LIFE ANEW

Peter Chao

The cynic’s world is set in cement. Every morning, on waking, he chants that his reality is unchanging; it was so in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Like old dogs, you can never teach this person anything new. Like leopards, you cannot change his spots.

By the same token, water can never turn to wine, the blind can never see and the dead will never see life again. In the same vein, our lives made miserable by mistakes – both our own and those of our significant others – can never be redeemed, renewed and revitalized. To the possibility of a fresh start after life has gone awry, the cynic will ask, “Can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and begin again?”

That question was first asked of Jesus by a learned religious leader, not an illiterate peasant. He obviously knew not to ask such questions in public, so he went to Jesus by night.1 Keeping up appearances, giving the impression you know all the answers because you are a societal notable, is critical in an image-conscious culture. But what you can hide in the day has an uncanny knack of surfacing in the night. Stirrings of passion, whether of love or hate, rise to new heights after dark. Anxieties disturb us and insistently demand answers. Many are so troubled in the night that their pillows turn to stones on which they can find no rest. They have to resort to tranquilizers to suppress their worries.

Alone in the night, we are forced to face and reflect on matters that are deeper and more personal. How much longer can I keep up this charade? What if others find out I’m a fraud? Why do I feel my life is rolling into a void? Why do I keep pretending to be someone I am not? Why am I afraid to be myself in relationships? Why do I feel my achievements are inadequate? Why am I never satisfied? Can I start again where I have mucked up? Is a second chance ever possible? Such questions betray a deep desire for a fresh start in life. We do not want our past mistakes to haunt us and to rob our future. Covering up our shame or guilt with lies only requires more lies to provide a transitory shelter for our fragile egos.

A heart issue
When Jesus asserted, “You must be born again,”2 it struck a responsive chord in Nicodemus. It resonated deeply in his soul. “Born again” captured the deepest yearnings in his soul. Of course, he wanted to start again, to begin on a fresh slate. But, “can an old man go back into his mother’s womb?”3 It is not in the nature of life to play back events so we can avoid the mistakes we made in real time. However, God has a track record of renewing wasted lives, rebuilding broken dreams and restoring lost prizes. Even to a recalcitrant people, God promises, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”4

God deals with the cause of our problems, not the symptoms. So, he tunnels through our pretensions and begins with our heart. After all, the heart is “the wellspring of life,”5 as well as the locus of perversion that makes a person unclean.6 Impossible as it is, God can turn the wayward heart towards Him, make the cheating heart true and make malleable the flinty heart of the stubborn person. The best part is that God does not only do this in other people, He wants to do this in me, in you, especially when we think we do not need it! There is no better time than at the beginning of a new year to be demonstrably open to God’s Spirit, inviting Him to do just that in my heart.

We may have been stuck in the groove of a personal rut for as long as we can remember. We long to be released from the pain in the heart, the resentment in the mind and the bitterness in the soul. We yearn to get out from the haunting shadows of failures that paralyze us, fears that debilitate us and destructive habits that imprison us. We desperately pray for a fresh start. God gives us deep hope when He promises, “I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”7 Embedded in that eschatological vision is a present working of God’s Spirit that promises that the disgrace and shame from our past need not shape or determine our future. Yesterday’s gloom does not have to lead to doom tomorrow. As Wesley so eloquently declares,

He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood avails for me.8

Out of the ashes of misery and pain, God can create a new beginning. Exiles to a Babylon of our own making need not be permanent states. God promises, “I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy … the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more.”9 While that promise will be fulfilled in full only in the distance, there are foretastes of that heavenly reality now. No wonder the psalmist testifies, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit … He set my feet on a rock … He put a new song in my mouth.”10 This new song naturally breaks out from a renewed heart and a changed situation. It turns a dirge to praise, mourning to dancing. God holds out that hope as a new year opens up to us. We need not remain in the same dark dungeons of despair in our souls. We can have a fresh start.

—

1 John 3:1-2
2 John 3:3, 7
3 John 3:4
4 Ezekiel 36:26
5 Proverbs 4:23
6 Matthew 15:16-20
7 Isaiah 65:17
8 Charles Wesley, ‘O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing’. www.hymntime.com
9 Isaiah 65:18-19
10 Psalm 40:2-3

 

A New Sheet

He came to my desk with a quivering lip,
the lesson was done.
“Have you a new sheet for me, dear teacher?
I’ve spoiled this one.”
I took his sheet, all soiled and blotted
and gave him a new one all unspotted.
And into his tired heart I cried,
“Do better now, my child.”

I came to the Throne with a trembling heart;
the day was done.
“Have you a new day for me, dear Master?
I’ve spoiled this one.”
He took my day, all soiled and blotted
and gave me a new one all unspotted.
And into my tired heart He cried,
“Do better now, My child.”

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS

Friends and supporters attended Eagles Christmas Concert that was webcasted twice in December 2021. Carols performed by singers who had shared the Eagles platform over the decades were weaved into an Advent message by Peter Chao. Younger audiences responded appreciatively to Sidney Mohede’s interpretation of Go Tell It on the Mountain. Stalwarts Henry Lim and Joanna Cheong were joined by Imelda Teo and Joy Ang to share Christmas joy through their music.

Belinda Tay commented: “Eagles Christmas Concert’s creative production put aesthetic graphics and stage sets together so artistically. Peter Chao, ever the wordsmith, wove the true meaning of Christmas in between the touching testimonies and carol singing, to speak to my heart that “God did not send a representative “- He sent Jesus Christ and “He identifies with … our pains”, “(His) light shines brightest in the darkest nights.”

A younger viewer, Jonathan Lee enthused, “Eagles have done it again! As someone who grew up in youth ministry listening to Sidney Mohede, it was such a pleasure to listen in. I’m always in awe at the heart and intention behind every Eagles’ event. The concert was a special reminder that Christ is the reason for the season and it was such a beautiful night for fellow believers to come together and worship God. The only real bummer is that we couldn’t have a physical event. Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to the next one!”

UP NEXT

NEXLeaders.com is an online library of mobile, micro-learning leadership courses where participants can learn anytime and anywhere at their convenience. As the audience increased over the years, appreciation has grown for the opportunity to learn from experts and leaders in their respective fields.

“I am convinced that more than just the price and the convenience, the true value of the program lies in the top-notch content, with emphasis on self-leadership and value-based leadership.” Eddy Neo, Deputy Executive Director, Newlife Community Services

“The Nexleaders’ blended learning, using mobile-learning with ‘live’ webinars has been very helpful. We can watch valuable video clips all available at our fingertips.” Jennifer Goh, Senior Manager, St Luke’s Elder Care.

Currently, there is a special New Year’s offer for those in Singapore who are working in social services (Charities and NPOs with applicable conditions).

Sign-ups from Singapore now save 60% (S$96) off the Social Service Institute (SSI) special price of S$160 for all-access to 70 courses for 12 months!

This offer ends Feb 15, 2022!

Sign up NOW at https://www.ssi.gov.sg/training/nexleaders/

Peter’s Ponderings took a break in December for the Christmas Concert. Ponderings will resume on Sunday, January 16, 2022 at 9 pm (Singapore Time). The reflection for the upcoming session is The Grace of Receiving, a timely consideration in this season of festivity. Please sign up to join the webinar at www.eagles.org.sg.

Eagles Rendezvous Bible Study started again on Jan 8, 2022. For 7 Saturdays, Ms Seah Jiak Choo will continue her series on “Drawing Closer to God through the Psalms”, exploring Books 2 (Psalms 42-72) and 3 (Psalms 73-89). We will consider expressions of longing for resolute faith and hope in God in times of drought, drowning and discouragement (Psalms 42-43). We will also ponder on the shocking prayers invoking curses on our enemies (Psalm 69). The psalms that will be examined in this series will stretch our minds, stir our hearts and inspire humility and praise. Join us online each Saturday afternoon at 4 pm. Register at www.eagles.org.sg.

In Memory of Morris Tan Kok Hwa

Eagles Singing Team in 1987. Left to right: Richard Ho, Kelly Tang, Morris Tan Kok Hwa and Henry Lim.

Morris Tan Kok Hwa was in an early formation of the Eagles Singing Team as well as Music Director of Eagles Chorale that performed sacred music in the 80’s. He answered God’s call to serve as a missionary to the Middle East and Eastern Europe, reaching especially the resistant people groups. He contracted Covid-19 but braved on to serve. He was hospitalized in early December 2021, sometimes recovering and other times regressing. However, his condition deteriorated and he went home to the Lord on January 1, 2022 at the Black Sea Hospital in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Dr Kelly Tang, a Cultural Medallion laureate and an Eagles vanguard, recalls that “Kok Hwa always sang the highest notes in the Eagles Singing Team and he was perfectly on pitch every time. I vividly remember how his solo Dahil Sayo received an overwhelming response from the audience in Hong Kong in 1988. He was always our perfect tenor singer.”

Kok Hwa’s memory fills our hearts with gratitude.

To God be the Glory!

Archive

LIFE ANEW

Peter Chao

The cynic’s world is set in cement. Every morning, on waking, he chants that his reality is unchanging; it was so in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Like old dogs, you can never teach this person anything new. Like leopards, you cannot change his spots.

By the same token, water can never turn to wine, the blind can never see and the dead will never see life again. In the same vein, our lives made miserable by mistakes – both our own and those of our significant others – can never be redeemed, renewed and revitalized. To the possibility of a fresh start after life has gone awry, the cynic will ask, “Can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and begin again?”

That question was first asked of Jesus by a learned religious leader, not an illiterate peasant. He obviously knew not to ask such questions in public, so he went to Jesus by night.1 Keeping up appearances, giving the impression you know all the answers because you are a societal notable, is critical in an image-conscious culture. But what you can hide in the day has an uncanny knack of surfacing in the night. Stirrings of passion, whether of love or hate, rise to new heights after dark. Anxieties disturb us and insistently demand answers. Many are so troubled in the night that their pillows turn to stones on which they can find no rest. They have to resort to tranquilizers to suppress their worries.

Alone in the night, we are forced to face and reflect on matters that are deeper and more personal. How much longer can I keep up this charade? What if others find out I’m a fraud? Why do I feel my life is rolling into a void? Why do I keep pretending to be someone I am not? Why am I afraid to be myself in relationships? Why do I feel my achievements are inadequate? Why am I never satisfied? Can I start again where I have mucked up? Is a second chance ever possible? Such questions betray a deep desire for a fresh start in life. We do not want our past mistakes to haunt us and to rob our future. Covering up our shame or guilt with lies only requires more lies to provide a transitory shelter for our fragile egos.

A heart issue

When Jesus asserted, “You must be born again,”2 it struck a responsive chord in Nicodemus. It resonated deeply in his soul. “Born again” captured the deepest yearnings in his soul. Of course, he wanted to start again, to begin on a fresh slate. But, “can an old man go back into his mother’s womb?”3 It is not in the nature of life to play back events so we can avoid the mistakes we made in real time. However, God has a track record of renewing wasted lives, rebuilding broken dreams and restoring lost prizes. Even to a recalcitrant people, God promises, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”4

God deals with the cause of our problems, not the symptoms. So, he tunnels through our pretensions and begins with our heart. After all, the heart is “the wellspring of life,”5 as well as the locus of perversion that makes a person unclean.6 Impossible as it is, God can turn the wayward heart towards Him, make the cheating heart true and make malleable the flinty heart of the stubborn person. The best part is that God does not only do this in other people, He wants to do this in me, in you, especially when we think we do not need it! There is no better time than at the beginning of a new year to be demonstrably open to God’s Spirit, inviting Him to do just that in my heart.

We may have been stuck in the groove of a personal rut for as long as we can remember. We long to be released from the pain in the heart, the resentment in the mind and the bitterness in the soul. We yearn to get out from the haunting shadows of failures that paralyze us, fears that debilitate us and destructive habits that imprison us. We desperately pray for a fresh start. God gives us deep hope when He promises, “I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”7 Embedded in that eschatological vision is a present working of God’s Spirit that promises that the disgrace and shame from our past need not shape or determine our future. Yesterday’s gloom does not have to lead to doom tomorrow. As Wesley so eloquently declares,

He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood avails for me.8

Out of the ashes of misery and pain, God can create a new beginning. Exiles to a Babylon of our own making need not be permanent states. God promises, “I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy … the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more.”9 While that promise will be fulfilled in full only in the distance, there are foretastes of that heavenly reality now. No wonder the psalmist testifies, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit … He set my feet on a rock … He put a new song in my mouth.”10 This new song naturally breaks out from a renewed heart and a changed situation. It turns a dirge to praise, mourning to dancing. God holds out that hope as a new year opens up to us. We need not remain in the same dark dungeons of despair in our souls. We can have a fresh start.

—

1 John 3:1-2

2 John 3:3, 7

3 John 3:4

4 Ezekiel 36:26

5 Proverbs 4:23

6 Matthew 15:16-20

7 Isaiah 65:17

8 Charles Wesley, ‘O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing’. www.hymntime.com

9 Isaiah 65:18-19

10 Psalm 40:2-3

 

A New Sheet

He came to my desk with a quivering lip,
the lesson was done.
“Have you a new sheet for me, dear teacher?
I’ve spoiled this one.”
I took his sheet, all soiled and blotted
and gave him a new one all unspotted.
And into his tired heart I cried,
“Do better now, my child.”

I came to the Throne with a trembling heart;
the day was done.
“Have you a new day for me, dear Master?
I’ve spoiled this one.”
He took my day, all soiled and blotted
and gave me a new one all unspotted.
And into my tired heart He cried,
“Do better now, My child.”

 

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS

Friends and supporters attended Eagles Christmas Concert that was webcasted twice in December 2021. Carols performed by singers who had shared the Eagles platform over the decades were weaved into an Advent message by Peter Chao. Younger audiences responded appreciatively to Sidney Mohede’s interpretation of Go Tell It on the Mountain. Stalwarts Henry Lim and Joanna Cheong were joined by Imelda Teo and Joy Ang to share Christmas joy through their music.

Belinda Tay commented: “Eagles Christmas Concert’s creative production put aesthetic graphics and stage sets together so artistically. Peter Chao, ever the wordsmith, wove the true meaning of Christmas in between the touching testimonies and carol singing, to speak to my heart that “God did not send a representative “- He sent Jesus Christ and “He identifies with … our pains”, “(His) light shines brightest in the darkest nights.”

A younger viewer, Jonathan Lee enthused, “Eagles have done it again! As someone who grew up in youth ministry listening to Sidney Mohede, it was such a pleasure to listen in. I’m always in awe at the heart and intention behind every Eagles’ event. The concert was a special reminder that Christ is the reason for the season and it was such a beautiful night for fellow believers to come together and worship God. The only real bummer is that we couldn’t have a physical event. Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to the next one!”

 

UP NEXT

NEXLeaders.com is an online library of mobile, micro-learning leadership courses where participants can learn anytime and anywhere at their convenience. As the audience increased over the years, appreciation has grown for the opportunity to learn from experts and leaders in their respective fields.

“I am convinced that more than just the price and the convenience, the true value of the program lies in the top-notch content, with emphasis on self-leadership and value-based leadership.” Eddy Neo, Deputy Executive Director, Newlife Community Services

“The Nexleaders’ blended learning, using mobile-learning with ‘live’ webinars has been very helpful. We can watch valuable video clips all available at our fingertips.” Jennifer Goh, Senior Manager, St Luke’s Elder Care.

Currently, there is a special New Year’s offer for those in Singapore who are working in social services (Charities and NPOs with applicable conditions).

Sign-ups from Singapore now save 60% (S$96) off the Social Service Institute (SSI) special price of S$160 for all-access to 70 courses for 12 months!

This offer ends Feb 15, 2022!

Sign up NOW at https://www.ssi.gov.sg/training/nexleaders/

Peter’s Ponderings took a break in December for the Christmas Concert. Ponderings will resume on Sunday, January 16, 2022 at 9 pm (Singapore Time). The reflection for the upcoming session is The Grace of Receiving, a timely consideration in this season of festivity. Please sign up to join the webinar at www.eagles.org.sg.
Eagles Rendezvous Bible Study started again on Jan 8, 2022. For 7 Saturdays, Ms Seah Jiak Choo will continue her series on “Drawing Closer to God through the Psalms”, exploring Books 2 (Psalms 42-72) and 3 (Psalms 73-89). We will consider expressions of longing for resolute faith and hope in God in times of drought, drowning and discouragement (Psalms 42-43). We will also ponder on the shocking prayers invoking curses on our enemies (Psalm 69). The psalms that will be examined in this series will stretch our minds, stir our hearts and inspire humility and praise. Join us online each Saturday afternoon at 4 pm. Register at www.eagles.org.sg.

In Memory of Morris Tan Kok Hwa

Eagles Singing Team in 1987. Left to right: Richard Ho, Kelly Tang, Morris Tan Kok Hwa and Henry Lim.

Morris Tan Kok Hwa was in an early formation of the Eagles Singing Team as well as Music Director of Eagles Chorale that performed sacred music in the 80’s. He answered God’s call to serve as a missionary to the Middle East and Eastern Europe, reaching especially the resistant people groups. He contracted Covid-19 but braved on to serve. He was hospitalized in early December 2021, sometimes recovering and other times regressing. However, his condition deteriorated and he went home to the Lord on January 1, 2022 at the Black Sea Hospital in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Dr Kelly Tang, a Cultural Medallion laureate and an Eagles vanguard, recalls that “Kok Hwa always sang the highest notes in the Eagles Singing Team and he was perfectly on pitch every time. I vividly remember how his solo Dahil Sayo received an overwhelming response from the audience in Hong Kong in 1988. He was always our perfect tenor singer.”

Kok Hwa’s memory fills our hearts with gratitude.

To God be the Glory!