more on WRPF’s facebook page.

The facility that will be used to house Pastor John’s family, and a church plant, and that will be our base for further church planting is now being built. Thanks to the patient painstaking trust relationship built by pastor Thomas Tan with pastor John, we have now forged a solid partnership that can bring the work of God and missions forward. Do continue to pray,  missions in third world countries, is unpredictable because of governance issues and where rule of law is not practiced. However, the Lord is still sitting on the throne, and works all things for the good of His people. The photos below shows the groundlaying and the beginnings of the building of the walls. God willing by the end of the year when our church teams minister in Yangon, the building may be completed! Hallelujah!

Peter Tan, Victor(interpreter), and Robert(interpreter’s friend) brought Pastor Mary, my wife and I,  on a exploratory visit to a Batam Center Indonesian church of 70 members called GTI Bukit Zaitun. We visited a small cluster of families that reared pigs but were resettled after an earthquake in Nias, in Sumatra. It was a hot, humid bare piece of land on a slope and the houses were patched together and squatter like. And then we had lunch and ministered at the youth service of the church we were exploring as a place for youth mission trips. There were about twenty youths and their singing was robust and inspiring. After the message we prayed for them and the Lord was present to touch their hearts. On Sunday, we woke up early for an unusually early morning service at 8.30am and this time, while Mary took the sunday school, I preached an encouraging Pentecost Sunday message on how the Holy Spirit comes to take away our fears and gave an altar call and prayed for people. The Lord was present and touched the people. We had lunch with the pastor, took the ferry and were home by about 5pm, tired out from the ministry, travelling, and heat. We were thankful to God for the trip and also for Peter Tan, Victor and Robert who introduced us to the place and acted as interpreter.

The Board of Elders (2009/10) from left to right are:  Senior Pastor Kenny Chee (ex officio); Karen Tan (member); Judith Chia ( Hon Treasurer); Eunice Choa (Hon Secretary); Alvin Lim (President); Pastor Thomas Tan (member); and Daniel Yuen (Vice President). Pray for them and encourage them.

The current global economic crisis has the nations of the world searching for answers. Christians too are not immune to the present financial turmoil. For some, such upheavals are signs of the End-time and many have turned to the book of Revelation for answers. John, the author of Revelation records some of the most remarkable and astounding images of the Bible. John was given to see many disturbing and troubling visions. John’s end-time vision of the world is a mixture of sweet and bitter (Rev 10), sweet in that it predicts the coming kingdom of God and a blissful eternity with God for the believers (Rev 19-21), but bitter in that on earth believers will suffer many tribulations, persecutions and even martyrdom (Rev 13, 17) and bitter also for the unbelieving world as the wrath of God and the Lamb are meted out to sinners (cf. seven bowls of Rev 16).

One of the most striking visions that John saw is the fall of Babylon, first announced in Rev 14:8 and narrated in detail in Rev 17-18. In John’s vision, Babylon the Great is visualized as a “Woman dressed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls” (17:4) whom John labels as a prostitute – “the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth” (17:5). This Woman-harlot is also depicted as a Queen “seated” on many waters/nations (17:1, 15; 18:7) and is accused of getting the world drunk with the wine of her fornication (17:2). The “fornication” of the Woman-Harlot with the kings of the earth is not literal sexual immorality but such heightened sexually degrading imagery is a metaphor for international maritime trade carried out for the benefit of the Woman identified by John as “that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth” (17:18). Yet, this great city is not a literal city (cf. 11:8; 16:19) but a symbol for an economic system that exploits the weak, persecutes the saints (17:6; 18:20, 24), traffics in human slaves (17:13) and exults in the accumulation of great riches and the abundance of luxury (18:3). Most scholars think that through this Woman-harlot image John condemns the economic exploitation of the late first-century Roman Empire and its control over the nations of the Mediterranean world. For all these, says John, God’s judgment will come on Babylon in one hour and she will be burned up and completely destroyed (18:8-24).

What has John’s vision on the destruction of this oppressive economic system to do with the current global economic crisis? We have to be careful how we interpret the book of Revelation to fit the current economic climate of the 21^st century C.E. Though it is my view that Revelation is indeed prophetic and speaks of End-time events, it is best to exercise caution in how we equate the specific verses and passages of Revelation with current political and economic developments in the world. I would think that the present economic crisis does not bear much resemblance to what is described by John in Rev 17-18. Though there are certainly lessons to be learnt and principles to be garnered from John’s vision, it is far-fetched to argue that the world economic system at present is exactly the kind of exploitative system that John describes in Rev 17-18.

First, the success of the world economy in the past two or three decades has brought many Third World and developing countries out of poverty. For example, though there are still many poor people in China, India and Indonesia, yet significant sections of these countries’ populations have experienced prosperity and economic well-being. It is a prosperity shared by many nations in the world, though inequality and inequitable distribution of wealth exist in the many parts of the world. Second, there is no large scale persecution of the believers in the world today as a result of international trade as envisaged by John to happen in the End-time. Many Christians living in different nations of the world take part in trade that are morally legitimate and as a result rightly share in the economic prosperity. Third, at present there is no one dominant economic power or centre in the world though many would consider America as fulfilling that role in some measure, being by far the biggest economy in the world. Yet with the financial crisis engulfing America today, we see that the American economy is just as much dependent not only on the economies of the developed world like the European Union and Japan but also on the emergent economic powers like China and to a lesser extent India, Brazil and ASEAN.

Nevertheless, I would want to suggest that John’s vision of Rev 17-18 is relevant and offers many insights into the global economic situation today and how it might emerge in the future. First, world trade today is mainly driven to obtain great riches (cf. 18:17). While seeking profit is not wrong in the New Testament, even in John’s Revelation, but profiteering, i.e., the excessive drive for larger profits without ethical controls is surely one of the causes of the economic crisis today. When CEOs of Corporations, Banks and International Investment companies pay themselves and their senior staff huge sums (billions in US$) in bonuses while their companies face bankruptcy or seek government bail-out, something is very wrong somewhere. Put simply, it is greed. Greed or covetousness is condemned as idolatry elsewhere in the Bible (Eph 5:5; Col 3:5). Second, a significant amount of international trade is driven by the love of luxury which is denounced by John (Rev 18:3, 9). The materialistic world loves nothing better than gold, silver, pearls, fine clothing, and all kinds of citron wood for branded furniture, bronze, iron and marble and fine foods (18:12-13). As Christians, we need be watchful that though we live in the world, we do not become like the world in seeking after pleasures and abundant luxury. We should not confuse our needs with our wants and fall into the temptation to engage in questionable trading practices in order to obtain wealth and luxury. Third, we also see a world that seems unable to redress the severe imbalances and inequality between rich and poor countries. Two-thirds of the world’s population lives in (relative) poverty while the rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer. Trade imbalances and injustices occur when dominant economic powers that set the rules for international trade and control the international institutions seek to benefit themselves and as a consequence oppress or marginalize the poorer nations. Fourth, in recent years we have seen a rise in human trafficking around the world where human bodies and souls are traded as slaves to work as sex slaves or workers at sweat shops with no or minimal pay and thus suffer unthinkable oppression and harm to their human dignity in every sense of the word.

If these exploitative trading practices and inhumane values become more and more entrenched in the current (and future) international economic system, Christians will find it increasingly difficult to engage in trade without compromising their faith. God’s people are left with two options. First, we must continue to engage the world by becoming the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matt 5:13-14). We will seek to transform the world’s values with the Gospel of Christ and our testimony of God’s power and righteousness in every aspect of life. As Christian traders we will seek to uphold ethical commercial practices in our business dealings at all times and refuse to compromise our Christian standards. We will seek to uphold and advance the rule of law that facilitates fair trade practices and promotes equitable distribution of wealth between nations so that the forces of injustice and lawlessness are kept at bay. But if having done all, the economic system of the world should one day become like Babylon of Rev 17-18, then Revelation’s call to the Church is clear: “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (18:4).

- Dr Tony Siew is a lecturer in New Testament, Trinity Theological College, Singapore. He is the author of “The War between the Two Beasts and the Two Witnesses: A Chiastic Reading of Rev 11:1-14:5″ (LSNT 283; London & New York: T & T Clark, 2005). He had read law and theology at the University of Canterbury (LLB), University of Auckland (BTheol), and University of Otago (PhD). He was Barrister & Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand (1987), Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Borneo (1988); He is an ordained minister of the Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) Sabah, Malaysia. He is also an avid blogger at Revelation is Real.

PRAISE GOD for the growth of the DFF church; the response to Kith and Kin Dinner; the raising of the supplementarty missions fund; for the almost completed renovation of the church hall; for Mary Tham’s successful completion of her Master’s.

1. Thank God for the response to the Kith & Kin Dinner Chinese outreach. Pray for the  Mandarin speaking friends(kith), and family and relatives( kin) to see the love and joy of Christ and for misconceptions about Christianity to be clarified, and people to be drawn one step closer to Christ; for pastor Edmund Loong and his wife as they emcee the whole dinner.

2. For spiritual vitality among the cells as they devote more sessions to prayer and spiritual renewal. This is in line with our church theme for 2009/10 – A revived church for a dying world. Pray for openness to the Spirit and excercise of spiritual gifts and ministry. Pray for Francis (Cluster A Leader) and Puay Hee( Cluster B) and Tat Loong(Cluster C) and Paul Chan (Cluster D) and Agnes Chua (Young Adult Cluster Leader) to be full of wisdom and faith to guide the groups in grace and growth.

3. For the 9th Alpha Course up ahead in July. Pray for all our members to be filled with boldness and urgency as they invite their acquaintances, friends and loved ones to the course. Pray for the team heading this 9th Alpha run: Thomas, Donnie, Mel, Leck Seng,Jeannie, Mahal, Michael, Ben, Joseph Lim. That the Lord in his grace may grant us a good harvest.

4. For the process of church consultation with Dr Philip Huan to be effective and guided by the Lord. 20 leaders, including BOE, pastors, zone and cluster supervisors and relevant HODs will be involved in the whole process.

5. For a capable administrator pastor or executive pastor to be added to the church team and good responses to advertisement and discernment in the interviews of the candidates.

6. For Alvin Lim as he heads the Board of Elders, and the other officers: Daniel Yuen(Vice President); Eunice choe(Secretary); Judith Chia(Treasurer). May God help them to juggles work-life-ministry priorities, fill them with spiritual wisdom and discernment and faith.

7.  Pray that JUNE COMBINED SERVICES will be a time of revival, of spontaneous “undignified” worship, of great fellowship and challenge.

8.  For safety and a refreshing time for all families, groups, friends going for vacations abroad this June holidays.

9.  For Simon and Rinda as they lead 2 retreats in June: one for Fountaingate Church; and another for an office group in town.

10.  For the reading outreach program of the Good News Kids headed by Aileen Tan. That our people will invite the children of others or the community that need help in the area of reading at pre-primary or primary stage.

11. For the Lord to give the church, the pastors and the BOE, outreach ideas and initiatives of  that will help the church be effective in its mission.

12. Pray for all our missionaries and families, and the missions work in Turkey, Myanmar, China.

13. Pray that our members will find their peace and confidence in God during this time of economic contraction and that they will prove themselves faithful in their giving to the Lord’s work, and sensitive to the needs of other Christians, and generous in aiding those in need.

-To add a specific prayer request, click on COMMENTS on top right hand of this post and fill the form and add your name.