Philip Sng - Eternal Life Assembly

When Faith Was Blurry – a 2,800 degree prayer

Philip Sng — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 03:55:00 +0000

The Early Years

At three years old, Naomi’s parents took her for an eye check-up and discovered that she was severely myopic as a toddler, with 1,500 degrees of short-sightedness in each eye!

Her parents then realised why she often avoided bright, moving images, and she would always walk away from these light sources. She also showed no interest in watching television.

From that time on, after the eye check-up, Naomi wore thick, heavy glasses that became a defining part of her early life.

Naomi’s childhood was different from other children’s. She dreaded the yearly eye check-ups, with the painful eye drops and intimidating bright lights.

At ten, when her classmates enjoyed swimming lessons, she could not join them because she was too young to wear contact lenses at the time.

During physical education lessons in school, she would avoid ball games and often ran far away from any ball, constantly fearing that the ball would shatter her thick glasses.

Academically, Naomi’s parents lowered their expectations, hoping she could pass every subject without further straining her eyes, including passing over the opportunity to study Higher Chinese.

At twelve years old, Naomi’s eye retina had become overly stretched, and she underwent freeze-treatment surgery to prevent tear and detachment, spending a month after her Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) to recover from surgery.

Around that time, she learned about lens implant, a reversible procedure that could drastically improve vision. However, the high cost of the implant, at S$20,000, was far beyond her family’s means, and the idea was shelved indefinitely.

In Naomi’s growing-up years, she accepted that possessing blurred, imperfect vision was her reality.

She thanked God daily that she could still see and function, despite this eyesight limitation.

A Prayer

During a routine eye check-up in October 2022, Naomi’s doctor gave her the sobering news that her retina is weakening and she may lose her vision over time.

That day, Naomi was gripped with fear after receiving this sad piece of news. She chose to persevere in her faith in God and shared the doctor’s diagnosis with a few close friends. One of them, Si Qin, sent her this message:

“Just leave it to God. Pray for Him to restore and renew your retina, that He will give you a new pair of eyes when you wake up.”

Naomi thankfully responded with “Amen,” but silently wondered in her heart, “Is that even possible?”

The Decline

In the early part of 2024, Naomi’s vision began to worsen rapidly. She did not tell anyone. The prospect of losing her sight began to change everything for her.

Having experienced miraculous healings from God in the past, she believed God would heal her eyes. She prayed fervently, in her room, at the church altar, asking God to restore her sight so she could continue serving effectively in church ministry.

Instead of improving, her vision continued to deteriorate.

In June 2025, Naomi travelled alone to the United States for the first time. She could barely read the information signs at customs check counters and prayed her way through the process, leaning on God’s grace.

Two months later, she travelled to China on another work trip. Again, she could not see the information on customs check counters, but God provided a staff escort who accompanied her from the airport to the hotel.

During a meeting with a client in a brightly lit room, she was almost blinded by her eye floaters and blurred vision. Naomi was overwhelmed, physically and emotionally.

By September 2025, her eyes could no longer function normally. With much apprehension, she went to see her optometrist. After a lengthy thirty-minute check, she looked at Naomi tearfully and said,

“Your eye myopia is now 2,800 degrees. I can’t help you anymore. You need to consult your doctor immediately.”

Naomi broke down and cried.

Her optometrist said to her, “We will pray. Let’s believe in God’s miracle.”

Naomi’s doctor appointment was six days away. It was the longest six days of her life.

The fear of losing her vision completely terrified her, and every night, she was kept awake. She prayed fervently and sought out her close friends and churchmates to pray for her.

She prepared herself mentally and emotionally for the eventual outcome of the doctor’s visit.

The Turnaround

With bad news from her optometrist, Naomi was uncertain about what to expect from the doctor’s visit.

On the day of her medical appointment, her doctor said, “Miss Ng, you have mature eye cataracts and will require surgery as soon as possible to implant new lenses.”

Naomi was stunned. “Cataracts at thirty-eight years old?”

The doctor continued, “After surgery, you will be able to see clearly again—without glasses or contact lenses.”

She was unsure if she had heard the doctor correctly. “Did he say that she wasn’t going blind but she would be able to see clearly again?”

Naomi left the clinic overwhelmed with gratitude and joy. God has heard and answered her prayers, not in her timing, but in His.

God’s delay is not his denial. While she thought He was silent, He was preparing a healing experience beyond what she could fathom, not just to restore her eyesight, but to provide for the costs of the procedure completely.

What was considered out of reach when she was a child, is now covered under Medisave and company insurance.

When Naomi shared the good news with her close friend Si Qin, she reminded her of what she told her in 2022: “God will give you a new pair of eyes.”

Indeed, He did.

The Second Miracle

As part of pre-surgery checks, Naomi needed to undergo a retina scan, which revealed two blood clots. Due to early detection, these clots were treated in time. Indeed, God is all-knowing, abounding in His mercy and grace towards her.

Due to Naomi’s extremely high eye myopia and irregular retinal shape, her cataract surgery carried a higher risk.

Her doctor assured her, “Trust in His sovereignty. We live by faith, not by sight. Worrying is not of God—it’s a sin. Let’s pray.” These God-moments continually assured her of God’s abiding presence.

Naomi’s surgery was a success.

A New Vision

Today, every morning when Naomi opens her eyes, she can see her world vividly – sharper colours, clearer details. She no longer needed to depend on spectacle glasses or contact lenses. It is an experience that she has never savoured before.

To her, life has become cheerful and bright. Although she still needs to use reading glasses and can see floaters in her vision, she is deeply grateful to God for healing her blurred vision and giving her a new set of eyes to see His creation in all its beauty.

Naomi can now truly say: “I once was blind, but now I see.”

God has given her not just physical sight, but a new vision and zest for life.

Reflections:

What is an impossible 2,800 degree fear that stands before you today?

Impossibility vs Provision: : “God’s delay is not His denial” What does this mean for you today?
Faith in doubt: Faith isn’t the absence of doubt, but trusting God right in the middle of it.
A New Vision for Life: Do you need new eyes to see today what God sees for your life today? Ask Him to show you.

The post When Faith Was Blurry – a 2,800 degree prayer first appeared on Eternal Life Assembly.

Full-Time Ministry Is a Privilege, Never a Sacrifice.

Philip Sng — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 04:12:52 +0000

The Fearful Boy Who Found a Real God

Pastor Robert Lum, affectionately known as Pastor Bob, was like any other boy, active and curious. But at age ten, he witnessed a neighbor fall to her death.

From that day, fear gripped him. He turned to religious idols, hoping for peace and protection from ghosts.

One day, his elder brother invited him to Sunday school in a small church beneath their apartment.

There, Robert encountered a power greater than the fear of ghosts. He discovered Jesus and gave his life to Christ.

That night, for the first time since the tragedy, he slept peacefully. To Robert, God wasn’t a concept. He was real. And that reality has shaped every day of his life since.

Called by God

At 17 years old, God spoke to Robert during his devotion time through the hymn “I’ll go where you want me to go”.

The call to full-time ministry was clear. He was prepared to take a leap of faith and enter ministry after completing National Service, even if it meant disappointing his parents who had high hopes for his future.

After seeking counsel from Pastor Winnie Ong, Robert sensed God’s leading to further prepare himself.

At that time, Assemblies of God (AG) pastors were often looked down upon for lacking academic qualifications, and Robert felt the need to be both called and equipped.

He then pursued a degree in Business Administration, believing that the knowledge gained would one day be useful in missions.

For five years, he worked diligently in banking, holding God’s call close to his heart. Finally, in 1985, he made the leap, resigned and enrolled in Bible school, which heralded the beginning of his full-time Christian work.

Ministry and Faith Lessons

In 1988, Robert joined Eternal Life Assembly (EL) as a staff under Pastor John Lee’s leadership.

Then in 1992, after just four years, Pastor Lee asked Robert to take over as Senior Pastor – a weighty responsibility upon his shoulders.

Things became even harder when, in 1994, unexpected leadership changes left him without key staff. The burden nearly led to Robert falling into depression.

But God provided. Pastors Peter, Alvin, and Annie stepped in as faithful co-laborers, and they remain as pillars in the church till today.

In 1995, EL had to move out of their church premise at Pasir Panjang when the ‘change of use’ could not be renewed.

Robert spearheaded the five-year journey for a permanent church site that culminated in securing EL’s current premise at Bukit Timah Conference Centre, with the property fully paid up. The nomadic season was over. A new chapter had begun for EL!

Missions was always central to Robert’s heart. He led EL in establishing a ministry in Cambodia, starting from scratch to raise funds and build infrastructure.

“EL didn’t have the money,” Robert recalls. “But when God gives a vision, He also gives the provision.”

Indeed, God provided almost double what was needed. Today, EL Cambodia is an established growing church that is a light to the community and a school that provides certified education to children aged 5 to 18 years old.

During the 2020 pandemic, despite budgets cuts happening globally, Robert witnessed God’s abundant provision.

EL was not only able to provide for its own staff, but the church’s financial resources experienced surpluses which were channeled to bless itinerant and retired ministers who had lost their income during the challenging period. Heaven provided and the church became a channel of hope.

Experiencing God’s Miracles for the Family

In 1999, Robert’s father, who had earlier accepted Christ, suffered a stroke and fell into a coma.

Robert asked the church to pray as he and his wife rushed to the hospital, fearing the worst. But when they arrived, they saw his father awake, alert and able to talk as before! God had healed him, and this miracle was witnessed by his family.

“God never forgets the prayers of His children,” Robert reflects.

For years, Robert had prayed for his mother’s salvation. In 2003, those prayers were answered. She accepted Christ and was baptized!

When God Answers Differently

In 2016, Robert faced one of the hardest seasons in his life. His first granddaughter was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart defect whilst still in her mother’s womb.

The family rallied in fasting and prayer. But the healing they hoped for didn’t come. She was born with the defect, endured a major surgery at five weeks old, and another at age two, both followed by long ICU stays.

Notwithstanding these perilous episodes, God has watched over Robert’s granddaughter. Today, she is an active and cheerful 9-year-old!

“Sometimes God doesn’t answer the way we expect,” Robert says. “But He remains sovereign and faithful no matter how hard it gets.”

A Life Still Advancing: Parting Reflections

Ask anyone who knows Pastor Robert, and you’ll hear: Kind. Gentle. Accommodating.

From playing the accordion in Sunday School to writing musical scripts, preaching the Gospel, and mentoring pastors, Robert believes there’s room for every person to grow – spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually.

He never saw full-time ministry as a sacrifice. To him, it has always been a privilege, a sacred call filled with joy, surrounded by grace, and a front seat to seeing lives transformed for the glory of God. Though retired as Senior Pastor, he steps into a new season.

“God is not done with us, and He’s not done with me,” he says. “We must leave the past behind and boldly advance to take hold of what Christ took hold of us for.”

And if you ask him what he’s learned after 40 years of ministry?

“Were there sacrifices? Yes. But God has never short-changed me. Not once.”

Let’s celebrate Pastor Robert Lum! A life well-lived, and a legacy still unfolding.

Ask: Is God’s calling you to full-time service?
Consider: What is God asking you to surrender—not as a sacrifice, but as a privilege?
Be Grateful: Where have you seen God provide, even when the odds were against you?

The post Full-Time Ministry Is a Privilege, Never a Sacrifice. first appeared on Eternal Life Assembly.

浪子回头：两兄弟因癌症丧母后如何找到归属

Philip Sng — Sat, 30 Nov 2024 10:32:10 +0000

“跟从耶稣直到生命的尽头。”

这是我的母亲对三个孩子的叮嘱。然而，当她在46岁因癌症突然离世时，给了我们沉重的一击。由于父亲因疾病多年无法工作，母亲从我们很小的时候起就非常辛劳，同时打三份工来养家。

“我对神感到愤怒。为什么我反复祷告，求祂医治妈妈，祂都没有回应？为什么神要在我如此年轻的时候将妈妈带走？”弗兰克回忆道。

“我对神感到愤怒。为什么我反复祷告，求祂医治妈妈，祂都没有回应？为什么神要在我如此年轻的时候将妈妈带走？”

哥哥因母亲的突然离世感到深切的悲痛与遗憾。他本计划从军营出来后，在下午去探望母亲。然而，还未等到哥哥赶到，她就在早晨离世了。

悲伤与痛苦吞噬了我们。我们挣扎着如何面对神。不仅留在教会里变得困难，跟随耶稣对我们来说更是艰难。渐渐地，我们不再参加教会，过上了远离神的生活。

金钱与物质享受成了我的追求。我甚至为了寻找能够带来好运和驱除恶灵的护身符而去了寺庙。但无论我做什么，都无法驱散失去母亲的痛苦。我开始酗酒，而哥哥也常陪着我。我们一起喝醉，借此麻痹因失去了母亲而产生的痛苦。

在母亲去世后的十年里，我的夜间睡眠瘫痪变得更频繁了。这些可怕的经历让我感觉生命岌岌可危。有一次，我甚至无法呼吸，也无法说话或移动。更糟糕的是，我还在四周听到了充满威胁的邪恶笑声。

在极度绝望中，我呼求耶稣的名。一瞬间，我的睡眠瘫痪消失了。多年被干扰的睡眠终于迎来了平安，并且我的睡眠也开始好转。耶稣在我背离祂之后，还会关心我吗？

“耶稣在我背离祂之后，还会关心我吗？”

这那次经历后，我内心不断受到召我回教会里的呼唤。我犹豫了，因为我认为自己不配，因为我曾背弃了神。但那温柔而持续的召唤让我无法忽视。最终，我鼓起勇气，重新走进了教会。

当我踏进教会时，教会成员热情的微笑和欢迎消除了我心中可能被拒绝或指责的顾虑。这种感觉就像是回到了家。

“这种感觉就像是回到了家。”

之后，我参加了一次教友营。我永远不会忘记那天神在我生命里做的深入的修复工作。在回应祭坛呼召时，神对我说：“我一直在等你。” 我被祂给予的爱和肯定深深感动。所有多年来折磨我的愤怒和内心的苦涩瞬间消散了。

这感觉就像胸口的一块重石被拿走了一样，让我我感到无比地自由。从那天起，我决心重建与神的关系，每日阅读圣经和祷告。

神开始改变我的生命，并在教会中提供了一个支持与鼓励我的信徒群体，帮助我脱离之前的生活方式和习惯。不管我曾与神走得多远，神无条件的爱仍然找到了我，使我多年积累的愤怒、苦涩和悲伤中得到释放。

从那以后，我开始参做教会的音乐事工，并学习弹吉他来服事神。

跟从耶稣直到生命的尽头，是母亲的遗愿。如今，这也成为了我的渴望。跟随耶稣不再只是母亲对我的期盼，而是我发自内心的选择。

“跟从耶稣直到生命的尽头，是母亲的遗愿。如今，这也成为了我的渴望。跟随耶稣不再只是母亲对我的期盼，而是我发自内心的选择。”

神不仅在我生命中动工，也在伟德的心中作工。在军队服役期间，一位基督徒同事经常向他提供灵修材料，而伟德会在空闲时间阅读。他也会偶尔进入教会，寻求内心的平安。然而，每当他想到母亲曾说 “神无所不能”，却依然没能康复时，他内心总是充满挣扎。

某一次的永生堂礼拜中，在牧师的邀请下，伟德参加了教友营。在营会的祭坛呼召中，神在祭坛前与伟德相遇，让他从多年愤怒、悲伤和痛苦中获得神迹般的释放。

今天，伟德在服事神中找到了新的喜乐和意义。他全职担任教会的设施人员，并常常见证神如何以祂的方式和时间回应了母亲的祷告。伟德说，神在祂的方式和时间里成就了母亲的祷告。

“神在祂的方式和时间里成就了母亲的祷告”

跟随耶稣并不意味着生活会无忧无虑，而母亲对此十分清楚。当她告诉我们 “要跟随神直到生命尽头” 时，我想她的意思是无论生活如何艰难，都要抓住耶稣，就像她曾做的那样。

我的生活里是否仍然面临困难与挑战？当然。但在这些困难与挑战中，我知道耶稣每一步都与我同在。

无论我们离了多远，神总在那里，准备把我们举起，带回祂的怀抱。祂饶恕我们的过错，帮助我们克服恐惧，并赋予我们征服挑战的能力。神将我们最黑暗的时刻转化为他人希望的灯塔。祂为我和伟德做到了这一点。祂从未忘记我们。而祂也记得你。

你能在自己的故事中看到神的作为吗？

The post 浪子回头：两兄弟因癌症丧母后如何找到归属 first appeared on Eternal Life Assembly.