Steven Ooi, a brother who has been attending our church passed away yesterday, 3rd September, 2009. Our condolences and prayers to his family.

For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Wake service was held at the Parsonage on 4th September, 2009.
Funeral service was at 10 a.m. on 5th September, 2009.

Leaving Behind A Legacy by Grace Chiam
During the Wake Service of our late brother Stephen Ooi Thean Hock on Friday, 4th September 2009 at 8.30 p.m. at the Parsonage, the Holy Spirit directed us to a story of poor man Lazarus and a rich man found in Luke 16:19-31.

Lazarus was a poor man who had sores in his body , and often ate the crumbs that falls down from the rich man’s table. This rich man had and enjoyed everything in this world and was very healthy. But one day, both of them passed away. Lazarus went to heaven and the rich man went to hell. The rich man requested Abraham to send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger to cool off his tongue in hell. Abraham explained that now God can bring comfort to Lazarus in heaven where as the rich man already had his comfort on earth. Then, after some agonizing moments in hell, the rich man requested to Abraham again to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers who were still alive so that they will not end up in hell like him. Abraham replied if they didn’t listen to the prophets like Moses, what more Lazarus who rose from the dead.

As I listened through the story, I think the conditions of our late brother Stephen Ooi Thean Hock is the same as Lazarus in the story. Our late brother was poor. But he’s now free from the cares of this world. He has a great God who brings him comfort. Now he no longer needs to ask for money for his food or eat the leftover food. He is with God and he can enjoy the heavenly banquet every day now.

There is a challenge for non-believers and believers as well in this passage. To the non-believers, here is the message: You can be like the rich man in the story who had everything in this world: possessions, power, position and prestige but sadly you will not able to give back something beautiful and lasting in return to those who are still living or be an example for them to follow when you pass away. In other words, leave a legacy behind or you could like our late brother Stephen Ooi who had nothing in the eyes of the world but was able to leave a beautiful legacy behind.

To the family of God, the challenge is this: our late brother Stephen Ooi has finished his work and race. His time of rest has now come. He is now passing his baton to us so that we can run our own race and continues to cheer us on with God. Would we take up this challenge to run and leave a beautiful legacy behind for those who are still living after we passed away?

That is the lesson that I learn that night. I hope it blesses you.