Shopping malls not in God's purpose

Article below

Why is new creation church now getting into the business of running shopping malls? Their excuse is that they have too much money doing nothing in the bank...

This is a pretty ridiculous affair. God did not set up churches to raise capital and run investments... the church exists as a channel for god's love to reach out to more and more people. Riches on earth don't last - why can't new creation church get this right? This smacks of the sin of greed and serves only to distract from god. Even from a non-religious point of view - you would expect churches to be furthering the values of core humanity, not that of profit.

And this is not the only manifestation: Some pastors are paid more than necessary to sustain a comfortable life - unconsciously justified by some by the 'personality cults' that are a direct product of the the Pentecostal or the Charismatic movement. I tend to agree with the quintessence of these traditions - direct personal experience of God and so on - but not the way Christianity is being marketed and steeped in the ways of the world.

If new creation has too much money "doing nothing" in the bank, it would be prudent to make that money "do something" - local charitable outreaches, overseas missions, and so on. Something in line with God's purpose, not building shopping malls.


*I've yet to see such pastors though - just heard of them


Fr. today's straits times:



Come 2011, a futuristic-looking lifestyle hub with a 5,000-seat theatre, restaurants, shops, chill-out wine bars and even dance clubs will emerge in Buona Vista.

Property giant CapitaLand and a church-linked business company, Rock Productions, announced yesterday that they will jointly develop an integrated complex in Singapore’s one-north science hub at a cost of $660 million.

CapitaLand’s share of the proposed development, including the ownership of about 1,000 carpark lots, will be about $380 million.

Rock Productions - the business arm of the 16,000- strong New Creation Church - will invest $280 million.

The complex, which will be connected directly to the Buona Vista MRT station, will be sited within the 17ha Vista Xchange, the business service centre as well as lifestyle and cultural hub of one-north.

Designed by Mr Andrew Bromberg of Aedas Hong Kong, it will have eight levels of civic and cultural space, and four levels of retail and entertainment space.

The project came about after JTC Corporation last Friday awarded Rock Productions the tender to build, lease and operate an integrated civic, cultural, retail and entertainment hub at Vista Xchange on a 60-year lease at a land price of $189 million.

Rock Productions had spoken to a few partners and decided on CapitaLand, which entered into an agreement through its indirect wholly owned subsidiary One Trustee to acquire the hub’s retail and entertainment zone, which has a gross floor area of more than 24,000 sq m.

CapitaLand Retail will also manage the entire development of the integrated hub.

It is proposing an open concept for the retail and entertainment zone, which will be spread over two floors above the ground and two basement levels. The basement levels will house chic tenants that will include restaurants, cafes, thematic dance clubs, a concept food hall and a gourmet supermarket.

CapitaLand Retail chief executive officer Pua Seck Guan said the zone presents a unique opportunity for CapitaLand to extend its presence to the Buona Vista area.

The zone will cater to the affluent crowd from the nearby Bukit Timah, Holland and Rochester Park areas, as well as the visitor catchments from the one-north communities, surrounding estates and tertiary institutions, he said.

Rock Productions will own and manage the hub’s civic and cultural zone, which has a gross floor area of 30,000 sq m. This zone will have a 5,000-seat state-of-the-art theatre designed by world renowed performing arts facility design consultants Artec Consultants and Bromberg.

Among Artec’s best-known projects are the Lucerne Culture Centre in Switzerland and the concert hall and opera theatre at the Esplanade here.

Rock Productions has engaged IMG Artists, a global performing arts management company, to work on the marketing and programming efforts for the zone.

A major tenant has already been secured.

New Creation Church, which now holds its services at The Rock Auditorium at Suntec City, will be the anchor tenant of the theatre, using the space on a large part of Sundays and one mid-week night, said Rock Productions director Matthew Kang.

Rock Productions also owns and manages The Rock Auditorium and Marine Cove, the recreational and dining establishment at East Coast Park.


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Come to jesus / Chris Rice

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

Busy?

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.

In his opening address he said,

'We can't keep Christians from going to church.'

'We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.'

'We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with
their saviour.'

'Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.'

'So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish
dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a
relationship with Jesus Christ..'

'This is what I want you to do,' said the devil:

'Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that
vital connection throughout their day!'

'How shall we do this?' his demons shouted.

'Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable
schemes to occupy their minds,' he answered.

'Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.'

'Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to
work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their
empty lifestyles.'

'Keep them from spending time with their children.'

'As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape
from the pressures of work!'

'Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice.'

'Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they
drive.' To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in
their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world
plays non-biblical music constantly.'

'This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.'

'Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.'

'Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day.'

'Invade their driving moments with billboards.'

'Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs,
sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering
free products, services and false hopes..'

'Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their
husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and
they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. '

'Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night.'

'Give them headaches too! '












'If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin
to look elsewhere.'

'That will fragment their families quickly!'

'Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children
the real meaning of Christmas.'

'Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection
and power over sin and death.'

'Even in their recreation, let them be excessive.'

'Have them return from their recreation exhausted.'

'Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation.
Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and
movies instead.'

'Keep them busy, busy, busy!'

'And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip
and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences.'

'Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek
power from Jesus.'

'Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their
health and family for the good of the cause.'

'It will work!'

'It will work!'

It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians
everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.

Having little time for their God or their families.

Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.

I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?

You be the judge!!!!!

Does 'BUSY' mean: B-eing U-nder
S-atan's Y-oke?



fwd from conan - thanks!

Have a blessed xmas :-)

As little children
We would dream of Christmas morn
Of all the gifts and toys
We knew we'd find

But we never realized
A baby born one blessed night
Gave us the greatest gift of our lives

*We were the reason
That He gave His life
We were the reason
That He suffered and died
To a world that was lost
He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live

As the years went by
We learned more about gifts
The giving of ourselves
And what that means
On a dark and cloudy day
A man hung crying in the rain
All because of love, all because of love (*)

I've finally found the reason for living
It's in giving every part of my heart to Him
In all that I do every word that I say
I'll be giving my all just for Him, for Him (*)

He is my reason to live


He still came

No palace, no jewels,
no kingdom to rule,
no crown of majesty.
No throne and no robe,
no silver, no gold,
no courts of royalty.

Yet the King of kings left heaven to become a lowly man.
He left all heaven's glory to fulfill His Father's plan.
No family, no friends to help at the end, no out, no substitute.
Much pain and much hurt to give love and worth, He bore our sins and grief.
Yet the hope of what He offered so out weighed what must be done.
He chose to be my victor and assured my pardon won.

He still came, just for me He still came.
Knowing all He would endure, He still came.
Disregarding ev'ry cost, from the manger to the cross.
He still came just for me, He still came.

Come to jesus

For all we muggers..."do your best, god will take care of the rest"

Come to Jesus / Chris Rice

Excerpts from Ecclesiastes (NIV)

My favourite verses:

2:10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labour. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

3:16 ... there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed.

4:6 Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.

4:15 Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labour that he can carry in his hand. 16 ... As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind? 17 All his days he eats in darkness, with great frustration, affliction, and anger.

8:7 Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come? 8 No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no-one has power over the day of his death.

8:15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.

9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom

11:5 ... you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. 6 ... sow your seeds in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle.

11:9 Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgement. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles from your body, for youth and vigour are meaningless.

12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgement.

Light and reflection in the orange breeze.

This occurred a long time ago I was waiting for a taxi outside the school gate.

The setting sun's cast a faint orange glow, and the playful shadows of dusk disrupted that, for the road's orange sodium lamps had yet to turn on. Traffic came in noisy waves, with every green from the Braddell junction. The floor was strewn with fallen yellow leaves, and these flew up as a cool breeze blew.

But no taxi came by, for half an hour.

As patient appreciation of the surreal scene (which reminded me of standing at the Beijing traffic light in winter) turned into impatience and frustration, my mind started to wander.

And suddenly I knew God was talking to me. He gave me 2 words: Refuge and Rejoice , and I stood silently in his company, praying and reflecting.

Those are 2 powerful words: To rejoice in the Lord, for his sacrifice, giving us life, and for what we are and what we have; To find refuge in him, patiently knowing that he loves us, will carry us through, and that he plans to prosper us and not harm us.

He told me to cross the road and get a taxi there - and i thought, how could it be? That spot is just down the road from J8, and with the long taxi queues at J8, all taxis coming down from there are bound to be occupied. Plus there was already someone waiting across the road

But cross the road I did. The guy aleady waiting there got his taxi within 30s, and I got mine a minute later.

Couldn't believe it - and I stil can't. But he works in amazing ways.

There is a higher throne

Really beautiful song by Keith Getty

There is a higher throne
Than all this world has known
Where faithful ones from every tongue
Will one day come
Before the Son we'll stand
Made faultless through the Lamb
Believing hearts find promised grace
Salvation comes

Hear heaven's voices sing
Their thunderous anthem rings
Through emerald courts and sapphire skies
Their praises rise
All glory, wisdom, power
Strength, thanks and honour are
To God our King who reigns on high
For evermore

And there we'll find our home
Our life before the throne
We'll honour Him in perfect song
Where we belong
He'll wipe each tear-stained eye
As thirst and hunger die
The Lamb comes as our Shepherd King
We'll reign with him.


This song is probably inspired by Revelations 7:9-16

9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.



Your spirit is more powerful than your flesh
adapted from from Christnotes

The Holy Spirit, who lives in you if you've accepted God, is greater than anything in the world, including your flesh. Therefore, you do not have to be controlled by your flesh and worldly lusts.

This doesn't mean that things won't come against us, but it does mean that even when hard things come against us, God has given us the power to remain peaceful and joyful even in the midst of the difficult circumstances.Remember that God "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20).

The power God has given us is amazing; however, many Christians never activate that power in their own lives because they don't really believe that God will personally work in them.

Remember that Jesus said, "it shall be done for you as you have believed" (Matthew 8:13). Therefore, dare to believe that God has given you the power to do awesome things for Him -- things that you can only do because your spirit is more powerful than your flesh.

Why

The essence of christianity.

It is marvelous how God provides me with unmeasurable strength and carries me through times of need, always making a way even when i seem to have hit a dead end. It is even more amazing how I can speak to him and feel him comforting and encouraging me deep in my heart. And I rest in the confidence that he, in his great love and forgiveness, will take care of me, and whatever happens is whatever he intended to happen, even though I may not always see why.

Jesus take the wheel

So true.

Merry christmas

Aiyah quite some time never blog liao... very busy recently with RIPB, science club ESP, OBS etc. stuff. budden i'm a little bit of a workaholic...

Came back from thailand a few days ago, had quite a fun trip. Some friends brought my family on a road trip to west and north thailand, then we go back to bangkok for shopping. my mum quite addicted to shopping in bangkok, but the things are really cheap... we came back with 4 boxes, luggage exactly just nice, 1 more kg then overweight. The food also very good, somemore got $2 ramen shop (hachiban ramen)... i love jap food. I fly budget (tiger airways) then comeback that time raining, no aerobridge so got to chiong to terminal from plane, like joker like that. but $9 ticket (plus around $50 taxes and surcharge) cannot complain lah...

Haiz, 4 years go thailand 6 times liao (bangkok 4 times - yes my mum addicted to shopping, then phuket 2 times) Next year dowan to go thailand anymore. Go australia better. Go japan or europe even better but very ex, though it's damn nice. I've been to hamburg, germany before, and it's so lovely.

Have a blessed christmas everyone! And go listen to some christmas carols from the mrbrown show... but admidst all the celebration and shopping, let's not forget what we are celebrating: the birth of Jesus, who came to earth as a sacrifice for our sins, and whose death paid for our sins and brought us forgiveness and eternal life. Let us not let this true meaning of christmas be lost in a shopping spree and a windfall of presents.

What are you praying for?

from ChristNotes

What are you praying for? Are you asking God to give you more stuff--a bigger house, a new car, a bigger salary? What you pray for indicates what is important to you.

It is a great lesson to examine what the people in the Bible prayed for.

King David, in Psalm 27:4, prayed, One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. He asked God for just one thing: that he would dwell in God's presence. David clearly knew that in God's presence he would receive everything he needed (see Matthew 6:33).

Paul also didn't pray for worldly things. Instead, in Philippians 1:9, Paul prayed that the church would walk in love: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more. Paul knew the importance of love, and so he made it a point to pray that the church would grow more and more in love.

Furthermore, he prayed that believers would be strengthened spiritually: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being (Ephesians 3:16).

In short, your prayers can tell what you consider to be important. If you are only praying for worldly stuff, then you are neglecting what is of lasting value: knowing God, dwelling in His presence, walking in His love, and being strong spiritually.

Therefore, decide to adjust what you're praying for. Learn to listen to your prayers, because they locate your level of spiritual maturity.

Give thanks

There are many, many things we have to thank god for - not least because we have sinned, fallen short of his glory and am undeserving of grace. But God so loved the world that he died for me and you, given us his grace, love, restored our relationship with him, and given us the gift of eternal life. And for that, I thank him.

I must also thank the lord for all that I have, all that I am. He could have put me into some improvished African family only to starve to death, but no, he has put me in a loving family, in a relatively peaceful and prosperous part of the world, and given me a multitude of gifts - physical, intellectual, and so on.

I am also grateful for how he is always there for me, how he picks me up when I fall and helps me when I am in need. I can feel him in my heart and talk to him. He gives me strength, gives me hope, and always makes a way when there seems to be no way, lighting up the path like how he led the Israelites in the desert with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

The mind-blowing thing about it all is that I deserve none of this - but by his love and grace and mercy, he has forgiven my sin and assumed the punishment on my behalf. Thank you lord.