Teach and Learn

The Lord's prayer; Jesus teach his disciples how to pray in the Sermon of the mount.

The prayer as it occurs in Matthew 6:9–13
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

We must Learn and constantly improve ourselves!

Singapore introduce the SkillsFuture
SkillsFuture is a national movement to provide Singaporeans with the opportunities to develop their fullest potential throughout life, regardless of their starting points. Through this movement, the skills, passion and contributions of every individual will drive Singapore's next phase of development towards an advanced economy and inclusive society.

No matter where you are in life – schooling years, early career, mid-career or silver years – you will find a variety of resources to help you attain mastery of skills. Skills mastery is more than having the right paper qualifications and being good at what you do currently; it is a mindset of continually striving towards greater excellence through knowledge, application and experience. With the help of the SkillsFuture Council, education and training providers, employers, unions – you can own a better future with skills mastery and lifelong learning. Your skills. Your asset. Your future.

Unrighteous Steward?

"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Luke 16:8-9

CITY Harvest Church's (CHC) former finance manager Serina Wee yesterday said she would never break the law.

She added that her actions were part of "the battle to see the vision of God come to pass".

Wee, 38, who was testifying on her final day on the witness stand, categorically denied all 10 charges levelled against her.

She maintained that she and the church leaders acted on the advice of lawyers and auditors.

Asked by her lawyer, Senior Counsel Andre Maniam, at the end of his re-examination of his client's evidence if she had anything to say about the many e-mail messages and documents at the centre of her month-long testimony, Wee spoke passionately.

"These are not just exhibits, they represent the many years the (church) team spent fighting to fulfil the vision of God over our church," she told the court.

"And it's not just us, it's Sun (pop singer Ho Yeow Sun) who laid down her life, the many staff who are involved, church members (who) prayed, people that gave.

"All this is not done for selfish ambition or personal gain, but just us fighting the battle to see the vision of God come to pass.

"I never thought any of these things were illegal or violating the law. And that is what I still firmly believe to this day."

Wee faces six charges relating to criminal breach of trust over church funds and four charges relating to the falsification of CHC accounts.

Alongside five others, she is said to have misused church money to bankroll Ms Ho's music career.

The six people are alleged to have misappropriated $24 million in church building funds through sham bond investments in the music production firm Xtron and glass manufacturer Firna, and another $26 million to cover it up.

The church leaders wanted to use the Crossover Project to spread the Gospel through Ms Ho's music.

Earlier yesterday, during the prosecution's cross-examination of her evidence, Wee disagreed that she knew the bonds were a sham and that she had knowingly conspired with the others to misappropriate church funds.

While Wee maintained that there were "real (legal) obligations and real returns", she said: "The purpose is to fund the music career (of Ms Ho) but it is also for returns for CHC."

Wee also denied falsifying church accounts by entering the alleged sham investments in its books.

Ms Ho called to the stand - the 136th day of the trial - as a witness by former CHC investment manager Chew Eng Han, one of the six accused.

Ms Ho claimed that the Crossover Project "impacted" many individuals; Taiwanese singers Jay Chou, Will Liu, Rachel Liang, and two members of the band F.I.R.

Shrewdness

1 Corinthians 3:19-20
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God For it is written, "He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS"; and again, "THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS."

FCBC backs down in battle

Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) has backed down from its bid to get the courts to review the Manpower Minister’s order for it to compensate a pregnant worker it had sacked for adultery.

In a statement sent to members which it also posted on its Facebook page, FCBC said it is withdrawing its bid for a judicial review, now that it has “come to understand and recognise the rationale/basis for the Minister’s decision based on the specific facts of this case”. “We accept that every decision of the Minister would depend on the unique facts of each case,” the church said.

The withdrawal, which was confirmed by FCBC’s lawyer Adrian Wee today (May 18), came after it had pressed on in bringing the matter before the courts. In September last year, it succeeded in getting the courts to strike out the Attorney-General’s appeal against an earlier court decision giving the church the green light to pursue the case.

The Attorney-General’s (AG) appeal was pending with the court when FCBC withdrew its case on Monday (18 May 2015), as the AG had – in October 2014 – successfully obtained permission to appeal against the earlier High Court decision which allowed Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) to pursue judicial review.

Mr Wee told TODAY the withdrawal of the application will not affect the compensation order, which has already been paid to the woman.

Despite dropping the case, FCBC today maintained it has a different stance from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), regarding terms of employment. The ministry had told the church that an organisation’s terms of employment should be “reasonable” and “should relate to the job and position held, and should not govern the private lives of their employees, unless it relates to the performance of the job”.

But FCBC said that, as a religious body, it “would take the view that moral conduct can, in appropriate circumstances, be governed by the terms of employment, where such conduct would affect the moral authority required in the performance of a job”.

FCBC also gave its reasons for starting the judicial review process — it was “concerned” and wanted clarity on the boundaries within which religious bodies are able to conduct their internal affairs in managing their organisations. It added: “FCBC remains committed to the well-being of our nation, more so as she celebrates the year of Jubilee.”

In response to TODAY’s queries, an MOM spokesperson said since the church had accepted the Minister’s decision, the ministry considers the matter closed.

“We welcome FBCB’s decision ... MOM wishes to remind all employers of the importance of clearly communicating upfront to a prospective employee on his or her obligations under the contract, which must be reasonable and relevant to the requirements of the job,” the spokesperson said.

The matter arose in July 2013, after then-Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin ordered FCBC to pay an administrative worker it had sacked on grounds of adultery about S$7,000 in salary and maternity benefits.

The woman, who was fired in 2012, had complained to the MOM that she had been dismissed without notice or compensation.

Doing the Right Thing in a Secular World!

A Naughty Boy challenging Forgiveness

Love Your Enemies
...bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. "Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back...

If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Luke 6:29

How far can Forgiveness goes?

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

https://amosyee.wordpress.com/2015/05/15/the-molestation-of-vincent-law/

It is time everyone ignore him.

Answer not a fool according to his folly,
lest you be like him yourself.
Answer a fool according to his folly,
lest he be dwise in his own eyes.
Proverbs 26:4–5

Varsity in Singapore launch independent LBGT network

The first-ever independent support network for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in major Singapore universities is to be launched next month – and it’s receiving a lot of support.

Next month’s Pink Dot event – which, according to TODAY, has attracted a record number of sponsors including Bloomberg, Twitter and Cathay Organisation – will mark the opening of the Inter-University LGBT Network.

It is comprised of representatives from five independent student groups - The G Spot from Yale-NUS College, tFreedom from Tembusu College at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Gender Collective from the University Scholars Programme at NUS, Kaleidoscope from the Nanyang Technological University, and Out To Care from the Singapore Management University (SMU).

It shows the gay community is still standing strong, despite a Supreme Court ruling in October last year to uphold the country’s ban on same-sex relations between consenting adult men under section 377A of Singapore’ penal code.

And it’s a community garnering more and more public support.

Last month IKEA Singapore was slammed on social media for promoting a show by a magician who previously publicly said he viewed homosexuals as having "a shorter lifespan, more sexually transmitted infections and more health problems than the general population".

The international furniture giant went ahead with the magic show by Pastor Lawrence Khong

“As a company, IKEA Singapore respects the diversity and equality of all people living in our community,” IKEA Singapore’s assistant marketing manager Sandra Keasberry said in a statement.

“We also respect that all individuals have a right to their opinions and personal choices, including the freedom to choose their preferred entertainment.”

Speaking to TODAY on the sidelines of a Pink Dot press conference, Kaleidoscope’s Jessica Goh said she hoped the new network will help the groups collaborate with one another to provide greater support for the LGBT community and “foster a better environment within the schools”.

The launch of the network provides a timely reminder to Singapore employers that it is important to LGBT-friendly, something which – according to founder and CEO of Achieve Group Joshua Yim – can actually increase employee engagement.

Many companies prize integrity as a virtue and desire this from their employees, Yim told Singapore Business Review.

“It is usually part of the organisations mission statement and core values.

“If an employee is gay and tries to hide his or her sexual orientation for fear of being penalised or discriminated against, then this person is not being authentic. In fact, we can even say that the person is being fake or is a phony, and that would literally run against the codes of a company that values integrity.

But when an individual is empowered to be himself, he will definitely feel a sense of belonging and acceptance, resulting in a more engaged employee, Yim said.

“At the same time, other teammates within the organisation will also feel a sense of engagement as they witness the organisation upholding the over-arching principle of having integrity and being embracing of individual differences.”

Loving homosexuals does not mean accepting homosexual practices.
http://www.thebiblepage.org/biblesays/homosexuality.shtml

Maximize your Talent for the expansion of God's Kingdom

“Crafty”, “clever”, "Creative", "Good at making money" - Think of Jews.

The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

If the talents are talents of gold, the value of what the master entrusted to the stewards would be immensely high, in the millions of dollars. Since the Lord uses only the term "talents" we must make some assumptions, but is seems reasonable to assume that the owner of the talents, the man traveling into a far country, was a wealthy man. He is entrusting his wealth to three men who become stewards of his money. One receives five talents. Another receives two talents. A third steward receives one talent. Each is given a significant amount of money. These are stewards entrusted with the care of the money. The stewards must know the personality and character of their Lord. He expects them to know Him well enough to apply the spirit as well as the letter of His instructions. Those that do are richly rewarded. The others receive severe judgment. The amount given is based on each steward’s ability. The first two understand the spirit and letter of instructions and the character of their Lord. They both use the resources by "trading" to gain a profit. Each of them makes a 100 percent profit. Fear and mistrust of his Lord motivate the third steward. He buries the money in the earth and returns the original amount. The profitable stewards are praised, given increased responsibilities and invited to enter into the joy of their Lord. The un-trusting steward is scolded, rejected, and punished.

There is a universal application to all mankind. From the time of the creation of mankind, each individual has been entrusted with resources of time and material wealth. Everything we have comes from God and belongs to Him. We are responsible for using those resources so that they increase in value. As Christians, we have additionally the most valuable resource of all – the Word of God. If we believe and understand Him, and apply His Word as good stewards, we are a blessing to others and the value of what we do multiplies. We are accountable to the Lord for the use of His resources.

http://blog.tifwe.org/five-lessons-for-our-lives-from-the-parable-of-the-talents/

City Harvest Trial: Serina Wee 'engineered ways to help fund Sun Ho's career' 

Serina Wee helped City Harvest Church (CHC) pastor Kong Hee engineer ways to finance the career of his pop singer wife Ho Yeow Sun, the prosecution said in court yesterday.

It said that together with other church leaders, the former CHC finance manager devised three different schemes to channel money from CHC's building fund to Ms Ho's management company Xtron.

They finally settled on the third, which was buying $13 million in Xtron bonds in August 2007 - money that would pay for Ms Ho's United States album, the costs of which had increased significantly.

Wee, 38, is part of a group of six church leaders accused of misusing church money to bankroll Ms Ho's secular music career.

Set up her own bookkeeping firm, Advante Consulting. Deputy Public Prosecutor Christopher Ong argued in court that the move was a smokescreen, so auditors would not raise questions about whether the church had control over Xtron.

"I put it to you that the real reason Advante was started, and then took on the role of Xtron's accountant, was a step to create this separation that was felt to be necessary between CHC, Xtron and UEPL," he said. UEPL was another church-linked firm then involved in a church property bid.

A day for the building of your walls!
    In that day the boundary shall be far extended.
In that day they will come to you,
    from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
and from Egypt to the River,
    from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
Micah 7:11-12

Thinking/Reading too much into things

Pink Dot, LGBT militants score own goal

https://atans1.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/pink-dot-lgbt-militants-score-own-goal/

Will you stop using IKEA products just because they support a Magic show?

Very weird. If pink dot respects diversity of opinion, then why does it still think that ikea should not hire the pastor for a magic show?

I think that some people can’t get it in their head that ikea is only buying a magic show and that the seller’s religious, political and sexual views do not enter into the equation at all.

Just because I buy palm oil products does not mean I agree with companies burning forests in Indonesia to clear land. Nor am I obliged to stop purchase because you don’t like it.

And

Also note that ikea is Not sponsoring anything. I don’t sponsor Toyota when I buy a car from them. It’s purely a commercial transaction. I do not associate myself with Toyota’s beliefs, philosophies or principles just because I happen to buy a car from them.

Same for ikea and the pastor. Same for Muslim food. Just because I eat at a Muslim stall does not mean I agree with the religion. All it means is I think the food is good.

Gays will do well to remember this, especially if they want to sample Muslim food, because islam’s stand on homosexuality is quite clear.

Pink dot should remember that one not read too much into everything. It is not like what George Bush said– that you are either with us or you are against us– when he addressed the world after Sep 11. Just because your straight friends go to a magic show by the pastor does not mean they have turned against you.

Nice one!

Miracle Awaits You - MAY

Conversation with God

Man: I can't find time. Life has become hectic.

God: Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you free.

Man: Why has life become complicated now?

God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. It makes it complicated.

Man: Why are we then constantly unhappy?

God; Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Man: Why do good people always suffer?

God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience their life becomes better, not bitter.

Man: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Man: Because of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading...

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides the Way.

Man: Why does failure hurts more than moving in the right direction?

God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.

Man: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Man: What surprises you about people?

God: When they suffer they ask," why me..?" When they prosper, they never ask "why me!"

Man: How can I get the best out of life?

God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without FEAR.

Man: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God: There are no unanswered prayers. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.

May you never fail
May you never weep
May you never lack
May you find favour
May you succeed
May you excel
May you be great

Because Its MAY.