Far Eastern Bible College reopened Monday, July 18, 2005 with a new intake of 14 students as follows:

1. Ejigayehu Alemu Zeleke, Ethiopia (F);
2. Limhathung Lotha, India (M);
3. Rommy The, Indonesia (M);
4. Philip Kipsaat Lagat, Kenya (M);
5. Richard Kiprono Kirui, Kenya (M);
6. Biak Lawm Thang, Myanmar (M);
7. Mung Hau Khup, Myanmar (M);
8. Ton Soung Kao, Myanmar (M);
9. Eliezer Saycon Ortega, Philippines (M);
10. Cheong Chin Meng, Singapore (M);
11. Ko Ling Kang, Singapore (M);
12. Jeremiah Sim Joo Lian,Singapore (M);
13. Peter Sim Swee Meng,Singapore (M);
14. James Tan Tat Yong,Singapore (M).

The Faculty this Semester are:
1. Rev Dr Timothy Tow, MDiv, STM, DD
2. Mrs Ivy Tow, BTh
3. Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo, BTh, MDiv, STM, PhD
4. Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy, BSc, BTh, MDiv, ThM, ThD
5. Rev Koa KengWoo, BTh
6. Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew, BArch, BTh, MDiv, STM,ThD
7. Rev Dr Jack Sin, BA, MDiv, DMin
8. Rev Tan Kian Sing, BEng, GDBA, MDiv
9. Mrs Jemima Khoo, BTh, MA, MRE
10. Miss Carol Lee, BBA, DipEd, MEd, MDiv
11. Elder Han Soon Juan, CertEd, CertTESL, DipTESL, MA
12. Elder Geoffrey Tan, BSc, BA (Hons), DipEd
13. Mrs Anne Lim, DipRSA, CertRK
14. Mrs Koa KengWoo, Music studies

 

 

 

Man is Helpless Without Christ

(Message delivered by Dr Jeffrey Khoo at the True Life Church 10.30 am Service, July 17, 05)
Text: John 15:1-10

John 15:1-10 speaks against the proud man who says, “Without me, God cannot do anything,” and “I can do something without God.” But Jesus says truly, “without me ye can do nothing.” What does Jesus mean by this? In making this statement, Jesus is telling the proud sinner:

(1) You Need Me for Your Salvation
In the first four verses of John 15, the word “abide” occurs eight times. The Greek word here literally means “to remain.” It has the idea of permanent residency, endurance, belonging and possession. A branch has no life outside of its life-source which is the vine itself. Jesus is the true vine. Eternal life comes from Him. He gives eternal life to all who belong to Him and remain in Him. The word “abide” is written in the Greek present tense which calls for a continuing state or condition. The believer is called not just to believe but to keep on believing, to keep on abiding or remaining in Christ.

The word “abide” is also written in the imperative. In other words, abiding in Christ is not an option but a command. It is not something we may do; it is something we must do. We must not only believe in Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we must also submit to Him as our Lord.

The Saviourhood and Lordship of Christ cannot be separated. Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” It is only when we surrender ourselves totally to Christ as both our Saviour and our Lord, and allow Him complete control of our hearts, our minds, our lives do we find ourselves fully transformed by His saving grace and power.

Of course, salvation is purely by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and not at all by any good works of our own (Eph 2:8-9). Nonetheless, one evidence of true conversion is the evidence of a transformed life that bears good fruits for Jesus Christ. The rooting must come before the fruiting. The fruit of the Spirit can only manifest itself if a person is first of all rooted in Christ—the true vine (cf Gal. 5:22-25).

In saying, “without me, ye can do nothing,” Jesus is telling the proud saint:

(2) You Need Me for Your Service
We need to abide in Christ not only for our salvation, but also for our service or ministry. Jesus says, “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” (John 15:5). Jesus wants all of His saints not just to bear some fruit, but much fruit. How can we as Christians bear much fruit for the Lord? Not through the flesh, but through the Spirit. If we trust in the arm of flesh in our work for the Lord, we will fail, and fail miserably.

If we want to serve the Lord effectively, then we need the Word of God and prayer. Jesus says in John 15:7, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” Note that it is not just His “message” that must abide in us, but His “words.” Every word of God is important. The Bible has no redundant words. Did not Jesus say, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4)? We have a 100% perfect Bible today, fully preserved, and we are to live by its every word if we are to find the  wisdom and strength we need to serve the Lord. God did not just preserve His truth or His message, He also preserved His words to the last iota (Matt. 5:18, 24:35).

When we allow the words of the Lord to dwell richly within us, then we will have the heart and the mind of Christ. His
desires become our desires, and our desires become His desires. And when this happens, we shall pray to the Lord for what we want, and it shall be given to us. The psalmist says, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Ps. 37:4).

If we want the Lord to bless us in His service, we must serve Him with pure motives—to glorify the Lord and Him alone.
Jesus was so powerful and bore so much good fruit in His ministry on earth because He always sought to glorify His Father in heaven. And so He tells us to do the same. “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8).

Finally, our service for the Lord must be constrained by His love. Jesus says, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:9-10). If we love the Lord, we must keep His commandments. Obedience is the key to effective service for the Lord. Amen.

 

THE GOSPEL OF LIFE: Chapter XIII

John 13:14-15
The Dual Significance of the Feet-Washing

“What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter” (v. 7). What Jesus did at the moment confounded His
disciples, for as we have earlier observed, the washing of feet was what the disciples should have done for their Lord in the beginning.

As we look at the sacred event from a distance, we can see more clearly its significance:
(1) The disciples who had come to trust the Saviour were washed already, save their feet. This signified their contamination with the world in their daily walk. We need to come to Jesus for cleansing from such contamination as the rivalry for first place even as we come to the Lord’s Table. Jealousy, pride, suspicion, backbiting are sins of the spirit, more deadly than the lusts of the flesh.

(2) The disciples as a college of trusted lieutenants had now been jolted into disarray by such a turncoat as Judas Iscariot. Hence they were not clean. We must guard always the rank and file of the Lord’s army that there be no defection. How? By washing one another’s feet.

We should wash one another’s feet if the Master has condescended to wash His disciples’ feet. We must come to terms with one another in the service of the Church. For any Session member to speak evil of the Pastor, for any Christian to
malign his Church, without any just cause is treachery. Let us never become disloyal to those with whom we labour in the Kingdom of God.

Simon Peter, though not understanding the full significance of Jesus’ word, was nevertheless right when he said, “Not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” Let us add, “My heart, and my bowels.” Have you been washed by the Blood of the Lamb?

His power can make you what you ought to be!
His blood can cleanse your heart and make you free;
His love can fill your soul and you will be,
‘Twas best for Him to have His way with thee.