Tag: September 2018

Two Souls Saved – Its sequel

In our pastoral weekly on 4 February 2018, there was a testimony entitled “Two Souls Saved”. This is the extract: “Two friends, Lily and Jimmy who came to our 4th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service shared that their close relative was at the hospital stricken with colon cancer. He has professed faith when a Korean pastor visited him last week. She requested for a visitation to be made to confirm the man’s faith. I was asked to contact his son, Mr Chan Hong Kiat.

A visitation was arranged with Hong Kiat at 2 pm on Monday, 29 January to visit his father at Alexander Hospital. Mr Chan Choong Shoung, Hong Kiat’s father, listened to the gospel message spoken to him in Mandarin. His wife was there with him by the bedside. By the grace of God, Mr Chan received the Lord Jesus Christ. When asked to affirm his new-found faith with his wife and son, he did so. Mr Chan was invited to attend our inaugural Mandarin service on 4 February as he was scheduled to be discharged on 1 February. On Wednesday 31 January, at the request of Hong Kiat, another visitation was made together with Tong Seng and Siew Choy where we sang John Sung choruses together. Mr Chan was rejoicing in the Lord.

No Man Can Serve Two Masters

24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Matt. 6:24 KJV)

Our Lord Jesus gives the word of warning to His listeners in Matthew 6:24. This is concerning a competing spirit called “mammon” for the believer’s affection that goes against the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life.

“Mammon” is the Syrian god of riches or money. Jesus is depicting material wealth and possessions and the inordinate pursuit of it as a rival god to the worship of the living and true God.

I was having my breakfast and looking at the birds nearby looking for food. I am reminded of Jesus’ words:

26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?(Matt. 6:26 KJV)

I am reminded of God’s care for my life. I am more precious in the sight of God than these birds. I am fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of the living God (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7).

(1) A Follow-Up Visitation

In our weekly pastoral of 15 July 2018 under the heading “Visitation to Share the Gospel”, a testimony was recorded concerning Mr Lee Khiak Khiam, Marcus Lee’s father, receiving the Lord.

“Thank God for leading Marcus Lee to evangelize to his unsaved parents. His mother has come to receive the Lord earlier this year and on 14 July 2018, his father responded to the gospel invitation to receive Jesus Christ as His Lord and Saviour. I was invited to visit his home that evening with the hope of sharing the gospel with Marcus’ father in Mandarin. Praise the Lord for his willingness to listen and his willingness to confess Christ… The Lord grant us wisdom to help this newly converted soul.”

On 8 September 2018, Marcus requested a follow-up visitation to confirm the faith of his father at his home. Marcus’ mother was also present with us. We give thanks to the Lord that Mr Lee Khiak Khiam not only affirmed his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he requested also water baptism. Due to the weakness of his body and medical condition, he is unable to come to church.

Sin No More

Hear the words of Jesus to the infirmed man at the Temple, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” (John 5:14)

These words provide a grim reality of the devastation of sin since the Fall of man at the Garden of Eden. The curse of sin upon mankind is the cause of physical diseases and eventually death. What a sad state of helplessness and hopelessness if the curse of sin cannot be lifted. The curse of sin was lifted for this impotent man lying by the pool in Bethesda when he met Jesus that day. He has been plagued with thirty-eight long years of weariness and pain, an unbearable state of constant suffering. [JC Ryle]

That freedom from the bondage of sin must cause him to be grateful and choose wisely not to meddle with sin. Jesus says to him, “… sin no more, lest a worse thing come to thee.” Jesus speaks here of God’s future judgment that comes in this man’s life if he chooses to go the way of sinners again. It is a stark warning to cherish his freedom and yield not to temptation. In other words, may the fear of God cause him to depart from evil all the rest of his days on earth.

Living Water – John 4

Jesus passed through the city of Sychar in Samaria for an appointment with a woman at Jacob’s well. It was midday when Jesus, being wearied from his journey, asked the woman drawing water at the well, “Give me to drink”. The woman was surprised knowing that Jesus was a Jew, for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans (John 6:9). Jesus identified Himself as One that can offer her living water for whosoever drinks of the water that He will give him shall never thirst. Living water is fresh spring water as opposed to stagnant water. Jesus explained this “living water” that He would give her shall be in her a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The woman, of course, requested Jesus for this living water – John 4:15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

Jesus initiated a process that will open the fountain of living water for her consumption. How did Jesus do that?

He first sought to treat the spiritual ailment in her life. She was seeking for true love and until she met Jesus, has not found it.

John 4:16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

The woman’s reply was that she has no husband. This was not true. For Jesus pointed out to her that she has had five husbands.

John 4:17-18 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

She realized that Jesus was no ordinary man. Jesus could understand her heart’s cry. She sought to find the love and peace of home life through marriage but has been fumbling in this area. By it, it exposed her inadequacy of to run her life and she felt miserable. Jesus is offering her the divine wisdom needed to stabilize her life, a life with God. Inadvertently, she reckoned that it has to do with being connected with the worship of God the Father in heaven.