My dear readers,

1. Remembering the Founding of GAPPI

Today (19 October 2014), a group of us from Calvary Pandan B-P Church are crossing the sea to commemorate with our brethren at Batam, to recall the goodness of God in enabling the original founders to begin this Gospel Church. I recall the humble beginning of Calvary Batam B-P Church in a private home of the late Brother Tan Nam Siang. Later, we moved to a rented shop house in Nagoya. Finally, the gift of a piece of land by a member’s husband, a successful developer, enabled us to construct our present Sanctuary, a handsome concrete Church building which has endured until today, some twenty-five years on – all thanks to God and the generous donor.

At this point, we are privileged to publish an account from the pen of Elder Cheng Wei Nien.

Gereja Alkitab Presbyterian Protestan Indonesia (GAPPI) or

B-P Church of Indonesia, Batam

"Calvary Batam B-P Church started in the shophouse of Brother Tan Nam Siang on October 22, 1989. The number of worshippers grew and on October 21, 1991, thirty people moved to another shophouse nearby, bought specially for the establishment of our church. Ibu Roska (now Mrs Roska Choi) was the first part-time preacher. Other preachers (by rotation) were from Singapore. Initially, we encountered some difficulty registering the church because there was no previously registered B-P Church in the whole of Indonesia. Finally, it was then registered as the Gereja Santapan Rohani, Indonesia.

In March 1992, Brother Kiantoro (now Rev Kiantoro), a FEBC graduate and an Indonesian Chinese, began his work as a full-time worker and preacher. The congregation continued to grow as more people from other parts of Indonesia came to Batam to look for jobs. Soon, the shophouse was too small. The Lord then provided a bigger place. A local developer kindly donated a piece of land in the midst of a housing estate known as the Orchid Park Batam Centre. A beautiful two-storey Church building was erected. This was inaugurated on August 7, 1994. The following year, GAPPI or B-P Church of Indonesia was officially registered in Medan and Batam, and we changed our church name to GAPPI Batam.

By 1998, there were 70 - 100 worshippers every Sunday, comprising approximately one quarter indigenous Indonesians and three quarters Indonesians of Chinese decent. There is also an active Sunday School and Youth Fellowship.

In August 1997, GAPPI Batam extended its outreach to a nearby island, Tanjong Balai. At the time of this writing, they are holding fortnightly services." (Source: Calvary Bible-Presbyterian Church, 25th Anniversary souvenir magazine, January 1998)

2. The Lord’s Sure Return

Our Lord’s return to earth from Heaven is a major "Landmark event" which our Lord Himself spoke about, and angels confirmed. Ponder our Lord’s words of promise to the disciples in John’s Gospel 14:1-3.

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

The disciples were grieved at our Lord’s going away, but His going was to prepare a place for them (and for you and me), to secure a lasting abode for them (and for you and me), which means our Lord has gone on our behalf "to prepare a place for us." What a thoughtful Lord is our Lord!

Read John 14:3 again: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." What a reassurance! Read this verse again (John 14:3). This promise was repeated by the two angels at our Lord’s ascension. Read what they said:

"…this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11)

This promise of our Lord to "come again" for us, is so re-assuring that the Apostle Peter’s writing about our Lord’s return in 2 Peter 3:3-14 should be received with absolute confidence and joyous assurance.

3. Warning of End-Time Judgment

The Apostle Paul, in his second epistle, wrote to warn end-time Christians of a universal (global) judgment coming upon the entire world, a judgment by fire, reminiscent of the former global judgment by water (in Noah’s time).

The Apostle warned readers of certain evil men who deny such judgment, "scoffers" who laugh at such a happening, denying that there was ever a global flood which destroyed the entire world (except for Noah’s family of eight). The Apostle warned, in no uncertain terms, that the coming global judgment will not be by water, but by fire (vv 6, 7).

Against those "scoffers" who deny the possibility of global judgment by fire, and why God’s judgment has not come, the Apostle in two verses (vv 8, 9), explained: No, the Creator has not destroyed the earth yet, because He is patient, giving time for men to repent.

But God’s judgment will come and men shall not escape. The Apostle appealed to the end-time society to repent towards God and escape the coming judgment (vv 11, 12).

Those who repent will inherit the "new heaven and new earth," which God is preparing for the repentant and believing ones (vv 13, 14).

God bless all readers.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,

Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor