June 2009

Dear Evangel Family,

Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

The Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) this year was held on 31 May at the Singapore Expo. Pastor Richard Loh of Queenstown Baptist Church first called me to consider supporting this event as one of the participating churches under the Baptist Convention.

I was quite open to consider his call positively but when he asked how many from Evangel could avail themselves to help with ushering that day, I was uncertain. It was after we decided to suspend our regular monthly church prayer meeting in May that I called Richard to let him know that Evangel could commit about 20 people to help with ushering. This was the usual number who would turn up at our monthly prayer meeting. On GDOP night, 26 of us from Evangel were there with others to worship and pray together for the glory of God’s Name and the advancement of His Kingdom. 

This was my 2nd time at a GDOP event yet it was refreshing. I left the event with two deep impressions. First, the diversity I saw was indeed refreshing. Leading figures from different churches and denominations were on stage to exalt and lead us in prayer. Each carried with him a different style of doing this. The worship was a little too vibrant for me to go along throughout yet I felt the oneness with God’s people in praise and worship. The prayers offered in the stands might sound different yet we all shared the same passion in calling unto the Lord’s Name. Suddenly, I was reminded that this was what heaven would be like—every tribe and tongue will come together to worship and praise the Lord, even if there is no more need for prayer. Heaven will be an expression of the oneness of God’s people in all their colorful diversity.  

Second, I was refreshed by a new understanding of what service would be like in heaven. Many of the ministries we do in church today will become redundant in heaven—e.g. Bible study, witnessing and even prayer. Worship and praise seem to be the only things to keep us occupied. But as I was leading the other Evangelites in playing our ushering role, I became aware that I had played a part in helping others to worship God with less fuss and more ease that evening. Suddenly, I realized that this was what it might be like in terms of serving in heaven—we will not be served by angels, but we will serve one another to make our worship of the Lord always be a blessed experience in heaven. 

Indeed, we can all learn to prepare for our worship in heaven while we are still here on earth. We appreciate the diversity we have among us here on earth; we reach out in love to serve one another because even in heaven, the Lord expects us to serve one another as we worship in His presence. 

When the Minister of Health mentioned recently that it was only a matter of time that Singapore would see her first H1N1 case, it was like a prophecy of doom. At this time of my writing, there are already 11 confirmed H1N1 cases in Singapore. The prophecy of doom has come true yet there is no panic—because we have been well prepared for what will surely come. 

In the same way, when the end of time comes, all of God’s people will be ushered into His presence. It will surely come. We are to prepare for this by appreciating the diversity we have among us as God’s people, and by serving one another in the spirit of His love. When we so prepare ourselves, we will enter into His presence not in panic when the time comes, but with passion to worship and praise His Name. 

I thank the Lord for each of you for being different from me yet so much with me in the Evangel Family. 
 

A Fellow Pilgrim,

Pastor John 

Tel: 6749-2990 (O) 9789-2414 (HP) Email: johnyuencw@gmail.com