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Mechanics in heaven?

4 May 2012 blogpastor 4 Comments

Radiator problems

Will there be mechanics or car workshop managers in heaven? The eight year old Hyundai Matrix died on me on Saturday and it was likely that the problem was the radiator. Since then I have been driving around with the air-conditioner turned off and the windows wound down. It reminded me of the early days when I drove the church van, a hardy Toyota Hiace, which had a 5 inches fan installed between the driver and the passenger seats. Wearing cotton shirts was a must. Even then you’d be wet if you drove in the afternoon heat. I called it a sauna on wheels.

Brazen rip-off?

Arrangements were made to go to this workshop near my workplace which made a diagnosis and called me to inform me of the repairs needed: $950 to replace the radiator and related hoses. My eyes opened wide, my mouth gaped and I said aloud into the phone, HUH? Well, as usual I consulted this church friend, Zach, an expert in all things cars. Let me get back to you. I received a call and he said, The radiator costs $250 and 3 hoses cost about $50 plus. So how did the workshop come up with $950. I felt like I was being taken for a ride, as I usually do when dealing with mechanics and workshops. When I called to tell them what I discovered, and that I will take the car back, they offered to give me another quotation. Which they did that and quoted almost half the price! Am I in Thailand bargaining at some bazaar? Of course they had some explanation that there were more than three hoses needed, gaskets, thermostat, and what not that accounted for the difference. Gave them the go-ahead and took the car the next day, and for sure they won’t be seeing me again.

Transformers of society

More women today drive cars. I wonder how they manage? Maybe there should be a website where people can consult, maybe somebody ought to start a “mrmechanic.com”. This comes back to my original tongue in cheek question, Will there be mechanics and car workshop managers in heaven? Are there Christian mechanics and workshop managers and businessman and financiers and lawyers and doctors and accountants and etc who have a kingdom transformation mindset? We certainly need them in order to transform society.

Century Christian Fellowship: moving on in faith

30 April 2012 blogpastor 1 Comment

Pilgrim church

Century Christian Fellowship is a small church on the move. It is a pilgrim church. When God says, Pitch up tent, let’s move on to another leg in the journey, a new chapter in the book, we can either say, “Lord if it is possible, take this cup from me”, and stay there….or we continue with, “…. but not my will, but yours be done”, and move on in faith. This extension of Chapel of Resurrection has chosen to do the latter. In a month, they would be moving from their current premises in Simei, to be the Sunday evening English service of Church of Epiphany at Jalan Kayu, between masterstroke Punggol and conventional Sengkang. It will be a convenient English service option for Anglicans living in either of these estates.

Pastor Peter Chang

My wife and I were early for the 9.30am Sunday service, and we caught up with what’s been happening with the church. Pastor Peter has enjoyed his over 2 years of leading the church. The congregation has been around for about 20 years and there were a handful of faithful members who have been with them for more than a decade.

They were doing a series of messages on the book of Joshua and as it turned out the passage allotted to me was Joshua 18. It was an interesting passage pregnant with relevance to the move in front of them. Seven tribes had not yet moved in to possess the land that God had given to the descendants of Abraham. Joshua urged them to do so, and I love the King James Version of it because it shows how much the version has contributed to our use of the English language. “And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD god of your fathers hath given you?”(verse 3). Notice the word “slack” – a favorite among young people even today! Anyway, I had a good time connecting with the people and encouraging them to press on into all that God has planned for them in terms of blessings as well as calling.

Pastor Lawrence Koo of Agape Community Church

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Stalled car and stalled mind

My thoughts jumped about like monkeys in a tree. I had to tell pastor Lawrence Koo of Agape Community Church about what happened. He may have to be prepared to speak instead, as I was to be the guest speaker in his 4pm church service on Saturday. Maybe I should call for a tow truck. I should get a cab, but can I leave the car here on busy Bukit Timah Road? I could not get him, so I messaged him and hoped he read it.

My car had stalled in the middle lane near Eng Neo Avenue, but I managed to slowly guide it to the side with my hazard lights on. The stalled car was hampering traffic on lane 3. Somehow I managed to get the car going again, with the air-con switched off, but the car stalled again along the main road, and I managed to guide it into quiet Dunkirk Road. Hailing a cab, I dashed to Toa Payoh where the church meets in a cozy red auditorium, that could easily pass off as a cinema.

Pastor Lawrence Koo

The singing had already begun and Pastor Lawrence was glad to see me and I was glad I was only 10 minutes late. My thoughts still wandered about while others worshiped. Lord, give me Your peace and I entrust the situation to You. Before I knew it, I was graciously introduced. Pastor Lawrence and I first met when we went together to visit Willow Creek Community’s Church conference about a decade ago. He is a widely respected Assemblies of God minister who during his Bible college days planted a church in Seremban, Malaysia which today is one of the more notable churches in that town. We have caught up on various occasions since then . He went frequently to the annual Leadership Summit hosted by Bill Hybels’ church. What a wonderful thing it was when he actually brought the Global Leadership Summit (an abridged video version of the Summit) to Singapore several years ago and chaired the executive committee for several years. He provides able and loving leadership to Agape Community Church and chairs the denomination’s Bible college, A.G.B.C. It was evident there was a strong bond of love between pastor and congregation.

The Father’s love for us

Before I knew it I was at the sleek modern pulpit and despite a slow start managed to gradually connect with the congregation that comprised mostly young families. I preached to them some fundamental truths of what the Father has done for us from gospel-rich Ephesians 1: 3-7. I talked about the Father’s love for us: how He wants to bless us; how he had chosen us, and adopted us as his children. The message was peppered with lots of relevant illustrations and analogies and applications.

Chong’s car diagnosis

The service ended and the people were friendly and Lawrence introduced me to Chong, an expert with cars. They were very kind and drove me to my stalled car. Chong took about 25 minutes to investigate the problem thoroughly. His diagnosis: radiator problem. You can drive back but do so without air-conditioning and keep sight of the temperature gauge. As I drove off, I thank God for this kindness, and was happy to be safely home and to have the car to use on Sunday.