O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness

CHURCH CAMP 2024 TESTIMONIES

This year, it was my first trip to attend our church camp after 2019. I was very excited this time and sought the will of God who confirmed that the door was opened and He enabled me to attend this camp. 

The Camp theme on “Truth Matters” with 6 messages delivered by Pastor Tan Soon Yong were timely as they delved into our heart issues and self-deception which we could easily fall into the trap of Satan and waver in our faith for the Lord.  These messages were so powerful and cutting into our hearts that caused us to wake up and examine ourselves where we stand before our Almighty God and Lord with fear and trembling.  

His messages were so enriching to my soul which reminded me that I must take much efforts to guard my life against unfaithfulness to God especially in these perilous times when false teachers are rising up to deceive as many saints as possible. I was exhorted to guard against hypocrisy which I have been taking for granted that everything is okay with me spiritually. I need to be vigilant and ensure that I live out the Gospel Truth and not to compromise with double standards in my conduct. In fact, as Proverbs 4:23 says : “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Therefore, for me, guarding my heart is a life-time matter and this must be done every moment and everyday as Satan is the “Roaring Lion”, waiting and seeking to devour us when we are weaker, vulnerable and down in spirit. Serving the Lord with His Spirit’s empowerment is also a joy to me when I know the truth and the truth sets me free….just trust and obey the Lord daily and cling onto His abundant grace. 

I thank God that many young Lifers were so keen to learn and “feast” on the Word of God. During the camp messages, they were seen sitting right in front together. Indeed, sitting at the feet of Jesus to learn His teachings through His servant is our privilege and benefits to our souls. I could sense that the Lord was with all of us at the camp. Praise the Lord! 

I thank God that our fellowship with one another also improved much as we were given opportunities to get to know one another (both young and old) through the group discussions and sharing, as well as praying together during the Prayer Meetings each morning. 

I appreciate and thank the Church Camp Committee who worked so hard to organise this camp for us. Indeed everything went smoothly – a long and safe journey to and from Resorts World Awana, Malaysia. Thank God for His journey mercies and protection! The PA System also worked very well for us as this was the first time that we had our camp speaker delivering his messages to us via zoom and not on-site. Thank God for empowering our PA Team who worked hard and coordinate well in the sound and video systems. In fact, it was very challenging for them to ensure that everything worked well at the camp. 

Praise the Lord for keeping and preserving Pastor Tan Soon Yong in good health and strength to prepare these excellent camp messages and a speedy recovery. Thank God for answering our fervent prayers! 

May God continue to revive us spiritually and help us to consistently apply His teachings every day and be diligent in doing His commandments faithfully. Praise Him from whom all blessings flow. Amen!

— Judy Loon

As I reflect on the church camp, I find three things that I’m thankful to God for. 

Firstly, I’m thankful to God for giving me a deeper wonder at His creation. Taking the cable car up from the hotel to SkyAvenue mall gave me a bird’s-eye view of God’s creation. I got to take in the mountains, the trees, and the skies in all of their majesty. Indeed, the whole of creation shows forth God’s glory. I was then reminded that we ought to fear God as our Creator, which was talked about in one of the messages. One of the morning devotions talked about how we tend to think too little of God’s creation, which robs Him of the glory and praise He deserves. 

I’m also thankful to God for giving me a deeper appreciation of the fellowship we have in Christ. This church camp being the first camp to have group discussions after the messages, one of the topics my group discussed about was on how we can reach out to one another in church. One of the adults in my group then shared about how they found it challenging to talk to someone in church who was significantly younger than them. And I know of younger people that feel the same toward the older adults in church. 

Then, someone else in the group responded to this by pointing us to God’s word in Ephesians 4:3-6, which talks about how we are to “[endeavour] to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”, because “there is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” 

Through that discussion, God reminded me that although everyone in church has different personalities and are at different stages of life, we are all still united by our faith in Christ. 

Indeed, the discussions were a good time to mutually build up one another. 

Lastly, I am also thankful to God for giving me a deeper awareness of His grace. There were many warnings made against hypocrisy at the church camp, with Judas Iscariot labelled as the chief example of hypocrisy. The example of Judas is frightening, because he was someone who spent so much time with Christ, hearing His word, but that did not lead to any true repentance. Outwardly, he sacrificed much, even choosing to give up his life to follow Christ, but he never had any real love for Him. 

I found these warnings particularly apt as a second-gen Christian. As someone who grew up in church, attending Children’s Ministry, then Sunday School, it wasn’t hard to look good in church and at home. I knew all the model answers to Bible questions. I also knew how to behave outwardly. Though I professed the faith since young, being able to articulate what I supposedly believed, it was all purely head-knowledge. Inside, I still loved the world more than Christ for a large part of my life. I was deceiving others, even myself, that I was a Christian, when I was not. 

The example of Judas served as a personal warning to me at church camp. To my horror, I was able to identify with Judas, realising that I had been serving God with the purpose of impressing others. 

But God was gracious to me. He moved me to self-examination after I was convicted by the Holy Spirit of my hypocrisy. It is by His grace that I did not harden my heart, but repented. 

It is amazing that God’s grace is made available to anyone who is willing to repent of their sin, no matter how deep-rooted or shameful that sin might be. 

By attending this church camp, I was blessed far more abundantly than all that I could ask or think, and I thank God for how he has worked in me!

– Caleb Tan Xue Yan

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:18-23. 

To summarize my Church Camp 2024 experience with a quote: “The world is cruel, but very beautiful.” 

Church Camp 2024 was a powerful reminder that the world is very cruel. This is because it labors under the effects of sin and death. As the above passage in Romans 8 elucidates, we continue to grapple in our bondage under a fallen creation and with our fallen flesh. As many of the camp messages brought me to bear with, living with our fallen flesh in a fallen world is truly terrifying. Pastor Tan’s messages displayed in lurid detail the myriad ways in which our flawed human hearts and minds may be bent this and that way. From the serpent’s rapid and masterful seduction of Eve’s soul to the bone-chilling recount of Judas’ apostasy, the messages pierced my heart and opened my eyes to see how on guard we have to be. While these topics may be unpleasant, and even frightening to think about, they truly give much cause for thanks. Indeed, for God to use Pastor Tan to warn us of the dangers and perils and to cause us to turn to God in repentance is truly an utterly undeserved grace. They have taught me to  navigate a cruel world, one that is laboring under the  effects of sin. 

Aside from the warnings about the perils of sin, I was also reminded how cruel the world is through experiencing death and grief. For a significant part of the camp, a dark shadow hung over me and the youth, as news about Dorothy’s sudden passing came just a day before church camp. Her passing felt like a raw stab wound; a gasping ache and pitiless void hewed into the side of our church camp experience. With one empty room at church camp, that one extra member of our church camp youth chat group, the gnaw of her absence and her separation from us was keenly felt.  

But truly it was another of God’s graces to us, to put the fear of God in our hearts, which was the topic of Message 4 of the Church Camp messages. The fear of God is different from earthly fear, for it is a reverential trembling at His glory that drives us closer to Him, and not away from Him. Pastor Tan shared that it is the unique status of God as our Creator and our Redeemer that causes us to love Him in an equally unique way, which is to fear Him. As Pastor Tan expounded on this notion of God as our Redeemer, a consideration of the horror of the cross; that the Holy Son of God should have to be punished by His Father, should cause us to tremble, tremble, tremble. If the separation that we felt from Dorothy’s loss was so unbearably terrible, how much more was the separation of God from God at the cross? How did it feel when Christ was forsaken by the Father, whose fellowship He had enjoyed for eternity? Truly, such a bitter experience was a small taste of this cosmic tragedy, and it has done us much spiritual good as we grieve, and fear God all the more for it. 

But I am thankful to God not just for teaching us valuable lessons about the realities of a cruel world, but also reminding us how, in spite of that, He has still made it so incredibly beautiful. 

In the resplendent pastoral scenery God blessed us with at Awana, truly we were brought to marvel at His creation. The soft dreamlike glow of the coruscant dawn reflecting upon the clouds in empyrean blush, the glittering stars; living silver who God made in sudden burst to flame like flowers beneath an ancient song cast against the inky black sky, the meranti trees sighing under the effect of the highland breeze carrying with it the fresh highland air you could almost taste. God didn’t have to keep this world so beautiful when it fell into sin, but the glorious thing that makes me fear Him even more, is that He did. Indeed, as I gazed upon creation, the verse that came to mind was Psalm 8:3-4. 

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? ”. Truly Creation sings His praises, and so will I. 

And it was not just in nature that I saw God’s glory. 

Food, laughter, friendship, sympathetic hugs, music, community, the joy of having heartfelt conversations with brothers and sisters so different and yet united by our love for Christ. All these blessings I richly partook in over those few days at Church Camp remind me that the God whom we worship is truly worthy of all fear and love;  for it astounds me that God created such a shockingly beautiful world to live in, one that is still beautiful despite being tinged with the weight of sin and death. 

One that carries with it foretastes and glimpses of His glorious, redeemed creation, a sentiment that was brought into focus by the grim lens of grief and death. As lyrics from a song go, “All our fond and longing tears remind us we are pilgrims here”. As the youth held our own memorial service for Dorothy, we could not help but feel awash in the reality of heaven. Our grief was gilded with hope, the hope we would see Dorothy one day, the hope that she is, at this present moment, safe in the arms of our Saviour in a land free of death, sin and sadness, the hope of an inseparable, infinite love that we enjoy as children of God. 

If life on this earth, this sin and death-stricken planet we live in, is already so beautiful with mere foretastes of glory and a flawed creation, one can only marvel at the future redemption of ourselves and this world. 

Indeed, as Paul says,

“The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” 

In the New Creation, we will not simply experience a redeemed creation, but unadulterated, unlimited, incomprehensible access to our God, who is immortal, infinitely glorious. We shall spend an eternity climbing from one greater height of glory to another, to know fully the love that we now only know in part.  To know a love that is utterly inexhaustible, in height in depth in length and breadth. 

As Jonathan Edwards writes:

“Every saint in heaven is as a flower in that garden of God, and holy love is the fragrance and sweet odor that they all send forth, and with which they fill the bowers of that paradise above. Every soul there, is as a note in some concert of delightful music, that sweetly harmonizes with every other note, and all together blend in the most rapturous strains in praising God and the Lamb forever.” 

This world is cruel, but very beautiful, and one day, it will be no longer cruel, but only beautiful. 

As the title of this year’s camp asseverates: Truth matters. 

The truth that we live in a cruel world matters, and we must remain firmly guarded and watchful against an enemy that seeks to devour our souls. 

But the truth that we also live in a beautiful world also matters, and we must worship and marvel at how God has made this world and also glorify Him for the beautiful hope we have that far outweighs anything we will ever face in this life. 

Truly thank God for this camp that has opened my eyes to these truths, and my prayer for myself and for all, is that these truths will be stored up in our hearts, to live for Christ, until we gain in death.

— Ryan Lim

“If ye continue in my Word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” John 8:32

I thank God for this camp and through the preaching opened up my mind and heart to valuable truths. 

The warnings alerted me to the dangers of being a mere church goer and be in danger of unfaithfulness and that even in a conservative church, there are counterfeit believers. These counterfeit believers can be orthodox to the core. It was surprising to hear this! 

Why are there Judases in the church, knowing the Truth but living a life of lies? They hear the Truth Sunday after Sunday, yet there is no change in their hearts, continuing in sin. What they are on the outside is not who they are on the inside, ‘whitewashed tombs’ and ‘hypocrites’ as Jesus said. 

It is not enough to know the Truth but to live the Truth because only Truth in Christ really matters. 

The Most High God sees man from His throne. Hypocrites imitate godliness but God sees the heart. There is no place in Heaven for them. 

I am acutely aware that my true self is when no one is looking. How God views me must be more important to me than what man thinks. There is a constant need to examine myself, repent and be faithful, living authentically coram deo, where God’s view of me is above all!

— Ong Chuay Ying

Church camp 2024 has been a thought provoking and replenishing experience all around. Although Camp reminds me that I’m at the halfway mark of my June holidays, It has been a time of self examination to clarify my motives to myself and mentally reset my focus to be God centered. The only thing I was not looking forward to was having to leave Camp to continue my unfinished commitments. 

From this camp, I have learned that discernment between truth and error is paramount in my spiritual journey. I’ve found much evidence that strangers on the internet and friends can tell you many things concerning the spiritual and make it sound really believable. But this is where I was warned by God in his word and by experienced adults in my life. For if I was to be mistaken and testify to another gospel in front of people whom I wish to bring to Christ, I would be misleading them and in turn harming my spiritual walk with God. This is severe because God commands us to be discerning in 1 Thess 5:20-22. The message has made me conscious of my faith and to open my eyes for self examination, to see whether I am working hard for God under his yoke or if I am asleep in the faith. Therefore, I am truly thankful that God through Pastor TSY has preached this message to us, that we can be wise in his word. 

 I am also reminded that as a church, God is the one who has brought us together to worship him by singing spiritual songs and to fellowship together. The times when we sing and pray as a church are when I can feel a sense of oneness, focused on something so wonderful and kind to me. Every song has its meanings and have been selected for the purpose of us to ponder the nature of our God. Lastly, even at mealtimes there is a sense of community, when I see people sitting together to laugh and fellowship together. I am reminded that we must not only preach the truth to others, but show it through our actions, making prayer sincerely and often, never forgetting our first love for God.

— Peter Sam Chow

We truly give thanks to God for allowing us to attend the Church Camp and refresh us both physically and spiritually. Miriam and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Life B-P Church and all of you who encourages, comforts, and cares for us through prayers and support. 

During the church camp, we had a blessed and meaningful time by reflecting on ourselves through six messages from Rev. Tan Soon Young. What I am personally thankful for is that after listening to Rev. Tan’s messages, I no longer have to submit any assignments like before when I studied at ERBC. Even though there is no longer any pressure on me to submit assignments, I know that there are more important task rests on my shoulders: how to apply the biblical messages to my real life and missionary work. 

I thank God for helping me realize the three points from the messages. I would like to share them with you prayerfully in the hope that Miriam and I may apply them in our missions. First, strive to defend the truth externally from Satan and internally from self-deception. Second, follow the Lord Jesus, the perfect example in every aspect, and serve Him with reverential fear and rejoice in trembling for His glory. Lastly, learn the truth practically in life and pray earnestly, remembering that the Holy Spirit will cause us to learn and grow in Him. 

We thank God for the sweet fellowship with lifers through this time and we thank you once again for remembering us in your prayer.

May God bless you.

— Lim Kwang Taek

As an English Teacher, I'd see the camp theme of Truth Matters as three Parts of Speech.

1. As a noun - every thing about Truth.
2. As a verb - it is important to practise Truth.
3. As an adverb - as a matter of fact i.e. actually carry out Truth. 

So, now that we know all about Truth and reminded to do it, pray we will ACTUALLY carry out our faith with works! 

Another point that I didn't share at the camp, for fear of overeating the sharing time, was about John 8:32 which says: And ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free. 

Now that we know the Truth, it doesn't mean we are free to do what we want like, go on a killing or stealing spree; but to do His Will. From the beginning, we are free to choose to obey or disobey GOD. Remember the first tree test on the forbidden fruit? 

I didn't realise my freedom to go to church either, until I met this Christian born-Muslim brother who has to literally go underground in order to worship our True and Living GOD... 

To cut my testimony short, allow me to part with 1 Peter 1:22-23, Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of GOD, which liveth and abideth for ever.

— Jess Tamee-Lim

Firstly, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to attend the church camp. During my 4 days stay, church  members approached and  introduced themselves to me. My breakfast, lunch, dinner and breaktime were with members. Our  time were very meaningful and encouraging. The seniors invited  me to join their group. I was touched and saw there was love and care for each other. I came to realise, as a Christian I should not isolate myself from God's family. 

Secondly, I was blessed by Pastor Tan's message on Truth Matters. After  hearing all 6 messages, I search myself  and found I was not right with God. I behave  like the pharisees praying in at a certain time, it was like a routine, and if I miss my timing I was afraid that God was angry with me. All this  I realise was wrong. Then I recalled  Pastor Tan's emphasis on Psalms 1:7; 9:10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. The word " Wisdom", that is to fear the Lord. The word "fear" is to honor and respect God, to live in awe of His power. Our God is a God who is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient. We must worship Him in truth and in spirit.

All glory to God Amen.

— Joshua Pinto Charles

Church Camp 2024 was a wonderful experience for me. I liked to interact with my family and friends because I can share with them what I have learnt or done during the camp. Another thing I liked about the church camp was that I could learn more about God’s Word, especially in reciting the various bible verses from the Bible such as what God reveals about the Fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. I love to sing the Fruits of the Spirit song! Our kids’ presentation on Thursday evening was also fun and enjoyable. Thank God also for the wonderful teachers like Auntie June and Sister Joelle who have taught us.

— Isaac Kum (9 years old)

Shorter Catechism Question 3

Q: What do the Scriptures principally teach?

A: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man. 

Appointments for the Week

Monday, Jul 8

        7.30 pm     ERBL: Intro to Biblical Counselling (Mr Joel Seah)

Tuesday, Jul 9

        8.00 pm     Prayer Meeting (Eld Clement Tan)

Wednesday, Jul 10

      10.00 am     SF Meeting

Thursday, Jul 11

  10.00 am     Ladies’ Prayer Group

   7.30 pm     ERBL: The Book of Proverbs (Rev Lim Chee Boon)

Friday, Jul 12

   7.30 pm     MM Meeting

Saturday, Jul 13

  11.00 am     Faith NBC

  3.00 pm LTF / YLM / MM

Sunday, Jul 14

  8.00 am Insensitivity to God’s Grace Malachi 1:1-5 (Bro Mok Chee Cheong)

  8.00 am Choir Practice

  9.15 am Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  9.40 am Sunday School / Catechism Class

10.15 am Coffee Corner

11.00 am Insensitivity to God’s Grace Malachi 1:1-5 (Bro Mok Chee Cheong)

11.00 am Children’s Ministry

11.00 am Chinese Service (MPH)

11.00 am Filipina Service (Rm 1-6)

12.15 pm Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  2.30 pm Thai Service (LMH)

  4.00 pm Indonesian Service (Rm 1-6)

Announcements

Life BPC Job Vacancies

1. Church Operations Manager (COM)

Responsibilities:

The COM provides active oversight and support in the mission, administrative affairs and general operations of the Church including Financial Management, HR, MIS Technology, Media Technology, Facilities and General Administration.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor degree or higher
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in operations or managerial positions
• Good interpersonal and communications skills

2. Estate Management Officer (EMO)

Responsibilities:

EMO plans, oversees and coordinates all property management and preventive maintenance activities associated for the church premises. Coordinates facilities usage for a range of Church activities and Church’s authorized users using the premises. The EMO reports to the Church Operation Manager.

Qualifications:

• Diploma or equivalent
• 5 years’ experience in real estate management and maintenance
• Certification in real estate management and maintenance is an added advantage
• Lifers are preferred

Candidates with relevant qualifications and experience may submit your application and CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Traffic Warden Service

We welcome all church members to join in this work. Our TW’s role is to provide godly service to facilitate worship. We need help in following time slots for Sunday: 7.30-8am or 10.30-11am with a frequency of once or twice a month. Please contact Dn Chan Yong or Bro Kelvin.

Catechism Class for Anniversary Baptism on 20 October 2024

commences on 14 July 2024. Please pre-register by emailing to Church Office. Those seeking baptism, reaffirmation of faith and transfer of membership must attend the catechism class. Closing date: 7 July 2024.

Holy Communion Elements Preparation

Lifers are invited to serve in the Holy Communion elements preparation, clean-up and washing. Those interested may contact Jenny or Wendy.

Mailbox Club Bible Correspondence Course (MBCC)

Another Church Outreach Ministry invites Lifers to register their young children, teens, or grandchildren with our MBCC. Those whose loved ones, friends or colleagues who are either young in their faith or being non-believers, are interested to know and explore more of Christianity, are also invited to register with us by filling in the registration forms which are now available at the Church front counter and post them to:

Life B-P Church

No.10, Gilstead Road

Singapore 309064

Attention: Mrs Ong Chuay Ying

Condolence

Our condolences to the family of the late Mr Allen Foo Eng Leong (82 years old) on his homegoing on 4 July 2024. 

In-Person Church Prayer Meeting

7 July 2024, 5pm @ Beulah Rm 2-1 

Men’s Ministry 8^th Anniversary

27 July; 4-7pm @ Beulah MPH. “Created in Christ Jesus unto Good Works” by bro Mok Chee Cheong Contact bro Chung Wai This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details.

Ladies’ Fellowship Bible Study on the book of Revelation

Every last Saturday of the month. 3.15pm @ Beulah Rm 1-6. Contact Sis Sally This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for mor details.

Dementia: Making Sense, Seeking Support

Speakers: Dn Dr Koh Lip Hoe & Sis Cheung Siew Li

Date: 24 August 2024

Time: 4-6pm (followed by dinner)

Venue: Beulah MPH

Register at https://www.lifebpc.com/sfseminar by 4 August

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