An Outline of One of Bonny's Sermons for Wake/Funeral Services

When Bonny was on earth, he conducted many wake and funeral services while serving as a pastor at Community of Praise Baptist Church. Last week I conducted a wake service for a church member using one of Bonny's scripts.
Here is one of Bonny's sermon outlines which I found in one of his notebooks. He knew there was a time for everything. Quoting Ecclesiastes 3:2 He said there was "a time to be born and a time ot die, a time to plant and a time to uproot." He also knew the certainty of death, Heb. 9:27, "Just as man is destined to die once,...." His certainty was reflected by a statement he often made in the wake/funeral services he conducted, "Death is no respector of any man or woman or child." To the question "What happens to us when we die?", he was very sure that the temporal bodies, the perishable will be clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality 1 Cor 15:50-55.
It has been 8 months now since he has been clothed with the imperishable and is experiencing eternal joy and immortality. Though there is not time frame in Heaven, he is remembered every minute, every hour, every day, every week and month here on earth because he has left a tremendous legacy in my life. To God be the glory!

What I did that was an annoying behavior to Bonny?

More than ten years ago in the late 90’s, Bonny and I attended a marriage enrichment course called “His Needs, Her Needs.” Each of us had a workbook “5 Steps to Romantic Love” where we worked through overcoming love busters and learning to meet each other’s needs. Recently I came across Bonny’s workbook while I was tidying our library and had a good time reading through some of his answers and recalled the good times that we had. His sense of humor lingers on in my memory and what he wrote made me laugh just like when he was with me.
Referring to the annoying behavior I had toward him, he wrote, “Her annoying behavior toward me is when she tells me not to eat too much or not to eat fatty food.” In answering to the question as to why this has caused him unhappiness, he wrote, “when she shows her displeasure of my eating habits and I have to sneak behind her back to eat—a few times.” He added further that “it was because of her concern for my ulcerative colitis and I know that she is right but I still feel annoyed when she tells me.” On the frequency and intensity of my annoying behavior, he wrote, “It increased since the first year of marriage but now it has gotten lesser and better primarily because I am working with her on my eating habits.”
He was such a precious and wonderul man, a man full of humor and love, childlikeness and contentment. I am sure there is more laughters in heaven now that he is there. He does not need to control his eating habit too:-). Can't wait to see his smiling face again when my assignment here on earth is done.

Our Last Holiday Together: Royal Caribbean Isles of South East Asia Cruise, 30 Nov-4 Dec 2009

This is the picture taken on the ship "Legend of The Seas" on 1st Dec. 2009, 7.09 pm. It was a trip he was looking forward to. Sea was his favourite landscape. He used to travel a lot on sea when he was young while working as a radio operator in cargo ships. He had once told me that he might consider sailing again when he was old and didn't have a job. When I asked him what would I do if he had gone sailing, he just smiled.
When I scattered his ashes into the sea on the day of his burial, there was a strange sense of peace and joy then as I could feel that his spirit and soul was very pleased. As I watched the ashes dancing in the wind before landed into the sea, I sensed the freedom he felt. I knew then that he was smiling in heaven as his ashes went sailing. The sea is his burial ground and the sea now holds a new meaning to me.
6 months have passed since he left for heaven, I know that he is still smiling today because he knows God is taking care of me and He calls me His beloved.

Heaven--A Place of God's Love

Since Bonny left for Heaven five months ago, much of my thoughts have been "What exactly is heaven like?" I know with absolute certainty that it is a beautiful place as described in the Bible, but somehow I wanted to know what exactly does a person experience when he/she is there...the truth is I really want to know what Bonny is experiencing now for I miss him dearly. Then, sometime ago, a friend sent me an article written by a pastor named Dean Braxton about his experience in heaven. An extract from his article says: "Everything about Him (Jesus) is love, yes love for you, and it seems like it is only love for you. Yet you know in yourself that he loves all, but the love for you is so personal, it seems like it is only for you. You know He has cared for you for so long, and you do not want to leave that caring for you."

Then I began to read about various reports from those who have had an experience in heaven. Among many descriptions like colours and lights, etc., what is common in most report is as described by Ps Dean Braxton: "Love--God's love!" I believe in these reports as the Bibles clearly states that God is Love (1 John 4:16). I am so blessed to know that my love who has departed from me is enjoying the abundant completely pure love of God now! I am sure his skill in blowing the shofar is perfect now. I can't wait to join him when God's assignment for me on earth is done! Indeed, "for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21)!

Eagles--His Favourite Collection

Wilfred (Bonny) loved to collect. Some of his collections include eagles, horses, rings, stones, teddy bears, watches, clocks, boxes, eggs and ships.

Eagles are his favourite.

Eagles symbolize Strength and Freedom!

The Bible says in Isaiah 40:31

"Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary."

Someone describes eagles this way:
“Eagles: When they walk, they stumble. They are not what one would call graceful. They were not designed to walk. They fly. And when they fly, oh, how they fly, so free, so graceful. They see from the sky what we never see”
This describes my beloved late husband: strong and free!

He is now strong and free in the embrace of Jesus:-)
His ealges collection at home is a strong reminder for me to be strong and free as well!

Worship with spontaneous songs: Bonny's favourite pastime

Bonny's favourite pastime while he was on earth was to worship the Lord with spontaneous songs. Whenever he was free, he would pick up his guitar and worship the Lord with songs that were composed there and then. Many times, tears would roll down his cheeks as he worshipped and the presence of God was so strong that one could feel that the climate of heaven had decended. I know for sure that now he is so happy as he can enjoy his earthly pastime forever without interuptions in heaven--simply worshipping the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords in His very presence.

Here are some of his spontaneous songs composed and sang on 27 November 2009.... Please turn off the "In Christ Alone" Song in the right column so that you can hear the songs.

A Man Named Jesus (with harmonica)

Reach Out Your Hand To Someone Who Needs You

I Don't Know What To Do

Abba Father

Be With Me, I'll Always Love You

Wilfred Khalil Memorial Offering

In memory for Ps Wilfred Khalil, the leadership of Community of Praise Baptist Church Singapore is giving family and friends the opportunity to give an offering/donation to a special project that is close to his heart. This project is undertaken by the DaySpring under HighPoint Community Services Association. It is a new venture to set up a Residential Therapeutic Treatment Centre for troubled teen girls and it has received support from Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. It is now in the early stages of fund raising for a planned launch in October of this year. Before Wilfred (Bonny) passed away, he had mentioned his desire to help fathering these teen girls if he had the opportunity. You can find more information about this project in http://www.dayspring.com.sg/rtc.php.
To give to this memorial offering, you may write a cheque payable to "Highpoint Community Services Association - DaySpring" and send it to Blk 18 Boon Lay Way #04-127 TradeHub 21 Singapore 609966. You may write at the reverse side of the check "In memory of Wilfred Khalil."
To enjoy double tax relief in Singapore and to receive a tax receipt, please provide the following with your donation:NRIC Name, NRIC Number, Your Contact Number, Mailing Address.