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1 Kings 17:12—”And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for my son and me, that we may eat it, and die.” 

The widow of Zarephath uttered these words during one of the darkest moments of her life. A severe famine, brought by God’s judgment upon Israel (1 Kings 17:1), had extended into neighbouring Sidon, leaving even this Gentile widow destitute. She possessed only enough meal and oil for one final meal before she and her son expected to die. Humanly speaking, every earthly hope had vanished.

Yet this desperate situation became the setting for God’s glorious provision. Before Elijah multiplied her resources through God’s promise, the widow was called to trust the Lord beyond what she could see. She knew the God of Israel only as “the LORD thy God”, but through this trial she would come to know Him as her own faithful Provider.

God’s providence is never limited by our poverty or circumstances. The Lord who commanded the ravens to feed Elijah now prepared a poor widow to sustain His prophet. God’s resources never diminish, even when ours are exhausted. He often allows His people to reach the end of their own strength so that they may discover the sufficiency of His grace.

Believers today also face seasons when resources seem inadequate and the future uncertain. At such times, we must not measure God’s faithfulness by what remains in our “barrel” or “cruse”, but by His unfailing promises. The Lord who sustained the widow still cares for those who trust Him. When human hope fails, divine providence never does. “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

1 Kings 8:27—“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?”

These words were spoken by Solomon at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem. Although he had completed the magnificent house built for the worship of the LORD, Solomon humbly acknowledged that no earthly structure could contain the infinite God. Even “the heaven and heaven of heavens”, the vast created universe in all its immensity, cannot contain His glorious being. God is transcendent, eternal, omnipresent, and infinitely greater than all creation.

Yet Solomon's question also highlights the wonder of God's covenant grace. Though God cannot be confined to a temple made with hands, He graciously chose to manifest His presence among His covenant people. The temple was never God's dwelling in the sense of limiting His presence, but the appointed place where He revealed His glory, accepted the sacrifices of His people, and heard their prayers (vv. 28–30).

This truth reaches its fullest expression in Jesus Christ. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). In Christ, God graciously came to dwell with His people without ceasing to fill heaven and earth. Today, believers are also described as “the temple of the Holy Ghost” (1 Corinthians 6:19), not because God is confined within us, but because He graciously indwells us by His Spirit.

Let Solomon's confession humble our hearts. We cannot reduce God to buildings, ceremonies, or human ideas. Instead, let us worship Him with reverence and awe, marvelling that the infinite God graciously draws near to all who seek Him through Christ.

Psalm 136:4—“To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Psalm 136 is a magnificent hymn of thanksgiving, “Great Hallel”,  in which every declaration of God's mighty works is followed by the refrain, “for his mercy endureth for ever”. Verse 4 stands as the majestic transition between the introductory praises of God's character and the chronological retellings of creation and deliverance. 

In verse 4, the psalmist exalts the Lord as the One “who alone doeth great wonders”. The emphasis on “alone” declares God's absolute uniqueness. No created being, no idol, and no earthly power can accomplish the marvellous works that belong exclusively to the sovereign Creator.

The “great wonders” encompass God's works of creation, providence, redemption, and continual preservation of His people. From creating the heavens (vv. 5–9), delivering Israel from Egypt (vv. 10–15), guiding them through the wilderness (v. 16), and providing for all flesh (v. 25), every mighty act reveals His infinite wisdom and omnipotent power. Yet the psalm repeatedly teaches that behind every wonder stands God's enduring covenant mercy. 

God's wonders are never mere displays of power. His mighty hand is always directed by His steadfast love toward His people. When we face circumstances beyond our ability, let us remember that the God who alone performs great wonders remains unchanged. His power has not diminished, nor has His mercy failed. Therefore, trust Him, praise Him, and rest confidently in His unfailing love, “for his mercy endureth for ever”. The greatest wonder of all is His redeeming love in Jesus Christ, through whom sinners receive forgiveness, eternal life, and reconciliation with God (Ephesians 2:4–7).

Psalm 137:4—“How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?”

This is a cry of the captive Israelites from the depths of their despair. Carried captive to Babylon, they sat weeping by its rivers, remembering Zion, where they had worshipped the Lord according to His covenant ordinances (vv. 1–3). Their captors mockingly demanded “one of the songs of Zion”, the sacred temple music intended exclusively for the worship of the LORD. To perform these songs as mere amusement for pagan conquerors felt like a betrayal of their identity. Hanging their harps on the willow trees, they faced a crisis of expression in a foreign landscape.

Their Babylonian captors mockingly demanded songs of Zion for entertainment, but the exiles replied, “How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?” Their question was not born of unbelief but of reverence. The sacred songs of Jehovah were not to be turned into amusement for idolaters or divorced from heartfelt worship.

What a reminder that worship belongs to God alone! True praise is not a performance to satisfy men but the sincere offering of hearts devoted to the Lord (John 4:23–24). The “LORD'S song” is holy because its subject is the holy God. It cannot be separated from faith, obedience, and covenant fellowship with Him.

Believers today also live in a “strange land” (1 Peter 2:11), surrounded by a world that neither knows nor honours the Lord. While we continue to sing His praises in every circumstance, even in suffering (Acts 16:25), we must never allow our worship to become worldly, superficial, or designed merely to entertain. Our songs should always exalt God's truth and glory.

Let every hymn we sing arise from hearts that remember our heavenly Zion. Though we are pilgrims on earth, our worship should bear witness that our true citizenship is in heaven, where one day we shall sing the new song before the throne forever.

Psalm 141:3—“Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” 

Psalm 141 is David's earnest prayer for God's preserving grace amid opposition and temptation. Surrounded by the influence of evil men (vv. 4–5), David recognised that one of the greatest spiritual dangers lay not merely outside him but within his own heart. Therefore, before asking God to restrain his enemies, he first asks God to restrain his own speech. This humble prayer reveals a heart that distrusts self and depends upon divine grace.

David utilises military language as Hebrew imagery. A “watch” (shamar) or sentry positioned at a city gate. The imagery is vivid. David pictures his mouth as the entrance to a city that needs a vigilant guard and his lips as a door requiring constant protection. He knows that words, once spoken, cannot be recalled. Scripture repeatedly warns of the power of the tongue: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), while James declares that “the tongue is a fire” (James 3:6). Rash words can wound relationships, dishonour God, spread falsehood, and reveal an ungoverned heart.

True self-control is a work of God's sanctifying grace. The believer must diligently discipline his speech, yet he also depends upon the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of temperance (Galatians 5:22–23). Only the Lord can continually guard the heart from which words proceed, for Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34).

Let this be our daily prayer. Before speaking, let us ask the Lord to govern our thoughts, purify our motives, and season our words with grace (Colossians 4:6). A guarded tongue is evidence of a heart increasingly submitted to Christ. When God watches over our lips, our speech becomes an instrument of truth, encouragement, peace, and praise to His glory.

Ezra 7:10—“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”

Ezra stands before us as a godly example of wholehearted devotion to God’s Word. He lived during a crucial period in Israel’s history, when the Jewish exiles had returned from Babylon and needed spiritual restoration. The nation’s greatest need was not political strength or material prosperity, but a renewed commitment to the LORD and His revealed truth. 

Ezra, the scribe, became God's servant in restoring the spiritual life of the returned exiles through the ministry of His Word. Ezra’s secret to public impact lay in his private devotion. The sequence of his ministry in Ezra 7:10 provides a timeless blueprint for spiritual leadership and personal transformation.

The phrase “prepared his heart” speaks of deliberate spiritual resolve. The Hebrew word for "prepared" (kun) signifies establishing, fixing, or making unmovable. Ezra did not approach God’s Word casually or carelessly. He set his affections and intentions upon the LORD and His Word. Notice the threefold pattern in Ezra’s life. First, he sought the law of the LORD. He was a diligent student of divine revelation, desiring to know God’s mind. Second, he purposed to do it. Knowledge without obedience is hypocrisy. James later echoed this principle: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). Third, Ezra taught God’s statutes and judgments to others. True spiritual leadership flows from a life that first learns and obeys God’s truth.

Likewise, believers must cultivate a heart that is ready to hear, receive, and obey God’s truth. As the Psalmist prayed, “Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes” (Psalm 119:33).

This order is significant: seek, do, then teach. Many desire to teach before they have learned, or to instruct others before obeying themselves. Ezra’s ministry possessed authority because his life was submitted to the Word he proclaimed.

May we likewise prepare our hearts daily to seek God’s Word, practise its truths faithfully, and pass them on for the glory of God and the blessing of His people.

Jude 12—“These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots”.

Jude writes with urgency about false teachers who had secretly entered the church (v. 4). Verse 12 exposes their true nature through vivid imagery that reveals both their danger and their spiritual emptiness. These individuals were not outside the fellowship but among believers, participating in the church’s “feasts of charity”, gatherings marked by fellowship, worship, and expressions of Christian love. Jude calls them “spots in your feasts of charity”. In the original Greek, “spots” refers to hidden reefs (spilades) beneath the water. They were blemishes and hidden dangers within the congregation. 

First, Jude says they are “feeding themselves without fear”. Instead of shepherding others sacrificially, they selfishly served their own interests. They lacked reverence for God and concern for His flock. Such self-centred ministry remains a serious concern today, for spiritual leadership and service must reflect Christlike humility rather than personal gain (1 Peter 5:2–3).

Second, they are “clouds…without water”. Like rain clouds that appear full of promise but produce no rain, they offer hope yet provide no true refreshment. False teachers often appear impressive in speech and appearance but provide no true spiritual nourishment. Their doctrines are unstable, “carried about of winds”, constantly shifting rather than anchored in truth. 

Third, Jude describes them as fruitless trees. They are lifeless despite outward appearance. “Twice dead” emphasises profound spiritual barrenness and separation from God.

Believers ought to exercise discernment. Not all who appear devout are spiritually sound. The church must cherish biblical truth, examine teachings carefully, and pursue genuine spiritual fruit. Christ desires not outward profession alone, but hearts rooted deeply in Him.

1 Samuel 7:12—“Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.”

For twenty years, the nation lamented under Philistine oppression. Under Samuel’s leadership, they repented of idolatry with fasting, confessed their sins, and sought the LORD at Mizpeh. Israel then experienced divine deliverance when God thundered against their enemies (1 Samuel 7:3–11). The LORD granted Israel a remarkable victory over the Philistines. Samuel responded by erecting a memorial stone, calling it Eben-ezer, meaning “stone of help”.

This memorial was not erected to celebrate Israel’s strength, military skill, or strategy. It testified solely to God’s faithfulness. Samuel declared, “Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.” The word “hitherto” is rich with meaning; it looks back upon every mercy, every danger survived, every provision received, and every deliverance granted. Israel’s history was not a story of human success but of divine preservation.

This verse teaches God’s covenant faithfulness. The LORD who called His people, chastened them for sin, received them upon repentance, and fought for them remained unchanged in His mercy. Believers today stand upon the same truth. Our spiritual victories, perseverance, and preservation are not achievements of self-sufficiency but testimonies of divine grace (Psalm 124:1–2).

We are often quick to pray for future needs but slow to remember past mercies. Samuel’s stone calls us to cultivate thankful remembrance. Reflect often on God’s faithfulness through trials, losses, joys, and uncertainties. Every believer should have many “Ebenezers” in the heart, declaring with gratitude: “Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.” When you face an uncertain future, look back at your Ebenezers and rest in the truth that the God who helped you hitherto will sustain you tomorrow.

Joan Cheah

I thank and praise the Lord for His goodness throughout this blessed church camp.

My heart is filled with gratitude for every hymn, message, prayer, act of service, and worship rendered unto God during the camp.

I have learned much about God’s preservation of His holy Word, which is infallible and inerrant, and has been faithfully preserved throughout the generations. As the Psalmist declares in Psalm 12:6–7: “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” I pray that the Spirit of God will help me to remain faithful in trusting the Scriptures as the supreme authority and the foundation of my life.

Besides this, it is my earnest desire that the Lord will continue to grant me grace, wisdom and strength to remain steadfast in His holy precepts and to serve Him wholeheartedly throughout my life until He calls me to His glorious home.

I also wish to express my joy for the warm fellowship I enjoyed with the brethren during those five days at the church camp. It was a time of mutual encouragement and exhortation in the Lord, for which I am truly thankful.

I would also like to thank the camp committee for their labour of love and service unto God. Their careful planning and arrangements, including the accommodation at Courtyard Marriott Hotel and all the logistical preparations, contributed greatly to a blessed and comfortable camp experience.

Above all, I thank the Lord for all the valuable messages preached by the preachers.

The topic on the “Bible Presbyterian Distinctives”, faithfully preached and taught by Pastor Koshy, has benefited me greatly. These messages have enriched me spiritually and reminded me to live as a child of God – to be fruitful, to persevere in the faith, and to serve Him faithfully.

To God be all the glory and honour. Amen.

Elder Alan Choy

Thank the Lord for His goodness and grace in granting us a wonderful church camp, a time of revising and learning the important theologies from God’s Word. We are exhorted to “sanctify the Lord God in our hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh [us] a reason of the hope that is in [us] with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). Thank God for His servants – our Pastor and the preachers – who divided the Word faithfully to us. Thanks to our Camp Master and all the camp committee members for their labour of love, looking into every detail of the physical arrangements for the campers. It was indeed a joy to see brethren coming together in the unity of faith.

Reuel Resuma

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

I thank God for enabling my family to attend this year’s church camp, where I’ve been blessed with a five-day-long study of God’s Word. I’ve been especially blessed in this year’s camp, in that I have been instructed in the doctrines of our church, so that I may clearly understand why we stand firmly as Bible-Presbyterians in a world filled with numerous denominations and doctrines. I also thank God for the morning devotions and the messages on stewardship, from which I realised that I still have much to learn to be a good steward of Christ over the things He has entrusted to me. I also thank God for the camp committee, who diligently planned this event, for every preacher who faithfully expounded the Word to us, and for all those who served humbly behind the scenes. I also thank God for the fellowship and fun I’ve had with other brethren. I pray that I will take back the lessons that I have learned and apply them to my life, and that I will serve God and others with the gifts He has given me and glorify Him always.

Margie Jasmin

I’m Margie Jasmin from Pangasinan, the Philippines. Thank God for giving my two children and me the opportunity to travel to Singapore to attend a church camp in Malaysia. I didn’t expect to come here because of the many struggles in processing my passport and financial needs. Thank God for the Lord’s gracious provisions that helped us to come for the church camp.

I thank God for all our brethren here in Singapore for their hospitality and fellowship since we arrived in Singapore and during the journey to and from the church camp. We shall now go back to Pangasinan, encouraged and happy to share with our fellow brethren what we have learned at the church camp. Our heartfelt thanks to the pastors and the preachers who preached the Word of God and provided spiritual learning. Thanks also to all elders and deacons. To God be the glory.

Nathan Resuma

I thank God for this church camp, where we could come together to worship Him as one body—the church—and for His abundant blessings throughout the camp, including His gracious providence in enabling my family to attend. I thank God for the pastors, preachers, and children’s teachers who faithfully taught from His Word, especially on the theme, “The Doctrinal Distinctives of Our Bible-Presbyterian Church”, and for the camp committee who diligently planned every aspect of this camp.

I also thank God for the blessed fellowship I enjoyed with my roommates, family, and friends. I pray that God will help me to apply the lessons I have learned, that I may live victoriously for His glory and “finish my course with joy” (Acts 20:24).

All glory be to God alone!

Lok Qian Ning

In a world that favours ecumenism, what a precious blessing it was to attend the recent church camp, where many of the distinct doctrines and principles of the Bible-Presbyterian church were so clearly spelt out from the truths of God’s Word. Truly, the importance of knowing and communicating God’s truth cannot be overstated. Though there’s still much more to learn, I thank God for Pastor who laboured much to concisely deliver the key points of the B-P distinctives. The messages on stewardship were also excellent reproofs and reminders to examine my faithfulness to God in how I use what He has entrusted to me. Thank God as well for the preachers who led the morning devotions, and for the camp committee who worked tirelessly. Indeed, learning from God’s Word and serving at church camps have been among the best uses of time, treasure, and talents!

Aron Ong

It was by God’s grace and mercy that my family and I were able to attend this year’s church camp. I was taken ill by a viral infection slightly over a week before the camp and am thankful to recover just in time, and also that my family members were protected from the illness.

I thank God for our Pastor and preachers who faithfully ministered the Word through the camp theme messages on our Bible-Presbyterian doctrinal distinctives, the morning messages on stewardship, and the daily morning devotions. The messages on stewardship refocused our mindset on managing and using our God-given resources for the glory of God. The camp theme messages renewed and reinforced our understanding of the biblical basis of our B-P faith, and together with the Q&A clarified and addressed some of the questions I had. I especially love the messages on Calvinism - the 5 points of TULIP - O the blessed thought of God’s saving grace to me and the reassurance of His preservation of all His chosen ones.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Last but not least, I thank God for the opportunities to serve and fellowship in the camp. Thank God for the camp organising committee, the games organisers, and all the brethren who have made this a blessed camp for God’s glory.

Shaphrang Lyngdoh Nongrang

As one who is a sinner saved by grace but often filled with doubts, I must confess that I struggled last December with the decision to sign up and attend the Gethsemane Church Camp 2026. In my heart, I desired to return home to my family during the vacation, thinking that would be far better for me. Yet I thank God for His sovereign grace in bringing me to this camp. Looking back, I see clearly that it was not my own desire, but the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ that led me to attend the camp.

This being my first Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church Camp, and coming from a non-BP background with just a year at FEBC, I had only some knowledge of certain doctrines. Through the preaching of God’s Word, I was humbled to see how shallow my understanding was and how weak my convictions remained. Christ was set before me, and my heart was searched.

In particular, the morning devotion on contending for the faith preached by Pr Samson from Jude 3–4 deeply convicted me. I saw my fear, my silence, and how easily I shrink from standing for the truth. I realised that contending for the faith is not something distant or theoretical, but a personal calling. Too often, I desire comfort more than faithfulness, and ease more than obedience.

The messages on stewardship, especially on time, treasure, and gifts, were very searching, showing me how much of my life I still hold back from Christ, even though I belong wholly to Him. The teaching on Biblical Separation, though I had learned it last semester at FEBC, brought fresh conviction that I must live a life set apart unto Christ without compromise. The teaching on total abstinence was also new to me, as it is not something I had been taught in my church, and it reminded me of the warnings in Scripture concerning the dangers and deception of strong drink (Proverbs 20:1; 23:29–35), and how I need to live soberly. I am likewise thankful for the teaching on VPI and VPP, which has helped strengthen my confidence that the Word of Christ is perfectly preserved and trustworthy.

As I consider returning to Shillong in the future, according to God’s will, where many worldly and charismatic influences seem to be increasing, and where we as Christians may be losing our Presbyterian roots, I am humbled and convicted that I must not remain passive. By His grace, I desire to stand firm, hold fast to His Word, and be ready to contend for the faith with humility and courage, remembering the teachings I have learned from this church camp. I pray that Christ will continue to sanctify me, making me more faithful and obedient not only to speak of Him but also to live for Him, and above all to be more conformed to His image.

I also thank God for the love and fellowship of the saints at Gethsemane. This was not mere outward kindness, but true communion in Christ that refreshed my soul. Through the care and conversations with the church leaders and members, I experienced a genuine love for Christ and His truth. It gave me a foretaste of heaven, where Christ will be all in all (1 Cor. 15:28), and His people perfectly united in Him. Even now, I sense something of that unity and joy, and it stirs my heart to long for that day. I pray that God will help me to cherish the fellowship of His people and to walk faithfully among His saints for His glory. I also desire, by His grace, to serve, to be edified, and to continue learning from the example of Gethsemane Church in unity and sound doctrine. May God help me.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Timothy Hu

I thank God for the privilege of attending the Gethsemane BPC Church Camp 2026. After a year of studying at FEBC and worshipping at Gethsemane BPC, I am thankful to see how much the Lord has helped me grow spiritually. I felt immense gratitude when Dn Lijoy told me we could attend the church camp without worrying about the cost. I am also deeply thankful to be at the Gethsemane Church Camp, where I have been reminded of our Bible-Presbyterian distinctives and have experienced the genuine love and care of the church family.

I thank God for the camp speakers, Pastor Koshy, all the preachers, Camp Master, and those who worked faithfully behind the scenes. I loved every message. Each one felt like a condensed FEBC lecture, a powerful reminder of my standing in the faith, why I hold fast to the truth, and why I must continue to stand firm in these biblical doctrines and Bible-Presbyterian distinctives.

I enjoyed every aspect of the camp, from the faithful preaching and uplifting singspiration, which filled my heart with joy as I sang together with my brothers and sisters in Christ, to the enjoyable games, godly fellowship, and delicious meals. Witnessing the communion of the saints throughout the camp greatly encouraged me and reminded me of the beauty and preciousness of Christian fellowship. It truly felt right and joyful to be among God’s people.

I also thank God for the privilege of serving on the AV team; through this opportunity, I learned much, not only about audio and visual work but also about functioning within a well-organised team. My first Gethsemane B-P Church Camp was so wonderful that I must be careful not to take it for granted.

To end my testimony, may I share a Bible verse that I am very fond of, Psalm 36:9-10: “For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.”

Sermon Text: Psalm 138
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 21st June 2026