The sudden passing of my dear friend and partner in the ministry, Pastor Rick Seaward, is a wake-up call for all of us. Just a month ago, we exchanged some important mutual concerns about what God is doing in the church in Singapore over a lunch meeting. We firmed up plans about going to Japan together this June to survey the land and to seek God’s direction on how we can mobilise Singapore’s churches to plant churches in Japan. We were believing God for major spiritual breakthroughs in that great nation, and made plans to launch ‘Love Japan’, which is similar to what we’ve done in Timor Leste through ‘Love Timor Leste’. I was counting on drawing on his wisdom and experience for this project, but it looks like we have to move on without him.
This reminded me of an incident that happened more than 20 years ago in Pretoria, South Africa with one of the most prominent pastors of the nation. We were planning to collaborate in implementing the cell church strategy in Africa. That same day, with thousands from the churches of the city, we went on a prayer march throughout Pretoria. As we came to the final destination in the heart of Pretoria, my dear friend suffered a major heart attack. He dropped to the ground and was with the Lord almost instantly.
As we grieve over the passing of Pastor Rick Seaward, the Lord wants us to remember the truth of 1 Peter 1:24-25, “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” This passage is telling us that our only response to situations like this must be that of the psalmist in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Finally, I would like to leave all of us with the words of C. T. Studd, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
- Senior Pastor Lawrence Khong