PASTORAL CHAT
My Dear Readers
Here is my second message to the Calvary Pandan Bible Camp and the title of it “The Blessed Hope”. I Cor. 15, the whole chapter is Paul’s discussion on the Resurrection culminating on the mystery of the Rapture at the blowing of the last trumpet when the dead in Christ will be raised and we the living ones shall be changed. All this will happen at the Second Coming of Christ according to I Thess. 4:13-18.
“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.” (I Thess. 4:16-17)
Why do I talk about “The Blessed Hope”? Because world events are getting worse and worse. Threatening wars and rumours of wars with pestilences and dreadful accidents and terrorist eruptions (Thank God for protecting us in Singapore year after year). Why the blessed hope? There is no other hope in this world for anyone.
According to Rev. 9:13-16 there will occur the last World War which Dr. Walvoord, President Emeritus of Dallas Seminary, identified to be WWIII. It will occur at the River Euphrates which is Iraq again.
Now two World Wars have happened. The first occurred 1914 – 1918. The second took place 1939 – 1945. We see the first period of peace lasted 21 years from 1918 – 1939. The second period has lasted from 1945 to 2004, 59 years up to the present. How long more can it last?
No wonder every one of our Lord’s warning is imminent. When He knocks on the door are we ready to open at once? It is much much nearer than you think. Are we prepared for His Second Coming in
our lifetime?
Do you know you will be changed, not experiencing death, and be caught up (raptured) to meet the Lord in the air, and you shall be forever with the Lord.
Meanwhile you should be watching everyday for His Coming. What will you do to show you are indeed ready? Not like those misled by false prophets. There were those misled by Korean pastors that
Jesus would come on a certain day. This cannot be because in Mark 13:32-33 Jesus says, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.”
As you wait for the “blessed hope”, in order of importance, you will not miss a Lord’s Day Service. When He comes will He find you in Church or picnicking somewhere at the seaside. Second attend Prayer Meeting where you are drawn to the throne of grace. Third to offer your tithes that God’s work may go on. Fourth, to remember the poor (Gal 2:10). Fifth to support mission work in foreign countries, especially fundamental Bible Colleges which train pastors and teachers, the fastest way to extending the Gospel. As far as I am concerned I have found this to be so as Founder and Principal of Far Eastern Bible College.
Christians owe a debt to the Jews, the debt of praying for them. Ps. 122:6 says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” The Jews need our prayers more than ever and they and the Palestinians are locked in a life and death combat which shows our Lord’s coming is getting closer.
Another prayer is for those who rule over us. Paul commands Timothy to pray for kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God who will have all men to be saved….” (I Tim. 2:2, 3)
A last item is to pray for sick according to James 5:14, 15.
These are the Bible’s teachings to us while waiting for our “Blessed Hope”. Amen.
Your affectionate pastor
T T
THE GOSPEL OF LIFE:
Chapter III
John 3:22-27
Does the Water of Baptism Divide Men?
V. 25 says that it does! Here was a dispute on baptism as a rite of purification between John’s disciples and the Jews. Calvin says these disciples were ignorant and reckless in discussing a subject beyond their understanding, and worse than not being able to assert the legitimate use of baptism was the sinful ambition whereby they set up their master’s cause in opposition to Christ. If there were controversies on baptism in Jesus’ day and Paul’s day (I Cor 1:11-17) no wonder there are multiplied disputes in our day.
If it is a matter of form, Calvin says that even if it was by total immersion, “we must not worry over much about the outward rite so long as it accords with the spiritual truth and the Lord’s
institution and rule.” In other words, the inward spiritual significance of baptism is more important than the outward form of administration.
In the Church, immersion, pouring, sprinkling and washing are the various modes practised. Which is the right mode does not bother us. We accept all, because the outward is a secondary matter. We adopt this attitude from Paul in his concluding argument in I Cor 1:11-17. In v. 17 he declares, “For Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel ….”
To advance any denominational baptismal practice so that it hinders the progress of the Gospel is deplored. As in Corinth some declared they were followers of Paul, some of Apollos, some of Cephas and some (using even the Name) of Christ. This sectarianism, we say again, is sinful.
Thanksgiving Testimony
By Dr. Maurice Chew
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me” Ps. 23:4
Last week whilst listening to Rev Peter Clements give his testimony, I was reminded of what happened to my father-in-law, Lim Kay Tiong. He had a stent inserted in his left coronary artery at Gleneagles Hospital late last year. However the procedure left him with a leaking mitral valve in the heart. Some time after his discharge it became clear he would die as the leak was getting worse and blood was flooding his lungs.
He is 82 years old, and I had to decide quickly if he should undergo open heart surgery to repair the leaking valve, but this itself could also prove potentially fatal at his age and was not advised by the cardiologist at Gleneagles as it required major anaesthesia under the heart lung machine.
The Lord led me to admit him to Alexandra Hospital as he needed blood transfusion. He was very well cared for. Further tests there revealed the severity of the leak and led me to contact Dr.
Tan Yong Seng at the National Heart Centre at SGH. He is a prominent heart surgeon. I discovered later he is also a Christian.
Subsequent events ran smoothly. I had no problem transferring him to SGH. A room in a first class ward was available when he arrived (although the department was running full at the time).
After 3 weeks of preparation and testing he was ready for surgery. The 5½ hour operation went smoothly. His mitral valve was repaired and his aortic valve replaced with a porcine valve as
it was also leaking badly. He also had an internal mammary artery by-pass done in case the existing stent became blocked. He recovered fully from the surgery without any neurological deficit.
This is indeed a miracle from the Lord. I discovered later that had there been a delay of just one week Dr. Tan Yong Seng would have gone on leave and I would not have been able to find another heart surgeon willing to operate on an 82 year old man. I thank the Lord for his providence.
I am also grateful to Rev Tow and the Church for praying for him and for visiting him in hospital. Rev Tow once told me that in times of despair, he has a secret weapon and that weapon is faith in prayer.
Special Number by Judith and Deborah at FEBC Retreat, Mersing, 10 – 11 May 2004
