Dear Brethren,
Remembering God’s Faithfulness in 2014
Today is the last Lord’s Day in 2014. What do you remember in 2014 as you come to the Lord’s House today? Is it the new handphone or computer game that you purchased? Or the new car or house that you bought? Or the good exam grades or bonus that you achieved? It will be sad to end the year with our eyes fixed on the material and temporal things of this world.
Firstly, we ought to remember that it is by the grace and faithfulness of God that we are kept in the faith and walking in His way. Many have fallen and backslided to love the world. This remembrance will drive us to cling on to the Lord and plead for His mercy to preserve us.
Secondly, we ought to remember the provision of our daily needs for this year 2014. God has never forsaken us and has always provided for us. Some may be poor in our midst but God has never left you in hunger without food and shelter. This remembrance ought to help us to trust God more for the new year 2015 that He will always take care of us.
Thirdly, we ought to remember the trials of this year 2014 and God has delivered us from each one of them. When you were going through it, it seemed impossible for help and deliverance to come but God always came to you in the time of your need. This remembrance ought to remind you that with God, all things are possible. No trial in life is beyond the help of God.
Fourthly, remember the days we have fallen into sin in 2014 and how miserable were those days till we repented and received the forgiveness of God. This remembrance must enable us to flee from sins and pray for God to deliver us from every besetting sin.
Last, but not least, we remember as a Church, that God has been pleased to use us and kept us together despite many struggles and difficulties. We thank God for many efforts made by members to reach out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ to unbelievers. We remember how God has blessed and provided for every activity of the Church in 2014. We prayed and sought the Lord for His grace and strength in every activity and the Lord has never failed to bless and help us for His glory.
May the remembrance of God’s faithfulness in 2014 strengthen our resolve to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
Testimonies of Kemaman Mission Trip 26-28 November 2014
The 5 testimonies in this weekly will testify of God’s goodness and grace to bless us in our recent mission trip to Kemaman to organise a 3-day VBS (Wed-Fri) for about 50 children and youth. Immediately after the VBS, we had the Gospel worship service on Friday night and thank God for unbelieving parents of the VBS children who came to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. God is so good to give us good weather for the 3 day of VBS when the monsoon rain hit Kemaman the entire week before we came. The Lord also provided every logistic need to the by far largest team of 21 members who went for the mission trip. God works whether we have small or big number for His glory. All praise to the Lord!
Testimony by sister Tammy Ho
Matthew19:14 “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Thank the Lord for enabling me to go and serve in the Kemaman VBS this year. Through it all, the Lord’s wonderful hand could be seen by way of His enabling during our preparation for the VBS as well as the process of it. The Lord is good and had led the team every step of the way. It is realised and acknowledged once again, that without His strength and enabling, we really can do nothing.
The Lord’s goodness was also seen in the number of children which came daily and one thing that has impressed me, was that these children would come for the VBS with eager faces each morning. I was much encouraged too, as I saw how our church brethren as well as the brethren from True Life BPC served the Lord and how especially the Lord had used Dr and Mrs Wee in this work all these years.
Despite my inadequacy or inability to speak Mandarin well, I was reminded that it is God who enables and our dependence must come from Him, especially if this is His work. Thank the Lord for the new children who came progressively during the next few days of the VBS, especially for the Pre-Primary class and for the Word of God which was given to them. As we are reminded that the Lord loves these children, His Word too would not return unto Him void. May we remember to commit the work in Kemaman in prayer.
Testimony by brother Li Yahui
Thank God once again for this wonderful opportunity to serve Him with the like-minded brethren, and also for the fellowship with one other in the Lord in the Kemaman VBS. It is my second time to be there, and I have learned much from it. Here are some of the lessons which I have learned:
Firstly, the good timing of God. If you still remember in last year’s testimony I shared how the Lord helped us to be able reach Larkin five minutes before the coach left. And this year I want to testify the good timing of the Lord from the testimony of Dr. and Mrs. Wee. When 14 of us went on Monday, we helped to set up the house for the coming VBS. And on Tuesday, Dr. Wee drove some of us to a house of a sister of the church to help to move some of the furniture to the parsonage of the church. And in that afternoon, both Dr. Wee and Mrs. Wee testified to me that “the time of the Lord is perfect”. Why? Because after they just painted the parsonage, and wanted to get some furniture, so that it can be suitable for people to stay, no matter for preachers, or the residents during the flood season. At that time, a sister of the church sold her house and the furniture in the house are still in good condition and quality, and she called Mrs. Wee to bring whatever they need to the parsonage. And when they need manpower to move all of these things, the Lord sent us there. So they are so thankful for the Lord and His good timing in all things. When I heard these things, and I immediately recalled what happened last year (as I mentioned in the beginning of this paragraph). Truly, everything is in the Lord’s hands, and He knows what is the best time for all things. Therefore, wait upon the Lord, you will see “…the good hand of my God upon [you]…” (Nehemiah 2:8).
Secondly, God answers prayers. Before we went up, Elder John has emailed us that Dr. Wee requested us to pray for good weather for the VBS, so that the children may not be hindered to come to learn God’s Word. He also mentioned that it is the Monsoon season, and it has been raining for a few days already. We prayed, and the Lord granted us all good weather during the VBS, as well as the days ahead when we went and helped in some areas. I still remembered on Monday afternoon, when we first arrived at Kemaman, it was still raining, but after we arrived and settled down in the parsonage, the rain stopped. I still remember when I sat in the front seat of the van, I could see the sunset. And the good weather lasted all the way to Friday night, and when we finished the work in that place and about to make our way home, it started to rain again. For me, I knew that God heard and answered the prayers of His children, and blessed us with a few days of nice weather to do His work.
In addition, as the person in charge with the first group to go up, I was a little bit worried. Because I just had been there once, and that time we are with Elder John and taking the night coach. But when we prayed and committed our journey in His hand, He kept us and brought us to Kemaman safely. Thank God for this! Even though there are still many things to share, but one thing which I want to say finally is: Pray for the Kemaman children’s salvation. From the feedback of my class, the children are quite hardened towards the Gospel. Do pray that the Lord be merciful toward them, and through the teaching and preaching of His Word, they might find salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, pray for Dr. Wee and Mrs. Wee. May the Lord continue to strength them and use them for the extension of His kingdom. All glory be unto His Name!
Testimony of sister Conghui
Thank God for this blessed Kemaman Mission Trip with many beloved brethren in Christ to share the Word of God with some local teenagers and witness for the Lord. It was God who made possible the way for me to go. He was also the One who strengthened me to complete the whole mission trip duty for His glory. There were a lot of difficulties, but there were also a lot of blessings for me to experience the grace of God in all kinds of situations.
This was my first time to join Kemaman Mission Trip. At first I wished to go as an observer since I was newcomer but God had different plans which He assigned me to be an assistant teacher in upper primary class. There were many unknown things ahead of me, and the most difficult and I cared about most was the unknown students which I will teach. I prayed a lot for these unknown students for there were much fear inside of me, as I have no confidence and no peace. This feeling did not disappear even after I prayed many times. This fear also urged me to prepare my lesson harder. Thank God, when I opened my mouth to pray and started the lesson with my students, I was filled up with the peace and strength of God. After the class, some people asked me how I made the class so quiet and the students listened attentively. I knew God helped my students and me. Now when I looked back, I could understand why God did not answer my prayer immediately. It was good and important for me to rely on God always and try my best to do my part. He also let me experience that His help was always in time.
This mission trip lasted for three days. I saw the work of God within the students. Their attitude towards the teachers and the Word of God has changed a lot. The theme of this mission trip was a man after God’s heart – David, which is an important lesson for all the believers. However it has been taught to students who were largely unbelievers. I once worried about this topic whether it is suitable for them. God did His own work to plant the seed of Gospel into the hearts of the students through the life of David. What I needed to do was to teach the Word of God faithfully, and God will take care of the rest. God used the attentive hearts of students toward His Word to encourage me to carry on. Within these days it was also a lesson for me to learn, to trust, to submit and to obey Him.
It was a trip to reach out to others and sow the Gospel to the unbelievers; it was also a trip to check myself. There were still many weaknesses within me, they affected my relationship with others and sometimes may bear bad witness for the Lord as well. I felt guilty and wanted to change. It was not for pleasing man and get a good name for myself but for the Name of the Lord. Thank God for many beloved brothers and sisters in Christ who helped me and also through them I learned a lot of precious lessons.
Once again, thank God for many blessed lessons in this mission trip. It will be one of my blessed memories. I also pray to God for the kids who have already listened to His Word that they may really understand it and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, which is the best gift from God for them at the end of this year. May all the glory and praise be unto the Lord and the blessings to the children of God. Amen.
Testimony of brother Gideon Yeow
Thank God for the opportunity to serve God in the Kemaman mission trip. This is my first year serving in the Kemaman mission team and I have learned a lot of things from it. I am in charge of the outing together with brother Hong Hao and brother Daniel. We have to plan a game which has an objective lesson in the game to reinforce the Bible lessons that the children have learned. Although I cannot help out much in the planning, thank God that I can still help out on the actual day itself. It was very difficult carrying out the games as the wind was continuously blowing the balloons away to the roads while the other balloons kept bursting. Through this, we learnt that sometimes we have to be really flexible in difficult situations when serving God. Throughout the whole mission trip I was helping out in different areas such as carrying food, washing dishes and sitting in different lessons as I wasn’t teaching. It was difficult communicating with the children due to the language barrier, but with the help of other brethren who are more well-versed in Mandarin, thank God that we can explain the activities clearly to them. Lastly, I pray that through the VBS that we conducted for the children, they will learn to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. I also pray that I will have the opportunity to serve God in these areas in years to come.
Testimony by sister Eunice Foo (True Life BP Church)
“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34). I thank God for the opportunity to join the brethren at Tabernacle BPC for the recent Kemaman mission trip. Looking back, I see God’s hand leading me in each step of the way. When I first heard of the Kemaman mission trip during an announcement at a Young Adults’ Fellowship (YAF) meeting, I was really interested to go for it, especially because I have never been on a mission trip and I also wanted to learn how to share the Gospel in the Chinese language.
I eventually signed up to join the mission team. Closer to the actual dates of the mission trip, Elder John asked whether some of us from the team could go to Kemaman earlier to help get the venue ready for Vacation Bible School (VBS). I wanted to do so but was actually quite worried whether I could complete my work in time before the trip. I prayed and by faith, agreed to go on the earlier departure date. Truly, God is so good. He enabled me to complete my work just on time. Just as I was panicking on the Friday before leaving for Kemaman, it was the lady at the printing shop who kept telling me not to worry and even assured me that she would wait for me to submit the notes for mass printing that evening before closing. In order to help me, she extended the shop’s operating hours by 15 minutes that day. Thank God for His grace and mercy towards me, and for helping me to complete what I had to do. The Lord truly provides and His timing is always perfect.
I have learnt a lot through this mission trip. I have witnessed the dedicated service of God’s people for the spreading of the Gospel. Dr. and Mrs Wee were driving the vans to various places to pick up the children and did not mind how many trips they needed to make. Thank God for the gracious hospitality of Dr. and Mrs Wee too, and of course, for everyone who has been tirelessly preparing our meals throughout the week. I am very encouraged by Elder John, for His faith and love for the Lord, and also for the entire team, for the zeal in wanting to share God’s Word and for the Christian love shared among fellow brothers and sisters-in-Christ.
Thank God for the many precious spiritual lessons I have learnt as I was observing how the lessons were conducted. I was constantly reminded to always trust in the Lord, to rely on Him and to pray without ceasing, just as David did, for “…blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.” (Psalm 84:12).
Thank God for using even us to sow the Gospel seed in the hearts of many and I pray that more will come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord also grant us the courage to share the Gospel with the people around us, for we are commanded to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
May we continue to be “…stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58). God-willing, I do hope to return to Kemaman next year, and also look forward to more opportunities to serve together with both the brethren at Tabernacle and True Life BPC.
Testimony by sister Qiao Yan (True Life BP Church)
Thank God for the opportunity to be able to serve in the VBS in Kemaman again this year. This mission trip was a trip with a lot of first time. The first time to teach the message and to pray with the children in Chinese. I thank God for the wisdom and strength that He had granted me. I had also learnt from experience to rely on God totally for help in the preparation of the lessons and with much prayers. Doing everything with the fear of the Lord had taught me on the lesson on humility and it was really comforting to know that the Lord will fulfill His Will despite that I was weak.
Indeed God had chosen a teacher who is weak in language and yet He had shown His glory through the weak vessel that he had chosen. I thank God that I have the privilege to be this weak vessel to work for Him. Through this given opportunity, I am able to share the gospel and pray the sinner’s prayer in Chinese with a little girl for the first time. The joy of seeing a soul saved can never be described with words. Pray that more brethren will come to serve in this ministry and experience this joy of sharing the gospel with the world.
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Elder John Leong