Spreading the Good News
Eld and Mrs Leong Yin Chu
Both my wife and I retired in 1982; my wife as a teacher teaching Chinese and I as a school inspector. Without any discussion, both of us decided to spend our retirement years to share the Gospel with non- believers. As a start, we did personal evangelism locally for 12 years. After which God began to send us overseas to do missionary work until eight years ago when my wife’s legs became weak and could not walk long distance. However, we are still going to Seri Alam, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, because they come to fetch and send us home.
Here are some sharing and witnessing tips:
(1) In sharing the Gospel with people, whether we know them or not, it’s important that we prepare ourselves before going out. We need to pray for guidance, wisdom and protection; also ask God to open the pre-believers’ hearts to be receptive.
(2) Remember that these people are from other faiths, and we must be sensitive not to criticise their beliefs. Our main purpose is to make Christ known to them, letting them know the good points of Christianity. Use plain words in our sharing, avoid using words like sanctification etc. Remember also that we are witnessing to them and not forcing them to We need to be very careful not to talk down to people of other faiths. It’s perfectly all right, though, to share that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6).
(3) So, be careful: in our sharing, do not say anything that will offend people. Also if they have expressedly indicated that they are not interested to hear, then we should not press on. Say “Thank you” and depart. Once, we were sharing the Gospel with an old woman who told us angrily: “It’s no good to be a Christian. My Christian son, who has a degree in Accountancy, has been sacked three times because he could not agree with the bosses in the keeping of the companies’ accounts. Moreover, he has the affront to tell me that if I continue to worship the idols I could land in hell. What kind of son is this! Don’t talk to me about Jesus. I don’t want to listen!” Before we left, we said: “Your son means well. He is merely advising you not to continue to pray to idols, which are really made by hands, otherwise the end result is hell.” After comforting her not to get angry because her son meant well, we then bid her goodbye.
(4) On one occasion, Yin Chu fumbled in sharing, but to his surprise the man prayed and accepted Christ. It’s not exactly how well we talk that people will come to believe. It’s the working of the Holy Spirit in the At the end of the day, we always prayed and submitted the day’s work to God.
(5) Patience is required in the sharing of the Gospel. When we meet with difficulties or discouragements and give up halfway, lots of time will be wasted. We need to persevere to the end. Many years ago, we witnessed to an old couple. After we had talked to them a few times, they still had no faith. But we continue to visit them. Then, one day, when we called at their home, the wife opened the door and when the husband saw us, he said, “Ah! Come again!” The wife corrected him saying, “You must not say such unkind words!” But we did not take it to heart. In spite of the old man’s rudeness, we continued our visitation. We cannot remember how many visits later, the old husband came to accept Christ before his wife! Glory to God!
(6) There is no fixed method of sharing the Gospel. We can use any of the evangelistic booklets available in the market. However, when you’ve evangelised long enough, you’ll come out with a style/method of your own. The most important is not to miss out mentioning of sins, how to receive forgiveness of our sins. Before Yin Chu became a Christian, he strongly denied he had sinned for he never robbed nor murdered but when confronted whether he had told lies or parked his car without valid coupons, Yin Chu had no legs to stand on. Do not forget to mention how to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour remembering what Romans 10:9-10 says: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
(7) You may wish to lead the pre- believers in prayer, but tell them they must repeat the prayer as if it comes from their own heart. Having confessed their sins with repentance, they must forsake all of them. Also you may explain the meaning of “Amen!” (coming from the heart).
[Elder Leong Yin Chu and his wife were friends of our late founding pastor, the Rev Dr Timothy Tow, who had requested them to evangelise and minister in Kemaman and Kuantan which they gladly did in 1996. The above article is adapted from their book Spreading the Good News published in 2010.]
Sowing the Gospel Seed
Dn Charles Kan
We praise and thank God for the evangelistic work of True Life B-P Church. Since October 2011, with the blessing of Pastor Jeffrey Khoo and Session, we started our monthly evangelism sessions at the Toa Payoh HDB estates. I thank God for the labour of love of those who help in the packing of tracts into plastic folders for tracting.
On the last Sunday of every month, at 2.30 pm, the Evangelistic Band would meet for evangelism at a designated place. We always begin with a word of prayer for the Lord’s leading, even to grant us opportunities to share the gospel and for the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of those who will hear the message.
We go tracting in groups of two or three. At the end of each evangelism session at about 4.00 pm, we would gather for a time of sharing so as to encourage one another and to pray for those whom we have met and spoken to.
Without fail, God always moves His children to participate and support this work each month. I count it a privilege to lead in this God-given work where we do learn through the sharing, and even witness the harvesting of souls who confess Christ Jesus as their personal Saviour and Lord.
We are particularly encouraged to see members of True Life willingly coming forward to put their hands to the plough to sow the gospel seed with much sincerity and joy. Truly we who have tasted the Lord’s goodness must also be reminded of the Great Commission to preach the gospel to every creature. May the Lord Jesus Christ help us to serve Him while it is still day.
May the Lord Jesus also grant us grace and willingness of heart to evangelise so as to hasten the Lord’s return. To God be the glory!
“Evangelise or Fossilise!”
Dn Tai Mern Yee
“Evangelise or fossilise!” This was one of Rev Timothy Tow’s exhortations to encourage brethren in the Lord to evangelise sinners, and especially so if we do not wish to go the way of the dinosaurs. Truth be told, evangelism was not one of my “priority” areas, even during the days when I was serving in Life Church. The announcement that the Evangelistic Band would be taking the church van to evangelise Toa Payoh at the end of the Lord’s Day Service hardly stirred me, though I would not hesitate to participate in evangelistic activities on the Youth/Young Adults’ Fellowship calendar— “do the minimum and be a good testimony”, was probably the bottom line I was targeting for.
When we started out at True Life, initiating the evangelistic team, to me, was a necessary part of a functioning church, and I was happy to support brother Lok Kwok Wah (now deacon and full-time servant of the Lord at Gethsemane BPC) when we first took on Clementi Central. My “awakening” of the need to spread the gospel came when we moved to Bukit Panjang in our evangelistic efforts. The extent of “unbelief” was troubling to me, and I became aware of the need to evangelise the lost, especially since the lost are so lost, and so many.
Moving back to Toa Payoh, it’s like coming back “home” (we used to evangelise in Toa Payoh as a regular part of Youth/Young Adults’ Fellowship activities). However, what troubles me even more in Toa Payoh is the growing extent of “wrong belief”, with so many households we have come across putting a crucifix on their doors, but not with a risen Saviour! May God help us to reach them and to lead them to see the Light!
We thank God that we can also evangelise as a family, that from a young age, our children can learn to pass on a tract, “not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ”, and also learning to speak a word for Him! Our prayer is that we do not just evangelise as an activity, but that our lives may shine for Him as we see the “window period” closing, and especially as some of our loved ones are still outside His kingdom.
Trusting in the LORD
Mabel Tang
I am a member of True Life Bible- Presbyterian Church and started worshipping at RELC when it was founded by our late beloved pastor—Rev Dr Timothy Tow—in his evening years. As a member, I was not regular. I was hopping from church to church out of convenience. This continued until March 2011 when I discovered I had breast cancer through the yearly mammography.
I thank God for His immeasurable love towards me and His divine direction in leading me to a breast surgeon in Singapore General Hospital. The surgery and treatment were completed very smoothly. God’s abundant goodness and grace had reassured me of His faithfulness that I did not require any chemotherapy. In Jeremiah 32:27 we read, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” I also thank God for all the sisters-in-Christ for their unceasing prayers for me.
Moving on, with much prayer, my husband Andrew and I returned to True Life in September 2011. Though I was back in True Life, I was having this unexplained heaviness in my heart, so I sought the LORD fervently, if the little of me could be used for His service.
I thank God for the Holy Spirit’s prompting and working in me that I learnt about the monthly HDB door-to-door evangelism led by Deacon Charles Kan which I started to join since January 2012. I must admit that it was not easy as there was this struggle within me till a friend referred me to a Bible verse in Matthew 9:37 which read, “Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few”. I truly rejoiced with the E-Band going from door-to door to spread God’s love and His salvation every month. Also, I pray that more of us at True Life BPC would be encouraged to come forward to support this ministry of the Church so that more souls could be reached.
Thanking and trusting HIM always.
