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Gimcheon
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 Issue 84 Vol. 41 No.3
Publication date: December 2017
TJC at 100: The Grace That Has Brought Us Here

True Jesus Church at 100

T
he year 2017 marks the centennial of the True Jesus In this issue, we also reminisce on how God has
Church, the restored apostolic church established preserved His church through many past storms in
by the Holy Spirit during the latter rain period. Complete the Construction of the True Church (Part 1). But
As the end-time true church, founded on unshakeable we also see God’s continuing love and protection over
truth and equipped with power, we are commissioned to His church today in the testimonies God Opened a Way
bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. for His Church and God’s Unfailing Grace in a Troubled
Land, which reveal the recent challenges the church has
This is the time to reflect on our humble beginnings and faced in Papar, Malaysia, and Mindanao, Philippines,
the phenomenal growth that followed. In the articles respectively.
In Retrospection and Reflection: One Hundred Years of
We know that, come what may, God will always abide with
Spiritual Grace, My Journey of Serving the Lord, and A
and nurture His beloved church. But, as His church, we
Letter to Our Youths: Sharing the Grace of God, veteran
also have our part to play. As we read in Marching to Zion
church workers share the amazing grace with which God
and Passing Down the Faith, we have much work to do in
has blessed His church throughout the last century, and
our journey to perfection, ensuring the uncorrupted and
the simple but powerful faith manifested by the early
true faith is preserved and passed down from generation
believers.
to generation. So, at this juncture, let us take stock of our
current state—both our strengths and shortfalls—and
While we are grateful for a hundred years of spirituality
let God’s yardstick determine the gap we need to close
and grace, we need to look into ourselves honestly—how
before we are ready for the next step forward.
does the second half-century of our existence compare
with the first? Are we pressing on upwards or are we
slipping down? Do we still model ourselves after the
apostolic church and courageously make a stand against
and apart from the worldly religions and philosophies?
Is our zeal sufficient to propel us forward till the furthest
lands are conquered with the gospel? These questions
are posed and explored in the theme articles Straight
From the Heart and Revive the True Church (Part 1).

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Anna Khoo

MANAGING EDITOR: Marian Shek
REVIEW BOARD: KC Tsai , Timothy Yeung (Canada), Ezra Chong, Joel Chong (Malaysia), EG Tay, Peter Shee, Philip Shee, Simon Chin (Singapore),
FF Chong, Simon Hsu, Vincent Yeung (UK), Richard Solgot, Stephen Ku, WC Yeh (USA)

Manna (ISSN1528-8617) is published quarterly by the True Jesus Church, IA Department of Literary Ministry, 21217 Bloomfield Avenue, Lakewood, CA 90715 USA.
Copyright © 2017 True Jesus Church. All rights reserved.
U.S. Postmaster: send change-of-address forms to 21217 Bloomfield Avenue, Lakewood, CA 90715 USA.
Back issues of Manna can be downloaded at: www.mannamagazine.com

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the New King James Version.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 The goal of Manna is to inspire believers to live an
active faith through mutual encouragement and
the study of biblical truths.

2 8 11 15
THEME

In Retrospection and Straight From the Heart Rain in Zion Revive the True Church
Reflection: One Hundred by Joshua Phoong by FF Chong (Part 1)
Years of Spiritual Grace by Barnabas Chong
by Shun Dao Hsieh Stirring up love and How the Holy Spirit
rekindling our zeal to establishes, cultivates and As the revived apostolic
Testimonies of God’s grace fulfill our evangelistic restores God’s vineyard church, we must revive our
and the faithfulness of the commission. before the end-time harvest. own attitudes towards our
early workers in Taiwan. faith.

19 24 28 32
EXHORTATION INFOGRAPHIC EXHORTATION

Complete the Construction Serve Like Christ Global Statistics of the A Letter to Our Youths:
of the True Church (Part 1) by Steven Shek True Jesus Church 2017 Sharing the Grace of God
by Aun Quek Chin by Jonathan Chou
Learning to serve faithfully The progress of the true
Building the church upon in the face of suffering and church at the one-hundred- Lessons from a lifetime of
the firm foundation of God’s challenging situations. year mark. abundant grace in the Lord.
principles, to weather all
storms. RUSSIA

36 40 1. BATUNGAN 1. ZAMBOAGA 6. DIGOS 1. IMELDA

JAPAN

44 50
COLUMN
C H P
2. BAYOG 2. IPIL 7. TAGUM 2. LANAO
CHURCH HOUSE Prayer
3. LAPUYAN OF 3. MOLAVE 8. MARAGUSAN House 3. EDEN

TESTIMONY
4. MACULAY WORSHIP 4. TUKURAN 9. LUKTIMAN 4. OLUTANGA
5. TABINA 5. GENERAL SANTOS 5. SILINGAN
6. NAPOLAN

YOUTH
7. LAPERIAN
8. OZAMIZ

INDONESIA

God Opened a Way for His God’s Unfailing Grace in a My Journey of Serving Marching to Zion
Church Troubled Land: Reflections the Lord by Steven Shek
by Lemuel Leong on the Mindanao Ministry by Aun Quek Chin
by John Vun Galvanizing our souls and
How God preserved His How God led a youth to following God’s blueprint as
church against violence and The sociopolitical unrest enter full-time ministry, and we journey to perfection.
persecution. faced by our brethren in the guided him throughout his
South Philippines. service.

55 59 63
COLUMN COLUMN CREATIVE WRITING
FAMILY MINISTRY

Passing Down the Faith Whom God Uses in His Behind the Veil
by Derren Liang Ministry (Part 2) by Charmian Chong
by Clay Pot
The church and family must Who is revealed when the
work together to raise a God’s servants must have veil between you and God is
child in the faith. a mind set on things above, lifted in prayer?
a persistent spirit, uncondi-
tional love and holiness.

64 Call for Articles 65 Articles of Faith

1
THEME SECTION

In Retrospection and Reflection: Shun Dao Hsieh

Taichung, Taiwan

One Hundred Years

of
Spiritual Grace
Editor’s note: Elder Shun Dao Hsieh was
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Does the zeal and joy that epitomized
Christ on July 5, 1947 in Huwei, Taiwan,
and he later joined the full-time ministry
the church in her infancy still drive the
in September 1955. After seventy years in centenarian church today?
the Lord, Elder Hsieh has seen and heard
many miracles. This article is an excerpt
of his reflections on the early days of the
True Jesus Church, reached Taiwan the first True Jesus Church in
True Jesus Church in Taiwan, which he
shared at the Holy Work Symposium in 1926 when Elisha Huang invited Taiwan, at Shengang, on March 11.
held in Malaysia in March 2016 by the Barnabas Chang to share the truth. Shortly after, the church in Niu Tiao
International Assembly of the True Jesus Eight early workers came from Wan was established on March 16,
Church.
China, boarding the Japanese ferry followed by the church in Qingshui
at Xiamen on March 2, and arriving on April 3. Within a month, three
THE GOSPEL REACHES at Keelung Harbor the next day. churches had sprung up—a great
TAIWAN Among these workers were Thomas miracle in the history of Christianity

T
he True Jesus Church was Guo, Luke Kao, Yuan Chien Chen, in Taiwan.
established in Beijing on Dao Yuan Wu, Ching Lung Wang,
January 2, 1918 (the twentieth and Shing Ming Huang. This pioneering mission was
day of the eleventh month, 1917, effective because God’s grace and
according to the lunar calendar). Through the efforts of these guidance were upon His workers,
The gospel, as preached by the pioneer workers, God established testifying that the truth they

True Jesus Church in Nan’ao.

2
 THEME

preached was the gospel of salvation how these early brethren loved God to serve God through his business.
(Eph 1:13; Mk 16:20; Heb 2:4). and repaid Him through diverse He redirected his footsteps and
forms of service. returned to the world of business,
In addition, God’s hand was very but with the focus of serving God.
evident at the newly established 1. First seeds in Taiwan:
God’s grace was upon him, and his
church in Shengang. Week in and Elisha Huang financed Barnabas
enterprise was successful. And in
week out, many who attended Chang’s first missionary trip
turn, he built a church building at
the church services experienced to Taiwan. He also funded the
Nanmen, and constructed the first
miracles from God; and once they building of a church in Xianxi so
True Jesus Church nursing home
understood the truth, they received the believers, who were mostly
for the elderly members.
baptism. The church atmosphere poor and few in number at the time,
was joyous—believers testified of could gather in one place. These are just a few examples of
God’s grace, discussed the truth of the faith of the early True Jesus
From this one seed, the church in
God, sang hymns, prayed earnestly, Church believers, but they are
Xianxi grew and prospered, such
and praised the Lord. Most were representative of the simple and
that the congregation would go on
reluctant to leave the church hall generous spirit that characterized
to build another church in Shengang
after services were over. the church at the time. Just like
in 1960. The original Xianxi Church
the apostolic church, who willingly
As the True Jesus Church turns one is now known as Shengang Church.
shared their possessions and money
hundred, we should ask ourselves if and provided for the needy among
2. An entrepreneur who loved God:
the zeal and joy that epitomized the them (Acts 4:32–35; 11:29), many
Elder Shun Ming Kuo was a
church in her infancy still drives the early True Jesus Church believers
prominent entrepreneur in
centenarian church today. Do we shared their blessings from God to
Taichung. When he was a deacon,
have the same simple heart of faith benefit the church.
he was also an industrious
and obedience as the early workers,
businessman, but he never missed
who relied fully on the Holy Spirit to As the Bible says, “Therefore, as we
Sabbath services, morning prayers
complete the work? Let us reflect on have the opportunity, let us do good
and evening services. He would
these questions as we recount the to all, especially to those who are of
always contribute money to the
early days of the church in Taiwan. the household of faith” (Gal 6:10).
Taiwan General Assembly (GA) and
local churches when there was a When we help others, by financial
OFFERINGS OF EARLY means or otherwise, we should not
need. He also sponsored students
WORKERS expect repayment of any kind. If we
to further their education, without
Today, when we consider serving are in the position to give, then we
expecting repayment. He would
the Lord, we often limit the scope should give freely, in the hope that
say, “When you’re successful, help
of our offering to a portion of time our beneficiary will help others in
those who need it. That is the best
and effort we can spare to do God’s turn. Whether or not our recipients
way to repay me.”
work. But the early workers did not are of the faith, we should expect
delineate their offerings in such a 3. Serving God through business: nothing in return. If we can stir
way. They served God through their Elder Yu Lin Tsai from the up this type of selflessness in
careers, by offering their hard- church in Nanmen, Tainan, was a the church, then we will truly be
earned cash to build churches, and businessman who decided to take up manifesting the great love of Christ.
even financed missionary work full-time ministry after World War
out of their own pockets. Some II. However, he soon found that his The apostle Paul continued to
noteworthy examples are shared gifts were suited more to business work to support himself and the
below, so that we may understand than to ministry, and he was advised church (Acts 18:3; 2 Thess 3:8), but
he did so alongside preaching the
gospel. We should work hard in our
If we are in the position to give, then vocation, but only with the view
we should give freely, in the hope that our of shining God’s light through our
work, and providing for ourselves
beneficiary will help others in turn. and the wider church. We should

3
THEME

never let our jobs become an

excuse for neglecting our faith
The early TJC brethren knew that
and service to God. The early True successful careers were from God, and for that
Jesus Church brethren knew that reason, they never put their jobs before the
successful careers were from God, work of God.
and for that reason, they never put
their jobs before the work of God.
They endeavored to tithe on time, became ill, they would have to rely I was puzzled. “Why is that?”
refrained from working on Sabbath on the free Physician—the Lord
Jesus. When they prayed, the Lord He replied, “The Lord prevented
days, and brought their families to
had mercy on them, and miracles you from cutting off your thumb
service. And they would also repay
would happen. Now that we have completely.”
God’s grace by offering their time
and money freely. easy and affordable access to “And what if I had cut off my
doctors and medicine, they are our thumb?”
Throughout the history of the first port of call when we fall sick.
True Jesus Church, new believers “Then we would thank God that you
Miracles of healing are just one still had four fingers!”
would come to Christ with this
manifestation of a simple faith,
same heart. But as the years pass,
uncomplicated by alternative The Bible says, “Rejoice always…
maintaining this heart of simplicity
solutions and possibilities. In our in everything give thanks” (1 Thess
can become difficult. And for those
modern world of scientific enquiry 5:16, 18a). Those who have a simple
second- and third-generation
and technological advancement, faith will always look on the bright
believers who were born into the
it can be tough to humbly rely on side of every situation.
church, who have never had to seek
God alone, against all logic, and
God for themselves, it is easy to take There is a story about how Sister
believe that He will mercifully meet
things for granted. How willing are Thank-the-Lord got her nickname.
our needs. But this is exactly what
we to sacrifice time and money to Before she believed in Jesus, she had
the early brethren did, and for that
spread the precious truth? How a strange illness. She was afraid of
reason, they witnessed the amazing
many of us would offer out of the light, and the wind would cause
works of God. Here are just three
our own abundance to help our a painful sensation on her skin. She
examples from those early years
less well-off brothers and sisters would sit under a mosquito net all
where the lives of our brethren
establish themselves in the faith? day long, even when she ate her
were transformed through a simple
Are we willing to “count all things meals.
and steady faith.
loss”—let go of all our worldly
achievements, possessions and A senior sister from the church
Testimony 1: In 1950, I was
status—in order to gain Christ (Phil in Lunwei came to preach to her
pastoring the church in Lunwei as
3:7–9)? These are questions worthy one Sabbath, saying, “If you go to
a newly ordained minister. After the
of our consideration. church with me, the Lord Jesus will
Sabbath service, a sister asked me
heal you!” Thank-the-Lord believed
what had happened to my thumb. I
and agreed to go. When she put a
SIMPLE FAITH OF THE answered her, “I injured it when I
covering over her head, the senior
EARLY BRETHREN was cutting wood.”
sister said, “You don’t look nice with
Some members wonder why that on,” and told her to take it off.
She smiled and said, “Thank the
we hear so many testimonies of
Lord.” Incidentally, this sister was
God’s miraculous grace from Miraculously, for the rest of the
nicknamed “Thank-the-Lord.”
past decades, but we witness few day, she did not feel any pain or
miracles in the church today. My I muttered to the youths beside me, ill-effects from the wind. When she
answer is that, before Taiwan “How could she thank the Lord for returned home, she no longer felt
implemented national health my injury?” pain or needed her mosquito net.
insurance, most people could not After that, she persistently sought
afford to see a doctor or receive A brother replied, “She was right to the truth and was baptized in the
medical treatment. When believers thank the Lord.” name of Jesus. Having received this

4
 THEME

amazing grace from God, she would “Then they would shout, ‘Do you to death, we will be saved. But if
always thank the Lord in all things, want to believe in our church, or we are beaten to death, having not
which is how she got her nickname. True Jesus Church?’ been baptized, we won’t be saved.”
The church council unanimously
Testimony 2: On August 15, 1945, “The brethren would reply, ‘True agreed to baptize them for three
the Emperor of Japan surrendered Jesus Church!’ ” reasons: they believed in the gospel
to the United States of America,
that saves; they were not afraid
marking the end of World War II. The attackers would push the of persecution after knowing the
members to the ground, grab them truth; and their faith was firm.
In 1946, the church in Nan’ao in
by the hair or ear, and hit them on After the convocation, they joyfully
Yilan County was under great
the head. They would beat them returned to Nan’ao, ready to face
persecution. A certain church
with a stick and step on them any persecution that might come.
was spreading rumors that the
until they passed out. They also
True Jesus Church was a cult and
targeted Preacher Hung, as the One Sabbath, an angel appeared
should be exterminated. Later,
church’s minister, brutally beating to the brethren during a service
in 1955, Preacher Kai Chou Hung
him until he threw up blood and at Nan’ao, and told them, “Violent
testified what the church in Nan’ao
passed out. Despite this, Preacher attackers will come to persecute
underwent at the time.
Hung continued to minister every you today. I will lead all of you to
Preacher Hung said, “We were day. Such persecutions also did another place. Do not return home
targeted two times a week, often not deter the faith of the Nan’ao to pack, just bring your Bible and
in the middle of a sermon. When believers. hymnbook. Come, follow me.”
the persecutors came, they would
Around that time, some truth- The angel brought them to a broken
ring a bell so that the brothers
seekers from Nan’ao decided to get hanging bridge that had been
and sisters would know they were
baptized at the Luodong evangelistic marked as unsafe and off-limits.
coming. Nevertheless, no one would
and spiritual convocation. The He spoke to those behind him, “Pay
leave his or her seat. Our attackers
minister asked them why they attention to where I put my feet; if
were strong men, and they would
would want to receive baptism you step where I do, you’ll be safe.”
call out, ‘Do you want to believe in
when they would be persecuted Not long after, their pursuers came
Jesus?’
at Nan’ao. They answered, “If we after them. But they were afraid
“Our brethren would answer, ‘Yes!’ receive baptism and are then beaten to cross the rickety bridge. God

True Jesus Church in Fushi.

5
THEME

It can be tough to
humbly rely on God
alone, against all
logic, and believe that
He will mercifully
meet our needs.

True Jesus Church in Pu-Zi.

opened a way for the believers, just hidden in Fushi could now return was also perilous—she had to crawl
as He did for the Israelites fleeing to Nan’ao peacefully. slowly across a wobbly bridge over
the Egyptian soldiers (Ex 14:21–28). a deep valley. Though she faced
Aside from the church in Nan’ao, such difficulties to come to church
After they had crossed the bridge, there are now seven more every Sabbath, she never grumbled
the angel disappeared. The churches in that area. I believe this against the Lord. In fact, she was
members who escaped that day persecution was a catalyst in the always smiling and full of joy.
belonged to the indigenous Atayal growth of the church. Hallelujah,
tribe. They followed the mountain thank the Lord! Testimony 4: On March 2, 1962, the
road and arrived at Fushi Church Taiwan GA sent me to the churches
in the Hsiulin Township, Hualian Testimony 3: In October 1955, in Chiayi and Neipu. On Monday,
County. The members of this during the practical portion of my March 5, a Neipu church board
church were of the Truku tribe, who theological training program (TTP), member informed me of an elderly
spoke a different language from the I was delivering a Sabbath sermon lady who had been diagnosed with
Atayal. Fortunately, both tribes at the church in Luodong. It was end-stage tuberculosis. The doctor
were educated under the Japanese entitled, “The Love of the Lord had told her not to buy any more
system, so they could communicate Jesus.” After the sermon, Deaconess medicine, but to buy her favourite
in Japanese. After learning the Maria Chiu came up to me, held my foods. Because her doctor could
plight of the Nan’ao brethren, the hands and broke down in tears. “I offer her no more hope, she turned
Fushi brethren were full of love and didn’t know the Lord Jesus loves me to her neighbor, a sister from the
lent the visitors some land to work so much!” she said. church in Neipu, for help. She
and live on. wanted to believe in Jesus and to
Later, I learned that, before come to church.
After a few years, the local Deaconess Chiu’s husband died,
government sent officials to the he objected to her going to church. The church board member invited
Nan’ao Township to declare that, Every Sabbath, she would sneak out me and few members to the lady’s
because the True Jesus Church early in the morning by the back house so we could pray for her. I
is a legally registered religious door. On her return, before she took the opportunity to explain
organization, any discrimination walked through the front door, she some basic biblical truth to her, and
against the church would be against would prepare herself to be beaten. asked, “Can you throw away your
the law. The brethren who had Her journey to and from church medication so we can pray for you?”

6
 THEME

At first, she was unwilling because seekers to the church, including the believers in Taiwan had the heart of
she could not afford to replace the lady’s husband, who also received a child—simple and innocent. They
medicine. I clarified, “I don’t mean the Holy Spirit. were like a family who spoke openly
that you can’t take medication after to one another. If anyone behaved
believing in Jesus. But I want you to On the Sabbath of May 19, after the inappropriately, they would gently
experience the power of God. If you end of the Neipu evangelistic and correct this person face to face.
keep taking medicine while praying spiritual convocation, six people, And they rejoiced in the Lord,
to God at the same time, and you including this lady and her husband, always. Nowadays, the brethren
recover, then you might think it was were baptized. After this, even more are like adults—well educated and
the medicine that healed you.” people came to the church to seek knowledgeable. They are almost like
the truth. In the month of June, we strangers to one another, speaking
She understood and threw away the held two more baptism sessions for very selective words. In the face
medicine. After we had prayed for eleven people in total—a wonderful of inappropriate behavior, no one
her, I invited her to attend church outcome sparked by the faith of one would be assertive enough to point
service. She said, “I’ve been in this lady. it out. Attending church to worship
bed for four months—how can I God is like another task—we come
possibly go to church?” In 2013, I attended this sister’s
to just learn about the Bible. The
funeral. Even though she was given
I replied, “If you decide to stay in family-like connection between
a terminal prognosis at the age of
bed, then you’ll never leave it. But members has weakened, and so has
fifty-two, she went on to live to the
if you’re willing to come, then God our thirst for the word of God and
age of 103. Her faith has been passed
will give you strength.” joy in the Lord.
down to the fifth generation: her
great great grandchildren are in the As the True Jesus Church reaches
She immediately responded, “I will
Lord. her one hundredth year, we should
come!”
ask ourselves if this brother’s
That night, she brought along a IN RETROSPECTION assessment is correct. Let us aspire
warmer, and required the help of Today, many of us live in relative to attain the simple and steadfast
two sisters to walk to church. Over comfort—we do not face persecution faith that our forebears had, and
the course of four days attending for our beliefs, and we have access to cultivate a child-like heart. Because
church, with the prayers of the doctors and medicine when we are the early believers had abundant
brethren aiding her, she gradually ill. However, there are True Jesus faith, Jesus would heal them. They
needed less and less support, until Church members in certain parts suffered for the sake of Christ and
finally the day came when she of the world who are not so well did everything with thanksgiving
needed neither her walking stick placed. We find that these brethren, and joy in the Lord; in return, they
nor her warmer. like the early workers in Taiwan, witnessed the wonderful grace and
cherish their faith so much more power of the Lord. If we regain
On the morning of the fifth day, and rely on God more fervently this innocent and trusting heart of
she felt well enough to wash her than those of us living in liberal and a child, then we, too, will see the
clothes in the river—something she economically stable countries. It is hand of our loving heavenly Father
had not done for the last four or in these countries that we still see working in our lives and in His
five months. Her neighbors saw her the great power of God manifested church.
at the river and testified to others, in many miracles and wonders.
“The Lord Jesus has saved her—she
no longer has tuberculosis.” This A Taiwanese brother once shared
news brought a few more truth- this observation with me: The early

Let us aspire to attain the simple and

steadfast faith that our forebears had, and
cultivate a child-like heart.

7
THEME

Joshua Phoong

Straight
Ipoh, Malaysia

from the
Heart
Editor’s note: This article was adapted do we go about fulfilling this world evangelism are appropriately
from a report written for the 2016 commission? As the True Jesus expansive, with such titles as:
Holy Work Symposium held by the
International Assembly of the True Jesus Church commemorates her “Globalization and Prospects of the
Church, which took place in Malaysia in centennial year, this is a pertinent True Jesus Church” and “Global
March 2016. question for us all. The signs that we Evangelistic Strategies.”
have seen in recent times portend

E
very True Jesus Church an imminent end. How can we But after all the discussions, with our
believer knows these facts: accomplish this task of preaching passionately articulated opinions
to the whole world? recorded, what happens next? A
1. Our Lord Jesus entrusted us with quick scan will reveal that nothing
much has changed over the years.
the commission to preach to all HALF-HEARTED EFFORTS?
nations and make disciples of all men. The workers who were laboring in
World evangelism is a topic that the fields years ago are the same
2. This divine commission is of utmost has long been, and continues to be, few continuing today. What has
importance because once the true widely discussed at many different happened to those ambitious plans
gospel of the kingdom has been spread levels within the True Jesus Church. that were discussed and presented
throughout the world, our task is done We are, understandably, eager to to the church?
and the world will end. live up to the role that our Lord has
entrusted to us, so we strategize We may point to the progress
However, knowing these is and craft ambitious plans. The achieved. The church has produced a
insufficient. More crucially, how strategic discussions we hold on full range of evangelistic pamphlets,

8
 THEME

A quick scan will reveal that nothing much These include the many services,
fellowships and activities that are
has changed over the years. The workers who organized. It is no easy task to
were laboring in the fields years ago are the keep the structured program of the
same few continuing today. church running. But what about
the immediate needs of sinners?
Jesus Himself said, “I must preach
and a website accessible to the This lack of drive can be seen at every the kingdom to other cities also,
whole world. We have a handful of level of the church organization. because for this purpose I have
workers toiling hard to bring the For instance: been sent” (Lk 4:43).
gospel to those who have not yet
1. The International Assembly 4. Our preachers appear misnamed
heard the glad tidings. By God’s
(IA) has held many discussions for they are more like theological
grace, we continue to have baptisms
on evangelism. But the execution lecturers and researchers. What
in pioneering areas. So whenever
of the work is weak. Those who led to this? Is it the structure of the
we report on gospel outreach, we
deliver impressive presentations church organization? Is it the type
roll out statistics on the number of
on evangelism are nowhere to be of training we give them? Perhaps
services conducted, the number of
found in pioneering fields. Besides not enough effort has been put
service attendees, and maybe even
teachers, we need laborers, and field into the area of producing true
the number of people baptized in
supervisors who toil alongside and evangelists.
these new areas. These reassure
us that we are heavily engaged in mobilize the laborers. We entrust
5. Our members enjoy edifying
world evangelism. the leadership of the church to the
sermons week after week. But why
IA Executive Council. But how many
But have we done everything we can? have these words not had their
of those elected to spearhead our
On honest and deeper reflection, we intended life-changing effect,
evangelistic mission are out in the
would admit that whatever we have stirring us to arise and share these
field? Are we, in our commitment to
done in world evangelism is only same words to our kith and kin?
proclaim the gospel, an example to
a token effort. There is a huge gap the flock?
between planning and execution Problem 2: Lack of Urgency
because of several factors: the lack 2. The general assemblies and A second problem is our lack of
of drive and passion, the lack of coordination boards of the church urgency. We approach the work of
urgency, and the lack of sacrifice. are bogged down with a plethora of evangelism as if the Lord’s coming
administrative and human issues. is not imminent, as if we have
Problem 1: Lack of Drive and Planning often centers on solving plenty of time left to save souls.
Passion administrative issues, and funds We do not wholeheartedly commit
The problem is not a lack of are channeled to physical assets. ourselves to the task. What we do
awareness of our commission— How much energy and resources accomplish appears to be done with
we have read Matthew 28:19 and are left over for preaching? just nominal effort, undertaken
Mark 16:16 umpteen times. Nor is to placate our conscience. We
it a lack of ability. We understand 3. Local churches are trying comfort ourselves, saying, “At least
how to preach, learning from their best to keep up with the we have done something about the
biblical examples as well as through daily management of the church. commission entrusted to us.”
experiences at work and in life.
The first and fundamental problem
is our lack of drive and passion to There is a huge gap between planning and
fulfill the commission. We do not execution because of several factors—the lack
possess the deep conviction of
of drive and passion, the lack of urgency, and
our earliest workers to spread the
gospel. the lack of sacrifice.

9
THEME

But do we realize and remember We have to enlist these ministers to

that every person who does not work in the fields.
hear the gospel remains under the
2. The church: The church
torturous burden of sin? Are we
must be mission-driven, and
moved with compassion—as our
we should identify leaders who
Lord Jesus was—when we see the
can wholeheartedly focus on
multitude (Mt 9:36)?
evangelism.
We must arise quickly because
3. Ministers: We must continue to
there are perishing souls who await
stress the importance of personal
deliverance.
evangelism to our members.
Preachers must lead the work of
Problem 3: Lack of Love
evangelism.
A third problem is the lack of a
true spirit of service and a selfless The Bible warns us that those who
heart of sacrifice. Most of us live know the Master’s will but do not
self-centered lives, where we aim carry it out will be severely punished
to satisfy ourselves and the call (Lk 12:47–48). No one can feign or
of our flesh. In many ways, we claim ignorance—the onus is on us
are no different from the people Then everyone came whose heart to know the will of the Master and
of our times—heartless, selfish, was stirred, and everyone whose to accomplish it. Only then can we
complacent, and entrenched in our spirit was willing; and they brought claim to be wise stewards, pleasing
comfort zones (cf. 2 Tim 3:2). the LORD’s offering for the work of to the Master who, in turn, will
the tabernacle of meeting, for all its make us rulers in His household.
These words may seem harsh and
service, and for the holy garments.
unfair, as many of our actions are May the True Jesus Church’s one-
(Ex 35:21)
borne out of personal choice. But hundredth year be the turning
this is an honest observation and The way ahead is clear. To get point in which we rekindle our zeal
evaluation of the actions that we the church out of this crisis of to fulfill God’s commission, and stir
exhibit. We can see the inner intents evangelistic lethargy, all of us need up selfless love for those lost in sin.
of the heart through our observable a change of heart. Our hearts must
actions—do we act any differently once again be strongly stirred by
from the world around us? the conviction that the world needs
God’s word. We must constantly
We are supposed to be a people who
refresh our drive to share God’s
has been separated and chosen to
word with all whom we meet.
be different from the world. As we
We must not allow our hearts to
have been enlightened by the Lord,
remain distant and numbed by the
we must understand the hope of His
pleasures of the world.
calling, and know the riches of the
glory of His inheritance (Eph 1:18). This change of heart should happen
Why then have we not responded in at all levels of the church:
love, with haste and urgency, to the
work of saving souls? 1. The IA: Instead of conducting
further workshops or developing
A CHANGE OF HEART new plans, we should revisit the
When Moses spoke to the people decisions of past symposiums on
concerning the building of the evangelism and implement them.
tabernacle and the holy garments The majority of the IA Executive
of the ministry, the response was Council are not involved in
immediate: implementing the work of the IA.

10
 THEME

FF Chong

Rain
London, UK

is Given to
Zion

T
here are two distinct climate church. One hundred years after the Divine Control Over Rain
conditions in Palestine. For True Jesus Church was established The Bible teaches us that God used
six months, from May to by the onset of the latter rain of the rain to cultivate His people. For
October, no rain falls and the whole Holy Spirit, let us revisit how God’s example, the Law of Moses states
land becomes dry and parched. Spirit works in His church. that rainfall directly correlated with
After that comes the rainy season, the Israelites’ obedience (Deut 11:14).
from late October to April. This God promised to cause a drought
THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER
season may be divided into three whenever the Israelites persisted in
(RAIN)
parts: the former rain (early or their sins, leaving the land infertile,
autumn rain), the winter rain (with Water is a precious life gift from in order to break their pride (Lev
torrential downpours), and the God. Its very existence highlights 26:19–20). Later, Elijah pronounced
latter rain (or spring rain). The first God’s creative mastery: it brings God’s judgment upon Ahab for
and third periods of the rainy season balance to all ecosystems; it is a the grievous sin he had wilfully
are mentioned quite commonly in vital source of life; all living things committed, proclaiming a drought
the Old Testament. If we dig deeper rely on it for survival, growth and for three years and six months
into the spiritual significance of procreation; and most importantly, (1 Kgs 17:1, 7; Jas 5:17–18). And in
these biblical references to rain, we it reveals to us the underlying story Jeremiah’s time, God withheld the
can better understand the special of God’s eternal love for humanity harvest rain because of the people’s
relationship between God and His since the creation. transgressions ( Jer 5:24–25).

11
THEME

descended at Pentecost to establish

the church on earth —the spiritual
There are various Hebrew words used to denote the three parts of the Zion (Heb 12:22; 1 Pet 2:6; Acts
rainy season: 2). But before God built up His
church, several events had to be
1. Yoreh (Hos 6:3) or Moreh ( Joel 2:23) denotes “the former or the
accomplished first. These include
early rain”
God’s manifestation in the flesh
The “early” or “former” rains commence in
as Jesus Christ, His sacrifice,
autumn, in late October or early November.
resurrection and imparting of the
2. Melqosh means “the latter rain” (Prov 16:1, 5) gospel to the disciples. After Jesus’
The “latter” or “spring” rains fall in March and April, after ascension, the Spirit came in two
the coldest months of January and February have passed. separate time periods: the first,
during the time of the apostles
3. Geshem or Matar means “the rains” (Gen 7:12; Ezra 10:9) (Acts 2:1, Joel 2:28), known as the
Both terms are used in a very general sense. But the early or former rain; and the latter
former has a more specific usage, to denote the heavy, rain, which established the end-
even violent, rain that comes down in the winter. time true church—the True Jesus
Church—and will continue until the
final harvest.

Clearly, man’s reliance on rain rainy sub-seasons of Palestine, as GOD WITHHOLDS HIS RAIN
shows us that, physically, we need presented in the Old Testament In Psalm 46, God states that He would
water and, spiritually, it is our duty prophecies, reveal a deeper truth: provide a plentiful environment
is to obey God (Lev 26:4). that God’s Spirit would descend for the city to flourish: God would
upon man to personally develop plant, grow and sustain both crops
Growth and Rain and expand His work, namely, by and cattle. It is clear from these
The growth and fertility of a field establishing His church on earth. verses that the survival of the city
are closely connected to the amount
The Bible teaches us that God will was dependent upon the presence
of rain it receives. From a biblical
pour out His “rain” twice in human of God, who kept the city safe from
perspective, this also has a spiritual
history. By analyzing the message the tumultuous storms of the world
dimension. Ezekiel’s message, in
of Joel ( Joel 2:23), we see that God and ensured its continuous survival
chapter 34, discloses that God will
has set His own schedule of when (Ps 46:4–6).
make a covenant of peace with
His people. Showers of rain are to give rain to Zion. It is important
However, in Psalm 107, the same city
to follow, resulting in the trees to note that the focus is on Zion,
is turned into a wasteland because
bearing fruit (Ezek 34:26–27). These not the physical nation of Israel,
the people were wicked in God’s
showers go beyond natural cycles indicating a spiritual teaching. The
sight (Ps 107:34). Physically, God
of rainfall because they are initiated intention of the Lord is clear: the
withheld the rain for a long period
by God and directly correspond downpour of the Holy Spirit in two
of time, resulting in a dry and
to His covenant with the people. periods of time—the former rain
fruitless land. Spiritually speaking,
Therefore, when studying rain and the latter rain.
God withdrew His Spirit from the
in the Bible, we see an intimate The period of the former rain people, who continued to practice
relationship between rain and the commenced when the Spirit wickedness.
spiritual growth or decline of God’s
people.
God’s Spirit would descend upon man
Rain Is Given to Zion Alone
We see, then, that rainfall patterns
to personally develop and expand His work,
are not just a result of the remarkable namely, by establishing His church on
power of Mother Nature. The earth.

12
 THEME

Equally, Isaiah paints a vivid picture

Physically, God withheld the rain for a
using the metaphor of the fruitful
vine, representing the land, and the long period of time, resulting in a dry and
city, representing the people (Isa fruitless land. Spiritually speaking, God
32:12–14). Again, the city and fruitful withdrew His Spirit from the people, who
vine are in a state of desolation,
continued to practice wickedness.
with thorns, briers and scorpions
running amuck. The chaos and
barrenness of the land point to the Similarly, in Psalm 107, God reverses commands—in other words, they
wickedness of the people: their the barrenness of the land to make were not a nation governed by His
godless behavior, corrupt ways it fruitful once again: truth (Deut 11:16ff; Jer 3:2–3; 14:2–6).
and pagan rebellion. Isaiah depicts These transgressions foreshadow
He turns a wilderness into pools of the failings of the apostolic church.
the destruction of God’s people as
water, Judging from the epistles to the
being identical to briers and thorns
And dry land into watersprings. Galatians and the Colossians, as
being consumed by fire (Isa 9:18–
There He makes the hungry dwell, well as the Book of Revelation,
19). Those who are cursed not only
That they may establish a city or a the apostolic church had become
live without the Spirit of God, but dwelling place, idolatrous and exposed to heretical
are also dead spiritually. And sow fields and plant vineyards, attacks, causing confusion amongst
That they may yield a fruitful the believers and the departure of
It Is the Spirit Who Restores harvest.” (Ps 107:35–37) God’s Spirit.
Whilst this is depressing, Isaiah also God shows His mercy by stating He
confirms a transformation made Paul also writes of future
will restore the land, by pouring
only possible by the coming of the generations defecting from the
down His Spirit from on high (Isa
church’s true teachings, where the
Holy Spirit. Isaiah 32:15 describes 32:15a).
wicked would be exalted. We saw
the order formed from devastation,
this happen after the demise of
and prophesies the coming of the The Period of Drought after the
the apostles. As God withheld His
Spirit in two phases in human Apostolic Church
Spirit, the church degraded into
history—the first phase transforms In the Old Testament period, the
a secular organization. Unbiblical
the wilderness into a fruitful field, two main reasons why God withheld
practices were incorporated into
and the second sees the fruitful rain from His people were idolatry
the church, blending human and
field flourish into a forest. and the blatant disregard of His
pagan beliefs with the pure beliefs
that the apostles once taught with
great conviction.

The Spirit Continued to Work

Although God’s Spirit departed
from the church as it grew corrupt,
He continued to work quietly and
assuredly. The canonization and
subsequent translations of the
Bible, for example, points towards
the work of the Holy Spirit (see
Jn 5:17). On countless occasions,
Satan-instigated leaders tried
to destroy the Scriptures, to no
avail. The perfect word of God has
been kept intact in mysterious
ways throughout the generations.

13
THEME

However, one thing is certain: This analogy emphasizes the CONCLUSION

during this period, the Holy Spirit need to deal swiftly with heresies In light of man’s wicked behavior,
did not work in men in the same in the True Jesus Church. Since and the corruption within the
way as when the apostles were alive. her establishment, the church history of Christianity, God planned
has always corrected unbiblical two time-periods where the Spirit
GOD CULTIVATES HIS teachings. Therefore, to allow would establish His church. At
RESTORED VINEYARD wrong teachings to fester within the the same time, God has reserved
church will cause great damage. The the harvesting work for those who
To strengthen our understanding
Lord wishes for no harm to come belong to Him, at the time of the
of the Spirit’s work and presence,
to the vineyard, for He loves it and latter rain (which is now). God’s
we can study the restoration of the
will water it at every moment, with plan is perfect and mysterious; it
vineyard in Isaiah. The vineyard
great effort (Isa 27:3). God’s mercy will run its course in such a way
represents the nation of Israel at
and restorative purging will take that, unless blessed with spiritual
the time, which God had planted.
place when the church is willing to enlightenment, we may never
However, this vineyard brought
rely on the Spirit completely (Isa understand.
forth wild grapes (Isa 5:1–7). As
mentioned above, the emergence 32:15).
These teachings highlight God’s
of briers and thorns represents mercy and compassion on us and,
Relying on the Spirit to cultivate
the corruption and rebellion of the as we are in the period of the latter
the restored vineyard means
Israelites (Isa 32:13; Mic 7:3–4; Ezek rain, we should participate in the
relying on God’s word, which is
2:6). This caused God to withhold harvesting work. This is the duty of
also represented by rain in the
His rain and allow the vineyard to be the True Jesus Church, the highest
Scriptures (Isa 55:8–11). God’s words
laid waste (Isa 5:6). But God would mountain of God, confirmed by the
(promises), once spoken, are not
not allow the briers and thorns to presence of the Holy Spirit. As we
spoken in vain. When rain falls, it
remain indefinitely—He states that mark the centennial of the church
nurtures the land, and God’s words
he will burn them completely (Isa established by the latter rain, let us
produce a similar soul-reviving
27:4). continue to pray for the completion
effect in our lives.
of the Spirit’s restoration and
The vineyard also represents the
The true church will only grow revival work.
apostolic church, which became
corrupted by false teachings and when she holds fast to God’s words
human traditions, leading to God and His nurturing presence, which
withholding His Spirit from her. is also described as rain falling on
This is why the fight to destroy grass before it is cut. It is like a
“briers and thorns” is depicted in shower that waters the earth (Ps
such a dramatic fashion. Within the 72:6; Hos 6:3). The result is that
restored vineyard—the True Jesus the righteous will flourish with
Church—prompt eradication of abundance of peace (Ps 72:7). In a
briers and thorns is the only way. spiritual sense, the presence of the
The challenge is that their growth Spirit causes growth and instills life
can be subtle, but fast. By the in the church, drawing souls to the
time they were noticed in the first household of God.
vineyard, the damage had already
been done. Hence, the Light of
Israel—God Himself—will be a fire
When rain falls, it nurtures the land, and
and a flame, to consume briers and God’s words produce a similar soul-reviving
thorns in a single day (Isa 10:17f). effect in our lives. ... In a spiritual sense,
This means that God will battle
against corruption constantly,
the presence of the Spirit causes growth and
keeping watch over His restored instills life in the church, drawing souls to the
vineyard night and day (Isa 27:3–4). household of God.

14
 THEME

Adapted from sermons by

Barnabas Chong

Revive
Singapore

the
True Church (Part 1)
T
he ascension of Jesus,
when He bid farewell to
The True Jesus Church is part of a long line
His disciples, was a pivotal of miraculous interventions by God to call His
moment in the history of the church. beloved elect back to Him. ... God continually
It was at this point that He charged
shows that no matter how many turn away
His followers to spread the gospel
to the world; but He also told them from Him, He never turns away from us.
to first wait in Jerusalem to receive
power from on high. Sure enough, apostolic church, to the audacious and irresponsibility towards the
when Pentecost arrived, so too did alterations, even outright reversals, doctrines he received from God.
the downpour of the Holy Spirit to made by the Catholic church. There came a time when a revival
establish Christ’s church on earth. The Protestant movement, set was needed—to revive the true
This glorious event marked a off by Martin Luther’s call for church on earth.
period of great faithfulness for restoration of the true faith, was
the disciples, who were led and a noble but misguided endeavor, The True Jesus Church is the
empowered by the Spirit. But what which finally led to the chaotic product of this revival. Far from
began as a perfect church would profusion of Christian doctrines tailoring our doctrines to pander to
shortly enter into decline. We can and denominations which we find the political and social demands of
trace this from the subtle rebellion today. From this history of the our age, the gospel we preach is the
of certain wicked men in the early church, we can see man’s ingenuity very same gospel Jesus handed to

15
THEME

His disciples—the very truths found

in the pages of the Holy Bible. As
the apostolic church was, so we are.
This is why the True Jesus Church
can be seen as “the revived apostolic
church”—a church that preserves
and protects the imparted, not
invented, truth of Christ.

The True Jesus Church is part

of a long line of miraculous
interventions by God to call His
beloved elect back to Him. From
God’s compassionate warning to
Noah of the impending flood, to
His loving covenant with Abraham
to give him children and to forever
protect them, God continually
shows that no matter how many
turn away from Him, He never explains that he gained an Broadly speaking, there seems
turns away from us. understanding of the “mystery of to be three kinds of people. We
Christ” through the revelation of the have, of course, the earnest Bible
Today, True Jesus Church members
Holy Spirit (Eph 3:2–5). The mystery reader. Attending every Bible
live in a world quite similar to the
that was previously unknown to study, listening attentively to every
one Noah and Abraham lived in.
man—that the Gentiles would be sermon and taking notes, this
Most people do not believe in the
fellow heirs of Christ’s promise— believer understands the immense
Christian God, and of the ones who
and the complete understanding of grace he has received from God,
do, many, wittingly or unwittingly,
the salvation gospel was “revealed and treats the gospel with the same
do not obey the full truth of the
by the Spirit to His holy apostles reverence that the apostles had.
saving gospel. But if we are to be
and prophets” (Eph 3:5). This is the
the Noahs and Abrahams of our Then we have the adversary.
foundation upon which the church
age, if we are to be the revived Plainly put, he is against most, if
is built—the revelation and word of
apostolic church, then there must not all, of the church’s doctrines,
God, as recorded by the apostles in
be no doubt as to what exactly we and willfully opposes the truth we
the New Testament writings.
are reviving. preach. Neither open to dialogue
The rightful church of God must nor serious about actually learning
But where should we begin?
be founded on the living word of more, there is little to be done for
God. The True Jesus Church has such a man. But he is not the main
REVIVE OUR PASSION FOR THE
never changed in this respect. concern here.
WORD OF GOD
The histories of both the apostolic
The apostle Paul writes, in The greater tragedy is the fate
church and the True Jesus Church
Ephesians 2:20, that the household of the confused but complacent
are fraught with painful episodes of
of God has “been built on the Christian. Here we have the well-
doctrinal disputes, hostile quarrels,
foundation of the apostles and intentioned believer who, from
and even breakaway groups. Yet,
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself time to time, harbors a little doubt
through it all, the gospel has emerged
being the chief cornerstone.” regarding a particular teaching.
unscathed. Why? Because we knew
Sincere though he may be in faith,
So far so good. But what exactly is the fundamental importance of the
he is certainly not steadfast. This
the foundation of the apostles and word of God—that everything we do
believer’s complacency leads him
prophets? must be based upon it. Today, do we
to deflect any questions he may
still hold God’s word with the same
In the following chapter, Paul receive from non-believing friends
respect?

16
 THEME

with glib, unreflective answers, or word of God not so much as a set apostles shared with the Holy Spirit
to simply direct them to the nearest of doctrines, but as a guide to living that is almost unthinkable today.
church minister. a meaningful life that pleases God— Rarely do we hear: “The Holy Spirit,
only then will the word of God be together with us, has chosen to
Worse still is not how poorly alive within him. make this decision” or, “I chose to
this believer evangelizes, if he do this or that because of the Holy
does at all, but how unanswered The apostles took the word of God
Spirit’s advice.” But throughout the
doubts and shallow faith leave him so seriously that they willingly laid
Book of Acts, we see how the Holy
vulnerable to being misled. More down their lives for it; they lived,
Spirit guides and transports Philip,
than two thousand years after the and died, for the gospel. What about
instructs Peter, and protects Paul
establishment of Christianity, the us?
from danger. Behind the scenes, but
Christian world is saturated with also very much right in the middle
an abundance of different opinions, REVIVE OUR ATTITUDE OF
of the action, we see the Holy Spirit
interpretations, translations and FOLLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT
actively helping God’s workers to
traditions. And everyone claims “Be filled with the Holy Spirit” is an
accomplish their missions.
to be right. In this barrage of expression commonly heard in the
information, the half-hearted True Jesus Church. But what does it So why does this seem odd today?
believer whose knowledge of actually mean, and why should we Primarily, because of a decline in
the gospel consists only of “my care? our attitude towards the Holy Spirit.
preacher says so” and the odd Bible Nowadays, we mainly speak of the
One of the things that stands out in
verse is in danger of falling for the Holy Spirit as a spiritual milestone.
the Book of Acts is how frequently
convincing allure of false teachings. Receiving the Holy Spirit has
the Holy Spirit is mentioned.
become merely a goal in the great
There is a misconception that being The Book of Acts is the definitive
game of our faith, and once we have
familiar with the word of God is account of how the early church
achieved this, we quickly move on
only so we can hold our own against grew, and the men and women who
and forget about it. The Holy Spirit
the arguments of other Christians were instrumental in this growth.
has also become a crutch to rely on
and non-believers. But the more Yet, reading the book, one cannot
when we need to comfort others. It
important reason is that we have help but get the impression that
is easy to repeat clichés about the
to know why we believe in what these men and women—though
comfort and guidance of the Holy
we believe. This is because the crucial in their roles—were not the
Spirit in times of distress, but how
convictions we are most confident main characters. In fact, there was
many of us actually know how the
in are the ones that will influence only one true protagonist: the Holy
Holy Spirit comforts and guides, or
our lives. As sincere as a Christian Spirit. Acts 15:28 reads: “For it seemed
what it feels like?
may be, if he knows only the how of good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to
salvation—the rites, the sacraments, lay upon you no greater burden than The first revival in our attitude
the habits—but not the why, then these necessary things” (emphasis towards the Holy Spirit has to be
he can never truly experience the added). These words are striking, the role we believe the Holy Spirit
fullness of his faith. He must see the for they convey an intimacy the plays in God’s salvation plan. Yes,
He is a guarantee of our salvation,
a Rock, and a Counsellor. But He is
The first revival in our attitude towards not simply our backup plan in times
the Holy Spirit has to be the role we believe the of crisis. Instead, we have to rely on
Him as an everyday partner with
Holy Spirit plays in God’s salvation plan. Yes, whom we can consult on even the
He is a guarantee of our salvation, a Rock, and littlest things.
a Counsellor. But He is not simply our backup Secondly, we need to rely once more
plan in times of crisis. Instead, we have to rely on the Holy Spirit as our guide to the
on Him as an everyday partner with whom we truth. The spirit of error of which
the elder John forewarned (1 Jn 4)
can consult on even the littlest things.

17
THEME

can only be resisted by the guidance

of the Spirit of truth. Often, many
Jesus did not tell the eloquent, the
of us who have received the Holy confident, or the charismatic to preach. He
Spirit may read the Bible without told the Christian, the believer, the child
consciously relying on the Holy
of God to preach. Sharing the grace of God
Spirit to help us discern and
understand the truth. Our worship requires not charisma, but conviction.
and study become strictly rote,
mechanical, uninspired. This is REVIVE OUR DESIRE TO we tell others and, often, ourselves.
no way to develop our faith, and COMPLETE OUR COMMISSION This is nonsense. Jesus did not tell
may lead to spiritual boredom “Go into all the world and preach the the eloquent, the confident, or the
and stagnation—ripe grounds for gospel to every creature.” (Mk 16:15) charismatic to preach. He told the
temptation to lure us away from Christian, the believer, the child of
the truth. It remains crucial that we These words are all too familiar to God to preach. Sharing the grace
involve the Holy Spirit in our growth every Christian. What often escapes of God requires not charisma, but
in faith, remembering that the Holy our attention, however, is how the conviction. As Mordecai counselled
Spirit not only dwells in the church, disciples of Jesus responded to His Esther, there will always be others
but is an ever-present Companion grand commission—“they went out to do God’s work and fulfill His will,
we must rely on. and preached everywhere” (Mk but to serve God is our privilege,
16:20). our opportunity, and we must seize
One way to cultivate such an it when given.
The disciples were ready to dedicate
attitude is to be mindful of our
their lives to the gospel because IN SUMMARY
spirit when we pray. The apostolic
they knew that theirs was the only The True Jesus Church is the
church greatly esteemed prayers.
gospel of salvation. From a humble revived apostolic church. Our Spirit
Their prayerfulness was a constant
band of 120, the early followers of is of God, our truth is from Him, and
reminder for them of the powerful
Jesus quickly increased to number His grace is evident in our lives and
God, who was behind them every
in the thousands because they our ministry, day after day. But we
step of the way, and the strength
knew that the fate of so many souls need to live up to our status as the
they could receive as long as they
rested on their shoulders. The revived apostolic church too. This
continued to trust Him.
apostles understood the immense is hard work—it requires a revival
responsibility given to them. There in our attitudes towards the basic
Ephesians 5:18 reads: “And do not
was only one plan for salvation, aspects of our faith, aspects we
be drunk with wine, in which is
and God had entrusted the task of might have grown too comfortable
dissipation; but be filled with the
bringing it to the world into their with. We need this revival not
Spirit.” Paul is doing more than
hands. If they did not preach this because the church is dead, far from
cautioning us about the dangers
gospel, who else would? it. We need this revival because the
of drunkenness; he is asking us
to think about what other vices So, what about us? Perhaps the size more spiritually alive the members
and habits we have that might be of the True Jesus Church has lulled are, the more powerfully the Spirit
distracting us from focusing on the us into the comforting thought that of God will fill and lead His church
voice of the Holy Spirit. The Holy there will always be someone else to to complete her mission. Let us live
Spirit’s voice is strong and clear, do the work of preaching. Surely that more fully for God than we ever
but we must be willing to listen is what the preachers are employed have before.
to it, or risk it being drowned out to do? Surely there are members To be continued.
by the cacophony of the world’s more qualified than I? It is easy to
distractions. One thing is certain, make such excuses. Some of us
if we yield our whole spirits to the allow pastoral work, or the work of
counsel of the living Spirit within organizing and planning, to justify
us, we no longer need to fear the our lackluster evangelistic efforts.
dangers of this world. “I don’t have a gift for preaching,”

18
 THEME

Aun Quek Chin

Complete
Singapore

the Construction of the

True Church (Part 1)
TWO TYPES OF FOUNDATIONS
Jesus used the metaphor of building a

J esus once told a parable of a

wise man and a foolish man,
each building his own house.
The wise man built his house with
house to illustrate the importance of a life
built on His words and authority. If we extend
the metaphor to the building of the church,
its foundation on the rock, so even the principle remains the same.
when the storms raged, his house
stood firm as a testament to his
same. We should emulate the wise ever be completed, and the church
wisdom and the sturdiness of the
man by building the church on the be perfect?” Inevitably, the church
rock. The foolish man, on the other
hand, built his house on the sand. rock that stands firm in the face of will face internal and external
When the storms came, his house the wind and waves. difficulties along the way, and these
shook and collapsed, and great was will challenge our efforts in the
its fall. In His parable, Jesus used Within this context, the parable construction of the church.
the metaphor of building a house focuses on how to build, and the
to illustrate the importance of a life conditions under which we build If we consider the progress of the
built on His words and authority. up, the true church of God. To current works undertaken by the
If we extend the metaphor to embark on this task, we should first church, we may feel discouraged.
the building of God’s house—the ask ourselves, “Do we believe that Our evangelistic efforts seem to
church—the principle remains the the construction of the church can have plateaued, and we face various

19
THEME

challenges in pioneering areas. On

the pastoral front, although most
The storms will come and go, but God’s
members have not deviated from church will remain standing amid the squalls.
the truth, they do not always enjoy Throughout the last one hundred years of
attending services or listening to the our church history, we have weathered many
word of God—the very foundation
upon which we are to be built.
storms. Yet we have seen the consistent
guidance of God in His church.
Despite all this, can we be like the
wise man and continue building
Hence, we see that the early However, this teaching was re-
God’s house on the rock? Can we
workers chosen by God could, and introduced into the church in 1999,
persist in upholding the principles
did, fall because of pride. Despite when a preacher, who has since been
with which He began?
this, the church will not fall. The excommunicated, insisted that the
construction of the true church will devil is self-existing and not a fallen
The storms will come and go, but
definitely continue until the work is angel, and that the church had been
God’s church will remain standing
completed. wrong all this time. Regrettably, at
amid the squalls. Throughout
the second occurrence, the church
the last one hundred years of our
THE SECOND STORM: did not make as strong a stand as
church history, we have weathered
CONFUSION OVER THE TRUTH in 1950, but rather, out of openness
many storms. Yet we have seen the
The second storm the True Jesus and love, the church leaders
consistent guidance of God in His
Church went through was confusion permitted continued study into the
church. Let us learn from three of
over the truth. False doctrines matter. As a result, this heretical
our past storms.
were brought into God’s church, teaching seeped out and festered
causing turmoil among members. for thirteen years, to the detriment
THE FIRST STORM: STRUGGLE of the church and those who were
Many false teachings have come
AMONG EARLY WORKERS deceived.
and gone, but some have left lasting
Among our early workers, a man consequences.
named Barnabas Chang claimed he The damage inflicted by the false
was the founder of the True Jesus One such false teaching propagated teaching and its propagator is
Church. He even established his the idea of the devil’s self- clearly evident to all now, with
own general assembly in Nanjing, existence. It was first touched on ongoing strife between full-time
China, creating a division between in September 1950, when a church workers and believers worldwide in
the churches in northern and worker published an article in True the True Jesus Church. Therefore,
southern China. This storm raged Holiness (a publication similar to the church must stand firm and act
for seven years, from 1924 to 1931, Holy Spirit Monthly) expressing his quickly against false teachings that
before the churches in China started view that the devil is self-existing. contradict the truth, and be wary
to reconcile with one another. He opined that although Satan is in of any future reoccurrence of such
opposition to God, his power is not teachings.
Let us not be surprised that the equivalent to God’s. Moreover, the
true church established by the Holy church worker believed that even The storm of false doctrines will
Spirit faced such a turbulent storm, though Satan is self-existing, he is continue as we persevere in the
because even the apostolic church not eternal and cannot live forever. construction of God’s true church.
was not spared. The apostle Paul When the article was published, When God leads His workers to
rebuked the Corinthian church for the church acted promptly and build His church, the devil will also
showing partiality and dividing the took a strong stand against this endeavor to hinder this work. We
church members. The elder John view, rejecting the teaching and should recognize that this battle
likewise mentioned Diotrephes, highlighting its incongruence with does not belong to you and me; it
who loved to have preeminence biblical truth. This prevented the is a battle that the devil is waging
among the members of the church spread and damage of this false against God. He will attempt to
(3 Jn 9). teaching within the church. obstruct the work of salvation. This

20
 THEME

is a storm that we must face until guide them to complete the work. to me, saying:
the end. Although oppressed, they secretly “The hands of Zerubbabel
maintained contact with other Have laid the foundation of this
THE THIRD STORM: POLITICAL members. Those who were even temple;
OPPOSITION braver continued to preach to His hands shall also finish it.
their friends and relatives amid the Then you will know
In 1917, the Holy Spirit worked
political unrest. That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to
through the early workers to
you.
establish His church, starting in It was not until the 1970s that For who has despised the day of small
Beijing, followed by around 1,000 the political situation in China things?
locations in China over a period improved. As the country became
For these seven rejoice to see
of forty years. However, after 1957, more open and liberal, the storm
The plumb line in the hand of
there was a major political shift in receded and the work of building
Zerubbabel.
China, leading to the socioeconomic the church resumed. The political
They are the eyes of the LORD,
chaos of the Cultural Revolution, oppression has been damaging;
Which scan to and fro throughout the
where religious movements yet, the Lord’s work has continued,
whole earth.” (Zech 4:8–10)
were oppressed by the governing because the construction of the true
Communist party. This pushed church is God’s will. No matter how
Although the hands of Zerubbabel
our church in China into a state of boisterous the wave or how strong
had laid the foundation of the
hibernation. Members’ faith was the gale, the house built upon the
temple, these hands faltered
shaken and some even felt that the Rock of Jesus Christ will stand firm.
and ceased work when faced
True Jesus Church was a house built
with opposition. In time, God
on sand. “UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS
called on Zerubbabel to continue
THE HOUSE”
Nevertheless, there remained the construction of the temple,
The true church has endured many
others who firmly believed that the reminding him that the work would
stormy winds and waves, but has
church would rise above the storm. not be completed through his
remained firmly established. The
Although the tempestuous gales might alone (Zech 4:6). God’s hands
Book of Zechariah reminds us that
blew so fiercely that construction strengthened him, reinvigorating
God’s house persists not through
appeared to have ceased, these his wavering arms to complete the
our own might and wisdom:
faithful members held fast to building of the temple.
their belief that God would surely Moreover the word of the LORD came
From this, we learn that the
rebuilding of the temple is not the
work of man, but of God. Today,
when we build up the church, we
should not think of it as asking God
to complete our work. Rather, it is
the other way round—we should
ask God to help us work with Him
to complete His work.

These are two contrasting

perspectives. If we ask God to work
with us to complete the work, and
we succeed, we may think God
works to fulfill our ambitions and
build His house according to our
ideas. If we fail, we will become
dejected and complain that God has
not worked with us.

21
THEME

Conversely, if we hold the view

that we are the ones working with
God to complete His work, we will
understand that the success we
achieve is for the glory of God. If
we fail, God will guide others to
finish the work. Workers will come
and go, but God’s work to build His
house will persist. Man is weak and
may fail, but God is never weak and
will never fail.

THREE PROCLAMATIONS
FROM GOD
God will help us to build up the true
church because it is His work. To
encourage His workers with “good
and comforting words” (Zech 1:13),
God sent His prophet Zechariah to
make three proclamations. God Himself is zealous to build His us? They doubted God and even
house and His zeal will never grow murmured against Him.
First Proclamation: “I Am Zealous cold. Why are we so anxious then?
for Jerusalem” Instead, we ought to reflect on our So God proclaimed to them: “I am
own attitude towards our labor for returning to Jerusalem with mercy.”
So the angel who spoke with me said
to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says God’s house.
At the right moment, God would
the LORD of hosts: return to Jerusalem. This meant
“I am zealous for Jerusalem Second Proclamation: “I Am that He would restart His rebuilding
And for Zion with great zeal.” ’ ” Returning to Jerusalem with work, but it did not mean that
(Zech 1:14) Mercy” He had left His people during the
We who are zealous in building the Therefore thus says the LORD: period of His apparent silence. We
church of God should constantly “I am returning to Jerusalem with must understand that God has His
reflect: are we maintaining the mercy; time.
same level of zeal in our service, My house shall be built in it,” says the
or have we, over time, become LORD of hosts, Third Proclamation: “My Cities
cold? As we serve, we can become “And a surveyor’s line shall be Shall Again Spread Out through
disheartened because of the many stretched out over Jerusalem.” Prosperity”
disagreeable incidents that come (Zech 1:16) “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says
our way. We may even ask: Do I need the LORD of hosts:
to be so zealous? Why should I make When God made this proclamation, “My cities shall again spread out
such sacrifices? What do I gain from the work on the temple had ceased through prosperity;
them? If we continue with this line for sixteen years. The faith of the The LORD will again comfort Zion,
of questioning, we may become post-exilic Jews was weak because, And will again choose Jerusalem.” ’ ”
so discouraged that we no longer for sixteen years, they could not see (Zech 1:17)
desire even to attend services, let any action from God. They probably
alone serve. Our fervor wanes when thought: We were so zealous in The construction of the true church
we rely solely on our limited human constructing the temple for You. is the will of God. God is zealous
zeal. When we met with difficulties, we for His church; He will return to
resolved the minor issues ourselves. Jerusalem with mercy and His
However, the Lord has proclaimed, “I But now that we are experiencing house will surely prosper. In our
am zealous for Jerusalem” (Zech 1:14). major issues, why do You not help service today, it may seem like our

22
 THEME

Let the call of Nehemiah move us to reflect church board, not the “common”
believer. But David, who was neither
on ourselves: Do we feel a sense of belonging a soldier nor a king, felt that sense
in church, in this house we are building? of duty and acted accordingly. He
Is this house that is built on the rock our was described by God as a man
after His own heart (1 Sam 13:14).
house? We, too, ought to remember that we
are members, not guests, of God’s
efforts have yielded little progress. did not protect them, and that their household, and so must shoulder
However, let us remember, God enemies could destroy their efforts. our responsibility.
has promised that as long as we They feared their work would yield
Finally, Nehemiah encouraged the
are working for Him, the work will no tangible results, like the house
people by telling them how God had
flourish and the building of His built on sand.
influenced the king to allow him to
house will be completed.
Nevertheless, Nehemiah reminded return to Jerusalem to rebuild the
the Jews of the indignation that wall. Amazingly, the king not only
BUILDING THE ONE HOUSE AS
they had suffered, the humiliation granted Nehemiah his request,
ONE BODY
of their beloved city, and the but also contributed the materials
The work of building God’s house
desolation of their home. But most needed for the reconstruction. This
on the rock is not one to be
importantly, he pointed out the Gentile king, who played no part
undertaken alone, nor should it be
injustice of turning a blind eye to in God’s house, recognized that
implemented only by the ministers.
the current state of their temple and the Jews would labor for the living
Rather, it is to be done by the whole
city. Let the call of Nehemiah move God. He became a testimony to the
congregation—the body of Christ,
us to reflect on ourselves: Do we Jews, proving Nehemiah’s assertion
His church. Although Nehemiah
feel a sense of belonging in church, that God was with them. They were
had great fervor to rebuild the walls
in this house we are building? Is inspired to proclaim, “Let us rise
of Jerusalem, he did not set about
this house that is built on the rock up and build.” Even when they
doing the work alone. Instead,
our house? faced opposition, Nehemiah re-
he mobilized the nation, the Jews
affirmed the people’s commitment,
who remained or had returned to
We are a part of the body of Christ, saying to their antagonists, “The
the holy city, to rebuild the walls.
working together to build the one God of heaven Himself will prosper
Nehemiah told the people:
house on the rock. As such, we must us; therefore we His servants will
“You see the distress that we are in, maintain our dignity. The young arise and build, but you have no
how Jerusalem lies waste, and its David is a good example of this. heritage or right or memorial in
gates are burned with fire. Come and When he heard Goliath mocking Jerusalem” (Neh 2:20). Indeed, the
let us build the wall of Jerusalem, Israel, David said, “For who is this Jews then worked until the wall was
that we may no longer be a re- uncircumcised Philistine, that he completely rebuilt. These people are
proach.” And I told them of the hand should defy the armies of the living worthy of our emulation. Though
of my God which had been good upon God?” (1 Sam 17:26b). David even we may become disheartened in the
me, and also of the king’s words that made good his word by setting out face of challenges, we must keep
he had spoken to me. So they said, to fight Goliath—not because he was these words of encouragement
“Let us rise up and build.” Then they an impulsive young man or that he in our heart. Let us rise up and
set their hands to this good work. thought he was a good fighter, but commit to doing this good work—to
(Neh 2:17–18) because he esteemed his dignity as continue building the house of God
one of God’s people. David could not on the solid rock.
At that time, the walls of Jerusalem allow this uncircumcised Gentile to
had burned down. The people, humiliate the people of God. To be continued.
fearing the storms of oppression,
did not have the courage to rebuild Many a time, we think that the duty
the city wall. The Jews living among to defend the church from attack lies
the ruins of Jerusalem felt that God in the hands of the ministers or the

23
EXHORTATION SECTION

Steven Shek

Serve
Edinburgh, UK

like
Christ
INTRODUCTION read in the context of both the Old easily discouraged, especially when

T
he Lord GOD has opened and New Testaments—bearing in our expectations do not line up with
My ear; mind the persecution, pain, and God’s intention. We may stumble or
And I was not rebellious, humiliation Jesus suffered when He even throw in the towel after one
Nor did I turn away. came to this world—we understand too many disappointments. And
I gave My back to those who struck that this is a prophecy of what Jesus if we experience suffering in our
would experience. service, we may even succumb to
Me,
self-pity.
And My cheeks to those who plucked We also may not realize that this
out the beard; passage bears relevance for us, But Jesus never had this kind of
I did not hide My face from shame as end-time believers. According mindset; He never stumbled or gave
and spitting. to the Book of Malachi, today we up, no matter what He suffered. If
For the Lord GOD will help Me; are both sons of God and servants we want to serve like Christ, then
Therefore I will not be disgraced; of God (Mal 1:6; 3:17). As we have we must look closely at the above
Therefore I have set My face like a this same Christ-like dual status, passage for insight into Christ’s
flint, we need to also serve as Christ servitude.
And I know that I will not be did—faithfully, even in the midst
ashamed.” (Isa 50:5–7) of suffering. It is an honor and a SPEAK GOD’S WORDS, NOT
blessing to serve the Lord, but we YOUR OWN
We might not immediately realize may face many obstacles in our “The Lord GOD has given Me
that this passage is about Jesus. But service. This is why we become The tongue of the learned,

24
 EXHORTATION

That I should know how to speak

A word in season to him who is
Do we use human reasoning when we
weary. seek to edify, and human insight when we
He awakens Me morning by morning, plan our mission work? Or do we seek biblical
He awakens My ear guidance?
To hear as the learned.” (Isa 50:4)

When Jesus was in the world, He

When we attempt to teach and spiritually lazy? He may come to
did not teach His own ideas; His
guide others, do we rely on our church services late or go about his
teachings came from God ( Jn 8:26,
own eloquence, or do we rely on church work half-heartedly. Our
40). Of course, Jesus is God Himself,
the simple and powerful authority natural reaction may be to criticize
but He was also fully man. Those
of God’s word? Do we use human him. But have we considered the
who came to listen to Him saw Him
reasoning when we seek to edify, unseen troubles he may be facing?
as a mere man, a servant of God.
and human insight when we plan Perhaps he is trying his best under
Only by faith could they recognize
our mission work? Or do we seek difficult circumstances. Obviously,
that Jesus’ teachings were indeed
biblical guidance? To serve like we should point out any blatant
the messages of God.
Christ means we must first “awaken wrongdoing. But as servants of God,
our ear” to God’s message—to we need to have a compassionate
In Deuteronomy, God promised
“hear as the learned”—before we heart and seek to understand the
that He would raise up a Prophet
can speak with the tongue of the context before we speak, otherwise
like Moses, who would speak what
learned. we could cause that person to
God commanded Him (Deut 18:15).
stumble.
And later, in the time of Acts, Peter
explained what would happen to SERVE WITH COMPASSION
The service Jesus offered the people For example, think about how
those who rejected the Prophet’s
was in stark contrast to that of the we react when a family member
message:
spiritual leaders of the time. The neglects his share of the housework.
“For Moses truly said to the fathers, Pharisees and the scribes looked We would say, “Why aren’t you
‘The Lord your God will raise up down upon sinners, those most in helping? Don’t you see how much
for you a Prophet like me from your need of their help, as illustrated in there is to do? You’re so lazy!”
brethren. Him you shall hear in all the parable of the tax collector and Such an emotional reaction is
things, whatever He says to you. And the Pharisee (Lk 18:9–14). While the understandable, but we need to
it shall be that every soul who will tax collector stood at a distance, look beyond our emotions and try
not hear that Prophet shall be utterly in shame, the Pharisee self- to understand the other person’s
destroyed from among the people.’ ” righteously lifted himself above the situation. Perhaps he is depressed,
(Acts 3:22–23) tax collector. The Pharisee never or simply too tired, physically, to
considered how difficult it might be help with the chores. Likewise, the
Jesus was that very Prophet, and He for the sinner to come before God. spiritually inert member may be
wanted the people to understand weary and in need of strengthening.
how important it was to heed His In contrast, when Jesus looks at No matter what, he needs some
words. He spoke the truth not to a person, He does not look at his understanding.
condemn, but to bring salvation. So outward appearance; He looks at the
Jesus spoke with “the tongue of the heart. He considers his situation. In times of hardship, it is comforting
learned,” in the words of Isaiah— He looks past his fault and sees his when someone understands what
that is, He did not rely on human needs. He would not so much as we are going through. Jesus can
eloquence, but on the authority of extinguish smoking flax (Isa 42:3). sympathize with us because He
the truth. His intention was to turn When Jesus sees the weary, He is suffered and was tempted just as
people to God, so that they could moved to help them. we are (Heb 4:15). He came to help
repent and be strengthened. It was the weary. Often, we say to Jesus, “I
a heavenly message for a heavenly What would we do if we see am tired and weak; have mercy on
cause. a brother who appears to be me.” We know how to advocate for

25
EXHORTATION

ourselves before God. But as God’s new every morning (Lam 3:22–24). He also had love. He was kind, but
servants, we also need to show So when we wake up to the Father, firm. Is this not what we need in the
this same love and mercy to other we must give others the same family of God? Would we rather have
people. This means overcoming chance. Just as God has given us others express the truth through
our natural tendency to be self- so much love, support, and time to genuine love, or have them hide it
centered. change, we should give others the out of discomfort or fear of offense?
same. Jesus always gives us true love, even
WAKE UP TO GOD though the truth sometimes hurts.
When Jesus was on earth, He was SPEAKING IN TRUTH AND
In the true church, we do not
awakened morning by morning LOVE
want to mollycoddle each other
(Isa 50:4). As He woke from physical Jesus sees our weaknesses and
by only speaking pleasing words.
sleep, His heart and ears were also knows that we are but dust. But His
Only through hearing the truth
awakened, so that He could hear as compassion only goes so far. When
can our hearts truly change. The
the learned. He did not wake up to we are weak and turn away from
easy option is to say what the other
Himself, to do His own things—He Him, He does not say, “She’s having
person wants to hear, but that may
woke to the Father. Each morning, a tough time; let it go. She’s not in
not enable him to draw closer to
He was ready to go to the Father to the right frame of mind; her heart
God.
learn, and the Father was ready to is elsewhere.” When we are lost and
teach Him. following the world, Jesus does not Jesus was not sent to speak God’s
keep silent. He warns us. words only to those willing to
When we wake up, how do we
hear, but also to those who were
approach the day? As a parent or a Jesus spoke out when He was unwilling. If it had been us, we
teacher, we may endeavor to teach with the tax collectors and the might have asked, “Why send me to
our children, but nothing seems prostitutes. Even though He was someone who won’t listen to me?
to work. We get frustrated, our friendly with them, He told them You know that they won’t listen—
children get frustrated, and our that they needed to repent. Only if what is the point?” But Jesus did not
relationship with them suffers. But they would change and come to Him speak with partiality or personal
each morning, we have two options: would He give them eternal life. preference. He treated everyone
either we wake up to ourselves, or Jesus is faithful; He sympathizes the same, even those who might
we wake up to God. If we commit with our weaknesses, but He wants have made Him feel uncomfortable.
to following the Father’s teaching, us to be reconciled with God. He He reached out to everyone, even
instead of following our heart and speaks to us through different though He was rejected by His own
feelings, then we will be better people—those who understand people. He did not rebel against His
equipped to teach our children and what we are going through but are mission to offer eternal life to all
serve our family. compelled to speak when they see (Isa 50:5).
how we have neglected our spiritual
Every day, Jesus woke up to the Are we only kind to those we love?
life.
same people—His disciples. They How do we treat those we do not
were able to perform signs and When Jesus taught, He did not teach like very much, or who reject us? If
miracles, and even share His as the scholars did. He spoke the we submit to our mission, as Christ
teachings. Yet they would quarrel word of God with authority, but did, we would not turn from anyone.
among themselves and argue over
who was the greatest. It would have
been natural for Jesus to wake up If we fight for the truth and speak the
thinking, Ah, this hopeless bunch;
truth, we may be rejected by our friends and
they’ve walked with me for years and
yet they haven’t changed. But did family. But if we set our hearts to do God’s
Jesus have this kind of heart? Of will and stand for the truth, we will have done
course He did not. our part. We may suffer misunderstandings,
Jesus’ compassion and mercy are but God will remember and help us.

26
 EXHORTATION

Today, to serve like Christ is to

serve with love. To love is to act
without expectation of repayment
or reward. If a friend places great
importance on every gift being
reciprocated—remarking on every
dinner bill they pick up that is
not promptly followed by a favor
in return—how long would this
friendship last?

Our Lord Jesus does not keep score—

He gives freely, in the hope that we
will learn to be like Him. Today, as
servants in God’s household, do not
seek or expect repayment for doing
good. Do not look for results that
show our investment was worth
it. Jesus never served for His own
satisfaction; He served to glorify the Maybe we are afraid of how people We may suffer misunderstandings,
Father, and to further His mission. will react. Why are we sometimes but God will remember and help us.
afraid to tell the truth to our friends He is the One who justifies us. If we
SERVE IN SPITE OF SUFFERING or brothers and sisters? Because hold fast to the truth, eternal life
“I gave My back to those who struck we are afraid of how they will react. will be ours.
Me, One who is deceived and has turned
And My cheeks to those who plucked away from the truth will only have CONCLUSION
out the beard; the chance to repent when the truth When Jesus was in this world, He did
I did not hide My face from shame is spoken to them. So why would we not withdraw from uncomfortable
and spitting. withhold the truth? Even if they and challenging situations. He
For the Lord GOD will help Me; turn against us, at least we have faced them head on and spoke the
Therefore I will not be disgraced; tried. But if we let fear of suffering truth, so that there would be no
Therefore I have set My face like a stop us from speaking the truth, confusion or uncertainty. Only then
flint, then we have not done our best. would people have the chance to
And I know that I will not be escape from the grasp of the devil.
Jesus was disgraced; He was
ashamed.” (Isa 50:6–7)
nailed on the cross as a sinner If we understand and speak the
These two heart-wrenching verses and mocked. He gave everything truth, then we show ourselves to be
reveal Jesus’ sacrificial heart. While He had, completely and without true servants of God. If we look to
many people repay good with evil, reservation—He owed nothing God for teaching and compassion
Jesus did the opposite. He never more to God or the people. Even every morning, and we speak His
turned away from being the Savior though He suffered greatly, Jesus words in the face of rejection and
of the world, no matter what He knew that it was only for the short suffering, then we will be able to
suffered. He gave His whole heart term. He understood that the joy serve like Christ. And at the end of
and His whole self to His work. And that would come afterwards would our service on earth, we will gain
He was resolved to complete His be everlasting (Heb 12:2). the joy that awaits us in heaven.
mission, despite knowing that He
would suffer and be rejected, even If we fight for the truth and speak
to the point of death. the truth, we may be rejected by our
friends and family. But if we set our
Why do we sometimes find ourselves hearts to do God’s will and stand for
unwilling to preach the gospel? the truth, we will have done our part.

27
28
29
30
31
EXHORTATION

A Letter to Our Youths:

Jonathon Chou
Hillsborough, New Jersey, USA

Sharing
the Grace of God
In January 2017, Elder Jonathan Chou
retired after working thirty-one years as a The more abundantly I experienced grace
full-time preacher. Manna invited him to
share his experiences in faith and service
and love from God, as I learned and served
to the Lord with the youths of the church. Him, the more unworthy I felt.

H
allelujah! Greetings of
house to pray for my father. When reuniting a family on the brink of
peace, in the holy name of
they came, my father was lying on disintegration. And we continued
Jesus, to our youths in the
the bed, almost unconscious. But as to live a life of peace and joy in the
Lord. May the grace of the Lord be
they prayed, he saw a vision; he was Lord. My father lived to the ripe old
with you always!
then filled with the Holy Spirit and age of eighty before he rested in the
spoke in tongues. He could feel his Lord. Till this day, his testimony
COMING TO THE TRUE remains constantly in my mind.
CHURCH body lifted up, and found himself
bouncing up and down on the bed
My father fell ill when he was forty-
in a kneeling position. After this, GROWING AND SERVING IN
two years old. His baffled doctors
were at their wits’ end trying to he was completely healed by the THE TRUE CHURCH
cure his mysterious sickness. One Lord. Hence, our entire family was I was baptized not long after birth
of our elderly relatives—a member baptized. We were a family saved— and am considered a second-
of the True Jesus Church—brought both literally and spiritually. The generation believer in the True
her fellow church members to our Lord had restored our father to us, Jesus Church. Growing up in the

32
 EXHORTATION

church, I have witnessed God’s this. However, there are also many enjoyed as a king. Instead, he
great power and infinite grace. After who have lost the truth and left sought to always be in God’s temple,
working in secular society for ten God; this thought grieves me. More inquiring of the Lord and beholding
years, I was very grateful to receive recently, some youths have openly the beauty of the Lord. He was just
the opportunity to join the full-time expressed their many doubts in waiting to see the Lord’s face, and
ministry. The more abundantly I their own faith. Consequently, to awake in the Lord’s likeness (Ps
experienced grace and love from they distance themselves from the 27:4; 17:14–15). Only God is able to
God, as I learned and served Him, church, causing all of us in the give us all-encompassing joy and
the more unworthy I felt. church much sadness and regret. peace, and the everlasting living
hope.
Young brethren in the Lord! In our world today, there are
Every young man and woman many opportunities for success CHERISH AND USE YOUR
has aspirations and dreams for and growth. People generally YOUTH
the future. I believe you are no believe that intelligence and hard Young brethren in the Lord! Youth
different. You have been raised in work will lead a man (or woman) is a prime period. You ought to
the era of information explosion— to success, wealth, a respectable seize this time to know the Lord
the digital age—a world of artificial social status and a luxurious life. your Creator, to fear Him and rely
intelligence and rapidly advancing The church also hopes to see her on Him to guide your way (Ps 25:12).
cutting-edge technologies. You youths succeed in their studies Man’s times are in God’s hands (Ps
live in an epoch where cultural and work, to contribute to society. 31:15). As the proverb goes: “A man’s
development is at its peak. Such However, we must remember that heart plans his way, but the LORD
progress has irreversibly changed our hopes are not merely for and directs his steps” (Prov 16:9). The
our human values—modern man’s
in this life. A Christian must have Preacher wrote: “The race is not
thirst for materialistic fulfillment
a more profound vision to see to the swift, nor the battle to the
and instant gratification of his
the true significance and value of strong, nor bread to the wise…But
desires is overwhelming. While
human life. The Bible tells us that, time and chance happen to them
life will present you with vast
by faith, Moses grew up and let go all” (Eccl 9:11). Solomon also urged:
opportunities, it will also be full of
of his status as the grandson of “Trust in the LORD with all your
challenges and snares. The smarter
the king, as well as the riches in heart, and lean not on your own
man becomes, the less he will rely
the palace. Unwilling to enjoy the understanding; in all your ways
on God. The more a man pursues
passing pleasures of sin, Moses acknowledge Him, and He shall
social status and accumulation of
chose to suffer with the people of direct your paths (Prov 3:5). It is God
wealth, the more he will neglect his
God, looking forward to the future who gives you the power to create
faith, and the more easily he will
reward. By faith, he saw the Lord wealth (Deut 8:18).
lose himself to the base precepts of
who is invisible (Heb 11:23–25).
the world.
David started off as a shepherd boy Abraham was chosen and blessed by
and became the king of a nation. God, so that he might command his
PERSEVERING TO THE END However, he was not complacent children to keep the way of the Lord,
Young brethren in the Lord! We over the glory and pleasures he to do righteousness and justice. If
must truly understand what a
supreme blessing it is to be of
the chosen children of God. We The church also hopes to see her youths
have received the word of life, the succeed in their studies and work, to
true grace of God, so we ought
to stand firm in this grace (1 Pet
contribute to society. However, we must
5:12). Amongst the brethren I remember that our hopes are not merely for
grew up with in church, some are and in this life. A Christian must have a more
still holding fast to the truth and
fervently loving the Lord; I thank
profound vision to see the true significance
the Lord in every remembrance of and value of human life.

33
EXHORTATION

life alone, so “what profit is it to a

man if he gains the whole world,
and loses his own soul” (Mt 16:26a)?
Once a man leaves God, he is like a
branch detached from the tree—he
can do nothing ( Jn 15:5–6). Once
upon a time, King Solomon used
all his energies and abilities to
pursue wisdom, status, wealth and
pleasure. However, once he gained
everything he desired, he realized
that everything under the sun is but
vanity, and all effort little more than
grasping for the wind. Having spent
his entire life searching, he came
to this conclusion: “Fear God and
keep His commandments, for this is
man’s all” (Eccl 12:13); and everyone
has to face up to God’s judgment.
Abraham did so, God would fulfill foundation of faith for ourselves,
what He had promised to him (Gen and hold fast to eternal life, then [D]o not look at the things which are
18:18–19). On account of Abraham, we would have attained life’s true seen, but at the things which are not
God also blessed Isaac (Gen 26:3– significance and value. seen. For the things which are seen
5). He had his father’s faith and are temporary, but the things which
thus obeyed God’s instruction by Young brethren in the Lord! Human are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor 4:18)
sowing in Gerar. Despite the great life is short; let us not waste precious
time. It feels like just yesterday when [May God] give to you the spirit
famine, Isaac reaped in the same
I was working hard to complete my of wisdom and revelation in the
year a hundredfold (Gen 26:12–13).
studies and build my career. In a knowledge of Him, the eyes of your
Although the local residents eyed
blink of an eye, I have become this understanding being enlightened;
him jealously, and the needs of
old retiree. Memories of yesteryear that you may know what is the hope
his cattle compelled him to move
are still vivid in my mind. However, of His calling, what are the riches of
around constantly, Isaac would
the past is like the ephemeral mist the glory of His inheritance in the
build an altar to inquire of the
at dawn. A person is like a sojourner saints, and what is the exceeding
Lord every time he arrived at a new
in this life, and life is like a cloud greatness of His power toward us who
place, even before he set up his tent believe, according to the working of
and a dream. Beautiful moments,
and dug wells (Gen 26:25). His mighty power. (Eph 1:17–19)
like flowers, will eventually wither
and fall. Only our labor in the Lord
For Isaac, worshipping God took
will never be in vain (1 Cor 15:58). BEWARE OF EVIL
precedence over his family, which
Man’s hope is definitely not in this Young brethren in the Lord!
came second, with his livelihood
in third place—this is precisely the
model for our pursuit of a successful
life. Apart from living for ourselves, We are living in the last days, which is an evil
we must make resolutions for the time. The devil knows his days are coming to an
Lord, live for the Lord, and manifest
Christ in our lives. Like the saints of
end, so he will use all his might and employ all
old, we marry and have children, kinds of trickery to deceive and tempt man into
walk with God, faithfully practice sin. Perilous times have come; let us not sleep,
the words of the Lord, fear God
but instead watch, remain sober and pray.
and love man. If we build this good

34
 EXHORTATION

Since the days of old, advanced

civilization is often accompanied
by the proliferation of evil, which
eventually leads to the judgment
and destruction of God. The Lord
Jesus reminded us to remember
the days of Noah. The people then
were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the
day that Noah entered the ark.
They were oblivious until the flood
came and destroyed everything
(Mt 24:37–39). The sulphuric fire
upon the city of Sodom, the fall of
great Babylon overnight, the city of
Pompeii—filled with music, dance, Elder Jonathan Chou (bottom right) and his family.
revelry and extreme indulgence,
turned into ashes in the blink of an
eye as the volcano erupted—history (Heb 11:7). Solomon said: “Rejoice, grace of our true God, the love of
is replete with many more examples O young man, in your youth, and our Christ Jesus and the movement
that serve as warnings for us. let your heart cheer you in the days of the Holy Spirit abide with us all,
of your youth; walk in the ways of generation after generation, forever
We must be discerning and your heart, and in the sight of your and ever. Amen.
recognize that we are living in the eyes; but know that for all these God
Emmanuel.
last days, which is an evil time. The will bring you into judgment” (Eccl
devil knows his days are coming to 11:9). You must be separated and
His servant,
an end, so he will use all his might consecrated—come out from sinful
Jonathan Chou
and employ all kinds of trickery Babylon, lest calamity befalls you
to deceive and tempt man into because of your sins (Rev 18:1–8).
sin. Perilous times have come; let
us not sleep, but instead watch, TREASURE HIS GRACE
remain sober and pray. The will of Dear brethren in the Lord! We were
God is for us to abstain from sexual once Gentiles who were unworthy.
immorality; each of us should know However, in the Lord’s exceedingly
how to possess his own vessel in abundant grace, He chose us. Like
sanctification and honor (1 Thess wild olive branches that have been
4:3–5). You must emulate the ancient grafted onto good olive trees, we
saints in being the righteous must truly treasure this grace
people of your generation. Learn bestowed upon us, and hold fast to
from Noah, Daniel and Job—they His word to the end (Rom 11:24–26).
delivered themselves by their Be like Paul, who was determined to
righteousness when faced with keep himself in the love of the Lord,
God’s judgment (Ezek 14:14). The writing that “neither death nor
hearts of people were evil during life, nor angels nor principalities
Noah’s time, and they were thus nor powers, nor things present
destroyed by the flood. Only Noah, nor things to come, nor height nor
who was righteous and blameless, depth, nor any other created thing,
obeyed God’s every instruction. shall be able to separate us from the
Moved with godly fear, he prepared love of God which is in Christ Jesus
an ark and saved his household our Lord” (Rom 8:35–39). May the

35
TESTIMONY SECTION

Lemuel Leong

God Opened
Papar, Sabah, Malaysia

a way for
His Church
I
n the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, I testify of how God has
The new landowners started to resort to
protected the local True Jesus unscrupulous means to pressure the
Church (TJC) in Papar, a town some church.
thirty-one kilometres from the
state capital Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
landowner’s use. Both parties In 2015, we were told that the
In the first half of 2016, the church consented to this land exchange ownership of the neighboring
in Papar received an almost and signed an agreement letter, but property had passed to the
constant barrage of harassment the landowner failed to submit his former landowner’s niece and her
and persecution over a land- land title deed for amendment, so husband. During that year, the
ownership dispute. Back in 1979, neither of the deeds was updated new landowners tried repeatedly
the church negotiated with the
to reflect the land exchange (i.e., to sell the entire property to Papar
then-landowner of the neighboring
the landowner’s land for an access TJC. Because the government had
property to open an access route
road in exchange for the three feet requisitioned this piece of land for
between the main road and the
church grounds. It was agreed that, of church land along the roadside). future road expansion, the church
in return for this access route, the This discrepancy is the source of naturally declined the option to
land along the roadside boundary the misunderstanding that led to an purchase it. At this point, the new
of the church property would be ugly dispute between the current landowners started to resort to
moved back by three feet for the landowners and the church. unscrupulous means to pressure

36
 TESTIMONY

the church. They used the un- During those four months, the did not leave immediately. On
revised land title deeds to accuse members felt as though they hearing this, I decided to wait and
the church of unlawful use of their were walking through a dreadful see what would happen. A Papar
land—the access road. On a few wilderness, under the scorching church member, Brother Janik, and
occasions, they even entered the heat of the sun, beset by dangers all I contacted the members to pray
church after Sabbath worship to around. They had to tread carefully, for the matter, and then we left the
openly threaten the members. They guarding against the ambush scene to have dinner in town.
demanded that the church either of the evil one. As the resident
buy the land, or pay thirty-six years’ preacher, I continued to comfort At 6 pm, we returned to find the
worth of back rent for using the the members with the word of God, church signboard torn down and
disputed land as an access road. and encouraged them to trust in the discarded on the road; it was being
Lord—to pray that He would stretch run over by passing vehicles. A lamp
by the fence was also smashed. The
WAITING FOR GOD’S out His almighty hand and perform
landowners’ car was blocking the
INTERVENTION a great work, inspiring awe in all
who heard about it (1 Sam 3:11). church entrance, and both husband
In January 2016, the dispute and wife were there, together with
intensified. The current landowners a burly man with long hair and a
dumped a heap of rubble on the THE AMAZING INTERVENTION
beard. Not wanting to aggravate
road, blocking the main entrance OF GOD
the situation, we contacted the
to the church and preventing our On 1 April 2016, the landowners police and waited for them in the
members’ cars from accessing the blocked off the access road to the car. But when the police arrived,
parking area. Sister Rukina Logidu, church with an iron chain. By this the wife viciously slandered the
the General Affairs Officer, quickly point, the Executive Committee of church using offensive language,
organized the removal of the the Sabah General Assembly (Sabah and refused to give way.
obstruction. But, shortly after, the GA) had become very concerned,
landowners repeated their action, so they also began to petition the One of the police officers reminded
and even threatened to build a row LSD for help. On 8 April, an LSD me to take a photo of the damaged
of toilets on the disputed land! officer verbally confirmed that signboard, but a strange thing
the disputed piece of land—the happened when I tried to do so—my
The church reported these incidents access road—indeed belonged to smartphone was unable to focus to
to the police, but the police did the TJC, and that the neighboring take the photo. I tried again with
not deem them to be criminal in landowners had encroached onto Brother Janik’s phone, but his phone
nature. They referred our brethren the church’s property. The church also could not work. When the same
to the State Government’s Land and could simply remove the iron chain. thing happened with a third phone,
Survey Department (LSD) to resolve But in doing so, we ignited the spark I somehow realized that this must
the matter. After the complaint that led to the final confrontation. be the interference of the evil one.
was lodged, the LSD needed time I shouted out, “In the name of the
to retrieve the relevant documents At 4 pm that same day, I arrived at Lord Jesus,” and finally managed to
from state archives. The waiting church to find the male landowner take the photo.
period was agonizing. Members waiting in a rage. He warned us
came for church services every that he had ordered a truckload of At that very moment, the wife let
Friday and Saturday fearing the debris to block the road again—cars out a painful scream and sat down
landowners’ harassment. Some parked on the church compound on the ground. One of the police
even chose to attend Sabbath would be trapped if their owners officers remarked that she was
services at other nearby TJCs. Apart
from frequent follow-ups with the
LSD, the members had nowhere During those four months, the members
else to turn, so they resolved to felt as though they were walking through a
rely on God. With weekly fasting
prayers, they implored God to open
dreadful wilderness, under the scorching heat
a way for them. of the sun, beset by dangers all around.

37
TESTIMONY

buy the piece of land and the

problem will be solved!”

I remained calm, saying, “If you

are able to produce evidence that
the road belongs to you, then the
church will happily pay a reasonable
compensation.”

Without another word, the

landowner turned to walk five steps
to his car, and picked something up.
In the dim light, I could not make
out what was in his hand. But in the
split second that he raised it, I saw
that he was holding a wooden stick.
With the close proximity and force
of the strike, it was impossible to
escape, so I shouted, “Hallelujah!”
The members looking on also
Clockwise from top left: Access road to church blocked by iron chain;
shouted, “Hallelujah!”
broken lamp, access road blocked by rubble; True Jesus Church in Papar.
In that instant, the landowner’s
arm froze as though it had been
pretending. But I replied, “It is our Brother Janik’s car if I did not come
stopped by a powerful force. He
God who has started to work.” down.
could not move forward at all. He
Immediately after I said this, the I arrived at the church car park then lowered the stick and shouted,
wife fell unconscious. The husband to find the landowner screaming “Amen! Amen! I’m a Roman Catholic
and his companion rushed her to out of his mind, along with his believer!” He appeared extremely
the hospital, but before he left, the companion. He had evidently frightened. His companion helped
landowner fixed me with an angry been drinking—the members later him to his car. But before they left,
stare. He stretched out his hand and found seven empty beer cans at he threatened to return to burn
warned, “If anything happens to my the entrance. He pointed at me down the church. That night, four
wife, you are finished!” furiously and shouted, “My wife is brothers and I guarded the church
in the hospital, and it’s your fault!” until morning.
Having witnessed all of this, the
police officers advised the church to I replied, “I didn’t do anything to The next day, we learned that the
file a report against the landowners’ your wife. Please calm down; we can landowner had gone to the police
intimidation and vandalism of discuss and try to find a solution.” station after leaving the church
church property—this was now a to file a report. But he was still in
criminal case. “There’s nothing to discuss—just such shock that he could not speak.

At 8 pm, I led the congregation in a

special prayer service to thank God With the close proximity and force of
for His preservation, and to petition
the strike, it was impossible to escape, so I
God for His continuous care. After
the service, a sister nervously shouted, “Hallelujah!” The members looking
informed me that the landowner on also shouted, “Hallelujah!”
had returned. As I walked down In that instant, the landowner’s arm froze
the stairs, a group of church
youths reported in panic that the
as though it had been stopped by a powerful
landowner was threatening to torch force.

38
 TESTIMONY

Despite months of persecution and

provocation, the members did not resort to
retaliation. They entrusted the matter to
God, who protected them from violence and
exposed the landowners’ misconduct.

After waiting for some time, the not resort to retaliation. Instead,
police officer advised him to return they responded with resilience,
home to calm down before making clearing away each obstacle and
a report. When he returned the doing all things according to the
next day to file the report, he said law. Above all, they entrusted the
that the minister of the TJC used matter to God, who protected
witchcraft to harm his wife. Of them from violence and exposed
course, the police did not entertain the landowners’ misconduct. By
such an irrational accusation. God’s hand, they came through this
crisis peacefully. No matter what
GOD FINALLY OPENED A WAY persecution and tribulation faced
On 27 April, we received good news by His church, God is in control; He
from the Sabah GA. They had found will execute judgment at the right
the signed agreement letter in their time, and bring comfort to those
documents archive, and passed it to who suffer for righteousness’ sake
Deacon Agur of Papar TJC. Relevant (1 Pet 3:14).
documents were then submitted to
[Your patience and faith in all
the LSD to confirm that the land
the persecutions you endure are]
actually belonged to the church, and
manifest evidence of the righteous
to request a letter of confirmation
judgment of God, that you may be
be sent to the current landowners
counted worthy of the kingdom of
of the neighboring property as soon
God, for which you also suffer; since
as possible.
it is a righteous thing with God to
On 3 May, the LSD issued a formal repay with tribulation those who
letter to the landowners, and sent trouble you, and to give you who are
a duplicate to the church, verifying troubled rest with us when the Lord
that the access road indeed belongs Jesus is revealed from heaven with
to the True Jesus Church, and His mighty angels. (2 Thess 1:5–7)
that the landowners are forbidden
May all glory and praise be unto
from blocking the road. On 28 May,
our heavenly Father, Jesus Christ,
we received news that the female
whose peace and grace are always
landowner was still in a coma and had
upon the believers in His church.
been transferred to Kota Kinabalu
Amen.
Central Hospital. Since then, the
church has not encountered any
further harassment.

Thank God for His constant

presence with His church in Papar.
Despite months of persecution
and provocation, the members did

39
 TESTIMONY

John Vun

God’s Unfailing Grace in a Troubled Land: Penampang, Sabah, Malaysia

Reflections
on the
Mindanao Ministry
INTRODUCTION of a foreign hostage by Abu Sayyaf far removed from our everyday

I
f we were to search for the term militants,1 and the Islamic State lives, and nothing to do with us. But
“conflicts in Mindanao” on the beheading of a police chief and do you know that God has reached
internet, we would find a long list slaughter of at least another twenty out to the local populace on this
of groups made up of government- people in a retaliatory rampage troubled island, and that a group
backed separatist rebels and across Marawi.2 What goes through of His people, our brethren, lives
religious extremist militants. These our mind when we read a news there?
include the Moro Islamic Liberation report of such lawlessness? No
Front (MILF) and pro-Islamic State doubt we see it as just another When we discuss the ministry in
groups such as Abu Sayyaf. And as incident from some remote island the Philippines, we usually focus
we read on, we would discover the 1 Kathy Quiano, Nadine Schmidt and Angela Dewan,
on the church in Manila on the
constant threat of violence faced “German hostage beheaded by Abu Sayyaf militants in northern island of Luzon, or on the
Philippines,” CNN, February 28, 2017, http://edition.cnn.
by the inhabitants of Mindanao com/2017/02/27/asia/philippines-german-behead-abu- True Jesus Church training centre
sayyaf/index.html.
(the main island in the southern at Mansilingan in the Western Srednekolymsk

2 “IS behead police and kill 20 in Philippines,” Sky News,

region of the Philippines). Recent Visayas of the Philippines. For many
RUSSIA
Salechard
May 25, 2017, http://www.skynews.com.au/news/world/
asiapacific/2017/05/25/is-behead-police-and-kill-20-in- Ust'-Nera

acts of terror include the beheading philippines.html. years, overseas workers sent by the Anadyr'

Cernyπvskij

Jakutsk

Surgut Lensk

Magadan Jamsk

Palana

T'umen' Tomsk Bratsk

Jekaterinburg Krasnojarsk Ajan
Kurgan Kemerovo
Omsk Novossibirsk
Petropavlovsk
Never
Magnitogorsk Barnaul Abakan
Qostanay Ocha
Pavlodar Petropavlovsk-
Irkoutsk Ekiman
Gorno-Altajsk Oulan-Oude Kamatskij
Astana Kyzyl Tchita
Komsomol'sk-
oral Orsk Semipalatinsk na-Amure
Karaganda Ust'-Kamenogorsk
Poronajsk
Birobidan

KAZAKHSTAN Zhezqazghan
Oulan-Bator Chabarovsk
Aqtau

MONGOLIA
Balqash Juno-
8 Harbin
Sachalinsk

Qyzylorda
3

Almaty Yining 4 Changchun

Ussurijsk
Taraz
OUZBEKISTAN
2 2 Fushun Vladivostok
Sapporo
Bichkek
GEORGIE Tbilissi
Nukus Shymkent
6 7 Shenyang
Daşoguz KIRGHIZISTAN 2 Baotou Hohhot
ARMENIA AZERBAIDJAN
TURKMENISTAN 3 NORTH KOREA
TURKEY
Erevan
Bakou
Tachkent Kashi 5 Beijing
Turkmenbashi Samarkand Shache 1 Yinchuan
Pyongyang

CHINA
Tianjin
TADJIKISTAN
JAPAN
Aşgabat Dushanbe Seoul
Tabriz
Mary 9 4 Taiyuan Shijiazhuang
Inchon
Alep Mahshahr Tsingtao
1 Xining Lanzhou
5
Jinan SOUTH KOREA Pusan Tokyo
Hama Teheran Kobe Nagoya
SYRIA Hamadan Herat
4 Zhengzhou Osaka
7
LIBANON
Beyrouth
Damas
Baharestan Kaboul Srìnagar Xi'an 8
Esfarayen AFGHANISTAN Islamabad
IRAK Bagdad Lahore Amritsar
Hefei Nanjing
Amman
IRAN QuettaFaisalabad
Chengdu Wuhan
Shanghai
ISRAEL Abadan Kandahar Hangzhou
Basrah Lhasa
JORDAN
Abu Dhabi
Delhi NEPAL Chongqing 3
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Bandar Abbas Sukkur New-Dehli Katmandou 11 Thimphou
BHOUTAN Changsha
Nanchang

SAUDI ARABIA Manama PAKISTAN Jaipur Lucknow Thimphou Guiyang

O M AN Muscat Patna Kunming
BAHREIN Doha Kànpur Fuzhou
Taïpei
Riyadh MYANMAR
Abou Dhabi 6
QATAR
Karachi BANGLADESH
Bhopàl Canton TAIWAN
INDIA
Medina UNITED ARAB Dacca Nanning
EMIRATES Ahmadàbàd Indore Calcutta Chittagong
Mascate Mandalay Hong-Kong T'ai-nan
Jamnagar
Hanoi Macao
Mecca Hai Phong
Nàgpur Cuttack LAOS
Haikou
Bombay Chiang Mai Vientiane
O M AN
Hyderàbàd
Rangoon

YEMEN THAÏLAND Manila

6. DIGOS
VIETNAM
C
Sanaa
1. BATUNGAN 1. ZAMBOAGA
H Madras
Bangkok
CAMBODIA P 1. IMELDA
PHILIPPINES
5

7. TAGUM 2. LANAO
Aden

2. BAYOG 2. IPIL
Bangalore
Hô-Chi-

CHURCH HOUSE Prayer

Phnom Penh Minh-Ville

8. MARAGUSAN
Cebu

3. LAPUYAN 3. MOLAVE SRI LANKA House 3. EDEN

Jaffna
Trivandrum

OF
4. MACULAY WORSHIP 4. TUKURAN 9. LUTIMAN 4. OLUTANGA
Davao
Colombo BRUNEI Sandakan
Bandar
Seri Begawan

5. TABINA 5. GENERAL SANTOS 5. SILINGAN

Male Kuala Lumpur
MALDIVES Medan MALAYSIA
Singapour

6. NAPOLAN
Kuching Manado
Samarinda
Pontianak

7. LAPERIAN
Padang
Banjarmasin
Palembang

8. OZAMIZ
Ambon
Ujungpandang
Tanjungkarang-
Telukbetung

Yogyakarta

Locations of the True Jesus Church on Mindanao, Philippines.

INDONESIA

40
 TESTIMONY

South East Asia Evangelical Center

(SEAC) and, from 1995 onwards, by
the Philippines Mission Committee
(PMC) under the Sabah General PHILIPPINES
Assembly, have centered their work
LUZON
on these politically more stable Manila

areas.
VISAYAS
Yet, it is in the southern island of
Mindanao where the majority of Cebu City

our brethren resides. The PMC

MINDANAO
has faced many challenges when Cagayan de Oro

sending workers there, as the Davao City

threat of kidnapping and killing

of foreigners remains high. Since
the early 2000s, the situation in
Mindanao has been very tense due
to bombings, kidnappings and the between 1985 and 1992 to pastor and • In the same year, three United
killing of Christian hostages. For evangelize in the Philippines. Some Pentecostal Church (UPC) pastors
security reasons, the PMC has had notable events are as follows: visited the True Jesus Church
to make several painful decisions to in Mansilingan. After much
cancel training courses for religious • In 1986, a pioneering trip discussion and deliberation, one of
education teachers and youth was made to Mindanao Island to them accepted the truth and was
short-term theological courses proclaim the gospel of salvation. baptized. When he returned home
over the years. Twelve adults and eight children to Pagadian City on Mindanao, he
in Digos, Davao Del Sur, Mindanao shared the newfound truth to his
Mindanao Island is the second
accepted the gospel and received UPC congregation. Many of his
largest in the Philippines, with a
water baptism on June 21, 1986. close friends and relatives believed
land mass of 40,360 square miles.
The first person who was baptized, and converted into the True Jesus
There are currently eight churches,
Constancia Abueva, saw a vision of Church. This is what led to the
five prayer houses and nine places
glorious bright light, and was filled establishment of the church in
of worship, with a total of 1,132
with great joy. Praise the Lord, Pagadian on July 11, 1987.
members. Because of how widely
the true church had reached the
dispersed the places of worship are,
Southern Philippines. THE GOSPEL SPREADS
the Mindanao ministry is divided
into four administrative zones, and • On March 20, 1987, during one of Despite threats from armed rebels
three deacons have been engaged to the missionary trips to Mindanao, that restricted foreign missionaries
strengthen the pulpit ministry and another sixteen observers were from coming to Mindanao, the
pastor the flock. convinced by the truth preached gospel truth proliferated in
by the true church and accepted Mindanao by other means:
FIRST SEEDS water baptism. The Prayer House
Live Radio Evangelism: This radio
The SEAC made a series of administration was organized to
show, initiated by a local worker,
missionary trips to the Philippines pastor the flock.
was broadcast for thirty minutes
every week. Between 1991 and
1997, the weekly True Jesus Church
Do you know that God has reached out to Padagian radio program served
the local populace on this troubled island, and the remote rural populations of
Zambonga Del Sur and Lanao Del
that a group of His people, our brethren, lives Norte. Many devout Christians of
there? other denominations would travel

41
TESTIMONY

under the control of this preacher,

and church members were locked
out from attending church services.

One local minister, supported by

overseas preachers sent by the PMC,
stood up to defend the truth and
the basic beliefs of the true church,
encouraging the members to stand
firm in their faith. For one year,
eighty members congregated at the
house of this minister’s mother.
They were constantly reminded to
hold fast to the truth ( Jn 8:32) and
reject false teachings (Gal 1:8–9).
They also prayed for God to provide
them a new place of worship. Their
prayers were answered by a dream
Clockwise from top left: True Jesus Church in Napolan, Eden, and a vision.
Bantungan and Bayog.
The wife of this local minister
dreamed of two ships. The first ship
to the church in Pagadian to study The work continued throughout the was boarded by the ex-preacher
the doctrines of the true church. 1990s with church workers carrying and his family, and it was old and
The churches in Maculay, Laperian out the evangelism and pastoral dilapidated, sailing on murky
and Tabina were established work in northern Zambonga Del waters. The second ship, which
through radio evangelism. Sur. Two additional prayer houses carried the church members, was
were established, at Lingatan, in big and new.
Literary Ministry: Many truth- 1994, and Bayog, in 1996.
seekers came to know the truth Later, the minister’s wife also had a
through the Words of Life pamphlets The True Jesus Church continued vision during a prayer service. She
published by True Jesus Church, to grow in Mindanao between 2002 saw the church members in a large,
and 2006, with prayer houses being new building, with a True Jesus
and were baptized by SEAC and IA
established at Ipil, Silingan, Bukong, Church signboard on the front.
missionary workers.
Tukuran and Cagayan De Oro.
Indeed, the Lord provides (Gen
In this troubled land, the Lord’s 22:14). God guided an ex-UPC
grace never failed. During the ninth THE STORMS pastor to accept the true doctrine
missionary trip to Mindanao, from As the church grows, the devil will of salvation. He was baptized on
May 1 to 13, 1991, when workers also work in the attempt to hinder February 17, 2005, and received
were sent to pastor the churches such growth. The churches in the the Holy Spirit. Later, his partially
in Pagadian and Lanao, thirty- Southern Philippines experienced completed chapel was sold to the
three people were baptized. One one of their earliest storms in the True Jesus Church. The Lord had
of these was a lady who had form of deviant teachings by the first indeed answered the prayers of the
been suffering from a post-natal preacher ordained in Mindanao, Pagadian members, and provided
neurological complication which who was subsequently dismissed them a new place of worship at
caused paralysis in both legs. She from his position. During this time, Napolan.
was baptized on May 9, after being the church in Pagadian and the
transported to the site by a bullock SEAC-funded religious education CHALLENGES
cart. Miraculously, by the grace and classrooms and missionary On top of the political unrest, our
mercy of Jesus Christ, she was able quarters, costing MYR 35,655.20 Filipino brethren in Mindanao
to walk after her baptism. (around US $9,389 at the time), were also face other difficulties. Some

42
 TESTIMONY

SOME STATISTICS

of these are shared here so that, poverty remains a critical problem CONCLUSION
with the spirit of unity in Christ, we in the country, and the problem is We thank the Lord Jesus for His
can help to carry their burdens in worse on Mindanao. These factors amazing grace over the past
prayer and extend our love through have resulted in the migration of thirty-four years, for the growth
other means, if God gives us the working parents and youths to and preservation of the church in
opportunity to do so. larger commercial centers, such such a challenging environment.
as Cebu and Manila, or overseas to The selfless servitude of the early
Church Leadership: Because the the Middle East in search of higher missionary workers, in caring
pastoral work is heavily dependent wages to support their families. for the spiritual welfare of the
on only two preachers, the church Understandably, many aspire to lift Mindanao members, is worthy of
growth has been slow. The PMC their families from the vicious cycle our emulation.
is now focused on training the of poverty. For those of us living in politically
core local church workers in
and economically stable countries,
active pastoring, youth spiritual Lack of Manpower: The greatest let us remember our brethren in
development, and the expansion consequence of urban migration (as the Philippines, as well as countless
of systematic religious education. mentioned above) is the dwindling other countries, where there is
Strengthening these areas is vital manpower in local churches and civil unrest and uncertainty. The
in laying a firm foundation for prayer houses. This affects the next time we read of kidnappings,
sustainable church growth. momentum and implementation of conflict and killings in the Southern
the holy work in Mindanao. Philippines, spare a thought and a
Poverty: The Gross National
Income of the Philippines per prayer for our brethren living there.
Lack of Financial Self-sufficiency: May the Lord Jesus continue to
capita is US $3,580 (2016),3 and the
poverty rate is 21.6 per cent (2015).4 Most of the members are either strengthen the faith and love of the
With an under-employment5 rate farmers or fishermen, so the members in Mindanao.
of 16.1 per cent (in April 2017),6 offerings received by the church
to support the ministry are still
3 “Philippines,” The World Bank Data, accessed lacking. The PMC has embarked on
September 21, 2017, https://data.worldbank.org/
country/philippines. training the local church treasurers
4 “Farmers, Fishermen and Children consistently in how to manage the financial
posted the highest poverty incidence among basic sec- administration of the church, in
tors,” Philippine Statistics Authority, accessed September
21, 2017, https://psa.gov.ph/poverty-press-releases. order to gain the confidence of
5 The rate at which the labor force are employed for the members. In addition to this,
fewer hours than they desire or need.
tithe offerings by faith (Mal 3:8–10)
6 “Labor and Employment,” Philippine Statistics need to be emphasized in the pulpit
Authority, accessed September 21, 2017, https://psa.gov.
ph/statistics/survey/labor-force. ministry.

43
TESTIMONY

Aun Quek Chin

My Journey
Singapore

of
Serving the Lord
A BOY’S SPIRITUAL
AWAKENING I pleaded with the Lord Jesus, “O Lord,
please give me the Holy Spirit. Otherwise,

I
grew up in the church at Kulim,
a town in the state of Kedah in there is no way I can become a preacher to
north Malaysia. Back then, we pastor Your flock.”
had no deacons or sermon speakers,
so deacons from other churches in
when I finished my studies, I would urgency to receive the Holy Spirit,
the state would be sent to Kulim to
become a preacher to help deliver otherwise we would not be able
conduct services. Every Sabbath,
sermons and pastor the flock of to enter the kingdom of God. We
my family would travel an hour
God. prayed earnestly during the many
by bus to church. But there were
prayer sessions, and by the final
times when—after a long wait—we When I was around fifteen, in my
session, I was the only one who had
would find out that the assigned third year of high school, I attended
not received the Holy Spirit.
deacon could not make it. In those a spiritual meeting. At this meeting,
instances, we would simply pray Elder John Yang from Taiwan spoke
together and then go home. If no on the judgment of the last day Receiving the Holy Spirit
one turned up within half an hour, from the Book of Revelation. His During the final prayer session
then it was likely that there would sermons really stirred us and made dedicated to praying for the Holy
be no service that week. Seeing this us realize how close the day of the Spirit, everyone was interceding for
state of affairs, I told myself that, Lord was. We suddenly felt the me. I was very touched, despite my

44
 TESTIMONY

anxiety, to hear their pleas on my same time, I felt some stress. Since poverty. After I had established
behalf. However, after a while, my God had granted me the Holy Spirit, myself, then I would think about
sense of urgency decreased when I had to fulfill my part by offering how to help the church.
I realized that the last day would myself for full-time ministry.
not come immediately and I would Ahead of me would be poverty My mother saw the change in me
still have time to pray for the Holy and the opposition of those who and thus gently reminded me,
Spirit. Then, it occurred to me that did not believe in having full-time saying, “It has been some time since
without the Holy Spirit, I would not preachers. we had a family service.” We still
be accepted to train as a full-time held a nightly service, but we would
preacher. My anxiety levels rose A YOUTH’S PREPARATION AND just pray—there was no more hymn
again because I really wanted to CRISES singing or sermon speaking. My
pastor the church. I pleaded with mother added, “Do you realize that
Sermon Speaking and Religious your prayer is different from the
the Lord Jesus, “O Lord, please give Education
me the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, there past? Is there something wrong?”
Returning home after the spiritual Although I knew clearly what was
is no way I can become a preacher meeting, I changed my aim in life.
to pastor Your flock.” wrong, I did not reply.
I no longer focused solely on my
studies and the pursuit of wealth. A Warning Vision
As I prayed in this manner,
In order to equip myself to be a One night, I was very tired so I
suddenly, a deep sorrow welled up
preacher, I consistently read the decided to have an early night. As
within me. The Lord’s words came
Bible and church publications. In it was only 7 pm, my mother asked
to mind, “Are you willing to suffer
order to practice sermon speaking, through my closed bedroom door
as a preacher?” In those days, a
I started a nightly family service. I if I was sick. Before I could reply,
preacher’s life was a hard one. As
made my younger siblings sit and I heard a frightening cry, like from
the believers were very poor, the
listen to me speak. My parents were a horror movie. I tried to open my
church could not afford to pay the
also supportive and would often eyes and get up, but I could not
preachers much. In addition, not
attend the service. At the same time, do either. I have had nightmares
all church leaders supported the
I took the initiative to start religious before in which I could not move,
idea of having full-time evangelists.
education classes at home, roping but after some time, I would wake
Because all church workers
in my siblings and cousins to be my up and realize it was a dream. This
in Malaysia at that time were
students. experience was different. I had
volunteers who served the church
in their spare time, they could not just lay on the bed, and was not yet
Loss of Motivation asleep. I heard my mother clearly
understand why a preacher could
That was how I started preparing but could not answer her. Because
not do the same.
myself, but such fervor did not last. I had not replied, she called out
Even so, I told the Lord that I was My enthusiasm gradually waned again—I was hoping she would
willing. I wanted to pastor the because I had no one to encourage come into my room, but instead, she
flock of God. I was afraid of neither and guide me. Those little ones just remained outside, grumbling to
difficulties nor poverty. I was came to listen to me only because herself.
then moved by the Holy Spirit. I I forced them to, so I felt less and
cried so hard that I could not pray less motivated to speak. As my faith The terrifying voice grew louder and
properly. When that prayer ended, grew colder, I returned to my old sounded like it was approaching me.
my friends beside me were certain ambitions—to do well in my studies, I felt like I was being dragged out of
I had received the Holy Spirit. They to graduate, to work, and to escape bed, and I fainted from the shock.
had heard me speaking in tongues,
but I could not be sure because I
had been crying during the prayer.
I told the Lord that I was willing. I wanted
to pastor the flock of God. I was afraid of
In the next prayer, all my doubts
disappeared when I clearly spoke
neither difficulties nor poverty. I was then
in tongues. I was joyful but, at the moved by the Holy Spirit.

45
TESTIMONY

When I regained consciousness, I

found myself walking down a dark
By then, I was praying extremely
road, or rather, being dragged fervently. I repented before the Lord and asked
along it. Human wails came from for forgiveness. I told the Lord I no longer
both sides, but it was so dark I
wanted the mortarboard or wealth; I just
could not even see my own fingers,
let alone see who was wailing. I did wanted to become a preacher. As I kept
not think that I had been taken to praying, repenting of my sins, a light
hell. Neither could it be judgment suddenly shone down.
day because the Bible describes the
last judgement and hell as a lake
within me. I felt deeply blessed to I no longer aimed to graduate and
of fire, and this did not match my
have the Lord as my Savior—I had attain great wealth; I no longer
surroundings. So I wondered to
seen how people suffered because sought the material pleasures the
myself, “What place is this?”
they did not have the Savior to save world could offer. I just resolved to
Later, I was taken to a brighter them. A cloud hovered above my be a good preacher.
place. There was a queue, so I head. I was so excited, thinking this
joined it. Facing the queue was would be my moment of salvation. Test of Resolution
a man clothed in black. He held But the cloud drifted away. I was Since the minimum requirement to
a sword shaped like a fish bone. devastated—the Lord had left me become a full-time preacher was a
When those in the queue reached behind. In fear and sadness, I cried high school certificate, I planned
the front, other black-hooded men out, “O Lord! Save me!” to apply for preacher training on
would drag them before this man. my graduation from high school.
It was then that my mother ran But when the time came, I did not
He would then stab them with his
into my room. “What happened?” register because I had found a
fish-bone sword. The scene was so
she asked anxiously, “Why are you good job in tin mining. It was easy
vivid that I still remember it today.
shouting?” work with a high wage. No formal
What was even more haunting were
the cries of those who had been I replied, “Nothing happened. But qualifications were required, but it
stabbed. They would fall to the let us pray.” was dangerous work. 1
ground, writhing and wailing, but
When I knelt down to pray, I was I was paid $600 per month. For
they could not die. I knew with a
filled with the Holy Spirit. I felt comparison, a primary school
sense of dread that I was going to
like an abandoned baby who was teacher was paid $300 per month,
be the last one.
suddenly saved. I was filled with and a full-time preacher started
By then, I was praying extremely joy, but a tinge of fear remained. at $60 per month. When I told my
fervently. I repented before the In fact, so intense was the fear of mother that I wanted to become a
Lord and asked for forgiveness. I abandonment, I can still feel it full-time preacher, she asked me
told the Lord I no longer wanted today. to consider carefully. She thought
the mortarboard or wealth; I just that I would be better off working
wanted to become a preacher. As As we continued to pray, I wept at my full-time secular job and
I kept praying, repenting of my aloud. My prayer was so loud that helping out part-time in sermon
sins, a light suddenly shone down. my nearest neighbour, whose house speaking. My monthly salary was
The cacophonous wailing stopped. was about two hundred meters
away, could hear me. The following 1 I worked as a water jet operator for a tin
And from the source of the light mining company in Ipoh, Malaysia. High-
emerged melodious music, as if day, she asked my mother what had pressure water jets (known as monitors) were
there was a large group of people happened to me to make me cry so aimed at ore-bearing cliffs to break the earth up.
The resultant slurry (mud) would be washed into
singing; the music slowly drifted piteously. From that day onwards, the pit. The tin ore could then be separated from
over to me. I thought, The Lord has we resumed our family services the earth by panning, or by a gravel pump used
to pump the material up a huge wooden sluice
answered my prayers. I waited for the with sermon speaking and hymn box to trap the tin ore. The job was dangerous
Lord to save me. That anticipation singing. On my part, I readjusted because the pit would grow increasingly steep,
causing mudslides that could trap and kill the
caused overwhelming joy to well up my ambitions and direction in life. miners.

46
 TESTIMONY

a huge contribution to our family I looked again, it was gone. I could The voice within me kept echoing,
finances. However, my mother left still hear bleating, so I took another “Away on the mountains wild and
the decision to me. careful look in case it had run off bare.”
at my approach. The sound was
I thus told the Lord Jesus that, very clear—a continuous and pitiful I understood. In order to help my
because my siblings were still cry—and I felt a deep sorrow. I even family, I had delayed applying to
young, I wanted to work for a few went out to the top of the hill (where train as a preacher. However, in
years to support my family before the house of God, there were many
the engine room was located) in
becoming a full-time preacher. who needed pastoring. I had only
case the sheep had wandered there.
Moreover, the concept of a full- thought of my own family, I had not
But I found no sheep.
time preacher employed by the considered the house of God. My
church was still not well accepted. Suddenly, I felt a pain in my heart. It family was poor, but no one had yet
I told myself that perhaps the time seemed as if someone was singing lost their physical or spiritual lives.
was not right yet, and I continued in the hymn, The Ninety and Nine,2 In the house of God, many sheep
my secular career. within me. The first verse goes: had already gone astray. If there
were no shepherd to pastor them,
A PREACHER’S CALL AND There were ninety and nine that they would sin and die spiritually.
TESTING safely lay in the shelter of the fold.
At that point, I resolved to join the
Motivation But one was out on the hills away far
ministry. My colleagues and my
off from the gates of gold.
One day at work, I heard a sheep boss asked why I suddenly quit
Away on the mountains wild
bleating. I wondered who would rear when I was doing well at work.
and bare, away from the
sheep in such a deep pit; perhaps They were anxious to retain me
tender shepherd’s care...
MYANMAR
a lost sheep had wandered to our because few youths were willing to
mine. I worked in the engine room 2 By Elizabeth C. Clephane (1830–1869). work so far from the city, in a quiet
and was in charge of switching on
Mandalay
(or off) the water supply for the Hanoi
monitor pump when instructed. Hai Phong I had only thought of my own family,
LAOS
Hearing the sheep’s bleating, I
Chiang Mai
I had not considered the house of God. My
Vientiane
stood up and left the engine room to
family was poor, but no one had yet lost their
takeRangoon
a look. To my surprise, I saw a
sheep right in front of me. But when physical or spiritual lives.
THAÏLAND VIETNAM Manila
Bangkok
CAMBODIA PHILIPPINES
Hô-Chi-
Phnom Penh Minh-Ville Cebu

Davao
Kota Kinabalu
BRUNEI Sandakan
Alor Setar Kota Bahru Bandar
Seri Begawan

MALAYSIA
Ipoh
Kuantan
MedanKuala Lumpur
Johor Bahru
Singapour Kuching Manado
Samarinda
Pontianak
Padang
Banjarmasin
Palembang
Ambon
Ujungpandang
Tanjungkarang-
Telukbetung

Yogyakarta
47
TESTIMONY

From that time onwards, I no longer support? Some questioned whether

I took up full-time ministry because
grumbled; I only hoped for the Lord’s will to I could not further my studies.
be fulfilled. That period was a great trial for
My wife and I had to suffer these
me, but the Lord helped me again and again. hardships but neither of us regret
His love and comfort enabled me to persevere my service as a preacher. Although
to the very end. we faced opposition and disdain, the
Lord never spurned our offering.

place with nothing much to do. his resolve, so we can judge whether
The Lord’s Abidance through
They initially thought I had found a he is suitable to be a preacher.”
Dark Valleys
lucrative job, but when I told them
Acceptance There were many occasions when
I was quitting my $600-per-month
Hence, in 1973, I was officially I was discouraged and wanted to
job to earn $60, they laughed and
appointed to minister the churches give up. I did not want my wife to
asked whether I was mad. I assured
in West Malaysia and Singapore. have to suffer this unfair treatment,
them I was not.
A year later, my application to so, at one point, I decided to leave
the full-time ministry. I knew that
Application train as a full-time preacher was
accepted at another GA meeting; this would disappoint the Lord
In 1972, at the age of nineteen, because He had guided and helped
my original probation of two years
I lodged my application to be a me all along the way. But by then,
was effectively cut to one. In 1974,
trainee preacher with my home I had had enough. I asked the Lord
I was sent to Taiwan to attend the
church of Kulim. This was accepted to forgive my decision. Although I
theological course.
at a meeting of Malaysia’s northern felt guilty, I really could not imagine
region churches. They decided that I was the first church-funded having to suffer these hardships for
I should shadow and learn from preacher from West Malaysia the rest of my life.
the deacons as they went about to participate in the theological
their pastoral work. The General course. It was also the first time As all these thoughts were running
Assembly (GA) of West Malaysia the Malaysian churches had started through my mind during prayer, the
and Singapore would discuss my training a full-time preacher. image of the Lord Jesus praying in
application at the annual year- Two sisters from Malaysia had the Garden of Gethsemane came to
end delegates conference. In the gone to Taiwan to participate in mind. The words of Jesus sounded
meantime, I was sent to different the theological course a few years in my heart, “Can you not suffer
towns to deliver sermons. before. However, both of them were with Me for a moment longer?”
self-funded. 3 Moved by the Holy Spirit, I wept. Of
By the end of 1972, at the Annual course, I gave up that decision. Had
Delegates Conference, the meeting
Challenge the Lord not always helped me, I
attendees could not reach a would have given up long ago.
It was not easy to be the first
consensus over my application.
theological student in Malaysia
Church leaders who had opposed There was also a time—spanning a
because of the church’s financial
the church’s employment of full- few years—when I went through an
situation. A trainee preacher had to
time preachers continued to oppose especially difficult time. My sister
be prepared to suffer financially and
the approval of my application. was suffering the last stage of cancer,
even psychologically. For instance,
However, some supported my and her pain was so excruciating
I was regularly asked why an able-
application. Finally, two elderly she would cry out loud. It broke
bodied youth like myself could not
ministers suggested, “Why don’t my heart to see her in pain. I had
make his own living—was I not
we allow him to work in the West interceded, even with fasting, and
ashamed to depend on the church’s
Malaysia and Singapore churches asked the Lord to lessen her pain
for two years? For one thing, it will 3 In fact, in those days, the church did not but apparently to no avail. Some
allow sisters to speak on the pulpit. If there
allow us to get to know him better. were no brothers to interpret, the sisters had to
seized that moment to criticize
And for another, it will be a test of interpret from below the pulpit. me. At that time, the International

48
 TESTIMONY

Assembly of the True Jesus Church

was grappling with the case of
a preacher who had committed
many misdemeanors. This preacher
enjoyed a high profile and many
supporters. As I had openly spoken
out against his conduct, I was
accused of maligning him because
of my jealousy. They even cited all
the grief I was suffering—my wife’s
miscarriage, my father’s demise,
and my sister’s painful cancer—as Preacher Aun Quek Chin (left).
evidence that I was wrong to speak
up against him. Suddenly, the image of the Lord From that time onwards, I no
nailed on the cross appeared before longer grumbled; I only hoped for
It would have been easier for me. I saw people taking something the Lord’s will to be fulfilled. That
me to adopt a neutral, self- to the Lord, but He did not accept period was a great trial for me, but
protective stance—to keep quiet it. The Bible records that after they the Lord helped me again and again.
and allow this (now) ex-preacher crucified the Lord Jesus, the Roman His love and comfort enabled me to
to continue speaking sermons and soldiers gave Him vinegar mixed persevere to the very end.
conducting Holy Communion. But
with myrrh. This mixture was
as a servant of the church, it was
intended to reduce His physical A RETIRED PREACHER’S
my responsibility to take care of the
agony on the cross—an act of GRATITUDE FOR GRACE
church. So I spoke out. Yet in trying When I look back and see how I was
compassion from the soldiers. But
to do the right thing, I was seen able to last until the end of my official
the Lord refused because He had to
as the wrongdoer. It was indeed tenure as a full-time minister, I can
suffer on our behalf.
suffering upon suffering. see God’s preservation and God’s
My sister could reduce her pain by grace. I offered up my youth for the
Honestly, I did not know what to tell
increasing her dosage of painkillers. Lord, but He allowed me to enjoy
the Lord during prayer. I could not
But she knew that this came at the the latter years of my life with my
cease praying but I literally did not
cost of shortening her life further, so wife. Throughout these many years,
know how to pray. Often, I just knelt
she just endured the pain. My vision I have indeed experienced much
there in silence, almost as if I were
helped me explain to my sister, of God’s grace. It is the Lord who
giving the Lord the cold shoulder.
“This is the suffering that our Lord led us personally through those
But I was not—I simply did not know
wants us to go through. During His difficult days.
what else to do or say. I continued
to kneel before Him because He crucifixion, He could have reduced Today, in my retirement, God has
was the only One I could rely on. In His pain, but He did not do so, for given me a more peaceful life. I
my grief, I finally grumbled to Him, our sakes. If we are suffering today, may not know what tomorrow will
“Why should I suffer these things? and there is nothing to stop us from bring but I know that the Lord will
Have I not suffered enough? You relieving our suffering, then we be there to guide me. The Lord
have not helped me!” should thank the Lord.” will guide all of us through all the
tomorrows He has prepared for us.
I was willing to put my hand into the
The Lord will guide all of us through all Lord’s nail-scarred hands, and let
the tomorrows He has prepared for us. I was Him lead. Are you willing?

willing to put my hand into the Lord’s nail-

scarred hands and let Him lead. Are you
willing?

49
COLUMN SECTION—YOUTH

Adapted from lectures

by Steven Shek

Marching
Edinburgh, UK

to
Zion
Editor’s note: This article is based on a
series of lectures given to youths at the Whether we gain entry into heaven
National Youth Fellowship in Newcastle,
UK, from September 30 to October 2, 2016.
depends on the way we live our lives, which,
in turn, depends on our value system.

I
n 2017, the True Jesus Church
is one hundred years old. Over We would be similarly motivated The apostle Paul’s famous cry of
the past century, the church has in our onward journey if we knew victory was that he had fought the
been marching to Zion, for Zion is what God has prepared for us in good fight, finished the race, and
where she will receive salvation (Ps the future—entry into the kingdom kept the faith (2 Tim 4:7). The good
14:7). But the journey is not yet over. of heaven. However, whether we athlete not only runs fast, he must
It is the will of God that we continue also finish the race. Similarly, the
gain entry into heaven depends on
marching onward (Eph 4:1–6, 13). good soldier not only marches with
the way we live our lives, which, in
perseverance, he marches right till
turn, depends on our value system.
The ancient saints would journey the end.
to the physical Zion—the city of The twenty-first-century world is a
Jerusalem—three times a year, world of advanced technology and
because they knew that those who convenience, but it is also a world PIECE TOGETHER A
dwell in God’s house are blessed. that assails us with values contrary FRAGMENTED TRUTH
For this reason, they called the to God’s word. Therefore, we have The church in the time of the apostles
house of God “lovely” (Ps 84:1–4). to strive to remain on the right path. started on the right path, since she

National Youth Fellowship 2016, Newcastle, UK.

50
 YOUTH

received the complete truth from

Jesus. However, after a few decades,
Like those thousand-piece jigsaw
as heresies crept in, the Holy Spirit puzzles, building up our personal faith may
departed from the church. Without occasionally be difficult, if not downright
the Spirit’s guidance, the truth frustrating. ... The solution lies with God and
became fragmented and the church
eventually splintered into many
the guidance of His Spirit. On our part, we
denominations. But then the Holy have to persevere and complete the puzzle
Spirit descended in 1917 to once piece by piece.
again unify and piece together the
fragmented truth.
the application of His teachings— Joash’s Heart of Persistence
The early workers of the revived while looking at the pattern of Joash became king at the tender
church had the complete truth. But sound words (2 Tim 1:13). age of seven, and set his heart on
the future of the church depends repairing the house of God (2 Chr
on the systematic transmission Like those thousand-piece jigsaw 24:4). At the time, God’s people
of this complete truth from one puzzles, building up our personal had turned to worshipping idols,
generation to the next. The failure faith may occasionally be difficult, leaving the holy temple in a ruined
to do this—whether as a church or if not downright frustrating. At state. This young man resolved to
individually—will mean that the such moments, we may even doubt bring the people back to God.
truth will again fragment. that the puzzle can be completed.
The solution lies with God and the King Joash did not do this work
With regard to our personal faith, alone; he gathered the priests and
guidance of His Spirit. On our part,
imagine it as a jigsaw puzzle. When Levites, and despatched them to
we have to persevere and complete
we are young, our faith may only collect money for temple repairs
the puzzle piece by piece, even
consist of four pieces, and these and maintenance. However, the
though there may be times when
are easily assembled. But as we Levites were slow to act, thinking it
we lose interest or are distracted by
grow and listen to the word of God, would be too difficult a task, or even
other pleasures (2 Tim 3:1–5).
we realize there are actually more impossible. Yet the king did not
pieces to the puzzle, and this will give up, nor was he disheartened.
take us much more time to piece KEEP OUR HEART LOYAL TO Instead, he encouraged the chief
together. To complete a jigsaw GOD priest Jehoiada and the Levites,
puzzle, we usually begin with the On their pilgrimage to Jerusalem, insisting that this work had to be
corners and edges—building the the ancient saints felt in their done, because it was the will of God.
frame—before filling in the middle, hearts that it was far better to be in They placed a chest at the gate of the
all the while constantly referring to the courts of God (Ps 84:10). If, on house of the Lord and, to the priests’
a photo of the finished puzzle. This our own journey to Zion, we do not surprise, the people rejoiced and
task takes time and there is no short have this same heart of delight for filled the chest day after day. This
cut. Similarly, when we try to build God, then we must ask ourselves was how they managed to restore
our faith and knowledge of the whether our heart is still loyal to the temple to its original condition
truth, we must first put the frame God or whether it has been affected (2 Chr 24:13).
in place. This frame may comprise by sin.
key components of the truth such King Joash’s loyal heart towards God
as the church’s ten articles of faith, As members of the true church, and spiritual perseverance resulted
the five essential doctrines, the redeemed by the blood of Christ, we in the restoration of God’s temple.
Ten Commandments, and so on. have been made kings and priests Burnt offerings were once again
We build on the foundation of the to God (Rev 5:9–10), with Christ as offered to God. We should have the
apostles and prophets, with Christ our Sovereign. How can we be kings heart of Joash, desiring and working
Jesus Himself as the cornerstone with a heart for God? We can learn towards a church full of heart and
(Eph 2:20). Next, we fit in the other from two young kings in the Old spirit for God. Moreover, we need to
pieces—a deeper knowledge and Testament: Joash and Josiah. have the same heart of perseverance

51
YOUTH

If we find we do not care for the truth— knowledge of it or defending it—it

may be because our hearts have
i.e., we are not interested in deepening our already been captured by the world.
knowledge of it or defending it—it may In these circumstances, we become
be because our hearts have already been people who are in the world and of
the world (cf. Jn 17:16). Blinded by
captured by the world. the world’s glittering pleasures, we
are not able to see God’s presence
in all spiritual matters, even when of ways to help our brethren build in our lives.
our minds tell us it is too difficult or rapport, and become more pleasing
downright impossible. to God (cf. Col 1:28)? We have heard the many testimonies
of God’s amazing work when the
Josiah’s Faithful Pursuit of God Holy Spirit descended again to re-
AVOID THE BIGGEST THREAT:
establish the true church. However,
King Josiah started his reign at COMPLACENCY
eight years old, and he did what today, one hundred years after this
The people of Israel and Judah were establishment, it may be difficult
was right in the eyes of God—he
often complacent, believing that for us to see God’s power and
did not deviate to the left or to the
they would always have peace and consistent presence in our service,
right (2 Chr 34:2). He sought God at
security. But in fact, they regularly as witnessed in the early days. That
a young age and began to purge the
incurred God’s wrath through their is why we must renew our focus on
idols from his kingdom at the age
actions. Even worse, they would Zion.
of twenty. Later, Hilkiah the high
often reject the warnings of the true
priest found the Book of the Law and
prophets of God. False prophets told We must believe that we are the
Shaphan the scribe read it before
these people the things they wanted one true church, even though we
the king. When Josiah realized
to hear ( Jer 6:14; Ezek 13:10), which were not present when the Holy
that God was angry at the people’s
further fed their complacency. As Spirit descended to re-establish
iniquities, he tore his clothes
they were not in the truth, they His church on earth. Jesus said to
(2 Chr 34:19–21). With this enhanced
could not see how the warnings of His disciple Thomas, “Blessed are
understanding, King Josiah made a
God’s prophets concerned them. those who have not seen and yet
covenant to follow the Lord and to
have believed” ( Jn 20:29), and this
keep His commandments with all If we want to explain the truth, includes us today. We must never
his heart and soul. He also made the we must be in the truth and lose faith in the fact that, both
people of Jerusalem and the tribe of constantly desire to remain in it. individually and collectively as a
Benjamin take a stand (2 Chr 34:31– For our hearts to be in the truth, church, we belong to God and will
32). we must first have a believing heart. be blessed by Him.
During Christ’s ministry, the Jews
Just as Josiah sought after God from
a young age and purged idols from
rejected Him and did not believe GALVANIZE OUR SOUL
in Him. Thus, they could neither As we continue to march towards
his kingdom, we too must pursue
understand His teachings nor see Zion, our heavenly goal, we will
God’s word and remove falsehoods
how these concerned them. The encounter difficulties that can
from our lives. By enhancing our
devil prowls around, waiting for distract us from piecing together
own understanding of how to
us to demonstrate the slightest our faith and cause us to deviate
please God, like Josiah, we will
doubt in God or the tiniest sliver from the right path. To overcome
know the state of our faith and be
of scepticism towards His word. these challenges, we must have a
better equipped to piece it together.
He is waiting for us to listen to the galvanized soul.
King Joash and King Josiah both word of God and ask, “So what?”
implemented changes in their It is at this point that the devil Galvanization has two definitions:
kingdom to please God. Josiah also will take the truth away from our the first is to excite or to stir up into
took steps to ensure that he and his heart (Mt 14:4, 9). If we find we do sudden activity. We often try to stir
citizens did not become complacent not care for the truth—i.e., we are ourselves to act, but this feeling does
(2 Chr 34:33). Do we constantly think not interested in deepening our not last long. When hardships arise

52
 YOUTH

or temptations beguile, these often become complacent, and if our reveal the design of the temple to
dampen the initial excitement; we hearts are still loyal to God. them (Ezek 43:10–12). For us today,
then lose the drive to continue. If if we want to see the blueprint
we run on adrenaline alone, we of the end-time true church, we
SEEK AND FOLLOW THE
may burn out quickly, leading to need to be prepared to confess our
BLUEPRINT OF THE END-TIME
unfinished tasks and feelings of iniquities (1 Jn 1:9). When we see our
TRUE CHURCH
failure. Clearly, such galvanization own iniquities, the shame we feel
is of little help in overcoming the All that we have faced, and will face,
will drive us to seek forgiveness
difficulties we face on our journey. is part of our journey of life and faith.
and improvement through prayers
The generations before us were able
to God. And when we constantly
But there is another type of to overcome all difficulties, and kept
turn to Him, He protects us from
galvanization: the application of a their faith based on the blueprint
the corrosion of the world and
protective layer to prevent rust and given to God’s people. Not everyone
corrosion in metal. It is dipped into a transforms us, enhancing our
can see this blueprint. Only those
hot solution to obtain this protective spirituality.
who truly turn their hearts to God
layer. Similarly, we were dipped can see the blueprint found in the
into the blood of Christ during Old Testament. Spending more time with God will
baptism. Additionally, we have to not only help us to understand
apply the truth and His teachings God instructed the prophet Ezekiel ourselves better, but will also allow
to our daily lives. In other words, it to describe the temple to the people us to see the blueprint of the church
is our faith and the truth that will of Israel, so that they might be clearly. The more we understand
protect our hearts, minds and souls ashamed of their iniquities. And the design that God has for His
against the corrosive influences of only when the people were ashamed church, the more we can help each
the world. Over time, it is possible of all they had done would Ezekiel other on this journey to Zion.
for this protective coating to be
scratched, thus allowing corroding
elements to reach the soul beneath. It may be difficult for us to see God’s
That is why it is important to be in
constant contact with God, to keep
power and consistent presence in our service,
the protective layer scratch-free. as witnessed in the early days. That is why we
must renew our focus on Zion.
To check whether our soul is
still galvanized or whether our
protective coating has worn
away, we can ask ourselves three
questions:

1. Are our feelings, thoughts and

actions holy?

2. Are our feelings, thoughts and

actions loving?

3. Are our feelings, thoughts and

actions righteous?

If we can answer yes to all three,

then we still have a galvanized soul.
If the answer to one or more of
these is no, then we need to check
if we are in constant contact with
God. We need to assess if we have

53
YOUTH

For they shall be the descendants of

the blessed of the LORD,
And their offspring with them.
It shall come to pass
That before they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I
will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed
together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
And dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all
My holy mountain,”
Says the LORD. (Isa 65:17–25)

The glorious new creation described

in this passage refers to the
perfection of God’s mountain—the
true church. In this perfect church,
ZION, OUR FINAL live but a few days, the members will rejoice in relying
DESTINATION Nor an old man who has not fulfilled on God, and God will rejoice in His
his days; people’s care for the church. God’s
God spoke of a new creation to the
For the child shall die one hundred people will have a new perspective
prophet Isaiah:
on life: no longer is life short and
years old,
miserable, but every moment is a
“For behold, I create new heavens But the sinner being one hundred
welcome opportunity to serve and
and a new earth; years old shall be accursed.
sacrifice to God. They will build up
And the former shall not be They shall build houses and inhabit
their faith and enjoy a life of faith,
remembered or come to mind. them;
knowing their labor is not in vain.
But be glad and rejoice forever in They shall plant vineyards and eat
These members will serve God in
what I create; their fruit,
truth and with a sincere heart; their
For behold, I create Jerusalem as a They shall not build and another
children will follow and be blessed.
rejoicing, inhabit;
God will be a Father to His people,
And her people a joy. They shall not plant and another eat;
knowing their needs before they
I will rejoice in Jerusalem, For as the days of a tree, so shall be
even call out to Him.
And joy in My people; the days of My people,
The voice of weeping shall no longer And My elect shall long enjoy the May our one-hundred-year-old
be heard in her, work of their hands. true church be unflagging in her
Nor the voice of crying. They shall not labour in vain, march towards such perfection.
No more shall an infant from there Nor bring forth children for trouble;

In this perfect church, the members will

rejoice in relying on God, and God will rejoice
in His people’s care for the church. God’s
people will have a new perspective on life: no
longer is life short and miserable, but every
moment is a welcome opportunity to serve
and sacrifice to God.

54
 FAMILY

Derren Liang

Passing Down
Irvine, California, USA

the
Faith
IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE
A CHILD Within our spiritual community of the
church, we have the responsibility to inculcate

A
s the proverb goes, “It takes
a village to raise a child.” spiritual values in our children—to preserve
This expresses the received and pass on our faith.
wisdom that parents will struggle
to raise a child by themselves. But,
our spiritual community of the secular society, each family follows
beyond parental limitations, the
church, we have the responsibility the culture to which it belongs,
proverb also implies that the whole
to inculcate spiritual values in our but in the church, we follow the
community bears a responsibility
children—to preserve and pass on teachings of the Bible. However, we
towards a child. A child raised
our faith. sometimes confuse the culture of
within a community to uphold its
values will grow up to become a the church with that of society. For
The family is the foundation of the
member of that community, thus example, in the United States, the
church, and the strength of the
ensuring the continuation of the church depends on the bonds within state provides a child’s education,
community and its identity. But if a every family. Therefore, building funded by taxes. Citizens can rest
child is not nurtured as part of the the church starts with building assured that paying their taxes will
community, he may go astray, or each family. This is not just about guarantee their children’s right
worse still, become a nuisance to cultivating a happy family, but, to education. Regrettably, some
that community. Similarly, within rather, a blessed Christian family. In brethren apply this concept to the

55
FAMILY

Regardless of the effort invested into we see families breaking down. On

the other hand, if we align ourselves
raising our children, we need God’s mercy. to God’s principles, He will bless
We must bring up our children in the faith— our family and shower His mercy
this is our duty—but the development of our on us.

children’s faith rests with God. Only the all- AND THESE WORDS YOU
powerful God can change people’s hearts. SHALL TEACH TO YOUR
CHILDREN
church setting, thinking that their The psalmist focuses on building “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God,
sole responsibility is to offer tithes and guarding, which can be likened the LORD is one! You shall love the
so that the church can provide to establishing a person’s faith. In LORD your God with all your heart,
religious education and foster their the context of a Christian family, to with all your soul, and with all your
children’s faith. This perspective, build a house is to build the faith of strength. And these words which I
founded on societal norms, goes our next generation, and to guard command you today shall be in your
against what we learn from the the city is to watch over their faith. heart. You shall teach them diligently
Bible. The psalmist also speaks of two to your children, and shall talk of
types of strength: that of the builder them when you sit in your house,
As the proverb we started with tells and the watchman, and that of God. when you walk by the way, when you
us, many resources are required God’s strength is needed even while lie down, and when you rise up. You
to raise a child. Couples spend so man discharges his duty. When man shall bind them as a sign on your
much time and energy parenting has worked to the best of his ability, hand, and they shall be as frontlets
that their lives revolve around God will fill in the gaps, to complete between your eyes. You shall write
their children. When it comes to what man cannot do on his own. them on the doorposts of your house
instilling faith in our children, the and on your gates.” (Deut 6:4–9)
church also puts in much effort. In addition, regardless of the effort
As part of tradition, devout Jews
However, if religious education invested into raising our children,
would memorize and recite these
does not begin at home, then the we need God’s mercy. We may
verses. Verse 4 starts with “Hear,
church will struggle in this task. plant and water, but God gives the
O Israel”—Israel, meaning “Prince
Indeed, parents cannot separate increase. We must bring up our
of God,” was the name God gave
themselves from the village and children in the faith—this is our
Jacob. Being a prince is glorious;
its responsibility. They are the duty—but the development of our
what more a prince of God? We, as
most important part of a child’s children’s faith rests with God. Only
princes of God, have freely received
community, playing the pivotal role the all-powerful God can change
this noble status and we must
in a child’s upbringing and faith. If people’s hearts. As we rely on Him,
pass it on to the next generation.
parents fulfill their duty, then the we need to pray that He increases
Today, many esteem their cultural
church can bridge the gaps. The the faith of the next generation. We
heritage, and invest time and effort
church cannot replace the family in should intercede on their behalf,
in passing it on to their children.
instituting religious education. Both just as Job regularly offered burnt
Those residing outside their country
parties share the responsibility of offerings for his children, in case
of birth will teach their children
raising the children in the faith. they had “sinned and cursed God in
their mother tongue and cultural
their hearts” ( Job 1:5b).
practices. Likewise, we who hold
THE LORD WHO BUILDS THE the noble status of princes of God
We also have the Bible as a guide to
HOUSE must esteem our spiritual identity.
leading a godly life. God establishes
Our earthly cultural roots may be
Unless the LORD builds the house, all things, including family units.
important to us, but the culture of
They labor in vain who build it; The Bible reveals the principles God
our heavenly Father is even more
Unless the LORD guards the city, has determined for His creation,
precious.
The watchman stays awake in vain.” but problems arise when men rebel
(Ps 127:1) against these principles. This is why The Bible describes three kinds

56
 FAMILY

of inheritance: children, material values for all to see, especially lifestyle of loving the Lord with all
possessions, and God Himself. our children. For instance, our heart, soul, and strength, our
Most of us desire to pass on to our should we enroll our children in children will most likely imitate us
children material security. We focus extracurricular enrichment classes to do likewise. Therefore, we must
on their education and academic on the Sabbath? The Sabbath day live a life of faith, and show our
achievements, hoping they will have is a day of rest and blessing from children the practical aspects of our
good careers and a high income. the Lord, a critical fact emphasized faith, daily. By demonstrating our
Understandably, most parents in religious education. But if we faith to our children and testifying
wish the best for their children: choose to enroll our children in to them the wonderful blessings we
abundant material possessions, such classes, our action advocates receive from God, we will be setting
and comfortable lives without a value system that conflicts with a good example for them.
financial burdens. However, such biblical teaching. We have to align
ourselves to the values of God, In Deuteronomy 6:7, we learn that
possessions are not eternal. Only
even in simple decisions, so we can we need to teach our children in
the unseen things of God are eternal.
demonstrate our beliefs and pass our house, when we walk, when
To receive God as an inheritance is
on the right values to our children. we lie down and when we rise up.
to receive blessings on earth and
This suggests spending time with
eternal life, far exceeding the value
them in order to have teaching
material possessions could bring. BEING ROLE MODELS
opportunities. A child is blessed if
There may come a time when our he can have his mother or father
It is imperative we recalibrate our children no longer heed our words, by his side throughout the day.
value system towards the things leading us to conclude that our Although the family will have less
of God above. We may wish to give only recourse is to pray for them. income, the stay-at-home parent
our children what people of this However, Deuteronomy 6 tells us can channel his or her love and
world deem as valuable; but more that the first step in educating our wisdom into raising the child.
importantly, we must give them children is not with words, but with The Bible tells us that the hireling
the best spiritual inheritance, that a lifestyle that demonstrates our does not care for the sheep as the
is, God Himself. At times, we may love for God (Deut 6:5). This love we shepherd does. Likewise, a nanny
view this heavenly value system as have for God must be manifested in is not an adequate substitute for a
beyond us, and irrelevant to our action and become our way of life. In parent.
lives. But, actually, every decision their formative years, children often
we make reflects and reveals our imitate their parents. If we lead a A critical and indispensable
platform in every Christian family
is family service. This service is
a regular session where parents
guide their children in Bible reading
and lead them in home worship.
In Paul’s letters to Timothy, he
refers to the younger man’s early
introduction to the faith:

[I thank God] when I call to

remembrance the genuine faith that
is in you, which dwelt first in your
grandmother Lois and your mother
Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you
also. (2 Tim 1:5)

…from childhood you have known

the Holy Scriptures, which are able to
make you wise for salvation through

57
FAMILY

colleges. As Christian parents,

we must understand that the best
university may not be the one
that is highest ranked or the most
prestigious, but the one where our
child’s faith can be strengthened.

In conclusion, we have to guide

our children towards God, to plant
the seed of faith in them, and to
nurture that faith so that our God
will become their God. As parents,
we have received this inheritance,
our children, from God. Hence,
we have a responsibility towards
our children and to God to ensure
that we preserve them in the faith.
It can be an uphill task for us to
be like Christ, so that our children
faith which is in Christ Jesus. as a sign on your hand, and they can imitate us. It may not be easy
(2 Tim 3:15) shall be as frontlets between your for them to see the goodness that
eyes. You shall write them on the our life of faith brings, and for us
Timothy was a third-generation to pass on our faith to our children.
doorposts of your house and on
believer, and his mother taught However, let us remember that all
your gates.” We can interpret these
him the Scriptures from an early things are possible through our
verses as instructions to establish
age, establishing his life of faith. Lord who strengthens us. May
a good Christian environment
Similarly, if we set up a family service God’s mercy continue to rain upon
for our children. Children are
and take every opportunity to share us so that we can instill this faith in
highly impressionable and the
our faith with our children, we can our future generations.
surroundings in which they grow
nurture their belief from a young
up will influence their character.
age. Establishing a family service
The environment should remain
requires having a daily schedule of
an important consideration
Bible reading and praying together
even when they are choosing a
as a family. By doing so, our children
university. Should they enroll in a
will develop a habit of cultivating
liberal college that will challenge
themselves spiritually, so they can
their religious values? Should they
remain rooted in the faith as they
select a college that is far away from
become more independent. If the
next generation recognizes the the nearest church? Consenting
importance of reading the Bible, to these choices is like sending
they will have God’s word as a lamp our children into the wilderness.
to their feet and a light to their path. Indeed, many seemingly strong
If they know how to pray on their youths have lost their faith because
own, God will strengthen and move of their decision to study at such
them.

A CHRISTIAN HOME
If we lead a lifestyle of loving the Lord with
Finally, in Deuteronomy 6:8–9, God
all our heart, soul, and strength, our children
says, “You shall bind [these words] will most likely imitate us to do likewise.

58
 MINISTRY

Clay Pot

Whom God Uses

California, USA

in
His Ministry (Part 2)
Editor’s note: In the first installment,
published in Manna 81, we examined two What and who are we praying for? How
characteristics that God seeks in those
who serve Him: a surrendered heart and
much time do we spend in prayer? Are our
a rooted faith. In this concluding part, we prayers set on God’s work, or are they set on
will look at four more characteristics that
God’s servants should develop in order to our material desires?
be used by God more powerfully.

As present-day Christians, we may the eternal promises of God. Our

A MIND SET ON THINGS ABOVE be so caught up with the world daily activities should be centered
that we spend our time, money, on the knowledge that there is more
Set your mind on things above, not and energy on things that do not
on things on the earth. (Col 3:2) to life than just the “here and now.”
last, failing to take heed of Jesus’
warning: “Heaven and earth will

T
he Living Bible version pass away, but My words will by no How wonderful it is when we can
translates this verse as: “Let means pass away” (Mt 24:35). wake each morning, yearning to set
heaven fill your thoughts; our thoughts on heavenly things.
don’t spend your time worrying We need to take stock of our life,
about things down here.”1 No matter how busy the day ahead,
and focus our energies on that
we will pray to God and affirm this
which is everlasting—God’s word.
1 The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House This is even more so for those of longing. This is how we can start
Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House
us who serve Him. God’s servants to fill our lives with eternal values,
Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights
reserved. should set their eyes and minds on every moment of every day.

59
MINISTRY

God does not seek those with immense 2:49). Not many would have figured
out their life’s purpose at the age
power, talent or wealth—He seeks those whose of twelve. But when Jesus took His
heart and faith are set on Him, and who never final breath, He said, “It is finished”
( Jn 19:30). Jesus had a clear purpose
give up. in life: His Father’s business, which
He fulfilled on the cross. Let us
imitate His single-mindedness and
Look Beyond Our Current be wrong to pray for our physical set our minds on things above.
Sufferings needs, but God looks for those who
seek His kingdom first.
Therefore we also, since we are A PERSISTENT SPIRIT
surrounded by so great a cloud of
A brother recently lost his job And let us not grow weary while
witnesses, let us lay aside every
during the recession. Being his doing good, for in due season we shall
weight, and the sin which so easily
family’s source of income, he reap if we do not lose heart. (Gal 6:9)
ensnares us, and let us run with
prayed desperately for a new job.
endurance the race that is set before It is easy to become discouraged
But during one prayer, God asked
us, looking unto Jesus, the author when serving God. Sometimes,
him, “What is your priority? Are you
and finisher of our faith, who for the we even shorten our prayers
seeking Me, or a job?” The brother
joy that was set before Him endured because our mind is trying to
felt ashamed. He realized that, for
the cross, despising the shame, and solve a seemingly insurmountable
many years, he had pursued after a
has sat down at the right hand of the problem. We fail to look towards the
good career and financial security,
throne of God. (Heb 12:1–2) almighty power and mercy of the
only attending church out of
routine; Sabbath was not a delight. Lord.
Jesus was able to face the cross
because He had set His mind on He had taken God for granted and
had never truly sought Him. But God delights in those who persevere
things above, and His eyes on the and are not easily discouraged from
joy before Him. He looked beyond God promises, “[Y]ou will seek Me
and find Me, when you search for doing good. The Bible records some
the pain and suffering He would examples of promising individuals
experience at Calvary, focusing on Me with all your heart” ( Jer 29:13).
And if you seek God’s kingdom first, who gave up before completing
the glory at the other side. Setting their duty. In his letter to Timothy,
His mind on things above enabled He will meet all your needs (Mt
6:33). So, in that prayer, the brother the apostle Paul mentions Demas,
Jesus to walk through His fiery trial. who deserted him out of love for
surrendered his heart and soul to
the Lord. the world (2 Tim 4:10). Another
With our hearts set on things above,
disciple, John Mark, who left Paul
we will be able to see the sins that
Soon after, the brother attended a and Barnabas while they were on a
entangle us and remove them from
national adult theological seminar missionary trip, also failed to fulfill
our path, so we can run unimpeded
for the first time, and he sought the his duty at that time (Acts 15:37–39).
the race marked out for us. When
our life on earth ends, we are Lord. He was filled with the Holy
As long as a worker does not grow
destined for only one of two places: Spirit in his prayers, and he was
weary in doing good, then God will
heaven or hell. Have we given this assured that God would take care of
use him. We need to seek Him with
any thought? Are we resolved to him. He then interceded for truth-
determination in prayer.
make heaven our final resting seekers in church, brothers and
place? How should we go about sisters afflicted with illness, and
achieving this? those who had not attended church Be Strengthened by God
for a while. He had never prayed like God does not seek those with
this before—in the past, he had only immense power, talent or wealth—
Pray for Our Father’s Business, prayed for his own needs. During He seeks those whose heart and
Not Our Own that seminar, he realized that God faith are set on Him, and who never
Revelation 5:8 tells us that the was in full control of his future— give up. What God puts upon you
prayers of the saints are collected in he did not need to set his mind on will never outweigh the strength He
heaven, as golden bowls of incense. praying for a job; he would now set has put within you. We need to trust
If we wish to set our minds on his mind on praying for the matters Him in this.
things above, we need to examine of God.
our prayers: What and who are we Why did God use Paul so mightily?
praying for? How much time do we The earliest words of Jesus recorded What was the secret to Paul’s
spend in prayer? Are our prayers by the Bible are: “Why do you seek effectiveness? Surely, it was because
set on God’s work, or are they set Me? Did you not know that I must nothing could discourage him. In
on our material desires? It may not be about My Father’s business?” (Lk the midst of suffering, Paul writes:

60
 MINISTRY

We are hard-pressed on every side, There are some people in this world as the desire to alleviate that
yet not crushed; we are perplexed, who yearn for love, who go through person’s pain. This means praying
but not in despair; persecuted, but the week without experiencing even with them, comforting them,
not forsaken; struck down, but not the slightest human touch. When supporting them and spending
destroyed—always carrying about in we embrace each other as brothers time with them. In short, we go the
the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, and sisters, we are showing love, extra mile to help them. If we study
that the life of Jesus also may be without judgment or criticism. It the life of Christ, we can see that He
manifested in our body. is a beautiful experience to enter a was filled with compassion. He was
(2 Cor 4:8–10) church filled with God’s love, where regularly moved to heal, to comfort
brethren interact with each other and to teach the masses. He even
Even when he did not know why he as family members. went all the way to the cross to save
was suffering, Paul persisted. He sinners.
remained resolute when faced with When we are busy with many duties
challenges because he carried Jesus’ at church, we may fail to show The latter part of Matthew 25 states
death in his own body—he always even simple gestures of love in our that on the last day, we will be
remembered Jesus’ suffering— interactions with fellow members. judged by how we have treated the
which impacted Paul’s own life and We may lead countless Bible studies, hungry, the thirsty, the sick and the
servitude. This sensitivity towards and be able to recite many verses needy. It is easy to blame people
Christ meant Paul could manifest from the Bible. We may know how for the circumstances they find
Jesus in his life. to defend our faith and win people themselves in and to tell them: “If
to Christ. But if we do not have love, you didn’t do this or that, then you
What does it take to discourage then we are like “a sounding brass would have food to eat.” Likewise,
us today? Perhaps even a single or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor 13:1). it is easy to say to those in spiritual
negative word can cause us to give need: “You don’t have enough
up serving the Lord. If this is so, we faith; you don’t have enough love;
need to ask God to help us maintain
True Compassion is Vital you must have sinned.” But does
a tender and compassionate heart Let us ask ourselves: Do I really love this really help them? Instead, we
when we face criticism. This can be my brothers and sisters? Do I really should try to stand with them and
difficult if we like to seek the praise love those who have strayed? Can I share their pain. We need to love
and approval of others. There love people like Christ did and look each other in the family of God. And
will be disagreements, and even beyond their weaknesses? we need to bring others into this
resistance, when we work together love—the sheep who are without a
for the Lord. And there will be To have sympathy for someone is shepherd, those who are hurting
times when we need to be steered to feel sorry that he is hurt; to have and spiritually dying.
back onto the correct path by our empathy is to actually feel his pain.
co-workers. So we must persevere But the Bible goes one step further: If we have unconditional love
in our work with an understanding we are to have compassion, defined for others, then God will use us
heart towards others, and never
stop cultivating the fruit of the Holy
Spirit in our life.

We should never be brought to our

knees by anything, except prayer.
God does not seek extraordinary
people—He seeks ordinary people
who have the extraordinary capacity
to spend time in supplication. An
ordinary person can be filled with
the Holy Spirit and become useful
to God despite any difficulties, as
long as he is persistent in prayer.

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Beloved, let us love one another, for
love is of God; and everyone who
loves is born of God and knows God.
He who does not love does not know
God, for God is love. (1 Jn 4:7–8)

61
MINISTRY

When we are praised for the work we do

for God, we need to be careful not to let pride
taint our once-pure motives.

powerfully. He wants us to venture The above psalm also speaks of the

out and take His message to the need to have a clean heart in our
world. He wants us to take up our service, doing all things with pure
cross. But we need to do all these motives. Looking at it from another
with love. Even if we give all our angle: “Cursed is he who does the
possessions to the poor and are work of the Lord deceitfully” ( Jer
burned alive for preaching the 48:10a). When we are praised for
gospel, if we do not love, then these the work we do for God, we need to
sacrifices will come to nothing be careful not to let pride taint our
(1 Cor 13:3). once-pure motives. We should seek
to please God over man, and never
worry about who gets the credit for
HOLINESS the work we complete. With such an
Who may ascend into the hill of the attitude, we will be able to do more
LORD? for the Lord.
Or who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure CONCLUSION
heart, In these two articles, we have
Who has not lifted up his soul to an looked at characteristics God seeks
idol, in His servants: a surrendered
Nor sworn deceitfully. (Ps 24:3–4) heart, a rooted faith, a mind set on
things above, a persistent spirit,
This passage beautifully illustrates unconditional love, and holiness.
that a holy life starts with cleansing. But this is not an exhaustive list;
Each morning, we should ask the learning how to serve the Lord and
Lord to convict us of our sins. If we allowing Him to work through us is
confess our wrongs, as the Bible a life-long process.
says, God “is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse As servants of God, let us honestly
us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn evaluate our faith: Do we set our
1:9). When the Holy Spirit fills us, mind on things above? Do we love
we naturally want to draw closer without conditions? Let our prayer
to God—to become holy. And this is to Him be: “Dear Father, we want to
the expected state for all servants of be used by You. Please fill us with
God. Your love. Fill and transform us with
Your Spirit, so that we can serve You
Holiness was an important better through Your power. Amen.”
component for the Old Testament
priests who served before the Lord.
Aaron and his sons had to wash
their hands and feet with water
from the bronze basin before they
entered the tabernacle or burned
a sacrifice on the altar (Ex 30:17–
21). This teaches us that we must
cleanse ourselves before we come
before the Lord—clean hands
symbolize a clear conscience. We
must confess our sins in prayer and
ask for forgiveness each time we
come to church, especially if we are
a servant of the Lord.

62
 CREATIVE WRITING

Charmian Chong

Behind
London, UK

the
Veil
People always tell me: “Pour out your heart to God.” And yet now it is so clear—
I don’t know how—why— If being honest with yourself is hard
I just tell Him what I want, Being honest with God is even harder.
What I think He wants to hear. This hidden, unexpected truth
How can I come to Him so unworthy?
And there is something not quite right. Unworthy of His love, His great sacrifice
A barrier between us makes me question: And yet
“Does God really hear my prayers? It is in this love, this sacrifice, that I have faith.
Is He really there?”
He knew all along what I had hidden from myself
Yet life goes on, He knew and still He chose to suffer
The feelings of discomfort For me
Brushed under the carpet.
Surely all is well? With boldness I must come
Before the High Priest
Being honest with yourself is a hard thing to do. The throne of grace
To pour out what I have discovered deep
Then I am reminded of God’s love, Within my heart
How He made me His child To admit the ugly truth
According to the good pleasure of His will. The truth He knew all along
Of who I really am
He was so happy to come to earth for me
He was so glad to suffer on the cross for me In prayer the veil is lifted
He wanted to bear my sins for me my heart poured out
like water before
“Think about His love.” the face of the Lord
How can anyone be worthy of this sacrifice?
Least of all every weakness
Me? every insecurity
deep within me
“Think about His love.” exposed
He already knows the person that I am.
I am the one who doesn’t. but still the mercy of the Lord endures
from everlasting to everlasting
Who is this person He died for? and I finally see how
I must search myself to know His mercy
Who is this person God loves? is as high as the heavens above
To know the extent of His love and why His unfailing compassions
seem new each morning
His love opens my reluctant,
hardened heart. He knows more than any friend
Looking into myself, reflecting deeply He is nearer than any sister or brother
I see He knew from the start who I am
and now I know
Weaknesses I could not bring myself to admit I no longer need to pretend
Even to myself, for my closest Friend knows
Sins I convinced myself were nothing, not really sins. the person behind the veil

63
Call for Articles Articles due:
January 31, 2018

Issue #86:
Go and Make Disciples of All Nations
Continuing with the True Jesus Church centennial church of all nations, we need to break through the
series, this issue of Manna focuses on evangelism. barriers to preach to people of every nation and tongue.
Having reflected upon and reaffirmed our identity as the Each and every member should pray for the global
true church of God, and having renewed our zeal to press growth of the gospel, so that one day we will be part
onwards and upwards in our faith, we now examine one of that great multitude made of up of people from “all
of the two commissions tasked to the church by the Lord nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” (Rev 7:9).
Jesus:
So, are we ever ready to preach the gospel to every soul?
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
How should we, as a church and as individuals, evangelize
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
in the digital, hyper-connected age? What cultural and
and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things socioeconomic factors are holding us back from sharing
that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, the complete gospel to the unenlightened, both in places
even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Mt 28:19–20) where the church has been established, and in areas we
The evangelistic mission to preach Jesus’ message and have yet to reach? And, according to biblical prophecy,
save souls is central to the church’s purpose on earth. how will the borders of the church expand to encompass
Globally, we have made many inroads in preaching to all nations, as well as the return of the Jewish remnant
Chinese and English-speaking populations, but as the (Rom 9–11) to God’s fold?

General Manna only accepts submissions written by True Jesus Church members.
If you are planning to write an article (regardless of topic), please try to

Writing Guidelines
W
adhere to one of the genres below.

Christian Living
A Christian Living article gives practical biblical guidance on real-life
Content
issues and how to use Jesus’ teachings in our daily lives.
• Content should be biblically sound and adhere to biblical principles. Article length: 1500–2000 words.
• The article should be organized and have a logical flow of thought. Bible Study
• The main point or teaching of the article should be clear to the reader.
• Readers should be able to apply what they have read to their daily lives.
A Bible Study explores a passage or character from the Bible and draws
• Do not plagiarize the work of other writers or institutions, published either in print out the teachings for readers to apply to their lives.
or online. Any quotations, ideas, or concepts taken from other sources must be Article length: 2500–3000 words.
properly referenced. Doctrinal Study
Grammar/Style A Doctrinal Study examines an aspect of True Jesus Church beliefs and
• Use active instead of passive voice. may present it in comparison to other beliefs.
• Write concisely. Article length: 2500–3000 words.
• Use concrete words and ideas instead of abstract concepts.
Exhortation
• Use “plain English” instead of obscure, academic language.
• Use the NKJV version when quoting Bible verses. An Exhortation encourages and admonishes the reader in different
• Use American spelling, if possible. in print or online. aspects of the Christian faith.
Article length: 2000–2500 words.
Testimony
A Testimony recounts an experience in the Lord that will encourage and
SUBMISSION INFORMATION edify the reader.
Article length: 1500–2000 words.
Please email articles as Microsoft Word documents to manna@tjc.org
Creative Writing
Please direct any questions to manna@tjc.org or Fax: +1-562-402-3190
Creative Writing pieces include poems, parables, or short stories that
In your submission, please include your name, mailing address, email illustrate a biblical teaching or idea. Keep in mind as you’re writing: how
address, and telephone number even if you wish to remain anonymous. will this edify the reader?

64
Articles of Faith
Jesus the True God Holy Bible
Jesus Christ, the Word who became flesh, died on The Holy Bible, consisting of the Old and New
the cross for the redemption of sinners, resurrected Testaments, is inspired by God, the only scriptual
on the third day, and ascended to heaven. He is the truth, and the standard for Christian living.
only Savior of mankind, the Creator of the heavens
and earth, and the only true God.

Baptism
Holy Spirit Water baptism is the sacrament for the remission
of sins for regeneration. The baptism must take
Receving the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in place in natural living water, such as a river, sea,
tongues, is the guarantee of our inheritence of the or spring. The baptist, who already has received
kingdom of heaven. baptisms of water and the Holy Spirit, conducts
the baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the person receiving the baptism must be
completely immersed in water with head bowed
Foot Washing and face down.

The sacrament of foot washing enables one to

have a part with the Lord Jesus. It also serves as
a constant reminder that one should have love,
holiness, humility, forgiveness, and service. Every Church
person who has received water baptism must have
his/her feet washed in the name of Jesus Christ. The True Jesus Church, established by our Lord
Mutual foot washing may be practiced whenever it Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit during the
is appropriate. time of the “latter rain,” is the restored true church
of the apostolic time.

Holy Communion
Sabbath Day
The Holy Communion is the sacrament to
commemorate the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Sabbath Day, the seventh day of the week
It enables us to partake of the flesh and blood of
(Saturday), is a holy day, blessed and sanctified by
our Lord and to be in communion in Him so that we
God. It is to be observed under the Lord’s grace
can have eternal life and be raised on the last day.
for the commemoration of God’s creation and
This sacrament shall be held as often as possible.
salvation, and with the hope of eternal rest in the
Only one unleavened bread and grape juice shall
life to come.
be used.

Last Day
Salvation
The Lord’s Second Coming will take place on the
Salvation is given by the grace of God through faith. last day when He descends from heaven to judge
Believers must rely on the Holy Spirit to pursue the world: the rightous will receive eternal life,
holiness, to honor God, and to love humanity. while the wicked will be eternally condemned.

65
 u r c h urcheria
O in Nig

Honolulu
Hawaii

Sandakan,Sabah
CONTACT INFORMATION
For additional information on the True Jesus Church, contact us or
visit our website. We look forward to hearing from you!

True Jesus Church, 21217 Bloomfield Ave, Lakewood, CA 90715 USA

Phone: +1-714-533-8889
Fax: + 1-562-402-3190
email: info@tjc.org
website: http://www.tjc.org

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