PASTORAL CHAT
My Dear Readers
As Christmas approaches and God the Father Himself is most delighted, He sends an angel to announce the Birth of His Son, to shepherds watching over their sheep by night, “Good tidings of great joy to all people, For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great heavenly choir of angels burst on the scene, praising the Lord, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”
When the angels were gone the shepherds went to the city of Bethlehem to see the Babe lying in a manger and they returned and went everywhere glorifying and praising God for all they have heard and seen.
This is what will be re-enacted on Dec 24 Christmas Eve and we who have become God’s children will do the same singing the age old carols and announcing Christmas is God’s yearly amnesty to all who will hear the good news of the birth of the Saviour. If anyone hearing the good news will believe in Him, his sins will be forgiven and he will be saved. All who have been coming to church and worshipping Him will be assured of their salvation.
I say again. When the pastor will broadcast this good news to the whole congregation even those who come from outside believing that Jesus is God’s newborn Son, will be saved. So, if you love the Lord, you will not only come yourself with a love offering, you will bring some unsaved loved one or friend to find salvation.
On Christmas Eve we will baptise those who have gone through Dr. Khoo’s weekly catechism class but those who were baptised as infants but now being grown up they are reaffirming their faith. You are required to submit a testimony for publication that the whole church may be touched and rejoiced with you together.
Although the world at large does not know Christmas is Birthday of God’s Son Jesus Christ, somehow it is known among the English-educated more than the Chinese-educated because of the mission schools. Going out to HDB flats (at Bukit Panjang) to distribute tracts is an opportune time if Christmas tracts are used. Please contact Tai Mern Yee at 97932330.
Your affectionate pastor
T T
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Testimony of Salvation
It is indeed such a wonderful privilege and opportunity to share my testimony of the great and awesome work that the Lord has done in my life.
Let me begin by saying God created the world out of his love for man. He even created man out of his own image and likeness to bring glory to his name. But because of man’s disobedience, we have fallen short of his glory. We have fallen prey to evil schemes, which caused all our doubts, fears and troubles. We have inherited this sin from Adam and Eve. But because of God’s great love for us, he sent his only begotten Son to set us free from the yoke and slavery of sin.
I also have been a victim of these evil schemes. A victim of drugs for almost two years. It has separated me from God’s love and mercy. I had lived my life as an ordinary person, naive and carefree not knowing what was my real purpose in this world. What my life was for and to where I am heading. I really have no goal and ambitions in life then.
My name is Jose M. Mangco, 25 years of age. I was born and grew up in Naval Biliran Philippines, the youngest among four children. And presently I am studying at Far Eastern Bible College in Singapore, taking up the course of Diploma in Theology.
I have tried so many times before to get off my drug habit but all my efforts proved futile. I felt very hopeless and helpless. Much like a plant that has never been watered and exposed to sunlight. A plant that is slowly dying. Then one day, I realized that I cannot quit drugs on my own and I really need help.
I prayed to God for help and indeed He works in mysterious ways. He used my sister, a born-again Christian as an instrument to bring me to the House of Hope, a Christian Drug Rehabilitation Center in Cebu. By God’s grace, I was admitted to the House of Hope on October 30, 2001.
During the course of my one-year residency program in the House of Hope I came to know more and more about the love of God and how he gave His only begotten Son as a ransom for our sin. It was in the House of Hope that I came to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Saviour, thus paving the way for my salvation through His gift of grace. It was there that I experienced God’s abounding love and forgiveness. Then I came to understand that it is not the absence of problems and struggles that we can attain happiness, but it is in the presence of the Lord in our lives that we can truly experience love, joy and peace. Love that always abide, Joy that fills to overflowing and Peace that surpasses all our understanding.
As my program progressed, I had this yearning in my heart to develop a strong relationship with my God. I want to know more and more of Him and to share what I know of Him with just every one.
After I finished my rehabilitation program at the House of Hope, God has put a burden in my heart to serve the ministry hence I continued to stay on. There is this longing in me to learn and to know more of Him and I believe staying in the ministry could fill up this longing in my heart.
Not a few of my brothers encouraged me to study God’s word for they said that I have a natural gift of preaching. This was never manifested during my days in High school or in college. I believe that the Holy Spirit within has given me the strength to overcome my shyness and timidity. I have prayed and prayed a lot to God to reveal His will for my life. I have been praying that He will use me as an instrument in spreading His word to the great multitudes and I am sure that I have taken the right first step in coming to study here at FEBC.
For all that God has done in my life… To Him be all the glory!
– Jose Mangco, FEBC Student
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THE GOSPEL OF LIFE: Chapter IX
John 9:1-5
The Light of the World versus Spiritual Darkness
Here is a man born blind. Bishop J.C. Ryle comments: “Of all the bodily crosses that can be laid on a man, without taking away life, none perhaps is greater than the loss of sight. It cuts us from some of the greatest enjoyments of life. It shuts us up within a narrow world of our own. It makes us painfully helpless and dependent on others. In fact, until men lose their eyesight, they never realise its value.”
Now blindness like every other infirmity is a fruit of sin. From Adam’s fall we inherit not only his sinful nature, called original sin, but also bear the miserable consequences thereof. The curse of blindness is a darkness that smothers one’s physical life till one dies. But there is a greater darkness that prevades our soul, the spiritual darkness that hides us from the way to Heaven, but enhances our fear of Hell.
It is Jesus Christ, the Light of the world that can dispel this spiritual darkness. Restoring the spiritual eyesight to a lost humanity is our Lord’s mission, though He opens the eyes of the physically blind whenever He would. To achieve this He must take time by the forelock. He cannot waste a single minute, like a traveller racing against the setting sun: “I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work.” Jesus had only a brief three-odd years to labour. No wonder He is seen always on the go.
Dr. John Sung was able to accomplish in 15 years what might take others 50. He knew from the Lord that his years were numbered, perhaps from the life of King Hezekiah. So he hastened. At every revival campaign he would preach three sermons a day, two hours per sermon.
William Burns, pioneer missionary of the English Presbyterian Mission to China was able to preach the gospel from Hong Kong in the south to Newchuang, Manchuria in the north of the continent of
China, because he hastened. One characteristic of his life was that whenever he felt bogged down by trivialities he would withdraw from his friends: “I must run.”
The Light of the world came to the Jews and shone brightly, but for a while, and then it departed out of their sight. Those who reject that Light are condemned to spiritual darkness forever.
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YPF Retreat, Dec 9-11, 2004
