Eye of the needle

As I did my today’s meditation, I pondered upon how Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven;” (MATTHEW 19:23, NIV), I examined how a young rich man confided in Jesus saying, “What do I still lack?” then Jesus replied, “go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (MATTHEW 19:20-21, NIV), truly, to be perfect means to achieve one’s God-given purpose in life. However, worldly wealth was more important to him than heavenly treasure and he walked away from Jesus sadly (MATTHEW 19:22, NIV).

Yet, Jesus said that whatever you leave behind in this world, you’ll get a hundred times more in the next. On top of that, you’ll inherit eternal life (MATTHEW 19:28-29, NIV). And, God doesn’t need your money. He wants your heart. We cannot serve God and money. Mammon is a power that seeks to dominate us… a rival god that seeks allegiance (RICHARD FOSTER). This encourages me to surrender my life, my all to Jesus, being my Master as I resist the devil. And, I reject the worldly mantra that money is everything. Indeed, Money can buy medicine, but not health. Money can buy a house, but not a home. Money can buy companionship, but not friends. Money can buy entertainment, but not happiness. Money can buy food, but not an appetite. Money can buy a bed, but not sleep… Money can buy the good life, but not eternal life (CHARLES SWINDOLL). Truly, money can rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral, but not the church itself. Today, I pray for God will set those free from sin – those who are serving Mammon.

It’s reported how Singapore is home to 183,737 millionaires. Wealth per adult has increased more than 146% since the year 2000. Globally, we rank number nine in terms of highest average wealth per adult (THE STRAITS TIMES, 18 OCTOBER 2018).

I give thanks to God for Singaporean Christians who are well represented in the arena of wealth creation and business enterprise, as the power to create wealth is a gift from God (DEUTERONOMY 8:18, NIV). Yet, business is never just business. The business profession has a moral role in society, bringing goods and services for the betterment of all (RICHARD FOSTER) as he highlighted this point inside the 40 Days (2019) devotional text. And, I pray for God that He would ‘raise’ up a critical mass of God-fearing disciples in the business world to steward His wealth in His way, for His purposes, and for His glory.

It’s also reported that while some are getting richer, others are getting poorer. The number of Singaporean families depending on long-term financial aid has increased (THE STRAITS TIMES, 4 OCTOBER 2018). Hence, Jesus said, “To whom much is given, much is required” (LUKE 12:48, NIV), and this also encouraging me to have a greater social responsibility to steward a greater wealth that God entrusted me today.

Are you hoarding wealth for fear of lack? Are you self-indulgent, flaunting your wealth or success? With this, I seek God for His investment strategy and for my project life stories team members to work with Government authorities to help reduce income inequality in the special needs community.

How does the global church spend its money? 

Truly, 87% is spent on the church, 12% on ministry among the reached, and just 1% on unreached peoples, among whom are the poorest of the poor (GLOBAL STATISTICS). Today, some 250 million people have no access to any Scripture in their heart language (WYCLIFFE GLOBAL ALLIANCE) as they mentioned their points inside the 40 Days (2019) devotional text.

Let’s not hold back our wealth for a good cause and redistribute our wealth + channeling them to God’s mission to the unreached world today!

Profile Background: 
Jeremy Koh is a disabled graduate from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore – formerly known as Spastic Children Association (1987–1997). He graduated with Certificates in Microsoft Office Skills & a HR Administrator Graduate (CHRA) under Human Capital Singapore–SGEnable Collaboration of Partnership – HCS HR PowerBank (7th Dec 2021 to 3rd June 2022) | Former Project Assistant/Email Marketing Consultant |A Connecter in ServeHope Pte Ltd & GrowthBeans Team in Savior-Asia Consulting Pte Ltd | A KeyGuard Specialist @(these)abilites Pte Ltd handling all KeyGuard Operations for 10 months in World United College South East Asia (Tampines Branch) | an Executive Assistant with Vision Strategy Storytelling (3 months, Aug to Oct 2017); A Founder in the ground up initiative project called – Project Stories for LIFE (Affiliated with Youth Corps Singapore, a former member of the Special Needs Cluster) |A PwD Advocate – a representing voice of the Disabled Community to the public today.

Prayer Response to this featured article:
Jesus, we repent for holding back our wealth for a good cause and pray for a redistribution of wealth that comes from our churches in Antioch of Asia to God’s mission to the unreached.

(Written by Jeremy Koh, 17th July 2019)

The time is now!

A couple of months ago, there was a particular week when my schedule was insanely packed out. I had different meetings and speaking engagements from Monday through Thursday. Then on Friday, there was Pray Singapore, our regular gathering of church leaders for prayer at St Andrew’s Cathedral. As I was preparing, the Holy Spirit reminded me that the prayer gathering was the most important event of the entire week. No matter how amped up I may feel towards Turning Singapore Godward, Winning The Youth and Blessing The Nations, unless God is in it, our best works are in vain.

As I pondered upon what the Psalmist said, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain” (Psalm 127:1, ESV), I observed how the builders are labouring and the guards are standing watch. They are not lazy. They are not indifferent. They do not abdicate their responsibilities. Like many of us, we love Jesus and His Church, and we are willing to work hard, yet the psalmist says that unless the Lord builds the house and unless the Lord watches over the city, our best efforts are in vain.

The three focal points that God has given to the Singapore churches and Christ–followers are spiritual in nature. No amount of human effort alone can produce an ounce of spiritual fruit. We need God. We need to seek God’s help, wisdom, guidance and strength in prayer.

Attention is the beginning of devotion:
In the digital world that we live in, everyone and everything is vying for our attention. In 2015, TIME magazine published an article stating that the average attention span for the notoriously ill–focussed goldfish is nine seconds, but according to a study from Microsoft, people now generally lose concentration after eight seconds. Microsoft also found that since the year 2000 when the mobile revolution began, the average attention span of people has dropped from 12 seconds to eight seconds.

We now have a shorter attention span than goldfish. This is quite laughable and sad at the same time!

In John 15, Jesus said in no unclear terms that, apart from Him, we can do nothing. Jesus teaches the importance of abiding in Him, the importance of giving Him our attention and staying connected to Him when He says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4, ESV) – to be devoted to God and His purpose, we need to first give God our attention. And one of the ways to give God our attention is through prayer.

Many of us have participated in Day of His Power this year. We gathered to pray in churches all across the north, south, east and west of Singapore. This is a beautiful picture of unity in Christ and dependence on God. Thank you for playing a vital part in the redemptive plan of God for Singapore.

Look to God in prayer:
The time is now to Turn Singapore Godward. The time is now to Win the Youth. The time is now to Bless the Nations. And the time is definitely now to pray together!

Apart from Christ, we can do nothing.

Let us look to God in prayer!

Reflection:
1. How has God changed your heart for those who don’t yet know Jesus?
2. How will you pray for youths and families in Singapore?
3. What are some things God is leading you to do to turn Singapore Godward, win the youth and bless the nations?

Prayer Response to the featured article above:
Jesus, teach us to, first and foremost, devote ourselves to you. And as we do that, transform us and use us for your glory. Thank You for your amazing grace and goodness in our lives. We pray for a Godward Singapore. Ask for godly leadership, a people united in the desire to do good and be compassionate, a Church committed to sharing Gospel hope. We pray that God’s light will shine brightly in every area of darkness and every believer become an active ambassador of this light.

We pray earnestly for God to stir the hearts of young people across Singapore, drawing them to His grounding truth and unshakable hope – praying for opportunities to invite them into church communities, small groups and worship services. Ask God to equip us and others with the ability to guide these young hearts in their spiritual journey. Jesus, give us the conviction and the courage to take the first step, whether it’s signing up for a short-term mission trip or finding other ways to serve God’s global Kingdom.

Profile Background:
(Reflected by Pastor Jeff Chong, the Senior Pastor of Hope Singapore and the Chairman of LoveSingapore; 9th Aug 2024 – National Day)

Radical forgiveness

As I pondered upon how disciple Peter said to the Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (MATTHEW 18:21-22, NIV), we see how Peter and Judas might have quarreled with each other. And, the rabbis suggested three times. Indeed, the disciples of Jesus were prone to quarrel. Homeless and jobless, they travelled and lived together in close quarters. And, they argued about which of them was the greatest. They vied for privilege and position in the coming kingdom (MATTHEW 18:1; MATTHEW 20:21; MARK 9:34; 10:37, NIV).

Yet, Jesus’ answer dismisses all petty notions about how people take advantage of us and walking all over us. Nor does he mean that we can stop forgiving after counting off 77 or 490 times. As the apostle Paul, “Love keeps no record of wrongs” (1 CORINTHIANS 13:5, NIV), truly, Jesus expects a certain quality of forgiveness from us that is radical, infinite, divine. As the apostle Paul also said, “Forgive as God has forgiven you” (EPHESIANS 4:32, NIV) and how Peter needed this divine forgiveness, where he denies Jesus three times. And, Jesus also needed to extend unconditional forgiveness to those who crucified Him on the cross. Indeed, community is not possible without the willingness to forgive one another seventy-seven times. Forgiveness is the cement of community life. Forgiveness holds us together through good and bad times, and it allows us to grow in mutual love (HENRI NOUWEN) as highlighted this point inside the 40 Days (2019) devotional text.

Today, I make the choice to overthrow Satan’s evil ploy by choosing to forgive as Christ has forgiven me, as I resist the temptation to feed on malicious words and deeds + as I move on for my own good, for the sake of the Church, for God’s glory. I pray for shepherd leaders of the church to guard themselves from temptations as Satan is all out to destroy the Jesus community from within through one unforgiving relationship at a time, and for them to obey Christ’s call to forgive radically and infinitely as I did my today’s meditation.

Hence, I ask God to forgive us for any wrong attitudes and actions which might have tainted our witness and strained our relationships with pre-believing family, friends, and neighbours where there are old hurts or new conflicts between us & them, for us to forgive them and be forgiven by them every day, as we honour Jesus in our lives daily.

I also pray for us to continue our relational evangelism every day in every sphere across Singapore, even though the Celebration of Hope rallies have ended; but the glorious work has only just begun (BISHOP RENNIS PONNIAH) as he highlighted this point inside the 40 Days (2019) devotional text.

As Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (MATTHEW 5:9, NIV);

May our forgiveness be so real, so radical, so refreshing, that the unsaved around us will be deeply moved to follow Jesus.

Profile Background:
Jeremy Koh is a disabled graduate from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore – formerly known as Spastic Children Association (1987–1997). He graduated with Certificates in Microsoft Office Skills & a HR Administrator Graduate (CHRA) under Human Capital Singapore–SGEnable Collaboration of Partnership – HCS HR PowerBank (7th Dec 2021 to 3rd June 2022) | Former Project Assistant/Email Marketing Consultant |A Connecter in ServeHope Pte Ltd & GrowthBeans Team in Savior-Asia Consulting Pte Ltd | A KeyGuard Specialist @(these)abilites Pte Ltd handling all KeyGuard Operations for 10 months in World United College South East Asia (Tampines Branch) | an Executive Assistant with Vision Strategy Storytelling (3 months, Aug to Oct 2017); A Founder in the ground up initiative project called – Project Stories for LIFE (Affiliated with Youth Corps Singapore, a former member of the Special Needs Cluster) |A PwD Advocate – a representing voice of the Disabled Community to the public today.

Prayer Response to this featured article:
Jesus, enable us to practice the Golden Rule – do to others as you would have others do to you (GOOD NEIGHBOUR DAY 2019).

(Written by Jeremy Koh, 16th July 2019)