Divine Encounters @ Marketplace (Volume 1)

By Stanley Cheng

When we rely on the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, we shall see what God can do mightily beyond our imagination.

God has led him, a big sinner saved by His grace, to journal this book titled "Divine Encounters @ Marketplace", epitomes the miracles of Chr1st, nations, marketplace, people and life-on-life over 41 years since his spiritual birth in 1974.

Reader Reviews:

"I first met Stanley in the summer 2019 in London UK, he passed on his book to me. As I began to read, I realise the rich revelation that it contained, I have recommended this book to many people. The message and revelation and testimony it contains is life changing. "

 The Very Reverend Alan Dickinson OSL (Newcastle, UK)

"After reading a few chapters, I thought to myself : there are 3 possibilities about Stanley - a deluded man, a lunatic or a  prophet. After reading half the book and conversing with him for 2 hours, I concluded that he is indeed a prophet and a man of God."

Prof Low Kee Yang (Singapore)

"My friend Stanley Cheng's book will inspire you and encourage you. Based on his extensive (and at times amazing) experience as a follower of Jesus Christ – you will not be disappointed. Equally important, Stanley is a man who 'walks the talk' – a man whose life reflects the love and wisdom and joy of Christ. Enjoy!!!"

The Honorable Gregory W. Slayton (USA)

Former US Ambassador

Founder & Chairman of Family First Global 

"My Pastor passed your book to me and I could not put it down. A prophetic evangelist in the marketplace. Such a rarity, I truly believe meeting you was a Divine Appointment at a critical moment. You and Linda are a complete inspiration."

Annie Barr MBE (Newcastle, UK)

"I have gone through your book. Excellent work and very inspirational."

Prof David Lee Seung Hwan (South Korea)

"I have finished reading your book. It is an enjoyable book that is easy to read. More importantly, I get inspired by your life testimony. I know that I have a lot to learn from you… "

Dr Michelle Liew (Malaysia) 

"I read your book and passed it on to a good friend who needs to believe in a God of the possible.   Glad that you tell of HIS-stories."

Dr Rachel R (Honduras)

"…you are so blessed and chosen as one of God's instruments, which empowered you to advocate as God's living miracle. Thank you so much for sharing in your book and showing us the way and the only way to God, to heaven and to eternity. May you open many peoples' eyes and hearts and lead them to God. Amen."

Sun Shuna (China)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stanley Cheng
• Release date: Dec 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9789813178175

Book preview

divine encountersdivine encounters

Chapter 1:

Miraculous Conversion: Born Again Through FAITH

When I met Christ, I felt I had swallowed sunshine. (E Stanley Jones)

In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. (John 3:3)

My Cheng family were Buddhists over the generations. I followed family traditions as a child. We went to the temple with our parents for celebrations and prayers. This did not change until I went to college. I swayed between being a Free thinker, an Agnostic, an Atheist, a Pro-Communist - I could not decide. I felt aversion for Christians and anyone carrying or distributing the Bible. I was actively involved in the community and social work. Over time, I felt burnt out and ran out of steam.

One afternoon in 1974, I met up with a secondary school classmate, Geok Leng, over lunch. We had been out of touch for some time. Geok Leng told me that she had received Jesus as her Lord and Savior and that she had become a Christian. She shared the gospel with me. I can not remember all the details but I recall she explained how Jesus died on the cross for my sins and resurrected on the third day and then ascended to heaven to give me eternal life. I did not understand any of this. It all sounded so alien. I initially thought that Jesus was a branded bar of soap. At the end, she asked if I would be willing to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I declined politely.

We left it at that. While crossing the road to the bus stop, I held Geok Leng's hand to usher her from the heavy traffic that day. Perhaps this was the beginning of our love story.

Over the next 3 months, I was not able to sleep properly at night. I tossed and turned. Not because I was thinking of God or of Geok Leng. I felt strangely restless but did not know why. One day, I chanced upon an advertisement in the newspaper, inviting anyone who would like to know more about God to write in for more information. I wrote in and received a small package a few days later. I had two unanswered questions in my mind which were not answered satisfactorily by discussions with friends. Firstly: When I die, where would I go? Secondly: Why am I on this earth and for what purpose? I suppose these were questions of identity and meaning.

This Was Your Life!

When the package arrived, it contained a little wallet-sized booklet titled This Was Your Life! It was a cartoon comic with simple language. To this day, I still keep this original little booklet as a memento (see its cover below). What I saw in these 22 pages terrified me. It said that if anyone believed and received Jesus, they would go to heaven, otherwise they would go to hell. I did not and could not comprehend what this meant. But in a way, it answered my first question. How about the second?

divine encouters

Looking through the package contents, I found an A4 sized assignment booklet. It contained many questions about God, Christianity and the Bible. A third A4 sized booklet in the package contained Bible verses from which I was meant to glean answers for the assignment.

Out of curiosity and a sense of adventure, I answered the questions in the assignment booklet, sent it back to the organiser and awaited the next assignment. I looked forward to receiving my score with the next assignment booklet. I did well each time.

Nothing much happened until the last assignment - Assignment 6. It contained a Bible verse from Philippians 1:21 NIV For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. I did not understand this at all. But it seemed to answer my second unanswered question in some rhythmic way. Strangely, I felt good about it.

I sent in my last assignment to the organiser together with a note: I have finished all the assignments. Can you meet me in People's Park Complex at 1pm on 1 April 1974 at the Bond Bond Bond shop on the third floor? Please buy me a Bible and I will pay you. I did not know if the marker of my assignments was male, female or whether the person would turn up.

On April Fool's Day 1974, I met my marker. He brought a Bible with him and I paid for it. We went to a nearby cafe and chatted for 15 minutes. He shared with me more about Jesus and about salvation, just as Geok Leng did. At the end of the conversation, he also asked me if I would accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. For the second time, I declined. I took the Bible home.

Miraculous Conversion

That night, I arrogantly threw out the question: I would give God a chance since it seems He answered my two unanswered questions. Remembering that both Geok Leng and my marker told me that receiving Jesus could be as complex or as simple as one wished it to be. I prayed a simple salvation prayer to receive Jesus into my heart as my personal Savior and Lord with no expectations. I wanted to see what the coming days would bring. Would I be a fool?

Lessons learned:

JOY:

We can be born again and restored back to God for a purposeful journey on earth. Despite my background of stubbornness and complicated beliefs, I chose to accept Chr1st who changed my See and Believe to Believe and See mindset to allow Chr1st to transform me.

CHALLENGE:

What is next as a new Christian and how do I build up my knowledge of God? I hardly knew anything about Him and did not know where to start. How can I get to know God better? Becoming a Christian is not just about our personal salvation. We are born again and restored back to God for a purpose that will impact eternity. What a responsibility!

VERSE to remember: Mark 16:14

¹⁴ "..Jesus appeared...; He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe..."

Chapter 2:

The Intentional Foundations : Roots Of FAITH

The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment, the manufacture of a saint is the task of a life-time." (Alan Redpath, Pastor of Moody Church, Chicago)

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,⁷ rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7)

After I prayed and received Jesus as my personal Saviour and Lord, there was no thunder or lightning or earthquake. It was a peaceful night and I slept like a baby. I was excited in the morning, and I called Geok Leng to let her know what I had done. Geok Leng received this news with joy. I was happy too but also nervous I did not know what to expect or what I needed to do next as a new Christian.

Geok Leng offered suggestions to visit her church and to attend Christian growth training with the Navigators. I agreed. The training I received from the Navigators set the foundations for my spiritual growth and life. I developed a strong sense of understanding of God through Bible study.

For the followers of Chr1st, the old life has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17), and Christ dwells through us (Galatians 2:20). With Chr1st at the divine center, Christians are to obey in action and do God's work. Keeping His commandments is obedience. It is our outward indication of inward health and our love for Chr1st (John 14:21 and Romans 12:1)

The Wheel

From the Navigator's The Wheel (see symbol below and full meaning in Appendix 1), I learnt about the four pillars of spiritual foundation. First, reading The Word in the Bible to be guided. Second, Prayer to be led by the Holy Spirit to live a victorious Christian life. Third, Fellowship with brothers and sisters of like-minded faith to encourage one another. Fourth, Witnessing to pre-believers to share the love of Jesus. The first and second pillars build our vertical relationship with God. The third and fourth pillars build our horizontal relationship with people.

divine encouters

I became involved with the Navigator Professional Circle (NPC) ministry among other professionals. The NPC ministry was held at the rented Orchard Road Presbyterian Church every Saturday. We met for praise, worship and Bible study using various Navigator's materials such as the Studies in Christian Living series (10 books) for new converts, Design for Discipleship series (6 books) as we mature in Chr1st. Each Christian was followed up with and discipled by a more mature spiritual Christian.

The One-on-One (OoO) discipleship programme is something that has been ingrained in me in terms of relationship building with Christians in the community to encourage and edify one another.

The Bridge to Life

My spiritual leader was Lim Chin Keng (deceased), a senior bank manager, who really took the time and effort to help me to grow in my early Christian life, including how to do witnessing using The Bridge to Life (see Appendix 2) to my FRANS (Friends, Relatives, Associates, Neighbours and Strangers). Chin Keng would go out with me regularly to the streets to do cold evangelism (witnessing to strangers we met) in Orchard Road and other parts of Singapore.

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Although I was terrified and fumbled at first to witness to strangers, I grew more confident with each experience and saw the fruits of our efforts as I learned to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of recipients. It is through this actual evangelism and discipleship lessons in action that I saw the impact of spiritual multiplication as in 2 Timothy 2:2 as shown in the table below.

2 Timothy 2:2 NIV

² And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

Spiritual Multiplication

divine encouters

I learnt that the purpose of disciple-making is spiritual transformation. The strategic key for such a radical discipleship is spiritual multiplication. The table above illustrates the powerful impact of One-on-One discipleship. One person who leads 100 people to Chr1st per year can lead 2,000 people to Chr1st in 20 years. However, one fervent and devoted Christian committed to discipleship-making under the Lordship of Chr1st and who strategically impacts those he or she touches to further reach out to others will have a multiplier effect that can raise up to 1,000,000 disciples in 20 years.

I improved my scripture memory using the Navigator's Topical Memory System (TMS), a simple, easy-to-use system to help believers memorize key verses that point to basic truths and important instruction and teaches us to live a life of Chr1st-focus discipleship. Each pocket -sized memory pack has 36 verses written on small 2 x 1 inch white cards in King James Version (KJV) and New International Version (NIV). I had a love-hate relationship with these cards. I loved it because they were so compact and easy to carry around with me for easy reference. But I found the word perfect memorization requirement very challenging. I had to spend much time meditating on the verses with understanding, so that they would remain in my heart and in my memory. It is interesting that a friend of mine remembers me till this day as The Navigator man who memorised Scriptures. (See Chapter 4 London Days).

We engaged in topical studies such as boy-girl relationships, stewardship, attitude, humility, purity, faith, honesty, kindness and other fruits of the spirit. In all these, we spent much time in prayer with specific short and long term requests in small groups. Often we also practiced intentional synchronized prayers - praying individually or in a small group in different locations but all praying a compiled lists of prayer requests at the same time.

In Lordship and discipleship, I learned to tithe (at least 10% of my monthly gross income) regularly to give to Navigator missionaries stationed at different countries as the Lord led me.

It is through this understanding of God that my relationship with Geok Leng flourished. I still keep the 75 love letters and greeting cards that we exchanged over the years as they are very dear to me and remind me of her care and encouragement for me, through her prayers and love. In time, Geok Leng adopted a new name: Linda, (meaning Pretty One). I decided to adopt the name Stanley after seeing two cards with the following contents:

Card 1:

Stanley has more strength than his appearance shows, and is capable and sincere. He is absolutely dependable!

Card 2:

"Stanley: One of Perseverance. Psalm 16:7a,8 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel... I have set the LORD always before me... He is at my right hand. I shall not be moved."

Linda and I attended Calvary Bible Presbyterian Church (CBPC) which is rooted in the similar four pillars of spiritual foundation and I came to understand the meaning of the Lordship of Chr1st on a deeper level. This led me to a deeper commitment and I decided to be baptised. Pastor Philip Heng baptized me on 21 December 1975. With this foundation in CBPC and the discipleship training in the Navigators, my convictions and faith in the living God grew daily although it was a slow and painful process at times. I wanted to be a practicing Christian, not just one by name or just a Sunday Christian.

Lessons learned:

JOY:

I was created to become like Jesus - to be full of wisdom, love and an exemplary servant-Leader. The truth transforms me. But there are no short cuts to maturity. One has to worship God in daily devotion and let the sweetness of Jesus' presence dwell richly in one's heart, and also to absorb understanding of God from sermons from gifted teachers and preachers of the Bible and build deep rooted foundations that will stand us in good stead for temptations along the way. I developed deep convictions in what I believed in and followed it through thick-and-thin in One-on-One spiritual multiplication.

CHALLENGE:

The commitment to share God's love with others takes time and needs sacrifices and courage. Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death. I began to ask defining questions, which defined my thinking. For example, since the records in the Bible are full of wisdom and are time tested, what is one thing I should stop doing and one thing I should start reflecting on as I draw lessons from the Bible? How can I re-order my steps so that it will draw me closer to God and be a better person today?

VERSE to remember: Romans 12:2

"² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Chapter 3:

Early Victories : Wings Of FAITH

"The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to Jose Jove is to hold too tightly; and the BEST way to keep love is to give it wings" (Anonymous)

Do not focus on what is seen, which is temporal, by faith focus on that which is unseen, which is God, and we will be propelled into our future. (Para-phrased Hebrew 11:1)

Three Horses and Three Angels

After a Sunday worship in early 1976, while I was alone meditating and worshipping in the church sanctuary, I felt the hand of Chr1st touch my forehead to bless me. In May 1976, I received a dawn vision from the Lord. I remember this vividly