MICA (P) 298/09/2008

Editorial CommitteeLawrence Chan (Editor)

Chow Chiew GeeWong Tuck Keong

William KohTan Jin Song

Bettina Sim

Bethesda Hall (Ang Mo Kio) No. 601 Ang Mo Kio Ave 4 Singapore 569898Tel: 065-6458-7474Fax: 065-6456-6771Email: bethesdahall@gmail.com

BETHESDANEWSLETTER Dec08

Jan09

INSIDE:assemblynews02asacrifice09BYMETtophilippines13 BYMETreflections16amktuitionministry18daniel’s3friends21

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Bethesda Hall (Depot Walk) 10 Depot WalkSingapore 109590Tel: 065-6276-2484Fax: 065-6276-2483

www.bethesdahall.com

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WEDDING

27/12/08 — Nathaniel Sim & Stephanie Grace Teo (AMK)

27/12/08 — Mah Kwok Kin & Carolyn Ho (DW)

We bless the Lord for another two Christian homes and trust in the Lord to grant the couples His resources and refuge to go through life together as heirs of the grace of God.

BIRTH

We rejoice in the Lord with the following Christian parents:

26/9/08 – God’s gift of a baby boy, 1st child, Nicholas to Teo Gee Teck and Grace.

30/10/08 – God’s gift of a baby boy, 1st child, Joel to Yeo Peck Choon and Suzanne.

Please pray with and for the Christian parents as they trust the Lord for their child and train the child for the Lord.

BEREAVEMENT

14/10/08 – Passing away of Collin and Anna Leong’s brother.

2/12/08 – Home calling of Alice Tan’s father

10/12/08 – Passing away of Sim Chear Wah & Mee Foong and Sim Hwee Koon’s father.

Pray for the above brethren that the Lord will be their redemption, relief and recourse.

30/10/08 4TH GRADUATION CONCERT (DW)

Theme: “Let the beauty of the earth praise God”

Speaker: Kan Shik Lum

Chairman: Andrew Sng

More than 200 attended

30 K2 graduands

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s 5 & 6/11/08 22ND GRADUATION CONCERT (AMK)

Theme: “Remember the Creator” Eccl. 12:1

Speakers: Peter Wong and Koh Liang Hwee

Chairman: Wong Tuck Keong

More than 350 attended nightly

92 K2 graduands

We rejoiced with the two kindergartens for their annual graduation concerts. As usual the many concert items presented by the children showing forth the goodness of the Lord. We are thankful to the two management committees chaired by Andrew Kwan and Sum Siew Tak respectively for their leadership and labour of love and also the hard work done by the kindergarten staff. Let’s remember the 122 graduands as they leave our kindergartens for primary school education. Also pray that through the kindergarten ministries, many children will attend our Children’s Corner and Sunday School.

Bethesda (DW) Kindergarten

4th Graduation Concert

Finale song item presented by the

Kindergarten children at DW

Our K2 Graduands from AMK

Peter Wong gave away the certificates to

the K2 graduands at AMK (1st night)

More than 200 gathered at the 4th Graduation Concert (DW)

Finale item presented by the kindergarten children at AMK

Kan Shik Lum gave away the certificates to the K2 graduands at DW

Liang Hwee gave away the certificates to the K2 graduands at AMK (2nd night)

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OUR NEW DEACON

We thank the Lord for having exercised our brother Ang Siew Hock to take up the responsibility of a deacon in our assembly and on 2/11/08 he was commended to the Lord to serve as a deacon. Siew Hock attended Bethesda Sunday School (Bras Basah) since Pri. 4 for several years. He then moved on to Life B-P Church and was converted while being identified with them. He rejoined Bethesda Sunday School subsequently and has been attending Bethesda since then and was baptised in 1975. In his occupation, he has worked in the electronics industry in various companies with regional operations in management positions. At present he is a director in an electronic firm. Regarding Church activities, he has been involved in BAMK Tuition ministry since its inception. He is the current co-ordinator. He is also involved in Hougang RFG as co-ordinator, Sunday School teacher, Assembly Evangelistic committee member and COPA Visitation committee member.

OUR NEW ELDERS

We praise the Lord for raising up another 3 brothers to shepherd His flock at AMK and DW. They were:

a) Andrew Kwan was saved on 7 Dec 1978 and baptised in 1991. He is married to Lily and the Lord has gifted them with 4 children namely Ryan, Rebecca, Ruth and Roy. Andrew is involved with the Bethesda Choir, Jurong RFG, CEP group, Bethesda Kindergarten Management committee, Eudokia Bookroom and has served as a deacon since January 2007. Outside of church, he is an entrepreneur with businesses in the food and solar film industries. He also serves on the Board of governors of some Institutions of Public Character (IPCs)

b) Tan Jing Poi was brought to Sunday School at Bethesda Bras Basah by a brother in 1963 and became a Christian in July 1968. He was baptised on 29 February 1976. He is married to Christina and the Lord has blessed them with 2 boys namely Suan Yi and Suan Yang. Jing Poi is involved with the Whitley RFG, CEP group, COPA Visitation, new couples ministry, Building committee and also served as a deacon since 1982. Outside of assembly, he is a lawyer in a law firm of 3 Christian lawyers.

c) Daniel Thein was saved in December 1975 and baptised on 7 January 1979. He is married to Kelly and the Lord has gifted them with 3 children namely Danna, Elena and Elisha. Daniel is involved with the Jurong FRG, CEP group, Christmas COPA, other ad hoc committees and has served as a deacon since August 2006. Outside of church, he is a Defence Executive Officer with Mindef.

Recognising their qualities and affirmative response to the Lord’s call to be involved in the ministry of an elder, they were commended to the Lord as elders on 9/11/08.

MY HOPE SINGAPORE

My Hope Singapore was officially launched in our assembly on 1/11/08 where 50 members gathered to view the videos on “Billy Graham” and “Matthew and friends” DVD. The meeting was very well chaired by Andrew Sng with exhortation given by Tan Chee Hwee and Tay Kim Swee. At the meeting, the process & strategy and questions & answers were conducted. Following the launch, various training sessions were held on 7 Nov, 15 Nov and 20 Nov 08 at Ang Mo Kio and 6 Nov and 14 Nov 08 at Depot Walk. The trainers were Andrew Sng, Robert Hmar, Tan Chee Hwee, Tan Kian Huat and Tay Kim Swee. We are thankful to the Lord for the 38 members who had attended the training session and out of which 16 had opened their homes for this evangelistic outreach. Let’s take every opportunity to be an effective witness for Christ in our daily contact with others.

Ang Siew Hock

Andrew Kwan

Tan Jing Poi

Daniel Thein

About 50 attended the launching of the

My Hope Singapore on 1st Nov ‘08

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16-24/11/08 BYMET to Cebu, Bohol, Cabilao, Iloilo and Guimaras Islands

Participants: Wong Tuck Keong, Kurien Kurian, Tan Ah Beng, Joel Boon, Andrew He, Teresa Lee, Poh Shi Ting, Magdalene Fong, Olivia Soh, Naomi Tan and Constant Chong.

The Singapore participants were most privileged to conduct this BYMET to Philippines where the Lord rewarded them with many rich experiences of the Lord’s work in Philippines. It was more than an exposure trip for the youths as the participants were given much opportunity to get involved in the work of the Lord done by the 3 Korean missionaries namely Moon In O, Hwang Soo Young and Sim Dong Sik. The theme of the BYMET based on Col 1:12 was a reality to the participants who returned home refreshed and rejoicing in the Lord. For more details, please refer to the write up in this issue.

25-27/11/08 DVBS

Theme: “Little ones with big faith”

Teachers: Amy Lee (K1-P2) and Goh Lay Guan (P4-6)

179 children have signed up and an average attendance for the 3 days was 150. There were 6 children counseled for assurance and 30 for salvation. We thank the Lord for the more than 85 helpers together with the planning committee chaired by Vincent Tham in making this DVBS a joyous and meaningful one for the children. The 3 days were packed with

many activities ranging from Bible lessons, singspirations, memory verse activity, class activities, interaction time and crafts, games, food and an outing to Pasir Ris Park. On the last day, many children have found new friends and the joy of singing the DVBS songs. Let’s pray that the gospel seed planted in the hearts of the children will bear much fruits in the near future.

30/11/08 Youth Gospel Night

Theme: Behind The Mask

Speaker: Nathaniel Sim

Chairman: Wong Yong Jian

350 people attended

We are indebted to the Lord for the evangelistic efforts of the youths as evidence in their simple well-planned and unique programme presented at the gospel meeting to make Christ known through songs, slides and sermons. Pray that the gospel zeal of our youths will spur them to greater efforts to reach out to many unsaved youths in contact with them by their lives and lips.

BYMET Team with believers meeting in the

home of brother Sim (Cubay Assembly)

BYMET team with the believers at Cabilao Island after a gospel meeting

An average of 150 attended the 3-day DVBS

Amy Lee, one of the

teachers for the DVBS

Goh Lay Guan, one of the

teachers for the DVBS

Vincent Tham, Chairman of DVBS

DVBS outing to Pasir Ris ParkDVBS interaction time and crafts

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3-5/11/08 Special Ministry by Gil Vargas

Theme: “Equipping the Saints

Chairmen: Jeffrey Jee, Stephen Chang & William Chew

1st msge – Worship – Looking Upward (to God) John 4:23; Col 3:1-4

2nd msge – Discipleship – Looking Inward (to the Church) Matt 28:19, 20; 3 John 4; 2 Tim 2:2

3rd msge – Evangelism – Looking Outward (to the World) Rom 10:14, 15; Mark 1:17

We were much blessed with the ministry of God’s Word at the 3-night ministry. Pray that the Word of God taught and learnt by His people will be reflected in their lives. An average of 80 attended nightly

8-13/12/08 Youth Camp

Theme: By Faith

Teacher: Gil Vargas

158 Youths signed up for the camp.

Thank the Lord for the organising committee namely Chang Chew Kient (Chairman), Tan Kian Huat (Advisor), Matthew Chia, Andrew He, Rachel Hmar,

It was indeed an exciting, enriching and edifying camp for the youths to spend one week together living together, learning God’s Word and loving one another in the Lord. Pray that through the memorisation of the whole book of James, the many messages based on the theme “By Faith”, Bible study sessions, workshop sessions, dorm devotions and daily quiet-time, it will lead our youths to serious discipleship and godly living.

158 attended the Assembly Youth Camp 2008

Beach game at the Youth Camp

One of the games’ groups at the camp

Flag painting competition

at the camp

Ice Breaking at the camp

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A Sacrifice – Living, Sanctified,Acceptable To God

✚ Ern ie Abbot t

IntroductionSpeakers often use a light hearted comment when preaching on Romans 12:1, by saying that the problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar. However, an alternative rendering of the verse removes the possibility of the light-hearted comment: ‘I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice—living, sanctified, acceptable to God—your intelligent service’ (Young’s Literal Translation). The emphasis here is moved from living to that of sacrifice. When Paul wrote these words, he, being a Jew, would have been fully cognizant of the Jewish sacrificial system and its various types. Any first century Christian, particularly those with a Jewish background, reading these words would no doubt

have their minds taken to the Levitical offering. We are going to examine these sacrifices and see what lessons they have for us today in the light of Romans 12:1. Before we go into detail, we need to remember that the sacrifices in Leviticus point primarily to the Lord Jesus. However, there are aspects of the sacrifices that may be applied to each of us.

We shall look at the five sacrifices in the book of Leviticus: Burnt offering, Grain offering, Peace offering, Sin offering and Trespass offering. It will be worth reading through the relevant verses in Leviticus as we go through our discussion.

The Burnt Offering (Lev. 1:1-17)

The Burnt offering was the highest offering that

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could be offered. It was an offering that was taken from the herd, the flocks, a turtledove or young pigeon. The Burnt offering was totally for God, nothing, apart from the skin of the animal being sacrificed, was left. All was for God. The sacrifice was a sweet savour to the Lord. From these points, we can apply the sacrifice to ourselves. The whole animal was sacrificed, this would speak to us that our whole life is to be a sacrifice to God. Nothing is for Man. The sacrifice’s inner parts were fully revealed and washed- this shows that God is not interested in our appearance, or how we are judged by our fellow man but is interested in our inner being. It must be clean and pure to be an acceptable sacrifice.

As mentioned, it was possible to offer animals from the herd, the flock or birds. To the human eye, these sacrifices were of a different value. The bull was worth far more than the young pigeon or turtledove. But in God’s eyes, these were of equal value. Similarly with our lives, it is what God values that counts, not what man thinks.

The Grain Offering (Lev. 2:1-16)

The Grain offering is referred to in the KJV as ‘meat offering’ as in 1611 English, ‘meat’ had a different meaning to what it does today. Needless to say the offering has no meat in it at all. The basis of the Grain offering was fine flour, oil and frankincense. The fine flour speaks to us of a perfect life which was seen in the Lord Jesus. With fine flour, no matter how much pressure one applies to it, it does not go lumpy. We see that in the life of the Lord Jesus, He was under tremendous pressure all the time yet His life was ‘without lumps’; there was no inconsistency with him. The same should be for us. To be the sacrifice we should be, there should be no inconsistency in our lives - no lumps as it were. This is the high standard God wants of His sacrifices.

The fine flour was mixed with oil. Oil typifies the Holy Spirit. As the oil mixed with the flour so that the result was no longer flour or could be reconstituted into flour, so to be a sacrifice—living, sanctified, acceptable to

God, the Holy Spirit should so permeate our being that we are indeed changed in texture, as it were, to something new.

The sacrifice when offered was, ‘a sweet savour unto the LORD’, Lev. 2:9. Similarly, ‘we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?’ 2 Cor. 2:15-16.

The flour and oil were mixed with frankincense. The frankincense was fragrant. Such should be our lives towards God. Portions of the Grain offering were for the priest. The priests today are the saints, for all believers are priests, 1 Peter 2:9, so part of our lives should be for the saints. The mixture was baked in an oven, a griddle pan or in a frying pan. This would imply suffering. In many parts of the world, believers suffer for their faith in Christ. Paul, who suffered many things for the sake of Christ and

the Gospel, saw his suffering as sharing in some way with the sufferings of Christ, for he writes, ‘that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death’, Phil. 3:10. We should not be surprised to find that we suffer for the sake of Christ. The early Christians expected to suffer. We should anticipate it, as unpleasant as it may be.

Two things were excluded from the Grain offering: honey and leaven. Honey is sweet. In terms of the sacrifice, it was a false sweetness. The application for us is live lives that are honest and true; there should be nothing false about us. Similarly, leaven, which typified sin, must not be a part of our lives.

The Peace Offering (Lev 3:1-17; 7:11-34)

The Peace offering was not for peace to be made, but for peace already made, Col. 1:20. The Peace offering was a free-will offering. We offer our lives to God in appreciation of what He has done for us in Christ. The

Peace offering could contain leaven. As indicated already, leaven is often used as a figure for sin. This shows us that no matter what we offer to God, it is always going to be imperfect. We are tainted with sin but, nevertheless, that should not be a reason for not making a Peace offering, as this is a part of being a sacrifice, living and acceptable to God. We should not need to remind ourselves that the only perfect offering to God was the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus, ‘he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us’, Eph. 2:14, and the one who makes fellowship and communion among the saints possible as John writes in his first epistle, ‘That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.’ 1John 1:3

The Sin Offering (Lev. 4:1-35)

Clearly we can never be an offering for our own sin. The

only sin offering acceptable to God is that of the Lord Jesus. So how can this offering be applied to us as we seek to be a sacrifice, living and acceptable to God? We shall look at what was involved in the sacrifice. We see that there were three things: blood, skin and kidneys. Life is in the blood, Lev 17:11. To sacrifice one’s blood is to give one’s life. To be a sacrifice, living, acceptable to God means that we have to give our whole life to God. As Isaac Watts wrote in his famous hymn, When I survey the Wondrous Cross, Were the whole realm of nature mine,That were a present far too small;Love so amazing, so divine,Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Blood is intrinsic to life, and the blood here, would remind us that our whole life is a sacrifice.

The skin of the animal was its external glory. It had to be given up, sacrificed, in the Sin offering. The application for us is that we are to give up any striving for external

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self-glory. To live a life that is a sacrificial life, acceptable to God, we should lay aside our glory and only seek the glory of God. The apostle Paul knew this, he could write, ‘but God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world,’ Gal. 6:14.

The kidneys or reins were thought to be the seat of the emotions. Applied to us in seeking to be a sacrifice acceptable to God, we need to give up claims on our emotions and give them to God. This may not be easy but it is a part of the sacrifice.

Finally, with the Sin offering, we note that it was offered outside the camp, Heb. 13:11f. For us, the application is that we are in the world but not of the world. We are not be conformed to this world.

The Trespass Offering (Lev 5:1-19)

The Trespass offering was very similar to the Sin offering. It was for the individual who recognized

sin in his life and wanted it dealt with. For the believer who seeks to be a sacrifice living and acceptable to God, it means that as soon as we are aware of our sin, we confess them, for ‘if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’, 1John 1:9.

The Trespass offering included the Meal offering. This would remind is that there are different levels of appreciation of the forgiveness that God has for us. We are reminded of the parable that Jesus told of two debtors, one owing 500 pence the other 50 pence. Both were forgiven but each had a different appreciation of their forgiveness, Luke 7:41-43.

Conclusion

Are we being idealistic in what we have outlined as what is necessary to a sacrifice, living, sanctified and acceptable to God. We must say No. God provides the means for us to live the lives we should live. We must confess that we are not the sacrifices that we should

be. But with the enabling of the Holy Spirit, we can become the sacrifices what we should be, sacrifices that are living, sanctified and acceptable to God. BYMET to Philippines

(15th to 24th Nov 2008)

✚ Tan Ah Beng

They say “good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter”. It was like yesterday that we boarded the MI566 SilkAir flight from Singapore to Cebu.

We spent 9 days visiting assemblies in four locations in the Philippines. Our first destination was the Pakna-An Church in Cebu where Brother Moon was. The brothers in the BYMET team took turns to give gospel messages and testimonies while the sisters took charge of the Children and Youth programme. We also did

evangelistic home visits to invite the residents to the Gospel services in the evenings. At these meetings, the team put up musical hand-mime and musical presentations. The local youth at Pakna-An also put up a skit.

At our next destination Cabilao, Brother Hwang and the saints from the assembly put up a banner that said “Welcome Brothers and Sisters” at the wooden hut to welcome us. The wooden hut was where they had their meetings. We had a dip in the sea about 5 minutes walk from the hut before we went on house-to-house evangelistic visits to invite the residents to the Gospel Service in the evening. After Cabilar, we headed for Tagbilaran of Bohol. Once again, the team went on evangelistic house-to-house visitations followed by presentation of

What an encouragement to see so many at the airport to send off the BYMET team

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the Gospel message. We had a fellowship meeting in the evening with the saints at Tagbilaran Assembly where the word of God was shared.

Our final destination was Iloilo. We spent the afternoon in house-to-house visits to the residents staying near Brother Sim. We invited the locals to the Gospel Service in the evening of the Lord ‘s Day. Quite a number of

residents responded to our invitation to join the meeting. Our last destination was the Guimaras Island, which is famous for its mango production. It was a short boat ride from Iloilo. We held

a gospel outreach meeting in a very run-down house near the hotel from where we stayed.

Brother Moon was a Daiwoo Service manager in Korea before he was called to the mission field in the Philippines. It is amazing how the Lord used a humble shed in Paradise Island as a gathering center for Bible study among the slump residents to establish the work in Cebu (Paradise Island is a slump area for the poor of Cebu). Brother Moon is currently considering the extension of the work in Liloan through the purchase of a 260 square meter land in the area. Brother Moon shared with us that the biggest challenge in the Philippines mission work is for the believers to yield their lives to the Lordship of Christ. The people in Philippines are very religious in general and most acknowledged that Jesus in the Savior of the world. However, there is little change from their old lives and old habits after conversion.

The saints in Bohol (both Cabilao & Tagbilaran) are

young in faith. It is especially difficult for Brother Hwang as he is not yet conversant in the local dialect and is dependent on the local interpreter. There is no proper assembly work in Cabilao as Brother Hwang goes there once a week.

Brother Sim came to Iloilo in 2001 and by faith started the work through making

house calls and inviting people to his house for Bible study. The work is tough; he depends on an interpreter to communicate with the locals and as his assembly is small, he has to do many things by himself. What has kept him going was staying close to the Lord and study of His Word.

Future mission trips could focus on challenging the saints in these three assemblies to dig deeper

into the Word of the Lord. There is also potential for youth and children’s work too as the community is growing.

Please pray for the missionaries in these three assemblies, for them to learn the local dialects so as to be more effective in their outreach, and for God’s strength and grace in their

Gospel meeting held at the home of

Sim Dong Sik

One of the outreach work of brother

Sim at Guimaras Island

One of the outreach works of brother Hwang at Tutulan (Bohol Island)

Some of the BYMET members reaching out to the children at the home of brother Sim

Pakna-an Assembly in Cebu

One of the outreach works of brother Moon at

Liloan (Cebu)

ministries to the people there.

For me, I found the reality of living faith in doing the Lord’s work step-by-step during this trip. I thank the Lord for His guidance, protection, strength and grace for these 9 days. Our Brothers Lee Won Jae, Moon, Hwang and Sim trusted in the Lord for his daily provisions for

so much longer. What a testimony of the labor of love to the Lord. “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelations 22:12)

In His Service,Tan Ah Beng

BYMET team with the believers at Tagbilaran assembly (Bohol Island)

The Young group at Tagbilaran Assembly presented a Mime

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really touches me how the locals gave willingly to the Lord however little they had and how God still honours that. The BYMET theme verse, “. that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10) is really something I hope to accomplish in my life for the LORD.

Magdalene Fong

When I first entered into an unfamiliar land, I cannot help but marvel at God’s creation of nature. Yet more so, it was encouraging to see the fruits of the labour of God’s ministry in this Roman Catholic-dominated country. BYMET has been an enriching experience and has allowed me to understand the mission work better and has stirred in me a desire to want to serve God more.

I learnt precious lessons from the three missionaries in the Philippines. Hearing the stories of God’s calling to them and the difficulties they faced in Philippines has urged me to be a fervent witness for God to those

around me. Indeed as how these missionaries answered God’s calling to live in a foreign land, away from their comfortable lifestyles, will I be available and ready when God calls me for His plan? I learnt that it is not so much of capability but availability.

I may not be called to Philippines to serve now, but all of us can support them through prayers for the hardened hearts of the people and the ministry there, knowing that the labour in the Lord is not in vain (1Corinthians 15:58).

Shi Ting

During this BYMET trip, I’ve experienced a lot. The Lord enabled the small assemblies grow to become bigger assemblies. More churches were also set up. I realised about the importance of starting small. Therefore we need to continue to share the Gospel and encourage the people around us to trust in the Lord and join the church. During one of the house visitations, we went to the house of a believer Jusie. All her siblings were Sunday school

teachers. They shared their testimonies and I was encouraged by them to think of becoming a Sunday school teacher in the future! I also realised that it is very important to live a simple life. If we are too career-minded, it will be very hard to be called by God to become missionaries. The children in the Philippines love to sing God’s praises! I realized that by singing God’s praises, we have joy, not just happiness, in our hearts. I think that BYMET was not just another oversea trip to me, but a trip to see the wonder work of the Lord at Philippines.

BYMET reflectionsby some of the youthsJoel Boon

Thank the Lord for allowing the BYMET team to visit and to observe His work in the three assemblies in Cebu, Bohol and Iloilo City in the Philippines. Prior to our departure, we had studied “13 Steps in Building Disciples” by O.J. Gibson to learn how to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and to teach and train others to follow Him.

The ground for missions is hard because most Filipinos are Roman Catholics who know little about or even resist having a relationship with the God of the Bible and surrendering their lives to Him. Although they may be quite open to home visits and preaching of the Gospel from the Word of God, some may show interest outwardly, but many have not truly believed.

It was encouraging to meet with the local Christian youths who have come to the saving knowledge of the Lord through Brother Lee

Won Jae’s ministries; some are now serving the Lord as Sunday School teachers, and may even become future co-workers in the harvest field with the Korean missionaries.

I thank the Lord for the commitment and the sacrifice of the Korean missionaries. They, together with their families, had to give up the comforts of home, and learn English, Tagalog and Cebuano. Pray for God’s work in the Philippines, remembering Brothers Moon In Oo, Hwang Soo Yong, and Sim Dong Sik, their families and their work in their respective assemblies, and pray that the Lord will give them guidance and strength. Pray for the three assemblies and the salvation of the locals through the home visits and Bible studies. Pray also for the youth for their faith as some face persecution and isolation from their Roman Catholic friends and families.

Constance Chong

This BYMET trip was a refreshing new experience for me and I have learnt many precious lessons. Seeing the burden the missionaries have for the lost souls in the Philippines really encourages me to have more courage and to always be ready to share the gospel to people around me. It was not easy to for the missionaries to leave their own country to do God’s work in a foreign land. The great faith and dependence they have in God really puts me to shame on how I underestimate God’s great power. And it really touches my heart to see how the love of Christ can bring all of us together to worship and to serve Him even though we are from different countries and speak different languages. The beautiful scenery in the Philippines also wowed me; God’s wonder seen through his creations left me speechless. Indeed, our God is an awesome God! It

BYMET team with the youths at

Parkna-an assembly

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BAMK Tuition Ministry

Free tuition was offered to the neighbourhood children shortly after Bethesda Hall relocated to Ang Mo Kio as part of its service to the community. Another key objective of the ministry is evangelism through the tutors’ personal witness to the students. The students are also encouraged to join our church activities like the Children’s Corner and Sunday School so that the church can continue to engage them when they are no longer in the tuition programme. Last year, one

student joined the Sunday School and subsequently accepted the Lord while at the Youth Camp. We also look for opportunities to reach out to the families of these students.

Each year we get about 30 to 40 students, and this service has become so popular that while we have stopped distributing fliers to homes in the vicinity and only publicize the free tuition by displaying a banner outside our church premises, we still receive good response. The problem we have is finding enough tutors to teach students who have signed up for the various classes.

Our tutors find it a joy and blessing to serve the Lord in this ministry. Hear what two of our faithful tutors have to say. Come join us in this challenging work. The fields are already white for harvest!

“That both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.” Jn 4:36b

JUDY HAN:I’m not entirely clear why I am in the tuition programme. Perhaps it’s a desire to nurture my own talent, perhaps it’s my social commitments or perhaps it’s simply a love of children.I remember that when I first started teaching, after the first few weeks came what might be called a reality check. Issues of classroom discipline began to overshadow issues of teaching and learning. I have to admit that working with children can be exhausting and sometimes discouraging. It has been hard work and a challenge to do it right.

But the reward at the end of the day is feeling good about what I have done to help my students succeed. The sure knowledge of this brings joy that surpasses in richness to any form of monetary reward. The greatest rewards are always intrinsic; satisfaction that comes from watching a child learn a new lesson, watching a student undertake an imaginative

journey or watching a youngster suddenly discover the world of ideas and thought.

Being a tutor has helped me personally to be more patient, kind, and understanding. The more I invest in teaching children, the more I love it. I know that many of them can benefit from additional learning time and personal attention. I am so glad to have this opportunity to teach and be taught. It’s a privilege to be in the ministry of teaching and in having the chance to inspire young lives and to impart/share what God has taught me.

If you are becoming a tuition teacher because you love learning and helping others learn, because you want to make a difference in the lives of youths, because you’re willing to work hard and against many odds to help students learn; then teaching probably is for you.

“By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn.”Latin proverb

MARGARET NG:A few years ago, when I was asked to participate in the Tuition Ministry as a tutor for English, I agreed willingly enough although I was a bit apprehensive about taking on the responsibility. This was because I was not a trained-teacher and I did not want to short-change the students entrusted to my care. However, with some help from those already in the Tuition Ministry and after brushing up on my English grammar and usage, I have come to enjoy and benefited from this ministry.

It has been, and still is, a learning experience for me: exercising great patience with the students, how best to attract their attention and keep them interested while you are talking (not easy as nowadays most students have short attention span and often talk in class), keeping up with any change in the English syllabus, preparing lessons and going through their answer scripts and praying for them and their families.

Having another sister in Christ (Sock Heng, a retired and experienced

Free Tuition Programme

✚ Ang S iew Hock

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teacher) partnering me in this ministry means a lot to me as “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labour.” (Eccl 4:9) Indeed, two are better than one as the burden is lightened through the splitting of tasks and students can be given more attention as the Primary 6 class size is usually large (about 17 and 13 students for the last two years). For example, Sock Heng concentrates

on the oral communication aspect and she gives the Primary 6 students individual attention (about four sessions for each one) on reading aloud, picture discussion and conversation, so that they can be better prepared for their PSLE oral communication examination. With a team-mate, lessons need not be cancelled if one of us is sick or on holidays.Also, it is always with hope and prayers that some students (and their family

Daniel’s 3 friends

The book of Daniel opens with the account of King Nebuchadnezzar laying siege on Jerusalem. This story corroborates with Jer 27:5-11 and Isaiah 39:6-7 where the imminent fall of Judah and Jerusalem into the hands of the king of Babylon was foretold. True to prophecy, captives of royal descent, including Daniel’s three friends Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-Nego, were taken to serve in the palace of the king of Babylon. These three young men in Scripture stood up for what they truly believed in, despite having their feet being put to the fire literally, to test their genuine faith and convictions. There are many lessons that can be gleaned from the testimony of these young lives.

Absolute standardsPrior to the standoff with the king of Babylon in Chpt 3, these 3 young men had distinguished themselves

early in their young lives. They took a resolute stand not to defile themselves by consuming the portion of the king’s food specially allotted to them. The pagan food, which consisted of delicacies and fine wine were likely to be devoted to idols. To indulge was to be understood as honoring these deities. These young men chose not to. In seemingly lesser things, they stood courageously and did not compromise. This despite the fact that they were earmarked for high office, “to serve in the king’s palace.” (Dan 1:4) In the eyes of the world, they had everything to lose and nothing to gain by rejecting royal cuisine for jailhouse fare. What would we have chosen if we were in their place?

Beyond material gainsDaniel and his friends saw beyond the worldly pleasures and gain that Babylon

represented. They forsook what the world offered and took a stand for God. Just like young Moses who “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the reward.” (Hebs 11:24-26)

The ability to look at the treasures of the world in the eye and then to turn the other way is the very mark of Christ in a believer’s life. Our Lord Himself showed us the way when He was brought to a high mountain by the devil with all the glory of the kingdoms of the world before Him. Our Lord was not moved. Mark 8:36 reminds us, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?”

members) will come to know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, and thus we can join in the joy and praise to God of a soul being saved. Therefore, I hope others will come forward to take up this challenge as the Tuition Ministry needs more volunteers. The burden will be negligible when there are more of us involved!

✚ Andrew Kwan

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Progression through trialsIt is also noteworthy that strong warriors for our Lord are not created instantaneously. To be men and women of faith requires training. Shadrach, Meschach and Abed Nego’s early resolution to take a stand for the Lord, in the matter of not consuming certain food, had put them in good stead in their latter years when what was at stake was beyond mere economic consequence. And we see God’s nurturing hand and encouragement, preparing the young men for greater battles to come. God honored their commitment to Him by making them 10 times wiser than all other magicians and astrologers at the king’s palace (Dan 1: 20). Instead of losing favor with the king, they gained stature. The Psalmist gives us a few verses which might well be our prayer: “Uphold me according to your Word that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Hold me up and I shall be safe, and I shall observe your statutes continually.” (Ps 119:116-117). Fear God not ManThe story recorded in

Daniel Chapter 3 depicts how the Babylonian king required all his subjects to bow down before a 60 X 6 cubit idol that he had erected. In particular, upon the sounding of specific musical instruments namely the horn, flute, harp, lyre and psaltery in symphony with music, anyone found not doing so would face death in a fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meschach and Abed Nego chose not to bow and worship. In a verbal exchange with the king, the three young men said that the God they served would deliver them from the fiery furnace and even if otherwise, they would still not worship the golden idol. Clearly, the young men were not afraid of what the king would do to them because they already had in view the King of kings and the Lord of lords whom they knew would rescue them if He so chooses. Provs 29:25 states, “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”

The visible challengeThe Babylonian king had pitted a golden image that was visible to all men, against the invisible God

of Shadrach, Meschach and Abed Nego. Like King Nebuchadnezzar who decided to have his own visible image to worship, the non-believing world does likewise today, making various images to fit their own figment of imagination of how their God ought to look like. There is a clear linkage between Man’s inclination to idolize the things they see and spiritual blindness. In Deut 4:15-19, Moses warned, “Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb…lest you act corruptly and make for yourself a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. And take heed lest you lift your eyes to heaven and when you see the sun, the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them…”

When our eyes are drawn

to things physical and visible, we are often correspondingly obscured from viewing things through spiritual lenses. Focusing on the things of the world diminishes our ability to look beyond to eternity.

Mis-application of musicKing Nebuchadnezzar’s demands for his subjects to prostrate themselves upon the sounding of musical instruments, betrays the insidious coupling of music to idol worshipping. Even if they could not see the physical idol, the subjects were still required to worship at the mere sounding of the specified music and musical instruments. This is a form of associative learning that modern day psychologists would be familiar with. By the use of an alternative stimulus, a population could be conditioned, in gradually simplified steps, to respond and behave in a manner that is desired. Out of the four times the use of specific musical instruments were mentioned in Daniel 3, there was a missing instrument in the second mention. Upon closer examination, we see that while the people were told to bow down when all

the specified instruments were played, one instrument was omitted when actually played to the population. Yet the people bowed down and worship. Man can certainly be deluded even without their knowledge.

Some believe the strong delusion spoken of in 2 Thess 2 during the end days might be referencing the use of seductive music, amongst other tools, to lull the senses into false worship. We have to be careful when musical instruments are used deliberately to emotionally charge a congregation as a prelude to worship. The danger is that the true object of one’s worship may no longer be in focus, relevant or important once a congregation is conditioned to mindlessly engage in worship. It may then be a case of present in body but absent from the Lord. However, the bible is also filled with psalms, songs of praise and worship unto our Lord. So there is definitely a place for music in the local church and we must be careful not to throw the baby out with the water.

Ability and SovereigntyWhile the three young men recognized God’s ability to rescue them, they also fully acknowledged God’s sovereignty if He so decides not to. We should likewise learn to distinguish between the two. God being Able does not equate to God being agreeAble. Leaving room for God’s perfect will and plans to unfold in our lives, in all matters great and small, life threatening or otherwise, is worth emulating. Even our Lord Jesus Christ submitted Himself to the will of His Father when He prayed at the garden of Gethsemane, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matt 26:39). It is one thing for us mere mortals who are powerless in the first place, to yield and submit. It is quite another for our Lord who is in fact Omnipotent and able, to yield and be obedient to His Father’s will. What a supreme act of love for us, His beloved.

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Printed by Scanart Lithography • Design and layout by Alan Fong

MORNING MINISTRY GOSPEL SERVICE

Date Speaker (AMK) Speaker (DW) Speaker Chairman

4th Jan Wong Tuck Keong Khoo Oon Soo Joseph Sng Wong Yong Jian

11th Jan Wong Tuck Keong Khoo Oon Soo Daniel Panneersalvam Kenneth Chua

18th Jan Andrew Premsundar David Goh Koh Liang Hwee Aloysius Ong

25th Jan Kan Shik Lum David Goh Kurien Kurian Lee Chong Kiat

1st Feb Harry Tan Kenneth Wong David Chua Tan Ah Beng

8th Feb Harry Tan Kenneth Wong Robert Hmar Tay Teng Hwee

15th Feb Tan Kian Huat Harry Tan Linus Tan Tay Lin Hwee

22nd Feb Tan Kian Huat Harry Tan Tan Li Sheng Kenneth Khong

1st Mar Lee Kok Onn Kan Shik Lum William Hooi Mathew Chia

8th Mar Sum Siew Tak Kan Shik Lum Andrew Premsundar Jordan Tan

15th Mar Tan Jing Poi Ho Kuang Cheng Charles Linggam Alex Kwok

22nd Mar Tan Chee Hwee Peter Wong Andrew Sng Ng Kim Khoon

29th Mar Tan Chee Hwee Andrew Sng Tan Jing Poi William Chew

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NASB)

Bethesda Hall (Ang Mo Kio & Depot Walk) 2009 Speakers & Chairmen List

TUESDAY PRAYER MEETING

Date Bible Text Speaker (AMK) Speaker (DW)

6th Jan Rev 19:11-16 Alex Mathews –

13th Jan Rev 19:17-21 Tan Soo Hoon Chua Teck Koon

20th Jan Rev 20:1-6 Andrew He Goh Lay Guan

27th Jan Rev 20:7-10 Kurien Kurian Alex Loh

3rd Feb Rev 20:11-15 Stephen Chang –

10th Feb Rev 21:1-8 Suresh Philip Joseph Sng

17th Feb Rev 21:9-14 Choy Wai Mun Francis Chia

24th Feb Rev 21:15-21 Thomas Phua Mah Kwok Kin

3rd Mar Rev 21:22-27 Robert Hmar –

10th Mar Rev 22:1-5 Wong Yong Jian Lee Chong Kiat

17th Mar Rev 22:6- 9 Choy Boon Yew Boon Chuan Jian

24th Mar Rev 22:10-15 Vincent Teo Joel Boon

31st Mar Rev 22:16-21 George Varughese Tan Li Sheng