PASTORAL CHAT
My Dear Readers
In our Christmas Carolling on Sunday night Dec 21 from 6pm to 12am we visited 3 homes, the Chongs, the Chngs and the Tais when the gospel message was preached. Can you recognise whose house is this? This photo is chosen because it is bright enough.
In San Francisco College I saw this slogan written across its entrance: “The trend is towards the trained”. In our case “Our attendance at RELC is on the ascendance”. Let us do something for the Lord by bringing some unsaved persons to Christ every Lord’s Day.
With the New Year we are hoping for better times. But times are bad according to Bible prophecy. Earthquakes and pestilences, wars and rumours of wars, famines, false Christs and prophets, betrayal in the Church. This gospel must be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come. Accelerated missions!
We thank God that someone has given $500 for our Cambodian missionaries, David Koo, Surish, Jonathan Lee, Moses Hahn to help out. Also $300 for FEBC students to spend.
After Christmas Carolling, Time for Refreshment
The enrolment of FEBC this mid-year is 104.
There are 5 new students:
1. Efendi Ginting, Indonesia (M);
2. Kim Hansin, Korea (M);
3. Won Jung Eun, Korea (F);
4. Anne Chiam, Singapore (F);
5. Le Vu Thien An, Vietnam (M).
The Faculty are:
1. Rev Timothy Tow, MDiv, STM, DD
2. Mrs Ivy Tow, BTh
3. Rev Jeffrey Khoo, BTh, MDiv, STM, PhD
4. Rev Goh Seng Fong, MA, MDiv, DMin
5. Rev Koa Keng Woo, BTh
6. Rev Quek Suan Yew, BArch, BTh,MDiv, STM
7. Rev Prabhudas Koshy, BSc, BTh,MDiv, ThM
8. Rev Jack Sin, BA, MDiv
9. Mr Ho Chee Lai, BEng,MDiv
10. Mrs Jemima Khoo, BTh, MA, MRE
11. Miss Carol Lee, BBA, DipEd, MEd, MDiv
12. Miss Wendy Teng, BAcc, MDiv
13. Elder Han Soon Juan, CertEd, CertTESL, DipTESL, MA
14. Elder Geoffrey Tan, BSc, BA(Hons), DipEd
15. Mr Teo Siaw Meng, BA(Hons)
16. Mrs Koa Keng Woo, Music studies
Your affectionate pastor
T T
HOW JESUS TAKETH PUNY MEN IN THEIR OWN CRAFTINESS
XXVII. Jesus’ Authority Questioned
“And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.” Matt 21:23-27
Commentary
Puny men with such foolish audacity confronting the Son of God are totally vanquished and taken in their own craftiness (Job 5:12, I Cor 3:19). Not realising they were facing God, the Second Person, they had to shut up, shamefaced, and brow beaten.
We have come full circle from I to XXVII and seen how puny men have still not learned their lesson. How can man outwit God?
