BEGINNING THE NEW YEAR WITH PRAYERS

No prayer, no power. That was why the Lord said, “men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). To prepare for the new year, FEBC held a vesper on New Year’s Day itself, January 1, 2016.

A vesper is an evening prayer service. The principal spoke from Matthew 14:23-33. In this account we find Jesus Himself spending time in evening prayer after a hard day’s work of teaching and healing. While Jesus spent time in prayer, the disciples took ship to cross over to the other side. While crossing the sea, they fought a storm. When they thought they would never make it, Jesus came and comforted them with His power and presence, and encouraged His disciples to look to Him always for salvation and deliverance. When Peter looked at the winds and the waves, he sank; when he looked at Jesus, he walked.

In the new year, we are reminded to look to Jesus all the time for help in times of trouble. The global economic forecast for 2016 is not bright, some predicting an economic collapse. The global, regional, or local economy might collapse, but we have to make sure our faith does not. Jesus’ words to us are still, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” (Matt 14:27). Indeed, “with Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm.” Whatever storms of life we may face, we just need to make sure Jesus is the Lord of our lives. When He is at the centre of our lives, we will be in the eye of the storm, all is calm, for He needs only say one word, “Peace, be still”, and all will be well. Let us trust the Lord for this.

On Monday January 4, FEBC reopened with its usual Day of Prayer. We cannot get enough of prayer. How we need the Lord’s grace for another semester. It was good to see all the students back in school. We welcome all the new ones, namely, Yamazaki Tadahito from Hokkaido Japan, a member of Hokkaido Bible Centre under 90-year-old missionary Dr Robert Kluttz; Long Titratanak from Cambodia who was sent by Sun Sokha of Phnom Penh BPC; Vietnamese alumnus Nguyen Van Hieu (BTh 2014) has returned for his Masters; Lee Young Won from Korea who took a year off is now back to resume her studies; Xu Xiao Xian who has just completed her university studies hails from China, and pastor’s daughter May Lynn who has just completed her Junior College studies has answered God’s call to full-time service.

The principal gave a message on how those engaged in the ministry of the Word and prayer ought to use their lips in praying to God and in preaching His Word (Col 4:1-6). This was followed by a time of testimony and prayer.

We thank the Lord for all who love FEBC and support her in prayer and in kind. Recently, an Indonesian couple— devout Christians—who own a furniture business, hearing that the College needed outdoor dining tables and benches, donated eight sets made of strong mahogany wood. The students can now dine under the shade just outside the FEBC Hall. They also gave another two sets of indoor tables and chairs. They are put to good use in the parsonage and the reference library.

There were those who gave their old furniture to FEBC. Still in very good condition, these “pre-loved” furniture found new homes in our guestrooms and married quarters. The Lord truly knows our needs and provides for us in so many ways. “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.” (Ps 34:10). JK

TESTIMONY OF AN FEBC ONLINE STUDENT

When I decided to take two FEBC courses for the first time after taking one course at a time for a year and a bit, I hesitated as my work load had become much more heavier over the past year and I could foresee that 14-hour work days would impinge heavily on how much after-work time was left available to study. However, I prayed and asked God for strength to do my very best and I was reminded that I have been given a second chance in life from what was almost a terminal situation for myself two years ago and I had promised God I would do the best I could to study more of God’s Word and to repent from my sin and live a godly life led by the Holy Spirit if He would in His purpose and will grant me more time.

So with strength recovering from all the surgeries and drugs, I was able to begin FEBC a year or so ago and God has blessed me mightily and he has blessed my physical health almost returning back to normal function with even more blessings for work, and I will always be reminded to put God first in my life for He is the giver of life and always taker of life as well. Thus, after the opportunity was presented to study Ezekiel, Zechariah and Life of Christ, I was led to decide on studying Life of Christ and Zechariah as I knew close to nothing on this minor prophet and was keen to learn more about him and his book. Which was fitting as the first question in the assignment was “Why study Zechariah?”, and I learned that it would be about history and theology especially focusing on who God is and what He does in our lives, and challenges us to live godly lives. It was especially interesting to learn that the meaning of Zechariah means “Jehovah remembers” but it didn’t seem that ultra-special until we studied the context of what Israel was like – then it was just astounding that God in His perfect love would remember His covenant with His people which would be to punish His people when they sin and to restore them after their chastisement so that they would walk a godly life. This made me reflect a lot on my past few years – how I had not been repenting or living a life worthy as a Christian prior to my chastisement period of severe and almost terminal illness, and how God was so gracious and merciful in chastising me severely to the point I changed career paths. I will always have this illness lingering but I have my health almost back and my spiritual walk has never been better and I feel like I am walking as a Christian now. So thank God for His providence and graciousness toward me to restore me to be a better testimony for His name.

Then we began the study of all the visions. These were so interesting and I learned a lot. The explanation of the horns and carpenters and even the kingdom of the Antichrist just added more to my conviction on how God was incomprehensible in His planning and ordering of the world and left me in awe how amazingly accurate all His predictions were and also just how small we are in the scheme of things, and yet Jesus came to die just for us in order to redeem us from our sins. The Word is indeed true and perfect from an all-knowing God.

When studying Zechariah 4:1-7 about God as the candlestick in His glorious clarity, simplicity, beauty and holiness, I was reminded so much of my own walk and testimony how as a Christian others are watching and observing how we walk all the time and how I must uphold a faithful obedient humble Christian walk in all things especially when my name means ‘bright shining light’, on how I must definitely live up the purpose God has ordained for me and live by the Spirit and not by our own desires. One thing that fascinated me was how perfectly the book of Zechariah fits in the Bible when at first glance it was so hard to understand, but the more we studied into it during the course, it tied in with the study of the life of Christ as the prophecies were fulfilled when Jesus came as predicted by Zechariah and other prophets. It was awe-inspiring to realize how the book of Zechariah is so amazing with the understanding from the Spirit.

I also learned a lot about the biblical representation of items such as the plummet used to measure straight lines for buildings representing the Holy Spirit guiding us through understanding His Word, the number seven being the number of perfection with Christ having perfect knowledge, that the BRANCH was the Messiah, the explanation of the flying roll and its curses, the ephah and women with wings describing the New Babylon and Antichrist, the explanation of the four chariots, the meaning of Jesus as our propitiation and cornerstone, nail and battle bow and much more.

The courtroom scene was an intensive reminder of how small we truly are especially in the glory and presence of God and His power over Satan. It was comforting to my soul to be reminded again that God is on our side and we do indeed fall short of the glory of God but Jesus has paid it all for us. The more I hear the gospel the more sweeter it becomes each time, especially with more knowledge of His Word which provides more facets into His being.

The charge from God to not take our salvation for granted and to bear our responsibility to live a life that is cleansed and sanctified and to live a life that continues in His good word and way, and to follow His commandments convicted my heart again, reminding me of my circumstances, especially hearing that if we keep the conditions we receive three blessings: We will be judges with Him in the 1000-year reign judging men and angels; we shall also keep His courts being able to have free access to God and to serve God in his midst; we will also have a place to walk among those between heaven and earth; we will also be sanctified by His Word so we can become more and more holy in our life. That was most comforting and encouraging for me.

The most striking thing that I was greatly reminded of was that purging comes before blessing. If we walk in the light of the Word we will be blessed, but if we walk in the darkness He will chastise us. But after chastising us, He will restore us and that is the most amazing thing about our God which I will remember forever. EC

Ed: It’s not too late to register for the online courses. But you will have to do so immediately. Lectures have just started.

The online courses offered this semester are (1) Ezekiel II, (2) Revelation, and (3) Westminster Confession.

For registration, go to:

www.febc.edu.sg/Online_Courses.htm.

You may also want to take the night classes at FEBC, 9A Gilstead Road (7.30-9.30 pm): (1) OT Poetry (Mon), and (2) Systematic Theology II (Thu). For more information, get a copy of the BTFE brochure at the reception table.