Five Loaves and Two Fishes

by | May 28, 2024 | Clarine Tan, • Timely Word •

Five Loaves and Two Fishes

Whenever I read “five loaves and two fishes”, it always reminds me of the song by Corrine May based off the bible story of the same name. Even with her artistic interpretation of the passage, the message remains the same – no gift is too small in the hands of Jesus.​​

Growing up, I often felt small and insignificant. I was the awkward girl who said all the wrong things. Everywhere I looked, people seemed to be smarter, and more talented than me. It was hard not to feel inferior. The person “Jesus” was very attractive to me; He didn’t seem to mind hanging out with the unpopular; people like me. I wondered what He saw in me, that He would choose to love me, with all my ugliness. Like the boy in the bible story, who gave out of his poverty; I gave from the poverty of my soul and offered Jesus my life. ​​

As a teenager who had just committed her life to Jesus, I figured the way to go was reading the bible, going to church weekly, and serving wherever there was a need. This was all I knew to being a good Christian. This quickly led to frustration as there was little life transformation and no victory in my life. I eventually felt burned out.​​

So where was this multiplication of efforts in my life like the story of the “five loaves and two fishes”? Remember how the bread and fish were broken and passed through the hands of the disciples? Well, here’s where I drew the parallel. I needed someone to disciple me, to pass through the hand of someone spiritually mature who could help me along, shape me, and guide me.

I needed a disciple maker to teach me how God’s grace worked, to teach me how to turn to God in prayer, and how to appropriate the promises of God in my life. I needed to learn how to differentiate different types of biblical text, be it narrative, descriptive, or prescriptive, so I would not unnecessarily condemn myself or apply the wrong things in my life. I needed someone with whom I could share vulnerably with and be discipled by. It was not about being “scolded” into obedience. Instead, it was the need for someone to help me get from a point of knowing what I needed to do, but not wanting to do it, to finally doing it and keeping at it even after I stumbled. After all, the discipleship journey is not just about receiving the grace of knowing that we were all sinners, but about how we press on, looking towards the hope ahead we have in Christ. ​​

Friends, we will never know who needs the “five loaves and two fishes” in our hands, but it might just be the thing that God uses to feed the multitudes or even just the one.​​

So shall we as brothers and sisters in Christ stop listening to the voice of accusation that our spiritual journey is small and insignificant? Your unique struggles might just help someone else in their current situation. Don’t waste it! Partner with God and witness what He can do through us when we choose to say “amen” to discipling someone.​

 By Pastoral Staff Clarine Tan

View more

Do We Have a Growth Mindset?

by | Apr 14, 2023 | Clarine Tan, • Timely Word •

Adaptability is defined as “the capacity to be modified for a new use or purpose”.

This reminds me of a book I recently read to the children during our “Saturday Storytelling Sessions” outreach – entitled, “The girl who never made mistakes”. If you analyse the main character, she was only able to sustain this because she never did anything different! She stuck to her daily routine, she did not try anything new or difficult, every day was the same. She was afraid of losing that title. No one even knew her name! “The girl who never made mistakes” became her identity.

We as Christians have a new identity in Christ. We are to look to Jesus as the template for how we should live our lives. I would imagine that Jesus had to be very adaptable in His ministry. When interacting with people who had free will, narratives would constantly be changing, messy even. Jesus could do it, He could adapt because He was constantly communicating with God. I liken it to having His radio receiver always on, connected to the right signal and receiving live feeds from heaven, talking, listening, and obeying. We can do likewise! Perhaps we first need some repairs, move higher or lengthen the antenna to get better reception, or perhaps we are tuned in to a completely different channel! We know that God desires to speak to us (Hosea 2:14 [NLT]), so let’s tap into God’s valuable resource for direction, discernment, and demonstration.

As we re-adjust our frequencies and anchor our identity in Christ, are we then available? Do we know what our priorities are? Do we remember who we are to glorify and please? Are we stuck in a “fixed mindset”? Or can we humble ourselves before God, ask for a renewing of our mind to receive a “growth mindset”? (refer to title image).

“Growth Mindset” is not some mantra we say to ourselves, but it is a change of attitude and perception. When we choose to limit ourselves, we are also limiting what God does through us (Matthew 13:58). We are never too old to have a “Growth Mindset”. We just need to obey and trust Him. If not, God can still accomplish His purposes, but we will miss out on the privilege and pleasure of partnering with the Most High. Just like how God chose to use Elijah even though there were 7000 others who had not bowed to Baal (1 Kings 19:18).

We may not like it when God changes our plans, but I’ve come to learn that if God was the one who changed it, then I am exactly where God wants me to be. However uncomfortable it makes me feel, I am here to learn what I need to learn, and my character will be shaped for the better (Romans 5:3-5). The more we fight it, the more we prolong the discomfort.

I urge us to change our mindsets. Be available and adaptable for God’s use, offer God your five loaves and two fishes, and watch them multiply in His marvellous hands! “We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ” – 2 Corinthians 10:5.

By Pastoral Staff Clarine Tan

Let’s put a ring on it

by | Apr 14, 2022 | Clarine Tan, • Timely Word •

Easter is the day we celebrate Jesus: The life He led, His death on the cross to pay for the price of our failings, our brokenness, and our rebellion against God. The price He paid on the cross did not just pay for one person’s sin, but, the sins of the world (past, present, and future). This was not just any payment. This was the blood of God’s own beloved son. The perfect, sinless, sacrifice.

You see, the price of sin demanded a high price. Bulls and lamb were used in the past, but that was inadequate. We would keep sinning, and the payment would need to keep being made, over and over and over. Jesus did not need to, but he chose to lay down his life as a ransom for us. To redeem us. And only his blood payment on the cross was powerful enough to pay for the sins of everyone in the world. This payment is made available to you and me, but we need to receive it in our hearts.

Jesus died, but He did not remain dead. He defeated death and rose from the grave three days later! This, is why we celebrate Easter (Resurrection Sunday), to remind us, forgetful people, that Jesus loves us so much that he came to personally save us. To remind ourselves that Satan no longer has a hold over us, he cannot scare us with the pain of death, nor can he threaten us with separation from God. Jesus defeated Satan’s claim over us! Is this not worth celebrating, year after year? Is this not worth singing and shouting about? Hallelujah (means: Praise the Lord)!

This brings us to Baptism. First, let me establish that baptism does not equal salvation. The moment you say ‘yes’ to Jesus and invite Him to be Lord over your life, you are saved. Baptism is the believer’s act of obedience, signifying their commitment to remain faithful to God – hence, putting a ring on it. Baptism is choosing to declare to our friends and family, “I love God, and I want to love him for the rest of my life, through good times and bad times”. It is the public declaration that I am His, and He is mine.

So, maybe you are wondering, why are these people going into the water? The act of going under the water represents us dying to the old self; old way of life. Coming out of the water, signifies being resurrected in Christ as a new creation! We, believers who have also been baptized, look on and are reminded of our commitment to Christ on our own baptism day. This is truly a significant and blessed act of obedience that Christ led the way for us to follow. May you, the readers be blessed as witnesses too.

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as  Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” – Romans 6:4

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” – 2 Cor 5:17

If you are curious to find out more about the resurrection of Christ, feel free to sign up for our upcoming online workshop “Christianity Explored”, to learn about the teachings and life of Jesus. www.yckc.org.sg/christianity-explored.

By sister Clarine Tan

God-glorifying Image Bearers

by | Apr 19, 2021 | Clarine Tan, • Timely Word •

While preparing this article, I was drawn to the word “glorify” in our church mission statement: “To glorify God by living the gospel and making disciples to reach the world for Christ”. I then chanced upon a podcast about God’s glory by the Bible Project. In it they explored the idea of glory, linking it to being made in the image of God. The example of a statue made in the image of the person the people are trying to honour stuck out for me.

A statue is built to glorify the person it portrays, wordlessly might I add. We human beings are made by God, in His image, to portray what He is like to those around us, in ours words and actions. And everything we do or say, can and should glorify Him, anywhere and everywhere.

For example, if Jesus was a banker, what would He be like in the banking world? Would He perhaps build a banking system that defies what banking today looks like? – I think of the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:1-13) when I think of God’s potential banking system. In that system, the margin between the rich and the poor is bridged every 50 years. The poor are given a chance to, in a sense, start over; the odds are not stacked against them generation to generation.

And if Jesus was a lawyer, how would the ways in which He defended the weak and poor be different? This is already happening – I think of lawyers who defend the oppressed, the powerless and the voiceless – defending others against those who pervert the law for their own selfish gains.

I believe that in every vocation (excluding those that outrightly go against God’s moral law), we can glorify God; i.e., reflect His character, reflect the original way His kingdom on earth would have looked like if sin had not come into the picture.

As you are reading this, you might be waiting to read a  3-step methodology to glorifying God. But if I can appeal to you, simply get rooted in the truth, the Word. As you do so, ask the Spirit of God, who is Love, to fill you with God’s agape love, and to guide and empower you. Empower you to lead a God glorifying life, loving Him and loving others. A life that points others back to Him. Overtly and covertly.

Be a strategically placed, living breathing bearer of God’s image; revealing God’s goodness to others, the reality of who He is, and how the world was meant to be – God’s original design. In so doing, intentionally raise up others to live boldly, differently, strategically for the Lord. In that way, we can truly glorify God as His image bearers.

Sister Clarine Tan

Fierce Intentionality

by | May 5, 2020 | Clarine Tan, • Timely Word •

Over the Easter weekend a link for the musical “Jesus” (by Trinity Broadcasting Network) was circulating like crazy. Every Christian chat group I was in had someone sharing. Initially, I ignored it, thinking to myself “Ahh, it’s just another free show to watch. It’s evangelistic, I’m already a believer. Nah, I’ll give it a miss”. But more and more people started sharing it. Besides just sharing the link, they added their experience from watching it. Comments like, “The set is AMAZING!”, or “The scene with the leper made me cry”. But the thing that caught my attention was, “It’s only going to be free till midnight!”. So, in true Singaporean spirit I decided to watch it.

I have no regrets. It was such an amazing set; the script and narrative gave me a glimpse of the humour we may have missed through static words. The richness of the culture and traditions we miss, coming from a different time and space. And the portrayal of the fierce intentionality with which Jesus came to be one of us, to share his kingdom, to share his love, to die on the cross.

The scene that struck me most was when Jesus left his popularity behind. He rode across the Sea of Galilee to free the man named Legion. With fierce intentionality, he crossed the sea with his disciples, calmed the storm, and freed that man. Jesus did not care about popular opinion. He went. Jesus did not look at the storm and go, “Oh, this must not be God’s will. For if it is God’s will, my journey to save that man would be smooth sailing”. We fall into the trap of pleasing man, not God. We think that every obstacle is a sign that we are not on the right track. Jesus was not afraid to confront the Pharisees about their legalistic ways. He was not afraid to fight for what was right. Social norms dictate that we do all things peaceably or sit back and take it. But if something is unjust, we should “bear arms” and fight!

The scene continues with his disciples arguing that sounded so relatable. “What?! We came all the way here for this guy? Only to be chased out by the villagers?! What an utter waste of time!”. Peter retorts, “Guys, have you forgotten, that once upon a time we were also the one that Jesus left the ninety-nine to find?”. Oh, how that line stung me. I had forgotten what it was like when Jesus came for me in fierce pursuit of my heart. And it was his mandate that I go after the “one” as well. I let inconvenience stop me; fear of rejection to overcome me. I let the opinions of others outweigh how I valued what God thought of me. Jesus never promised a smooth sailing life. But he promised shelter and refuge, his favour over us, his power to overcome. He promised his very self.

Loving people will hurt. But like a parent to a child, you do not stop loving them just because you got hurt. Jesus himself has been hurt by us so many times, do you think that he stops loving us? No, he instead empowers us to love the way he loves, by loving us while we were still his enemies.

So, take some time to thank God for pursuing and loving you. Ask him to show you where and who you have stopped loving. Ask for a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). Pray for wisdom as you embark on this journey to share God’s kingdom with new found fierce intentionality.

 “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

By Clarine Tan, Pastoral Staff (YCKC Bulletin 3 May 2020)

Disciple-what?

by | May 4, 2019 | Clarine Tan, • Timely Word •

As I reflect on my discipleship journey, it is one that is far from linear. It looked more like a web, intertwined with many significant people. Some journeyed with me for days, others, years. Many overlapped each other. Let me share three significant ones and how they impacted me.

Human interactions

Due to the big age gap between my siblings and I, my mom would usually bring me along wherever she went. One family friend would often invite my mother to come along on home visitations. We would sing hymns, read bible passages and pray for the ones we visited. Sometimes we went round fetching people in her minibus and headed to the beach to eat and have fun. I would later find out that many of these people came from broken homes and this was her way of including them in a community.

Bible knowledge

Fast forward to life as a teenager. We were blessed with a dynamic youth pastor that restructured how youth ministry was run. He observed our strengths and entrusted us with roles that no one else would. He taught us the Word and made it exciting. We grew – in numbers and in knowledge. One of the pivotal things he did for me was to bring me to the Campus Crusade warehouse back when it was in Toa Payoh. He showed me where to go ‘fishing’. I was hungry for God’s Word but reading the bible was too difficult for me. So Christian literature was like minced meat for this growing bird.

Growth spurt

As a young adult I left YCKC for a period of time, heartbroken. But God had a plan. With my youth pastor’s understanding, I uprooted to a new church. It was there,  I saw the Word of God come alive. It was living, breathing, and active! Our pastor was like a walking bible concordance. Oh, but it did not stop there. Word came alive in deed. And he brought the small church on this journey. There we learnt how to fast and pray, witness to strangers, activate God’s truth in our own lives. We were filled, and we had more than enough to overflow into the lives of those around us. We learnt what it meant to truly love God, and love His Word. And through that love, we desired to be obedient to God. And for the first time in my life, turning away from sin was doable!

Jesus said to his disciples “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). The key to keeping His commands was love for Him! But you can only love Him, if you know Him.

Friends, discipleship is exciting! It is doable! I pray that you will ask God for someone to intentionally journey with you. It does not have to look like my journey, but boldly take that first step! You may face some false starts or inertia but press on and do not give up!

If I could breakdown my discipleship journey it would probably look like this:

  • Pray and approach a mature, God-loving Christian to disciple you
  • Devour God’s word daily! – bible, books, podcasts, hymns, memory verses
  • Learn how to pray using God’s promises – e.g. “Father, you said in your word that you are my strong tower, help me to choose to seek refuge in you.”
  • Do what they do, together – visit the sick, pray for the grieving, befriend the rejected, see how they maintain relationships etc.
  • Keep asking questions, keep learning and put them into practice – that’s how we grow!
  • Set aside time for rest – renew your mind with God’s truths, make time for fun

“Healthy people have a healthy appetite” if you do not hunger for God’s Word then I appeal to you, assess your spiritual health condition. This is one of the few things  I would ever encourage you to be discontented with.

Clarine Tan (Pastoral Staff)