For Private Circulation Only |
A thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. Psa. 90:4
We bade farewell to the last millennium on the last day of 2000. On New Year's Day, 2001 the world was on the threshold of another! While we let the world argue out whether we were in the 3rd last year or we have just entered it, two imponderable facts confront us the years in Time are past, only what's done for Jesus will last in the infinite eons of Eternity! It was just like yesterday when I thanked you all for the Christmas Greetings you sent me the year before last year. Now I am repeating this and saying Thank You again to all who sent me their Christmas Greetings and Gifts last year. Thank you too for the anticipated Chinese New Year Greetings some of you may be sending me. Thank You.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen ... but without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that
cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them
that diligently seek Him. Heb. 11:1, 6
Faith is the Substance of Things Hoped For.The above text was especially true for me the last term (Oct Dec. 2000). Early last year when I withdrew from the Malaysian Missionary Services (MMS)-organised Mission Trip to the Christian Missions Charitable Trust ministries (CMCT), India, to go on my own to visit the assemblies and to have fellowship with the believers there, it was an act of faith on my part. I did not know a single person in India who would organise this trip for me. I could only pray and trust the Lord for openings, contacts and supplies to my needs.
Faith is the Evidence of Things Not SeenIn marvellous ways, God gave me the contacts in India, a team of 5 young adults from BRGH to accompany me in this Mission, and the financial resources to share with those in need in India.
Thus, from 16th 28th November, 2000 I
was able to visit five assemblies in Chennai (Madras); two in Bangalore;
two orphanages, two schools and CMCT
to boot. Bro. Rajah Singh Simon, a commended worker, coordinated
my visit to Adambakkan Assembly, Vepery Gospel Hall, Ambattur Assembly,
Choolaimedu Assembly and Rayapuram Assembly in Chennai, while bro. Easho
Jacob, a commended evangelist and elder of Elim Gospel Chapel arranged
my visit to his assembly and Bethesda English Assembly in Bangalore. I
was invited to speak and teach in all these seven assemblies, as well as
in a specially arranged Bangalore Assembly Leaders' Conference and a Bangalore
Evangelists' Prayer Meeting, besides taking two meetings at CMCT. Dr. Colleen
Redit, Director of CMCT, was gracious in extending hospitality to the Team
members and I on the last day of our stay in India while awaiting our flight
home to Penang at night. The members of the Mission Team also contributed
a large part to the success of the mission to India.
None in India had ever seen or heard me before the visit, nor had the Team members and I seen them before! It was an exercise of faith for both parties. And what a wonderful time of fellowship for all of us in this common faith in the Lord. We learned much from them in the areas of hospitality, brotherly love, reverence for God and the love for God's Word. Faith in God to supply all their needs and obedience to His Word were precious lessons they taught us well.
We were also able to disburse RM7,182.50 to 18 of the Lord's commended
workers, as well as gave to the projects of the various Institutions and
assemblies. Among the Institutions that benefited were Bird (named after
Mr. Handley Bird who began assembly work in Chennai in 1923) Memorial Children's
Home, CMCT (Chennai) and the Malvalli Boys' Orphanage and School (Bangalore).
This amount was given by some of the Penang assemblies, the BRGH Sunday
School and individual believers. We praise God for their personal interest
in Missions. That we could do this was indeed an evidence of Faith, even
as I (from the gifts received) sponsored 10-year old Meena from CMCT for
one year and looking to the Lord to supply all her needs for the years
to come. Suffice to say, the Lord never Fails and will not Fail
a confidence I am taking with me into this year, 2001. We just need to
Trust and Obey. With God on our side, let us move Forward. We need not
fear the Giants of 2001as the Israelites did when faced with the conquest
of the Promised Land!
Without Faith it is impossible to please God.This will be the message, I shall be communicating to God's people and others as I minister to them in the days that follow.
On 9th December, I left with my wife for Singapore at the invitation of Bethesda Hall (Ang Mo Kio) to speak at their Sunday morning ministry, their Tuesday Prayer Meeting and mainly to teach in their Youth Camp from 11th to 15th. It was a real challenge to teach these 100 campers or so ranging from 12 years to over 25 in age. The Camp Theme was The Burning Heart. Bro. Tan Kian Huat took charge of the challenging workshops at night. Bros Frankie Cha, Samuel Wee and the Camp Committee members performed an excellent job in organizing this Camp with great emphasis being laid on spiritual depth and maturity based on God's Word. While there, Dr. and Mrs. Peter Wee hosted my wife and I in their home.
My wife and I also managed to take time off to visit sis. Lim Guat Kim (formerly from Penang) and Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Teo who were in my Home Bible Class before. We had sweet fellowship encouraging one another in the Lord.
We returned to Penang on 18th Dec. ever grateful to the Lord
for some of His people who took personal concern in my ministry for Him
to the extent of equipping me further for a more effective ministry.
Only the Lord can reward them accordingly.
He is A Rewarder of them - Heb. 11:6
From 27th to 30th Dec. I was at the Bangsar Gospel Centre Youth Camp held at CCC, Penang. Together with bros. Michael Lim from Beruntung and Richard Chin from Elim, we taught on the theme Commitment to Excellence. There were about 100 campers there. They spent the last hour of the year committing themselves to the Lord for the New Year in the Camp. They returned home on 1st Jan. 2001.
BLESSED NEW YEAR 2001With the dawning of a New Year, I am reminding myself again that I have committed myself to a walk of faith when I obeyed His Commission to go out and teach the Word. As in the past, He will again supply all (my) need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19)
he that cometh to God must believe that He is
In order to give more time to fulfill God's Commission to me I stepped down from the BRGH Oversight last October. As from this year, I have closed my home Mathematics tuition class that I first started since 1979 (primarily for my eldest son then) for the same reason. Now I have no need to hurry home after a week-end ministry, if I choose to.
My first teaching assignment for the new year was at Bukit Mertajam Gospel Centre on 7th and 14th January - challenging the believers there to go Forward with God in Burning Faith, Fearing only Him, into 2001. Prayerfully and hopefully, in the near future (DV) God will raise up from among them those who are prepared to give their time to the study of God's Word and to shepherd the flock there.
Commencing from 21st January, I shall be on my rounds among the Penang assemblies studying and tracing the Confrontation of the Seed of the Serpent with the Seed of the Woman from Genesis right through to Revelation. As has been my custom for the past 12 years in the Chinese New Year Period, I am continuing these biblical word studies on the animals connected with Chinese New Year and this is the last of the cycle for me, the Year of the Serpent for 2001. [Those interested in the study outline can request for a copy after the first day of Chinese New Year from any of my addresses above.]
Following is the trail of the Serpent:-
21.01.01 Butterworth Gospel Hall
28.01.01 Burmah Road Gospel Hall (English)
28.01.01 Burmah Road Gospel Hall (Chinese)
04.02.01 Sungei Ara Gospel Hall
11.02.01 Sungei Nibong Gospel Hall
18.02.01 Bukit Mertajam Gospel Centre
25.02.01 Island Glades Gospel Centre
09-11 March, I shall be teaching from the Book of Ephesians at the Batu
Gajah Gospel Hall to the two assemblies (English- and Chinese-speaking)
there. The theme of the study is All One In Christ in the Church,
at Home and in the World, and in the Heavenlies.
He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.Man can return gratitude and even reward those who do him a good turn. But only God's reward is worth any possessing because only His reward will last through the endless eons of eternity.
Again I would like to thank all those assemblies and individuals (anonymous and otherwise) who have fellowship with me in order that I may channel that fellowship to and share it with others in the Vineyard of the Lord. I list them here below in order that your fellowship with them may extend to prayer for them as well. Only the Lord will be your Rewarder at the Judgment Seat of Christ (I Cor. 3:14).
25.10.00 - Francis and Joy Chan (Gopeng)
10.11.00 - David Chelvam (India)
27.11.00 - Sponsorship of Meena (CMCT)
27.11.00 - Indian Mission (Fr. Gifts received in India)
05.12.00 - Mr. & Mrs. WG Stott (Golden Ann.)
16.12.00 - A sister in need.
Thank you too for enabling me to have fellowship with the following this Christmas and New Year season:
21.12.00 - Peter and Peggy Ferry (Scotland)
21.12.00 - Dr. & Mrs. GD James (Australia)
21.12.00 - Jey Lingam (New Zealand)
21.12.00 - Mr. & Mrs. WE Ashton (Tasmania)
04.01.01 - Andrew & Donna Cowell (Australia)
04.01.01 - Mr. & Mrs. N. Sinnappan (Cheras)
Thank you also for your practical fellowship to the following this Chinese New Year season:-
06.01.01 - Francis and Joy Chan (Gopeng)
08.01.01 - Leong Lai Yan (Nilai)
08.01.01 - Chan Meng Yin (Tapah)
08.01.01 - Loh Ah Asiau (Cambodia)
08.01.01 - Yoon Ching (Cambodia)
08.01.01 - Sok Lan (Cambodia)
08.01.01 - Eik Lin (Cambodia)
08.01.01 - Dr. & Mrs. Chua Thiem Seng (Cambodia)
I take this opportunity to thank all of you for the prayer fellowship, practical partnership and personal support and encouragement you have extended to my wife and me throughout the whole year of 2000. We look forward to greater blessings from the Lord for the year 2001 as the Lord opens more doors for me to teach the Word among you all.
Wishing all of you
A Fruitful New Year and
A Prosperous (Josh. 1:8)
Chinese New Year
In the Lord.