PASTORAL CHAT

My dear Readers

Last Lord’s Day which was Jan 1, 2006 we attended a very special meeting at the newly completed third storey extension of Calvary Pandan B-P Church at 2 pm. 300 people came under the leadership of Pastor Dennis Kwok of Calvary Jurong B-P Church because he believes as we True Life B-P Church in a 100% Perfect Bible which has no mistake. Five Deacons take a resolute stand with him. Miss Carol Lee, lecturer at FEBC, who has been a member of Jurong also came to take a stand with him. This was the launching of a new B-P Church called Truth B-P Church. My brother, Dr S H Tow preached the Inaugural Sermon. This is now the third time that a sizable group has left to found a 100% Perfect Bible Church which has no mistake. We of True Life B-P Church was the first and the Lord has blessed us with an attendance of 300. The second group is led by Dr. Wee of Kemaman and they have the support of 13 pastors and preachers who travel 250 miles each week up to Terengganu. The third group which has just taken place is under Pastor Dennis Kwok.

Far Eastern Bible College which reopened on Jan 3 has an enrolment of over 100 students takes in the following new students:

This Second Semester will end on Apr 28 with Dr. Paul Lee Tan from America as speaker. He will take a week of Vacation Bible College (May 1-6) and also speaks at the College Retreat at Mersing following. Dr. Tow Siang Yeow is President of the College Board of Directors.

Your affectionate pastor
T. T.

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God With Us

(Message delivered by Dr Jeffrey Khoo at the True Life Church 10.30 am Service, Dec 25, 05)

Text: Matt 1:18-23

“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call is name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matt 1:22-23).

The meaning of Christmas can be summed up in one word, “Emmanuel.” This Hebrew word “Emmanuel” means “God with us.” “God with us” are most powerful words. They are words of love, joy and peace. They speak of the love of Christ, joy to the world, and peace with God. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This is good news to the world. “Emmanuel” speaks to the unbelieving world.

To the Atheist

Christmas speaks to you if you are an atheist, you who do not believe that God exists. “Emmanuel” tells us that God exists. This preexisting God became man at a point in history. John 1:1 and 14 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

If you say, “Show me God,” God will tell you, I have already shown Myself to you. In fact God does not have to reveal Himself to us. He is the almighty Creator, and we are merely creatures. We have no right to demand anything from Him. Yet He humbled Himself to become a man. Consider “Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil 2:6-8).

God wants us to know that He certainly exists and He was with us. The eternal God became fully Man 2000 years ago, born of the virgin Mary, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Such a birth happened only once, and only God can become a man in such a way. Every human being is born in sin. Only Jesus was born without sin. God who is a Spirit took on human flesh. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Tim 3:16).

The infallible and inerrant historical records of the Holy Scriptures tell us that God exists and that Jesus is God. Jesus lived for 33½ years on this earth, was crucified on the cross, buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and till today no one is able to disprove this historical fact of His life, His death, His burial and His resurrection as recorded in the Scriptures.

And if you still say God does not exist, then God says “You are a fool.” “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Ps 14:1). Do not be a fool. Be wise this Christmas, like the wise men from the East who believed that Jesus was God, and came to worship Him.

To the Polytheist

Christmas speaks to you who are polytheists who believe that there are many gods. “Emmanuel” tells us that there is but one God, and only one, not many. Note the singular “God” and not “gods.” “God with us!” There is only one God—living and true— who is “a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice goodness and truth” (WSC, Q4). Deut 6:4 states in no uncertain terms, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” The Lord our God, the Lord is one, not many.

There is but one God, and we can be saved from our sins by only this one God who is Emmanuel—God with us. His name is JESUS. In Matt 1:21, the angel said, “And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name, JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5). “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

Are you a worshipper of many gods, worship only one, and make sure the one God you worship is the true God. The living and true God has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Only He can save us from our sins. He is the only way to heaven. If you are a worshipper of many gods, forsake all and take just one—the true one—Jesus Christ—and Christmas will become truly Christmas for you.

To the Agnostic

Christmas has a word to the agnostic—you who believe that God exists but cannot be known. “Emmanuel” tells us that God can be known and wants to be known. That is why He came to be with us. If God cannot be known or does not wish to be known, then He would hide Himself and make Himself scarce, but no, the invisible God made Himself visible and accessible—He was with us. Hear what the
psalmist says, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Ps 46:10).

The problem with the world is that it has become too busy and too noisy to think about God and to know who He truly is. It is not that God cannot be known by man, but man simply
does not want to know God. Is this not reflected in the spirit of merry-making, the drinking and dancing of Christmas as celebrated by the world? “Christmas is a season to be jolly, so eat, drink, and be merry. Who cares if tomorrow I die? I am not bothered whether there is a God or not. I live for the here and now. Enjoy life! Binge away, drink away!”

Remember Emmanuel—God with us. God has come to be with man, but man wants to stay far away from God. The church today is bearing witness of the true Light of Christmas, which is Jesus Christ. But will the people hear and believe? John 1:9-10 says, Jesus is “the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” The world knew Him not! Are you one of those who know Him not? If you do not know Him, know Him today! God has made Himself known through Christ. The Bible makes this promise, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). Believe on His Name. His Name is Jesus— Saviour. His Name is Emmanuel—God with us.

To the Deist

Are you are a deist? A deist is one who believes that God does not care and has nothing to do with what happens in the world today. Emmanuel—God with us—tells us that God is still working, and God is in control, and God intervenes in the affairs of the world today as He did 2000 years ago. Gal 4:4 says, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

The first Christmas message is found in Gen 3:15. God promised to provide a Saviour for the world through the virgin born Son of God. He made the promise in Gen 3:15 6000 years ago. You know what? God kept His promise. The promised Saviour came “in the fullness of time,” “at the most opportune time,” “at the right time,” “in God’s perfect time,” in 5 BC, 2000 years ago.

Take note of Gen 3:15 again. “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Note the singular “seed.” Every word of God is important, every jot and tittle of God’s Word is important (Matt 5:18). Here, we find God keeping His promise to the last letter. For He promised a “seed,” not many but just one God promised Abraham in Gen 17:7, “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.” Gal 3:16 gives the inspired interpretation of what the word “seed” means: “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” It is a special Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ that was promised—the virgin-born Son of God—who lived for us, died for us, and rose for us according to God’s promise which God has kept and fulfilled precisely. God has indeed preserved His words perfectly to the last word and the last letter, and that is why True Lifers believe that every book, every chapter, every verse, every word, every syllable, and every letter of the Bible is the direct utterance of the Most High God, with no mistake. Dr Arthur Steele in his Christmas message to me wrote, “The Lord is with us … If we do not have the Word of God we are disarmed. What God gave us is the Word of God, exactly as He first gave it, true, settled, pure, and preserved.” The gospel is indeed good news precisely because we have His Perfect Word with us today.

So to those who think that God cannot infallibly preserve His words, think again. The God who has kept His promise concerning His Son’s first coming will also keep His promise of His Son’s second coming (2 Pet 3:1-18). God is going to judge all unbelief, and His judgement is coming soon!

Conclusion

Emmanuel is speaking to you today. There is but one living and true God, and only one. God exists and He can be known. Forsake all others and believe only on Him—the only true God and Saviour of the world. He wants you to know Him, He wants to be your Saviour, He wants to take control of your life and guide you to heaven. May Jesus be born in your heart today. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).