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Matthew 7:24—“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.”

Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount with a solemn image of two builders. Both hear His words, but only one obeys them. The difference between wisdom and foolishness is therefore not merely hearing Christ’s teaching but responding to it in obedient faith.

The word “therefore” links this illustration to all that Christ taught in the preceding chapters. His sayings on righteousness, prayer, forgiveness, purity, love, discernment, and entrance into the kingdom are not truths just to be admired. They must govern our lives.

The wise man “built his house upon a rock”. He deliberately chose a firm foundation. Likewise, the true disciple builds his life upon the authoritative words of Christ. This does not mean that obedience earns salvation. Scripture teaches that salvation is by grace through faith. Rather, obedience is the necessary fruit of genuine faith. Those who truly receive Christ will desire to keep His commandments. Their obedience proves their faith in Christ and His Word.

The strength of the foundation becomes evident when the storm comes. In the following verse, rain descends, floods rise, and winds beat upon the house, yet it does not fall. Trials may test our faith in this life, but Christ’s illustration also points solemnly to the final testing of every profession before God.

It is possible to hear sermons, read Scripture, and know much biblical truth without obeying it. Christ therefore asks us to examine our foundation. Are we hearers only, or are we doers of His Word?

True wisdom hears Christ, believes Christ, and obeys Christ.

Matthew 7:20—“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

Jesus spoke these words while warning His disciples about false prophets: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Such men may appear outwardly religious, but their true character will eventually be revealed. Christ therefore teaches His people to examine their “fruits”.

The illustration is simple. “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit” (v. 18). A tree's nature is revealed by what it produces. Likewise, a person’s doctrine, conduct, attitudes, and influence disclose what is truly within him. Fine words, impressive appearances, and religious claims are not sufficient evidence of godliness.

This does not mean that Christians are saved by good works. Salvation is entirely by God’s grace through faith in Christ. Yet genuine faith produces spiritual fruit. Those who belong to Christ will increasingly display obedience to God’s Word, love of righteousness, humility, repentance, and the fruit of the Spirit.

Christ’s words therefore call for discernment. We must not accept every teacher because he speaks persuasively or seems devout. We must test his teaching and life against Scripture. 1 John 4:1 says, “… try the spirits whether they are of God”.

But this verse also calls for personal examination. What kind of fruit does our own life bear? Our profession of faith must be accompanied by evidence of God’s transforming grace.

May we therefore pray that the Lord would make our lives fruitful for His glory, remembering that true spiritual fruit comes only from abiding in Christ.

Jonah 2:9—“But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.”

Jonah’s prayer reaches its great confession in verse 9: “Salvation is of the LORD.” Having experienced the terror of the deep and his complete inability to rescue himself, Jonah acknowledges that deliverance belongs entirely to God. He could neither escape the sea nor free himself from the great fish. If he was to be saved, the LORD alone must save him.

His confession follows the contrast of verse 8: “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy”. When people act in disobedience according to their own thoughts, or worship and serve idols, they forsake God, who alone can mercifully provide salvation. Jonah himself had foolishly fled from the LORD, yet in his helplessness he learned afresh that God is sovereign and merciful in salvation.

Jonah therefore declares, “I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving”. Thanksgiving is the proper response to divine mercy. His promised sacrifice was not an attempt to purchase deliverance but an expression of gratitude to the God who had heard his prayer. Likewise, “I will pay that that I have vowed” expresses renewed consecration and determination to fulfil his obligations before God.

The declaration “Salvation is of the LORD” reaches far beyond Jonah’s physical deliverance. It expresses a great biblical truth: salvation in every true and ultimate sense originates with God, is accomplished by His power, and is bestowed according to His grace. “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD” (Psalm 3:8).

When God brings us face to face with our helplessness, let us abandon confidence in ourselves and look wholly to Him. His saving mercy should produce thanksgiving, obedience, and renewed devotion. Those who know that salvation is of the LORD should gladly live for His praise.

Jonah 2:4—“Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.”

Jonah’s words reveal both the anguish of chastisement and the persistence of faith: “I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.” Having fled from the LORD, Jonah now feels the terrible consequence of his disobedience. Surrounded by the sea and enclosed in the great fish, he speaks as one cut off from the favour and presence of God.

His words, however, do not end in despair. The decisive turn comes with “yet”: though Jonah felt cast out, faith moved him to look again toward God. His reference to the “holy temple” recalls the place where God had appointed His name and where His people sought Him in prayer (cf. 1 Kings 8:29–30). Jonah’s hope was therefore not in his circumstances changing by chance, but in the LORD’s covenantal promise of mercy.

This verse teaches that chastisement need not drive a believer away from God. Properly received, it should turn us back to Him. Jonah had attempted to flee from God’s presence, but now, in affliction, he longs again for fellowship with Him.

This passage also offers a precious spiritual lesson. At times, believers may feel spiritually forsaken, especially when suffering under the consequences of sin. Yet feeling abandoned is not the same as being abandoned. The right response is to look again toward the LORD in repentance and faith.

When your heart is burdened and God seems distant, do not turn farther away. Look again toward Him. His holiness should humble you, His chastening should correct you, and His covenant mercy should draw you back in hope.

Jonah 2:2 – “And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.”

Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the great fish begins with a testimony of answered prayer: “I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me.” His distress was the bitter consequence of his disobedience. He had fled from the presence of the LORD, been cast into the sea, and brought to the brink of death. Yet even there, Jonah discovered that God’s mercy was still extended to him.

The phrase “out of the belly of hell cried I” uses “hell” (Sheol) in the sense of the realm of the dead or the grave. Jonah was not literally in the place of final punishment, but he felt himself as good as dead, enclosed in darkness and overwhelmed by the depths (cf. Jonah 2:3–6). From that desperate condition, he cried unto the LORD.

The wonder of the verse lies in the repeated assurance: “he heard me” and “thou heardest my voice.” Jonah had rebelled against God, but when he cried in distress, the LORD graciously heard him. This does not excuse his sin; rather, it magnifies divine mercy toward a chastened servant.

Jonah’s experience reminds us that affliction should drive us Godward. Even when our troubles arise through our own foolishness or disobedience, we must not conclude that prayer is useless. The LORD is compassionate toward those who turn to Him in humility and repentance.

Therefore, when distress surrounds you and your circumstances seem hopeless, cry unto the LORD. The God who heard Jonah from the depths still hears His people when they call upon Him in faith.

Michael Yip

I first learned about God when I was studying at a Christian Brothers School and attending a Catholic church near my home during secondary school. Back then, my late father had a heart attack, and I was praying fervently to God for help as he was brought to the hospital in an ambulance. His survival left an impression on me as I believed that God had answered my prayer.

Later on, during my Polytechnic days, some classmates shared the Gospel with me, and I joined them for weekly Bible study. However, when I started work, I was so influenced by the world and my peers that I stopped attending church service.

My brother brought me back to church in 1990. I was subsequently baptised at this church: Faith Community Baptist Church in 1991, where I started attending contact group meetings. Although my wife and I were worshipping there, we were not very comfortable with speaking in tongues and the like.

It was in 1997, when our family moved to England for 3 years, that we attended a B-P church there and was convinced to join Calvary Pandan B-P Church (CPBPC) when we came back to Singapore in 2000. We started to know God better through the church and Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC) courses. 

During the years of COVID-19 restrictions, my wife and I started worshipping regularly in True Life B-P Church (TLBPC) morning service and Gethsemane B-P Church (GBPC) evening teaching service, and this has been so for the last couple of years. I believe that God has a hand in both my wife’s and my presence in CPBPC & TLBPC all these years.

It is only recently that I’ve found the conviction for Florence and me to transfer our membership to GBPC, where we can grow spiritually and be a blessing to the church, just as the church has been a blessing to us. Thank God for His grace and mercy upon us and our family.

Florence Yip

“Thank you, God, for saving my soul. Thank you, God, for making me whole. Thank you, God, for giving to me, thy great salvation so rich and free.”

Looking back, I clearly see the sovereign hand of God guiding my life. He preserved me through an atypical childhood and led me to accept Him as my Lord and Saviour during my teenage years. Though I was initially drawn in by simple things—fun, games, and songs—He never let me go. As a young believer growing from youth into adulthood, even when I was feeding only on milk doctrine, the Lord faithfully instilled in me foundational truths and values.

Throughout my journey, I attended various churches, including charismatic congregations, and spent over a decade at FCBC despite growing increasingly uncomfortable with its teachings. I praise God for graciously leading me out of that environment. When I was seconded to the UK for work, the Lord brought me to Life BPC in Queens Park, London. Upon returning to Singapore three years later, my faith was further grounded through the solid preaching at CPBPC and studies at FEBC. Truly, the Lord works in wonderful ways.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, God led me to attend like-minded Reformed churches, including True Life BPC and Gethsemane BPC. At Gethsemane, I was deeply moved by the solid Biblical teaching and the exemplary living of the Gospel demonstrated by the Pastor, leaders, members, and youths. This is the place where God has transformed me the most; the holy scolding and nagging challenged me to change and live out the Gospel. (I am still way, way far from it—may the Lord help me.)

My prayer is that the Lord continues to use His faithful Word to transform me into the image of Christ, enabling me to walk worthy of the Christian calling. Just as I have been immensely blessed by the examples and testimonies of the brethren in GBPC, I pray that I too may be a useful vessel of blessing to others—used by God and useful to His kingdom.

Sarah Choy

“He lives within my heart” 

Growing up, I worshipped in various churches. I was baptised as an infant in a Methodist church and later moved to a charismatic church. Throughout these years, at my cousins’ invitation, I attended Tabernacle BPC’s children’s and church camps annually. It was not until 2011 that the truth of God’s Word pierced my heart. The theme of the camp was “Contending for the Faith”, during which the speaker strongly preached against the charismatic movement and showed how it contradicts the Word of God. As a 12-year-old, I wrote: “Charismatic is not good. Do not believe wrongly or blindly. If not, the consequences would be dire.” 

I thank God for how He worked in my heart from a young age and for giving me an understanding of His truth. I went home from that camp and spoke to my parents with conviction. I shared with them my desire to leave the charismatic church, but they wanted us to worship together as a family. For the next 4 years, I would attend the charismatic church every week but would pine for Tabernacle’s annual camps, where I would receive feeding from God’s Word. Finally, in June 2015, the Lord worked mightily and answered my prayers. My parents allowed me to reaffirm my faith in Tabernacle BPC in December. 

While I cannot recall the exact moment I was saved, I know that the Lord has worked and continues to work in my heart. Although I have often fallen and made foolish mistakes, God has never forsaken me. I have found that the words of the hymn “He Lives” best express the reason for my faith: “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.” He has lovingly, personally and tenderly dealt with me. And because He has, I know He lives. 

Fast-forward to 2025; the Lord led me to an important point in my life.

“Behold the handmaid of the Lord” 

(Written in my journal when I was praying about God’s will for Amoz and me.)

Luke 1:38 records, “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” I thought to myself: Mary did not say, “What about Joseph? What would the people think?” She simply said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord”. Am I afraid to say that? Does it terrify me to think of what God requires? How much more must God have to do for us? Are we like those who saw the works of Jesus but “believed not”? Dear Lord, guard us from such a spirit. Help us to believe and to move faithfully in Your time. Let us not take one step until we know it is firmly grounded in Your will, and let us not withhold from taking one step when we know it is firmly grounded in Your will. Amen.

“Only to be what He wants me to be”

It is through my marriage to Amoz that the Lord has led me to transfer my membership from Tabernacle to Gethsemane BPC. I thank God for leading me to Gethsemane to praise and serve Him with all of you. Above all, I thank my Jesus for how He has sought me out. He is faithful and just to forgive me of all my sins, and I praise Him. Please remember me in your prayers today, that I may lie steady under my Master’s hand, willing and ready for Him to carve out my destiny, whatever the cost.

Sermon Text: Psalm 145:1–13
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 13th September 2026

Jude 17–18—“But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.” 

After exposing the character and certain judgment of false teachers, Jude turns tenderly to believers: “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 17). The contrast is striking. While apostates forget, reject, and mock divine truth, God’s people must deliberately remember and hold fast to it.

The apostles had already warned that “there should be mockers in the last time” (v. 18). Thus, the appearance of scoffers and ungodly teachers should neither surprise nor unsettle the church. Their coming had been foretold. Scripture prepares believers beforehand so that the fulfilment of such warnings may strengthen rather than weaken their faith (cf. John 16:1–4).

These “mockers” do more than ridicule Christian doctrine. Jude identifies the root of their opposition: they “walk after their own ungodly lusts”. Their rejection of truth springs from hearts determined to pursue sinful desires. When men refuse God’s authority over their lives, they often mock the truth that condemns their conduct. Ungodly doctrine and ungodly living therefore frequently advance together.

Jude’s remedy for the church is not speculation about apostasy, but remembrance of God’s revealed Word. Believers must measure every teaching and practice by the apostolic Scriptures and remain steadfast in what Christ has made known through His appointed messengers.

We likewise live amid ridicule of biblical truth and increasing acceptance of ungodliness. Let us not be intimidated by mockers or drawn into their ways. Remember the Word, believe its warnings, resist worldly lusts, and continue faithfully in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude 14–15—“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

These verses lift our eyes from the corruption of false teachers (vv. 4–13) to the certainty of Christ’s coming judgment. Jude reaches back to Enoch, “the seventh from Adam”, who prophesied, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints”. Even in the earliest generations, God made known that history would culminate in the Lord’s appearing and righteous judgment. Jude knew Enoch’s prophecy through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, which ensured its authoritative accuracy.

In Jude 14, the “saints” (or the holy ones) are especially the angels who accompany Christ in judgment, though Scripture also teaches that redeemed believers will be with Him at His coming in glory. In the light of the judgment of the ungodly mentioned in v. 15, it appears that the emphasis of the word “saints” here is on the angels who are described in other parts of the Scripture as the executioners of divine judgment at His return (see Matthew 13:39–41, 49, 50; 24:29–31; 25:31; 2 Thess. 1:7–10).

The emphasis is on the certainty and universality of that judgment. The Lord comes “to execute judgment upon all”. No ungodliness will escape His notice. Jude repeatedly uses the word “ungodly” to expose the true character of the men he has been describing. Their deeds were ungodly, their way of life was ungodly, and even their “hard speeches” were directed against God. Sin is not simply improper behaviour toward others; at its root, it is rebellion against the holy God.

Every sinful deed and defiant word will be judged by His righteousness. Though the wicked may seem bold now, Christ will surely come to judge their words and deeds. Therefore, believers must not imitate the ungodly but live soberly, speak reverently, and walk in holiness, preparing for Christ’s return.

Hebrews 9:28—“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

Hebrews 9:28 brings together Christ’s first coming and His promised return. At His first coming, Christ “was once offered to bear the sins of many.” His sacrifice was complete, sufficient, and unrepeatable. He bore the guilt and punishment for His people’s sins on the cross.

But the verse directs our gaze forward. Christ “shall… appear the second time”. His first appearance was in humiliation to deal with sin; His second appearance will bring the consummation of salvation to those who belong to Him.

The words “without sin” do not imply that Christ ever possessed sin. Rather, when He returns, He will not come again to bear sin as a sacrifice. That work has already been accomplished once for all. He will return to bring His redeemed into the fullness of the salvation He purchased for them.

Those who belong to Christ are described as “those that look for him”. Biblical Christianity therefore fosters expectancy. The believer does not live only for present comforts, ambitions, or achievements. His heart is directed towards the coming of Christ.

Are we truly seeking Him? Such expectation should produce holiness, faithfulness, patience, and courage. If Christ may come, we should not cling too tightly to this passing world.

The Christian’s hope is not merely that present troubles will end, but that Christ Himself will appear.

Let us therefore live each day with our hearts set upon Him, serving faithfully while waiting joyfully for our Saviour’s return.