MORE ABOUT THE TSUNAMI

(Message delivered by Pastor at the True Life Church 10.30 am Service, Jan 30, 05)
Text: Matt. 24:3-14

 

Tsunami is a Japanese word that refers to tidal waves released from undersea earthquakes such as happened only a month ago. The speed at which the killer waves travelled was 800 km an hour. In a few hours, devastation came even to Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya in Africa. In our region, the killer waves reached down to Langkawi and Penang, but we in Singapore were mercifully spared. The dead caused by the Tsunami has now reached 290,000.

Shortly after it happened when the count was 150,000, there came a statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury, representing 70 million Anglicans around the world, that there is no God. This clearly reveals that modernists and liberals within the church are not Christians but of another religion. The brutal fact was first revealed by Dr J. Gresham Machen in the 1930s. Dr McIntire his student and successor carried on the fight in a 20th Century Reformation and we who are in the 21st Century must do the same. Let us thank God for True Life for taking a stand for a 100% perfect Bible without any mistake.

Many years ago I heard on the BBC that at a Synod Meeting of the Anglican Church, 45 out of the 50 Bishops did not believe Jesus was the Virgin born Son of God nor in His Resurrection. The present Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is chosen from one of the 45 unbelieving Bishops. The Tsunami has exposed him, a so-called Church leader to be an atheist.

Secondly, we have a TV report of an Indonesian survivor from a devastated community declaring, “I think God has reminded us that we have forgotten Him and that we should remember Him properly now.” He may be a nominal Christian or even a Muslim, but he is one awakened by the Tsunami.

There was a memorial service held for the Singapore dead attended by 7,300. How many knew where the dead had gone and what happened to them? Sad to say none of them had any hope beyond the grave. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (I Cor. 15:32). My contractor friend Mr Goh is one of them.

Thirdly, the Bible, God’s Word, says the end of the world and Jesus’ coming again will be marked by famines and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places (Matt. 24:7). Far and wide, throughout the Indian Ocean and unto the uttermost part of the earth Jesus is telling us the end of the world and He’s soon coming is upon us through these events, even false Christs and wars and nations going against each other. Let me say it again, Earthquakes in divers places, especially this recent Tsunami killing 290,000 are speaking to us. We who believe the Bible must wake up and prepare for Jesus’ coming.

Matt. 24:14 requires us Christians to double up to win many nationalities before He comes. This we are doing through FEBC, helping African Bible Colleges. The Bible College of East Africa with 120 students has many tribes and the Tanzania Bible College is another. The text reads, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

Do you know that Rev 9:13-16 tells of the outbreaking of WWIII in the Euphrates which is Iraq again. Two wars fought in Iraq bring the third much closer. From the Euphrates the battle will lead up to Armageddon, the Hill of Megiddo or Slaughter. This is the landmark of a great plain south of Haifa where kings of the East will strike towards Jerusalem. This leads in no time to Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives where Jesus will land to fight for Israel. This can come in our lifetime.

Christians living at the time of WWIII have nowhere to escape but upwards. Paul tells us in I Cor. 15:51-53, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” And in I Thess. 4:13-18 he adds, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (The word ‘prevent’ here is old English which means ‘go before’) them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

This event whereby we are saved in midair without going through death is called the Rapture, being caught up forcefully by the saving power in the Second Coming of our Lord.

The recent Tsunami, whereby God will bring us to the coming of WWIII (Rev 9:13-16) which will be Iraq again and to the Rapture without experiencing death is our Hope. Are you not happy we have this Blessed Hope? We shall be raptured without going through death to live with our Saviour for 1,000 years on earth and forever more. But if you are living in sin you must repent and seek the Lord’s forgiveness before it is too late.

 

THE GOSPEL OF LIFE: Chapter X

John 10:7-21
The Unique Claims of the Good Shepherd

Did it occur to you that no other person in the world, not one among the prophets or philosophers, ever made such claims as our Saviour? Though Plato had said that every philosopher should be a king, and Confucius talked of the princely man, there is none among their fraternity that has made such claims as our Lord.

In this chapter our Lord declares Himself the Good Shepherd, the Door, the Pasture. Now, the shepherd of Psalm 23 which we all know so well is none other than the LORD. Note the four capital letters, L-O-R-D. This is the King James translators’ way of showing the Divine Name JEHOVAH. The good shepherd is Jesus’ claim to Jehovah, the God of Israel, in the Old Testament. The Door has reference to the entrance to the Temple, the Way of approach to God. Hence, according to Psalm 84, the exultation of one as a “doorkeeper in the house of my God.” The pasture speaks of good provisions to the sheep which brings to mind Psalm 100 where God’s people are called “the sheep of His pasture.” (v 3). Against such claims to Godhood and Saviourhood, the Jews, the Pharisees, scribes and lawyers, blind guides of the blind, insofar as the immediate context is concerned, are thieves and robbers, strangers and wolves, while professionals in the Service of the Church are called hirelings. Here is the argument for our Lord’s Divinity – His claim to all the powers and virtues of Divinity. If these claims are not true, He must be the greatest imposter and megalomaniac.

He claims to be the author of Life. He foretells His death and His resurrection. It is these divine claims that caused a building up of opposition from the unbelieving Jews until it burst over His head in His arrest, trial and crucifixion.

But His fearless testimony of Himself did yield results. While some called Him a devil and a madman, there were others
who took His side (v 19-21). On which side are you?

 

A PREACHER ON THE FENCE
From out the millions of the earth
God often calls a man
To preach the Word
And for the Truth to take a royal stand.
’Tis sad to see him shun the cross,
nor stand in its defense;
Between the fields of right and wrong,
A preacher on the fence.
Before him are the souls of men
Bound for heaven or hell;
An open Bible in his hand,
And yet he will not tell
All the truth that’s written there;
To them ‘twould be an offense.
The joys of heaven, the woes of hell.
A preacher on the fence.
Now surely God has called a man
To battle for the right;
’Tis his to ferret out the wrong,
And turn on us the light.
And yet he dare not tell the truth;
He fears the consequence;
The most disgusting thing on earth
Is a preacher on the fence.
If he should stand up for the wrong,
The right he’d not defend.
If he should stand up for the right,
The wrong he would offend.
His mouth is closed; he cannot speak
For freedom or against.
Great God, please deliver us
From a preacher on the fence!
But soon both sides will find him out,
And brand him as a fraud.
A coward who dares not to please the
devil or his God.
Oh Lord, free us from fear of man;
From cowardly pretense;
Cleanse out the dross and fear of loss,
And keep us off the fence!
– Anonymous