A testimony for my Photo Shoot earlier

----- Original Message -----
From: Jon Tan
To: Gerard seow
CC: Tommy; Reina; Cynthia; Jimmy
Sent: Saturday, October 29, 2005 1:14 AM
Subject: Re: Norwegian Cinderella...

Hi Pastor Gerard,

Thank you for keeping me in your email.

Just to inform you that we had a miraculous shoot this evening.

Everything seemed so messed up until 5.30pm when Tommy came back...finally... We took 30 mins to setup the backdrop and Reina was having problems testing the lights. We initially wanted to start the shoot at 6.30pm, but Reina needed more time. This was why she anxiously came into the studio around two plus so that she could have more time testing the lights but Tommy had to rush out last minute for an urgent shoot.

It was 7.15pm and all the clients had already arrived. 28 of them. I was really worried and angry too. Thanks for your prayer on peaceful heart or I would be fuming in front of everyone. By 7.30pm Reina managed to get the lights right. We then began to start the shoot. It was profile shots for the clients, and thank God, everyone seemed to be so photogenic and cooperative that we got all the shots we wanted almost effortlessly. A shoot that supposed to start at 6.30pm to 12 midnight, we managed to finish everything by 10pm. I knew the Holy Spirit was with us today. God is so good and gracious.

It was indeed a great testimony for God definitely. Amen.

Reina, Cynthia & Jimmy: You were copied so that you are able to see how wonderful God has been to me (us). =)

You are all invited to testify more glory of God this Sunday. There is a rare guest speaker by Prince Harvaad Saads from Norway who is residing in Philipines now. Feel free to drop by.

Tommy: Thanks for your help in the setup and assistance for the lighting. Without your help, things wouldnt have progressed as smoothly.

Its written in the bible:

Psalm 127: 1-2
Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat -
for He grants sleep to those He loves.

May God bless all of you!

Amen
Jon


----- Original Message -----
From: Gerard seow
Sent: Friday, October 28, 2005 6:34 PM
Subject: Norwegian Cinderella...

Dear Oikosian,

Hear the nationally televised testimony of the Norwegian Cinderella that even King Harold and Queen Sonia (royal family of Norway) and an entire nation has been talking about... the healing of a HIV positive Filipina, formerly serving the GIs in the so-called "sin city" (Olongapo) of the Philippines where our guest speaker, Prince Harvaad, serves the unwanted and uncovered - the ex-call girls of Subic Bay...

See you and your family this Sunday at The Oikos Fellowship - 141 Market Street, AEC Building (3rd level) next to Carl Jr Burgers and opp. corner to Lau Pa Sat... Per entry parking at Old Market Street Multi-storey Carpark.

"We give God the greatest pleasure when we purpose in our hearts to do everything to make room for the doctrine of God as Jesus builds his house which is the Church glorious in ever-increasing measure" (comment by Gerard Seow on Haggai 1:8)

Church Service at 10 am and 2 pm. Love Kitchen at 12 noon.

Pastor Gerard Seow and Oikosian family welcomes and prays for your perfect health... All welcomed. More information contact us at Geylang office : 6743 6938 / or reply to gsfs@hotmail.com

This Sunday: 30th Oct - Prince Harvaad (from Oslo, Norway) 10 am and 2 pm
Next Sunday: 06th Nov - Oikos Anniversary/MI Graduation (Talent Capital) 10 am
Friday Evening on 11th Nov - Miller's Rock welcomes Pastor Jean Lim (Jesus Heals) at Geylang Studio 7 pm onward

Prophecy of Humbility and Vision of 1

This entry is to affirm the prophecy made by the church last Sun 23 Oct 2005.

Someone prophecized about one have to humble down and reflect about oneself in order to move on.

Jon got a vision since 2 Care Group (CG) ago about the thing call "1". It has many meanings:

1. During that day, Elaine popped by to meet Yihong for a discussion at the end of our CG discussion. It means 1 visitor coming to join us? ;p

2. We have 1 new visitor (Bernard-David Johnson's friend) who is quite committed to attend our church already. Jon had a talk with him last Sunday and found out that though he overslept the week before, he still managed to attend the second service by himself. It means 1 new member?=)

3. Dee came back from Rome and she would most probably join our CG for now. It means 1 more Sister in our group!!! =>

4. Last Sunday's vision became clearer that Jon saw a church white in colour standing in a spacious grassland. The church is radiating and shining brightly. The people attending the church is really happy and filled with joy and love! In case anyone start thinking that this vision is regarding our church been able to fulfill the debt retirement and receive the breakthrough pledge by its member and able to build a new building, then sorry, its wrong.

God spoke to Jon about "Unity through Humbility". It requires everyone in the church to humble themselves down in order to move forward in unity. If everyone is looking at how "great" they are, or how far they have accompolished, then the church would be divided into different directions.

So Jon affirm the prophecy last Sun. The church needs to focus on humility in order to be united as 1 so that we can really see a strong and radiant church been formed with Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness & Self Control.

Suicide Bombers

Suicide Bombers

This entry is specially created in response to Ink comment in my entry titled "Love Not The World". I have entitled this reply "Suicide Bombers".

Hi Ink,

Really happy to see your reply.

Bloggers always like to comment somthing like this: "This is MY BLOG and everything here is my own opinons. If you dun like it then dun read it..."

I feel that this is the most irresponsible claim of all time. As a Christian myself, I would like to ask: "Does God allows us, Christians a private "place" or "time" for us to be behave all we want to and yet will not be accounted for?" Such as "taking a day off as a Christian"?

Haa... it seems like a good idea, but just too bad, thats a reality. Christians' life have been closely scrutinised at all time. The first line of observers are our immediate family members. They are the ones who see you day in day out. The moment you declare that you have "converted" means "I am now living a Christian life." Disappointed the parents may feel, but they know that they can't stop you. Hence they would observe you closely just what kind of life we are now living thereafter. Chances are if they see you been a changed person to the better, they would follow suit. If not, you are just as shameful as those SUICIDE BOMBERS out there.

SUICIDE BOMBERS... sound scary right? Face it, its a fact. These are the people who claimed to be fighting for their own "Rights" or "Religion". To us they are called the terrorism. In their own community, they are their spiritual heroes. But we all know that they were all a bunch of shameless creatures who had caused grievous hurts to the world. To these evil-possessed animals, they can also claim that it was their body that they were sacrificing. They thought they had done divine sacrifice which would earn them a RIGHT to heaven. But these creatures ended up destroying more lives and making the most crazy mistakes of their lives.

Hence I brand those irresponsible bloggers "Suicide Bombers" too. The truth is that they may write whatever they want in the blog, but there are ripple-effects in life for whatever we do. Is there a "private place" or "off days" for us? Especially bloggers, the things they write can be observed and affect countless people online. Is it not more sinful than those who succumb to sexual sins behind closed doors? Is it not more sinful than those who harbour evil thoughts in their minds? Is it not more sinful than those careless mouth who spoke freely?

If you still not convinced, take a look at the 2 bloggers who end up in courts recently. My advice to these bloggers. Its online, its alive.

Extending our REACH

There was this religious anniversary around Jon's neighborhood recently. There was a very big tentage at the side of Eunos MRT. It was to commemorate some ancient King whom they worshipped since their ancestors time. It looked like our Christian's Tentabacle. In front of the tentage there was a big stage. During the first week there was the Chinese Opera show in the evenings where many old folks gathered and watched it. During the second week it became "Getai", meaning those Chinese concerts by those "Tom, Dick & Harry" singers. During this time, you would see a very huge crowd watching the concert. There people were mainly late 30s uncles and aunties.

Indeed it looked like a big carnival. Jon had seen big crowds every night for 2 weeks. Even more surprisingly, there was a news reportage of the event on Channel 8 news broadcast. It was learnt that the organizer of the event actually gave away free dinner every night to worshippers. A lot of people staying around the places benefited from it. It was also reported that a lot of Indian/Blangadesh/Pakistan/Thai construction workers also took advantage of the free food they were giving off.

Jon thought it was a really good idea. A lot of time, Christians organize many charitable activities but do not identify themselves of Christian during their outreach events. For example our church (Hope Church Singapore) would work with Hope Centre (S) for all communities events. Why not simply do something so publicly like what those Chinese folks do and allow people from all walks of lives come into the santuary of God instead?

Even the idea of the "Getai" seems interesting. Invite Christian celebrities (Eg Dong Fang Bi Li or some TCS artists) to sing on stage to attract the uncles and aunties in the neighborhood. Then spread the gospels in between songs or breaks. In this case, isn't it more fulfilling instead? Able to do charity as well as spreading the gospels at the same time! Jon believes that it would definitely cost much cheaper as Christian celebrities would come cheaper than those professional "Getai" singers since these celebrities are doing this as outreach events. If all this get publicise by TVs, isn't it wonderful as we are able to spread our deeds to the whole nation?

1 month of silence

Its been almost 1 month since Jon's last entry.

Well, time flies... (seems like a good excuse)

Oh, Jon was having in-camp training over the last 2 weeks... (sound more like it) =)

In fact, this in-camp is the best of all. No outfield traing. Basically every day wake up, eat breakfast, lesson, eat lunch, lesson, eat dinner then book out until 2359 and book in sleep until the next day then all over again.

It seems very boring, but to Jon, it is the best! Who wants to go out field traing with all the loads and junks? Its not as if Singapore will go to war right? Yes yes, people claimed that if any country should stop supplying water over, we would strike... but can we? how far can we go? with life so comfortably in Singapore who can fight a war? Even if we do manage to gather some patriots who can fight, what can become to Singapore in the end? Have we forgotten that we have no natural resources and are only dependent on trade and commerce.

What would happen to Singapore when all the foreign workers left us if there is a war? Imagine all the philipinoes in hospital leave us? Imagine all the Bangalah or Indian construction workers leave us? Imagine all the foreign IT experts leave us? What is left of Singapore? So wake up every soldier, we are all wasting our time in the army!

Opps ok ok, Jon is not opening a debate here on "Protecting The Nation". Just a thought during one of his dozing moments in class... haa...

Ok, anyway the best part of the in-camp is the Cohesion Day. It means team bonding day... SURPRISE? This is new to Jon as well. Its a day to do some activity to build bondings. No vigourous activity or sports, hence the OC propose the whole company play bowling at Tampines SAFRA! Cool right! Guess thats the way for reservist. Get ready for Operations? Forget it... Build bonding is better way of spending tax payers money. =)

That's it for now. Its hell time as a lot of works to follow up at work. Its really crazy for Jon as a business owner as he needs to seize operations to attend Reservist. Though Reina is helping out, but can you imagine a business not doing sales call for 2 weeks? Think the government needs to work out some special Reservist package for business owners since they are promoting entrepreneurship.