MARANATHA BIBLE-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Transcription

1 Weekly Newsletter of MARANATHA MESSENGER Private Circulation Only MARANATHA BIBLE-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 25 June 2017 Present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28) Address: 63 Cranwell Road, Singapore Sunday School: 9.45 am Sunday English / Chinese Worship Service: am Sunday Chinese Worship Service: 7 pm Wednesday Prayer Meeting: 8.00 pm Introduction Redeeming The Time Before The Coming Of The Lord Paul in Ephesians 5:15-16, exhorts us See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. These are perilous days before the Lord returns that we live in as we witness international disasters and calamities over the past few months. The recent terrorist incidents in London (and Egypt, Syria, Philippines and Indonesia and even some Singaporeans who are radicalised) and in Manchester with the insidious attacks and a towering inferno in London (and landslide in China) that killed many people. All this reminds us soberly of the brevity of life and the nearness of eternity. We are living in the perilous last days while there is still growing religious persecution and extremism in the US, Europe, Asia, Africa and in the Middle East. There is an increasing spiritual and moral declension and the profound ignorance of or indifference to God in the West. The Episcopal Church of Scotland and the Church of Scotland had approved their ministers to officiate gay marriages from June 2017 onwards. There are many turning to atheism and to agnosticism in Europe. Euthanasia, divorce, dysfunctional families, abortion and homosexuality are part of post-modern life in the West and is coming to the East as well. There is a great falling away in our times as predicted by the Lord and the apostle Paul (Matthew 24 and 2 Timothy 3). Peter in 2 Peter 3:11-13 says, Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. We must be vigilant and stand firm for Christ according to His Word and pray to fulfill His will as the Lord command us in the Great Commission. To labour for lost souls while there is yet opportunity and continue steadfastly in the outreach of souls; and the diligent study of and application of the living Word in worship and the edifying fellowship of the saints; and the vigilant defence of the faith (Jude 3, 4). Let us not neglect but persevere in evangelistic and missionary efforts to reach out to many who are still lost in the vast harvest fields. Let us all pray fervently 1

2 and be fully engaged in the work of the gospel in India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Country X and beyond as we await the Lord s imminent return in His sovereign good time. It is our sincere prayer that our members and friends will continue to seek and put Christ first in their lives (Matthew 6:33) and strive to grow in deeper faith and to co- labour fervently together with likeminded brethren in the building of the kingdom of the Lord. With the Lord s enablement, the church must continue to preach Christ crucified and know his sufferings and the power of His resurrection fervently (Philippians 3:10) and the pure gospel and build up the faith of the believers in the fear and knowledge of God. We have a sacred duty to support and pray for one another in the church and to uphold the witness of our Lord s work committed to us dutifully. Our diligent and united labour for Christ will bear spiritual fruit and we shall reap what we sow if we faint not (Psalm 126:6). As we approach the second half of the year 2017, let every member and friend examine ourselves, and rededicate our hearts to God to build up the vitality of our spiritual lives, covenant families and the church with the following objectives and actions : 1. Deepen our own souls first in our spiritual devotion, love and in the fear of God. 2. Build up our knowledge in the meditation of the Word with the regular reading and application of the Bible and good Christian books. 3. Have a spiritual burden and support the work of the Lord in the church ministry with our fervent stewardship to the Lord and regular attendance. 4. Pray personally and corporately for your church ministry and resolve to come for the Wednesday night church prayer meeting to intercede for one another. 5. Exhort, encourage and edify one another in the care and love of Christ with a gracious and God-honouring spirit. 6. Be involved in gospel evangelism, missions trips (i.e. September to Myanmar and December to India), outreaches, witnessing in giving tracts and pray to bring someone to the church service if possible peradventure some may be saved. 7. Invest in eternity and tithe joyfully and give and offer faithfully of your time, talents, treasure for the extension of God s kingdom, out of all that we have from the Lord. 8. Take the same biblical stand as God s Word in our church and propagate and defend the most holy faith and the doctrines of grace. 9. Make an effort to come and study the Word at the Sunday School and Sabbath worship as well as prayer meetings, and at the various fellowship meetings. 10. Pray for an opportunity to do something constructive for the Lord everyday. 11. Be available to worship, pray, serve and ask the Lord, "what will you have me to do for you for your glory? 12. Discover, Develop and Demonstrate our God-given abilities, gifts and talents and use it for the Lord s sake. 13. Equip and train ourselves and others in discipleship skills, Bible knowledge and a 2

3 good attitude and aptitude to teach, care and serve God more effectively in His church. 14. For those married, to focus on the covenant family in fulfilling our roles as responsible fathers and mothers in building up a godly heritage and legacy in the fear of God. 15. Build up and nurture a strong and effective young adults, children and Youth Ministry and a caring visitation programme for our members and new friends. 16. Be a part of evangelistic (4pm every Sunday), missions and a discipleship programme and for deeper understanding of the Word and fellowship. 17. Be gracious with our speech and edify and reach out to one another with a God- honouring spirit. 18. Combat the depravity and waywardness of the soul by constant searching of our hearts by the Spirit and the repentance of sins and strive to walk in holiness and live a sanctified life by His daily grace and strength. 19. Be a good testimony in your workplace, camp, home, neighbourhood or school and be an effective witness for Christ s sake. Conclusion The Lord is coming soon and while there is yet breath in our nostrils, we continue to be good stewards of the manifold grace of God in colabouring together in the Lord as He called us. In these last perilous days, may we persevere to share the everlasting gospel to win souls for Christ before it is too late and build up and edify the flock with the gospel and the Word faithfully preached, with reverential Sabbath worship, edifying fellowship and responsible stewardship. Paul says in Galatians 6:9-10, And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. May the Lord be merciful and gracious to revive and awaken us and our children too as we are engaged in sober action and prayerful contemplation to the glory of His name and the edifying of the people of God. Jack Sin Testimony on the Reformation Tour to Scotland and England May 2017 Once again, after my last Reformation Tour to Europe in year 2015, I have this privilege to go along with Rev. Jack Sin and Angie, together with a group of 36 brethren from 5 nationalities and various denominations of 15 churches. Indeed the Lord s Spirit was in our midst enabling us to go with an open mind and heart, very much prepared spiritually and physically. We found ourselves adaptable to one another in spite of our different backgrounds and even able to have good bonding and fellowship together. All praises and glory unto Him! 3

4 We started from Edinburgh and travelled by road all the way down from Scotland and ended in London in which we spending 4 nights there. As usual we visited the churches in different places where the Scottish Covenanters and English Puritans once lived. When we visited St Mary de Crypt Church in Gloucester, I heard about George Whitefield, a great 18 th Century Evangelist, and was very impressed that he preached fervently at the pulpit even till the very last day of his life despite his old age and frailty. He really set a very good example as a humble servant of God who served Him faithfully till the end of his life! Indeed he ended well with faithfulness for our Almighty God. On the last Sunday of our tour, i.e. on 28 May, we were very joyous to be able to attend two worship services that day. In the morning, we worshipped at New Life B-P Church, London where Dr. Carl Martin was pastoring and in the evening, we went over to Metropolitan Tabernacle where Dr Peter Masters preached at the pulpit at the Sunset Gospel Hour. Our souls were richly blessed through the preaching of these two pastors. Another blessings to our souls were the morning devotions shared in the coach by various brethren and Ps Jack Sin. In one of the devotions, I was very much encouraged and impressed by brother Timothy Zhu. I thank God for His great work in converting Timothy and now using him to be a channel of blessings to his people in his homeland. His testimony at our New Life B-P Church London also gave glory to the Lord of His love and mercies bestowed upon him. Praise and thank God! I want to thank God that He really preserved and protected us all the way throughout our journey. In our last reformation tour to Europe, there was a terrorist attack at Paris and now it happened again in Manchester while we were in Scotland. Though there are many risks involved in travels nowadays because of the ISIS terrorisms, we can still count on our Almighty God and Lord who will protect and watch over us. All glory and honour unto Him. Amen! Judy Loon Life BP Church Greetings to all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I am glad to share my experience during the study tour; organized by Maranatha BP Church under the leadership of Rev Dr Jack Sin, assisted by Mrs Angie Sin. First of all, I would like to thank God for this great opportunity to join the group of saints to visit Scotland and England from 17 th to 30 th May Being a servant of God, it was so important for me to study certain things to defend my faith from heresies. Therefore, I have eagerly anticipated the opportunity to walk, to see and to visit the places related to the protestant Reformation. That 4

5 which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life (1 John 1:1). Predominantly, I wanted to study the cause and cost of Reformation during our tour in Scotland and England. I am glad to affirm that I could learn the real motivation behind the Protestant Reformation by visiting the historical places and the local guides who have explained each tiny detail in the history of the Church. It was not easy for me to make an overseas trip as I needed to be prepared for huge expenses. I would like to thank the Almighty God for His sovereign providence which has enabled me to join this study tour. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21). I was so excited to meet the group at Doha International airport. We reached to Edinburgh on 18 th may 2017 at noon local time. The guide came to the airport to receive us. He was looking special in the traditional Scottish wear. Thank God for the journeying mercies and pleasant weather as we went on our way to the Hotel. After lunch we visited the house of John Knox and the Scottish Museum. I was amazed to learn that John Knox was so brave to preach the Word to condemn the heresies of his time. Later, we visited the Magdalene chapel near Grass Market to consider the martyrs memorial who poured out their lives for the cause of Christ s Crown and Covenant. Next day, we went to St. Andrews and Dundee. I had been encouraged to learn the revival preaching of Robert Murray McCheyne at the St. Peters Church. We also visited the birth place and ministry places of Missionary Heroes like William Carey, David Livingstone and George Whitefield. Their lives challenged us to invest our time talent and treasures to proclaim the good news to the multitudes. I was so excited by recollecting my determination to serve Christ in an unknown location which is over seven hundred miles away from my hometown; by learning the local language to proclaim the good news in to their own dialect. I was glad to visit the home town of John Bunyan and the ministry place of Richard Baxter in Kidderminster. However, I felt sad to see the vacant cathedrals and occupied souls in different places where there is no space for Christ or Covenant. We visited the Christ Church College and the Martyrs Memorial at Oxford. Finally, we reached London on 25 th May; there we visited the Westminster Abbey, London Bridge and John Wesley s Methodist center. The British museum is unique place to sharpen our understanding of ancient Kingdoms during different time of human history. There are numerous historical evidences to prove the Biblical account regarding the course of the empires in history. It was a good time of worship at New Life BP Church on the Lord s Day and it was a great experience to hear the preaching of Dr. Peter Masters at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. During this study tour I could experience the Christian fellowship from the group. I had never felt that I was away from my home as I could really enjoy the brotherly love and care during this trip. The whole group had a profitable time of learning under the leadership of Rev Dr Jack Sin and brilliant organization of Mrs Angie Sin. Through this tour I could understand the real motivation behind the Reformation Movement. The Word is ultimately authoritative and we 5

6 cannot substitute anything to the teaching of the Scriptures. The Reformers did not consider their lives more precious than the teachings of the Word. Local Churches are designed for selfgovernance neither Pope nor State can overrule the Church of the living God. Moreover the Lord is able to raise the faithful out of his own choice to proclaim the eternal Truth in each generation. Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of [cruel] mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and [in] mountains, and [in] dens and caves of the earth (Hebrews 11:33-38). Pastor Babu New Covenant BP Church Bangalore, India Thanksgiving from Rev and Mrs Philip Eveson Dear Session members of the church camp, To the pastor, leaders and members of Maranatha Church Camp, Our time in Batu Pahat was very special. We enjoyed our experience of camp in a wonderful hotel with a great company of the Lord s people. It was lovely to meet you all and learn to know you more and more as the days progressed. We shall remember each one of you, including the children, and cherish all these memories. Thank you for the kindness and love shown to us. We shall be following you in prayer and trust that you will all be much encouraged in your service of the Lord. With love in Him, Philip and Jennifer (Eveson)

7 Camp Reflections Thank God for giving me such a good opportunity to join the camp, and there was a lot of time and opportunity to learn the Word of God and have fellowship with other members. I learnt how to develop a good relationship with God and know the burden of serving. I thank my Lord for using His faithful servants (sister Angie Sin, Dn Chen Ching Hong and brother Fong Jing Heng) to translate for me with much patience and love. I would be irritated and would not have the patience to do such translation if it were me. I did not have much experience before, and I had much conflict with others, which is one of the reasons why I was not able to share the gospel with others properly. God says, "You should treat others as you would have them treat you, and lift the burden of each others." I also thought about whether I had reached God s standard. We love our God and glorify His name not only through words but also through our actions. We should worship Him, and work harder every day as well as doing more things. His love and righteousness are always with us. Are you still complaining about little things? Come to our God and trust Him. Listening to others and arguing will take you further away from God. I hope that there will be more people joining us in our meetings, as we are weak and we need help from one another. We may be faced with difficulties but let us unite in Christ and leave our burden to God, looking to Christ. Amen! Zhang Yun Translated by Tianqi Chen

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11 Theme for the Quarter : Developing A Biblical World View English Worship Service Rev Dr Jack Sin speaks on How Can One Have Faith In An Invisible God? Scripture Text : Hebrews 11:1-10; Responsive Reading : John 20:18-31 Gospel Sunday [End of MM] 11