Gift of Preaching

One of the many graces that I received from the Lord and has been utilised in some measures is the gift of preaching. I did not refer to my notes once, as I preached a 37 minutes sermon on Galatians 5:13-26, basically an expository sermon. Preaching in a church after almost 2 years since I left to pastor another church on the other side of town seemed surreal and I thanked the leaders for granting me that opportunity in my 2nd week back in the church.

Writing Endorsements

It was the second endorsement that I wrote for my former supervisor who is one of the top New Testament scholars in Australasia. I asked him in 2023 how many PhD students he had personally supervised and his answer was a staggering 55. I only supervised two DTh students during my time in Singapore, but one student changed supervisor mid-way as I marked her drafts full of red ink, as I could not understand her English half the time. The other, I suggested it was not her gift to do a doctoral degree as I saw her struggling reading just one academic article. One has to cite or interact with at least 100 learned articles and just as many commentaries and monographs for a proper doctorate.

Serving God with Joy

It's my first month out of a cage or the metaphor I gave in my farewell speech at the end of January, I will fly with wings unbound and those who are willing to accept my ministry I will bring them fly with me for God's glory. I am in full flight in less than 3 weeks out of a "job". I feel unbound and not just freer but free to do what Christ wants me to do. I have written over 100 pages for my commentary on John's Gospel from 13-21.

Three in a Row

I did not expect that invitations to preach would come so quickly. In fact I told my youth, a young man of 15 years old asking, "Is writing your side hustle?" I told him that writing would be my main hustle and preaching and teaching will be my side hustle. Yesterday, I visited a church member's newly rented place. The couple has four children, all regularly attending church and when I was asked to come to pray for the family and house I could not refuse even though I had already resigned. But last night one leader's wife whom we met at the stairs told me in the hearing of 5 or 6 others: "Pastor, we miss you", it has only been two weeks since I stopped attending the church I pastored for 15 months.

Best Decade

I think this will be the best decade of my life yet. Though it is not the best wine kept for the last as I don't think I am in the last legs of my ministry; it is as if just a beginning, a new beginning. A few months ago, I testified that I was now in the peak of my powers in the Lord. Why is that so? By God's grace, I could walk as fast as I did in my 40s. I have not slowed down in the past 20 years. Maybe not as strong as I was in my 30s, but I was a green shoot then, and now I am mature in almost every way.

8 Years to Go: 3 Main Lessons

When I saw my details on my age and it is just barely 8 years before I hit the magical number 70. Where will I be in 8 years' time? Time seems to pass so quickly. What have I accomplished in the past 16 months, as if nothing (my strength is spent in vain, says the prophet in Isa 49) except for a few friendships which I shall treasure. What I have learned from wasting almost one and a half years of my life? Three main lessons.

With mind uncluttered

My original plan taking up the pastorate last December 2024 was that perhaps on my day off Mondays and perhaps onto Tuesday I could write my book. But for 15 months I did not write a single page despite several times trying. But now in one month with peace and quiet I wrote 22,000 words and perhaps in less than a month from now I could complete my first draft of the commentary on John's Gospel 13-21. All these I could put down to having a mind uncluttered.

Year of the Horse

I faced Chinese New Year that just passed yesterday, being Chap Goh Mei (15th day of the Lunar New Year) with considerable trepidation as my beloved mother just passed away two months earlier. I wanted to celebrate with my two younger brothers but they had their own programmes. Couple with the fact that I was leaving the church for good in the first week of Lunar New Year, I took the opportunity to give out ang pows (red packets) to the worship team members about 14 of them altogether on Sunday 22nd Feb 2026 (all twos, 2202) with each getting also a copy of Departure Points.

Making Good Progress

When I started about a month ago, I prayed to the Lord that I would finish the second volume of the commentary on John’s Gospel in 52 days, the time Nehemiah took to finish building the walls of Jerusalem. I have probably written for 21 days now with 31 days to go. If I write every day with the Lord’s help I might finish by Resurrection Sunday which would be amazing, God answering my prayers. In 21 days I had written 22,000 words, about 1,000 words a day which does not seem a lot.

Saddest Sunday

Today is supposed to be the start of my 16th month as pastor, but I found myself outside and without a church. It is my saddest Sunday, more so than when I was barred from entering church premises during the vaccination mandate. That lasted less than 6 months until 1st May 2022, but some leaders even after SOP was relaxed still insisted on vaccination as a requirement for leadership contest.

41,000 Words

I have surpassed 41,000 words for my commentary on John’s Gospel which is more than half the length of this book that I plan to write in the next two months. I am now into John 19 only three more chapters of commentary to go before a long appendix which I plan to write about the theology of John’s Gospel overall from ch.1 to ch.21.