Queen's Road Cell

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 Some of the things we did on the trip were Campus E, visit to two orphanages (one for the special needs) and a gathering for some of the people we met. The first objective for me was to be bolder in sharing the Gospel, especially to strangers. After a bit of nervousness at the start of our campus ministry, it became more natural for me as we mostly engaged the students in conversations about life with the intention to build the bridge for sharing about Jesus, the only One who can give them all that they desire for their lives. The students were generally open to talking despite it being the week before the exam. However, in general, the conversations did not go very deep although quite a number did pray to receive Christ or rededicate their lives. It almost became a routine and I wasn’t expecting much on the third and last day. Yet, t...

Selwyn shared about his reading on how science is consistent with Scripture in different ways, so that we do not need to fear scientific discoveries or shrink away from scientific endeavour. He mentioned his understanding that the days of Genesis 1 were not likely 24-hour days. We have discussed the matter previously here : This led to a discussion as to when to take numbers literally in the Bible (e.g.lifespan of the pre-Flood patriarchs). My answer was that we always read the Bible according to genre and context, understanding that there are different genres in the Bible, and that some books have sections with different genres. Context (e.g. metaphors in the gospels) also helps us to understand if numbers are to be taken literally (Matt 19:22 "Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.") comes to mind, actually! We also asked when promises apply to us in the Bible. This has also already been discussed here . I summarized by saying that we sh...

Courage 3 The Lord your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the Lord has spoken. 4 And the Lord will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. 5 And the Lord will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you (Dt. 31:3-6) A month back, I spoke of perseverance. “Perseverance” speaks of enduring effort. It means steadfastly continuing in a fixed purpose despite opposition. “Courage” is often found together with perseverance, but it emphasizes inner victory against our fears. The same Greek word is sometimes translated ‘boldness’, which emphasizes the willingness to take risks....

The philosophy "Think big, start small, grow deep" is one of Edmund Chan's most fundamental. It is potentially relevant not just for people in ministry, but for all of us - those who are starting businesses, getting married, or planning any programme, Are these ideas even Biblical? Or are they in the same line as stuff we find in management books? The question is whether there are examples in Scripture for us. Jesus certainly had a plan that spanned all of the created universe, and He started with building into the lives of 12 fallible men. Paul has a hesitant start to his great ministry to the Gentiles and a record of investing into people's (e.g. TImothy's) lives. We need courage to think big . This means dreaming big dreams in rather than for God. The difference between the two is that one plans to do things for God that we think He might like, whereas in the other our God-centered consciousness should lead us to identify what He wants us to do.. Edmun...

I was blessed by the Church Camp! I learned that marriage is not (just) for the husband and wife, but to demonstrate God to a watching world. Marriage is evangelism. We are observed as we share ministry and share our homes with both Christians and non-Christians. There is the challenge to intentionally open our home more and more for this, and to 'adopt' those who may not have Christian parents. Home is the most difficult place to be a Christian! Home is not just a place to 'be ourselves' where we drop our masks. It is training ground for godliness. We need to speak gracious words to one another at home - words each of us does not deserve. I was reminded too, how little I know of Joyce's giftings and abilities and how I should be intentionally helping her develop them. I remember Herbert speaking about the blessing of Ephraim ("God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction") and Manasseh ("God has made me forget all my hardship"). I...

We started off by asking if there is a difference in the world's definition of failure vs the Christian's.The world's definition of failure is (a) lack of success or (b) neglect of expected action. Lack of success from a Christian perspective we concluded may not necessarily mean failure, it could be an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to be moulded that could lead to "success" in the future. By extension,  winning may not always mean success in the eyes of a Christian. So while the definition of failure could be different, so the definition of success could also be different. The text on Peter's denial was difficult to read. It was akin to watching a movie where you want the character to avoid failing but yet somehow he or she does to our dismay. Isn't that also many times how our lives are as well? We regret the decisions we make and think about what could have or should have been rather than living a life of constant victory. The question is why...

"What does the Bible teach us about distinguishing between good worship and bad worship?   How much is our ideal of worship dependent on our own culture and preferences? And what practical steps can we take to help congregants of all ages experience good worship? Our assessment of worship is subjective. What is ‘good’ for one person may not be so for another. Our ideas of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are very affected by culture and language. I have some things I look for that I consider ‘good’ •        I felt close to God during the worship. •        The language and culture of worship was familiar and reassuring. •        There was enough structure/liturgy to guide my worship. •        There was enough freedom to express myself physically. •        I was encouraged by people around me worshipping the Lord. • ...