Spirit Song
1981. Church Camp in Sentosa. During the testimony night, I did the "Spirit Song." There were many song items that night - by the kids, the youth, the ladies’ fellowship and the hallelujah deacons. Almost everyone rendered their voices. The next afternoon on our return journey, as we were boarding the ship, one elderly lady told me in Cantonese, "Young man, I don’t understand a word you sang last night. But my heart was warmed!"

Psalty’s Christmas Calamity!
1982, Singapore. That Christmas was unforgettable. Everything went wrong at the beginning but ended well. We made an order for an accompaniment cassette tape from USA costing more than US$100. Upon arrival, some anxious kids opened the mail at the church office and played it. In their excitement, the original tape got jammed and a great portion was destroyed. The musical went on successfully. I got to sing the finale "It is not by might nor by power but by my Spirit…"

A Rainbow In The Night
1987, Urayasu @ Japan. Walking home, a young missionary from Singapore was crying out for help, "Lord, where are Thou?" I noticed something special about the moon that evening. It was full moon but not so bright. There was a ring of rainbow encircling it. It was beautiful to behold. I wrote, "Now I know Your love still shines in the darkness of my life…a rainbow in the night…"

Psalm 46
1987, Urayasu @ Japan. During one worship session, as we were singing spontaneous songs, I found myself humming a new melody - so heavenly that I kept repeating for times and times again. I could only sing in tongues. No English lyrics could fit the music. One Japanese recording artist from Vineyard was there. She asked me about the music score. I could only remember the music but no lyrics. She asked me to pen the lyrics in Japanese. Later that week, as I was having my personal devotional time at the kawa (river), I read Psalm 46 in Japanese. The sacred lyrics came. Word for word, note by note - fitted perfectly till the last 3 bars. By true inspiration, I added "Shu o homeyo" (Praise the Lord) to finish the whole song. My first attempt in writing Japanese songs. Thereafter I did 2 others (John 3:16 and Rom 3:23 & 6:23).

Jesus Loves Me
1995, Squaw Mountain, Texas. A little country, a little rock and roll but packed with human emotions. My audience was basically an elderly pastor and his beloved wife, a pastor cum friend and his teenage son. The Lord was there to minister His love, overflowing reaching the depths of our souls. We wept. "Yes Jesus loves me...the Bible tells me so…"

Shepherd Boy
1995, Kansas City. This is the song I traveled more than 100 miles to deliver but did not manage to sing. I was asked by a pastor to do the song. But the church policy was to check out everyone before they went up to the podium. And time did not permit their worship pastor to check me out. I was glad that I did not do this song. The church worship service was awesome and anointed. I was being ministered to instead of ministering to. This song is not to be sung by a person but by a Person. "When others see a shepherd boy, God may see a king!" I could almost hear Him singing over me.

Herod’s Song
1996, Singapore. This song required a lot of energy and emotions. I did not know that to be a king was so difficult, especially one whose security and position were threatened. I loved those high operatic notes. Deep within, I was checked, "Am I also a Herod?" There were thrones in my life that I needed to surrender to my King! No other loves compete and I serve only Him!

One New Man
2002. Pentecost. I was preparing for a worship service. There were no songs suitable. As I played at the keyboard at home, I began singing: "The Bride is neither Jew nor Gentile but the One New Man In Christ." The rest was added after much refining. The lai-lai-lai was impromptu.

Comfort Ye My People
2003. Passover in Singapore. I went to the synagogue in Waterloo Street, standing outside its walls to pray for the Jews and the peace of Jerusalem. As I prayed, I began to sing this song from Handel’s Messiah. I knew my beloved Audience of One heard it.

There were many more songs. Each of them has a story to tell. Someone told me that she saw angels when we did "I Hear Angels." Another told me that he saw the River of God flowing mightily as we sang a spontaneous prophetic song using Psalm 46:4. Another saw Babylon falling when we sounded our instruments to the heavenlies after "The Earth Shakes."

These are precious moments of our lives – captured, stored and cannot be easily erased. Sweet music will flow out of our lives when the songs and the singers merged – when the singer becomes the song! A sweet aroma arising from a living sacrifice.