fcm newsletter 2006_v4 (oct-dec 06)

8/8/2019 FCM Newsletter 2006_V4 (Oct-Dec 06)

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Introduction

Different churches have different styleof worshipping God. Generally in theirworship there are singing, offering,praying, breaking of bread, reading theWord of God, and preaching. On oneextreme there is so much singing withloud and noisy musical instruments,waving of hands and swaying of bodies,and in place of the reading andexpository preaching, there is sharing oflong testimonies, telling of personalstories, healing and speaking intongues. On the other extreme, there issinging of psalms only without theaccompaniment of even the piano, nochoir is allowed to edify the worshippers

with their singing, the ladies have tocover their head, and the preaching of

the Word goes round and round forhours which results in the worshipperslosing concentration. It therefore defeatsthe purpose of the preaching.

What does the Scripture tell usconcerning the worship of God? Arethere ways which the Bible doesdelineate for us to follow in theworshipping the Almighty God? Howdoes God want Himself to beworshipped? Is there a proper way ofworshipping God? Is there a trueworship? Where is God to beworshipped? Is there a fixed location? IsGod only to be worshipped in the churchenvironment? Can we worship God inour homes? How about at theworkplace?

If we were to look up theconcordance, we will be able to locatemany passages in the Scripture that tellus about worship of the God of theBible. And these passages are foundright from Genesis onwards through toRevelation. If we look carefully at them,we will see a progressive developmentin the pattern of worship which seemsparallel to the revelation of God Himselfto mankind.

Christian Worship(Part I)

By:

Rev TanKian Sing

Quarterly Newsletter 2006/4 (Oct


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During the days of Adam, Noah andAbraham the worship of God was verysimple without any elaborate priesthoodor ritual. Sacrifices of bloody animalswere made and a very simple altar iserected for the purpose.

Then through Moses, Godestablished some form and principles ofworship. There was the institution of thepriesthood and the tabernacle. Thepriest performed the sacrifices broughtto the tabernacle by the people.

King David then built the Temple(through his son, Solomon) andinstituted the sacrifices of songs inaddition to the various sacrificialofferings to God in worship.

In the New Testament the sacrificesthat were offered in worship unto Godwere replaced by the rejoicing andgiving of thanks unto God for theredemptive work of the Lord and SaviourJesus Christ. The worship continueswith singing but the sacrifices arealready replaced by the saving work ofChrist. The focus of the worship is alsoon the rejoicing in the resurrection of theSaviour. The sacrament of the LordsSupper becomes part of worship. Theworshippers worship God in the sanctityof holiness in spirit and in truth. As theLord Jesus says, But the hour cometh,and now is, when the true worshippersshall worship the Father in spirit and intruth: for the Father seeketh such toworship him (Jn 4:23-24).

Now before we gofurther, let us definewhat worship is. TheEnglish word worshipcomes from an oldEnglish wordworthship, a word thatdenotes the worthinessof the one receiving thespecial honour ordevotion. It is the

rendering of worth, honor, reverence,allegiance, homage, in thought, feeling,or act, through some form of rituals orceremonies, to men, angels, or otherspiritual beings, but specifically andsupremely to Deity.

The word most commonly used in theOld Testament, in the original language,

is the Hebrew wordshaha may betranslated to worship,to bow down. It meansto prostrate oneselfbefore another in orderto do him honor andreverence. This is theword used in Gen 22:5,and it is translatedworship - And

Abraham said unto his young men,Abide ye here with the ass; and I andthe lad will go yonder and worship, andcome again to you. Abraham wastelling his servants to wait for him toreturn after he had worshipped the Lordwith Isaac.

ProgressivePattern of

Worship

What isWorshi ?


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But the word is also used to expressa form of OT salutation which involvedfalling upon the knees and then touchingthe forehead to the ground. For examplein Gen 42:6 - And Joseph was thegovernor over the land, and he it wasthat sold to all the people of the land:and Joseph's brethren came, andbowed down themselves before him with

faces to the earth.

The brothers of Joseph did not bow toworship him, but only paying himhomage as the governor.

The word for worship most commonlyused in the New Testament is the Greekword proskuneo . It means to kiss thehand toward one in token of reverence,and also kneeling or prostrating to dohomage.

Does it mean that we have toprostrate our body and bow ourforehead to touch the ground in our actof worship? Not necessary, but it doesmean that in worshipping God ourCreator, we must do so in a spirit ofhumility and submissiveness.

In worshipping God, it naturallyinvolves bowing we can surely bow inthe presence of the Almighty, though wedo not do so in practice normally, but wedefinitely do bow in our heart and inspirit for our worship is in spirit and intruth.

In regard to bowing, we need to becareful when and whom we bow to since bowing may mean worship. If webow as a form of greeting, like theJapanese and Korean normally do, weare not worshipping. Also when we bowafter a performance or receiving a prize

it is to show appreciation and thanksto the audience for their applause.

But if we bow to an altar of an idol orof our ancestors, or a dead body at afuneral wake, we would then beworshipping. A good guidelineconcerning when to bow and when notto bow is that we should bow only whenthe other party can bow back to us andthat the other person does not demandour bowing to him as a form of showingreverence it will be liken toworshipping him.

Worship of God is first and foremostan encounter with the living and holyGod. We must therefore come beforeGod in worship with humble adoration ofthe Almighty God who created heavenand the earth and us all. We may not bebowing physically, but we should bebowing in our heart and spirit.

God appeared to Moses at mountHoreb or Sinai. And God commandedMoses to remove his sandals andMoses also covered his face. And Godsaid, Draw not nigh hither: put off thyshoes from off thy feet, for the placewhereon thou standest is holy ground.Moreover he said, I am the God of thyfather, the God of Abraham, the God ofIsaac, and the God of Jacob. And

Bowing in Worship


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Moses hid his face; for he was afraid tolook upon God (Exod 3:5-6). He did notbow, but by taking off his shoes andcovering his face, this was an act ofreverence. It was an act in which heexpressed his humility and unworthinessbefore God.

We must not approach Godfrivolously showing a lack of respect andhonour. When we come to God inworship, do we approach Him casually,or do we come as though we are payinghomage to the King of kings and Lord oflords? How do we carry ourself? Is itwith humility and sense ofunworthiness? Be like the publican whostanding afar off, would not lift up so

much as his eyes unto heaven, but

smote upon his breast, saying, God bemerciful to me a sinner (Lk 18:13).

Consider for example our attire whenwe come before the Lord God in holyworship. How do we dress? Does itdishonor God and distract otherworshippers? Ask ourselves would webehave the same way or dress the sameway if we were to have an appointmentwith some important person eg. Ourboss, a VIP? Normally this type ofimportant function specifies a dresscode and all of us make sure wecomply with it. Let our attitude be rightwhen we approach God in holy worship.May we come with a bowing heartalways and clothe with the Lords

righteousness.

If we really consider how great ourGod is, we should be well prepared toworship Him on the Lords Day. A trueworship experience is often a directresult of preparation for worship. InEzekiel 46:1, we read: And the priestsshall prepare his burnt offering and hispeace offerings, and he shall worship atthe threshold of the gate.

Do we come prepared for worshipeach Lords Day? How do we prepare toworship our great God of heaven andearth? How do we spend our Saturdaynight? Do we stay up late on Saturdaynight and wake up on Sunday morningfeeling tired in mind and body to worshipGod? Do we wake up late and as aresult we have to rush to church? Do wehabitually arrive late for worship? Theday before the Lords Day must be a day

ofpreparationas thedaybeforetheSabbath is a day of preparation for the Jews(Mark 15:42). The meaning of thepreparation here has the sense ofgetting ready. Are we ready to worshipthe Lord on the Lords Day?

How about our spiritual preparation?Do we keep our devotion time with theLord each day of the week? Do we seekto walk in the path of righteousness andholiness each day of the week? If wehave done so, we will be more preparedto come before the thrice holy God in

Pre aration for Worshi


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worship and adoration on the LordsDay.

God is a Spirit: and they that worshiphim must worship him in spirit and in

truth (John 4:24). Are we true in ourspirit when we come before God in

worship? Is our spirit right with both Godand men? Is there someone whom youought to forgive? Do you have a grudgeagainst someone? Go, be reconciledand then come and worship, for the

Father seeketh such to worship him.

The Lords Supper

Do we prepare ourselves to receive of the Lords Supper on thoseLords Day when the Lords Supper will be served? The Apostle Paul

tells us: But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread,and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth

and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body (1

Cor 11:28-29). We do not examine ourselves only during theHoly Communion. Rather we should examine ourselvesthroughout the whole week in our daily devotion time withthe Lord. Do we spend time in confession, repentance andconsecration at the cross of Jesus before the Holy

Communion Sunday?

Tithing and Offering

In Numbers 28:1-2 The LORD spake unto Moses,saying, Command the children of Israel, and say unto

them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made byfire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offerunto me in their due season. And three times in Exodus23:15; Exodus 34:20; Deut 16:16; the Lord God commandedthat none shall appear before me empty. Also in the NewTestament in 1 Corinthians 16:2, Paul exhorts: Upon the firstday of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him,that there be no gatherings when I come.

Worshipping God with our tithes and offering is commanded in Gods Word. As muchas the Lord has blessed us each day, each week and each month, let us come with a

prepared tithe and offering in worshipping God who is our Provider, Protector,Preserver.

Let us all come each Lords Day for holy worship with a prepared heart fully devotedto God in humble adoration to worship and to give God all the glory that is due unto Hismost holy name. Whether we are chairing, preaching, playing the musical instrument,singing, ushering, collecting offering, manning the PA system, whatever work that is put


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in to make the worship service must be done with a spirit of humble preparation beforethe Lord.

In the beginning of the Scripture wenotice that the worship is normallycarried out in a very simple manner. Forexample in Genesis 12:7-8: And theLORD appeared unto Abram, and said,Unto thy seed will I give this land: andthere builded he an altar unto the LORD,who appeared unto him. And heremoved from thence unto a mountainon the east of Bethel, and pitched his

tent, having Bethel on the west, and Haion the east: and there he builded analtar unto the LORD, and called uponthe name of the LORD. WhereverAbraham pitched his tent, he would setup an altar which he might call upon thename of the Lord. This form of worshipof God required no elaborate largepriesthood or ritual or multitude ofsacred observances. Abraham, himselfas the lone priest, simply called upon

the name of the Lord. In other words,the regular and solemn worship of Godas Jehovah was celebrated in word andact with simple prayer and sacrificewhich shows the hearts devotion toGod.

This form of worship is private andfamilial. It therefore gives us the idea ofwhat we may call Family Worship.Family worship has a place in theworshipping of the thrice holy God. Goddesires us to worship Him in the familycontext. Do you have family worship in

your home? Do not be mistaken thatworship means that we have to gatheronly in a church building. God is a spirit,and He is omnipresent. He can andshould be worshipped even in our homeenvironment. God accepts worshipwithout the elaborate rituals. It is thedevotion of the heart that God sees.The head of the household has to takethe lead. Gather your family yourspouse, your children and even your

maid for a time of family worship always.Some family does it at mealtime, someat bedtime, some once a week, andsome everyday. Family worship is goodfor the children for it builds family bond.And God knows there may be one inyour family members who is not yetsaved and may come to know Godthrough this form of worship.

By way of testimony, Dr John Sungsaid about how his father used toconduct family worship for the family. Itwas very simple. Each member of thefamily had a part to serve God in theworship. One would lead in singing,another would open in prayer, andusually the head of the family would givethe word of exhortation. John Sung said

Private Famil Worshi


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individual, as well as towards the nationof Israel.

The life of Joseph was onewrought with struggles and affliction. Hewent from being the favourite son of his

father; to beingsold as a slave toa foreign land atthe hand of hisown brothers; tobecoming aprisoner in the

Pharaohspalace; before finally rising to the rank ofPrime Minister, in turn saving the wholeregion from famine.

However through it all, Josephwas able to remain steadfast in his faith,never compromising his testimonydespite being alone in a foreign land. Heput his full faith and trust in the Lord,and continually sought His will in all thathe endeavoured to do.

At the later years of his life, heeven was able to declare to his brothers,that But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good,to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. (Gen 50:20-21)

Thus through the example ofJoseph, one is able to very clearly seethe invisible hand of Gods providence,working out His divine will through all thecircumstances in life. As author LaytonTalbert put most poetically,

One of the pinnacles of themountain range of providence inScripture is the story of Joseph.Divine fingerprints areunmistakable throughout thenarrative. 1

1 Layton Talbot, Not By Chance ,(Greenville: BJU Press, 2001). pp 61

ASPECTS OF PROVIDENCE SHOWNTHROUGH JOSEPH

In Psalm 105, the psalmist brieflybut accurately narrates the account of

Josephs life, Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he broke the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. (Psalm 105:16-19)

The psalmist catches the truth ofGods providence in this story as heattributes all the experiences of Joseph

directly to the sovereign hand of God.As the chapter itself opens, saying O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. (Psalm 105:1) It isindeed the deeds of God, through Hisprovidence that controlled all thathappened in Josephs life. Thus from thenarrative in Genesis 37-50, someaspects of Gods providence can begleaned from the passage.

Providence through fortunes andmisfortunes

The most striking thing about thelife of Joseph would be the amount ofsufferings he had to endure early in hislife. Often people would attribute thesecircumstances he had to face as badluck or unfortunate. Probably duringhis own afflictions, especially it beingtotally underserved from a humanperspective, he must have wonderedwhy he was going through such roughpatches in his life.

At each juncture of his life,Joseph was also granted muchfortunes or fortunate turn of events as itwould seem from a human perspective.


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Again, unbelieving observers wouldattribute these successes to good luckor what the common phrase says beingat the right place at the right time.

However, a clear understanding

of the scripture and the doctrine ofGods providence would say otherwise.It is obvious that it was Gods almighty

hand in the midst of the happenings,arranging circumstances such that

Joseph would have to suffer much andbe tried and tested before he was given

the responsibility of leading an entirenation. Rather it was the providence of

God that led him through the ups anddowns in his live. For it is written in Holy

Scriptures, thatThe steps of a good man are

ordered by the LORD: and he

delighteth in his way. Though he fall,

he shall not be utterly cast down: for the

LORD upholdeth him with his hand . (Psalms

37:23-24) And we know that all things work

together for good to them that love God, to them who are

the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Josephs steps were in everyinstance, ordered by the Lord. All thecircumstances in his life were all workedtogether for good, for he was one wholoved God and was called and chosen tofulfil the divine purposes of God.Therefore, through the example ofJosephs life, it can be clearly seen thatin working out His providence, God willput his chosen vessel through bothapparently fortunate and unfortunatetimes, all in accordance with His divine

plan in that the end result is the bestpossible for the individual.

Times during which Josephsuffered were not periods whereby Godhad forsaken him and had left him to

suffer for no reason. Rather, it was Godworking all things out for good. Josephhimself understood this at the end whenhe told his brothers, that And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance . (Gen 45:7)He recognized that it was the divinehand of God which had sent him toendure afflictions so that the lives of hisbrothers might be saved, and the

messianic line could continue.It is thus comforting to know thatno evil or harm can befall upon Godselect unless He so chooses to allow it, inthe fulfilment of His plan of providencefor them. Just as Satan had to appearbefore God to request permission toharm Job, likewise permission has to begranted by God before any affliction cancome upon His chosen ones.

Providence through the sins anddeeds of others

Through Josephs interaction withthe people around him, he was moreoften wronged and sinned against thantreated favourably. Time and time again,Joseph was hated, maligned andforgotten. But yet God chose to utilizethe sins of others in working out his planof providence.

While his father doted upon him,this led to the hatred his brothers had forhim. His very own brothers then plottedto kill him, but later decided to sell himas a slave instead to a foreign country.Though he was favoured by Potiphar,and his wife, the excessive favour fromhis wife led to her false accusation upon


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him, leading to his imprisonment. In jail,though he rightly interpreted the butlersdream for him, he was forgotten for twoyears and left in jail.

However, at the end of his ordeal,

when he finally reconciled with hisbrothers, Joseph felt no animositynor grievance for the sins of hisbrother, but was able to tell themon two occasions, to now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves,that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

(Gen 45:5), and alsoafter the death of their father,again affirming hisforgiveness in the statementBut as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. (Gen 50:20). Hewas able to recogniseGods providence through the sins ofothers, and was thus vindicating theirsins in the light of the greater good that the lives of many might be saved.

John Calvin, on discussion of thisaspect of the providence of God, givesgood advice as to the conclusion andapplication of the knowledge, for hewrites,

The whole comes to this. Whenunjustly assailed by men,overlooking their malice (whichcould only aggravate our grief, andwhet our minds for vengeance), letus remember to ascend to God,and learn to hold it for certain, thatwhatever an enemy wickedlycommitted against us was

permitted, and sent by hisrighteous dispensation. 2

Therefore it can be seen, thatGod uses both the sins and the deeds of

man to fulfil His decrees. While God isdefinitely not the author of sin (James1:13), he is able to use them to Hisadvantage in a most marvellous way.Thus nothing, not even the sin of man

is beyond His control in theoutworking of Hisprovidence.

Providence for apurpose

Ultimately, all theseworks of providence that wereexercised through the life ofJoseph was all done within theinfinite decrees of God, and hadan intended purpose. Theprovidence of God should notbe seen as solely for thepleasure of the individual, butrather as Gods most wise and

holy plan for the whole ofhumanity. While it is within Godsprovidence to provide for each andevery aspect of His creation, the endpurpose of His plan is to through it all isto glorify himself.

About two hundred years beforethe birth of Joseph, Abraham receivedthe prophecy from God, even beforeIsaac was born, telling him, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; (Gen 15:13). There,God had already decreed that the seedof Abraham will have to sojourn in a

2 John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion , [Electronic Edition: Obtained from URLhttp://www.e-sword.net/extras.html] - Book 1Chapter 17


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foreign land for four hundred years, andserve and be afflicted by them. Thesovereign hand of God had thus beenguiding all the events to the exactfulfilment of this prophecy.

As observed, it was only though achain of related events that Joseph wasable to rise to such a position of powerin Egypt, and then bring Jacob and thewhole family into the land, and also togive them the land of Goshen. It wasalso the providential provision of thisland position at the backdoor of Egyptthat allowed for the flight of the Israelitesfrom the cruel oppression of theEgyptians four hundred years later.

Therefore, all these instances ofGods providence as observed had beenfor a purpose, to fulfil the prophecy ofGod and continue in his plan of theestablishment of the people of Israel tobecome a nation and the subsequentbirth of Jesus Christ through themessianic line. While it was alsobeneficial to Joseph and his family asindividuals, Gods ultimate purpose wasfor the fulfilment of His own plan and toglorify himself.

CONCLUSIONWhat has been examined so far

is thus a very brief survey of someaspects of the providence of God thatcan be seen through the account ofJoseph. However to fully understandGods works of providence, a more indepth study would be required. Throughthis short study, the author has come torealize and echo the words of William S.Plumer,

Gods providence is powerful. Itis so powerful that it even bringsgood out of evil; making bad menand fallen angels to serve Godsdesign, while they intend no suchthing: giving the greatest efficiency

to causes apparently the mostcontemptible; and infalliblysecuring the very best ends. Allconspiracies and combinationsagainst providence are vain. He

who rejects the mystery ofprovidence must ever be inperplexity. 3

The idea of the providence ofGod is indeed an enormously vastsubject. In furthering the analogypreviously quoted in the introduction, ifthe narrative of Joseph is a pinnacle inthe mountain range of Godsprovidence, what has been covered in

this paper is but the small tip of thepinnacle. As the famous song on Godslove by Frederick M. Lehman goes,

Could we with ink the ocean fill,And were the skies of parchmentmade;Were every stalk on earth a quill,And every man a scribe by trade;To write the love of God aboveWould drain the ocean dry;Nor could the scroll contain thewhole,Though stretched from sky to sky. 4

The same goes for any attempt tofully narrate the providence of God. It isindeed so vast and awe-inspiring, thatone can only appreciate and be thankfulfor the most loving and caring way inwhich He provides for each and everyaspect of His creation. Any attempt tofully comprehend and understand thefull outworking of providence woulddefinitely confound the mind.

3 Layton Talbot, Not by Chance, pp. 854 Federick M. Lehman, The Love of God , 1917

[Lyrics obtained online from URLhttp://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/o/loveofgo.htmaccessed 060306]


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Finally, with regards to mans rolein Gods providence, it must be realizedthat man can in no way influence thedecretive will of God. All that happenshave been determined before the

foundation of the world. God knows andcan use any action of man be it sinful orobedient for His own glory. However, the

responsibility of man is to heed to theWords of God, and try as best aspossible to keep His commands, for thisis commanded of man. Unrepentantsinners who transgress the law of God

shall be punished, and believers whoseek to do Gods will in full obedienceshall be blessed.

1. What is the name of the king of Israel whom Elijah prophesied against concerning the drought?2. Where was the challenge between Elijah and the prophets of Baal and the groves held at?(1 Kings 18:19)3. How many heathen prophets are there in the challenge? (1 Kings 18:19)4. After the prophets of Baal lost the challenge, Elijah brought them to this place and slew them there.What is the name of this place? (1 Kings 18:40)5. Who was Jezebel?6. When Elijah realised that Jezebel wanted to kill him, he ran for his life and came to the brook Cherith,where the ravens fed him with flesh and bread. (True/False)7. What did Elijah desire to do after he had successfully escaped from Jezebel and had come into thewilderness?8. When Elijah cried to the LORD that he was the only prophet of the LORD left, the LORD told him therewere other prophets in Israel who had not bowed their knees to Baal. What is the number of theseprophets whom God had preserved?9. Who did the LORD send to succeed Elijah?10. The Bible describes Elijah as a hairy man. (True/False).11. In James 5:17, James describes Elijah as a man subject to ___________________ as we are, and he prayed ________________ that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of

__________________________________

Lingkang is Bible study leader of FCM Science (NUS). He is currently perusing his BTh inthe Far Eastern College

BibleBaffle !!


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Greetings in the name of our Lord andSaviour Jesus Christ. I have been withthe FCM since January 2004. How did Icome to get involved with the FCM? Inthe semester Jan-May 2004 when I wasappointed as one of the assistantchaplain at FEBC and as we wereplanning for the semester's evangelismsessions as well as the Gospel rally, wethought of reaching out to the tertiarystudents in Singapore. Our intention wasto set aside a group of FEBC studentswho would be available to reach out tothe NUS/NTU studenst as God opensavenues to do so. According to theschool timetable, Wednesdayafternoons are set aside for practical

evangelism and it is during this time thatthe students go out tracting. We talkedwith Dr Khoo and he introduced us to

Elder Boon and FCM to seek assistancein this area. Our aim in all this was toinvite people to our Gospel Meetingwhich is to be held on 27th March thatyear. As we do not know the rules andrestrictions we sought to know how it ispossible for us to go about it withoutbreaking any law. So we correspondedwith Elder Boon through email and theinitial plan was to have our team fromFEBC participating in FCM Gospelmeetings by giving testimonies andsharing the Gospel. That was thebeginning of my involvement in FCM. Iwas invited to be Bible study leader forthe FCM science group, and have beenwith them since then. Initially it was noteasy as I was scared, but the group wasvery nice and quiet. Though I wassurprised, it nevertheless comforted me.We did Psalm 119 (part of it) during my

first semester and subsequently theepistle of 1 John.

How has FCM helped me?

As we began, it was my prayer to growtogether through the meetings, Biblestudies and fellowship. Looking back, Ithank God for answered prayers for indeedwe have grown. We have:

1. Grown bolder - I would not describemyself as being an outgoing or boldperson, but I can see how I have grownand changed. I still remember thediscussions we had at the FCM camp inTengah and Pandan and am amazed athow bold I was. The studying of God's

Word, fellowshipand discussionshave as it were,drawn me out of ashell. As a result Ican say I havegrown bolder.

2. Grown closer - I remember the firsttime I went to NUS, I was a stranger,knowing very few and very little aboutthem and knowing very little about theplace (NUS). Yes in almost every

TESTIMONY OF BRO NELSON


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aspect I was a stranger, but by God'sgrace, we have grown closer to know oneanother, care for one another, pray forand with one another, share and listen toone another. Indeed the praying, caring

and sharing has brought us closer to oneanother and also closer to God.

3. Grown together - We meet and studythe Word of God regularly. Through themeetings and the studies as we searchthe Scriptures on the different aspects ofour Christian faith and life, we havegrown in the knowledge of the Lord and

Saviour Jesus Christ. I especially havegrown much; I have grown deeper inthe knowledge of God's Word. ThoughI have not been able to answer allquestions, through the discussions I

have grown in the knowledge of God'sWord and how it relates to life. I havealso grown to learn expressions, I stillremember one discussion on cyanidewe had during one Bible study and Ilearned a lot about expressions. Ibelieve those who were present wouldstill remember it.

FCM has been a privilege for me which Iam grateful to God for. If I were asked tosummarise my FCM experience in onephrase, the closest one I can think of is"ALL OF GRACE!" for it was by God'sgrace and providence that I becameinvolved with the FCM and that samegrace has seen us through three yearsof Bible studies, Christian Fellowship,mutual encouragement, caring, sharingand praying and through all this,

teaching me about God's grace towardHis own. My time with the FundamentalChristian Ministry indeed has been:Fruitful and Fulfilling ; it has been tome a Challenging time and a time ofChanging and through the ministry Ihave had opportunities for Meeting fellow-believers and Ministering both tothem and together with them. In all thefruitfulness, the challenges and theministry have been all of Grace . And thefulfilment, changing and meetings Ibelieve are a testimony to that Grace that is so Amazing that having savedus, keeps us, guides us and instructs us(Titus 2:11-14).

LingkangsTestimony

About nearlytwo yearsago, I wasfirstintroduced totheFundamentalChristian Ministry (FCM). It was after myNational Service, and I was awaitingentrance into University. In May 2004, Iattended my first FCM camp. At the timeI was still waiting upon the LORD,seeking His will to discern if I am trulycalled. I was strongly contemplatingentering into FEBC for full-time studies.However, I was still not certain, and as Ihad a place in NUS science, I joinedtheir group during that camp.

Bro Nelson is Bible study leader ofFCM Science (NUS). He will bereturning to Kenya to serve the Lordafter finishing his MDIV in the FarEastern College in November 2006


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At the camp, I experienced a mostwonderful and blessed time of Christianfellowship. I made many new friends,and was most edified by the rich anddeep fellowship that we shared as like-

minded brethren. Though I hardly knewmost of the people at the start of thecamp, I left with many new but strongand lasting bonds. Therefore, eventhough I later decided to enter into theFEBC for full-time studies, I continued toattend the weekly FCM Science Biblestudies. To me it was a wonderful timeof studying Gods Word as well as closeChristian fellowship.However, about halfway through my

second semester at FEBC, I was indeedsurprised and unprepared, when ElderBoon told me if I was ready to take overBro Nelson as the Bible study leader forFCM science (as he was leaving forKenya in a years time). I felt mostunprepared and unworthy, not ready atall to undertake such a task. Howeverhe did not press for an answer at thetime, and asked me to pray about it.That I did, and I thank God for theassurance through his Word! I wasreminded of one of the verses that led tomy calling. It was Gods response toMoses excuse of not being eloquent -Exodus 4:11-12 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made mans mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say . It is indeed the Lord whogives us the ability to speak or teach,and not because of any worth or abilityof ourselves. I was reminded that I am

just a channel of blessing for Godspower to flow through.

Therefore I truly thank God for thisopportunity I now have to share GodsWord with the FCM Science group. Yet

it is also with great fear and hesitancethat I take up this responsibility. I indeedcovet your prayers to help me to bediligent in preparing for the Bible studysessions, and that I will also be much

prayerful in my preparations, and alwaysrely fully on God for all help.

Wang Kais Reflection My Exchange to Shanghai!!!

I must admit: I wasnt really tooenthusiastic at first about writing thispersonal reflection of my life inShanghai. To begin with, I thought

writing this essay was going to be aboring, with full of formalities. But as Ilooked through all the photos that I havetaken in China and reflected back onthose days, my fingers literally walkedthrough the keyboard the whole nightlong. Sounds extravagant? A little,perhaps. But to tell you readershonestly, penning my entire experiencein Shanghai in just 3000 words isdefinitely not enough.

Well, forstarters, myname is WangKai. You cancall me Kai forshort. Im justlike anyaverage guy, or perhaps a little moreadventurous than the average guy. Icurrently worship in Calvary Pandan

Bible Presbyterian Church. I am alsocurrently pursuing an EngineeringDegree in Nanyang TechnologicalUniversity (NTU). Part of NTUscurriculum involves an industrialattachment for students to pick uppractical working experience. I had beenlooking forward to this. It was the only


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time that I could work and actually get toapply all that I have learned in school.OK, cut the long story short. WhyShanghai and not Singapore, you ask?What were my objectives? Yah, sure, to

find out more about China etc. But ithas got to be more than just that, right?To tell you the truth, I was very unsettledthen too. I didnt really know if I made

the right choice.I shuddered atthe thought ofleaving home forso long too. Onegoal I had inmind was to find

out if I couldsurvive in atotally foreignland and takewhatever I was

thrown at. But most importantly, Iwanted to make sure that this was whatGod wanted for me. I prayed, and theLord just seemed to pave the way forme. I got through 2 rounds of interviewwithout any hiccup, got accepted for anoverseas scholarship and before I knewit, I was on my way to Shanghai. Godled and I just followed.

Of course, settling down in a newenvironment wasnt too easy. Wearrivedduringwintertime,and boy wasShanghaicold! But itwas fun. Ihad alwaysloved winter.It alwaysgave methat NorthPole kind of feeling. And it snowedwhile we were there too! Also, I

managed to settle in very quickly. Why?It was because Shanghai was so muchlike Singapore! They have MRT andpublic buses just like at home inSingapore. And they use EZ link cards

too =). But the people in Shanghai.Oh well, in short, I had a rather difficulttime getting use to them though. Why?Heh, think you should hear it from mepersonally =P.

During my stay in Shanghai, Iwas attached to a SingaporeanCompany. The department which Iworked in was a subsidiary. You couldthink of my

department asa smallexternalcompanywithin a bigcompany. So,my supervisorcould beconsidered an entrepreneur. It was aninteresting experience working there, Imust say. For 6 months, I was immersedin quite a stressful working environment.But I got to interact with many people,both the local Chinese as well as theSingaporean Management. And Icertainly learnt a lot. Technical

knowledge aside, I learnt a lot withregards to interpersonalcommunication. On top of that, Ieven got to a chance to do anexchange programme at the localuniversity.

Coming to China made merealise how small Singapore reallyis. We all know that fact, but trustme, you dont know that until you

have stepped out and experience it foryourself. During my stay in Shanghai, I

SNOW!!!

Me at work

SNOW!!!!

Our professor and us


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managed to do much backpacking andtraveling. Of course, I wasnt able to tourthe whole of China in such a shortperiod of time (besides, my walletwouldnt have allowed meeither). The sights of Godscreation were just breath-taking. I got to climb

mountains, traversedeserts on camels and rideacross grasslands onhorsebacks! Im telling you,it was a fantasticexperience. If you hadntseen such sights before,wished you would havebeen there to see it withme.

You know, timepasses really quickly. 6months didnt seem too long, but didntsound too short either. During that 6months, I often asked myself what I wasdoing in Shanghai. Throughout thatperiod, it was a time of soul searching, atime of discovering one self, in the midstof a totally different environment.

But most importantly, I wanted to

forge a closer relationship with God. TheLord saw me through tough daysindeed. During my stay in Shanghai, Ifelt very far away from God at manytimes. Spiritual food given by the localchurch was very diluted. But thank Godfor a Church nonetheless. It helped menot to lose my momentum of going to

church on Sundays. Thank God for MP3sermons as well. With His help andguidance, I managed to start a cellgroup in Shanghai consisting of NUSand NTU students. It wasnt easy

starting one, I can tell you that. Bringingtogether people from different doctrinalbackgrounds can be a daunting task. Iwas filled with fears and procrastination.But with the help of God as well asencouragement from fellow Christians(both in Shanghai and back in

Singapore), the groupwas sustained, even tilltoday. I thank God for it,because we managed to

bring back back-slidingChristians as well asreach out to those outsideGods Kingdom. PraiseGod! To Him be all theGlory!

Finally, the million-dollar question: Was thetrip worth it? I wont speakfor the rest, but for myself,it was! Going to China isindeed an eye-opening

experience for me. I saw a lot, andlearnt a lot. And I think I wont mindgoing back to China again!!!

Wang Kai,Wang Kai,Wang Kai,Wang Kai, NT NT NT NTU/NIE FCM U/NIE FCM U/NIE FCM U/NIE FCM

Calvary Pandan BP Church Calvary Pandan BP Church Calvary Pandan BP Church Calvary Pandan BP Church

Overlooking the mountains


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1. Ahab (1 Kings 17:1)2. Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:19)3. 850 (prophets of Baal 450, and the prophets of the groves - 400)4. The brook Kishon (1 Kings 18:40)5. Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, was the wife of King Ahab (1Kings 16:31)6. False. Elijah ran for his life and came to Beersheba (1 Kings 19:3)

7. He desires to die (1 Kings 19:4)8. 7000 prophets (1 Kings 19:18)9. Elisha . (1 Kings 19:19-20)10. True (2 Kings 1:8)11. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months

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Overall FCM Coordinator :Elder Boaz Boon (Calvary Tengah BP Church)Tel: 9824 7681 (HP)E-mail: [email protected]

Nanyang Technological University/ National Institute of Education

1. NTU/NIE GroupComprising students in all the faculties of NTU & NIE

Bible Study Leader : Rev Wee Eng Moh (Pastor of Berith B-P Church)E-mail: [email protected]

Student Coordinator : Low Boon Siang [9183 1750 (HP)]E-mail: [email protected]

Meeting Place : North Spine, N3, Level 5, TR 1-10 (any of the rooms)Meeting Time : Every Wednesday, 6.30pmDinner : Canteen A, 5.30pm

National University of Singapore

2. Science GroupComprising students of the Science, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Information & Computer ScienceFaculties

Bible Study Leader : Bro. Ko Lingkang (Calvary Pandan BP Church)Email: [email protected]

Student Coordinator : Lee Yujie [9107 7470 (HP)]E-mail: [email protected]

Meeting Place : Science Block 13, 5 th Floor, Room 07, NUS Science Faculty Meeting Time : Every Wednesday, 5.15pm

3. Arts/ Engineering GroupComprising students from the Arts, Engineering, Architecture, Building & Real Estate, Law &Business Administration Faculties

Bible Study Leader : Rev Ronny Khoo [9411 1120 (PG)]Student Coordinator : Joseph Ng [9487 8287 (HP)]

E-mail: [email protected]

Meeting Place : Engineering Block E1, Level 6th

, NUS Eng. Faculty (E1-06 tutorial room)Meeting Time : Every Friday, 6.15pm


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Polytechnics

4. Comprising students from Ngee Ann, Singapore, Nanyang and Temasek Polytechnics

Bible Study Leaders : Pr. Ho Chee Lai (Gospel Light BP Church)E-mail: [email protected]

Dn Peter Phoa (Calvary Tengah BP Church)E-mail: [email protected]

Student Coordinator : Clarice Lim [9363 6276 (HP)]E-mail: [email protected]

Meeting Place : Life B-P Church (Alternate Friday) or Ngee Ann Polytechnic (AlternateThursday)Meeting Time : 6.30pm (Dinner), 7.20pm (Bible Study)

Singapore Management University

5. Comprising students from Accounting, Business Administration & Arts Faculties

Bible Study Leaders : Bro. Wee Hian Kok (Berean BP Church)E-mail: [email protected]

Student Coordinator : Esther Huang [92383015 (HP)]E-mail: [email protected]

Lee Yu Wei [98370607 (HP)]E-mail: [email protected]

Meeting Place : Venue to be confirmed though Email or SMS

Meeting Time : Every Tuesday 7.00pm

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:16-17

fcm newsletter 2006_v4 (oct-dec 06)

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