City church's service starts at 10am and they have a really good speaker in town - Jaeson Ma...He's a former drug dealer, an Asian American in his late 20s. He's really cool. And he's really, really passionate about what he's doing. Very much like I am...or was...haha. He also carries a bit of his gangster-ish flair in his dressing and mannerism.
Present at the service from Bethel was Matthew Thang, Regina Fluckiger, Serene Teng, Lee Xinjin, Athena and Regina's friend. :D And oh, I met 2 of my secondary school juniors there - Trudy & Timothy Teh...They're siblings. Haha. Glad to see them so faithful.
Their service was simple. And their worship style was also simple, very much like Bethel. The congregation was also like Bethel...reserved, semi-shy and all...But I think they put a bit more effort into hospitality than Bethel. I guess they know how important first impression is. Their ushers will really smile, shake your hand and guide you to a seat. And after service, their ushers go around serving cakes and drinks! :D That's their selling point. HAHAHA! Just kidding. But yeah, I think it's a good effort even though not many people came and introduced themselves to us and chat with us.
But I can see that they really love their pastor, pastor Daniel Chua. When he goes up to speak, he commands a silent respect and anticipation. He is really candid and funny. The stuff he says are really down to earth, realistic, sound, visionary and is spoken from his heart. Due to a combination of these factors, I must say he is inspiring.
Some pastors like to speak very aloof-ly; disconnected from the people and thus say things that don't catch people because it is not mixed with their heartbeat. A trademark of some of our pastors...Haha!
So yup, on with Jaeson Ma. He preached a sermon about recognising our God-given authority. A book I've read by Dutch Sheets "Authority in Prayer". Whatever he preached, I've read already. But hearing this re-mix from a cool, handsome, young, passionate pastor really inspires me once again to take up my cross and follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
His sermons together with many other writer's out there is the key to Revival. It's talking about a violent spiritual revolution that'll transform the world's spiritual landscape to look like what it originally was created to look like - Heaven.
He said that Christianity isn't a religion, it isn't a system called church either! It's a God-breathed mission to bring down heaven to earth as prayed by Jesus in Matthew 6:9-10 "This then, is how you should pray...Your kingdom come, may Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven" (GNB)
Jesus is telling to pray His will down on Earth! To make earth look like heaven! That's what Christianity is about! It's not about saving souls to go to Heaven! It's about saving souls such that they in turn can bring God's will down on planet Earth!
"If you accept Christ so that you can have that guarantee of going to heaven, then I might as well take an AK-47 right now and shoot you right in the head and confirm your guarantee! *WASAEI!!*" He was in his shouting, frustrated tone here and he ended with some Jap or Korean word of victory after killing someone...Haha. That's a little manifestation of his shadowy past...HAHA! His graphic usage of AK-47 and acting it out really tells his history. Haha.
His massive sermon is a summary of the book I've read. Try squeezing that in a 2 hour long sermon. But he kept us at the edge of our seats with really good off-the-cuff jokes and passionate pontifications.
Yup, it was a really refreshing service where the worship was authentic just like our church. Not the hyped up kind of worship, but the genuine and semi-restrained offering of our heart's song to God. They sang a song I really loved...I know the tune and lyrics...but don't know the song title and artist and all... -_-" haha. Here's the part of the chorus I remember:
Here is my heart
Make it Your sanctuary
For nobody else but Jesus only You
I shall go and find it out soon...I'll ask Timothy & Trudy la huh..Haha.
I think Cornerstone's very much like our church...in terms of expectation, culture and all just that they have leaders. We have managers. In a voluntary and complex organisation, leaders, not managers are needed.
Next service was ours :D Ps James Singh as usual in his confident candour approached the pulpit and spoke to us like we were his kids. He rocks man. Haha.
His word is deep and good and he is not afraid to 'scold' us for the things we do or are not doing...i.e. Giving.
I think God is speaking to me about surrender...again. As I've not fully surrenderred. Areas in my life are still closed to God...I needa go find the keys to those rooms and dig out the unwanted fears, insecurities, sins and all...
Ps James Singh's word is not as power-packed and inspiring like Jaeson Ma's, his preaching pierces your heart and lays bare your heart's condition before you and lets you decide if you want to let God do something by calling an altar call.
Yup, that Sunday I got a good heart resuscitation through Jaeson's Ma passionate preaching. Right after that, I got a heart surgery where God used Ps James Singh to shed some light on what's wrong in my life.
I really needa learn how to find a balance in my life between God and the rest of it man.
Anyway, got PT tml -_-" I'm half happy and half sianded because PT is good but it's held so early in the morning -__-" O well, I'll go for it. :D
Go get your IPPT Gold award Jon!! :D
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