Zion Bishan Bulletin 19 Apr 2020 Livestream
18 April 2020
19 April 2020
10.30 am Livestream
Call to Worship
Meditative Hymn: Lord Be Glorified
Scripture Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1.1-12 ESV
Message: "The Suffering Continues"
Response Hymn: Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending
Corporate Life & Prayer
Offering
Benediction
Announcements
We are pleased to welcome you to worship with us! If you are new to Zion Bishan, do drop us a note on our contact form and our hospitality team will get in touch with you in the coming week. Please use the same contact form if you want to find out more about our faith, or about our activities and programmes.
http://www.zionbishan.org.sg/about/contact-us/response-form/
Our Sunday services at a glance
Speaker: Pastor Dev Menon
PA: Soh Kok Hong
Songs for personal worship and reflection:
www.zionbishan.org.sg/songs-for-reflection
Looking Ahead
Friday, 24 April
8 pm Zoom Prayer Meeting
Sunday, 26 April
10.30 am English Livestreaming Service
"Warning! Fake News! Stand Firm!"
Speaker: Deacon Danny Chua
| Pastors (more info) | |
| E-mail: user ID followed by @zionbishan.org.sg | |
| Rev Dr Alby Yip, Senior Pastor | alby |
| Rev Dr Dev Menon, Pastor | dev |
| Rev Zheng Haoren, Pastor (Comm Dev’t) | haoren |
| Rev Ebinezar Mohan, Pastor (Tamil) | ebi |
| Rev Kew See Seong, Pastor (Mandarin) | sskew |
| Rev Lim Jit Thye, Pastor (Cantonese-Mandarin) | jtlim |
| Rev Daniel Nge, Pastor (Mandarin-English) | daniel |
| Rev Dr David Wong, Advisory Pastor | |
| Rev Dr Quek Swee Hwa, Pastor Emeritus | |
| Ministry Staff (more info) | |
| Dn Paul Yeo, Hokkien Ministry | paul |
| Mrs Emily Quek, Special Projects | emily |
| Mrs June Tan, Children’s Ministry | june |
| Mrs Ruth Quek, Children/Y. Adults | ruth |
| Mr Vernon Quek, Y. Adults/Evang. | vernon |
| Mr Linus Koe, Family/Media | linus |
| Mrs Sharon Quek, Trg/Mobilisation | sharon |
| Mr Quek Tze-Ming, Assoc Min Staff | tzeming |
Speaker: Deacon Danny Chua
Warning: Fake News! STAND FIRM!
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
Fake News – Jesus has Returned??? (vv. 1-2)
Not Yet… First, the Rebellion & the Lawless Man (vv.3-12)
Before Jesus returns, there will be intense false teaching led by one key individual. Even many who claim to follow Christ will fall away from the Gospel truth.
(i) We don’t know exactly who this man of lawlessness is
(ii) But we’ll be able to recognize him through his actions
(iii) The Lord Jesus will easily crush him in the end (v. 8)
Church, STAND FIRM!
Motherly Assurance: God will surely bring us through! (vv. 13-14, 16-17)
Fatherly Exhortation: So, we must stand firm! (v. 15)
Questions for reflection:
- What was one truth or lesson you remember from the message? Why?
- In this climate or fear and anxiety, what false teachings are Christians at risk of believing?
- How can we help one another in our AGs to love the truth and stand firm in the Gospel?
Our Church
Church shelter (20 Apr) – Many shelter seekers are displaced due to safe-distancing measures causing reduced housing availability. Session has approved and responded to MSF’s appealed for churches to provide temporary housing for displaced people during Circuit Breaker. From 20 April to 4 May, Zion Bishan will open five rooms on the ground floor as temporary housing for five individuals. The Living Room café will be providing meals for them.
ZB COVID-19 Mission Relief Fund (p.6) – In these times of manifold needs everywhere, do pray that we, and for all churches, to rise up, “stand in the gap” (Ez 22:30-31) and provide relief for the saints. The majority of us may have our lifestyles disrupted in this season. But for many others, including church members, their livelihoods are in jeopardy. Session has approved the commencement of the Zion Bishan COVID-19 Mission Relief Fund and we invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us in this endeavour.
Our People
Domestic Helpers – Lev 19:34 exhorts us to “love the alien [in our midst] as yourself.” Pray for domestic helpers who take care of our families, while they are apart from theirs. Pray also for employers and families to understand their blessed position to be faithful stewards of the lives that God has entrusted to them. May they consider how to show God’s love to their helpers and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.
Our World
West Bengal, India — In the midst of India’s lockdown, we thank God for a ministry partner who visited families and identified, and addressed food concerns in the neighbourhood.
In collaboration with the community, the mission partner managed to provide rice and dhal for the needy. Praise God for this initiative.
Pray for their protection from the virus even as they use protective gear and practice safe distancing. May they persevere in reaching out to the community even as the lockdown extends beyond the intended deadline.
Ministry Partner in Central Philippines — Update on Primen, who has heart problems. Thank God a cardiologist is able to examine him. Do pray that necessary medical facilities will be available for his examination.
Pray also for Primen who stays alone in the Cebu Mission Centre, for healing and financial provision for the medical examination and follow-up treatment.
Pause or Reset
Written by Ps Zheng Haoren
When MOH raised the national risk assessment alert to DORSCON Orange on 7 Feb 2020, we were cautioned by the Health Minister that the Covid-19 outbreak may take months to resolve. It resulted in some degree of alarm but the public was quickly assured by our national leaders. The following two months sped by, with escalating infections and corresponding precautionary measures implemented every week.
During the initial weeks when church congregations were still able to meet and workplaces started to function in split teams with telecommuting, many regarded this season as a pause to one’s routine. Church programmes and activities were postponed; overseas travel curtailed; face-to-face meetings between individuals in split teams were disallowed; etc. These were necessary adjustments. But, otherwise, people were still able to meet over meals and go shopping.
“Oh, things are slowing down. It’s a good change to our national lifestyle actually. These restrictions are like pressing the ‘pause’ button while you’re watching YouTube. Let’s take this slowdown to catch our breath.” These were thoughts on people’s minds. There was a somewhat overconfident hope that the effects of Covid-19 will soon come to pass, the DORSCON alert will be reversed, and life will return to normalcy.
It did not happen. Instead, Covid-19 infections escalated in waves not just in Singapore but across the world. Except for essential services, everything else has now come to a standstill in Singapore till 4 May at least. Stay-at-home, work from home, most workplaces closed, schools closed, worship venues closed, public libraries closed, no entertainment, no shopping, no face-to-face meetings or gatherings with friends, relatives, colleagues, or church brethren. It is now an offence not to practise safe-distancing. All these have kicked in! Life in Singapore currently is no longer the same.
Has reality sunk in? Is this a Pause? Or has the Reset button been activated? I believe it is the latter. Our Heavenly Father has allowed Covid-19 to become a worldwide pandemic and at an unprecedented speed. He knows what is best for mankind. Father knows best. Our lifestyles, values, and attitudes need to be reviewed. How should we respond? Should we maintain the attitude of riding through this pandemic and reverting to our usual intense lifestyles again? If we have resolved to use this season to seek God in solitude, to grow in prayer life, to value time with loved ones, to journal, to de-clutter, to revive book-reading, etc., would we be even more resolved to maintain these disciplines when God in His mercy heals the lands and the peoples around the world? If we have been living at a fast and intense pace without God being in our centre, would we see the need to Reset our lives, and not just pause and revert to usual when this pandemic ends?
Domestic Helpers Fellowship
Missions at Your Doorstep
God cares about migrant workers (Lev 19:34)! If you need help with discipling or sharing Christ with your helper, the Domestic Helpers Fellowship might be able to help you.
Email us at ziondhf@gmail.com and we will follow up with you.
For suggestions and information, visit www.zionbishan.org.sg/dhf
Friday Prayer Meeting
Friday, 8.00pm, Zoom Meeting
Attendance has been very encouraging as more people are joining from home!
We will be praying especially for our church, nation and the world in this critical time.
To join us on Zoom, register with Lydia. Call 6353 8081 or sign up online at www.zionbishan.org.sg/friday-prayer-meeting
COVID-19 Ministry Support Initiatives
ZB COVID-19 Survey #2
The first survey we administered a fortnight ago was helpful for highlighting areas of need and possibilities for service.
Follow-up actions were taken.
Since then, we have entered the Circuit Breaker season - this is affecting us in various ways.
Please take a moment to fill in our follow-up survey #2 - to be completed by Monday 20 Apr.
The survey will include an opportunity for business owners and freelancers to add to an inventory of businesses that ZB members can consider supporting.
To access the survey: http://tiny.cc/ZBsurvey2
ZB COVID-19 Mission Relief Fund
Application and Information
Refer to Pastor Alby's write up on p.6 which explains the purpose of this Fund, and how donations can be made.
If you wish to apply for relief through this fund for yourself or for your household, please complete and submit the online application form here: http://tiny.cc/ZBrelief
This is for ZB members or regular attendees only.
The same eligibility criteria as the Government's Temporary Relief Fund apply, though we may consider exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Applications will be accepted up to 31 Dec 2020.
Contact your Cluster leader or email care@zionbishan.org.sg for inquiries.
