“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed." – Deuteronomy 16:16
The vision to gather the men in Cornerstone through Holy Mandate was birthed out from Deuteronomy 16:16, and there has been such pleasure of the Lord in every men's meeting that we have had over the years. "I have always enjoyed these meetings because they remind me of the commitment I have made before the Lord with the fellow men in the House – to be committed to leading my family right, loving and honouring my wife, and protecting the weak and vulnerable," said Koh Yao Yi.
After not being able to gather physically for close to two years, it was great to finally have a men’s meeting again on 11 November 2021! This was the first time that the meeting was broadcast online, and although it was different from a physical gathering, it was nonetheless a wonderful time.
Pastor Yang brought the Word and challenged us men to grow in ten areas of our life – spiritually, socially, intellectually, financially, in physical appearance, in courage, in sexuality, in fatherhood, in manliness, and in communication. It was a great time just pondering on his points and thinking about practical ways to grow in those aspects. There is no doubt that everyone benefits when men excel in the role that God has given to us as grandfathers, fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons.
I have always enjoyed these meetings because they remind me of the commitment I have made before the Lord with the fellow men in the House – to be committed to leading my family right, loving and honouring my wife, and protecting the weak and vulnerable.
In this year’s meeting, we had a Q&A (Question and Answer) session on struggles that men face. We had a panel of men from different generations who represented the roles of grandfather, father, and son to share their perspectives. The segment was such an eye-opening one, as we heard from men who were at different stages of their lives with different priorities and responsibilities. This certainly helped to build stronger inter-generational bonds among the men in church.
There was such vulnerability in their sharing as they discussed the struggle of not having a perfect earthly father, yet having the burden and desire to represent the Heavenly Father in everything they do. Everyone was engaged and the response was so overwhelming that the panellists were unable to finish answering all the questions submitted.
Traditionally, one of the highlights of the men’s meeting is the feast that is prepared for us at the end. However, we were not able to have that this year due to the social restrictions brought on by the pandemic. Our hearts were full as we had been greatly blessed by what our fellow brothers-in-Christ had brought to the table.
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