Family Letter

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August 19, 2007

Newsletter – Pastor Raymond Chan

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, came to an assurance of faith this way:

Fresh out of Oxford, John Wesley became a missionary to American Indians along the coasts of Georgia. He failed and on his way back to Britain, his ship was caught in a storm and he was very frightened. But some Moravian missionaries on the ship were extremely calm. Wesley was impressed and asked why they were not afraid. “Why should I be afraid, I know Christ; do you know Christ?” Wesley was uncomfortable. Back in London on May 24, 1738, Wesley went to St Paul’s Cathedral and was greatly moved by the music there. That evening, Wesley attended a worship at Aldersgate Street and listened to a reading of Martin Luther’s preface to the Book of Romans. He said later: “About a quarter before nine… I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for my salvation.”

Wesley needed the Moravians who exhibited the power of true faith in the face of real dangers and tough challenges in life. Wesley knew he did not have that, though he had knowledge.

Wesley needed people anointed with the gift of music to play the tune, at a particular local church in a particular time, to tune his heart.

Wesley needed gifted expositors of the Word to breathe life into words.

The Spirit of God that works in mysterious ways put all these people together and we now have millions of Christians brought up in the tradition of John and Charles Wesley, the latter’s hymns we still sing today.

Someone may have knowledge, even knowledge of the Bible through years going to church. But there is no saving faith in Christ. They need a soft and tuned heart, and they need words of men anointed by the Spirit to give them understanding of the salvation that is in Christ alone.

Had the people in St Paul’s Cathedral on May 24 1738 not played their music to their best for the Lord, or had the Christians in Aldersgate Street that evening just went through the motions of just another worship, they would have missed out on history. If we for a moment treat our 20^th Anniversary Evangelistic meetings as just another one of those that goes nowhere, then we too will probably miss out on history.

Live true to your faith! Practice your music! Preach the Gospel!