. Jesus brought you into His Father’s hands and nobody, not even yourself, can tear you away from that.
On the cross, Jesus’ last words were “Father, into Your hands I commit my Spirit.” (Luke 23:46) This came after He had cried: “It is finished!” Jesus knew that because His work was finished, He had opened the path for many sons—that’s us!—to become children of God. Jesus knew that the Father who fought for Israel, who freely gives to His children, and who brings the dead back to life could now become our Father too. Interestingly, Jesus was quoting Psalm 31:5 in His last words. But David’s psalm did not contain a reference to the Father. Jesus’ sacrifice allows us to address God as Father today. Today, we can cry out to Daddy God, committing our spirit and our life to Him. Today, God is saying to you that He is your Father. He will be that Daddy who will be there for you, watching over you. He will be that Daddy who embraces you, who goes ahead of you to prepare the way for you, to provide for you and celebrate with you! Turn to p.44 for a modern day interpretation of the story of the prodigal son.
The business of the Father is to father you and I. And Jesus’ first cry at the cross in Luke 23:34 was “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” He knew that the “Father’s business” was to bring forgiveness to all mankind. Mankind can’t help but sin because through Adam’s sin, we were all made sinners. But Jesus died on the cross and rose again so that there will be no more separation between God and us.
Beloved, Jesus says that no man can be plucked out of His hand. (John 10:18) The moment we received the Lord, we can never be lost again. My
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“Today, God is saying to you that He is your Father. He will be that Daddy who will be there for you, watching over you. He will be that Daddy Sermon summary who embraces you, who goes ahead of you to prepare the way for you, to provide for you and celebrate with you!�
Little Big Thoughts Three of our own let us in on their daily musings on serving, prayer and life with Jesus.
Come and talk to me [TEXT: DEACON SAMUEL QUEK]
My heart has heard You say, “Come and talk to Me”, and my heart responds, “Lord, I’m coming!” - Psalms 27:8 (NLT) Of all the verses in the bible, this has got to be one of my favorites. Can you imagine a God who is not just willing, but is actually interested to spend time with you, to hear what you have to say? A God who reaches out to you and beckons you to come and talk to Him? And oh, how I love the psalmist’s response! He writes as if compelled by an inner volition, “My heart responds, ‘Lord, I’m coming’”
I think it’s beautiful how simple the Lord makes it for us to spend time with Him. No ten-hour long prayers, fasting, or penance required. Because of Jesus, we can simply come. All it takes for us to come is to realise that He’s right there with us. The truth is that the Lord is always around. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. The problem is our consciousness, or lack of consciousness rather.
I remember when I had my first break-up, and me sitting devastated at my school stairwell, He was there. When I was going through the lowest point in my life, crying till I had no more tears to cry, He was there. Loving me even when I didn’t know. I read in a book once, that the only time we can truly experience the presence of God, is right now in this very moment — not in the moment that has just passed, or in the moment to come, but right now. Oh how precious then is this very moment that you and I have, because in it we get to
experience the very presence of Jesus Himself, and right where you are even as you read these words, the Lord’s presence is right there with you. I guess the one benefit of growing up as the only child was that there was no one to talk to, no one but the Lord. As a result, I began to develop a habit of talking to myself and to the Lord. I discovered that one simple way to keep the consciousness of the Lord’s presence constantly with us is to learn to talk to the Lord even as you go about your day, while you’re preparing to leave the house, or waiting for the bus to arrive, or while you are just hanging out at Starbucks. In fact, He invites us to come and talk to Him. Like a friend, He is someone whom you can talk to about anything in the world — things that matter and things that don’t. Someone you can be yourself with, share your dreams and desires with, your successes and your mistakes, the good and the bad. He’s Someone to take along the journey of life with, for all its ups and its down, to laugh with, cry with, and to grow with.
I love it how in Luke 24, where the story of the road to Emmaus is recorded, it says that the two disciples were walking away from Jerusalem, their faces sad as they talked about their disappointment, that Jesus whom they thought was going to deliver them from the Romans had died. But look what the Bible says! It writes, “Jesus Himself drew near”. Think about it for a moment. Who did the Lord drew near to? People giving praise to him for the work He just
accomplished at the cross? Far from it! He drew near to two imperfect people who had completely missed it, misunderstood Him and what He had come to do, who had given up on him and were heading home. He drew near to them while they talked about their disappointments. And look how gentle our Lord is, He didn’t interrupt them or cut them off, but He waited and listened to every single word of complaint they had to say. In fact, He restrained their eyes from knowing Him so He could just walk along with them silently, listening to them. And when He finally does speak, what is His divine concern? He asks them, “What are you talking about and why are you sad?” Jesus was concerned about why they were sad! Can you imagine that? That the Lord of all creation, God Almighty in the flesh, would concern Himself with what makes us sad, with whatever is troubling us today.
My friend, there’s no one more kind, more loving, more perfect than Jesus! He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. When was the last time you sat down with someone with whom you could remove every mask of pretense, someone you could be completely unrestrained in pouring your heart out to — every disappointment, every grievance, every pain and every complaint. And at the end of it all, find complete love and acceptance, and the strength to be the best you. 31
Serving out of His overflow [TEXT: JOLENE KANG]
When I was 14, I accompanied a friend in signing up to be an usher in the youth ministry. “Why not?” I thought. After all, my friends had all started to serve in one area or another, and I certainly didn’t want to be left out. That first year, I made many new friends and had a ball of a time trying out different roles within the ushering team. It was around then that a ministry buzz phrase — “serving out of the overflow” — caught my attention. I began to worry if I was indeed serving in like fashion. Wasn’t serving for the sake of friends entirely different from having an overflow? If I didn’t feel like I was “overflowing”, could I still continue to serve? What WAS an overflow anyway?
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10 years on and five serving functions later, I’ve never gotten around to answering those questions, but neither have I stopped serving. I
don’t remember when, but somewhere along the way, the self-checks ceased because I had gotten too caught up falling in love with my Father’s house, and enjoying the privilege of serving in it.
I’ve learned that it never was about my overflow anyway. My Father is the inventor of the overflow, and it is impossible to partake of His kingdom without being infected with love, joy and peace. Even in my valleys, it was often in the process of serving that my heart warmed up again at watching how my Jesus lavishly loved upon His people. We may not be able to guarantee hearts that are ever overflowing with joy and gladness, nor intentions that are always right. However, I reckon that we should focus instead on receiving and serving from His overflow, because He is ever overflowing with every good thing!
What is prayer? [TEXT: JENNA CHUA]
In my growing up years, I had always felt that prayers needed to begin with “Dear Lord” and end with “In Jesus Name, I pray all this, amen”. Prayer to me was quite structured and formal. As a result, God Himself seemed strangely distant unapproachable – like the CEO of a company where one would imagine having to draft e-mails beginning with “Dear Sir,” and ending with a “Yours sincerely”. Thinking that the God of the universe who must be busy governing galaxies to governments, would surely require a rather formal protocol for approaching Him, I only went to God when I had crucial requests.
Since then however, having been in church and having walked with the Lord Jesus for some time, I realised that prayer does not necessarily need to be as rigid as I had once assumed. The truth is that we are in a relationship with the Lord – He is our Saviour, our lover, our best friend. As natural and as important communication is in a friendship or a relationship between two people, prayer is simply us being able to communicate with the
Lord anytime, anywhere. And as Daddy God’s beloved children, we have unlimited access to Him 24/7! We can never exhaust our talk-time with Him. We can talk to the Lord on sizable issues like open doors for internship or work opportunities, and also simple matters such as thanking Him for the beautiful weather on a particular day. We often spend entire afternoons at cafés with a friend or two, tirelessly going from animated conversations to heart-to-heart talks. This is the kind of joyful openness that the Lord desires for us to have when we are in His presence. And because He is always with us, He is always there to listen – be it the mundane or meaningful things of life. And He wants to! As the Bible puts it, God inclines His ear to listen to you (Psalm 116:2), and before you even speak, He hears (Isaiah 65:24). Really, praying is not mysterious and difficult. Whether it is a casual conversation or a powerful prayer of proclamation, you can be confident that you have all of His affection and all of His attention!
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THE FREEDOM GEN Through the years, Legacy Camp has always been a significant milestone in the lives of the DARE and Arrow campers. This year was no different. Our youths spent five power-packed days soaking in the Lord’s presence from 17–21 June in Kuala Lumpur. What resulted was a renewed vision of their glorious destinies and a fresh sense of His love. For those of you who were not there, fret not! We have compiled a short excerpt of testimonies from those who were present, and snippets of some of the sermons preached that will surely bless you as well. [Text: Andrea Tan & Shana Siow]
Isabel Or Arrow, TP A CG
“Legacy Camp was indescribably mind-blowing! Some of my expectations this year were to have a clear vision and purpose for my life and not to be easily moved by what other people say about me — only what God says, matters. I saw how God worked through the pastors, leaders and campers just to get His Word to me daily. One of the many things I received was that nothing is impossible as long as we ask God! At the end of Legacy Camp, I found myself ticking off 23 out of 29 expectations!”
Samantha Jesse Tan Arrow, Private and Overseas Arts CG “This camp was very restful for me. One of my camp expectations was to know what to do after I graduate at the end of the year. During one of the worship sessions, I felt the Lord impress on my heart these words: “My dear, I will do what I want to do.” I was blessed by those words because whichever route or step I take, I just need to trust Him, as He has been to my future and He says that it is good!”
Marcus Teo Arrow, NTU Arts CG “Through this camp, I learnt that prayer is not a denial of reality but that it changes our situations. During the session when Pastor Benjamin asked us to pray for one another, I felt God overwhelm we with His love when my care group gathered to pray for me. This was after I shared that I felt academically inadequate. I felt all my fears fade away, and that touch from God really made camp a special one for me.” 34
NERATION Rebecca Peh Arrow, NTU Arts CG “Legacy Camp was filled with fresh love encounters with Jesus! Day after day, Jesus love-attacked me through the powerful sermons, anointed praise and worship, precious heart-to-heart moments with my care group and during my quiet time with Him. Not to forget, the many hugs I received from my lovely sisters-in-Christ! One of the most memorable moments was when my care group prayed together on the fourth day. As we prayed, hand-in-hand, all of us were moved to tears. I believe it was the love of God and the indescribable power of prayer that overwhelmed us!”
Matilda Sim Arrow, JC East CG “Because of the people who came and left in my life, I was afraid to trust and love people, so I built walls to prevent myself from being hurt. I told the Lord I wanted to be bold in loving people again. During camp, Pastor Prince said, ‘It’s better to love and get hurt, than not to love at all. Jesus did. He loved all of us and got hurt.’ I knew Jesus found me and took away my fears instantly. Thank You Jesus, for tearing down the walls at the right time for me to love others boldly again.”
Alison Loh Arrow, SP A CG “I was simply overwhelmed by the love and goodness of the Lord throughout the camp. As I brought my expectations before the Lord, it was exceedingly met one after another. One of the expectations I had — the healing of a torn tendon on my toe — was not something that was at the top of my head when people asked me to share what my expectations were. But during one of the sessions, I was ministered to and received complete healing! The Lord is certainly faithful and not forgetful. Even when you forget or have already given up, He does not. Praise God!” 35
Ryan Chiow DARE, Level 3 Adonai “On Day 2 of Legacy Camp after dinner and throughout praise and worship (P&W), my left wrist felt numb and was in pain. After P&W, as Pastor Prince was praying for healing for us, he told us to touch the part of our body that was in pain so I touched my left wrist. After Pastor prayed over us, the pain in my left wrist disappeared. However, after a while, the pain came back but it was not as bad as before Pastor prayed for us. The slight pain lasted throughout Pastor’s preaching but right when Pastor ended his preaching for that night, the pain was gone and my left wrist was healed! Thank You Jesus for healing me completely!”
Abbrielle Loh DARE, Level 1 Elevites “The camp was not just enjoyable, but also life changing. After Pastor Prince preached about focusing on the 95% of people who like us instead of the 5% of people who may not be for us, I felt stronger because now I don’t need to be sad as all my hurts are already covered on the cross, and all the reproaches (of man) have fallen on Him, AMEN!”
Brydan Lim DARE, Level 4 Radzon
“This camp really impacted me; the sermons preached were really applicable to our daily lives. For example, giving our validations to God instead of man who will “misuse” our validation. I really thank God for this last Legacy camp with my DG. I really felt the love within the group.”
DARE, Level 2 youth After Legacy Camp, I don’t feel so insecure about myself anymore. One of Pastor Prince’s sermons was about not trying to impress others. I always felt like I had to change myself to impress my school friends. For instance, to fit in, I would sometimes use foul language when I’m with them. It didn’t feel like ‘me’ when I was saying those words.
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I was also always comparing myself with others. I frequently compared myself with pretty girls who had good complexion and were skinny, which made me feel dissatisfied with myself. But now I know that I don’t need to be slim or look a certain way to fit in because Jesus loves me for who I am. I feel secure and proud of who I am because I know that I am His Beloved, and I am accepted and highly favoured by Him.
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10 “We are a chosen generation, handpicked by God. We did not need to do anything for God to choose us. We are a royal priesthood – we are royalty. We are kingly, and we have royal blood flowing in our veins today. It is no longer the tainted blood of Adam that flows in us, but the royal blood of Jesus, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. We were once orphans, we were once outcasts; we were once the ones whom nobody would take a second look at. But now, we are no longer that. We are a people of God. We belong to God; we are God’s people. A lot depends on Who you belong to. We were once not a people, no one stood up for us. But today, we are now the people of God. Who stands up for you? Who steps in front of you to face your enemies? When sickness comes knocking, Who answers the door? When your enemies come knocking, Who is the One who stands in front of you? It’s Jesus! You belong to Jesus. You are His possession; you are His people. And because you belong to Him, He will never let you go. He will never let you down. You will never walk alone!”
— Pastor Daniel Chong
“…but the people who know their God, shall be strong and carry out great exploits.” – Daniel 11:32 “The best knowledge you can have is of the things of God. It is not your education, or the things of the world that will revolutionise your life – but it’s the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Daniel knew his God. Even when he was facing opposition in a foreign land, he refused to partake of the things of the world, because he knew his God! He knew that God was for him. When you know your God, and you know that God has surrounded you with favour, like Daniel, you will be able to make godly decisions! When he stepped out and said, “Hey, I’m not going to join this party,” God gave him favour. All of us, we want to do right! You want to live right, you want to behave right. But the thing is this; it is not about your own effort. God has given you everything to lead a godly life. You don’t have to try to live godly but it is by His divine power. Through the cross, God has given you supernatural power! You don’t have to resist the temptation yourself, you just have to know who your God is and what He has given you.”
— Pastor Benjamin Lim
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OPEN HEAVENS A GenRev Mission Trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand marked by the Lord’s grace and love. [Text: Michelle Hoon]
It was the first time Cho-Lae School, located in the suburbs of Chiang Mai, opened its doors to any mission team. The privilege of ministering to 173 students, ranging from kindergarten children to secondary school students, fell on 27 youths from the GenRev ministry. The team received a warm Thai welcome as they stepped up and out to the mission field, with hearts ready to serve and be a blessing to the children. Through Bible stories, skits and games, the youth volunteers brought across the message of God’s love for His children, His ability and willingness to hear their prayers and provide for all of their needs. Home visits were also conducted where the youth distributed food packages and daily necessities to underprivileged families. Indeed, God’s seeds were sown and the harvest was plentiful – a total of 113 children, 3 teachers and 2 families received Christ. Some of our youths share their highlights from the trip and how they have been impacted by His love on this trip.
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“The most memorable part of the trip for me was during one of the lessons in the multi-purpose hall. I was sitting at the back when I saw the boy beside me flipping through a small booklet. It was a little book with simple pictures and English words at the bottom of each picture.
As the boy flipped through the book, he stopped at a particular page and turned to me with a huge smile on his face. He pointed to a picture of a cross on the page, and stretched both his arms out to depict a cross. At that moment, I was really touched to know that the children had received the message delivered by our mission trip team – that God so loved His children that He gave up His precious Son to die for them on the cross.” Ng Li Hui, Pasir Ris CG
“During the trip, the Lord showed me the verses 1 Corinthians 3:6-8, ‘I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labour.’
Despite the effort and time sown, we do not have to stress over the children’s salvation as it is the Lord at work, giving us the increase. All we have to do is to rest, relax and be a willing vessel for the Lord to work through us.” Pauline Chung, Telok Kurau CG
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“The most memorable part was the last day where we were led by the spirit to minister to and pray for the children individually. It was like open heavens raining His presence so powerfully over the entire hall. Although it was summer with the weather at 40 degrees daily, that afternoon the sun did not shine as strongly into our hall like previous days. It was as though God had commanded the clouds over us and there was an unusual gush of wind that swept across the hall as we prayed. A lot of the children began to tear. It was a very touching sight which no words can describe. We know they had received a love they never knew before – Daddy God’s love.”
Suleen Law, Trip Leader, Aljunied CG Leader
“I went with a heart ready to serve, expecting to give my all to share about Jesus with the children.
God exceeded my expectations as He served me instead, filling me inwardly with His love! I went home being so full and so fed, with a personal portion of His blessings.”
Eleazar Ong, Bedok South CG
“The biggest highlight of the trip was seeing our kindergarten teacher receive Christ on our last day at Cho-Lae. Our intention was to sow seeds in the children’s lives but we did not expect the teachers to receive the harvest.”
Charis Ann, Bedok South CG
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“The most memorable part of the trip was the worship session where the children sang “Oh Daddy God” in Thai… There was such a strong and tangible presence of God that enveloped everyone present in the hall.” Amanda Tan, Aljunied CG
“I had the honour of closing the first skit on the prodigal son. However, as I stood there telling the children about Jesus, fear unknowingly crept in and I wanted to close without an altar call. At that time, our translator gave me a reassuring smile and I told Jesus, ‘When I am faithless, You are faithful. I will do it even if I am afraid!’
By God’s grace, many hands went up to receive Jesus! All glory to God! If it were up to me, there would be 0 salvations. But because of Jesus, we had many souls saved for Christ that morning we arrived!” Clara Faith Sim, Lorong Ah Soo CG
“No persons, no language barriers and no high walls can prevent Daddy God’s love from reaching out to the hearts of the children.”
Jonah Jedidiah Zhang, Aljunied CG
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PRAYER& PRAISE Akin to having an Adullam Cave experience, The Zone’s Prayer & Praise night for Arrow and GenRev was a night when hearts were united in lifting up the name of Jesus and powerful declarations were made over our lives. [Text: Cherlyn Tung]
A
uditorium, check. Snaking queues, check. Tons of excited youths, check. What could it be? A concert? A party? Well, what if I told you that it was about to be filled with youths whose hearts are all on fire for Jesus; youths with so much energy bubbling in their souls, all ready to jump and bring the house down with prayer and praises to the King of kings?
That’s exactly what we saw on the night when our Jesushungry youths from Arrow and GenRev came together as one, casting all their cares and worries unto Jesus, knowing that He’ll take care of it all. As we lifted our hands towards the one Who has the world in His hands. We are truly the freedom generation that Daddy God has chosen. Especially on a day like 5th July (‘5’ representing grace and ‘7’
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representing perfection), it was like God reminding us that His abundance of grace envelopes our situations, and our weaknesses have been made perfect in His love. “Let the ruins come to life,” Pastor Benjamin declared. He shared from the verses, Amos 9:11-13, which talked about God raising up the tabernacle of David (grace), not the tabernacle of Moses (the law), and that a harvest is about to overtake our lives. Every dead situation has been revived!
As Pastor Benjamin led us into a time of ministering, there was such a sweet tangible presence in the auditorium, and as I closed my eyes and kept my mind on Jesus, I could feel that nothing else really mattered but Jesus alone. As I focused on Him, it was as if I was in a different realm, just Jesus and me. Although I had gone
through a pretty rough week, as I continued speaking in tongues, I could feel those burdens lift, and a wave of shalom peace just washed over me. Pastor Benjamin also shared that short prayers are equally powerful. All we had to do was just allow the Holy Spirit to guide our prayers, and be it long or short, fanciful or not, Jesus hears it! Together as one ministry, we prayed for each other in tongues, and although we didn’t know what was proclaimed, we just knew that words of life had been spoken into our lives. As we spoke into destinies filled with awesomeness, our troubles melted away into the night; problems diminished in the presence of our Saviour. It’s never about us, but all about our Lord Jesus Christ. Sing Hallelujah!
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Homecoming The story of the prodigal son and the Father’s heart of grace and mercy told through modern lens. Chances are, you’ve heard the story of the prodigal son — A child demands his inheritance from his father, leaves home and depletes his money on a decadent and indulgent lifestyle. When he hits rock bottom, he returns home out of sheer desperation, and in shame only to find an excited father overjoyed at his child’s homecoming.
It is a beautiful reminder for us whenever we think we’ve lost our way. It doesn’t matter how far gone we think we are or what wrongs we’ve done in the past. Jesus reminds us that the story doesn’t end with our failure. Instead, we are reminded that there is always grace and mercy, and that our Heavenly Daddy is always eager to welcome us home with open arms.
“The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land…” – Luke 15:12–13 (NLT)
“…and there he wasted all his money in wild living.” – Luke: 15:13 (NLT)
“About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.” – Luke 15:14–16 (NLT)
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.’” – Luke 15:20–22 (NLT)
“...We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.” – Luke 15:23–24 (NLT)
SCENE @ THE ZONE
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EVENTS LISTING Oct/NOV/Dec Services
Events
DARE 6, 13, 20, 27 Oct 2013 3, 10, 17, 24 Nov 2013 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Dec 2013 Time: 11.30am Venue: Shine Auditorium
Genrev mission trip 3–8 NOV 2013
ARROW 12, 26 OCT 9, 23 NOV 14 DEC Time: 2pm Venue: Shine Auditorium
DARE Level 3 Mission Trip 1–6 Dec 2013
Genrev 12, 26 OCT 9, 23 NOV 14 DEC Time: 5pm Venue: Shine Auditorium
DARE Level 2 Parent-Child Mission Trip 17–22 Nov 2013
DARE Level 4 Israel Trip 2–11 Dec 2013
CARE GROUP & Dare GROUP LISTING dare
Level Level Level Level
arrow
JC
genrev
1 2 3 4
(Sec (Sec (Sec (Sec
1 2 3 4
youths) please contact Deaconess Anna Cheng youths) please contact Deaconess Anna Cheng youths) please contact Deacon Jiow Hee Jhun & 5 youths) please contact Elizabeth Wei AT
at anna.cheng@newcreation.org.sg at anna.cheng@newcreation.org.sg AT jiow.heejhun@newcreation.org.sg elizabeth.wei@newcreation.org.sg
East A (MJC) East B (VJC, TJC, TPJC, Dunman High) North A (AJC, YJC) North B (NYJC, SRJC) North C (RJC) North D (IJC) South A (CJC, SOTA) South B (SAJC) West A (ACJC (West), ACS Int’l, St. Francis, UWC West) West B (NUS High, JJC, PJC, MI, RV High) West C (HCJC, HC International, NJC) West D (ACJC (East), ACS Independent)
Alena Low Abel Khoo Joshua Ong Felicia Tan Deborah Chia Keegen Quek Esther Teo Sherrie Tay Sherry Lum
low.alena@gmail.com khoo.abel@gmail.com joshua.ongxy@gmail.com felicia.tanwp@gmail.com deborah.chiakn@gmail.com quek.keegen@gmail.com esther.teowl@gmail.com tay.sherrie@gmail.com sherry.lum@gmail.com
Germaine Loo Poon Yong De Janan Long
loo.germaine@gmail.com poon.yongde@gmail.com janan.long@gmail.com
PoLY /ITE
ITE College (Central, East, West) NAFA & LASALLE NP A (FMS) NP B (Business & Accountancy, IT) & Shatec NP C (HMS, SOE, SDE, SIS) NP D (LSCT/ HS) NYP A (SEG, SHS, SCL) NYP B (SIDM, SDN, SBM, SIT) RP A (SOH, SBC, STA, SIT) RP B (SHL, SEG, SAS) SP A (SD, EEE, MAE) SP B (CLS, CASS, ABE, SMA) SP C (DMIT, SB) TP A (Biz, App Sci, Humanities, SS) & PTE TP B (Design, Interactive & Info Tech) TP C (Engineering)
Alvin Phua Jodie Koh Ariel Lim Benjamin Chong Janey Teo Broderick Sim Debra Ng Jonathan Ong Bridget Kang Joshua Foo Edmund Lim Evelyn Tan Elizabeth Choy Sng Swee Min Ruth Lim Melissa Lam
phua.alvin@gmail.com koh.jodie@gmail.com arieltabitha.lim@gmail.com benjamin.chongwm@gmail.com teo.janey@gmail.com broderick.simbx@gmail.com ngdebra.peirong@gmail.com jonathan.ongweimin@gmail.com kang.bridget@gmail.com foo.joshuadaniel@gmail.com edmund.limjt@gmail.com evelyn.tanyj@gmail.com elizabeth.choyse@gmail.com sng.sweemin@gmail.com lim.ruthje@gmail.com melissa.lamjy@gmail.com
Varsity
NUS Arts (Econs, E Lit, E Lang, Euro, Geography, History) NUS Arts (Others) & SDE NUS Arts (Psychology, Social Work) NUS Business, Law NUS Engineering NUS Life Sci, Medicine, Dentistry NUS Science (Others) NUS Science (PR) & Computing NIE & NTU Science NTU Arts (ADM & Comm Studies) NTU Arts (HSS) NTU Business NTU Engineering Private & Overseas Arts (Communications, Humanities and Law) Private & Overseas Business Private & Overseas Creative and Design Private & Overseas Science SIM (Others) SIM (RMIT) SIM (UOL) SMU (Business) SMU (Others)
Jomaine Tang
tang.jomaine@gmail.com
Natalie Tan Mervyn Khoo Jotham Teo Matthias Lim Keith Tan Caleb Chan Chadin A. Wilson Chia Sara Ho Dorothy Ng Charmaine Lee Danny Neo Kevin Kwee
tan.natalieqx@gmail.com khoo.mervyn@gmail.com jotham.teo@gmail.com lim.matthias@gmail.com tan.dihaokeith@gmail.com calebchanngaihon@gmail.com chadin.anuwattanaporn@gmail.com wilsonws.chia@gmail.com ho.shining@gmail.com dorothyng.gs@gmail.com charmaine.leesf@gmail.com danny.joash.neo@gmail.com kwee.kevinkw@gmail.com
Jared Leo Sarah Tay Jared Leo Gideon Teo Poon Hui Ting Poon Hui Ting Nick Sim Terence Lau
jared.leo@gmail.com sarahzoe.tay@gmail.com jared.leo@gmail.com teo.gideonpy@gmail.com huiting.poon@gmail.com huiting.poon@gmail.com nick.simjj@gmail.com terencedavid.lau@gmail.com
North
Bishan Street Braddell Hill Choa Chu Kang Upper Thomson Yishun Street
Harville Tan Patrick Tay Kelvin Chan Lauren Teo Jaclyn Ho
harville.tan@gmail.com patrickcl.tay@gmail.com kelvin.chanjy@gmail.com lauren.teolt@gmail.com jaclyn.hokmun@gmail.com
East
Aljunied Crescent (Blk 101) Bedok South Avenue 3 (Bedok Court) Dunman Road (Ceylon Road) Still Road (Telok Kurau) Kembangan (Windy Heights) Pasir Ris Street 51 (Blk 569) Pasir Ris Elias Rd (Riverina Walk) Roseburn Avenue Tampines Street 81 (Blk 897) Tanah Merah (Tanamera Crest)
Zoey Wu Alex Tan Teo Ming Xian Winnie Gui Andy Feng John Su Louis Wang Deacon Samuel Quek Timothy Ang Raymond Aw
zoey.wuzy@gmail.com alex.tan.jj@gmail.com teomingxian@gmail.com winnie.gui@gmail.com andy.fengjm@gmail.com su.johnsc@gmail.com louis.wangxr@gmail.com quek.samuelts@gmail.com ang.timothyrg@gmail.com raymond.aw.jw@gmail.com
West
Bukit Batok Central (Blk 627) Jurong East Avenue 1 (Blk 340) Pasir Panjang (The Peak @ Balmeg) Queenstown (Mei Ling St Blk 161) West Coast Rise (Monterey Park)
Ray Teo To Jiawei Tan Pei Ling Koh Yiwei Ruth Zheng
ray.teo@gmail.com jiawei.to@gmail.com peiling.tanpl@gmail.com kohyiwei@gmail.com ruth.zhengml@gmail.com
CENTRAL
Delta Avenue (Blk 1) Kim Seng Road (Mirage Tower) Telok Blangah (Depot Road)
Julian Yang Priscilla Yu Huang Cuijing
yang.juliantw@gmail.com priscilla.yu.my@gmail.com huang.cuijing@gmail.com
northeast
Hougang (Lor Ah Soo Blk 132) Serangoon Gardens (Braemar Drive)
Denise Ng Mark Chong
ng.denisecl@gmail.com mark.chongwp@gmail.com
12 (Blk 128) (Braddell View) Crescent (Blk 665) (Thomson V Two) 61 (Blk 633)
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