Sunday Service

Today we have Bro. John Carter preaching in our church. For the last two weeks he has been here preaching on the book of Ephesians over at Agape Baptist Church. Today he preached on Matthew chapter 3, 4, and 5, He concentrate in particular on the Beatitudes. He explained why God said "blessed are the poor in spirit...meek etc. He said God made these qualities come out from our inside, we cannot do any thing. Basically we have to humble ourselves.

Marriage Course

Two marriage courses will be running at the end of February. Bro, Chew, Sister Lena, Bro, Tung Hui, Sister May Sum shared their experiences and all attested to the benefits of the marriage course regardless of whether you have been married one year or 50 years.

Alpha Classic

Our church is also starting Alpha Classic on 4th March 2011, and Bro Han Wei promoted it by distributing the yellow stars for our members to invite their friends.

Sunday Service

Brother David Eu of Faith Methodist Church shared with us the Alpha Marriage ccourse. Bro.David and his wife is the local coordinators of Alpha Marriage. Two couples from FBC shared about their experiences after attending the course recently. Our Church will be conducting it for our members sometime in July.

We also had Dr.David Lam, a China missionary sharing with us his work in China among the Hakka population. He shared that there are 80 million Hakkas ( a Chinese dialect group)in China. He has been serving there for 18 years, and he encouraged our members to consider serving in China. The harvest is plenty there, but workers are few.

Again we have the previlige to have Pastor Isaac Yim preaching to our congregation. He has visited us twice over the last few months and have encouraged us very much.

His sermon :

For Freedom We were Set Free

Pastor’s sharing of the above title was base on Galatian chapter 5.

Christ called us to be free and yet we are bound by many things. In freedom we serve our Lord with joy. We are not to give in to our carnal desires.

Unique freedom that Christ died to give believers

•Freedom from set of rules – we should not be bound by rules that do not glorify God
•Freedom from a set of rituals – e.g the Jews were adamant that one should be circumcised to be “saved”
•Freedom from love of money – Christ taught us to come to God first and everything will fall into places. Money itself is not evil, but the love of money is.
•Freedom from prejudice and racism – Gal 3:28 we are all the same in Christ regardless of race, gender, slave or free.
•Freedom from condemnation, law of sin and death. Rom 8:1-2
•Freedom from the devil, fear of death and fear of a cruel God – people who do not know God, fear death. To them God is fearful and they have to please their gods. In Christianity, God is love. Rom 8:14-15

Christ has set us free. “And you shall know the truth, the truth shall make you free”. John 8:32

Purposes of God’s call to freedom of loving Him

1. Freedom to oppose the fresh. Gal 5:13b
2. Freedom to love and serve one another. Gal 5:13c
3. Freedom to fulfil God’s moral law. Gal 5:14

In this world, freedom means doing whatever pleases us, but in Christianity, freedom is what God created us to be. We are free in serving and loving others.

Note: above picture of Pastor Yim

Sunday Service

Ms Donda Panggabean, Administrator of Bethesda Hospital shared about the mission work of Medgo. The hospital is located at Serukam, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. This mission hospital was started by Dr.Wendell Geary in 1964. Dr.Geary hailed from Colorado, USA. Now his son is also serving as a doctor at the hospital.

The hospital has 100 beds, 8 specialists, 10 general practisioners, operating room, eye clinic, and a pharmacy.

From 2003 to 2009 2,087 patients have accepted Christ.

Dr.Geary is no stranger to FBC as our Brother Howe Tung,Sister Chuei Lian, Brother Chai Say and several others are also their friends.

To read more about this hospital please check out http://serukam.blogspot.com a blog by Dr.Tang Sie Hing when he and his colleague went on a mission to Bethesda Hospital.


Sermon by Pastor Cheli Nadarajah entitled "It is the Lord!". His sermon was on John Chapter 21, the story about Jesus meeting his disciples at the sea of Tiberias. The lesson was when we faced turmoil or difficulties we do not see what is in front of us just like the disciples who did not see that Jesus was with them by the shore.

His teaching was also about Jesus's love for us especially the lost. He said God's heart is for the lost.

Sunday Service

Discipleship

Brother Ho King Swee preached on the above subject on Sunday.

What are the marks or characteristics of a disciple of Jesus?

1. Obedience to God’s Word – John 8:31
2. Fruitful relationship with Christ and His Word – John 15:7
3. Dead to self and live for Christ – Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:23
4. Love people – John 13:34
5. Separate from the world – Luke 14:33
6. Love God above others – Matthew 22:37, Luke 14:25,26,27

We are to please God not man.

1. Please God not man – 1Thess 2:3-6
2. Love like mother – 1Thess 2:7-8
3. Model for others – 1Thess 2:9-10
4. How father deal with others – 1Thess 2:11-12
5. Essential for Word of God – 1Thes 2:13

How do we be Christ like?

An aspect is to be holy. 1Peter 1:15 “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;” Isaiah 6:3 “And they were calling to one another:"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory”. Revelation 15:4"Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."

Sunday Service

Recovering the distinctiveness of Christianity

On Sunday 3rd Jan 2010 Dr.Tommy Chung preached on the above subject.

We are fast losing our distinctiveness as Christians as we identify with this world. We are losing ourselves in the process. In American there are Church denominations that do not believe in the resurrection and the second coming of Jesus which is the very foundation of Christianity.

In the old testaments time, the Israelites were also losing their distinctiveness because they were conqueror by many nations. However Prophets Ezra came and reverted that. Similarly we are living in a multi racial and cultural country where we may lose our Christian distinctiveness.

He referred to Nehemiah 8:1-12 where Ezra brought the Israelites back to basic in reading the Law of Moses, he praised the Lord and people responded with Amens!. They bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

We are in this world but not of this world. We have to protect our Christian distinctiveness otherwise we will be “downed” by the surrounding cultures and their ways.

Monthly Prayer Meeting

This eveing our Church started the monthly prayer meeting. Brother Tung Hui shared about prayer and what he read John Stott wrote. he said intercessory prayer is a mistery, because we do not know why God wanted us to intercede even though He knows everything. Nevertheless, prayer is effective.

Prayer Points for the evening:

1. Pray for unity of our Church.
2. Pray for outreach like Prison, Salvation Amy, Smile ministry,and others.
3. Pray for coming EGM & AGM
4. Pray for Life Groups and assistant leaders.
5. Pray for Pastor Sim and Chinese congregation.
6. Pray for Brother Emong in his outreach work.
7. Pray for Pastor John and his team.

We are very encouraged by the hearts of all who attended this Prayer Meeting. We continue to seek our Lord as we travel this road with Him.

The Prayer Meeting was fitting as it is a new beginning for our Church.

Sunday Service

Brother Soon King shared with the Church the up coming Alpha Conference organised by Trinity Methodist Church on April 16 & 17, 2010. He went through the out line of the conference to provide more information to our members. All in leadership like elders, ministry heads, Cell leaders and assistant Cell leaders are encouraged to join. All others members are also encouraged to join because this is a training program for all of us.

The D-Factors

This is the title of Pastor Richard sermon this morning. He referred to Philippians 3:12-16. He said that this famous passage is a favourite of pastors to preach during the end of the year or the beginning of the year. As this is the last Sunday of 2009, it is appropriate for him to share on this passage.

3;1 – 11 Paul spoke about the past
3:12 – 16 Paul spoke about the present/now
3:17 – 21 Paul spoke about the future

At present we are all pilgrims, on a journey. We are also disciples of Jesus Christ. As disciples we are learners. We are incomplete.

Destination

Year 2009 drawing to an end, but it is not our end. Our focus and destiny is not on 2009. Whether the year is bad or good, let us turn things from better to best. Saul met Jesus on Damascus road, his destiny was planned by God, that he will suffer for Christ sake.

Devotion

The story of the rich young ruler, Mark 10:17. He was to sell all his possessions if he wanted to follow Jesus. About the story of Mary and Martha, only one thing is needed, that is to focus on Jesus. Mary found one thing, that is devotion to Jesus. We tend to get distracted by many things and we lack devotion to Jesus.

Direction

Pastor Richard shared that when he first came back recently he saw the vision and mission of FBC and he likes it because these give the Church focus and direction where to go. Keep us focus on our goals, like single mindedness of an athlete. Focus and move forward.

Determination

The story about Peter’s walk on water, and when he was discouraged he stumbled and fail into the water. We must have determination to go forward to carry out the tasks.

Discipline

Pastor Richard shared that he is glad that FBC is getting on the basic, that is obeying the Words, put words into actions. Be discipline in our prayer life, otherwise we will decay.

Sunday Service

Morning Prayers

One hour prior to our Sunday service, we had morning prayers to cover our Church, its leaders and the congregation. All agreed that prayers are important to us, individual can pray on their own, and as a corporate boby we come together to pray for our Church and its leaders.

All are encouraged to come to the morning prayer each week.

Sermon by Dr.Tommy Chung

Again we have the privilege of having Dr.Chung to share with our Church. We are honoured to have him bringing the Words of God to us.

His sermon entitled “Violence of the Kingdom”. If one looks back to the history of Israel violence appeared to be the theme. Moses redeemed the Israelites physically from Egypt, and in a sense also delivered them spiritually from the Egyptians.

The evil one came as a impostor and also destroy by violence.

God works on three areas: a) the world denies God, b) God work amongst the Jew, c) God working in the Churches. In these three areas the common theme is violence.

Violence also occurred in nature as in natural disasters.

Jesus lived a life of violence, everyday some one was trying to harm Him. At birth King Herod ordered babies to be killed, hopefully to kill Jesus too.

Later, the Jewish people were also slaughtered by Hitler. Six million of them perished. To this day, the nation of Israel is still fighting against other forces.

This is the battle in the life of Christians so that the glory of God can be manifested in us. Every human is a “shipwreck” whether we know it or not. Only Jesus can salvage us.

Let us focus on Him through prayers. The power of prayers can not be denied.

Sunday Service

This Sunday our Church has guests from Peninsula Malaysia, they were the King’s Kid, a ministry of Youth With A Mission(Ywan). There were about 20 or so children under the care of Pastor Voon.

Pastor Voon made a presentation of what the King’s Kids mission is about. They are raising children to be obedient to God and guiding them to live godly lives. A staff of Ywan shared about her life especially after her husband passed on in 1983, and how by grace of God her three children were given scholarships to continue tertiary education. One daughter is a doctor now.

Ken Jun a boy of 16 years shared how the Lord guided him over the years when he felt unhappy and tormented. He has been delivered since he came to Sarawak. Praise God!

Biblical Mandate for Evangelizing

Brother Poh Teck Lim shared on the above subject. He reminded us of FBC’s vision and mission. One important point is to fulfil the Great Commission.

From statistics he noted that the picture looks grime e.g 95% of the Christians never won any soul for Jesus Christ, only 2% are involved in mission work. Nevertheless we are not to be discouraged, but to continue to win souls for God.

Evangelism means speaking to non Christians everywhere, and eventually they may not be converted. We just need to spread the Words, God will convert them.

Mission means sharing gospel with cross cultural, language groups across countries, or within country. He quoted the work of Pastor Liaw in PNG.

Often time we felt that we are not ready to spread the gospel, but do not be discouraged, let us be committed and God will help us. He quoted the example of Moses who was reluctant to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. God gave him the abilities.

As Christians we need to be committed to want to spread the Gospel to the non believers. Brother Poh said, we can start with our relatives and friends, and later people we meet in the public. Sometimes, it may not be necessary to share specific Words, but to show by our actions. How we live our lives as Christians.

He quoted John Piper, “Go and tell mission, not come and see mission”.

Here is a video of the difference between evangelism and Mission by John Piper