Thanksgiving & Happy New Year!

Have you ever wonder how do churches (as an organisation) come about? Well, it could all start, for instance, with just a few brothers & sisters in Christ who gathered together for meals & fellowship...in homes, in public places...or even "underground".

Let's take a look at how little has changed in the model of a church for the past 2000 years:




In the early days, believers often come together for meals...

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
(Acts 2:46)

In fact, we read in the Bible that it was the "concerns" for the fairness of food distribution among early church widows that LED to the office of Deacons!

So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables...
(Acts 6:2)


...therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.
(Acts 6:3)

Our own "seven men"? :-)






And when brethren come together, they fellowship, they minister to each other, they pray for each other...no, they don't gossip...

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer,
(Acts 2:42)


Another vital element in the gathering of believers was for the learning & teaching of Doctrines. And God has uniquely appointed special offices for this purpose...

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ...
(Eph 4:11-12)


* illustration above as per Acts 14

Just as apostle Paul & Barnabas were facing hostile pagans & religious fanatics, churches today are also facing a world that is getting more hostile & more intolerant towards a Biblical worldview. In fact, it is sad to note many of the churches today have already been compromised and infiltrated with worldly values & philosophy.

May that NEVER be with EBC! Beloved, we all must strive to be anchored and deeply rooted in sound Biblical doctrines!

...until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.
(Eph 4:13-14)




Thus, brethren, be diligent in your devotion to the hearing, learning & studying of the Word of God!

In addition to an increasingly Christian-unfriendly world, we are also living in the day & age with many false prophets & false teachers arising! From within & without!

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.
(1Tim 4:1)

"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them."
(Acts 20:28-30)

The cry of apostle Paul for discernment is in every epistles! And that is ever more needed for today.


But just as Jesus said - the gate of Hades will not overcome the Church - no matter how hard the devil tries, God always triumph!

Therefore, brethren, knowing the truth & the calling of God: fear God, live unto holiness & righteousness, be separated from worldly lust & ungodliness, and looking unto the Blessed Hope, and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds (Titus 2:12-14).


Then as the church is faithful through various trials & testing, God will add to His church for His glorious purpose in His time according to His plan...

The church will grow and grow and grow... from a humbling few, to hundreds, to thousands, to tens of thousands... And that's how many churches came to be today!

Hallelujah!


With 2008 coming to a close, we would like to thank all the faithful leaders & ministry workers for their service. We also want to give thanks & praise to our Abba Father who supply abundantly all things according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

And in 2009, by the mercy & grace of God, may EBC continues to evangelise to the lost, be light & salt to the community, and be the fragrance of Christ to God among the people. To God be the glory.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas!

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.

(Isa 9:2)

Before the fall of Judah, prophet Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah that is to come. And in this particular verse above, the Messiah is described as a GREAT LIGHT.

And indeed Jesus is the LIGHT of the WORLD!

As we celebrate the birth of Yeshua HaMashiach nearly 2600 years after the prophecy of Isaiah, today we celebrate with MILLIONS of believers all over the world united with one voice testifying - Behold, the LIGHT has come!

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

(Joh 1:9)

Once more we gathered at Crown Tower for the celebration. And this year I believe we see a record crowd - the saints in Christ in EBC must have been "bright & salty" in 2008 to attract such a big crowd!

Hallelujah!





One thing I notice during this year's celebration - there was NO Christmas Carols!!! (Correct me if I am wrong.)

But that doesn't mean we don't EXTOL & sing PRAISES to our Adon HaKavod (the LORD of Glory), our HaGo'el (Redeemer), our HaPalat (Deliverer) - the worship team sang with all their might unto the LORD!

Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.

(Psa 30:4)

This year, there was a special anointing on the Christmas message delivered by Pastor Kueh. A powerful message.

There were 3 main parts:

1) The Person of Jesus

2) The Sovereignty of God

3) The Love of God



But due to limited space, I will only touch on Point 2.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
(Isa 7:14)

In view of the current turmoils around the world, we know God is shaking the heavens & the earth in this last days. One might ask: "How do you know?" Well, the answer is simply this - because God said so!

Example - the birth of Jesus, the first Advent of Christ - there are over 100 prophecies concerning Christ's first coming in the Old Testament! And Christ fulfilled ALL!

Now, here is where we MUST begin to appreciate the ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY of God - He controls EVERYTHING!

Think of the zillion variables that are involved in ensuring ALL that God said about Christ's first coming - the complexity & the absurd probability is BEYOND any human comprehension! Our minds, or our fastest super computer simply CANNOT compute such odd!

Yet, ALL Scriptures were fulfilled.

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
(Isa 55:11)



What is the implication & application of fulfilled prophecies concerning Christ's first coming?

Well, so that when you read:

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
(Mat 6:31-33)

You KNOW that you KNOW that you KNOW that you KNOW God means what He said, and says what He meant!!! That our TRUST is in HIM!

So that in the days of shaking we may know where to focus our eyes on - the WORD, not the world! Beloved, read & devour your Bible. For therein lies many iron-clad, blood-bought promises of God for His elect. And we are admonished to dwell & feed on them night & day!

And more importantly, that we may know what is God's plan in the years ahead. Yes, my dear brothers & sisters in Christ - God is preparing the world for the SECOND COMING of His Son. The world is proceeding ACCORDING to His plan & purpose! Nothing surprises God & nothing happens outside of His will - for He is SOVEREIGN.

Therefore, the last thing we want is to be caught like the Pharisees who were BLIND to see their Messiah, in flesh & blood, walking in their midst, not knowing the TIME, nor understanding the SIGNS of TIME.

Beloved, there are over 300 prophecies in the Bible concerning the Second Advent! God WANTS you to KNOW!

We, the Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ, have MUCH work to do in these last days!

ARISE, SHINE!

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
(2Co 5:18-19)

The more we grow in the LORD, the more we must come to the realisation of how absolutely amazing is His Grace. The more we know how absolutely worthless we are, how absolute filthy we are, the depth of the depravity of our sinfulness - the more we should realise it is ALL ABOUT HIM.

Thus, to be chosen as a worker for God to participate in His redemptive plan - in the preaching of the Gospel for the saving of souls - is simply mind-blowing. The HONOUR!!! Such AWESOME HONOUR!!!

Brothers & sisters in Christ - are you actively taking part in the Great Commission? Are you sharing the GOOD NEWS to a world out there that is living in absolute darkness having no hope & without God?!

O the grace & mercy of God to lead the people who responded when Pastor Kueh gave the salvation call! Praise the Name of Jesus!






And what rejoicing to see men coming in repentance to seek the mercy of God and to come to believe in the name of Jesus!

Yes, there was GREAT REJOICING!

Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
(Luk 15:10)









Lastly, we also want to give thanks to all the special effort & performances by various group in making this Christmas celebration a most successful one!

Thank you all!

Maranatha!