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Written by Jordan Ballega

Psalm 66:16 declares, “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.” Indeed, I thank the Lord for this opportunity to share my testimony of His marvellous works in my life.

God’s Preservation of My Life

I truly believe that God has preserved my life, and all things that have happened in my life are due to His sovereign works, which are beyond my imagination and ability. I possess no merit of my own. Only God could have weaved such events into my life story. Never did I foresee that I would be able to land and even work here in Singapore.

I was born in a not so well-to-do family, and lived through a rather complicated childhood. All I could say is: those pains and struggles that I came across in those days were too early for my young body and mind to experience. Yet, that “eventful” life was allowed by God’s love and care for me. I managed to read a comics-Bible in my early age, and accepted Jesus Christ while I was in my secondary school. I thank God that in spite of all the hardships in life, I had parents who were dedicated in guiding me along the way. Looking back at all those past experiences, I never found a single moment that God had left me all alone in my struggles. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Due to financial difficulties, I thought I would not be able to continue with my tertiary education. However, God moves in a most special way. I found a scholarship brochure through a fish-wrapper, which gave me the idea to apply. To my surprise, my application was accepted and I managed to enrol in the university. Due to some unforeseen event that happened during my senior level of study, my scholarship was terminated following the closure of my programme. But another scholarship came along the way through God’s using people/ organisations to support my study. This would allow me to get my diploma, which I never imagine I would need later to apply for a job in Singapore.

Finally, I graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and began to search for a job, but God never opened the door for me to work in this field. Instead, I found my way into the multi-media industry. Thank God for the humble talent He has given me, though it never came to my mind that I would be serving God through this gift from Him. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).

God’s Leading in My Life

In my early years, I’ve been with various denominations – Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic and Charismatic. But God opened my eyes and showed me how Jesus Christ saved me from sin. God’s Word spoke to me: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). That was in 1999, and subsequently I was baptised in a Baptist church in Philippines.

I see it as God’s “provision” when I lost my job in 2010 and suddenly decided to look for a job in Singapore. As it was the year when (my son) Jored was born, it was one of the toughest decisions that I made, to leave my family in that crucial time. Never did it come to my mind that God was leading me in the contemplation of my decision.

I came alone to Singapore, not knowing anyone and having no clue of what was going to happen. Upon my arriving at Changi airport, I went straight to Lucky Plaza (around 12 midnight), with no planned place to stay for the night. Through communication with my wife in the Philippines, a brother from a Baptist church (who had been working in Singapore for some time already) came, and helped me to find a place to lodge for that night. Truly, God is full of mercy; He took care of me and sent His help in the right circumstances when I needed it most. By God’s grace and mercy, I found a job. Two years later, my wife, together with my son, were reunited with me here in Singapore. Despite the stringent Singapore government’s rules and regulations concerning staying here with my family, God’s supreme power has also settled that for us.

In Service to God

It was 2013 when God led my family and I to Gethsemane B-P Church (through Pr Dennis Kabingue who shared to us a Gospel tract at a bus-stop in Geylang). That was in the midst of another tough time when I needed to go back to Philippines with Jored, as the renewal application for my E-pass were rejected many times. Those were moments when we were looking for a church (with children’s programme) to worship in. God’s perfect timing brought us to Gethsemane. I thank God for leading my family to a faithful Bible-believing church to worship Him. And from then on, we’ve been drawn closer to Him.

God’s special calling came in the middle of 2020, when He closed every possible way and opened one single door for me to go through. I was retrenched due to the effect of the pandemic on our company, where I had worked for nine consecutive years. All we could do as a family was to pray and trust in our Almighty Sovereign God, and obey whatever He wants us to do. In fact, I had already prepared myself to go back to Philippines. Then, a week before my E-pass was to be cancelled, I messaged Pastor Koshy to bid my farewell and thanksgiving (after I was called upon to pray during one Tuesday Night prayer meeting). We talked over the phone and discussed about my retrenchment. Little did I realise that God would move Pastor’s heart to discuss the matter of my possible employment by GBWL to the church elders. When God brought this to pass, I was amazed that the rest were taken care of by the Lord. God’s counsel prevails despite all the uncertainty. Nothing can resist His sovereign will. As Jeremiah 29:12 says, “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.”

I started my full-time service to the Lord four months ago. There are “learning curves” that come along the way as I am not familiar with many things, but God’s Hand taught me what I should do. “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD” (Prov. 16:1).

I was assigned to serve in TGCM Print and lead my brethren in this department in terms of designing and social-media marketing. Thank the Lord for His blessing and wisdom He has bestowed upon me, together with brethren who co-labour with me: Sis Dorcas and Bro Andronicus who had assisted and laboured during the early stage and helped in marketing, as well as the dedicated team comprising Brothers John, Cayson, Arnold, and Teck Ern. With godly counsel, guidance and support from Pastor Koshy, the Lord has been blessing the efforts of every co-worker. May the Lord bless us with greater fruitfulness, that TGCM Print may have more projects, in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic affecting every business in Singapore. Although the increased sales (from National Day till the recent clearance sales) are still not sufficient to support TGCM, we trust in God’s Word to keep moving forward. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10). For if God is with us, He will surely give the increase of every labour we expend for His glory.

TGCM Print continues to introduce more designs, even as we promote commonly-used products, such as mugs, bags, T-shirts, masks (including mask-cases that prove to be very useful in this time of pandemic). Incidentally, TGCM Print had received hundreds of orders for mask-cases from different clients, including 900 mask-cases ordered by Bearyfun Gym! Besides the sales, we thank God for giving us wisdom to build a manual “CRM” system to facilitate the smooth and efficient running of our intricately-linked operations. By God’s grace, we are also looking forward to expanding TGCM Print’s network, such as consignment agreement with Tabernacle Bookroom of Calvary Pandan B-P Church. Do continue to pray for these – and more – blessings that God has prepared for this ministry. Likewise, thanks to all our brethren for their continued support, encouragement (to press on) and prayers for our TGCM Print ministry.

Looking back at all the struggles and challenges which all play a part in God’s unerring guidance and perfect timing in my life, I have no doubt that the Lord is with me to serve Him in Gethsemane. As for me, “I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed…” (Jonah 2:9). Truly, it is God who has prepared everything. My gracious Lord determines the outcome of every action that I take. He has already paved the path where I should walk, and will preserve my life for the days to come, wherever He wants me to be. He has absolute control over every event in my life. On my own, I am nothing. Yet, I have a God who is powerful, and His providence is assuring enough for me to move, work and to thank Him each day. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

All glory and thanks be to God.

Written by Cornelius Koshy

In penning down my testimony of calling and God’s continued working in my life during this pandemic, I acknowledge with the psalmist, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee” (Ps 139:17-18). Since a young child, the only ambition I desired was to be a pastor. My parents are in the service of God. My upbringing revolved around the ministries of the church. The knowledge of my dedication for service was always a relentless reminder that I should do no other work than the work of the Gospel. By the age of 17, I was sure I wanted to serve God, but I kept it to myself. For fear that I misunderstood the call of God as a transient emotional-hype, I continued with the path of most teenagers, which involved completing A-levels, National Service and pursuing a degree – but always with that inescapable thought at the back of my mind that I have to serve God.

This desire met with distraction. From age 17 to 24, offers of a more comfortable life were within reach. The desire to serve God was soon deferred to an indefinite time of “when I am older”. This desire was also met with discouragement. At that time, the B-P church was still embroiled in VPP battles. Pastors were fighting for the Truth and harder lines of separation were drawn. Some churches split over doctrine; others split over disagreements. Deacons, preachers, full-time workers left for different reasons. Family discussions frequently centred around church matters. Friends were lost along the way. Discouragement often has a downcast side to it. The childlike desire soon felt like a childish dream…

The desire also met with deception, “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me (Romans 7:11). Youthful pride and lust waged their fiercest war during these years, but thanks be to God: “for a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief” (Prov 24:16). Finally, desire met with disease. In December 2015, I was diagnosed with Post-streptococcal Glomerulonephritis (PSGN for short), a rare disease which affects young babies or older folks. Young men would be the last of its victims, but God’s providential and directive will targeted my 21-year-old kidneys. Beginning with an unsuspecting sore throat during the finals of my third semester in NUS, it escalated to enormously edematous face and limbs, especially at dependent body parts – a horror to fellow youths in the combined retreat in Cebu, Philippines on Christmas Eve, 2015. Thank God for the prayers of many in the church and a complete recovery was made within a month. Indeed, “the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:15).

Life turned around slowly since then – slow because there was still some disobedient denying of the desire for full-time service. It should have been complete denial of self, but it took another 1½ years for His Word to have absolute sway. In the final semester of my undergraduate studies in 2017, the Lord called me through 3 passages, the last of which is 2 Tim 1:5-9 [the fuller version of my testimony may be found in Burning Bush Vol. 24 No. 1 (2018) and the summarised version in our weekly bulletin (16 July 2017)]:

5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began…

The Spirit of God used this passage to speak directly to my heart. Reading this passage in the attic-studio of CRC at Lor 28, Sunflower Building, Paul’s encouragement to Timothy was God’s charge to me. There were some residual fears of the challenges of the ministry which still resided within, but v. 7 allayed those. Shame is fear’s twin sister, and v. 8’s charge to be unashamed of the testimony of our Lord challenged my heart. My calling is not to the agreeable work of the Gospel, but to the afflictions of the Gospel, calibrated according to the power which He imparts.

3 years of trying theological studies passed quickly. Friday night, 1 May 2020, was most memorable. The typical Thanksgiving dinner, which marks the end of the semester, was held in the third week of Circuit Breaker. No singing, no skits. No preaching, just prayers of thanksgiving offered before our packeted dinner. It was a quiet night. Just after 12 noon of that day, which was also the deadline of the last submission, I had called my dad over lunch to inform him that I had completed all my academic requirements. Then at night, I called my grandparents in India, elders and friends in church, to share the good news that I had completed my studies. It was almost 2 hours of “happy-calls”.

On Saturday morning, 2 May, Eld Mah called to ask of the direction and place where the Lord was leading me. I told him that there was no reason to leave Gethsemane, but neither was I ready to begin preaching. In a subsequent meeting with the Board of Elders on 7 May via Zoom, I shared in addition that I felt like a novice-preacher, having only 3 formal years of theological instruction, with little experience of preaching. I still was tearfully frightened at the thought of preaching in Gethsemane, and daunted to take up any responsibility. Knowing the spiritual expectation of a mature congregation and my ineptness, I expressly said that ‘I am not ready’, and that I needed more time to prepare myself to “feed the flock” (Acts 20:28). Being also acutely aware that preaching is never a piece of art for people’s listening pleasure, but a piece of bread for people to feed and grow, the BOE accepted my request to continue studying with Gethsemane Bible Institute (GBI), and I was received into Gethsemane’s staff as a “Student-Preacher” on 1 June 2020. This probationary position was for the Elders’ close supervision and monitoring, and Pastor’s instruction as his understudy.

Although I would have preferred to start small, and slowly grow with preaching by and by, it pleased God to grant me not a few preaching opportunities. In the first month alone, the Lord gave 10 different opportunities to preach via virtual means – an overwhelming thought for any “fresh” graduate whose preaching opportunities used to be, maximally, once a month. On 20 July 2020, GBI inaugurated a Pastoral Bible Studies (GBI-PBS) and I joined Pr. Kelvin, Pr Sujith and Pr Zhu Xin Kai for weekly sessions on Pastoral Theology and Ecclesiology. On my own, I am re-doing Systematic Theology’s Theism and Soteriology under GBI-PBS as well, with Pr Samson Hutagalung as my tutor. On that same day, FEBC began a new semester, and Dr Jeffrey Khoo encouraged me to consider a ThM programme. Presently, I am doing an additional 4 subjects with FEBC this semester: Acts of the Apostles, Theism (Chinese), Intertestamental History & Theology of Prayer to fulfil the requirements of ThM, albeit remotely.

Recollecting the past 5 months since June, I give thanks for God’s enabling in my preaching / teaching ministries at Gethsemane. They include recording a devotion every Monday on the topic “The Christian and His Neighbour”, for Youth Bible Hour segment on Bible Witness Web Radio (BWWR), which has reached its 20th (final) message. Beginning in mid-November, will be the next series, “Following After” – a topical study of biblical instructions on who, what and how Christians are to follow in our walk with God. On fortnightly Wednesday nights, I join Pr Sujith (via Zoom) in his Puritan Reading Group (started as his initiative to encourage a reading habit of good Christian literature), with around 12 participants across India (and one Singaporean young adult), to revisit Puritan literature and Reformed Theology. In each session, I’d summarise / explain a chapter or two of Puritan literature, followed by an expositional preaching of the verses in the chapter. We have completed 10 sessions on John Owen’s “On the Mortification of Sin”, and just embarked on Thomas Watson’s “Repentance”. In Gethsemane Youth Fellowship (GYF), the Lord moved me to begin a 6-part series on “Living in Knowledge of God”, wherein youths are taught on the practical implications of the Aseity of God, Solitariness of God, Condescension of Christ, Friendship of Christ, the Person of the Spirit and Witness of the Spirit. Praise God also for my ongoing involvement in GYF’s YouTube series on “The Biblical Case Against Homosexuality”, which is also used by Ebenezer Youth Fellowship of Tabernacle BPC. {Providentially, when Pr Xin Kai invited me to share 2 devotions (in Mandarin) in their university students’ retreat in August, I was prepared to preach for 30 minutes each, but was “terrified” to realise an hour was allotted for their devotion slot! Thank God for his help to preach two 40-minute devotions on the topic, “Our Duty for Holiness”. May God’s especial blessing be upon me to stir up gifts to preach in both English and Chinese.}

Having led the Youth Choir (2013-2020) and being in the Youth Committee (since 2018), GYF is an area of service close to my heart. During the pandemic, I joined Aunty Diana Chan in our earnest efforts to encourage our youths. From July-Sept 2020, some 20 visitation (‘over-food’) sessions were made involving 54 youths, with sharing of specially chosen verses for everyone, and a prayer for the struggles shared by them. (Pastor and Eld Choy, who took lead by laying the guidelines of visitations, were given regular updates.) Round two of youth visitations will resume as soon as regulations are further laxed. Personally, I thank God for the first physical meeting since Circuit-Breaker (held in GMC Seminar Room on 17 October) which was smoothly conducted, due in part to the foresight of Bro. Wei Heng (Youth Media Team) and assistance of Bro. Amoz (Youth Choir) in pre-recording hymns to be played as substitute for singing during our fellowship meetings. May our faithful God continue to bless our efforts to feed every young heart with the Word of God and to urge them to hate every false way (Ps 119:104)!

I thank God for serving with Pr. Kelvin and Aunty Luan Kheng in the weekly Gethsemane Children’s Ministry (GCM) Zoom fellowships on Saturdays (11am and 2pm). Praise God for every child who has been diligent in memorising Scripture passages as part of an informal Scripture Memorisation Programme. The average child might have already memorised more than 20 verses (some as many as 50!) in English and some in their mother tongue. A selection of these verses have been incorporated into scripts and 11 scenes are currently recorded for future Bible Witness web-TV programmes (with help of others, including Melissa, Luan Kheng, Carolyn, Arnold, Matthew, Dorcas, Jenice, Amoz). In addition, a web-series called “Soteriology for Kids” is compiled (with Dorcas’ help), to explain soteriological doctrines such as Election, Justification, Adoption, etc., to children. Verses concerning these topics are phone-recorded by parents and I record my explanation of these verses for young children to understand. Motion graphics and texts are overlayed by Dorcas. May God strengthen me as a member of the GCM Committee, for our children’s continued spiritual growth during these changing circumstances of the pandemic.

The Gethsemane Church Choir (GCC) is another ministry which has changed drastically, beginning from April 2020. I thank God for the help of Sisters Melissa, Sharon, Dorcas, and Bro. Amoz for recording and mixing the voice-tracks, lightening my burden as I continue to have oversight of this ministry. From monthly presentations of song during pre-Covid days, the choir now sings every week! 4 groups (of 4) come down to GMC studio on Wednesdays and Thursdays, to record hymns for the Sunday worship services and Tuesday prayer meetings. Special thanks to Bro. Amoz who, during his university break (20 Aug-20 Oct 2020), took over the administrative duty of scheduling singers for these recordings (no easy task given their changing work-schedules!), thus freeing some time for me to pray, plan and prepare for my upcoming wedding / marriage life. Thank God also for singers from the Youth Choir and the congregation who have reinforced and supplemented the GCC for our weekly singing. In collaboration with Bible Witness, the GCC now prepares for recordings of music videos and the release of albums in 2021.

Finally, thank God for the opportunity to be part of Faithful Men’s segment of BWWR: re-listening to Pastor’s (prayer meeting) messages on “The Life of Moses”, recommending timestamps for Sis. Dorcas to splice for airing on web-radio, and organising brethren from the Gethsemane Men’s Fellowship in weekly singing for the same purpose. I thank God that since the last week of October, 8 men come down once a month to offer the sacrifice of their singing lips.

My service hitherto has not been offered alone. Being dependent on multimedia platforms in this pandemic, the pulpit ministry is heavily reliant on the audio, video and technical assistance of GBWL staff. None of my aforementioned areas of service would have been effectual without the God-fearing and God-serving team in GMC, who are as “the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord” (Eph 2:21). Prayers and support by family and church brethren have been my “powerhouse”, as I learn the ropes. This testimony won’t be complete if I don’t mention Abigail Sarah George, who would (on Friday, 11 Dec 2020) become my helpmeet, and join me in fulfilling my calling to be a partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel (cf. 2 Tim 1:8). Pray for us, as we prepare ourselves for each other and for the Gospel work in Gethsemane! May our union be blessed of God and a blessing to God’s people in the days to come, to the praise and glory of His name!

Written by Ignatius Law

As I pen down my testimony on my calling to full-time service, Romans 11:34 comes readily to mind: “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor?”

Being called to give up a career in the secular world to serve God was not what I initially imagined, having come back from my studies in Perth. By God’s grace, I had attended a faithful Bible-believing church over there for 2 years; while there, I had been regularly involved in the church’s activities, from serving in the nursing homes to engaging in city evangelism. The leaders in that church particularly emphasised on cultivating a habit of being active in the Lord’s work. Even something as simple as sweeping the church grounds is also deemed as a service to the Lord. Hence, going to nursing homes and going for evangelism on Sunday were nothing new to me, for these are some of the ways we Christians are expected to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (cf. Exodus 20:8).

When I came back to Singapore to work after graduation, one of the criteria that I hold on firmly was to forsake not the Sabbath, but to always put worship of God first. Hence, many banking jobs were not available to me as most banks in Singapore are open 7 days a week – all the banks require their interns to work on Sundays to fulfil the quota that is laid out. So, although I have been shortlisted for a number of banking positions, it was very clear to me that this was not God’s will for me. Therefore, I looked elsewhere.

My first job was an insurance agent. At first, I thought this was God’s will for me as it seemed to me that I would be able to attend church services uninterrupted, due to the “flexibility” of the job. However, I quickly found out that it was not so, for my time was not my own but was entirely dependant on my clients’ timing and preferences. Thus not long after, I started the search for a new job. Despite the rather stagnant job market, I thank God that I managed to land an accounting role in a company (situated in the west). However, my job scope requires me to regularly stay back past 6.30pm, so as to balance the accounts. As a result, I skipped a number of prayer meetings to finish my work.

During that time, at the urging of a friend, I signed up for the combined GYF-GYAF retreat held at Pulai Springs, Johor in December 2019. This was despite knowing it would be very hard to request time off from my work (I was still on probation) to attend the retreat. Thank God my request to my boss was granted, and I went ahead cheerfully. At the retreat, a brother “quizzed” me regarding my irregular attendance in prayer meetings. When I shared my difficulties due to my workload, that brother admonished me to “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matt 6:33). It dawned on me that missing prayer meetings was becoming much more frequent in my life, and I had better take the initiative to start attending prayer meeting regularly!

For the past few months, Pastor Koshy had been preaching regularly on the burden of the church to have more full-time workers, to have more young adults stepping up to the great responsibility of consecrating their lives to serve God. Being intrigued, I started asking a brother (who is a church staff) about the struggle and difficulties that he faced. He shared with me that serving God was not a mere simple task, but requires one to be committed till the very end of one’s life. For Jesus said unto the people who desired to follow him but was distracted by their own burdens in life, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

To discern whether I have the calling, that brother advised me to pray for God to show me His will. He also shared with me the important presence of two key things: there must be a sincere desire to serve, and there must be a position that is available. By God’s providence, it was around about the same time, I heard of a sister who would be leaving the ministry due to her upcoming marriage and her new responsibilities as a wife.

Now, those who are thinking of following Christ are expected to put in serious thought and consideration. “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish” (Luke 14:28-30). The same principles must be applied to full-time service. So, I sat there and did a spreadsheet, writing each of my concerns down and prayed about them. However, the Lord reminded me that since even the fowls of the air are fed, how much more God will do so to me? I was able to see God’s sovereign Hand working at each point of my life, from providing an internship in Perth even when chances seemed bleak (because of Australia’s protectionist policies) to even providing a second job (which involves accounts) for me.

However, the decision to enter into full-time ministry wasn’t easy. At that time, a shipping company expressed interest in my resume which I had sent out during my job-hunting earlier. I was sorely tempted to gain more experience outside first, before stepping foot into the ministry. Thankfully, I spoke with Pastor, who advised me that there’s no place for double-mindedness in the ministry. Being in the ministry, one has to be steadfast and not wavering in decision-making.

Not long after, when Covid-19 pandemic hits, I was quite fearful that it might be much more difficult even to resign from the company – for instead of the traditional way of personally handing the resignation letter over to my director, I had to do so over an email, not knowing how the other side would react! Thank God that when I explained my decision to want to serve God by serving in my church, she relented and even told me that I did not have to serve my two weeks’ resignation notice!

The first few weeks in the office wasn’t easy because of the need to adapt quickly to the church’s daily operations, and also to handle the impending audit. (Thank God for Sis Joey’s assistance in replying to the auditor’s queries, and also in preparing the documents for submission.)

I would like to end off by sharing a couple of verses from the hymn, ‘Give of your best to the Master’, written by Howard B. Grose:

Give of your best to the Master;
Give Him first place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service;
Consecrate every part.
Give, and to you will be given;
God His beloved Son gave;
Gratefully seeking to serve Him,
Give Him the best that you have.

May this hymn remind me to constantly give my best to God and do my best for His glory!

Written by Norefel Resuma

“Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places” (Psalm 135:6). God is sovereign! When I first came to Singapore in 2008, it was merely for economic reasons, but little did I know that the sovereign God has brought me to this “foreign” land for a greater purpose. It never occurred to me that one day I will be working full-time in His vineyard, for I know that I will never be worthy to serve Him. Yet despite my sins and weaknesses, the Lord has been graciously preparing me for the work ahead. Here’s a brief recollection of God’s leading and directing in my life in the past 12 years.

I came to Singapore during the 2008 economic recession, and for the first time I had to experience how difficult it is to find a work. Still looking for a job, I was first brought to Gethsemane by Pr Donald dela Cruz (at that time he was still working as an engineer), to join the Gethsemane Filipino Fellowship (GFF). Thank God for the faithful preaching of God’s Word by Pr Dennis Kabingue and because I was blessed by the biblical teachings I received, I sincerely prayed that the Lord may grant me a pass to stay in Singapore, not so much to earn a living but to learn more of His Word, and grow in my spiritual walk. Though I was then already a believer (having accepted the Lord Jesus during my university days), yet I was struggling with worldliness and sin, and desperately longing for faithful and deep teaching of God’s Word. Thank God for answered prayer after 4 months. As I stayed in Gethsemane, I started joining the Tuesday Night Prayer Meeting and the English Worship Service on top of the GFF and the Kababayan Bible Study (KBS). I received abundant blessings from the Lord both spiritually and physically. The Lord provided me a wife through the GFF. Who could have thought I will marry a person whom I only got to know for less than a year? Undaunted, I made that momentous decision, having learned and been convicted of the Lord through the faithful preaching of God’s Word by Pastor Koshy.

Fast forward to 2017. Being zealous in the service of the Lord in GFF and continuously growing in the knowledge of Christ and His word with my wife and 3 children through the numerous preaching of God’s Word by Pastor and other preachers, I felt the increasing burden to serve the Lord more but not full-time. I prayed that if it is God’s will for me to serve, the Lord may make it clear. It was also during this time that I started to entertain the idea of exploring opportunities overseas or even returning to the Philippines as living in Singapore for foreigners with families is getting more difficult, especially financially. But all the plans of leaving Singapore did not come to fruition because every time I tried to take one step forward, the Word of God through Pastor always ministered to me, and I ended up staying on. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). I learned through the years, in Gethsemane, to humbly accept and submit to God’s Word for it is our guide for Christian living. And to obey God’s appointed under-shepherd in Pastor, having observed how he practised what he preached which is the same example I want to inculcate in my children. These are the main reasons why I remain in Singapore, and Gethsemane in particular, in spite of many other opportunities overseas. But even then, I never planned to stay in Singapore this long.

As time passed by, being convicted of prioritising the Lord, His church and family over work, I started to feel that my work in the company is becoming more and more frivolous. I became less interested with all the technology advancements, and just tried to do whatever is necessary. By God’s grace and strength, we strove as a family to join all the church fellowship meetings on Saturdays and even Bible Witness retreats; never did we miss a church camp since we started joining in 2009! Come 2018, when Pastor announced the Turkey-Israel Bible Study Tour, we prayed that we could join. Everyone, especially the children, was very excited. Not knowing the costs, we kept praying and started saving up. Weeks passed, and after knowing the estimated costs for a family of five, we agreed to drop the idea of joining. But just a little more than a month before the team’s departure, there was a severance package that was offered in the company which I am eligible to take. At that time, it seemed like the Lord was leading us to go back to Philippines for good, so I took it. The amount was more than sufficient to even join the Turkey-Israel Bible Study Tour (though the timing was quite tight). Again by God’s providence, there were only 5 seats left and so we did a last minute sign-up. Before our trip to Turkey and Israel, Pastor and Sis Carolyn visited and encouraged us, and that resulted in the change of our earlier plan of going back to Philippines for good.

2019 became an exciting year because we had no idea what was to come. Thank God for granting our desire to get a rented home near the church; I was hoping and praying for a new job nearby as well. When Bro Dennis went back to Philippines for good, I was all the more burdened to stay on for the GFF. I prayed that the Lord may call me to serve Him full-time, but deep down I thought the Lord has other plans for me. So I continued applying for work according to my field and experience, while I patiently waited in prayer. Though I had a handful of interviews, yet deep inside I know it’s going to be difficult to get one that would allow me to remain active in my service to the Lord. I’m very convicted that work is only secondary to church and family, and I wanted to be honest in all my interviews when being asked how committed I would be if I were given the position I was applying for. I trusted the Lord that if it is His will for us to stay in Singapore, His providence will prove it – I just need to make sure that I’m doing His will.

Months passed and still no work. Then one day, I got a call from Pastor asking me about my situation. He shared to me about a possible position in the church, but emphasised that I won’t be paid as much as I was getting previously and just told me to pray about it. Though I wanted to serve the Lord right then, I did not want to jump in because I was not sure. I understood that the Lord must call. In my mind, being a foreigner in Singapore, God’s calling for me is to work outside and serve the Lord part-time in the church. So I did not follow up with Pastor, and just continued with all my applications while at the same time serving the Lord in the GFF. Then one day, the Lord tested me – I was about to go for a final interview and a possible contract signing. But as that was scheduled on a Tuesday afternoon, I declined because I may have to miss the prayer meeting. It was moved to Thursday that week but a day before, that company announced a hiring freeze. Coincidence? No, God’s providence!

Even then, I was still hesitating to serve the Lord full-time – to the point of literally asking the Lord to allow me to find work before Pastor comes to me again. Around this time, I was also preparing my family if in case the Lord will finally open that opportunity for me. I tried to encouraged them to be ready and willing to sacrifice and go through suffering, if the Lord requires.

Then one night, Pastor called and shared that wonderful opportunity being offered to me, backed by the unanimous decision of the Elders. When he then asked for my response, I replied him, “What else can I say? It is God answering my prayer and confirming it through my Pastor and Elders!” I thank the Lord that in God’s appointed time, He allowed me to serve Him full-time.
I started serving the Lord full-time in May 2019. It was a mixed feeling of excitement and anxiety. Even until today, I still feel the same way every now and then. I was excited because serving the Lord full time is a privilege and only available to those whom God has called. And having that understanding is more than enough to motivate me to give my all as the Lord enables me day by day. Yet at the same time I do feel anxious, for I was responsible for the effective and efficient functioning of the office of GBWL, covering a range of administrative, financial, accounting, systems and managerial tasks. Furthermore, being an engineer by profession, I did not have any prior experience with regard to the office requirements of the church; but thank God for His grace and wisdom. The Lord has sustained me thus far. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

On top of my office-related tasks in GBWL, I continue to coordinate the activities of the GFF, and assist Pastor, the Elders and Deacons, preachers, co-labourers and church members on matters relating to the church. I am convicted that as a full-time worker, I must be willing and ready to do whatever is needed for the day. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Praise the Lord that there is so much work in the Lord’s vineyard – it is indeed toil and labour! I earnestly pray that somehow in the course of doing the work, I may be a blessing to Pastor and my co-labourers, and at the same time maintaining a life of holiness as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. My greatest fear is not that I may not be able to accomplish the work, but that I may be doing it with unclean hands and an impure heart. God forbid!

Brethren, I seek your prayer that I may be faithful and unwavering in the Lord’s calling for me, sanctifying myself daily to be holy and blameless, serving the Lord for His glory.

Written by Matthew Peh

I thank the Lord for this opportunity to recollect God’s calling in my life, and how He used my circumstances to call me to be His labourer.

Pride

The greatest sin that has been plaguing me—a struggle which I continue to face even today—is pride. From my primary school days to university, I did relatively well in my studies. I remember in university, I had lecturers, professors, and friends asking if I were going to do a PhD in linguistics. I entertained such thoughts in my mind, with aspirations of doing well in the academic arena. Alas, man proposes, God disposes. God used three main incidents in my university life to redirect me into His vineyard.

First, failing to get a scholarship with MOE after my ‘A’ levels. Friends who did not do as well as me could get the scholarship, but I couldn’t. I was disheartened, but I ‘comforted’ myself by saying at least I wasn’t tied down to MOE. Second, not doing well for my honours thesis (HT). My HT was cross-disciplinary, combining insights from linguistics (my major), geography and sociology. I was so proud of it, for few undergraduates would attempt such an ambitious topic. I thought I would do well, but I did not do as well as I had expected. Third, the struggle with unemployment for half a year upon graduating in 2016. I was very sure that my good results would yield many job offers. Yet, I wasn’t even called up for interviews. I only managed to land a job through a friend’s recommendation.

Providence

Yet, with hindsight, I see God’s providence at work. If I had a scholarship, I would be bonded and wouldn’t be able to serve God immediately at His call. If I had done well in my thesis, I would have furthered my studies. As for the job that I had, because of the amount of free time during my office hours, I took the time to learn website building.

In November 2017, I had quit my job and did some freelance work. As I had more free time, I helped out in the church office. Specifically, I offered to revamp the BW website. During such time, I had the opportunity to review some of the older issues of the BW magazine. Volume 15, Issue 5 (‘Redeeming the Time’) was one that caught my attention. It contains sermons preached by Rev. Reggor during the 2009 church camp, which I was unable to attend due to National Service. An article, ‘The Brevity of Time’, reminded me about the shortness of life. It struck me that I had spent most of my life doing things that were unprofitable.

The Lord then reminded me of Ecclesiastes 12:1, where Solomon tells the reader to “remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth”. In addition, during one of my devotions, I read from Psalm 100:2a—“Serve the LORD with gladness”. Psalm 100 exhorts the congregation to praise the LORD for His goodness and everlasting mercies upon His people. After reading that devotion by Spurgeon, I was moved by the Spirit to read Matthew Henry’s commentary on the same psalm. In it, the commentary mentioned that “we should serve the Lord, [that we] should devote ourselves to his service and employ ourselves in it”. Through Psalm 100, God reminded me that there is great joy to be found in serving Him. Indeed, the joylessness I felt in my previous job is a stark contrast with joy in serving in His vineyard. On a personal note, I must not forget that the greatest joy, next to having the privilege to serve God, is meeting my wife while labouring for Him.

Piling On

While I had entered the Lord’s vineyard thinking that my main role would be a graphic designer, God chose to add more to my plate. The additional work includes the Bible Witness Web Radio (BWWR) maintenance, church websites’ maintenance, and the running of the video systems in Gethsemane Media Centre (GMC).

For BWWR, while Sis. Melissa does the recording work of the radio programmes, the everyday running of BWWR is handled by me. When the BWWR had to go through a revamp, I had to spend days trying to figure out the new system. Thank God for the grace to do so. As to the day-to-day running of the radio, queuing the monthly devotions and the weekly programmes become a part of my work routine as well.

Additionally, during the renovation phase of GMC, the Board of Elders appointed me to be part of the technical team. I had to source for video equipment for the new building. While I had some knowledge about audio-visual systems, this was a mammoth undertaking. I thank God for wisdom to help in the video system planning for GMC. There were a lot of oversights during this project, but I thank God that the video system works for most of our purposes.

With the completion of GMC, it seems as though a little bit more was “piled onto the plate”. I now have to help run the video systems. I have to admit that I actually have very limited knowledge on our video system, and a lot of what I do is simply through trial and error (of course, led by God’s unseen Hand of guidance). Much testing and re-testing is still required today to run the system. Thank God for the wisdom to do so. I thank the Lord for the wisdom to figure out a way to use our studio to hold Zoom conferences. We held a Pastors’ Conference prior to the “circuit breaker” period with this set-up. Now, this same set-up is used on Mondays, during Pastor Koshy’s GBI “pastoral training” sessions (with Bro. Cornelius, Pr Xin Kai, Pr Sujith, and Pr Kelvin).

Indeed, it would seem like these days, my originally-slated primary role as a graphic designer and doing layouts is overshadowed by all the other work. Thank God for grace and strength to plod on and to accomplish all these work.

Pandemic

During this time of pandemic, I see how God has used the work we do to help people continue to worship God—albeit in a less-than-ideal manner. Thank God for grace given to Pastor, Sis. Melissa, and myself in running the Sunday services and Tuesday Night prayer meetings from the studio level, during the circuit breaker and post-circuit breaker periods. Thank God also for Bro. Arnold who helped with the Chinese worship service YouTube videos, as well as for Bro. Andronicus and Sis. Dorcas who ran the live broadcasts from Pastor’s home for a few weeks. There’s much to thank God for, including the provision of equipment, and the wisdom to do the work.

When the government mandated that all had to work from home during the circuit breaker and Phase 1 periods, I thank the Lord that the work that I had been allotted to did not suffer. From my home, I could continue to work on the Bible Witness magazine, update the church websites and also the programmes on BWWR. Thank God for the ability to work remotely.

Right now, a number of BW publications are in the works: the next issue of Bible Witness, the Chinese translation of Pastor’s 365 Daily Exhortations, the children’s devotionals (My Soul’s Delight Volumes 2 and 3), the calendar for next year. All of these have to be done in the short span of less than a month, as much time has to be given to the printers to prepare all these materials. Please pray for God’s strength and mercy to be upon me as I endeavor to finish these.

In more recent weeks, when we held services in groups of 50 at GMC, the audio-visual set-up had to once again be changed. Thank God for the wisdom and ability to adapt to the changes quickly. Though we are back in SingPost for services, things are still not completely ‘back to normal’, for the audio set-up is different from pre-coronavirus days. Again, we have to pray for God’s wisdom in trying out this new Sunday set-up. May the brethren bear with the audio-visual team during this teething phase.

Indeed, God’s work can only be done with His sustaining grace. May God continue to help us.