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Text Sermons : ~Other Speakers S-Z : Timothy Tow : To Preach The Acceptable Year Of The Lord's Soon Return

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Text: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord" (Lk 4:18,19).

I heard on the BBC the Christmas message of Queen Elizabeth wishing the Commonwealth of Nations well as they enter the New Millennium. I heard the Pope declaring 2000 a Jubilee Year.

I have an earnest message from the study of God's Word not touching the Millennium, nor the 21st Century, but rather the Next Decade. The subtitle of a series of seven prophetic messages I am preaching is, Can Christ Come Again Within the Next Decade? and the title, From Millennium Bug to Millennium Bomb. The messages rise to a climax, insofar as the world is concerned, to the outbreak of World War III, according to Rev 9 from Iraq , the land of the Euphrates . (Walvoord of Dallas Seminary said this last war that leads to Armageddon would be WWIII and I agree with him).

These are grim prospects which the Chinese would not mention on such an auspicious occasion as New Year's Eve, which is just round the corner. For Christians, we have no superstition. We would rather face the truth. The false prophets of Jeremiah's day cried, "Peace, peace", when WAR was imminent. But Jeremiah kept on preaching the same message, to awaken his people to the stark realities of war, and it came as predicted. Let us not be lulled by the present upturn after two years of economic downturn in Southeast Asia .

How should we face the next decade? "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts (Zech 4:6). When our Lord began His preaching ministry in Nazareth He said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me". As your pastor entering the 50th year, I would not dare to carry on, without the anointing of His Spirit.

Despite my recent toe trouble which has taken a whole month to recover, my spirits are high to lead you into the next decade. And so it is with my colleagues of the pastoral team to do the work God has assigned us.

What is the work of pastors? "To preach the gospel to the poor." The gospel is the whole Bible, the infallible, inerrant Word of God. What is so hard to find today is the sound preaching of God's Holy Word. The prophet Amos says, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but hearing the words of the Lord (Amos 8:11). Pray for your pastors that we might be diligent to study God's Word in order to feed the flock.

Who are the poor? First they are Lifers, you who come, week after week. Blessed are the poor in spirit-the humble, who hunger and thirst after righteousness. The poor are not only hungry in spirit but also in the physical-the poor, especially in Cambodia to which our Korean and Singaporean missionaries are sent. To them Life Church has sent a 10th Container of good things which were distributed to thousands in Christ's Name on Christmas Day!

To what result should our ministry yield? To heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. These are not only the spiritually hungry but spiritually sick. What remedy can we give? We have none other than the Word of God. God's Word is good Medicine.

I have known of one who always had some complaint to bring up to me on the phone. One day, the complaint suddenly stopped. Instead this same person brought a substantial gift to the Church. When we wanted to return her the sum, she insisted it was from her heart. She was born again. Her spiritual eyes were opened. Her aching heart was healed.

We try to dispense the medicine of His Word by speaking from the pulpit. He that hath an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. We try to dispense the tonic of His Word through the Church Weekly. Do you read only the back page and not the other three pages of heavier reading? We have a Bookroom selling the best of Christian literature. These will further build you up in the faith. We have also many elders whose wise counsel can be sought.

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord's soon return is also dependent on lay leaders of the Church, like the seventy sent out two by two to augment the ministry of our Lord and the disciples. Our elders, deacons and many youth leaders who have gone to the help of our overworked missionaries are our added contribution to His Kingdom till Christ comes. What is your New Year Resolution? May you arise to hasten unto the coming of the Day of God while He tarries within this decade? Jesus comes. Maranatha!







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