Greetings in the Name of our risen Lord and Saviour!
On this happy occasion of commemorating our Lord’s resurrection, we also rejoice with you on your 28th Anniversary Thanksgiving. Praise God for His goodness all these years!
As you gather together for a time of thanksgiving and praise, I would like to encourage you to press on in your service to God and in living a dedicated life unto Him. In the words of Paul, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).
Realise that as God’s people – sinners saved by His mercy and grace – we are to dedicate our all, that is, to offer our all unto Him. It is the one thing that the Lord desires and expects from His people, and thus, it must be our preoccupation and our purpose in life.
To live a dedicated life unto God is to live a life characterised as follows:
Once again, on behalf of the brethren here, “Blessed 28th Anniversary!”
Yours in Christ,
Reggor B. Galarpe
Gethsemane BPC (Cebu)
Cebu City, the Philippines
Titus Ho
Iwas born into a Christian family and was baptised as an infant. From a young age, I have enjoyed coming to God’s house, being and learning together with God’s children, whether it be through Junior Worship classes or church camps. Because of this, as well as the biblical teachings that I have imbibed from my family devotions, I seemed quite well versed with Bible knowledge. However, I have difficulty putting much of it into practice. That made me doubt whether Christ would be willing to forgive my sins and whether I would be able to go to heaven. The thought of going to hell simply scared me! To me, I thought if I could be a well-behaved boy outwardly, I would be able to go to heaven. It was not until one night, at the age of 4, when my mother explained to me that even if I do good works, I am still a sinner doomed for a lost eternity if I did not have Christ. That night, I said “the sinner’s prayer” and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour.
Throughout the subsequent years, I thank God for my parents’ spiritual “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4), as well as the spiritual nourishment that I have derived from the church. In particular, I am thankful to God for the catechism class I attended, which was led by Eld Mah and Eld Choy. Through these sessions, I am more assured about my faith, having had greater insights about the basic doctrines I have heard over all those years.
Now I realise that I am nothing without Christ; all my good works cannot earn my salvation. It is through Christ’s atoning death and His bearing of my sins that I can now have everlasting life. However, the Christian life is not a bed of roses. Along the Christian journey, there would be trials, temptations and opposition from the world (which I had already experienced somewhat in my secondary school). Hence, my faith must be strong in the Lord. And to do that, I must meditate on the Bible daily and seek the Lord’s strength and wisdom in every challenge that I face.
In addition, I am grateful to God for the privilege of belonging to a sound, Biblebelieving church with a faithful pastor, Godhonouring leaders, and kind, like-minded friends. These are blessings money cannot buy!
In conclusion, I would like to quote a verse from 1 Corinthians 4:2 - “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” Truly, by God’s grace, I hope that I would be faithful to the Lord in everything that I do, for His glory.