EDITORS NOTE

Brian Lim Heylo dear readers, This issue of the Uth Chronicle comes to you one quarter late, and for that I apologise. By the grace of God, however, we are able to publish it now, together with the issue for the second quarter. This issues theme is a reiteration of the Youth Fellowships focus for the year, and through the articles we explore various aspects of it. Although the original intention was for this issue to supplement the exploration of the new theme in the first quarter, we hope it will still serve its purpose by helping us to look back over the messages that have already passed, and bringing some things to remembrance. To further elaborate the YFs theme on top of all weve heard in YF thus far, Bro Kenny Cheong examines what it means when we talk about Manning the Discipleship despite the many ARRRlusions to the contrary, its not about being a pirate, YARRR know!

exhibit the same faith in Him so that we may bear fruit! Concerning The Cost of Discipleship, which we delved into through the messages in March, Bro Danny Quah writes to us in Over 25 from the perspective of a married man and the lessons he has learnt about discipleship in the past months, giving us a more contemporary example in conjunction with the ones we have already looked at from Scripture.

On a final note, with all that has been said and written on the topic, we have hopefully gained a deeper understanding of what discipleship is and all that it entails. For us, however, the true Continuing on the present series of examining the lives of the disciples of old, test is not in the ability to explain what it means it lies in our acceptance of and Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo and Rev Prabhudas obedience to what we have learnt from Koshy have written a Whos Who? of Gods Word. May the rest of this year see the 12 disciples, giving us a succinct the effective and wise application of all introduction to who they are and the our head knowledge, so that when the things we can learn from them. One time comes and we depart this earth, thing most readily apparent to us as we our lives can be wholly and simply read of them is how they were ordinary surmised in the same manner of Simon people, called to eventually do Peter and Andrew: And they extraordinary things. May we take note straightway left their nets, and followed of how God was able to work through him (Matthew 4:20). them, and how today we are called to

Manning the Ship

Discipleship offers something that the Mammon would never be able to offer. Its something that you wont be able to buy, neither will you be able to work your whole life to obtain it. Its a gift that is given only to every person (a disciple) on The Discipleship. However, The Discipleship does not promise you smooth sailing seas. Instead, in Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers comparison to the Mammon, its a small ship with far fewer people on it and it is certain that of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of while being on it, you will face big waves and God. 1 Corinthians 4:1 stormy conditions even from the beginning of Ahoy me hearties! I heard that youre all here its journey. But through whatever hardships to board The Discipleship BUT! Hold your and difculties you may face onboard, you horses! Before you board The Discipleship can nd peace, safety and assurance, for this there are a lot of things that we need to check is something that the Master of the Ship to see if you are really ready and know what guarantees, and there is no master like Him youre in for! for His name is Christ Jesus. And only those who have truly decided to follow Christ are YARRRR! I know many of you are dying to eligible to be disciples on this Ship. hoist the anchor, but this is important! The Discipleship isnt like any other ship. Once So if we want to be on The Discipleship, we you board this ship, theres no getting off and must learn our ABCs and Acknowledge our theres no turning back! So this is a decision wretched sinful nature; Believe that Christ and commitment that you must make NOW Jesus died for our sins, was then buried and before its too late. It will be the most important choice in your life and actually its rose again on the third day and who is living and the only Saviour of the world; and nally a matter of life and death! BUT dont let this scare you away, because after being on this Confess our sins to Him and surrender our ship for nearly half my life, I know its the best lives as a living sacrice to Christ as Lord of our lives which is our reasonable service. thing that has ever happened to me! by Kenny Cheong Today is The Day and I am hoping that by the end of this brieng all of you will be ready to board and man The Discipleship, but what is it that I need you all to know? Well I can see that many of your eyes have already been distracted by the luxurious Mammon cruise ship over there, but dont be deceived! What that ship offers you is only temporary and it will only take you to the broad seas that lead to destruction. On the other hand, The And as soon as we have fully surrendered and denied ourselves to follow Christ, we are His servants and truly He is our Master. As a servant on The Discipleship, we must come under the subordination of Him. We must really understand and know the calling that we have been assigned because when He tells us to pick up those oars and row the boat, a true disciple should have no second thought of doing otherwise, but with great joy

and humility accept the great honour and do as the Master commands. This is the true meaning of what it means to be a minister of Christ. But do you want to be a minister of Christ?

ministers of Christ, we are living testimonies of the mysteries of God, which we have been called to be stewards of and to dispense and share Gods truths. To do this, we must preach forth Gods Word. A steward of the deep truths of God must reveal and dispense these truths! Sure at times we may become tired because And it is with these truths that others will nally our esh is weak and we may even forget and be able to see the light over all the seas and take our new Master for granted because Hes truly know what it means to be on The so merciful and gracious and loves us so Discipleship. much! But we must always draw nigh to Him and ensure that we are free from all known So we on The Discipleship are the very light sins, for He is holy and desires us to be holy of the sea. And in all that we do, we will be as it only then are we really able to be good watched, we will be examined, and we will be and proper representatives of Him, not just as seen. Whether we like it or not, in this dark, His ministers, but also His stewards. dark world, this light should never be hidden. And when other men see us on The Because as a steward, we are placed in Discipleship, we are meant to be different! charge of the mysteries of God and this is no Our lives must be different! small task, but rather a huge honour. And its our responsibility to manage the task that We will be transformed! We wont be looting has been appointed to us by our Master. anybody or anything anymore. Well even BUT I hear some of you asking, What have the ability to give up grog and that are the mysteries of God? Well these bottle of rum. Well even learn to treat mysteries are not mysterious in the those scallywags with a whole new sense that they are too puzzling, perspective and youll do your best obscure in nature, or cannot be to be blameless in every way! And explained; these mysteries of God are these are just some of the things that the truths of God which for period of time happen to everyone thats on The are hidden, but in due time are revealed and Discipleship as being on The Discipleship manifested. really means youre a whole new person! This is how men should see us when they think of As disciples on The Discipleship we are us as the minister of Christ, and the stewards meant to be the stewards of the mysteries of of the mysteries of God. God the very ones who are placed in charge of not only administrating and ARRR! I think thats about all So the dispensing of Gods truths, but ones who must question is, are you ready to board and man ensure that it has been rightly divided! To do The Discipleship? You must truly decide to this, you must really be a true disciple and follow Christ and be His minister, and the study Gods Word with much diligence. Gods steward of the mysteries of God! The Master truths, the doctrines of God, are found for us of the ship would love for everyone to come in the Scriptures and teach us about the onboard (and yes theres more than enough Gospel itself; salvation in Christ; the wisdom room for everyone!) but this is the choice that of God; and even the Kingdom of God among you must make today, there must be no going many other truths. back. So if youre ready encourage all those who are around you and This is the calling in which Christ, the Master of the ship, has commanded us to serve Him, Come on, come on! Why are you still that while under His subordination as the standing!? Hoist the anchor lets get moving!

Whos who? Part I

by Dr Jeffery Khoo INTRODUCTION We know that the 12 disciples were indeed great men of God, instrumental and pivotal in the establishment of the early Church. They were special men handpicked by the Lord Jesus Christ to walk with him, learn under his wonderful tutelage, and later become the Apostles who would bring the gospel far and wide. They, together with their early converts to Christianity, were accused as being these that have turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). As Christians and students of the Bible, we would do well to know a bit more about these 12 giants of the faith. They were the ones who made up the foundation of the

church, with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. Yet if we were to quiz any one of us, Im sure we would have difculty even naming all 12 of the disciples, and not know much at all about them, except maybe of Peter and Judas, or of John. In this article, we would endeavour to take a closer look at 6 of the 12 disciples of Jesus. As we get a glimpse of their lives, we would come to realize that they are but normal, ordinary people, not much different from you or me. Yet through the discipleship of Christ, and the lling of the Holy Spirit, they were able to go forth and accomplish so much for the Lord. As we as the YF ponder on the theme all aboard the discipleship , may we all realize also that every single one of us can and should be effective disciples of the Lord as well!

JUDAS - THE ONE WHO HATED CHRIST

suspected that he would be the traitor who betrays Christ. (Matt 26:22-23). From the rest of the story we would come to see that he We look rst at perhaps the most infamous never really loved Christ, but in time, actually one on the list, and that is Judas Iscariot. We grew to hate him so much that he would want all know of his life, we all know his dastardly to see him die. He probably joined expecting deed. Whilst the subsequent disciples that we that Jesus would be the one to deliver them study on would be for our encouragement, from the Roman oppressors and would what we can take away from him is a very establish the Kingdom of God right there and stern warning never to fall in to the multitude then. When that did not happen, he just of sins that he fell into, never to betray our looked upon his closeness with Jesus as an Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who loved us opportunity for prot, and thus schemed to and died for our sins. betray Him through the most heinous plot, for the personal gain of 30 pieces of silver. He Of all the 12 disciples, Judas was probably the took advantage of the trust that he possessed, only one that was not from the Galilean and then used it to stab Jesus in the back. region. The name Iscariot likely refers to the Indeed Jesus was fully justied in passing this fact that he was a man from the region of damning judgment upon him: The Son of Kerioth, which was a small down south of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto Judea. Little else is known about his life and that man by whom the Son of man is background subsequent to joining the 12. betrayed! it had been good for that man if he What we do know however, was that he was a had not been born. (Mat 26:24) willing disciple who heeded the call of Christ, and left his all to follow Jesus, walking with Judas in indeed a tragic example of lost him together with the 11 other disciples for the opportunity and wasted privilege. He had the whole three years. There was probably a point golden opportunity of walking with Jesus, of time, at least initially where he respected hearing his words day by day, and was as Jesus and saw that he was worthy enough for close to him as any human had been in him to follow. history. Yet he spurned his chances, savoured the sin In his time as a of greed and ambition as disciple, he probably things far more to be portrayed a certain desired than eternity with amount of God. He was deceitful, responsibility and greedy and merciless, integrity, for he was who never really the one entrusted repented, but took his with the keeping of own life and damned his the bag (John 12:6), soul to destruction. May playing the role of the none of us who have had treasurer for the the wonderful opportunity group. In so doing, he to hearing the words of showed that he was a God and fellowshipping master of deception with His saints ever go who put up a faade the way of Judas Iscariot. well. No one at all

JOHN - THE ONE WHOM JESUS LOVED

indignantly forbade someone else from casting out devils in the name of Christ just because he was not one of them. James and In stark contrast to Judas, who was a John were also the ones who passionately disciple who hated Christ, we have John, called upon the Lord to allow them to who was often known as the disciple of love. command re to come down from heaven Although he was one of the more prominent and consume the Samaritans who refused to disciples, there actually isnt much material receive Jesus (Luke 9:51-54). For these they about him, his conversation or his acts. What were rebuked by Jesus, and told them that we do know about him would come more He was not come to destroy but to save from his writings, of the gospel of John, 1-3 mens lives. It was also these two brothers, John and the book of Revelation. His who were lled with pride and ambition, and writings are lled with the compassion, love requested that they be given positions of and empathy of one who has truly known prominence, to sit on the right and left hand and understood the love of God. The theme of Christ in His kingdom (Mark 10:37). This of his books are often centred around the request sparked of no small amount of strife idea of love, for he tells us to love one and contention amongst the disciples. another, as Christ had loved us (John 13:34, 15:12, 1 John 3:11, 4:7 etc.). He also spoke Why is it then that when we read the writings tenderly of the love that God the Father, Son of John, it seems to be a rather different person? Well the difference between John and Holy Spirit has for us in passages like and Judas, was that John listened and John 13-17, 1 John 4 etc. In his more harkened to the words of Christ. Through the personal epistles of 2 and 3 John, you can read of the paternal affection that the elderly time spend together, he listened. He yielded apostle has towards his friends in Christ. In to the working of the Holy Spirit in his life, to change him, mould him that he grew from fact, it is said that he wrote more than any the ambitious, brash and volatile young man other New Testament author about the that he was to the apostle of love whom we importance of love. know him to be. Each time he erred, the Yet when we read the gospels, we actually Lord rebuked and instructed him, and he see a rather different side of John. In many learnt from his mistakes. The thunderous instances, he is paired together with his spirit remained with him, for he still had hard older brother James, and collectively known and sharp words against those who would as the sons of Zebedee. But they were also turn from the truth or err in certain ways (e.g. known by a different name, which was given 1 Jn 2:11,22, 2 Jn 7-11, 3 Jn 9-10), but his to them by Jesus himself: and he surnamed zealousness is now tempered and directed them Boanerges, which is, the sons of with love, and is readily evident from the thunder (Mark 3:17) which was probably mature writings that we read of in his gospel an apt description of what Jesus saw of and epistles. May we learn to be like John, them, that they were as thunderous, always ready to learn from our Lord, to learn tempestuous, passionate and zealous as from our mistakes, and to love God and His thunder. John was the one who in Luke 9:49 Word with a passionate zeal.

the threats of Herod, but maintained his testimony for the world to see. He truly did share in the same bitter cup of suffering of Although James is often listen together with Christ, as he channelled his passion and zeal Peter and John as the three main disciples of for the glory of God. Jesus inner circle, little else is known about ANDREW - THE ONE WHO him aside from the instances where he was BROUGHT MANY TO JESUS privileged to hear and witness Jesus special miracles and teachings. Along with the few events in which he acted in conjunction with his brother John that we have discussed earlier, James was perhaps most known for his death. Of all the 12 disciples, James is the one that would be martyred rst, beheaded by the wicked King Herod to vex the church and please the Jews (Acts 2:1-2). In the incident mentioned earlier about James and John jostling for position around the seat of Christ, Jesus warned them that a place of proximity to Christ would not promise power and honour, but instead would entail a cup of suffering that they would have to endure. To this they stubbornly and proudly proclaimed that they could! At that point of time, they did not understand what those words truly meant, and were just speaking out of their pride and foolhardiness. Yet Jesus was true to His word, for these two disciples did go on to endure much for the Lord, with James as the rst disciple to be martyred, and John the last surviving one who faced a lonely exile on the isle of Patmos. Although it began with pride and vainglory, I am sure that in the end, James was fully willing to suffer for His Lord and Saviour. He was unafraid to declare his faith in Jesus, and in the serving his Lord, he lost his life for His sake. At the end of his life, he was no longer ambitious for worldly fame and self-glory, but rather he was motivated by a desire for the glory of God, and sacriced his life that the message of Jesus Christ would go out to the world. He persevered to the end, never recanting his faith or giving in to

JAMES - THE ONE WHO WAS FIRST MATYRED

It is interesting that Andrew, though a lesser known disciple of Christ, was actually the rst of all the disciples to be called (John 1:35-40). Together with his more famous brother Peter, they were disciples rst of John the Baptist. One faithful afternoon, and afternoon I am sure he would remember for the rest of his life, Andrew and another unnamed disciple heard as John looked upon Jesus and proclaimed him as the Lamb of God. Straightaway they followed Jesus for they knew that He would be the Messiah whom they had all been waiting for. As they followed him to his dwelling place, he and that disciple spent glorious hours fellowshipping with Jesus as they abode with him that day. The next day, Andrew did not remain idle, but wasted no time in introducing his brother Simon to Jesus, excitedly sharing the news that he had found the Messiah! Thus in so doing, Andrew became the rst recorded evangelist of Christ, spreading the good news of Jesus to those around him. This act would become a consistent pattern

that would characterize his ministry of quietly bringing others to Christ. Andrew was unlike his more vocal and outspoken brother, for he preferred to stay out of the limelight. But that did not in any way diminish his usefulness for the Lord. Instead what we see is the quiet humble service of one who loves the Lord and has the zeal for others to know the Lord as well.

times doubtful and slow. Though he had seen and witnessed the miracles and compassion of Christ and heard his teachings just like any of the other disciples, it seems that Philip was singled out as one who needed to learn and truly understand who Christ was and what he was capable of.

Similar to Andrew, he was one of the earlier The few other incidents that we would ones to heed the call of Christ (John 1:43), encounter Andrew would be when he brings and he too brought a friend to Christ, one the young boy who had ve loaves and two called Nathanael (whom we would also shes to Jesus (John 6:9); and when he know as Bartholomew). The next few leads the enquiring Greeks to Jesus (John incidents that we see him would not be as 12:20-22). In both these accounts Andrew attering. In John 6, at the feeding of the would be the one who takes the initiative to 5000, Jesus singled him out in particular to quietly introduce the individuals to his test him. Though Jesus already knew what master. We might not all be like Peter and He was about to do, he asked Philip about Paul, who would preach to great crowds or where they should buy bread to feed the go on epic missionary journeys. However multitudes. Philip gives a rather feeble reply we can all be like Andrew, to quietly bring that lacks faith, for he lamented that even if people to seek Jesus, to seat them at the they pooled all their money together, they feat of Christ that they too might know our probably wouldnt have enough for master. Who knows, if you would one day everyone to eat. He failed to consider the lead a Peter to Christ who would go on to miracle-working Lord that was just standing preach to thousands, or to lead a young boy before him. Next in John 12, before Andrew who wants to give all that he has to serve led the Greeks to Jesus, they had actually Jesus? rst approached Philip, signalling their interest in meeting Jesus. For some reason PHILIP - THE ONE WHO WAS or other, instead of promptly directing them ALWAYS UNSURE to Christ, he went to tell Andrew, and then the two of them went to tell Jesus about it. As we go down the list, we encounter Perhaps he was timid, or perhaps he did not disciples that we know less and less of. Little detail is given about Philip, aside from think that Jesus would want to speak to these Gentiles. Either way he missed a the fact that he was from the same city as Andrew and Peter (John 1:44), and likely to great opportunity to bring others to Christ. He failed to remember the compassion and have been friends and fellow shermen love that his Master had, and how He before they met Jesus. In all the gospels, desired to reach out to all around him. One only the gospel of John records a few nal incident of note would be in John 14, incidents where we would see Philip being where Jesus tried to explain his impending mentioned uniquely, and interestingly death his disciples. They could not enough, they would be the same incidents understand, and were resistant to the idea that we saw Andrew in. Each time we see him, we see a rather pragmatic, perhaps at of their Master leaving them. Jesus tried to

explain his impending death his disciples. They could not understand, and were resistant to the idea of their Master leaving them. Jesus tried to explain to them that He would be departing to His Fathers house, and that they would have to believe in Him, if they wanted to be there as well. He told them that If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. To this, came the ignorant reply of Philip, who said Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufceth us. It seems he heard nothing of what Jesus was trying to say! It is no wonder that Jesus chose at this point to rebuke him: Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? (John 14:7-9). Again Jesus singles out Philip as one that should really pay more attention and heed His words. As we consider all these facts about Philip, one would think that he is in no way suited to become and Apostle of Christ. How could he be entrusted to be one of the 12 to lead the early church! Yet God in His innite wisdom knew all that Philip was, and still made him one of the 12. Although nothing more is recorded for us about Philip, we do know that he retained his place as an Apostle, and certainly was instrumental in the early spread of Christianity. He must have learnt, through all the lessons and rebukes, to be less doubtful, less unbelieving, but more condent in the wonder-working power of his Lord and Saviour.

BARTHOLOMEW - THE ONE IN WHOM THERE IS NO GUILE We come nally to the disciple Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael. Although the two names are never paired together in Scripture, a close comparison of the list of the disciples in the gospels would lead one to conclude that Bartholomew is most certainly the same person as Nathanael, the good friend of Philip who was called in John 1:47-51. Little is known about him, aside from that account of his call, where though he had his initial doubts, was quick to believe in Christ, when proof was laid before him. When Philip rst alerts him to the identity of Jesus as being the prophesied Messiah, Nathanael was initially sceptical. He asked can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Yet he heeds to his friends persistence and meets Christ. Upon meeting, Jesus declares him to be an Israelite in whom is no guile (deceit, fraud or hypocrisy). True enough, he proves to be such a person, as he would simply take Jesus words at face value, and believe Him when He knew where he was prior to the meeting. With that one sentence, Jesus showed to Nathanael that he saw him not just in terms of his physical location, but probably of his hearts disposition, his thoughts and his desires. Nathanael did not need much more prompting to know that this man was indeed the Son of God, King of Israel and expected Messiah. He must have been a faithful student of Old Testament prophecy to come to such a quick conclusion. Truly, as a man without guile, he openly declared his faith in Jesus, and became a follower of him. It is comforting to know that Jesus never did judge or rebuke him for his initial scepticism, but instead commended him for his faith, and promised that he would be a witness to

greater things than that which he certainly experienced in his time as a disciple of Jesus. We too may bring with us our biases and prejudices, but the moment we see Christ, and understand Him for who He really us, we ought to be as Nathanael, a

man without guile and hypocrisy, and openly and truthfully follow Christ our Lord and Saviour. If we do, we would certainly be accepted of Him, just as He accepted Nathanael.

CONCLUSION As we come to the close of this study, I would just like to point out and say that these disciples were not very different from many of us. They were not particularly talented or skilled in any way. In fact, they were the opposite - they were very ordinary people, with the same faults, failures and passions like many of us. Yet God called them, moulded them and used them to full his will. Likewise, God can use any of us as well, if only we would yield to his calling. In conclusion, I would just like to share a quote from John Macarthurs book Twelve Ordinary Men: Gods favourite instruments are nobodies, so that no man can boast before God. In other words, God chooses whom He chooses in order that He might receive the glory. He chooses weak instruments so that no one will attribute the power to human instruments rather than to God, who wields those instruments. Such a strategy is unacceptable to those whose whole pursuit in life is aimed toward the goal of human glory. With the notable exception of Judas Iscariot, these men were not like that. They certainly struggled with pride and arrogance like every fallen human being. But the driving passion of their lives became the glory of Christ. And it was that passion, subjected to the inuence of the Holy Spirit not any innate skill or human talent that explains why they left such an indelible impact on the world. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the esh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (1Co 1:26-27)

Whos who? Part II

INTRODUCTION In this article, the life and labours of some of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ are briey discussed, namely Simon Peter, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus and Simon Zealotes. New Testament to refer to him (once in John, 4 times each in Galatians and 1 Corinthians). Both the Aramaic and Greek forms of his name mean stone (or rock), an obvious indication of Peters stature in the early church. It appears that he was called Simon throughout Jesus ministry but came to be known as Peter more and more in the apostolic age. Peter and his brother, Andrew, were shermen of the sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:18, 19). When Jesus called them to follow Him to be shers of men, they they straightway left their nets, and followed him (Matthew 4:20; 19:27). Leaving their shing trade immediately, and following Jesus, was an evidence of their sincere faith in Him. Their instantaneous obedience teaches us that we too must

SIMON PETER He was initially known as Simon Barjona (Matthew 16:17), which means Simon the son of Jona (John 1:42). The double name Simon Peter (or Simon called Peter) demonstrates that the second name was a later addition. It was Jesus Christ who gave him the name Peter (Mark 3:16; Matthew 16:18; John 1:42). A number of times its Aramaic equivalent Cephas has been used in the

forsake all for His sake at His command. Are you prepared to follow Jesus wherever He would lead you? While following Jesus, Peter readily and boldly confessed Him as the Son of God and as His Saviour and Lord. He was the most zealous and warm-hearted disciple of Christ. The Gospel writers have recorded his unmitigated confessions about Christ (cf. Matthew 16:15-18; John 6:67-69). Nonetheless, he was susceptible to temptations and spiritual weaknesses. Once, Jesus alerted him to the danger that surrounded him, saying, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren (Luke 22:31-32). Jesus also warned him: I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me (Luke 22:34). This warning was fullled when Peter denied Christ repeatedly during His arrest and trial. All Christians must learn from Peters tragic error that self-reliance and self-condence will result in awful sins. The Lord lovingly sought to restore Peter by repeatedly challenging him to afrm his love for Him (cf. John 21:15-17). Three times, the Lord asked Peter, lovest thou me? Then He solemnly charged him to be faithful and vigilant in the discharge of the duties of the pastoral ofce. Jesus also predicted how he would die as a martyr in his pastoral work Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst

whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not (John 21:18). Ancient writers say that Peter was put to death, by crucixion, about thirty-four years after this. Peter played a very signicant role in the rst-century church. His preaching of the Gospel in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost upon the coming of the Holy Spirit resulted in the conversion of three thousand souls. According to Paul, he was one of the pillars of the early church (Galatians 2:2). The two epistles of Peter in the New Testament testify to his immense spiritual inuence then and now.

MATTHEW Before being called by Jesus to be His disciple, Matthew was a tax collector of Capernaum (Matthew 9:9). He was appointed as one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:24; Mark 3:16 19; Luke 6:1416). He is also identied as the author of the rst book of the New Testament the Gospel according to Matthew.

Both Mark and Luke call him Levi in place of Matthew (cf. Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). While Matthew was his personal Greek name (the gift of God), Levi was his Hebrew tribal name. Matthews response to Jesus call to follow Him was obedient, decisive and sacricial. And he left all, rose up, and followed him (Luke 5:28). He dedicated all his powers for the glory of Christ. He invited Christ to a great feast in his house (Luke 5:29). What a joyous expression of his unbound love for his Master!

a brother of James, has compelled some to think of him as the third son of Alphaeus. In John 14:22, he was known as Judas, not Iscariot, which is distinguished from Judas Iscariot who betrayed the Lord. According to John 14:22, he asked the Lord, How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? To which Jesus answered, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (John 14:23). Jesus was quick to attend to Judas concern about how He can manifest Himself to those who love Him, without being seen by the world. In this instance, Jesus was not speaking about physical appearance, but about His spiritual presence in all those who love Him, like Judas (Thaddaeus) did.

JAMES - SON OF ALPHAEUS Another name in the list of the apostle appears to be Matthews brother. He is James the son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). Since Mark 2:14 identies Matthew as Levi the son of Alphaeus, it is possible that James and Levi (or Matthew) are brothers. Whether both of them are the sons of the same Alphaeus is debatable. There are also other conjectures about James identity, such as his relation as a cousin of Jesus. Matthew and James were among those gathered to await the coming of the Holy Spirit that they may be witnesses unto the utmost part of the world (Acts 1:13). The New Testament records nothing of their activity beyond this point.

SIMON ZEALOTES In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, his name is Simon the Canaanite (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18). Luke calls him Simon Zelotes or the zealous (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). It is probable that he was one of a small sect of the Jews called Zealots, a group of Jews who ferociously fought against the Romans who occupied their land. Some believe that the reason for his appellation cannanite is that he was from Cana while some others explain it as a word derived from Kann'an, the Aramaic for "zealot". Nothing more is known of him from the records of the New Testament. However, we observe an interesting fact about him, i.e. his name was often paired with Judas Iscariot at the end of the list of the twelve. While Judas Iscariot betrayed the Lord, he remained zealous for the Lord.

THADDAEUS Gospel writer Matthew identied him as Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus (Matthew 10:3; cf. Mark 3:18). Luke referred to him in both of his books as Judas the brother of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). This reference to him as

CONCLUSION The lives and labours of most of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ are buried in obscurity. Though there are some interesting stories of them in the church traditions, we cannot be absolutely sure of their validity. But they were among the apostles whom the Lord selected, trained, empowered and sent out as witnesses. So they went forth to preach the Gospel for the saving of souls. They established churches and gloried the Lord Jesus Christ. They faced persecution and death for the sake of

Jesus Christ. What have you done for Christ? Are you ashamed of the Lord and His work? The world may not know all that the apostles have suffered and done for Christ. In eternity, we shall know their valiant deeds for their Master as they receive their rewards at His coming. As Hebrews 6:10 declares, For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Its 1030am in the morning and here I 4, in JFK airport, patiently waiting for the boarding gate to open in about 2 hours time. The lugging of two heavy piece of luggage, a laptop bag and a backpack to catch a 6am train from Albany to NYC has left me feeling rather exhausted. Its a nice feeling to sit at an airport and peoplewatch, wondering where theyre heading and

particularly difficult module (even to trips in America and one to Canada; and the protection from weird people and also from robberies/gunshots around Troy. If I were to list down each blessing I have received over the past months, itll probably occupy a couple many-a-more pages! If there is one lesson Ive learnt and relearnt again and again, it is that in all things, God is always in control. No matter how difficult a

am sitting at the basement of Terminal pass); the journey mercies for all my

how they feel about the flight or journey

My Bloo!
by Hui Min

ahead of them. As I look back at

circumstance, or how impossible

my past 4 months or so in America, my heart is filled with gratitude

a task may seem, Ive learnt not to lean on my own wisdom but to commit my

towards God. He saw me through all the ways to Him and have the confidence difficult periods, be it the many hiccups that He who put me through this will that occurred on my way to Troy; the heavy school semester with a lead me through, in His perfect way.

One of the blessings I would like to share and give thanks for is the process of my FYP (Final Year Project) topic selection. I was thankful that most of the professors Ive approached through email responded fast and were willing to conduct the selection interview via Skype even though was inconvenient on their part. Oh and I was allocated my first choice too! Being in Troy has made me appreciate the things we have in Singapore so much more, be it the transportation system (even with the SMRT issues, it is still way better); the privilege to walk home with peace of mind at 6pm in the evening; the convenience in shopping (Im referring to household items/medicine/groceries); and of course, the FOOD. The feeling of homesickness did kick in occasionally but I guess it was mellowed by the company of nine other students who lived with me under the same roof. Living with others taught me patience and tolerance as each of us have our own unique traits that can be a tad annoying at times. And of course, the thing about why is it always me who does the grocery or why doesnt he wash the dishes or why does he have no

initiative to clear the garbage or why do they leave the empty toilet roll in the bathroom without taking a new one can lead to frustration and disharmony in the apartment. It was during this time that I learnt to watch my words and my attitude towards others. Sometimes, gossiping seemed to take a central place in our conversations and whenever I realise I am going down that line, Ill pray for strength and discipline to lock my tongue. It has been a wonderful experience and I thank God for this opportunity. I have tasted of His goodness and faithfulness every passing day, especially so for the difficult periods during my exchange. Would like to leave you a verse! Psalms 121:3-4 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. See you and God bless! Lovingly in Christ, Hui Min

OVER 25

The cost of discipleship @ 25

Its not like in taekwondo where you know that you are ready for the next coloured belt when you have learnt the various moves and Hello my dear brethren in Christ, stances required of that level of skill. In marriage you are taking on responsibility for As I write this article, it is only 2 more days to my marriage with my beloved Lisa Ang. That is another persons life. It is a really heavy the biggest thing that is on my mind right now, responsibility that cannot be quantified. and I thought I would use it as the backdrop to The reason why I say this is because of the this article to share my thoughts on the theme instruction from Gods Word in Ephesians of discipleship at the age of 25. 5:25-27: I remember praying very hard sometime in Husbands, love your wives, even as January 2011 as to whether I was ready for Christ also loved the church, and gave marriage. But I did not get an immediate himself for it; That he might sanctify and answer from God. So I took the cautious route cleanse it with the washing of water by and sought the advice of my older brethren the word, That he might present it to and my parents as to how they knew when it himself a glorious church, not having was time to get married. Unfortunately, none of spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but them could pinpoint the exact point in time that it should be holy and without when they knew that they were ready. The blemish. So ought men to love their impression that I got from their various wives as their own bodies. He that answers was that it was a very natural loveth his wife loveth himself. progression from dating to marriage. They just knew! Their answers frustrated me even more. From this passage I understand that readiness for marriage is when I am able to give myself Unlike them, I did not instinctively know that I up for my wife. I must love her with an was ready for marriage! unconditional love that prefers her welfare over

my own. I must also be able to lead her spiritually such that she is sanctified and cleansed by Gods Word. That is my responsibility as a husband. So I prayed hard and endeavoured to take on this responsibility to gear myself up for marriage. I must say its no easy task to mentally prepare oneself for such a great responsibility.

breaching my responsibility as a disciple of Christ? How could I love my wife and yet forsake her at the same time? As I read deeper and delved into the context of the passage in Luke, I came to realize that the passages were not contradictory at all.

Firstly, the Greek word for hate is not as strong as the English word suggests. It is used here as a comparison with the word love. In Fast forward to about a month ago when I was other words, hate merely means to love less. doing my morning quiet time. I came across a Therefore, the verse suggests that our passage on discipleship that put my faith to the devotion to Christ must be above all else. We test. must prefer Christ over our family, to the extent that we give them all up for His names sake. It Luke 14:26-27, 33 If any man come to does not mean that we must hate them per me, and hate not his father, and mother, se. and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, Secondly, the instruction in Ephesians was he cannot be my disciple. And specifically to husbands, but the instruction in whosoever doth not bear his cross, and Luke was of general application as it was come after me, cannot be my disciple addressed to the multitude that had gathered whosoever he be of you that forsaketh to listen to Jesus as he made his way towards not all he hath, he cannot be my Jerusalem. The instruction in Ephesians disciple applies to all Christian husbands. In contrast, the instruction in Luke applies to everyone (in This passage instructed me to HATE my wife particular the unbelieving Gentiles). The thrust and be ready to forsake her if I were to follow of this passage is that it would not be an easy Christ. I even had to FORSAKE her to be life to be a Christian. If we face opposition from Christs disciple! Suddenly, question marks our family in the pursuit of Christ, and if we popped up in my head. Earlier, I read that I face opposition from within ourselves perhaps had to love my wife as I loved myself and as because of our ambition and pride, we must be Christ loved the Church, yet in the later ready to give them up, to love them less than passage I had to forsake all that I had to be Christ. Christs disciple! In short, nothing How could I reconcile should stand in the these two seemingly way of our devotion to contradictory passages? Christ. How was I to fulfill my responsibility as a That is the true cost of husband without discipleship.

But thats hard. Family is probably the most important thing to me. And I love my wife tremendously. Yet I know that I must be ready to give them up if they hinder my pursuit of Christ and his work here on earth. I think the example of Abraham illustrates this best. Isaac was his only son in his old age, and he was extremely loved. Yet when God instructed Abraham to sacrifice Isaac for His sake, Abraham willingly went ahead to do so. I can only imagine the agony and torment Abraham went through as he made his way up the mountain to perform the sacrifice. To give up someone whom you love so much is unimaginable to me. And I have to do the same if I were to be a committed disciple of Christ.

1) Christ 2) Wife 3) Me

So my least starting point is to love my wife above myself, so that hopefully when I am called to take the next step of loving Christ above my wife, I might be able to take it. And how do I love my wife in a practical way that prefers her over my interests/welfare? I can generalize, but I thought it might be more interesting to share some of the things that I have learnt to do up to today (not always in an easy way):

Listen to her when shes down/ frustrated even if Im tired so that she feels better thereafter

Thankfully I have not been called to do such a thing just yet. But still I must work towards being ready for such an event. And the only way I know how is by being faithful in that which is least, because it is a portent for being faithful also in much (Luke 16:10). Here I draw a parallel to loving my wife. I am instructed to love my wife as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it. Then I am also instructed to love Christ more than any family on earth. So the order of priority is:

Apologize and ask for her forgiveness when we argue and fight, and attempt to patch up no matter how late it is because she doesnt like going to bed feeling angry/irritated Remember to put down the toilet seat after peeing for her convenience Walk the dog in the morning for her so she doesnt have to wake up 20 mins earlier especially since she still has to work since Im a morning person anyway

Choose to stay with her and take care of her when shes sick rather than go out with my friends Fold her laundry for her so it takes less time for her to keep them in the cupboard Find time for her no matter how busy I am with work and other matters, and sacrifice other commitments for her Pray for her and her various supplications every morning so that all things are committed to the Lord etc

I must caveat that this list is probably much shorter than Lisas list, because I think its generally more difficult to love me (because of my greater number of faults). But I share this list to suggest that it take an extremely conscious and deliberate effort to love someone more than loving oneself. It is my prayer therefore that as I also endeavour to put Christ first in my life, that I will be able to learn from the least that I have done for my wife and extend the application to loving Christ. In the same way, I also pray that all you youth will also endeavour to be faithful in the least things whatever and wherever they may be personal ambitions, school work, service in church, testimony at home or CCA commitments. Hopefully, it will translate to being faithful in the greater things when it comes to crunch time. The cost of discipleship is great because of the sacrifices we must be prepared to make for Christs sake. And at 25, I am still learning how to bear my cross for Christ. I hope that you are too! God bless,

CHRISTMAS Cantata
z The Unfinished Story z
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. The nal words of the book of Revelation and indeed, the entire Bible may seem like a strange way to conclude a Christmas cantata. One would expect a Christmas cantata to include carols focusing on angels, shepherds, the star in the East and the babe in a manger. The prophecies of Isaiah might even be touched on, but that would probably be it. Its all about 0 A.D. Or thereabouts. For the 2011 edition of the Christmas cantata, however, we set out to present a cantata with a slightly different emphasis. The title The Unnished Story highlights the twist, that the story told at Christmastime is essentially unfinished. True, the story of Christs first coming as the babe in the manger is, for all intents and purposes, complete He walked on this earth for three and thirty years, and was tried, suered, crucied and rose for our sins. But as we all know, the story doesnt end there. While Christmas is a time when we look back at Christs rst, humble, coming, as Christians we are always looking forward towards Christs second, glorious, coming, at which point the story of salvation will be completed. I could further expound on the point, but my eorts will pale in comparison to the beauty and poetry with which the lyrics of one of the pieces presented at the cantata conveys the message: O day of joy, when in eternal splendor, He shall return in His glory to reign. When every tongue due praise to Him shall render, His powr and might to all nations proclaim! A thrill of hope our longing hearts rejoices, For soon shall dawn that glad eternal morn: Fall on your knees! With joy lift up your voices. O day divine, O day when Christ the Lord shall come. Rev Queks message after the cantata, entitled T h e C re a t i o n F i n a l l y R e s t o re d , t h e culmination of a series of messages on Gods plan of eternal redemption, provided another timely reminder for us. Rev Quek spoke from Romans 8, where the Apostle Paul writes: For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the rstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Let us always look longingly toward that glad eternal morn when Christ our Lord shall return, the conclusion of our unnished story. Amen. Lingwei

2011

PERSONAL POINTS

Short and Broad

Name: Gabriel Woo Age: 17 Hobbies: Playing Soccer What are you doing now? Studying in Pioneer Junior College What do you want to do next time? Soccer Player What is your most epic (memorable) promise youve ever made? A promise (to self) to become a professional soccer player!

OCTOBER 15thour YF president turns 22, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN! 21stdotk study on Fear of the Lord 17thPoly students return to school for another term of studying and another term of relying on Gods strength. 23rdEsther returns from Beijing. Elvin and LingQng take the Teenz Sec Four class for a lesson. 30thAlanna, Ivan and Ruth take over as Teenz teachers for a day. NIE-NTU FCM embark on a group study of the book of Daniel. Lingwei returns from UK. The future Dr Joanne Khor gets her posQng to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Gabriel a\ains silver for his IPPT. Sec Four students ocially graduate and start their holiday!

Short and Broad

Uni, JC and FEBC students start their school holiday as well. 15thJonan takes another overseas trip to Brunei after just returning from a holiday in Japan. 18thDotK and Guys BS enjoy a blessed time of fellowship over dinner at Dn Hans place followed by Bible study on The Virtuous Woman and 1 Corinthians 11 respectively. 20thWilliam leads in the distribution of the Church Directory after about 5 months of labour in service for its production. 22ndJan shows her DRIVE and determination in taking her driving exam. 26thSerena and Lingkang tie the knot in Holy Matrimony, awwwww! <3 29thElvin brings out his artistic talents and designs a beautiful mural for the kids to paint at JW camp for Lentor residence. And Ern Min, Joanne Chan, Zach, Grace Wong, Daniel, Claire and Joelle assisted with the mural as well as the camp itself.

November

December

12th-17thBy Gods providential hand, Kenny was able to speak during Teenz camp on Our Providential God even with a bad throat. 19th-24thYF camp!!! :D a really blessed time of fellowship, re-enactments and spiritual feeding. 25thBLESSED CHRISTMAS! Mens choir, Ladies choir and YPC sing joyfully for the Lord for Christmas cantata. 27thIvans cafe at SUTD officially opens. 31stYF remembrance night ends of the year of 2011 with a time of remembering Gods blessings. Jason Liew returns for reservist. Joyce Huang goes to Cambodia for CIP. Raphael showcases his skill in photography by being asked to do a photo montage for a wedding.