PASTORAL CHAT
My dear Readers
There’s a saying, “Many hands make light work.” For this week I will write this Pastoral Chat only. The rest of the writing will come from Dr Jeffrey Khoo. We are in a Bible College Movement, so you’ll hear from him how God is blessing the advanced studies in Nairobi, Kenya.
Whereas FEBC has an enrolment of 114, the Bible College of East Africa, incorporating 8 races, has 130. But meanwhile your offerings are helping a College of like mind now building in Tanzania, two hours driving from Nairobi.
Coming back to Perth, Rev Errol Stone’s Church has a weekly attendance of 40, divided equally between white Australians and Asians, mostly university students. Rev Errol Stone’s ministry to the Asian Uni-students is to let them self-manage the Church van so that they can come to Church most conveniently, self-support. These Asian students coming mostly from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia who also come to Tuesday night prayer meeting have found the Lord to the joy of the whole Church.
Rev Errol Stone is a very capable lecturer at an Aboriginal Bible College located half an hour out of city. Here is an Aboriginal Bible College Principal helped by a very efficient half-Aboriginal wife. Ten students stay at the College.
Rev Errol Stone is invited as one of the speakers at True Life Family Bible Camp to be held at Bukit Tinggi, Malaysia in June next year. You can be sure he is a busy man. While his wife is working as a nurse very busily occupied she contributes to the finance of the whole family. They are contributors most to the kingdom of God.
Rev Errol Stone got his BTh Degree from FEBC 7 years ago, after 3½ years’ study to the glory of God.
Your affectionate pastor
T. T.
Bible College of East Africa, Tanzania
by Dr Jeffrey Khoo
“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Rev 3:8).
The Lord has opened a door for Rev Dr Mark Kim Kyung-Soo—principal of the Bible College of East Africa (BCEA), Kenya—to build a Bible College in Tanzania. Rev Bumiji M’Shana, the General Secretary of the Africa Missions and Evangelism Church (AMEC) in Tanzania had for many years urged Dr Kim to establish a Bible College in Tanzania patterned after BCEA.
The AMEC churches had separated from the liberal and ecumenical Lutheran Church. They have 60,000 communicant members but only 90 pastors, most of whom, are not theologically trained. The people are crying out for the Word of God. Half a dozen of them were privileged to be sent to BCEA in Kenya for training and have graduated, and are now full-fledged pastors in their respective AMEC churches.
The difference in the quality of the ministry of the Word between the trained and the untrained was clearly evident. Hence, those untrained saw the great need to be trained themselves, and yearned for formal theological training. A local Bible College had to be set up to meet this great need. The half-dozen graduates of BCEA who are now pastors can double-up as lecturers—a faculty is already in place. Rev Peter Elibariki, one of these pastors who is now under training at FEBC, will return in May 2006 after completing his MDiv to boost the teaching faculty of this new institution. More from Tanzania would be coming to FEBC to receive advanced training. BCEA-Tanzania is built not only for AMEC but also for other denominations and churches in Tanzania looking for a biblically sound and fundamental college for the training of their workers to become fully-equipped ministers of the gospel and faithful servants of Jesus Christ.
How about the campus? The Lord has provided a beautiful property in Arusha for the building of the Bible College of East Africa (Tanzania). Arusha is a tourist gateway to the scenic national parks of northern Tanzania, namely, the famed Serengeti Plains and the Ngorongoro Crater. It is located at the foot of Mount Meru with an excellent view of nearby Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa’s highest). The 8-acre piece of land in Arusha was bought for US$20,000 a couple of years ago. It was indeed a timely purchase for land prices have since increased markedly due to Arusha having achieved “city status” on July 1, 2005. With public works to improve the infrastructure of the city, the Tanzanian government intends for Arusha to be a world-class conference centre and Safari destination. The College is well poised to be a witness for Christ to people coming from all over the world.
True Life B-P Church and FEBC have contributed no small sum to help in the building of this Bible College in Tanzania. Already the administration classroom block and the dormitories have been built at the cost of US$70,000. Staff quarters, dining hall, the chapel and library will soon be built. The new College is scheduled to open for classes in September 2006, God willing.
Dear brethren, do pray for the speedy completion of this building project most necessary for the hastening of the Gospel advance not just in Tanzania and East Africa, but into all Africa and the world (Matt 28:18-20). “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” (Matt 24:14).
Not only has the Lord provided the funds for the building of BCEA Tanzania, he has placed a burden in the heart of Elder Tan Nee Keng of Berean B-P Church, now into his 2nd year of MDiv studies at FEBC, to pray for the needs of Tanzania. May the Lord make a way for him to be a missionary in this great harvest field. And may the Lord raise many more to answer the call of Christ to serve Him full-time. “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matt 9:37-38).
THE GOSPEL OF LIFE: Chapter XVII
To the Father’s own elect ones, Jesus Christ effectuates the Mediator of Life.
The whole of this chapter is known as the Lord’s High Priestly Prayer. (“Our Father” in Matt. 6:9-13 is commonly called “The Lord’s Prayer”). J. C. Ryle says of this much longer Prayer: “It is wonderful as a specimen of the communion that was ever kept up between the Father and the Son, during the period of the Son’s ministry on earth. It is wonderful as a pattern of intercession which the Son, as a High Priest is ever carrying on for us in heaven. Not least it is wonderful as an example of the sort of things that believers should mention in prayer. What Christ asks for His people, His people should ask for themselves. It has been well and truly said by an old divine that, “the best and fullest sermon ever preached was followed by the best of prayers.” (The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Jas. 5:16).
Scofield analyses this Prayer into seven petitions:
(1) That Jesus Christ may be glorified as the Son who has glorified the Father (v. 1, Phil. 2:9-11).
(2) For restoration of the eternal glory (v. 5).
(3) For the safety of believers from (a) the world (v. 11), (b) the evil one (v.16).
(4) For the sanctification of believers (v. 17).
(5) For the spiritual unity of believers (v. 21).
(6) That the world may believe (v. 21).
(7) That believers may be with Him in heaven to behold and share His glory.
This chapter contains many deep things. J. C. Ryle further comments, “There are sentences, words, and expressions in the 26 verses of this chapter which no one probably has ever unfolded completely. We have not minds to do it, or to understand the matter it contains, if we could. But there are great truths in the chapter which stand out clearly and plainly on its face, and to these truths we shall do well to direct our best attention.”
The burden of this Prayer however is our Lord’s concern for the elect, you and me who have believed in Him and love Him. You are one of the elect if you have tasted the sweetness of Jesus’ saving grace!
