WHAT IS “TSUNAMI”?

It is a Japanese word meaning big tidal waves triggered off by undersea earthquakes. Tsunami when they reach the shore rise up three to four stories high so that many are caught indoors and bashed to death.

By Wednesday Dec 29 the death toll rose to 55,000. The biggest earthquake in 40 years claimed 63,000 by 9 am the same day. But these statistics do not include the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands themselves have at least 4,000 to 7,000 wiped out and many more missing, according to two news reports.

We thank God that Singapore has joined the big global effort “in a spontaneous outpouring of generosity among individuals, groups and companies, people queued at the Singapore Red Cross office to donate money, helping the group reach its initial target of $1 million in just two days.”

How about us? We believe for humanitarian reasons we should give our offerings today to those who suffer from the tsunami.

Now, has God anything to say about this tsunami? One of the signs of our Lord’s second coming and end of the world is “earthquakes in divers places.” It is your pastor’s duty to speak on it. And I hope my message will speak to someone here how best to serve the Lord.

 

 

Testimonies of Salvation

I was born a Catholic and grow up as a Catholic. I go to Church and worship idols. My sister who is working in Singapore has a good Christian employer. She recommended me to her employer’s sister to work as a housemaid. I knew the Lord give me a chance to work in Singapore for a purpose.

After I arrived in Singapore, my sister brought me to her employer’s Church. My sister also attends this Church every Sunday. She asked me to attend the Filipino Bible Study with her. As I Infant Baptism, Christmas Eve Carol Service, Dec 24, 2004 listened to the message I felt uncomfortable because the preacher talked about the sins of worshipping idols. The preacher talked to me personally and I said, “I am not ready yet”. He told me, “don’t wait for tomorrow, for tomorrow may be too late”. It made me really think about it that night. As I am new to the Bible Study group I wanted to make sure I am in the right way. The next Sunday the preacher talked about how sinful man is. As I listened to the message I realized how sinful I am and in need of a Saviour. I repented from all my sins. On that day I believe that Jesus died for my sins. Although I knew that before as a Catholic it was just head knowledge. I now fully understood and believed that Jesus died for me and rose again the third day. I received Him into my life as my Lord and Saviour. I wanted to follow Him in water baptism.

My prayer to Him is that I may grow in my Christian life, and be faithful in His service.
– Alicia Reyes Gabor

 

My name is Febe Lagradante Britana and I came from the Philippines. My parents were very faithful in their Catholic religion. All their children were Catholic. As I was born a Catholic I grew up in the same faith. I go to Church to worship Mother Mary and all the saints. I did not know that God hates those who worship idols.

The Lord gives me a chance to work in Singapore. I was very happy that my employer is good and understanding. And most of all they are all Christians in the family and go to Church every Sunday. Every Sunday they ask me to go with them to the Church. I thank the Lord for my employer in allowing me to attend the Filipino Bible Study where we open and study the Bible together with other Filipina. Our teacher really takes time to explain to us that salvation is by grace alone and not by good works. The Bible tells us that we are all sinners and that we cannot earn our salvation by our own good works and the wages of sins is death in the lake of fire. I then wasted no time to repent from all my sins and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I do not want to be punished in the hell fire. I believed that He has washed my sins away by His precious blood that He shed in the cross of Calvary. Jesus paid all the wages of my sins. He died on the cross for me. Praise the Lord. I want to be baptized and follow the Lord, no turning back to idolatry.

My prayer is that I want to be a good employee to my good employer, that all my loved ones will someday come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Amen.
– Febe Lagradante Britana

 

I, Marisa Abioda Amilda, will commit myself unto the true and living God. I have seen His light and I have become enlightened, led away from all my sins. The Lord has saved me, and blessed me. I am grateful to Him that I have kind and warm employers.

I was formerly a Catholic. As I looked back I felt ashamed of myself in worshipping idols. I know the Lord has done so much for me. I love Him for He is pure and merciful to me.

When I first came here in Singapore, I know my employers are Christians. They invited me to their home and thoughtfully told me how to do all the household chores, and then they even brought me to the Church and bought me a Bible. I started to learn about the Lord and wanted to know more about Him, so my employers let me join the Filipino Bible Study. It was then I realized that I am a sinner and wanted to receive Him as my Lord and Saviour and be baptized. I believed and will be faithful unto Him. I want to grow in my Christian and prayer life. I do not want to go back to my former idolatrous worship. I pray that my loved ones will come to know Jesus Christ. I thank the Lord that He had sent the Filipino Bible Study to enlighten me. Praise the Lord.
– Marisa Abioda Amilda

 

THE GOSPEL OF LIFE: Chapter IX

 

John 9:6
“Is this Compatible with Modern Hygiene?”

A modern professor of theology asked his students a “progressive” question in regard to Jesus making clay with spittle to anoint the eyes of the blind man: “Is this compatible with modern hygiene?” Seemingly “progressive” seemingly harmless.

To speak disparagingly of our Lord’s work is as deadly as the old serpent’s sting. When this classroom attack on our Lord was related to a Christian doctor, he replied with a twinkle in his eyes, “From a medical standpoint, our saliva contains certain enzymes that kill germs.” So a doctor of theology should have learnt a little medicine before he spoke outside of his field of knowledge. Says Dr. David Smith, “Saliva was credited by ancient physicians, Jewish and Gentile alike, with medical efficiency especially in ophthalmic distempers (diseases)”.

Do you know that in two other instances of healing, Jesus used the same “prescription”? There is the account in Mark 7:33-35 where Jesus spat and touched the deaf and dumb man’s tongue. And the other, also in Mark, 8:23-25, where he spat on the blind man’s eyes. If saliva is incompatible with hygiene, ancient or modern, why did our Lord use it again and again?

We cannot question our Lord whether using spittle measures up to modern hygiene. We can only submit to any  prescription” our Lord uses, as a dying man needing an operation is put into a surgeon’s hands.

Why did Jesus use spittle and clay and why did He send the blind man to wash in the pool of Siloam? Let Bishop Ryle answer for us: “The direction here given to the blind man would remind any pious Jew of Elisha’s directions to Naaman, “Go, wash in the Jordan” (II Kings 5:10). . . . By the command was a test of faith, and in obeying the blind man found what he wanted. It is the great principle which runs through scripture – “Believe and obey and all will be right.”

We would stress further that obedience must be that of abject submission to the Lord of Lords even as His saliva-clay humiliates its recipient. It is said that Hindu worshippers of the cow are so given to their four-footed goddess that some would drink her milk with a teaspoon of her droppings to express their devotion. And we and our Lord?