Ambassador Baptist Church Singapore

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

God’s Word is given to us in order that we may learn the truth and follow the truth. God’s purpose for us in following His truth is to make us free (John 8:31) from sin, guilt and the past life that has been a load and a burden to us. It also helps us become more like the Lord Jesus, more loving in our actions, kinder in our words and more helpful with our hands. In order for the truth to help us in our lives, we have to actively apply the word of God to our lives. If you are tempted to steal, having learned God’s word and knowing it teaches “thou shalt not steal”, you would follow the Word of God with your heart and not steal. In teaching the Jewish believers, what was James’ counsel about the word of God?

He counseled them to do the word of God, not just be a hearer of it
“Doers” means a performer. A performer has a script to act out. He studies the script, understands the script, commits the script to memory and then, in rehearsals, acts out the script. What an apt description of a Christian doer! We have the script of God’s word: we are to learn it, understand it, commit it to memory and act on it. We are to obey it the way it is written so that we may be versed in the Word. The performer is ready to act on the script as it is presented to him. The hearer, on the other hand, merely listens to the word. After hearing the word, He goes away and forgets what he hears, and the Word has no effect on him, his mind, his heart and his life. Is it possible that this is why many Christians remain unchanged and unmoved in their lives? They do not become more like Christ, but more like the world, simply because they do what comes naturally?

He tells them that they will deceive themselves otherwise

“Deceiving your own selves.”

Deception is defined as misleading an individual from the right and proper way, direction or situation. Self-deception will then be defined as misleading oneself from the right and the proper way, direction or situation. Why do people not want to walk in the way of the truth but choose to deceive themselves? Do we know the truth of God’s Word in the different situations? Are we willing to walk consistent with that? If not, we are deceiving ourselves.

He counsels them that knowing what is right to do but not doing it is sin
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
James 4:17

When we have heard the truth, we are accountable for what we have heard. It is an important principle that God holds us accountable for what we have heard. Listen to the words of our blessed Saviour

Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind (we did not know in the first place), ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
John 9:41

Our Saviour counsels us that in obedience to God’s word there are blessings

But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
Luke 11:28

When the Lord was exalted by a lady who blessed the woman who bore the Lord Jesus, our Saviour told the lady that the person who keeps and obeys the word of God is more blessed. The Lord Jesus places a high regard on obedience to the Word of GOD.

Are we obeying the word of God? God promises blessings for those who do. Will you be a doer of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves?

Evangelist-Pastor Johnny Tan
Ambassador Baptist Church

Popularity: 1% [?]

Chinese Ministry Dinner
You are invited to the Chinese Ministry’s dinner on 29 January 2012! Bring your Mandarin-speaking family and friends to be in the fellowship of loving Christians and to hear the precious Gospel of Christ. The dinner will start right after the Chinese Worship service at 3:30pm.

Get your copy of the bulletin here

Popularity: 1% [?]

Image © 2011, Timothy Lee. Used with permission.

Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

The Bible says that there will come a time when man will not want to hear the word of God (2 Timothy 4:2). They will go for teaching that will scratch their backs and soothe their consciences. Israel was just as irresponsible to the Word of God in the times just before the invasion of Assyria. Is it not interesting that just before the coming of the Rapture and the tribulation, God prophesied that there will also be a time when men will refuse to hear the Word of the Lord? However, consider that Scripture clearly stated that the famine of the hearing of the Word of the Lord would be sent by the Lord Himself. Why would the Lord do this? Does He not want people to hear His word and heed His voice?

Because Israel had persisted in their sins despite repeated warnings from God’s servants
The prophet Amos had warned sternly about Israel’s sins (Amos 4) and had constantly chided and rebuked the people of Israel for their transgressions against the Lord. He had called them to repentance. However, it fell on deaf ears: the people of Israel continued in their stubborn ways and they refused to hear the word of the Lord.

Because God’s patience has run out
…the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.
Amos 8:2

The Lord is always patient with His people and is longsuffering. He will not always chide and He will not always rebuke. He loves and desires us to come to Him when He calls, and He desires truth in our inward parts (that means He wants us to be sincere in our coming to Him) and give up our ways of the world for the ways of Christ. However, note the following verse

And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man…
Genesis 6:3

The Bible tells us that God loses His patience because men persist in their ways of sin. He loses His patience because He has done all He can and yet men will not repent. He had waited 490 years for the nation of Israel to turn towards Him, and yet they did not. Is the Lord justified in His longsuffering? Surely He is for He is merciful! Is the Lord also justified in His coming judgment? Surely He is for He is Holy!

Because God is merely being faithful to His own promise
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah 1:19 – 20

God had already told Israel through Isaiah that He would act according to their response. If their response was obedience, God would bless them. Likewise, if they rejected God’s word, then God would show the sword to judge them.

Christian, praise the Lord that we live in the age of grace and in a time that God is longsuffering towards us.

However, dear Christian friend, does the love and grace of God cause you to be more self-centred and cold towards Him? Should not God’s patience towards us lead us to repentance and His goodness cause us to turn sooner to Him? Should not His field that is white to harvest be filled with God’s grateful people reaping the souls unto eternal life?

Lord Jesus, I will obey You right away. I will follow You immediately when you call me to do Your work and Your will. I will not take Your grace for granted nor will I turn my ear from Your law for You have been good to me, and therefore I will be faithful to You.

Evangelist-Pastor Johnny Tan
Ambassador Baptist Church

Popularity: 1% [?]

Faith Bible Institute New Semester
The new semester for Faith Bible Institute starts on 16 January 2012. The course will run weekly, every Monday, at 7:45pm. The course will break temporarily on 23 January for the Chinese New Year festivities and will resume on 30 January.

Persons interested in FBI and who are not existing students are invited to join course previews on 16 and 30 January. The previews will consist of full FBI lectures without course credit for auditing students.

The topics covered for this semester:

• The Decline & Fall of Israel & Judah (Hosea, Micah, Isaiah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Lamentations)
• New Testament Epistles III (1-2 Timothy, Titus, Hebrews,1-2 Peter & Jude)
• Doctrines of the Holy Spirit, Satan and Man

The deadline for enrollment is 30 January 2012, so sign up early!

Chinese Ministry Dinner
You are invited to the Chinese Ministry’s dinner on 29 January 2012! Bring your Mandarin-speaking family and friends to be in the fellowship of loving Christians and to hear the precious Gospel of Christ. The dinner will start right after the Chinese Worship service at 3:30pm.

Get your copy of the bulletin here

Popularity: 1% [?]

Get your copy of the bulletin here

Popularity: 1% [?]

Image © 2011, Timothy Lee. Used with permission.

John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

The Lord Jesus’ ministry can be characterized by conflicting receptions: some believed on Him, some did not. Some welcomed Him and His teachings at the expense of their own lives. Many lost their lives because they believed in the Lord Jesus. Yet others welcomed Him but kept their faith secret. Nicodemus was one man who kept his faith hidden. Yet there were others who outrightly (either passively or actively) rejected the Saviour of this world. The Lord Jesus made it clear that He did not condemn sinners when they rejected Him, but the words that they spoke condemned them.

When the word of God is spoken, there is life to be received, blessing to be obtained, and strength to be increased. Conversely, death, cursing and weakness await anyone who rejects the word of God. Notice three important lessons about the nature of the Word of God.

The Word of God has inherent authority
The word inherent means an inseparable and permanent quality. Authority is in the word of God and the Word of God is authority. When it is spoken, it is the “voice of Him that sitteth on the throne of Heaven.” It is similar to a rule that is enacted in a country or a rule ordered by a king. Likewise, the message in Scripture is the power and therefore, it demands compliance to it because the words and the message bear the will of God.

The Word of God has the authority to be the judge of men.
The Lord Jesus says this, “The words that I have spoken, the same shall judge him.” Men will have to stand before the Word of God and have their works, attitudes and character judged (to be discerned and discriminated). One may ask, “How does the Word of God have the authority to judge men, since it is only but paper and ink?” The reason that the word of God has authority is because they are the very words that came from the breath and being of God. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore, what is spoken, is authoritative.

The Word of God will be the final judge.
The Lord Jesus said in this verse that His word will be the judge at the end of this world, or the last day. In Jewish thought, the last day is an important day whereby everyone will pass before God the Judge, and the fate of the wicked will be decided. In Jewish teachings, books which record the deeds of people that will be reviewed will be opened and judgment will be passed. God’s Word will be the standard by which the sentence will be meted out at that day.

Dear Christian, do you realise that your works will be judged too, not at the Great White Throne but at the Judgment seat of Christ? The Judge will not be your pastor, parents, teachers or government officials but God Who will use His Word as the final standard. May we make the Bible our guide, principle, life and living and may we truly have the mind of Christ. Christian, the Word of God is our final judge, therefore read it, love it, obey it and treasure it.

Lord, may I cherish Thy Word this year and beyond, and may its precious words be my light in this darkened world of sin.

Evangelist-Pastor Johnny Tan
Ambassador Baptist Church

Popularity: 1% [?]

Image © 2011, Timothy Lee. Used with permission.

Joshua 1:2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

The plan of God for the children of Israel is to move away from Egypt and into the Promised Land. Now that Moses is dead, the Lord is commissioning Joshua to take the people of Israel to
fulfill His plan for them. The plan of God for us, as the children of God, is to move away further and further away from the image of this world to be conformed to the image of Christ in doing the will of God in our lives. In this verse, we can find three principles to remind ourselves of as we cross into 2012.

God has a plan
The plan of God for Israel is to conquer the Promised Land and enjoy the benefits of the conquest. God always has a plan for His children. His plan to give us an abundant life (John 10:10), to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), to be faithful in His service (1 Corinthians 15:58), to be busy for His work (Luke 19:13), to love one another (John 13:34,35), to be
separated from this world (2 Corinthians 6:14), to live only for the Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:14 – 15), to win souls for Christ (Mark 16:15), to disciple the new believers for Christ (Matthew 28:20), to do all things for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), to give (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). This is His revealed will as stated in the Bible. There is also God’s specific will for each individual as it was for Paul to be a missionary to the Gentiles and for Peter to be a missionary to the Jews. God has a specific will for each one of us too. God will never show His specific will to us, unless we have been faithful to His revealed will.

There was a past
“Moses my servant is dead.”

Moses’ deadness represents the past for Joshua – the victories Joshua saw and experienced: the opening of the Red Sea, the leading by pillar of fire and cloud, the defeat of the Amalekites, the receiving of the 10 commandments and the law. It also represents also the defeats of Israel – the death of thousands when they built the golden calf, the death at the bite of serpents, the rebellion of Korah and the brethren and earth opening up to swallow them. There was Joshua’s wandering with Israel in the wilderness for forty years even though he was not at fault. The past for some of us means happy moments, pleasant memories and wonderful times. For some, there are the achievements to relish on, yet for others, there may be defeats and failures to forget. The Lord says, “Now therefore go because my servant Moses has died, you are to get going.” We need to forget our past victories or defeats, successes or failures and we need to arise and go, for today is the beginning of the rest of your life.

We need to press in
“Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.”

We need to start moving on in our spiritual lives and our lives for the Lord. We need to overcome challenges that we may be facing (go over this Jordan), we need to go together and in unity (thou and all this people) and we need to be focused on where we are going (unto the land which I do give to them). Is there effort in our Christian life to press forward in the Lord? Is there a clear direction the Lord is laying on your heart and your path?

What do you think God wants you to do in your life in 2012 in your personal Christian life? Is He asking you to grow in a certain area? Perhaps there are areas in your church life that the Lord wants you to grow to serve Him. As the Lord moves the church towards a different direction to grow, are you willing to follow the leading of the Lord, unite with the people of God and work together for the glory of God?

Let us follow the plan of God, drop the past and press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.

Evangelist-Pastor Johnny Tan
Ambassador Baptist Church

Popularity: 2% [?]

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Watchnight 2011
Ambassador will be having its Watchnight service on 31 December. The program of the day is as shown.

• 6:30 PM – Dinner
• 7:45 PM – Clean up by all
• 8:15 PM – Games
• 8:45 PM – Worship
• 9:45 PM – Message
• 10:30 PM – Break
• 10:45 PM – Recap
• 11:45 PM – Dedication
• 11:59 PM – Countdown

Please be on time or early to avoid missing the countdown to the new year.

There will only be one worship service on January 1 at 11AM

Popularity: 2% [?]

Image © 2011, Timothy Lee. Used with permission.

1 John 4:8 …for God is love

Anyone wishing to know the depth of God’s love needs to understand the seriousness and terribleness of sin. Sin destroys, creates lusts and hatred and causes divisions! It cuts down innocency, increases selfishness, and causes a destruction of relationships, families, friendships and all things lovely.

When God looked down from Heaven, He saw two things

The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that … seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Psalms 14:2-3

God’s conclusion was that all have sinned and the consequence to that sin is death. The law of God dictated that sin must be punished and one sin results in an eternity in the lake of fire. All men were condemned! Man was lost forever! Dear reader, do you understand the sinfulness of sin? If you do, may I congratulate you because you are at place in a position of advantage to understand the depth of God’s love.

“For God so loved the world”
God’s motivation is love and the wonder of God’s love is that He loved us even when we were continuing in sin and breaking His law repetitively. When we sin willfully, we are telling God that we do not want to live under His care and rule, nor in His principles. However, He still loves us deeply. How do we know this?

“That He gave His only begotten Son”
God’s love for wicked sinners like us is not mere in lip service but in deed and in truth. He gave His best: His only Son. The word ‘gave’ implies great sacrifice for Christ, Who was given to die for sinful man in order to save them from sin and eternal death.

“God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners: Christ died for us”
Romans 5:8

Are you a Christian this Christmas or must you admit that God is not in your thoughts? If so, you are His enemy, but He has died for you to save you from your sin. Can you understand the sheer depth of God’s love? He died for undeserving men like us! Christian, are you gratefully loving and caring for others as you have experienced the love and care of Christ?

God is love, and since God is love, we, as His people, will need to be, too, because God dwells in us unless we are not of Him.

May God fill you with the love of Christ this Christmas!

Evangelist-Pastor Johnny Tan
Ambassador Baptist Church

Popularity: 2% [?]