A WORD FROM PASTOR

To the YPFers going to camp at RLB, Mersing, Dec 26–29, 2022

Dear Young People,

There is a reason and purpose for you to be here in camp, and that is to seek the Lord and His will for you. “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” (Deut 10:12–13).

God’s Word is given to us for our own good. I am sure Pr Joshua Yong, by the grace of God, will expound and apply the theme text to you in a most excellent way. For your meditation (and memorisation), let me just give you a few more Scripture verses on what is required of you young people:

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” (Eccl 12:1)

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” (Ps 119:9)

“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Tim 2:22)

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Tim 4:12)

The Bible warns of how people of the world will speak evil of you, bully and abuse you, when you want to follow the Lord and His Word, and not their worldly ways, “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.” (1 Pet 4:4–5). Do not fret when this happens. Know that the Lord is coming back to judge and to deliver. He will judge the spiritually dead (ie, unbelievers and false believers) and deliver the spiritually alive (ie, His people). Let us make sure we are spiritually alive and not dead.

Are you spiritually alive? Do not take for granted that you are already a believer or saved just because you have prayed the so-called “sinner’s prayer”. Was there sincere and genuine faith when you prayed that prayer? Has your life changed for the better after you prayed that prayer? Do you see less and less of sin and the world and more and more of Christ and His Word in you? If there has been no godly change in your life or conduct after you have “believed”, then you may still be spiritually dead. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (Jas 2:26). In this camp, you want to make sure you are spiritually alive.

“For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” (1 Pet 4:6–7). Since the Lord will return as Judge one day, the spiritually dead must be evangelised so that they might be saved from sin and death. Believers who live “according to God in the spirit” (ie, in a godly or spiritual manner) can expect to be harassed and oppressed by “men in the flesh” (ie, the unbelievers and false believers). That is why we must be sober and watchful because the day of accountability is “at hand” (very near). When the Lord returns, we are required to answer to Him who is Judge over all. Will He say to you, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:21) or will He say, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt 7:23)?

What does the Lord require of us? He requires of us to be spiritually alive when He returns. Let us make sure of it.

Yours faithfully in Christ,

Rev Jeffrey Khoo

THANK YOU, PLEASE PRAY

Dear True Life BP Church and FilBF,

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

We workers of Trinidad Bible-Presbyterian Church are thankful to the Lord for True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church and the Filipino Bible Fellowship for supporting us in our ministry here in Trinidad, Bohol. We thank you for your encouragement, financial support and love gifts, and especially your prayers that sustain the works of God in this place.

God blesses the church with seven adults, two young people, and four children, who regularly attend the services. Please continue to pray for these souls, that they will grow spiritually and remain faithful to God.

Besides the regular Sunday Worship, Sunday School, and prayer meetings, we have the following ministries—Children’s tutorial center every Saturday, tracts distribution every Thursday, Bible Study on Wednesday, and visitations on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Please continue to include us in your prayers for some who were once found in the church to realize the importance of going to church. Pray also for us to study God’s Word faithfully so that we can share the Word of God rightly and can meet the spiritual needs of the church members here.

Please remember to pray for our children’s ministries. In our children’s Sunday School, the children who attend are getting fewer because their parents stopped them from coming and some children themselves do not have an interest in spiritual things. Pray for me (Jenerose) to take care of my physical and spiritual life, and be given wisdom to discern the spiritual needs of the children so that I can teach the children effectively and become a useful instrument of God.

In our children’s tutorial center, please pray for me as I teach the children secular subjects, but more importantly that I would be faithful to minister to the spiritual needs of the children which is the main purpose, to bring the gospel to them. For now, this is the means we are using to reach out to the children, and having access to their parents who permit us to teach them the Word of God.

In our Bible Study, we thank God for the eight to sixteen students who are attending every Wednesday night, praying that among them are God’s elect. They are students who temporarily stay in Trinidad for their college studies. Our prayer is that through studying God’s Word, they can build a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, so that wherever they go they can bring the gospel with them, even through the testimonies of their lives.

The attendance of our ministries here in Bohol is not constant. Sometimes, we are many and sometimes few. There are people and children in the past worshiping together with us but now they are not found.

Indeed, we are truly in need of your prayers. Salvation comes only from the Lord. We are just weak, fragile instruments. Pray for us to give our best and do our part for the Lord and for the furtherance of His kingdom here in Bohol by spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.

All the glory and praises belong to God alone.

In Christ,

Pr Gayon & Sis Jenerose
November 28, 2022