MEGALIFE QUARTERLY JOURNALNo. 1

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Published by: MegaLife Ministry (Youth Ministry of RiverLife Church)Printer: Nucolour Pte. Ltd.

The views expressed by the writers do not necessarily reflect the official stand of The Fold. This journal is not for sale.

Copyright © The Fold 2015ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Any unauthorised reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, includying photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without expressed written permission from the publisher.

Welcome to The Fold.

In our debut issue, many of our stories centre on returning to first love. We muse on the unbreakable relationship between the Good Shepherd and His sheep; we shall meditate on the ultimate sacrifice — the laying down of

His life for His sheep ( John 10:11).

This quarterly journal is all about the lives found from within the pen, celebrating ordinary lives that have been transformed by the love and grace of their extraordinary God. We hope to share voices that have been previously overlooked, unearthing how they have all grown in

following the Shepherd’s voice.

May you discover His whisper nestled in these narratives — an unmistakably gentle timbre that draws you in. As you call upon your Shepherd, may you learn that in His

love, you lack nothing (Psalm 23:1).

In His grip,Joseph

EDITOR’S NOTE

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Words by Joy Sarang Ng Photo by Lee Ming Han

everything could be anythingeverything is all that is around me

everything, something in abundanceeverything, fullness in itself, fullness in the way it sounds

and yet

everything, sometimes nothingeverything, sometimes

partial, incomplete

everythingi try to fill myself with

everything, except One Thingi try to fill myself with everything else

i fill myself with nothing

everything else is but a voided screameverything else only fills me up with noise

everything else is as the sea foamfizzles and dissolves

everything else: everything that is notOne Thing

One Thing, inhabit myeverything

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ONE THING

MY FIRST LOVEWords by Olivia Low Photo by Lee Ming Han

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I used to think that my first love was the boy I liked when I was in primary four. Darren looked Eurasian and I fondly remember how his cheeks would reach his eyelids whenever he smiled. He would always hang out with the other boys at the playground, climbing the monkey bars, and climbing into the huge canal by our flats to play.

One evening, I was found alone with him and another neighbour. We talked for over an hour and for the first time, I felt accepted. He was not mean to me like all the other kids at the playground; he made me feel like I was someone worth noticing when everybody else had treated me like a dead twig. I thought it was love and all I wanted in return was for him to love me back.

Back then I was severely overweight and in order for him to see more than a friend, I had to be thinner. At ten years old, nothing else but my outward appearance mattered — who was going to look into my heart? The first thing that came to mind was to exercise, but not only did the physical work and perspiring not appeal to me, I was also ashamed of displaying my body in public, whether at the jogging track or swimming pool. The fastest way I knew was to cut down on my daily intake of food.

After two years, I had lost so much weight, to the extent that my school uniform was twice my size. My collarbones were so sunken in that it could collect a pool of water; I could finally see my toes.

Yet, even after losing all that weight, Darren didn’t like me back. He never texted me; neither did he look for me at the playground beneath our blocks. Funnily, this unrequited puppy love did not hurt me for long. I felt that if I was skinny enough, love could be obtained from other boys

anyway. While my exterior had changed dramatically, the hidden need for affection still remained the same.

This desire fed my compulsion to binge and purge for three years. Each time I ate, I would be so worried that I would gain weight and become fat overnight. I would be paranoid about my thighs, my belly, my arms, my chin, my calves. I would feast, only to throw up everything after, and sit in the toilet crying. No matter what anyone was telling me, I could never see myself as skinny enough.

It only hit me that I had lost so much weight when I realised that the boys in school started to take notice of me. This was when God started to open my eyes to the fact that I could not carry on this habit forever. He started to take me by the hand, and enabled me to discover how beautifully made I was. He used different people to inspire me, encourage me, and point me back to Him. He gave me so much love that my inner desires for love and attention were finally met. It took two years of discovering my identity before overcoming this eating disorder.

Through this process, God demonstrated what true love is to me. I did not have to lose weight in order for Him to be madly in love with me. I never had to prove myself so as to catch His loving eye — I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 119:14). This love was patient (1 Corinthians 13:4) through the times when I disappointed Him and relapsed into my old way of life. It forgave me time and time again (1 Corinthians 13:5) and rejoiced in my triumphs.

My first love is God. He loved me and accepted me before anyone else.

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Words by Hannah Leung Photo by Lee Ming Han

INTERVIEW: YU KANG & YU HANG

The Hospitality Ministry is known for Uncle Sam’s warm chocolate brownies topped with ice cream and of course, their cordial smiles and handshakes before you enter the Worship Centre. Did you know that each usher shakes about 30 hands every Saturday? Meet the sprightly twins of the ministry, Yu Hang, and Yu Kang. Despite having been in the ministry for only slightly over a year, their spiritual growth has been

decidedly influenced by their service in the ministry.

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What was your attitude like when you first joined the ministry?

YH: When I first joined hospitality ministry, I was a relatively new Christian. I was immensely thankful as I realised what God has done for me, so I came into the ministry wanting to “repay” God for His goodness and grace because I didn’t want to owe Him anything. Soon, serving became a chore and I was hardly satisfied; I was constantly frustrated and got angry easily.

YK: I was very fearful of making mistakes. I did not know the people in the ministry and the MegaLifers yet, so I was very conscious of myself. Was my grip too firm? Did that handshake hurt them? Do they think I’m creepy? Do they think I’m awkward? Furthermore, my service was very dependent on my mood.

Was there a turning point for you?

YH: There came to a point where I felt like quitting. But, I started to notice that my peers were always serving with smiles on their faces; I was very perplexed at the disparity between my attitude and theirs, so I had to find out why. After speaking with a few of them, I came to the realisation that serving was not about what I can do for God but about what God can do through me. For example, when I shook people’s hands at the doors of the Worship Centre, I used to force myself to be the most enthusiastic person on the team, and I would be very hard on myself. “What if that person doesn’t come to know Jesus because of me?” I thought in that manner. After understanding that God wants my heart not my hands, I slowly understood the heart of serving. Now, I serve with joy and not from the lack of it.

YK: Different people in Hospitality Ministry encouraged me with words, but their actions encouraged me greatly too. I witnessed how they evidently served God from a place full of God’s love, so I told myself to pray and rely on God more. As I constantly asked God to guide me, I became less conscious of myself and I learnt to serve from a place of love.

As you journeyed through the ministry, how has God revealed Himself to you?

YH: During the ministry camp in 2014, we went out to help the elderly living in 1-room flats. At one of the houses, I was helping out by washing a jug that the elderly

resident had vomited into. The pungent odour irked me so much that I kept questioning the need for us to visit these elderly. In that moment, God interrupted my thoughts. He told me that He hates sin just like how I hated the stench of the vomit. Yet, He took the sins of the world upon Himself because of His love for us. The revelation brought a surge of joy and awe through my whole being, like electricity. I no longer sulked as I did the volunteer work and I kept thanking God for His grace. Wah, siao eh! Jesus paid it all for me!

YK: For me, it was not a particular moment but it was through the process of serving that God revealed himself to me. Throughout my journey, I got tired very easily but my friends always reminded me to draw strength from God. I slowly, but surely, got into the rhythm of focusing on God and hearing from God. Serving became less of what I wanted to achieve and more of obeying what God is calling me to do. As I learnt the meaning of putting God in the centre of my service, I served with newfound joy and I hardly grew tired of serving. I now know that I can always turn to God for strength.

How has your growth in the ministry affected the way you relate to people outside of church?

YH: God is teaching me to use the little things to bless my friends. Also, through my encounters with God, I am learning more and more to trust in Him in the face of difficult situations in school.

YK: I am now more patient with my friends, and I am also learning how to use the little things to bless my friends. Buying a friend a drink costs me a hotdog bun; Buy four friends a drink each costs me one chicken rice sia! But letting God use me to bless them is more important than my chicken rice. *laughs*

Being twins, would you say that your individual journeys have been unique?

YH: God encounters and speaks to us differently, but ultimately He is drawing us closer to Him.

How do you hope to see Megalife grow?

YK: I hope that Megalife will go crazy for God. I hope that we will remove the barriers and limits in our love for God such that when people see us, they will see our passion and love for God and for others.

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I grew up being apathetic towards Singapore, and thought it wasn’t a big deal.

It started in secondary school, where Social Studies and National Education classes stopped having their intended effects on me; stories about how we struggled as a new nation and our progress as a nation within this short span of time no longer left my heart swelling with pride. I had heard of such stories so many times that I became immune to them. To be honest, I was more than happy to put behind my “childish” enthusiasm towards Singapore. There were many more important things I could invest my life in.

This indifference towards National Education eventually extended beyond the classroom, teetering into a lifestyle of intentional ignorance towards my country. National events would often pass by silently and without much fuss unless it was a school holiday; I never touched the newspaper unless it was part of my English homework. The only fleeting sparks of patriotism occurred when I caught snippets of the National Day Parade on TV, or when I felt offended by foreigners who criticised Singapore.

I believe that this apathy towards our home country can also be found in many young people today. Why are we so hung up on loving our nation?

God has since given me a new perspective, and here are some things He’s placed on my heart regarding the matter:

The Devil’s Plan

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ( John 10:10)

Many of us would be familiar with the first part of this verse as it is commonly quoted for “spiritual things”: the joy of our salvation, our love for God, our identity as children of God, and the promises of God. While these things are important aspects of our faith, I believe that

the devil has also come to steal our patriotism towards Singapore. Could it be that he has stolen, killed, and destroyed the love and concern we have for Singapore, to such an extent that we no longer think that it is a big deal? Therein lies the real danger.

God’s Plan

God’s perfect sovereignty warrants that He does everything for specific and good reason, and this includes His choice of our birth country. This principle is illustrated in the creation of the very first man, Adam. Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east; and there he put the man he had formed. (Genesis 2:8) Our love towards Singapore is therefore important.

Most of us already know that our God is sovereign and that it is by no accident that we were born in Singapore. However our attitude towards her often does not reflect an understanding and appreciation of this truth. As I grew out of my teenage years, God began to teach me that I cannot claim to believe in His sovereignty over the universe and my life, and yet remain apathetic towards Singapore. I was compelled to think about why He has placed me here, what exactly He is calling me to, or what I can do for this country.

Many of us have our eyes focused on the nations, with aspirations to bless and minister unto others. While there is no doubt that this is a good thing, let us, as Singaporeans, not turn a blind eye to our own country. We cannot believe the devil’s lie that Singapore is not as important.

If you have been apathetic towards Singapore like I was, I believe that God is calling you out of this apathy today. He longs for you to see her the way He sees it, and for you to find meaning in loving our nation. You can start small: changing your attitude towards National Education or refusing to ‘like’ articles on Facebook that spread hateful sentiments towards Singapore. As you take this step, may He begin to reclaim all that the devil has stolen from you, removing what stands in your way of having life to the full.

APATHYWords by Daphne Choo Photo by Marvin Ng

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INTERVIEW: VICTORIA TANWords by Keziah Lim Photo by Lee Ming Han

“Boring” and “dry” are often words used to describe reading the Bible. Victoria, 14, was no different; everything from dancing, blogging, and baking seemed to interest her more. In a candid interview, she tells of her turning point in loving the Word, and how it is now her main source of encouragement

and hope.

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Before you started catching onto the love for the Word, what were your opinions of it?

Before I started reading the Word, I thought that it would be boring so I didn’t enjoy reading it. Reading the Word was dry and I didn’t find any use for it. I only read it in service when we were asked to flip to the Bible. Other than that, I didn’t read it at home.

Why did you think of the Word that way?

The Bible seemed like the big book of rules. When people think of the Bible, people think that it’s a book where God tells you what to do and what not to do. It’s not your typical story, hence it wasn’t interesting for me. Before, I read it because my mum asked me to. I did not have any personal purpose or drive.

Was there a time where your understanding of the word changed which made you think of the Bible differently?

It happened when I was preparing for my PSLE. I was really stressed out but it didn’t occur to me to read the Bible. I was mopping around and grumbling. My mum received a word from God during her devotion, and this was how 2 Kings 3:16-17 came to me.

“This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.”

If we dig our trenches, meaning that if we do our part, God will make His promises come to pass. God will fill the trenches up and bless our hard work. After I heard that, I felt encouraged and my opinion about the Word changed. I felt more hope in my situation; that if I worked hard and did my part, God would help me and I wasn’t alone in my exam period. I’ve never realised that the Word is full of hope and God’s promises are always there in His Word for me. We just have to read it to know them.

I started to see how the Word is full of God’s promises and encouragement. Before, I just read it like a story book, without the intention of discovering more of God. I now read it knowing that there is something God wants to teach or tell me. It makes me more attentive to what He

has to say to me through the Word.

Was there a time when your love for the Word was tested?

Yes. I used to dance 6 days a week and besides that, I had my studies to think about. I was really busy and I stopped reading the Word for about 2-3 months. My walk with God deteriorated; I felt like what I was doing had no meaning even though I was so busy. My soul was restless. I was busy studying and dancing non-stop, such that I didn’t think of reading the Bible.

When I got injured, I danced less frequently, from six days to four days a week. I had more time to myself and started reading the Bible more. The struggle taught me that I really needed the Word in my life; I started reading the Bible in the morning; placing it as a priority helps me put Him first in what I do.

How does the love for the Word help you in your daily life?

Apart from it refreshing my tired soul, it also helped me when I was struggling with insecurities due to my self-image. I was not satisfied with my outer appearance. Reading the Word helped me to realise that inner beauty is more important. It grew my desire to pursue God and be more like Him. As I grew in Christ-likeness, I overcame my ungodly discontentment and found purpose in what I do.

How do you make sure you read the Word regularly?

It starts with personal effort, in cultivating a daily habit. It takes a lot of discipline and intentionality, as it involves not giving into temptations such as spending time on social media.

Are there any tips, advice, or encouragement for MegaLifers in reading the Word more?

It takes time to have the habit of reading the Word every day. It is not easy due to distractions, but we have a choice in what we prioritise and how we spend our time. Reading the Word regularly is fulfilling and changes my life. In this habit, we find freedom from stress, busyness, and discontentment; we can find our true purpose in God.

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Attending Sunday service, going for cell group, attending church camps — these are the typical activities of Christians in Singapore. It seems that evangelism is something outside of this “Christian” label. There might be a host of reasons for this, but common responses have been: “Someone else will do it for me,” “There will always be next time,” and “I shy.” I, myself, have been guilty of such a response. However, in the past few months, God has been teaching me about the need to evangelise.

In Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV), it states: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Our duty in this world is not to wait idly for Christ’s return, rather we are called to go out into the world and share the gospel. We are not commissioned to merely attend Sunday service and cell; we also have to step outside the four walls of the church and reach as many as possible for Jesus. The best part is that we do not need to possess the spiritual gift of evangelism to do it. Kirk Cameron once said: “If you have the cure to cancer, wouldn’t you share it? You have the cure to death; get out there and share it.”

However, we all know that it isn’t all that easy to open our mouths and share the gospel. I have struggled with the idea of walking up to a complete stranger and start talking about Jesus. I have even struggled to do this with my friends. These are some things that might help you with the daunting task of reaching one more for Jesus.

1. Sharing the Gospel should be the result of an authentic relationship with God

I have struggled with this from a young age; I have always thought of the Great Commission as part of a Christian’s “to-do list”, hence I am obligated to share the gospel with others. Over time, I have come to understand that His overflowing grace and love in my life should be the key driving force in me desiring to share the gospel. I only learnt this a few months back, when I was in Myanmar doing street evangelism. While I was sharing with the locals about the gospel, I realised that I did not depend upon any script; most of the things that I spoke about were drawn from personal experiences or encounters with God. I was simply sharing how good God has been to

me. Let not our mouth, but His love and words, do the talking.

2. Evangelism is not about confrontation, but engagement

Whenever we evangelise to someone, we could speak from a position of judgement — we chide the person for the things that he/she is doing wrong. However, this only affronts him/her as they feel condemned. When I was younger, I remember evangelising to my friends about God only to be rejected by them. In a fit of rage, I told them that they were going to end up in hell. This only made it worse and eliminated any future opportunities for me to spread God’s love to them. Let us present them with the love of God and show them that His grace is more than enough for them.

3. Listen and Go

We all know that it takes a lot of faith to step out and follow what God has placed in our hearts. This is personally the hardest for me to do. It is one thing to listen to God, but it is another for me to act upon it. I always question myself if I had heard correctly from God and this constant fear of being wrong has often held me back from sharing the gospel. But then again, I’ll never know until I act upon it. All we need is to have a little faith in Him — the size of a tiny mustard seed — and avail ourselves as vessels to be used by Him. I believe that even the smallest of faiths can result in great victories.

4. Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Sometimes we do not even need to open our mouth to share the gospel. In our daily lives, people are often looking at our speech and behaviour; we are His living testimonies. When others notice the difference between secular values and our lives emanating biblical values, this could open a door of opportunity to share Christ. From here, sharing the gospel becomes a whole lot easier.

There is no sure-proof way of sharing gospel, and it can be a daunting challenge. However, the main point of the gospel is this: “Jesus loves ____” Sharing the gospel is merely us being willing vessels to share His love to ____. So, have you shared with ____ about Jesus yet? In 2015, let us not forget that we have all been called to share the gospel. May you see what God sees and allow His burden to be yours.

EVANGELISM IS NOT FOR MEWritten by Royston Tan Photo by Alvin Song

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MEGALIFE YOUTH SERVICERIVERLIFE CHURCHSATURDAYS, 4:30 — 6:30 PM6 LOYANG BESAR CLOSE