Month September 2010

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My Read of the Month:

Title: Keys to Financial Excellence
Author: Phil Pringle
Published: 2003
Genre: Financial stewardship/Self-improvement
Ratings: 3.7 out of 5 stars

The subject of prosperity is a sensitive one even though it is largely accepted that there is no lack whatsoever to the abundance that God has for us as His children.

Understanding that the stakes are high for the Church not to prosper, Phil Pringle attempts to provide a complete and balanced view on the biblical aspect of financial excellence; where we should not feel that it is wrong to prosper.

I liked that he addressed the perception that giving alone is all there is to prospering in life. And the idea that if people simply give, they will automatically receive abundance is faulty.

He inserts that working faithfully and diligently is essential too. According to him, our work and our desire to work ought to be motivated not by money, but by faith, hope and love. Hence, having the right attitude and motivation paves the way for abundance to be released upon our lives.

There’s quite a comprehensive portion of this book dedicated on principles of tithing which I believe would be very helpful for those who question the validity of such a practice as a New Testament Church.

For me, I concur with the author that tithing is an absolute responsibility as a believer. It is giving that reflects our faith- who our God is and who we follow and trust.

Overall this is an easy-to- read book for such a heavy and controversial topic. And one must applaud Phil’s boldness for even considering writing such a book which would have unleash the wrath of Christian detractors that are against prosperity teachings.

Who should read it: For all Christians, to better understand about biblical finances and to break free from a poverty mind-set.

Your Self-concept Determines Your Destiny

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Most recently, I had the wonderful privilege to meet Dr. Rev. A R Bernard during a face-to-face interview. Personally, I owe a lot to this man for shaping my Christian worldview and clarifying my destiny as a Christ-follower. I’ve reproduced the article from City News here.

According to Bernard, a healthy (or biblical) self-concept will largely affect and influence how a Christian acts or behaves. Ultimately, said Bernard, choices will create life and determine destiny.

To illustrate the power of self-concept, Bernard presented astounding findings about the people of Israel or Jews, whose national identity and self-concept are greatly influenced by their covenant with God as descendents of Abraham.

Notably, there are 13 million Jews out of a global population of approximately six billion people, constituting a mere one-fifth of a percent of the global population.

In America, the Jewish community makes up two percent of the country’s total population. In spite of the Jewish community’s seemingly insignificant size, it is found that out of the top 40 percent of the richest Americans, 45 percent are Jewish.

Bernard attributed the Jews’ distinctive ability to prosper wherever they are placed in the world, and when they are confronted in any given situation, to their deeply entrenched self-concept as a people of God who are destined “to be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, and to be the lender and not the borrower.”

Read the full article with interview here>>>

The Weekly Tuesday Group

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Yesterday I attended a fellowship session which was called Tuesday Group.

I heard about this weekly informal fellowship session from a friend who is a regular attendee.

Fellowship with a difference

I was intrigued that there was actually a group of fellow believers from different churches in Singapore whom were gathering as a Body of Christ on a regular basis.

That was the story in how I decided to pay a visit. And I wasn’t disappointed.

That evening which I visited, there were about 80 people and were mostly young adults aged between 25 to 35 years old. We worshiped, listened to a guest speaker and finally broke up in smaller groups to pray and prophesy over one another.

It was definitely a good session of building up the inner man and the Church. And I would visit again.

Joining the fellowship

One of the fascinating and appealing things that I like about such a fellowship is being able to learn from different people and churches. My concept of God and His Kingdom expands.

And if like me, you’re drawn to such a fellowship with a difference and with a ‘no strings attached’ approach, you can make your way down to basement level of High Street Centre along North Bridge Road at 8pm on a Tuesday, of cos.

The Tuesday Group was initiated in 2004 by a handful of believers that desired to forged authentic covenant relationships among the Christian community in Singapore; uniting the Body of Christ.

For those who might be cautious or suspicious, this group operates under the covering of the Petra Church.