BY ELDER LOW TUT CHOON

I first learnt this hymn 20 years ago. Hearing and singing it for the first time then, evoked within me a deep sense of gratitude to God for His sacrificial love for me. Written by an English pastor 2 centuries ago, it was originally intended for children, but subsequently was incorporated into the adult hymnal. The words and message are simple and personal. It speaks of a love most wonderful – the love of God in Christ Who willingly endured much pain and suffering in order to win over my love for Him.  I will never be able to repay this redeeming love, for I am weak and sinful and my love faint and poor, and yet He continues to love me so. How I need Him to help me love Him more and more each day, right through eternity when I will see Him face to face.

BY REV GOH YONG KUANG

Most of us have not forgotten about the deadly SARS outbreak that paralysed much of the world years ago.  One family that will never forget is the family of a 39 year-old pastor, who was infected and died after visiting one of his church members in the hospital. There were hundreds like him who perished in the outbreak worldwide.

BY PR EVANGELINE CHEONG

It was always a joke in my family that many Chinese families have bulging carpets because of all the bad blood, secrets and conflict swept under it. On the surface was a veneer of harmony and smiling faces in front of the family patriarch at the annual Chinese New Year reunion dinner, but the undercurrents of discord still exist beneath it all. We see it all the time.

BY PR EVANGELINE CHEONG

It has been an abundance of celebrations in the last few months. We went from hearing carols played at shopping malls, to Auld Lang Syne at New Year, to a flood of bright red decorations in the Lunar New Year. Now the malls and TV adverts are gearing up again for something to celebrate: Valentine’s Day. As the world celebrates love, we will take February to figure out what is it and its relation to other important things in life. And this week we will look at LOVE AND TRUTH.

BY MICHELLE GOH (GPC's Missionary to Thailand, OMF Singapore)

I think it’s common for us to have an identity crisis every now and then. It normally strikes when some kind of crisis or big transition takes place in our lives. When my dad was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, I contemplated what it would mean for me to return home for a season to care for my parents, which is what I have seen other missionaries do. The thought that I’d be back home, no longer a missionary and without a proper ‘job’ frightened me. It reminded me of accounts of those who became jobless or had just retired, sharing about how they felt like they lost their sense of who they are and their self-worth. 

BY REV GOH YONG KUANG

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” PSALM 51:17 (ESV)

In the past, things were made to be long-lasting and durable.  If broken, they can be easily fixed and re-used.  Nowadays, many things are not built to last and once broken, they are discarded or thrown away.  It is cheaper and more convenient to replace a broken item with a new one.  Welcome to the “throw-away” world!