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The Story of Crossroad Bible Institute Singapore by Paul Tan, Director
In November 2008, when our prison chaplain, the late Rev Henry Khoo was called home to be with our Lord Jesus, I went to pay my last respects to this man of God. After the service, I met Desmond Teng who was delighted to see me and told me that he wanted to serve God in the prison ministry. We exchanged cellphone numbers and after a few days, I called him to arrange to meet at Admiralty MRT food court.
During our meeting, Desmond told me how in prison God had used Darren, a condemned prison, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with him and how he accepted the Lord Jesus as his personal Saviour and Lord. And in time, God was gracious to him by providing him with a church, a house, a job and a wife.
I remembered clearly Desmond shared how Darren had urged him on his release from prison, to be good and serve God. Darren who was awaiting execution, also stressed that he wanted Desmond to serve God on his behalf.
The food court which was crowded and very noisy, suddenly seemed empty and quiet, It was as if Desmond and I were the only ones engrossed in our conversation. It was at that precise moment when I recalled a story told by late Rev Henry Khoo about yet another condemned prisoner. This prisoner, rather than asking the President of Singapore to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment, requested his lawyer to plead for the date of his execution to be postponed by six months so that he could have more time to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with his unsaved brothers. His request was approved. This brother knew the urgency of the Gospel. How about Me?
What is important to me and my life on earth? I believe that the Gospel is the most important of all. At that moment, I recommitted my life to Jesus to serve HIm as though I had only 6 months left to live.
In 1996, when I was a volunteer with SANA-CCS at Jalan Awang Prison, a group of Christian prisoners told me about a systematic Bible study for prisoners. I asked God to provide me with a relevant Bible study course for our brothers and sisters in prison. I searched on the internet and found two very outstanding systematic Bible study programmes. The first was Billy Graham Prison School and the other was Crossroad Bible Institute in Michigan. I sent emails to both institutions. Billy Graham Prison School responded by telling me that they already had an office in Singapore.
Two weeks later, CBI replied and told me that they had been praying for someone to represent them in Asia. I was very happy to know this. After 6 months of training, CBI-HQ appointed me as the International Centre Distribution Director for Singapore on 01 June 2009.
In September 2009, God opened the door for us to conduct our first lesson in prison with 18 students. At present we have 30 students doing the CBI programme each week. So far, 75 students have gone through our CBI programme. In July 2010, opened the door to Christian Care Services Singapore (a Christian halfway house) where we started our course with 15 students.
I wish to thank God for Mount Carmel BP Church, Calvary BP Church, Mt Hebron BP Church, Mt Hermon BP Church, Christian Parousia Church, Faith Methodist Church, FCBC, True Way Presbyterian Church, Emmanuel EFC and Covenant EFC for providing us with volunteer instructors to correct the lessons from the prison/halfway house.
On 25 September 2010, we celebrated our first CBI Singapore Anniversary at Mount Carmel BP Church. Our supporters and friends joined us to celebrate what Jesus had done for our brothers in prison and also how Jesus has blessed our CBI volunteer instructors to correct the lessons for our students.
Lastly, I hope that more churches and individuals will come forward to support the transformation power of God's Word in changing hardcore criminals into Men of God. "Not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)
Crossroad Bible Institute Singapore will continue to sow and water, knowing that it is God who will cause the GROWTH and the TRANSFORMATION. Amen!
During our meeting, Desmond told me how in prison God had used Darren, a condemned prison, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with him and how he accepted the Lord Jesus as his personal Saviour and Lord. And in time, God was gracious to him by providing him with a church, a house, a job and a wife.
I remembered clearly Desmond shared how Darren had urged him on his release from prison, to be good and serve God. Darren who was awaiting execution, also stressed that he wanted Desmond to serve God on his behalf.
The food court which was crowded and very noisy, suddenly seemed empty and quiet, It was as if Desmond and I were the only ones engrossed in our conversation. It was at that precise moment when I recalled a story told by late Rev Henry Khoo about yet another condemned prisoner. This prisoner, rather than asking the President of Singapore to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment, requested his lawyer to plead for the date of his execution to be postponed by six months so that he could have more time to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with his unsaved brothers. His request was approved. This brother knew the urgency of the Gospel. How about Me?
What is important to me and my life on earth? I believe that the Gospel is the most important of all. At that moment, I recommitted my life to Jesus to serve HIm as though I had only 6 months left to live.
In 1996, when I was a volunteer with SANA-CCS at Jalan Awang Prison, a group of Christian prisoners told me about a systematic Bible study for prisoners. I asked God to provide me with a relevant Bible study course for our brothers and sisters in prison. I searched on the internet and found two very outstanding systematic Bible study programmes. The first was Billy Graham Prison School and the other was Crossroad Bible Institute in Michigan. I sent emails to both institutions. Billy Graham Prison School responded by telling me that they already had an office in Singapore.
Two weeks later, CBI replied and told me that they had been praying for someone to represent them in Asia. I was very happy to know this. After 6 months of training, CBI-HQ appointed me as the International Centre Distribution Director for Singapore on 01 June 2009.
In September 2009, God opened the door for us to conduct our first lesson in prison with 18 students. At present we have 30 students doing the CBI programme each week. So far, 75 students have gone through our CBI programme. In July 2010, opened the door to Christian Care Services Singapore (a Christian halfway house) where we started our course with 15 students.
I wish to thank God for Mount Carmel BP Church, Calvary BP Church, Mt Hebron BP Church, Mt Hermon BP Church, Christian Parousia Church, Faith Methodist Church, FCBC, True Way Presbyterian Church, Emmanuel EFC and Covenant EFC for providing us with volunteer instructors to correct the lessons from the prison/halfway house.
On 25 September 2010, we celebrated our first CBI Singapore Anniversary at Mount Carmel BP Church. Our supporters and friends joined us to celebrate what Jesus had done for our brothers in prison and also how Jesus has blessed our CBI volunteer instructors to correct the lessons for our students.
Lastly, I hope that more churches and individuals will come forward to support the transformation power of God's Word in changing hardcore criminals into Men of God. "Not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)
Crossroad Bible Institute Singapore will continue to sow and water, knowing that it is God who will cause the GROWTH and the TRANSFORMATION. Amen!
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Copyright © 2012 CBI Singapore . All Rights Reserved