JURONG OUTREACH - JAN 04

Change
4 Jan 04

By changing your thinking
You change your beliefs

When you change your beliefs
You change your expectations

When you change your expectations
You change your attitude

When you change your attitude
You change your behaviour

When you change your behaviour
You change your performance

When you change your performance
You change your life.

 By changing your thinking
You change your beliefs

When you change your beliefs
You change your expectations

When you change your expectations
You change your attitude

When you change your attitude
You change your behaviour

When you change your behaviour
You change your performance

When you change your performance
You change your life.

Last Wednesday night, 31st Dec 2003, the family of God at Jurong gathered to express our gratitude to the Lord for what he has done for us.  We had a wonderful lesson from bro Eddy to motivate us to serve the Lord and love Him more in the years to come.  Here are some of the prayer requests and thanksgiving expressed by some of our brethren present that night.  Please do remember them in your prayers.  Let us work together in unity and in love that our plans for the work of the Lord in 2004 will be fulfilled and bring glory to His name.

                                                                        Eddy Ee

Dear Father in heaven,

Thank you for remembering my children and I year after year.  You’ve filled my heart with gladness.  Help me to walk in a perfect way before Thee, now and always.  May my children grow to love you strongly and deeply.

                                                                                    Lay Kiaw

The Lord has been mindful of me; and has never ceased to bless me.  I thank God for everything I own—my family; my job; my health, and the family in Jurong. it’s my prayer that I will stay faithful and grateful.  May the family of Jurong grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord; especially the youths as they grow to be the future leaders of Jurong.

                                                                                 Elizabeth Ee

I  wish to thank all the ICs with whom I worked with in 2003.  May God bless the ICs in 2004.  I wish to thank sis Sharon for all her help in many areas.  Thankful also for bro Eddy for his work and guidance to JCOC and my family.

                                                                                    Ullas Nair

I would like to thank God for everything He has given me.  If I have stumbled anyone in this congregation, with what I have done wrong, please forgive me.

                                                                                    Agnes Chan

I thank God for blessing me in my eigthteen months as a Christian (2002 and 2003) since 16th June 2002.

                                                                                    Debra Nair

I thank God for His graciousness and providential care always ever since He has added me to His Church.  Tonight, His words have helped me to remember and love Him more in the New Year 2004 onwards.

                                                                                    Irene Nyau

I thank God for an eventful 2003.  Please pray for me that I may count my every blessing.  Pray also that in the year 2004, I can be protected and focus and the will of God for me.

                                                                                    Abby Chew

I’ve come forward for the Lord’s forgiveness and hope that I will spend more time studying His word so that I will be able to share His love with others.  Also pray that my husband will come to know His word.

                                                                                    Karen Lim

Thank God for my life and that I am still breathing and able to work. I am feeling very weary physically.  Please pray the Lord will grant me good health to serve Him more. 

                                                                                    Sharon Chan

As we step into 2004, let us press forward to the goal of our upward calling.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. (Phil 3:13—16)

Reaching Our Goal
11 Jan 04

How can we live so as to go to heaven?  What are things that will help us?  Let me suggest some things.

Godly homes contribute mightily to the hope of heaven.  Parents need to heed the exhortation of 2 Kings 20:1

“In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” because “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” (Ps 127:1)

Samuel, John the Baptist and Timothy, all had good head starts toward glory due to spiritual parents.

Bible preaching is a powerful background for getting millions to heaven.  Paul exhorted a young preacher, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Tim 4:2) The apostle Peter wrote,

“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever”

Strong Bible preaching that reveals how God wants us to order our lives will help us reach heaven.

Strong congregations, with devoted elders who really shepherd the flock. (Heb 13:17; Acts 20:28)

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

Who will assist us on the road to heaven. When error is allowed to flourish and worldliness is unrebuked, those responsible for souls will give account in the judgment. (Ezek, 3:17ff)

“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.”

Friends and loved ones who encourages will propel us to heaven with their influence and divine mandates.  Just as “evil companions corrupt good morals” (1 Cor 15:33), so do those who shine as lights in a wicked world help us on to higher ground

(Phil 2:15) “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; “

When we surround ourselves with those who “have been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13), we are indeed wise.

Good and honest hearts are absolutely essential if heaven would be our home.  If we fail to love the truth of God, we set ourselves up for eternal ruin.  When men argue with their Maker concerning His commandments, they are exceedingly foolish.

(Jas 1:22) “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

(Heb 5:9) “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;”

If we ignore the gospel or allow the cares of riches and pleasures of life to choke the word, we walk hand in hand with Satan.

(Lk 8:14) “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.”

Diligence in obeying now and not delaying is another step toward glory: “I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments” (Psa 119:60).

The time to obey is when we find the truth, “For it is time to seek the Lord” (Hos. 10:12).

“Tomorrow” is Satan’s favourite word, because to be almost saved is to be altogether lost.

(Acts 24:25) “And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.”

(Jer 8:20) “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”

So friends and brethren, if today you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

(Heb 3:7-8) “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:”

Trivial Pursuit
18 Jan 04

The prince of Grenada, an heir to the Spanish crown, was sentenced to life in solitary confinement in Madrid's ancient prison called "The Place of the Skull." The fearful, dirty, and dreary nature of the place earned it the name. Everyone knew that once you were in, you would never come out alive. The prince was given one book to read the entire time -- the Bible. With only one book to read, he read it over hundreds and hundreds of times. The book became his constant companion.

After thirty-three years of imprisonment, he DIED! When they came in to clean out his cell, they found some notes he had written using nails to mark the soft stone of the prison walls. The notations were of this sort: Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse of the Bible; Ezra 7:21 contains all the letters of the alphabet except the letter j; the ninth verse of the eighth chapter of Esther is the longest verse in the Bible, no word or name of more than six syllables can be found in the Bible." When Scot Udell originally noted these facts in an article in Psychology Today, he noted the oddity of an individual who spent thirty-three years of his life studying what some have described as: "The Greatest Book of ALL time" yet could only glean "trivia". From all we know, he never made any spiritual commitment to Christ, but he became an expert at Bible trivia.....

What a shame! The prince knew all about the BOOK, but He did not know the AUTHOR. The problem? He was looking for TRIVIA; he wasn’t looking for the LORD.

Have YOU read HIS Book lately? Perhaps you already know a lot about the BIBLE. But, do you know the AUTHOR?

The theme of the entire Bible is the salvation of man through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yet, many read the Bible and never see JESUS, the central Character. Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures, for in THEM you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of ME. But you are NOT WILLING to come to me that you may have life" (John 5:39-40).

God has promised: "You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Therein is the KEY to knowing God and His will for our lives. The Scriptures reveal Him to the genuine seeker (1 Corinthians 2:9-13) One can learn of His great love for man from His Word. The magnitude of His love is evident in that He sent His Son into the world to die for our sins (1 John 2:2).

The Scriptures also teach us HOW to respond to the love of God:

through faith (Hebrews 11:6), “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

confessing Christ (Rom 10:9-10), “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27), “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

AND following Him faithfully -- for the rest of our lives (Revelation 2:10). “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”

It is time to put an END to trivial pursuits of Bible facts. It is time to pursue a knowledge of God and HIS will for our lives through a diligent, sincere study of His Word.

OUR salvation depends upon it!

God bless you.

I Want to be Involved by W.L. Tooty (Deceased)
25 Jan 04

The apostle Paul, through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, informed us that when he became a man he put away childish things. “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (1 Cor 13:11) We are all aware that in this instance he was using that example to teach that, when the Gospel message was completed, the childhood age of bring the Gospel was to be done away, such as the use of performing miracles, speaking in tongues, etc, in order to prove they were sent from God.

However, we can make an application from this principle taught here, as well as from Hebrews 5:12, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

Some members of the church never grow past the childhood era, even though they may have become Christians in their youth and have matured bodily to reach the threescore and ten years that God says we may expect to live upon this earth.  That type of person still needs “toys” to play with in the church.  He cannot conceive of being a Christian without all the  paraphernalia found in some elements of the body of Christ, such as ball games, all sorts of entertainment, every gimmick imaginable, and all varieties of “made work” and “programs” to try to make him act like a Christian should.

Some churches hire a “young director” or “youth minister” whose sole duty is to instigate “programs” to “keep the youths involved.”  But all the time they are merely involved in “programs” which in reality are no part of “church” activity.  The young man Timothy assisted the apostle Paul.  However, his job was not to organize ball teams, hay rides, picnics, etc.  He was charged by Paul to Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (2 Tim 4:2).  Children, all young people and all elder people need to learn that to be obedient, respectful sons and daughters, living as good examples to others in the community, is a part of Christianity.

Often we hear complaints by some of the younger folks that there is nothing being done to interest the young folk to keep them going back into the world.  Well, rest assured that God expects the same work of the younger people as is expected of aged.  Their main trouble is that they don’t want to be content with the Lord’s business.

Then, there is a disposition on the part of some to think that, unless we are involved in “group” activity, we cannot practice Christianity.  In order words, “I won’t do it unless we can get a group together to do it.”  We are so afraid.  I suppose that we will be found doing “more than our share.”  But the Bible says that a cup of water given in the name of Christ will bring reward in heaven. “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward (Mt 10:42), “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” (Mk 9:41)  One does not have to do his benevolent acts as a group activity.  We are all going to be judged individually before God. 

The Samaritan didn’t have to call the leader of his “group” to get his assignment.  He, when he saw the need, fulfilled his obligation as neighbor to the man who fell among thieves.  “And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?” (Lk 10:30-36)

Now, lest someone might be disposed to think that I am turning my back on all that I have taught in times past our doing benevolence through the church treasury, let me point out that there is Biblical example of such.  The apostle Paul said, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churched of Galatia, even so do ye” (1 Cor 16:1).  There is a place for collection action, yes.  But we must also assume our individual responsibilities as well.  We must not wait for other to do what we can do individually!