For Private Circulation Only
Vol. 2 No. 3 (September, 1998)
http://www.berita-bethel-ung.com



My faithful prayer partners in the Faith and in the Defense of the Gospel (Phil. 1:5, 7),
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:1)

I am writing this from my son’s (Christopher’s) home in Goleta, California. On Sept. 3, he flew my wife and me here on his UA mileage points in Business Class which he kept as a surprise present for us. We did not know this until the lady at the Economy Class counter of UA at Changi Airport informed us.

On Aug. 29 to Sept. 2 we werein Singapore, enjoying the hospitality of Dr. and Mrs. Peter Wee. When there, I was invited to take the Youth Meeting, the Sunday Morning Worship Meeting and the Prayer Bible Reading Meeting at Bethesda Hall Ang Mo Kio.

  1. Former (Old) and Yet New

  2.  

    Old (former) things are passed away; behold all things are become new. II Cor. 5.17

    This term I came across a number of former friends who remain ever new.

    Apart from the sweet fellowship we had with our hosts in Singapore and other leaders from Ang Mo Kio assembly, we had opportunities to catch up with Phoebe and Vincent (formerly serving in Penang) whom we had not seen for many years. It was back to former times again for us, and yet ever new as we sought to catch up with the missing years. We thank the Lord that we were the recipients of their warm hospitality and generosity.

    Kathy Wong (formerly from Butterworth Gospel Hall, and grand-daughter of the late Mr. & Mrs. Ng Swee Sin) also invited us to her apartment for dinner and to meet her husband - new to us then. She is following the footsteps of her grandparents and parents in serving the Lord in Singapore, having helped to found a church specially for Honk Kong immigrants there.

    1st May, being Labour Day and followed by a week-end, the Termerloh Gospel Chapel (TGC) held their Church Camp at De Rhu Beach Resort in Kuantan. It was just great to catch up with Dr. & Mrs. Liew Ah Fook (Dr. Liew is the elder there now), probably the only ones left of the former believers whom I knew when I was fellowshipping with TGC, while teaching at SMR Mentakab K/JK in 1968. I was also able to catch up with sis. Suet Fun, my former teacher-trainee at Maktab Perguruan Sri Pinang , Penang. She was transferred to Pahang when she graduated and is now an active worker at TGC. I also had opportunity to make new friends in the Camp where we studied the prophetic visions of Daniel in chapters 7-12.

    After the Camp, Dr. Ong Cheng Leng took me to stay with Mr. & Mrs. Hing Jee Teck for the special ministry on The Antichrist and The End Times at Kuantan Chapel until 5th Sept. When there I met a former sister from Butterworth Gospel Hall in Mrs. Hing, formerly Voon Mei Leng (1975-1981 in B’worth). It was a very pleasant reunion indeed. I was also to renew my friendship with bro. Jee Teck whom I met at the Malaysian Assembly Leaders’ Conference up at HCC a few years ago.

    In the three night sessions on the study on Antichrist, two former students of mine at SMR Mentakab K/JK, turned up at the meetings to my surprise. They were Fong Ling (who is now the wife of Elder Lee Koon Yew of Kuantan Chapel) and Chu Chak who attends the assembly there. Fong Ling was even able to show me the 1968 class photo – she has kept it all these years! I also met my former RBS student, V. Nadarajahwho is now an elder at Kuantan Chapel. My heart was lifted up in thanksgiving to the Lord to see that the seed sown in earlier years did not return unto Him void, but now not only have they grown up, but are bearing fruit for Him. Praise the Lord.

    From 29th May to 1st June, my wife and I were at the Grace Chapel Family Camp on one of the hills facing Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah. We studied the Tabernacle – its Concept and Ceremonies in the cool environment there. We also had fellowship with Mr. & Mrs. Wilfred, and Mr. and Mrs. Leong Funk Chiew (we stayed with both the families) and Mr. & Mrs. Paul Wong – all former friends whom I came to know when I was at Grace Chapel conducting a series of studies on The Ministry of the Holy Spirit over twenty years ago.

    At the conclusion of the Camp, we took a one-day holiday to Sandakan where we stayed with a loving Christian couple, Danny and Cindy. Cindy, herself was formerly from Penang. They took leave from work to take us round the town and to visit the world-famous Sepilok Orang Hutan Sanctuary. We flew back to KK the next day and were on our way home on June 4th.

    From June 15th to 18th, I was at GLO Training School in Taiping to lecture on Eschatology. There were ten part-time students there, mainly from Jalan Imbi Chapel, one each from The Life Chapel and Cheras Gospel Centre and one full-time student, Ian. Mr. & Mrs. Loo (full-time students) from Johore had to take leave of absence because their son was hospitalised.

    The Malaysian Assembly Leaders’ Conf. from 16th to 18th July was a great experience. It was an occasion to catch up with various assembly leaders – former friends in the Lord, some of whom I had not met for a long time and to make new ones too. I spoke on "Encouragement 0f Leaders" – the theme of the Conference, as well as responded to a paper on Church Discipline presented by my dear friend, Mr. Yap Kok Keong. The generosity of Elim Gospel Hall and Kledang Community Chapel looked into every detail that we could call "hospitality" including giving all of us a taste of the famous Ipoh hawker-fare.

    On 25th and 26th July, I was at Kampar Gospel Hall for a series of studies on The Last Days – the Day of Christ, the Day of the Lord and the Day of God. Five hours of studies were packed into these two days, with the adults and young people turning up for these studies.

    On the other free Sundays in July I was at Butterworth Gospel Hall doing a study on Missions: its Survey and Strategy, with the History of the Butterworth assembly thrown in as well. The assembly will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary in August next year.

    On Aug. 2, I was at Ampang Gospel Centre to speak on Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage. On the other Sundays in August, I spoke on Towards an Independent Assembly at Bukit Mertajam Gospel Centre. BMGC has requested the Oversight of BRGH to be their oversight subject to the approval of the Nibong Tebal Gospel Hall Oversight who oversee them presently.

    B. Near and yet Far.

    …ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh (near) by the blood of Christ. Eph. 2:13

    It is indeed ironical that my wife and I had to come so far (half way round the world) to discover that we could not go near the Lord’s Table on our first Sunday in the U.S.

    When I contacted Mr. George Gibb of Carpinteria (whose number was obtained from the Internet "Plymouth Brethren Forum"), I was advised not to go to his "exclusive" assembly. He did not think the elders there would allow my wife and I to participate at the Lord’s Supper, as we are from an "open" assembly. He was gracious in saving us this embarrassment. With no nearby assembly to go to, we had to attend a denominational church that Sunday, and were even welcomed to participate at the Communion Service there – so near to our own group of assemblies, yet so far !

    The following Saturday, we were at Christopher’s graduation at UCLA where he was conferred his third degree in E(Executive)MBA. While there, I tried to contact other assembly leaders in LA, but ended in failure. Either they were not available or the assemblies were "closed" and we would not be welcomed! Avenue 54 Bible Chapel welcomed us, but directions to the place were complicated. Again, so near and yet so far!

    The following Thursday, Mr. & Mrs. Gibb invited us to their home for a fellowship dinner, and to share with the Bible Class in their house, assembly work in Malaysia.

    Next Sunday, at 7.30 a.m. Mr. Gibb himself drove us to LA (our third time there in one week) to give us an idea of assembly work there. After leaving us at Avenue 54 Bible Chapel (an assembly like BRGH which we failed to go to the week before) so that we could take part at the Lord’s Supper, he left for his own "exclusive" assembly. We enjoyed the warm fellowship of the saints there, and the Spirit led me to contribute to the worship too.

    After the meeting, Mr. Gibb returned to fetch us for the Bible Ministry at his assembly at Montebello at 2.30pm. Other than the strict adherence to keep the Lord’s Supper "pure", the saints there were kind in extending fellowship to us. Then we drove to attend the Sunday evening Gospel meeting at South Bay Chapel at 6.00 p.m. There were only about a dozen people there. This is an "open" assembly. Apparently, in LA there are also the "tight-exclusive", "exclusive", "open, and "open-open" assemblies, named as such depending on the degree of "openness" or "tightness" that each assembly allows. There is even one "ultra tight exclusive "assembly which even the exclusive ones will have nothing to do with. By the time we arrived home it was already 10.00p.m. – after having been on the move since 7.30a.m. !

    The next Thursday I was invited back to the Bible Class at the Gibbs’ residence. He fetched us to and from the Class – a twenty-five minute drive away. I did a study on The Three Looks of the Christian in relation to the Blessed Hope.

    For the first three days of our last week in US, Christopher drove us to Monterey and San Francisco while on work assignment.

    On the way, we met up with Diana Lim newly married to Joe Holan in their new apartment at San Jose. They will have a new addition early next year. Also had a chance to talk to Fong Thin Cheong in Chinatown at S.F. whom I had not seen for over 40 years. Both Diana and Thin Cheong were formerly from BRGH-YPG.

    We were back on Thursday, and Mr. Gibb once again invited me to take the Bible Class. This time I spoke on Worship.

    Earlier Philip and Maria Yue, with Stephanie, visited us at Goleta, on their way back to their home at Fulsome, after visiting Disneyland. We were delighted to meet them. Stephanie and Tara, had a joyful time together.

    Our reunion with our son, his wife (Deborah) and their daughter (Tara) has been sweet. We have not seen them for over two years, and we are grateful to them for bringing us over to acquaint ourselves better with their 2 ½ -year old cute, ever-active and ever-questioning Tara.

    We shall fly straight home on Oct. 4 to arrive on the 6th. We take this opportunity to thank all of you who have been praying for us – you who are far from us, but ever near because of the Throne of God. Praise be to His Name.

In and Out
I am the Door: …if any man enter in,…he… shall go in and out, and find pasture. Jn. 10:9

Again, I thank the Lord for the anonymous saints at BRGH, and other assemblies that gave to the Lord’s ministry, to enable me in turn to have fellowship with others. The gifts came in, and went out to:

  • Mr. Andrew Cowell – GLO Administrator, in his Mission Trip to Phuket;
  • Ricky Goh, Jey Lingam, Sok Lan, Yoon Ching in the work at Shalom Life Careserve Centre, Phnom Penh;
  • Raymond Hoong, commended worker serving in Kampar Gospel Hall;
  • Papua New Guinea Relief Disaster Fund;
  • and the purchase of Commonwealth Games More Than Gold Booklets.
Finally, I shall continue to value your prayer for the following meetings for this term where I shall be involved or speaking:
 
18-19 Oct – BRGH Workers’ Conference.
21 Oct -- BRGH Mission Night.
22 Oct -- 2nd Ann. as a Commended worker.
25 Oct -- BRGH: Eternal Glory
30 Oct -- Batu Gajah Gospel Hall special
01 Nov -- studies on The Tabernacle.
08 Nov – BRGH: The End (Goal) of the Lord.
15 Nov – IGGC: The Beauty and The Beast.
22 Nov – IGGC: Christ and The Church.
29 Nov – IGGC: Antichrist and Armageddon
13 Dec – BRGH: The Glory of Christ’s Works
16 Dec – BRGH: Mission Night.
25 Dec – IGGC: Christmas Song Service.

Thank you for your partnership in prayer and practical fellowship.

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He Who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Phil. 1:3-6



Go to Berita Bethel Vol. 2 (2)