Dear Prayer Warriors,
In 1975 we stayed in Craig Road JSM for a season
Here 46 years ago in Singapore, China Town, as it was known, dwelled some of the poorest people.
I saw one woman fell down in the Mission. Together with Missioner Goh Geok Ling we paid her a visit at the hospital. After she was discharged we visited her home. To our horror she lived in a Box. Such was the abject poverty of those times.
But these Elderly converts though poor, are rich in faith. I remember one Elderly man said he had a dream. He said he saw a man in white with his finger pointing upward. Indicating that an angel told him God is soon taking him back up to heaven as his face beamed.
I remember one Elderly man aged 90 years old. He was a short man only 4 feet tall living in a Wooden Crate about 6 feet by 6 feet.
One day after visiting him and exhorted him I prayed for him and told him to pray.
This was his sincere prayer.
耶稣爱我;耶稣爱我;耶稣爱我。我爱耶稣
Translated, “Jesus loves me; Jesus loves me; Jesus loves me; I love Jesus”
Hearing his prayer I wanted to laugh & cry at the same time.
Laugh because of his childlike simplicity. Cry because I empathize with his deep poverty.
Not long after I decided to take up Faith Promise Offering for the Mission poor.
See
Faith Promise Offering was popularised by Oswald J. Smith.
To give by faith between God & the giver. It should be a secret covenant. Now JSM did not advocate Faith Promise Offering. But I shared on this one Sunday Afternoon Worship in BHS Jesus Saves Mission, Jalan Membina Barat, Tiong Bahru
At that time I was still very young in the faith. Today, Faith Promise Offering has been abused as a form of raising wealth for those in power. And the Charismatics have made merchandise of it with the pervered “seed-faith” brick with the promise of riches for those who give. Far from it.
The motive for faith giving is to promote God’s Kingdom for Foreign Missions Plus to store up treasure in heaven.
So in year 1975 I pledged Rm500. And God supplied. Then in year 1976 I raised the giving to Rm800. God again graciously provided. In year 1977 I preached on Faith Promise Offering (without handing out pledge forms. It was a personal “secret deal” with God & God alone.
In year 1977 I pledged to give Rm1,500 (this last pledge was only answered much later by year 1981)
See the records
Since year 1977 we have not spoken about Faith Promise Offering (that was 44 years ago)
Looking back. It would be far better to be concerned for those needy ones around us than those in Foreign Missions.
The two who lived in Crates or Boxes should have been our first concern
Above is an example of those living in Wooden Crates. The poverty years of 1974/5 Chinatown Slum, Singapore
Galatians 2:10 – Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
James 1:27 – Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Above admonition I think I have fallen short. This is one area I need to improve on
May God have mercy
Glory be unto God Most High