Dear praying Christian Friend,

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• A JOYFUL MEMORABLE JSM WORKERS’ CONFERENCE CAMP ON ST JOHN’S ISLAND, SINGAPORE (Circa 1979) (PART TWO) November 6, 2023

Something there came back to life

Please see carefully December 5 1979 entry

Notice on the top right of the page?

When in KL find Yuen Tow. Over $60.00

What was that statement for?

See again the entry to that day

December 5 1979

Spoke on the “Causes of Disunity” with little power.

Tonight spent more time in confession and heart searching

Also spoke to bro Isaiah.

It was a time of deeper repentance

The people now separated for prayer outside the Mission (Meeting Hall)

Joined the young people in prayer.

Going round all the groups

It was such a blessing

Wonderful art Thou! oh Lord

Note these words

“Tonight spent more time in confession and heart searching

It was a time of deeper repentance”

And it was during these times of heart searching & deeper repentance that God brought to mind my sins of more than ten years ago in 1968

What happened?

“Yuen Tow” in  Cantonese means “Round head”

There was a childhood friend of mine called “Yuen Tow” who bought a brand new bicycle

He decorated his bicycle beautifully with lots of extra colored  reflectors, rear view mirrors, fancy dynamo and others

I decided to play a prank on him. Without his knowledge I took his bicycle and hid it at a deserted place not far from where I stayed.

Hours passed. He was searching for his bicycle frantically and I kept quiet. After many hours near evening he finally found his bicycle.

To his and my horror, the bicycle was stripped bare of all the nice new extras and only a shell left. Some thief done it.

I saw his pain but I kept silent as that prank gone out of hand.

He has no knowledge of my misdeed

But in that Camp God’s Holy Spirit brought it up to my conscience.

There and then I made a secret covenant with God that I will go KL find “Yuen Tow” and repay him back his losses by confession and restitution

So that was how I wrote

“When in KL find Yuen Tow. Over $60.00”

But where to find him? We have moved house & lost all contacts. So next best thing I did was to give away the $60 plus to Old Folks’ Home and others

Now over the next 2 years until 1981 and one fine day while giving some foodstuff to Old Folks Home in Jalan Belang, Singapore I stumbled upon happiness

They said, “You don’t find happiness by searching for it. You stumbled across happiness in the path of doing God’s will”

In year 1981 while doing God’s will in making restitution I received a blessing that changed my life for the next 40 years

Will post on that humbling but happy occasion some day

Now why the need and trouble to get so serious with Restitution, confession & deeper repentance

It is required in Service that the Butcher’s be sharp if he wants to cut meat with ease. A blunt knife will not do the work well

A soldier must keep his Sword sharp. So must we

God’s work requires that our vessel be clean

Isaiah 52:11

“Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.”

Since God’s Word is Quick (Alive) and Powerful we must be alive as well and give no place to sin. For in time past we were dead in trespasses and sins.

the very opposite of dead in trespasses and sins is to live constantly in a life of consecration by clearing and cleaning off every known sin

Sins of commission, omission or ignorance and restitution all must be dealt with like keeping a Sword sharp, stainless and clean

And we quote

“We must heed the memorable words written by Robert Murray McCheyne to the Rev. Dan Edwards on 2 October 1840 after his ordination as a missionary to the Jews: “I trust you will have a pleasant and profitable time in Germany. I know you will apply hard to German; but do not forget the culture of the inner man – I mean of the heart. How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword – His instrument – I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”

Charles Hadden Spurgeon changed McCheyne’s words  to

“A holy Church is an awful weapon in the hand of God”

And it is also true to say, “A holy Christian is an awful weapon in the hand of God”

Will you do the same?

Remember you are God’s sword – His instrument – I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name

Note: in that 1979 Workers’ Conference there were not even one ordained minister yet and yet God gracious visited and Bless His people

The Tender Conscience

By Charles Wesley

1 I want a principle within
Of watchful, godly fear,
A sensibility of sin,
A pain to feel it near.
Help me the first approach to feel
Of pride or wrong desire;
To catch the wandering of my will,
And quench the kindling fire.

2 From Thee that I no more may stray,
No more Thy goodness grieve,
Grant me the filial awe, I pray,
The tender conscience give.
Quick as the apple of an eye,
O God, my conscience make!
Awake my soul when sin is nigh,
And keep it still awake.

3 Almighty God of truth and love,
To me Thy power impart;
The burden from my soul remove,
The hardness from my heart.
O may the least omission pain
My reawakened soul,
And drive me to that blood again,
Which makes the wounded whole.

In His Glorious Service

Calvin

December 2 2023

And further note