THE LOST SHEEP

Late one night Rev Joseph Charles Philpot, who lived early last century, was awakened by a loud knock at his door. He opened the door and saw a man who was a complete stranger, who said urgently, “I have come to ask you to come with me to pray for a dying girl.” Mr Philpot replied that he would come early next morning, but the man said that he feared it would then be too late.

Quickly Mr Philpot got dressed and went with the man. On the way the man said, “I want to be honest with you and tell you that the place where I am taking you, is not a nice place at all – in fact it is a very evil place, it is a brothel. This girl, however, seems to know you and she asked me to call you to pray for her.” The man led Mr Philpot to an old house, where he found the poor girl. She was not even twenty years of age.

It was clear to Mr Philpot that the girl did not have long to live. Beside her bed was a small lamp which Mr Philpot turned up to see whether he knew the girl. She said, “I don’t think that you know me, but I know you and I knew you would come and pray for me.” While Mr Philpot was wondering how he could tell this poor girl about the Saviour, she asked if there was a story in the Bible about a sheep that had wandered from the fold and about the Good Shepherd who went after it, and brought it back?

Mr Philpot replied, “Oh yes, that is the story of the ninety-nine sheep and the one sheep that wandered off and was lost.” The girl repeated the words several times. “Yes, the one that was lost.” Mr Philpot explained to the girl how the Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd and then He has come to seek and save those who are lost, then he knelt down to pray for the dying girl. Other girls were present and they were weeping and knelt down also to pray.

The Lord had mercy on this poor girl. She believed in the Lord and her expression changed and she said with joy, “Oh, He presses me to His heart.”

Mr Philpot had to leave and go home. Later he called again at the house, but when he saw the undertaker there, he realized that she had died.

One of the other girls met him saying, “Oh, you are here? We all wished you had been here when Mary died. She was so happy – she kept saying “The Shepherd found me and holds me to His heart!” She almost seemed to embrace Him and then with a whisper said ‘Goodnight’ and she was gone.”

Some years later Mr Philpot was preaching in another city and after the sermon, a young woman came to him and asked whether he recognised her? He replied that he was not sure that he had ever seen her. She said, I am that girl who told you that morning that Mary had died. I had been planning to write to you, but I did not have the courage.

“What did you want to write?” asked Mr Philpot. “I wanted to write and tell you that the morning the Good Shepherd took Mary on one shoulder, He took me on the other.”

This was the way this girl told Mr Philpot that she too had become a Christian and the Lord had saved her from a life of sins and misery.

(Source: R Cameron-Smith, Saved in the Icy Waters and Fifty Other Stories, published by Southern Presbyterian Church of Australia, 1999–2004.)

NEW OUTREACH IN BATAM
Shobastian

I want to thank God for sustaining me in these four weeks of service in a new place, in Aviari. For the work in Aviari, I want to thank God that His Gospel is given to some non-Christians these four weeks. I printed simple tracts to give to the people. I talked to them about Jesus and His salvation. Most of I want to thank God for sustaining me in these four weeks of service in a new place, in Aviari. For the work in Aviari, I want to thank God that His Gospel is given to some non-Christians these four weeks. I printed simple tracts to give to the people. I talked to them about Jesus and His salvation. Most of the people I talked to are Chinese, who are Buddhist. At the present time, none has turned to God yet, but I make friends with them, and occasionally visit them to talk more about Jesus. Hopefully and prayerfully one day they can receive the Lord as their Saviour. Meanwhile I will continue to go from house to house, from store to store, to evangelise the people.

We do not have a Sunday worship service yet. But we do have a children’s ministry in the late afternoon. Last Sunday was the third Sunday for this children’s ministry. I want to thank God for sending children to come, to worship the Lord and to hear God’s Word. Thank God for the increase too, for in the first Sunday there were 6 children, but now there are a total of 12 children. I am praying for more children to come. We meet in a storage building owned by Deacon Elison. I thank God for his kindness to allow us to use the building for this ministry.

The children who come stay nearby. So every Sunday afternoon I will go to their house and lead them to walk to the meeting place. Recently there are 2 young people, about 15 years old. They are too shy to come for the children’s programme. I found they have an interest in playing the guitar. I teach them guitar, and let them play in the children’s programme during singspiration. By doing that they can do something and can listen to God’s Word too. Next week onwards I told them that I will come earlier to their house to conduct Bible study with them first before teaching them guitar. Pray for more teens and young people to come for the Bible study. My next plan is to continue to do the work of evangelism by giving tracts and talking to people. I am also praying for an open door to reach out to university students. There are 2 big universities in that area, I pray that God will open the door for me to enter and conduct Bible study with the students.

Please pray for me as I continue to work in this place. Please pray for safe journey also every time I go there with my motorbike. May the Lord bless His work in Aviari. (1 Aug 2019)

ODES TO OUR LATE FOUNDING PASTOR

The Legacy of Rev Timothy Tow

There lived a man with a heart for God,
For all his life in humility he walks.
As humble a soul answerable to the Lord,
As meek a mind, he follows as ought.

As wise a man in his youth,
He sets up a school to ensure growth.
Behind the church from John Sung’s time,
Fifty in Singapore from him thus sprung.

Even in Malaysia his help attends,
As feeble his legs, he set forth then.
With a salary of a thousand bucks,
He chose to live his life as such.

As much a doctor to the soul,
Day and night his help bestow.
A legacy of faith, hope and love,
The truth in His word, he thirsts.

The cruel course of time thus sells,
In sickness, he longs heavenly dwell.
At eight eight in a cold night’s blest,
The Lord took him home to his final rest.

Peter Foong (25 April 2009)

The A-Z Qualities of Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow

A slogan reads, “One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.”

It is my great privilege to have known well and be loved by my beloved pastor, the late Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow, through numerous occasions interacting with him. Just like many others, I too have been greatly blessed and enriched through his ministry. Others may have lives only worth watching but the life of Rev Tow is worth remembering and emulating for I can testify of his:

A—Availability,
B—Balmine
C—Charisma,
D—Devotion,
E—Exemplariness,
F—Fatherliness,
G—Godliness,
H—Humility,
I—Integrity,
J—Joyfulness,
K—Knowledge,
L—Legacy (left behind for us all),
M—Magnanimity,
N—Nobleness,
O—Obedience (to the Lord),
P—Patience,
Q—Quest,
R—Reliance (on the Lord),
S—Selflessness,
T—Trustworthiness,
U—Undaunted (by difficulties),
V—Vision,
W—Wisdom,
X—X’tra mile (to help others),
Y—Yielding (for the Lord),
Z—Zealousness.

I thank the Lord for leading me to this man of God who taught me much in words and deeds. Though I shall miss him I will treasure the humbling and enriching experience with pleasant memories and always remember Rev Tow’s great teaching.

Sng Jin Seng Francis (30 April 2009)