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As a pastor for more than three decades, I’ve heard more than a few stories of heartache and hurt. Health scares, financial woes, relationship valleys: everyone I know is going through a hard time to some extent, and probably everyone you know is as well.

So what should we do when people share their turbulent times with us? Here are a few dos and don’ts:

Do tell them they’re not facing this time alone. Offer a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. Be available to run errands, care for kids, or provide a meal.

Don’t make the situation about you. It’s tempting to share your personal story—or that of a loved one—but this makes the conversation all about you, not about the person facing turbulent times. Focus on the person who is hurting.

Do urge them to make a plan. Hard times are a petri dish for brainless decisions, so help make a plan for getting through. And then help them stick to it.

Don’t enable foolish behavior. If your friend is in debt, a shopping spree won’t help the situation. An affair won’t mend a struggling marriage, and you can’t fix a drug addiction with more drugs. Stupid won’t fix stupid.

Do encourage forgiveness. Forgiveness can take time, but it’s the key that releases us from a prison of bitterness. As long as someone’s trying to forgive, they are forgiving.

Don’t advise revenge.  If someone’s been wronged, the desire for retribution can be hard to ignore. Revenge can feel sweet for the moment, but then what? The after effects of lashing out won’t help anyone get through the pain. It will only prolong the hurt and break more hearts.

Don’t promise a quick resolution. While we all wish a cancer would go into remission tomorrow or that pain would vanish next week, that may not be the case. Remain positive without being naïve.

Do look for the hidden good. When the time is right, look for positive outcomes that might be found in the mess, like restored relationships, a renewed zest for life, or wisdom for the future. All are possible effects of turbulent times. Help a friend focus on these silver linings when they appear.

(published with permission)

Like most other HighPointe LifeZones (ie: connect groups), we “picked at nuggets” through the book of Ephesians over the last six weeks. The lessons from “Connected” by Thom Rainer, have truly helped me appreciate the church at a time when we are all missing each other after sixteen months of isolation. As I share my own thoughts from our lessons, I pray you be encouraged and spurred to actively seek building yourselves and the Kingdom of God. 

Lesson 1: Connected in Christ (Eph. 2:17-22) 

Despite being unable to come together as a church for almost a year and a half now, I am still thankful to God daily that I HAVE A CHURCH FAMILY! I belong, both to God and a spiritual family! I can still connect through technology. I can still do little things for my church family and the people around me. I am still able to speak into the lives of others I come into contact with. 

Lesson 2: Connected in Unity (Ephesians 4:1-6) 

Despite not being able to meet in-person, there are still ample opportunities to connect and to encourage one another through a phone call or a text message simply asking how each other is. I have received little delightful surprises that were sent to my home, like cakes, plants, Tealive deliveries and snacks. I too, have sent little gifts to others. These may seem like small gestures, but they connect us with each other. They remind us that we BELONG and are a family! 

Lesson 3: Connected in Growth (Ephesians 4:11-16) 

I am so glad I am in a home group. While it connects me with others, it does so much more! I learn from the input, the thoughts and the experience of others as we discuss the lessons. I realize that part of the growing process, is learning OFF one another! And together, we build the church and take positive steps toward maturity. 

Lesson 4: Connected through Words (Ephesians 4:25-32) 

I learnt that our words matter! I look for opportunities to use words to encourage, motivate, give hope, provide guidance or even to make someone smile! We need to avoid fake news because fake news only brings dismay and fear. As children of God, we need to propagate truth because truth sets us free! Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” 

Lesson 5: Connected in Service (Ephesians 5:15-21) 

I love the fact that I belong to a church that isn’t inward looking. We are not all about ourselves! In fact, the church’s budget report indicates that at least 37% of our income is re-routed for missions and the community! This is what church should look like – a people united in love through Christ, serving each other and the community around us in the fear of the Lord (Ephesians 5:21). 

Lesson 6: Connected through Prayer (Ephesians 6:18-22) 

While prayer does unite us, more importantly prayer grants us access to the power of God. It invites God not merely into impossible situations, it also ushers God into everyday situations! When we truly believe that “I’ll pray for you” is a solemn responsibility and a life-changing promise within the Body of Christ, we will start to see life-changing answers in our lives and in our church! 

In closing, I’m amazed at how rich God’s Word is! How powerfully transformational it can be, if we allow it to! It is my prayer that we not just open God’s Word, but allow God’s Word to open us! There are always precious nuggets of truth that can bring refreshment, revelation and revival to parched spirits. May God continue to bless us and use us as His connected people! 

My father, commonly known as “Uncle Eng Boon”, embraced retirement life sometime around mid-2019. 

We both entered a new phase of life at the same time. For me, it was leaving the shores of student life and wading into the deeper waters of adulthood. For my dad it was clocking out of his 9-to-5 job of forty-something years and waking up in the morning as a retiree. 

Now it is close to two years since his official retirement. Yet, more than half of it was spent in lockdown. Here’s a little of this retiree’s perspective as he looks back at this season so far: 

Q1: How had you envisioned retirement?

EB: Since working from 9 to 5 would not be my priority anymore, I was going to be able to focus more on my family and serving the church.

Q2. How have you been spending your retirement? 

EB: More on a slower pace as I look upon what things I’d want to do during leisure time. Though, it is mostly spending a lot more quality time cooking for my family and getting involve in some church activities. (Not to mention a long watchlist of various YouTube videos! Maybe a story for another time.)

Q3. How will you want to spend it differently post-pandemic? 

EB: I will want to travel more often to Penang to visit my siblings, nieces and nephews at any given opportunity.

Q4. How did you feel / what were your thoughts when you first heard about the virus/lockdown? 

EB: The situation and having to stay at home 24/7 in quarantine, it is all so surreal. But I thank God that I can testify that peace always prevails when I’m able to stay at home with my wife, daughter and my mum-in-law.

Q5. What has been difficult transitioning into this new phase of retirement (esp. in a pandemic)? What helped you cope with it? 

EB: Not much difficulty in transitioning into retirement. I’m always occupied with things that I’ve now re-prioritise such as family & church which I truly enjoy.

Q6. What do you recommend to those (retiree or would-be retiree alike) who may feel stuck at home to invest in and pass the time? 

EB: Look out for things that you can do in a small way. Little things that bring great joy when you share your care and put time into it. In coping with the pandemic, I try to stay focus on what I have to do day-to-day with the peace of God in me - a peace that transcends all understanding.

Q7. Finally, what has been your greatest joy or highlight over this season? 

EB: Being able to connect with some friends to have lunch and bible study together weekly.

I’ve often labelled my father’s retirement as “The Life of a Househusband” because truly, he is exceptional in caring for the home and making sure my mum and I are fed (and fat) through the meals he lovingly and ambitiously prepares. He is a family man beyond my mum and I. Evident from the way he obediently and diligently prepares for bible study and fumbles through the complex science of Zoom and online meetings. 

At this point you’re probably wondering, “Is this a Father’s Day article?”. Well, it’s not (supposed) to be. But, when you witness the love of an earthly father for his heavenly one, it is only natural to share it and rejoice! 

18th March 2020 will forever be etched in my mind as the the day that Malaysia and the WORLD went into a lockdown just because of a minute virus. The whole world was turned topsy turvy. This was the first time in my life experiencing a pandemic!! Our emotions ran high; fear, uncertainty, anxiety and impatience, frustration etc.

Conversations have centered around these topics; numbers, masks, temperature, social distance, sanitiser, online shopping , zoom, roadblocks, vaccine and working from home.

15 months have just flown by and are things very much different now? 

Not really, but I suppose we’ve adjusted pretty well (some better than others) and are coping a little better than last year, having “accepted” this as the norm for now at least, not knowing how long this will last. We know this WILL come to pass, for all of us...soon we hope. We so long for normalcy again. 

One of the most challenging things that I experienced was the inability to meet physically . It was terribly strange to me because I’m a very people person. I just love meeting up with people, I love having people around, I love catching up with my old friends, visiting people who are shut-ins, the sick , ministering to ladies on a one to one at a kopitiam (not always the best choice though), doing  bible study in a small group. I just love PEOPLE. 

It was so wonderful to be able to host the Lifezone (cell group) meetings at our home each Friday and subsequently on Sundays for about 3 months! 

All these came to an abrupt halt when the pandemic struck and there were times that I’ve felt like I was living in a cave or an island except with connectivity.

Now, the I.T dinosaur like yours truly have had to learn to use Zoom, video call, Messenger call and Google Meet so that I can be connected with PEOPLE. I would grab every opportunity to have these meet ups when the restrictions are lifted!

As I look back at the past 15 months, I choose to thank God for these very good things; our family altar that I so treasure, precious family bonding time, the opportunity to be part of a Singaporean and Malaysian intercessory group specifically covering the COVID 19  situation in Asia, the multiplication of the LifeZones (cell groups) in our church from 3 to 9 groups, the unity of all the Malaysian churches standing so united in prayer combating the pandemic together and personal urgency to share the gospel to my neighbors by first sharing my testimony.

Amidst the gloom and uncertainty, I choose to see the GOOD that has come out of this crazy and unprecedented season and I echo the lyrics of the songwriter, Don Moen: "God Is good all the time!"

The summer before my eighth-grade year I made friends with a guy named Larry. He was new to town, so I encouraged him to go out for our school football team. He could meet some guys, and being a stocky fellow, he might even make the squad. He agreed.

The result was a good news-bad news scenario. The good news? He made the cut. The bad news. He won my position. I was demoted to second string. I tried to be happy for him, but it was tough.

A few weeks into the season Larry fell off a motorcycle and broke a finger. I remember the day he stood at my front door holding up his bandaged hand. “Looks like you’re going to have to play.”

I tried to feel sorry for him, but it was hard. The passage was a lot easier for Paul to write than it was for me to practice. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15 NASB).

You want to plumb the depths of your love for someone? How do you feel when that person succeeds? Do you rejoice? Or are you jealous? And when he or she stumbles? Falls to misfortune? Are you really sorry? Or are you secretly pleased?

Love never celebrates misfortune. Never. I like the way Eugene Peterson translates the passage: “Love. . .doesn’t revel when others grovel, [but] takes pleasure in the flowering of truth” (MSG). J.B. Phillips is equally descriptive: “Love . . .does not gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it shares the joy of those who live by the truth.”

You know your love is real when you weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. You know your love is real when you feel for others what your heavenly Father feels for you. Remember, love “rejoices whenever the truth wins out” (1 Cor. 13:6 NLT).

Excerpted from A Love Worth Giving
(published with permission)

The call by Jesus “Therefore go and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:19) can be daunting to many Christians. It certainly was for me. Even as a leader in church, the fear of not having the right words to speak, or perhaps being rejected or ridiculed would often play in my mind. Questions like “How do I get started?” or “What if this person gets angry” would stop me from responding to the prompting I felt in engaging an individual about my faith.

This troubled me greatly for many years, making me feel like a hypocrite. I would often cry out to God asking for a deeper love for the lost, and for Him to replace my fear with boldness. As I continued seeking empowerment for the commission given by Jesus, I sensed a constant reminder of His promise that “He has not given me a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and of love…” (2 Timothy 1:7).

This period of seeking and crying out to God was a much-needed time for me in seeing a realignment of my heart. The power of God would often come over me and overwhelm me to tears for the lost. I started seeing divine opportunities open to witness and share Christ with friends, family, and even random strangers.

It was in these moments I heard the Holy Spirit remind me that “Faith without works is dead…” (James 2:26) and until I started obeying, I would continue being bound by the spirit of fear and remain fruitless. It was an intentional choice I needed to make. What was it going to be?

I recall as I started choosing the path of faith and obedience over fear, God showed up in the most amazing ways. Every time I started engaging an individual having determined in my heart to share Christ, the words just started flowing as the Holy Spirit brought enablement (Matthew 10:19). I started seeing God divinely open new opportunities for many to encounter his power through healing and deliverance, thus confirming His Word.

Today when I reflect on my own experience, it is one like the apostle Peter experienced. Like Peter, I was passionate and loved my Lord, but was cowering in fear. Like Peter I denied my Lord by choosing not to share my faith directly and openly with those God brought into my life. But like Peter, God never gave up on me, and His grace continued restoring me and affirming me. Like Peter God heard my cry of repentance and empowered and enabled me to start being an effective witness and disciple maker for Him.

Friends, perhaps as you read this testimony you are someone who resonates with what I share. Deep down in your heart there is a longing to be an effective witness and disciple maker for Christ, but you’ve allowed fear and past failures to hold you back. Would you decide like I did to come and surrender these feelings and baggage to Jesus today?

God has divine appointments waiting for you. There are family, friends and people whom He has specifically chosen to encounter His love through your faithfulness in being a witness. How will these people hear and believe without someone sharing the Gospel with them (Romans 10:14)? What will your choice be today? Will you choose faith and obedience over fear?

It is my prayer that as you get on your knees and cry out to God for a greater brokenness for the lost, God will pour out his love and divine empowerment upon you, propelling you towards your calling as an effective witness and disciple maker for Jesus! I prophecy Revelation 12:11 over you, “that you are an overcomer by the blood of the lamb and the word of your testimony”, and together we the church will continue advancing God’s Kingdom until the day Jesus returns again for His bride!

Carrie Underwood performed a brilliant medley of hymns at the 56th Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards.

The former American Idol winner's medley started with "Amazing Grace" and included other songs like "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," "Old Rugged Cross" and "How Great Thou Art."

Legendary Christian Contemporary Music artist, Cece Winans, also made a special appearance to cover a couple of hymns alongside the country star.

The entire act was in celebration of Carrie's eighth and latest studio album, "My Savior," which is collection hymns.

The video of her performance at the ACM Awards have already racked up over 2.5 million views on YouTube.

Watch it below:

His brow was furrowed in anxiety and confusion as he trudged on the rough, stony road with his friend, Cleopas. They were headed to Emmaus, a village that was roughly about 11 kilometers away. It had been a rather eventful day. No! No!  In fact, it had been an exceptionally eventful last THREE days! It was almost surreal. But the fact was that the astoundingly mind-numbing happenings of the past three days were real.

There was turmoil of conflicting emotions inside of him. How different things were just five days ago! They had their Leader with them then. He taught like no one they had ever heard. He had a power like nothing they had ever seen. They had heard of power like this, though – the prophets of old! Yes, they did miracles, they healed, they even raised dead people to life. Hmm, this Jesus must have been another great prophet, like the other prophets of God. It had been centuries since they had a prophet. It was almost as if God had stopped speaking to them in a deafening silence of about 400 years. He shook his head, as if trying to unscramble the muddled array of thoughts in his head.  “Ah well…” he thought to himself, “At least I suppose we have been privileged to have had a real live prophet who was with us for three years.” And now, just like the other prophets, he was gone.

He turned to his companion. He looked just as lost in thought. “Hey Cleopas, y’know what I was thinking?” Cleopas was jolted from his own reverie, “Huh? Actually I was doing some thinking myself and I think we were both thinking of the same things!” Cleopas smiled inquisitively, “Ok, what?” His friend stopped in his tracks and turned to face Cleopas. “Were you thinking about all that has happened over the past three days also?” “Yup” Cleopas also stopped and then frowned as if getting drawn back into deep thought, “In fact, I’ve been pondering over what has happened over the past three years with Jesus”. His friend patted him on the back and sighed, “Yes, you were right - we were thinking of the same things.”

He turned and continued walking again with Cleopas keeping in step as they discussed their thoughts. They felt let down. They were convinced only a few days ago that this Jesus would be the one who would liberate them from the tyranny of bondage under the Romans. He would be the One – the One Who would free them and return to them their dignity as God’s chosen people.

Those hopes were now dashed. They watched His capture by soldiers, initiated by that betrayer, Judas and masterminded by the religious hypocrites. They witnessed the horrendous treatment of their Leader as He was manacled, beaten and flogged. They had winced as He was mocked, slapped, spat upon. His beard was ripped off His already battered face. The face they knew, loved and admired, was no longer recognizable (wasn’t there some place in the writings of the prophets that said that about Someone?) They saw Him die, albeit from a distance for fear of being identified as His followers and subject to the same treatment. It was horrible, a final crushing blow to hope.

And then that morning, unconfirmed reports of the body of their Leader gone missing! Some of those reports were incredible – women saying that Jesus was alive and one of them even saw Him and spoke to Him! Hah – has to have been an overly emotional woman who was probably delusional! But then, there were also reports that Peter and John went to the tomb only to encounter… an angel! But they (of course) did not see Jesus. Anyway, these were all only reports, unconfirmed, of course. Could very well have been a result of a cruel prank.

“Hey friends! Wait up!” Jolted from their deep thought, the two friends turned to see a stranger walking up behind them. They never heard him come up behind them. They looked at each other, cautious of this stealthy stranger but waited just the same. The stranger caught up. He looked the jovial sort. “I’ve watched you discussing intently. You both look down in the dumps! What’s up?” “You’re not from around here, are you” Cleopas eyed the stranger with a little suspicion. “Haven’t you heard of all the happenings over the past three days?” “What things?” The stranger’s eyes twinkled and his lips had a hint of a smile as he asked the question.

The two friends turned to head toward Emmaus again and the stranger kept up with them. They then shared their thoughts with the stranger. When they finished saying all that were in their hearts, the stranger spoke, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” They were startled! How dare this man call them ‘foolish’? The stranger continued, “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” …What? The Christ? Is it possible that our Leader is the Christ? The stranger, his voice, the authority with which he spoke; it was unnervingly familiar.

And then the stranger spoke and spoke. He opened up the Scriptures in a way they had never heard before. They were absolutely riveted to the teachings that this stranger had to offer. He sort of stirred something within them. It was a familiar sort of stirring. Cleopas glanced sideways at his friend who looked back at him and nodded. Yes, this stranger was like Jesus. Could this be a potential new Leader! They were excited.

In the distance, the village of Emmaus could be seen. The evening sun was setting and threw long shadows of the three journey-men. The stranger’s shadow moved away from the other two shadows and they noticed that he was about to move off in another direction. “Sir!” one of them said, “Look, it will be getting dark soon. Why don’t you come stay with us for the night? We could talk some more”. Cleopas nodded his head in agreement. This stranger had warmed his heart. After the events of the last three days, he felt like his heart had stopped beating. That life had been drained out of him. This man seemed to inject something into his spirit, he felt his heart stirring into life again!

The stranger turned to them and smiled, “You sure?”. They nodded enthusiastically. The stranger smiled. Again, that smile was unnervingly familiar. He turned and walked with them. They had a most wonderful time with the stranger, completely engrossed as he unraveled what were previously mysteries to them in the Scriptures. They had their meal and the stranger took bread and gave thanks. He broke the bread and passed it to them.

Something happened then! They suddenly recognized this stranger. Only He wasn’t a stranger. It was HIM… JESUS! No wonder He seemed familiar. Speechless for a while, the words were about to flow when just as suddenly as He appeared while they were on the road to Emmaus hours ago, He vanished!

Cleopas turned to his friend. Tears streamed down his face, glistening where the light from the lantern caught it. His friend’s face similarly was streaked as tears ran down his face and disappeared into his beard. Despite the tears, the faces bore wide grins! These were tears of joy! They jumped up and hugged each other, almost dancing around the room while shadows did their own dancing on the walls as the lantern continued to flicker.

“Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened Scriptures to us?” Cleopas looked at his friend and agreed. Yes, he had felt that stirring in his heart and so did his friend! The weariness disappeared, replaced by a new-found energized hope! This turns everything around! That Jesus is alive. That He is the Christ and all that happened over the last 3 days. No, 3 years! No, 33 years!! NO!!! …from the beginning of time. ALL of it was in fulfilment of God’s Divine plan!  Jesus did not come to free them from the tyranny of bondage under the Romans. He came to liberate them from the dread of the yoke of sin! He was not merely a prophet. They died and remained in tombs. Jesus defeated death! Their hearts BURNED within them.

Cleopas turned to his friend, “I know it’s dark but we’ve simply got to return to Jerusalem to share this!” “Yes” his friend affirmed, “This is too good to keep to ourselves! Let’s go!”

And so they went, taking with them a heart that burned within them and a testimony on their lips!

Dear believer, what does the resurrection of Jesus do to you? Knowing He came as God in the flesh; knowing He took our place on the cross and died; knowing He defeated death and the grave and now lives; knowing we have the privilege of walking and talking with Him daily, that He will never leave our sides. What does that do to you? Does your heart burn within you? It should! Is there a song and a testimony on your lips? There should!

May the Holy Spirit stir our hearts this season as we celebrate the Resurrection. Let it burn within us. Let us rise up and go tell others. This is too good to keep to ourselves!

My cellphone contract is up. So, I am a candidate for a new smartphone. A week of shopping has made me wonder:  am I smart enough to buy a smartphone?

HTC, iOS, WWDC, S3, Samung, G-U-L-P. How many models are there? How many options can one brain process? Carriers, updates, data plans, and sizes…someone help me! 3G, 4G, LTE, GSM, HSPA+. NFC, GPS, PPI. Dual-core, quad-core. Five megapixels, eight megapixels. Android 4.1, Android 4.2. iOS 6, iOS 7. Q10, Z10. Google Play, iTunes, iCloud. Windows Phone 8 (or is it Windows 8 Phone?). BlackBerry . iPhone 5, iPhone 5S. Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4. HTC One. Nexus 4.

Leaves me longing for the day of  wired telephones in the living room. I remember when my parents bought an extension for their bedroom. We thought we had moved ahead one century! Hang on to your hat, Alexander Bell.

Changes happen so fast these days, can anyone keep up? By one estimate, there are some 37,000 smartphones on the market today. That was a month ago. Odds are the number is now 38,000. Increasing at the rate of the national debt. Are you kidding me?

I am glad, really glad, that talking to God does not require a smartphone.  Jesus taught us to begin our prayers by saying, “Our Father in heaven” (Mt. 6:9). More specifically, our “Abba in heaven.”  Abba is an intimate, tender, folksy, pedestrian term, the warmest of the Aramaic words for “father.” Formality stripped away. Proximity promised. Jesus invites us to approach God like a child approaches Daddy. No special training required. No monthly plan needed.

Stunning, don’t you think, that the highest conversation in life requires nothing but an open heart and a “Dear Father?” How gracious of God to keep it simple.

Even more gracious of Him not to require a smartphone.

During the pandemic, church be looking very different. Churches have had to turn to digital platforms to continue the gathering of God's people.

While many have chosen to be more casual (even to the extent of wearing pyjamas) for a virtual church services, Dr. La Verne Ford Wimberly, an 82-year-old from Oklahoma, refused to succumb to being sloppy for the Lord.

Amazingly, Dr. Wimberly has gone over 52 weeks without repeating a single outfit. The retired principal even documented each look, complete with a wide array of dazzling hats, on her Facebook timeline.

She also said that she wanted to do it because it made be more conscious of the habit of giving it her best, as she has tried to over the last 82 years.

I'm up to "trend" for once, at least. Not because I know the latest pop songs or because I am familiar with the latest fashion. I'm up to trend because I contracted COVID 19.

People often talk about the physical effects and symptoms of the virus but hardly anyone ever tells you of the effects it has on you mentally. The moment I received confirmation from the hospital that my Covid-19 test result was positive, I had flashes of images in my mind:  who I had seen or met recently, as well as my family members who stay under the same roof as me. The feeling of guilt was so overwhelming that it covered up any worry I had over my own health and how the virus might affect me.

Ultimately, I thank God for this episode. It was another turning point in my spiritual life. It gave me time where I could really sit down, quit the "I'm busy" mentality and just meditate on God's Word. I thank God for the constant support from the church whom I call family. They were upholding me in prayer daily, sent messages of concern and even volunteered to provide me with three meals a day. I acknowledge that it is all by the grace of God that I'm able to digest the situation with peace in my heart.

I thank God that after days of quarantine at home, I was brought to a quarantine centre at Serdang, where almost 1000 patients gathered in a hall. I was grateful for the opportunity to encourage and pray for patients while I was there. It reminds me that even in places of difficulty, God can use us as vessels to speak to the needs and into the lives of people around us. I'm amazed with how things and plans come together in God's hand and that He can use us in whatever situation we are in.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." - James 1:2-4