AN UPLIFTING TIME DOWN UNDER

Pastor’s trip to Perth, Australia, 5-11 September 2014

I thank the Lord for the privilege of ministering to the Faith Presbyterian Church (FPC) in Perth, Australia on the occasion of their 15th Anniversary Thanksgiving from 5th to 7th September 2014. My last visit to FPC was in 2009. So, it was good to renew fellowship with the saints there after five years.

Jemima and I flew Jetstar to Perth on Thursday September 4 after my morning lectures at FEBC. It was an uneventful 5― hours flight to Perth. We were pleasantly surprised that at the Perth airport, there was a special line for Singapore passport holders. There was no queue and we were out of the immigration/customs checkpoint in no time. The Rev Errol Stone was there to welcome us. We were checked into a spacious service apartment facing the Indian Ocean not far from the church.

On Friday, September 5, the Rev Stone brought me to a storage bunker housing the files of the late Rev John MacKenzie, the founding editor of Faith & Freedom magazine (the Rev Stone succeeded the Rev MacKenzie as editor). The Rev Stone wanted to know whether the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC) would be interested in those files containing information on Biblical Fundamentalism, Dr Carl McIntire, the Bible Presbyterian Church, and the International Council of Christian Churches (ICCC). Having browsed through the files, I told the Rev Stone that these files contain valuable historical documents which would be useful for historians and researchers. The FEBC library would house this special collection. The files would be shipped to Singapore box by box per kindness of church members who will travel to Singapore. Thank God for all willing couriers.

 

The anniversary thanksgiving dinner was held on Friday night at an Italian buffet restaurant. Family, relatives and friends were invited, quite a number still outside God’s kingdom. I was asked to preach the gospel. I chose Revelation 3:20 as my gospel text, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Pray that those who came for the dinner will believe in the gospel and participate in the heavenly dinner to come when the Lord Jesus returns for His Bride—the Church.

“Preparing for the Return of Christ” was the theme of the Bible Seminar held on Saturday. I spoke from the Epistle of Jude and warned of the apostasy of the age which points to the imminent return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The four messages from Jude were (1) Contend for the Faith (Jude 1-3), (2) Beware of Apostates I (Jude 4-10), (3) Beware of Apostates II (Jude 11-16) and (4) Prepare for the Second Coming (Jude 17-25). We were glad to see some members from the Bible-Presbyterian Church of Western Australia (BPCWA) at the seminar. We were also glad to see FEBC alumnus Ivan Toms (CertBS ’98) who flew in from Cairns.

 

The FPC 15th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service was held on the Lord’s Day September 7, at Daniella Community Centre, 10 am. About 50 members and visitors attended the service including True Lifers Deborah and Judith (whom the Lord used to encourage the brethren with spiritual songs), Dn Charles and Jenny Kan, Andrew and Candice, Ming Wei and Bernice with their two little ones Ian and Aaron. My sermon was entitled “The Blessings of Unity” taken from Psalm 133. Dr and Mrs Colin Tey (formerly from Calvary Pandan BPC) were welcomed into the membership of FPC. They are very thankful for how the Lord has led them to Perth and to FPC. True Lifer Benjamin Kan who is a PhD student at Edith Cowan University has been worshipping and serving the Lord at FPC and a great help to the Rev Errol Stone. The Rev Stone together with Elder Harold Watkins and Dn Maaik Noordsy are the leaders of the church.

After the Anniversary weekend, Jemima and I spent a couple of days of rest and recreation visiting scenic Margaret River, a three-hour drive south of Perth. There, we visited a lake cave and a lighthouse where the vast Indian and Southern Oceans meet.

 

We were back in Perth on Wednesday. FEBC alumni Mark Heath and Joseph Poon arranged for FEBC online students at BPCWA to meet with the FEBC Principal that night. This opportunity to get to know the online students personally was not to be missed. The enthusiasm expressed by these students for FEBC and their appreciation for the truths they have learned was truly encouraging. The meeting started with dinner at 6.45 pm and I was to speak at 7.30 pm. I spoke to them from 1 Timothy 4 especially verse 16 which says, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” I emphasised the importance of knowing THE DOCTRINE which will protect them from the unbelief and apostasy so rampant today. Many of them are studying Calvin’s Institutes this semester, and had questions. After my message, there was a time of Q&A. It was a profitable time hearing from them and answering their questions. We did not leave the church until 11 pm. This was possible only because our flight was delayed by 13 hours, all in God’s providence I am sure. We were supposed to fly that very night after the meeting, but the flight was cancelled at the last minute, and retimed to depart only in the afternoon the next day. We were glad we need not rush off but could spend more time with these students who showed great interest in the Word of God and in the things of the Lord. One is a WWII veteran – Uncle Bernie – who fought in Singapore against the Japs. Mark Heath shared, “We were all greatly blessed by Chapter 13 on the Trinity last week. I was sitting next to Bernie who attends at 93! With a broad grin on his face he said, ‘Now I know who I am! I am a Trinitarian monotheist’.” We praise the Lord for how He has used FEBC to bless many who are now part of the FEBC fellowship as students of God’s Word through distance learning.

Our flight home to Singapore departed on time on Thursday afternoon. On board, I managed to read half a book—a gift from the Rev Errol Stone. It is a biography written by Gladys Titzck Rhoads and Nancy Titzck Anderson on the life of the Rev Dr Carl McIntire (1906-2002) who is aptly described by them as a “Defender of Faith and Freedom” (600 pp). I hope to write a review of the book and publish it in FEBC’s theological journal in due time. We are thankful for journey mercies, and for your prayers. JK