Showing posts with label Pastor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pastor. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

In the New Jerusalem

In the New Jerusalem, a hymn penned by the late Reverend (Dr) Timothy Tow Siang Hui ( 1920-2009) . The accompanying melody for In the New Jerusalem is from Bethel Hymns ( John Sung ). This hymn In the New Jerusalem is one of my favorite because of its joyous melody and the heavenly truth declaring the blessed Hope all believers, washed by the blood of the Lamb of God, can look forward to.

I thanked God for Timothy Tow, for his faithful ministry for the Lord Jesus Christ, for the many years of labor and service for his beloved Saviour. Indeed, I was blessed by his faithful preaching, indirectly through his books and through the many people God raised up over the years through his ministry.

"When every true servant of Jesus Christ is blessed in his preaching ministry, he must be careful to exalt his Lord and Saviour and not to usurp one ray of His glory. This is the Apostle Paul’s admonition to us preachers. "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake" (II Cor 4:5). ...............I have therefore taken II Cor 4:5, ..... as my life verse. Please pray for me" ("He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease" sermon By Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow, Aug 4, 2002)

"Let every preacher take note, when God blesses your preaching and when your hearers thank you for your sermon, don’t be proud about it. Remember John the Baptist saying, "For he must increase, but I must decrease. Amen."
("He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease" sermon By Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow, Aug 4, 2002)

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In the New Jerusalem

We’re a pilgrim band now headed for the glory land of light.
We are travelling through the wilderness of night.
We’ve a home that’s far away beyond the heaven and the stars.
In the New Jerusalem.

In that land of glory where the saints are gathered round the Throne.
Not a sigh or tear, no sorrow nor a groan.
But an everlasting song of victory flows from every tongue.
In the New Jerusalem.

We are heading nearer nearer for the land that’s now in sight.
Will you join us to the City fair and bright?
Is your name forever written in the Lamb’s book of Life?
In the New Jerusalem.

Chorus
Hal-le-lu-jah ! fills the heaven
For the saints have all come home
To Je-ru-sa-lem ! To Je-ru-sa-lem !
Joy-fully they shout Ho-sanna ! Come and crown Him King of Kings !
In the New.......Je-ru-sa-lem !

Lyrics: Rev Dr Timothy Tow
Music: Melody - Bethel Hymns (follow this link to enjoy the piano rendition of this melody)

Note:

Rev Dr Timothy Tow was the Founding Pastor of Life Bible Presbyterian Church and related Bible Presbyterian Churches in Singapore and Malaysia. He was also the Founding Principal of Far Eastern Bible College ( FEBC), Singapore.

Friday, March 20, 2009

No Prosperity Gospel, No False Christ, Just Be Faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ

It is very sad and it grieves to know that many professing church pastors and "evangelists" today are not faithful to their calling to make a full and accurate presentation of Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many present Jesus as simply a mean to an end. To suit to their whims and fancies of their own humanistic theology and bellies, they present a false "christ" and a perverted "gospel" like "Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour will not only save you from sin and hell, but also give to you health, ....., favour, the power to get wealth, all good things you can think of and more." This perversion of the Gospel invitation sadly robs Christ of His true accomplishments in the Cross and the Glory due to God alone. This type of false and perverted Gospel invitation directs sinners away from true faith and repentance found in Jesus Christ alone. Such perversion of the Gospel turns sinners to seek a "lesser god", more like a "golden calf", definitely not the Lord Jesus Christ and God of the Bible .

For some faithful preaching, check this video out. This video on an open air sermon by a nameless preacher to the homeless community in Detroit that stay in a large underground plaza underneath the city of Detroit.

Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to homeless of city of Detroit
Under the City Evangelism:

Visit http://www.puregospeltruth.com/
Support: http://www.puregospeltruth.com/donate.html




Without Christ's finished work on the cross, there is no good news and no hope for all men and women before God. In this second short clip, Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile explained Why Did Jesus Have To Die? This is the central core of the Lord Jesus Christ's true accomplishments on the cross where He alone bore the sinner's sins and all its curse and all its penalty and all its wrath and provided the only acceptable satisfaction to God in order to reconcile condemned the sinner to an eternal life relationship with a Holy God.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Feed The Lord’s Sheep With The Truth: Declaring all the counsel of God


The world out there says there is no such thing as absolute truth. Today, it is much more popular and politically convenient to the world to say no religion has the monopoly to the Truth. However, Truth is absolute. Truth cannot be relative or it becomes meaningless. So when a Christian says that there can only be one and only one Truth from God, a Christian is often labeled as unloving, narrow-minded, closed-minded, arrogant and bigoted. As a result, in Churches where the teachings emphasize a need on love for and acceptance of the world, both Churches and Christians become conscious of offending the world and opt for toning down declaring “all the counsel of God”

Every disciple of the Jesus Christ has to know and believe Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Truth: “Jesus said unto him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6. The Gospel is a very exclusive message pointing to one God and the only Way for sinners to be reconciled to God and be spared from God’s wrath. The Gospel is very clear: Jesus Christ is the only way to God, there is no other way. The Truth to God is found in the person of Jesus Christ alone, there is no other Truth. Eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ, there is no other way to be with God in heaven.

People of God who heard and believed the Gospel must live it and declare it faithfully. We know that “God is Love” (I John 4:8) and it is true. It is very important to know that Love “rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor 13:6). Apostle Paul loved the Lord’s sheep and he wants to present the Church as the chaste bride to Christ the Bridegroom (2 Corinthians 11:2). Paul lived the Truth and wholly preached and fully declared everything he has received from the LORD Jesus Christ. He said, “for I have not shrunk from declaring unto you all the counsel of God.” (Act 20: 27).

Paul recalled, “in all seasons,…and how I kept back nothing that was profitable for you, but have shown you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying…..repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Act 20: 18-21). The focus of his ministry, his joy and his life was very clear to him. The Apostle Paul said, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God.” (Act 20: 24).

While Paul’s ministry and purpose is to preach, convert and disciple believers for the Lord Jesus Christ, he is well aware that Satan will always be there to try subverting what God has purposed to do. The “wolves” will present a perverted Gospel: watered down Gospel, half Gospel, twisted Gospel. As an under-shepherd who has watered and fed God’s sheep, he reminded the “overseers” of God’s flock to “take heed” because the “grievous wolves” shall enter in amongst the sheep. He was saying very clearly that there will be “wolves” amongst the sheep within the professing believers in the visible church.

He pleaded and urged the “overseers” to do their duty to God: “to feed the church of God” (Act 20: 28). He commended the “overseers” to feed the sheep on “God and to the word of His grace”. Overseers of God’s sheep must desire and work very hard to ensure that every sheep in their care “that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so” (Act 17: 11).

If overseers are not vigilant or do not care to “take heed” and are not preaching and teaching “all the counsel of God”, then God’s sheep are not fed. If God’s sheep are not fed, they will likely follow “wolves”. The character of these wolves is as such: “among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them”.

Paul warned and warned God’s sheep for THREE years DAY and NIGHT. This part of the ministry is no small matter to Paul. “Therefore watch, and remember that for the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Act 20: 31 Today it appears that this “take heed” and “to warn” aspect of an overseer’s ministry is a small matter to many “overseers” within the visible church ? Why ? Why the neglect of “all the counsel of God ” ?

Paul’s plead is that overseers must feed and warn the sheep all the time. All believers must fix our eyes upon God by immersing in His Word seriously “And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.