Isaiah 55:8-9; "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Once again, we have been reminded and comforted of this great and wonderful truth about God - that His ways are higher than ours and so are His thoughts!
Just when everyone thought that everything is reduced to the minimum and that the ministry of the Word is hindered by this global crisis on Covid-19, the Lord has opened wide a great door of opportunity for His people to be "gathered together" before Him in this Online Bible Conference!
I praise and thank God that my family can join the Bible Conference and be "one" with all of you our brethren in Singapore, and the rest from all over the world.
It’s such a great joy to worship the Lord together though we are miles apart from one another. Likewise, it’s such a great blessing to study and learn God’s Word from Pastor Koshy. Add to it, the blessing of having fellowship with one another.
Together with my family, we rejoice together with you all for the blessed Online Bible Conference. Praise God for the brethren serving and labouring hard on and off the camera. Thank you, Pastor, for the faithful teaching and preaching of the Word!
All glory be to God!
We praise God for the technologies that have paved the way for the thoughts / plans (which God has planted in the church leadership’s minds) for this Bible Conference to be materialised. We have been truly edified and nourished up in the Word during these 5 days of Bible Conference. Earlier this year, when we learnt that the Missionary Conference-cum-Church Camp (supposed to be held in June) was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were saddened.
However, the Lord had other plans for us - and not least that the conference this year would be held in a very unique format!
We thank God for using our Pastor to teach us many lessons in this conference. We benefited much from his teaching on the theme of "Holding faith, and a good conscience", taken from the theme verses, 1 Timothy 1:18-20. Here’s a summary of what we learnt:
Those are just a few of the lessons we learnt from the theme messages, not forgetting the morning devotions preached by Pr Kee How, Pr Jeremiah, Pr Daniel and Pr Samson. We also learnt precious lessons from their expositions of the Bible.
We thank God for the singing of the hymns, and for the fellowship with the saints from various nations. We enjoyed the games section, and thank the Lord for those who organised them.
We also thank God for the worship chairmen – Elder Mah, Elder Choy, Elder Francis, Elder Ng. We thank God for Dn Boon Siang, who was one of the administrators. We further thank God for the conference committee, who worked tirelessly to ensure the smooth running of the conference. Praise God for their efforts – may the Lord bless them.
We thank God for granting us a place that is quiet and free from distractions, to sit through the sermons. All glory be to God. It is our prayer that we will be able to meet physically soon.
Thank God for enabling Pastor Koshy to exhort us so thoroughly on the various aspects of holding faith, and a good conscience, and for teaching us regarding our dutiful responses as a result. As a sinner saved by grace, I need to be a soldier fully armed with the armour of God, ready to fight the spiritual warfare lest I failed my King and ended up being "shipwrecked"! I know I am not alone in this battle because I have a good King who will stand by me and I can have the victory if I am committed and faithful to Him.
I am very thankful for the many spiritual lessons I have learnt from this year’s Online Bible Conference. The messages have helped me to realise it is important for me to hold on to "faith, and a good conscience", from conversion till I reach home to be with the Lord.
At conversion, not only is my soul saved but my conscience is transformed too. As a young convert, I find that my conscience is weak to rely upon. This weakness can be overcome by prayer, Bible study and consistent obedience. The problem is to recognise it, for the solution is plain and simple. We often blame other things – environment, education, friends, etc. But these are just excuses. The Lord desires to strengthen and build up our weak conscience. A good conscience is God’s desire for every born-again believer. The upkeep of a good conscience must be continually pursued as I am instructed more perfectly in the will of God. The Holy Spirit dwelling in me works through my conscience to guide me in His truth and righteousness. When I learn the will of God as revealed in Scripture, I will be more careful, conscientious, dependable and usable in the kingdom of God.
I thank God for helping me to be part of our GBPC’s Online Bible Conference (beginning last Monday evening till Friday afternoon), even though I could only join part-time for the main messages. I’ve learned much from God’s Word concerning "holding faith and a good conscience". Our faith in His Word is our greatest strength in our lives, so that we can face all the temptations and trials that challenge us. May the Lord help us as we now face the Covid-19 pandemic, and all the problems that come with it. We must strengthen our faith in our God and live for Him.
I thank the Lord for enabling me to be able to join Gethsemane BP Church’s Online Bible Conference during the lockdown in Singapore. I have never attended any Bible Conference before as I had not been walking close with God. I thank the Lord for leading me to TGCM, and it helped me to walk closer to God.
This Bible Conference helped me to know the truths of the Bible more in depth. I have been so moved that I looked forward to every day of the Bible Conference.
Thank the Lord for all the hymns and the morning devotions given by the different preachers each morning.
To God be the glory. Amen.
I would like to give thanks for all those who have worked so tirelessly to make this Online Bible Conference possible. Thank God for allowing everything to come to pass! Through the messages, I have been both admonished and encouraged. I pray that the Lord will help me to be more diligent in setting aside the distractions of the world and worries of life, and focus more on the study of His Word so that I can be more sensitive to the leading of His Spirit in my life. I am so weak but thank God for His grace! I trust that He can and will help me walk closer to Him so that I can shine brighter for Him.
"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Psalm 119:9-11).
I thank God for the Online Bible Conference, even on the theme: "Holding Faith, and a Good Conscience". While I had previously learned, by the grace of God, that every one of our actions impacts the church, I’ve now been brought to a greater reality about the implications of holding faith and a good conscience in my personal responsibility to God and to the church.
It behoves me to resist the world, the flesh, the devil, and many other fronts as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, warring a good warfare – not just publicly but also privately, lest I should make shipwreck of myself and others around me. Furthermore, this was emphasised not only for the leaders of the church, but also for each and every member of the church, that all may see the great importance of the "charge" to hold faith and a good conscience. The terrible idea that such a charge is only for eminent men of the church is quickly driven out when we understand clearly that this charge was given to the church. Therefore every member, from the greatest to the smallest, from the oldest to the youngest, is responsible to hold faith and a good conscience. Thank God also for showing me the connection between the "faith" (the Word of God) and a "good conscience" (which we hold before God first and then to man), lest any should say that one can exist without the other, and fall into great error. Apart from the theme messages, I also thank God for His Word expounded through the morning messages, drawing us to be aware of our pride, to bless the Lord who blesses us, to serve the Lord with gladness, and to be restored to God who lovingly calls us to Him.
Apart from God’s Word which was clearly expounded, I join many others who thank God for the organisation and hard work of many behind the scenes, whether they are working on the streaming, the administration, the singspiration, the preaching, or even prayer to support the hands of those who labour, so that God’s Word may be clearly and smoothly streamed over the Internet. I thank God also to know and to see the sincere desire of Christians around the world to come and listen to the Word, and I thank God for such peculiar circumstances that made it possible for the Word to be spread around the world. Thank God for allowing us the pleasure to see one another, albeit virtually.
May God be pleased to use His Word preached mightily in the hearts of His people, that every one of His saints may be revived and renewed in love to God, and may those who have backslidden or fallen away be rebuked to turn back and seek Him once again. May God be pleased to cause His truth to continue to remain in my heart, that I would not only hear but also do them – not just like a flash of fire that dies off with the end of the conference, but as a continued flame for the Lord. Amen.
Praise the Lord for His leading of my family to the GBPC’s Online Bible Conference. I thank the Lord for the edification we received from the messages in the Conference. The messages also addressed issues that were in my heart. It was truly a blessed Bible Conference. With the blessings received, I will also sign up for the GBI-Online.
Thank God for all your labour of love in helping us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus. May God grant us grace, that we might "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col 1:10).
I was supposed to fly into Singapore from the Philippines for the Missionary Conference in June. I looked forward to it with much excitement. But as the days drew nearer, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the flights were cancelled, and that dimmed my hope of attending the Missionary Conference. It affected everyone and brought terrible uncertainty, anxiety, and downright fear to our hearts. Surely, the words of Christ must dwell in us at such times.
We give all praise to the Lord for the wisdom, enablement, and provisions that He has so graciously bestowed upon Pastor Koshy, the elders, deacons and the all the administrators who worked and collaborated fervently to organise the Online Bible Conference amidst the shutdown caused by the pandemic. Praise the Lord for bringing us to Gethsemane BP Church. I thank God for the faithful preaching of God’s Word (which is the supreme and final authority of our faith and life). By the grace of God, this Conference has been a way of spreading godly and profound teachings by our faithful church leaders. We have had participants not only from Singapore, but also across South East Asia and even from Germany, Australia, India, US, China and so forth. This online conference was accomplished because God has been good and gracious to us.
I praise God also for the opportunity to have fellowship with so many of His saints, even if it’s with a simple "Hi" and "Hello" through the zoom session. It gives us motivation, encouragement and edification during all the fellowship sessions. Truly, I thank God for the modern internet technology (Zoom Video Conferencing), which gives me a chance to "view" our brethren through their video frames, as well as those who laboured to spread God’s holy Word through the media.
I must say watching the children, who participated in the Online Bible Conference singing and praising God, was both humbling and rejoicing to my heart. God is indeed nurturing the spirit and character of a new generation for the future of His church. I pray that they will receive and pass on the Word of God faithfully to another generation, like Apostle Paul who expected Timothy to teach God’s Word to another faithful group.
Lastly, thank God for the faithful leaders who led us during the ‘Singspiration and Prayer’ sessions, and also for Pastor Koshy who expounded God’s Word from 1 Timothy 1:19 - "holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck". A very timely reminder that we must gear up and fight a good warfare, especially in these days when we are facing many ‘battles’ in our minds, and in our houses, that we may avoid the "shipwreck" of our faith. May we not be easily overtaken by false teachings in the internet and social media. A good soldier must obey the charge of his King to avoid the doctrines of the devil. My sincerest prayer is that I will grow closer to God, and serve Him with clean hands and a pure heart, and rely on the Holy Spirit to live a life that glorifies God. I look forward to the day, God willing, when my husband and I can serve God together as a family in His church, with much joy in the Lord.
Thank you very much for the many uplifting and encouraging messages on "Holding Faith and a Good Conscience". I’m tremendously blessed and "recharged" listening to the biblical charge – concerning our commitment to our King, His people and our warfare against spiritual shipwreck – being expounded to us daily during the Online Bible Conference. I pray that we will not be hearers only, but also doers of God’s Word. May God help us.
I thank God for the wonderful time of studying God’s Word and fellowship with our church brethren (which we have missed since the start of the "circuit-breaker" in Singapore), and also with brethren from around the world. It was disappointing that we had to cancel the previously planned Missionary Conference in June 2020. So, it was great to have this unexpected Online Bible Conference during this time of lockdown in Singapore. Praise the Lord for all who have served Him by organising, preparing and handling this Conference so meticulously and efficiently. I am also thankful for the good attendance and for all the participants, including the less IT-savvy, who have embraced this new online video conferencing with enthusiasm.
Praise the Lord for the messages taught by Pastor and the preachers, reminding us to examine ourselves, to be soldiers of Christ, to fight a good fight of faith. All glory to the Lord!
I want to thank the Lord for helping Pastor Koshy to deliver God’s Word during the Online Bible Conference, as well as in the Bible Study during SIT Campus Ministry on Friday afternoons (3- 4pm). I have learnt a lot the past few days!
I would like to praise the Lord and express my thanks to Pastor Koshy, the preachers, elders, deacons and all who were involved in organising the Online Bible Conference. It was such a blessed time of singing, worshipping, fellowship and studying God’s Word throughout the 5 days of conference. I rejoiced to see the warm and friendly faces of many familiar brethren.
By God’s grace, I received with joy the teachings provided through this conference. I have learnt much about the importance of "holding faith and a good conscience". The exhortations have also struck within me a godly fear and a keener awareness of my lacklustre attitude in the study of God’s Word and in my daily Christian living. I was particularly taken aback that I knew so little about God’s Word, and how vulnerable I am to the attacks of the devil. And all this is because I have not been diligent in studying and meditating on His Word daily, and in spending more time with my Lord in my quiet time. I thank God again for teaching me as to what my duty / responsibility is to my God, my church, my family and to all whom God has placed in my life. May I submit more to His will, wait on Him, and be a good testimony for His glory.
"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" (Hebrews 12: 6-7). These two verses sum up my response to the lessons I learnt in the Online Bible Conference. May the Lord help me in "holding faith, and a good conscience" (1 Timothy 1:19). And may His Words stay with all of us.