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The Gethsemane Seniors’ Ministry exults in the Lord with praises of thanksgiving for His bestowal of His bountiful love and blessings for the past 11 years. We marked this anniversary occasion with a special thanksgiving held on 7 April 2016 at Aloha Loyang Resort. Praise God for giving us clear, beautiful weather on that blessed day! With joy overflowing from our hearts, we gathered to commemorate and recount the Lord’s abundant grace and mercy which we have witnessed and tasted in our lives.

The meeting proper began in the morning with the worship of God in singspiration, followed by a devotion message on “God’s Benefits to Christians” by Rev Tan Kian Sing, taken from Psalm 103:1-6. After the devotion, sisters in our midst testified with their voices in singing praises to God. We then had a Gospel outreach to the eleven unbelieving relatives and friends who had been invited by their loved ones to join us.

After the lunch break, the “sporting” seniors gathered at a nearby field to contest in friendly games. The elderly “competitors”, who were divided into four teams, certainly had a memorable time engaging in the games. We thank God for His protection and a good time of fellowship with the saints.

In the evening devotion, Pastor Koshy exhorted us from Psalm 116:12-19, on the importance of “Christians’ Gratitude towards God’s Benefits”. We are grateful to God for His inspiring and comforting Word, which not only gives us consolation and hope, but also instils in us the conviction that though we advance in age as elderly Christians, we still have this privilege and joy to honour and serve Him.

Of course, we must not forget the many brothers and sisters who have lovingly and enthusiastically laboured in various areas contributing to a very fruitful Thanksgiving Service, as well as those who testified of their gratitude and appreciation towards the Lord.

May our prayer be as the psalmist’s: “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee” (Psalm 71:18-19)! May our gracious God continue to use the Seniors’ Ministry for His glory and honour. Amen.

Angela Ang’s Testimony

I started going to church since I was 36 years old. Through a friend from Truth B-P Church, I was introduced to the Wednesday Lunch Hour Bible Study at the Bible Witness Bookroom, where I came to know Pastor Koshy, Sis Carolyn and Bro John Peh. I was very impressed with Pastor Koshy’s teaching of God’s Word. I like his teaching because he speaks loud and clear on God’s truth. This is why I decided to join Gethsemane B-P Church.

I attend the Seniors’ Ministry every Thursday held in different homes. Thank God for Eld Mah and Pr Jeremiah who preach God’s Word and pray for us. We also visit the sick in hospital and pray for their salvation. Since I joined this ministry, God has changed me. I began to open my home for Christian gatherings. Before, I was very quiet and hardly mixed with people. But now, I’ve more senior friends and sometimes we go out together to visit the sick and pray for their salvation. This helped me to be more caring and friendly. I also desire to share God’s Word by telling people how Jesus loves us and died for our sins. As my Mandarin is not so good, I mostly speak English to them, but I can understand when they respond in Mandarin.

How time flies! I have been in this church for about 6 years, and am now a member. I’m thankful to Eld Mah, Pr Jeremiah and Pr Daniel for their care, love and patience. I appreciate Pr Jeremiah and Pr Daniel for fetching us from the MRT station every Thursday. Sometimes we were late, but they never complained or got angry.

Every morning, I give thanks to God for His grace, mercy and providence, and pray for guidance, protection and strength. He has given me peace and blessed me with much spiritual blessings. May you also receive blessing from the Lord, especially those who have not believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Accept Him now because we do not know what will happen tomorrow. We do not know when we will leave this world. It can be today or tomorrow. The Bible says that those who believe in Him shall be saved and have everlasting life. Jesus has already prepared a mansion for us in heaven. Praise the Lord!

Peh Soon Seng’s Testimony

Ibelieved in the Lord in 2006 when I followed my son and daughter-in-law for worship in Gethsemane B-P Church. I was baptized in Dec 2006. After believing in the Lord, I have experienced much peace. I pray 3 times a day, constantly asking the Lord to keep my family safe and healthy, and to protect us in our activities everyday. When I have pain or sickness, the Lord has thus far granted me quick recovery. Though I am now 93 years old, I am still mobile – praise be unto God!

I attend the worship service every Sunday and the Seniors’ Fellowship every Thursday. I thank Pastor Koshy who often enquires about my wellbeing. Although he does not speak Chinese, I know he always keeps me in prayer. I want to thank Pr Jeremiah and Pr Daniel, who regularly fetch me to the Seniors’ Fellowship, come rain or shine. I also want to thank Eld Mah and all the preachers who have taught us the Word of God. They often encourage us to strengthen our faith in God.

At the Seniors’ Fellowship, I enjoy fellowshipping with the older members of the church. I thank God for the sisters who often enquire about my well-being. The Seniors’ Fellowship has given elderly folks like us meaningful avenues to pass our time. The highlight every year must be the one-day outing to Malaysia. Besides listening to God’s Word, we also have a time of relaxation in touring the countryside, after which we would have a sumptuous meal.

I pray that God will continue to prosper this ministry so that more older folks have the opportunity to listen to the Gospel and come to the saving knowledge Jesus Christ. All glory be to God!

In Romans 15:1-2, Paul records for us the duty which every Christian should know and be fully committed to – “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.”

Every Christian is called to be a member of the church, where he renders himself for the edification of other Christians. Paul has earlier stated this truth in Romans 12:5 – “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” In 1 Corinthians 12:25, he further emphasises “that the members should have the same care one for another.” It is God’s design that we edify one another through mutual care.

The first counsel that Paul gives in the above text is that the strong are to help the weak. “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak”. Paul’s use of the word “ought” (opheilo in Greek), which means “owe” or “be a debtor”, suggests that the strong ones must feel an indebtedness to God to help His weak children. The word “bear” (bastazō in Greek) has meanings such as “carry”, “endure” and “support”. Hence, it is the duty of every Christian to bear patiently with the weaker ones around him and help them to walk and grow along with him. He who is spiritually strong should neither despise nor neglect those who are weak. Instead, he graciously renders himself available to support and help them. “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye” (Romans 14:1a). In 1 Corinthians 12:22-24 we read, “Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked”.

The second counsel for Christians is “not to please ourselves”. A Christian should not be self-centred if he is to help others as God expects. A person’s spiritual maturity is evidenced in his willingness to give up his rights so that others may be helped. We must be willing to deny ourselves if we can promote others’ happiness in doing so. Our conduct should not be motivated by our personal happiness or gratification, but rather by the welfare of others. We must, like Paul, be able to sincerely say, “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:19-22).

The third counsel is to “please his neighbour” – “Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification”. No Christian is exempted from the exhortation given in this verse. Every Christian is urged to “please his neighbour”. In the light of the context of this verse, the word “neighbour” denotes a fellow church member or a fellow believer. To “please” another is to conduct in a polite or courteous manner towards that Christian brother or sister.

Many biblical admonitions, if carefully implemented, will enable us to be “pleasing” towards one another. Some of such admonitions are briefly enumerated below:

• We must greet one another, showing respect and love. 1 Corinthians 16:20b says, “Greet ye one another with an holy kiss” (cf. Romans 16:16; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14).
• We must be kind-hearted to all, showing love and compassion. “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love” (Romans 12:10; cf. John 13:34).
• We must show respect to all (even to those who are younger and immature), “in honour preferring one another”, as we are admonished in Romans 12:10 (cf. Philippians 2:3; 1 Peter 5:5).
• We must be welcoming to others in the church. Romans 15:7 urges us, “Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God” (cf. Romans 14:1-3; Matthew 10:40).
• We must be helpful and caring towards one another, even to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2; cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:14).
• We must be patient towards others, “with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love”, as Ephesians 4:2 instructs us (cf. Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13).
• We must “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24).
• We must encourage and edify one another. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (cf. Romans 14:19; Ephesians 4:16, 29; 1 Thessalonians 4:18). In other words, we ought to “please” one another for the expressed purpose of edification.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

The Greek word which Paul uses for “temptation” (peirasmós) in the above verse can mean either a temptation of sin or a trial. Generally, temptation is an incentive or enticement or provocation to sin. When afflictions are brought upon us by Satan, he would also attempt to stir within us doubt, impatience and even apostasy. But as it was in the case of Job, God will use the trials and temptations brought by Satan to prove the faith and fervency of His children.

Three major divine promises are given here to comfort and strengthen Christians who are encountering temptations and trials in their lives. The first promise is that God would not permit any temptation that is uncommon to man to befall His people. The second promise is that our faithful God will not allow us to be tempted above that we are able. The third promise is that along with the temptation, God will make a way for us to escape so that it will not be unbearable to us. So often, people try to extenuate their sins by citing the strength of temptations and the weakness of their human nature. They speak as though temptations and trials are expected to get the better of them. But Scripture teaches that such notions are absolutely groundless.

The apostle Paul reminds us that “there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man”. Whatever temptation or trial that we experience had already been experienced by other saints of God, and had been resisted and overcome with God’s help. It is totally absurd to believe that there never was anyone who had faced temptations and trials as you have. So, do not become despondent and yield to the enticements and provocations of your particular temptation. When God permits the temptations and trials authored by Satan, He wants us to know that we can certainly overcome them with His help. If they were beyond our power to resist, how could they be called temptations or trials?

Truly, when God’s children are faced with temptations and trials, they can be assured that God is faithful to them. His faithfulness to His people is very great. Lamentations 3:23 declares, “great is thy faithfulness”! God is faithful to all whom He has called (cf. 1 Cor. 1:9; 1 Thess. 5:24; 2 Thess. 3:3; 2 Tim. 2:13). In the midst of our temptations and trials, if we look only to ourselves, we would fail. But if we would depend on the faithfulness of our God, we will be secure. This is not to say that we do not have to make any effort on our own to resist the temptations that assault us, but rather that we can trust Him to be faithful to help us in our efforts to overcome them. If at any time we err in our conduct, we should immediately repent and confess our sins, for “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).

Because God is faithful, we are assured that He “will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able”. He will never place us where we cannot overcome temptations of sin. Let us believe in His assurances and resist our temptations. Even when difficulties increase and we see no light at the end of the tunnel, let us trust that He will not abandon us to our ruthless foe, the devil. Amidst our temptations and trials, the Lord shall be most tender and affectionate towards us. He will be paying attention to our peculiar struggles and challenges. As Psalm 103:14 tells us, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Being our faithful God, He would never let temptations that are disproportionate to our strength to overtake us.

Nonetheless, we have known of believers who have foolishly walked into great temptations and troubles. Consider Lot, for instance. He went and resided in Sodom, a city of great wickedness. He lost his family to the wickedness of that city. Yet, the apostle Peter tells us that God “delivered just Lot” who was “vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked” (2 Peter 2:7). It is instructive to note that on Lot’s part, many careless and foolish choices were made, but on God’s part, He is faithful and merciful to rescue His child who had wandered far into a land of temptations and dangers.

Even though we may feel that we are almost defeated by temptations and trials, God will indeed provide “a way to escape”. God Himself will see to it that we are delivered from our temptations and trials!

God has instituted one day in the week for His worship by His people. In the Old Testament, it was the seventh day, and was known as the Sabbath day. In the New Testament, the day of worship has been the first day of the week; and it has been referred to as “the Lord’s day”.

In our time, Christians increasingly disregard the fact that God has set apart the Lord’s Day to be a time of public and private worship of God and also to rest in Him. I notice that even among the Bible-Presbyterians, some have no concern for the Lord’s expectation that His people spend this day in worship and service unto Him.

The Westminster Confession of Faith, which is the standard statement of faith for our church, states in Chapter 21 (Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day), sections 7 and 8:

“As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in his Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which, in Scripture, is called the Lord’s day, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.”

“This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe a holy rest, all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations, but also are taken up, the whole time, in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.”

The original purpose of God in ordaining the Sabbath day for worship and communion with Him is evident from Genesis 2:1- 3 – “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” God “blessed” and “sanctified” the seventh day. While the word “blessed” denotes God’s favour assigned to that day for the benefit of His people, the word “sanctified” denotes that the Lord set that day apart from all other days for His own glory. Thus, God distinguished the Sabbath day from the rest of the week by issuing a Creation ordinance – man, whom God had made, should honour his Maker. The day in which God “rested” (i.e. ceased) from His work of creation, was allocated by Him to be a day for His people to contemplate the glory of the Creator.

The ultimate purpose of the Sabbath day was to engage in worship of the Creator. Adam and Eve, before the Fall, had unobstructed communion with God every day and also done all their work in six days for His glory. Yet, the seventh day was to be all for God and His praise. It was for the worship of God that man was commanded to rest or cease from all his work on the Sabbath day. The Sabbath day was not merely a day to be inactive and rest, but a day to do works of God in worship and service!

Our Lord Jesus Christ had proven to us that the ultimate purpose of the Sabbath day was never to be total inactivity. Christ not only worshipped God the Father on the Sabbath, He also laboured to edify and restore by ministering to others in God’s name. We do not see Jesus taking Sabbath merely as a day to rest and recover from fatigue. On a Sabbath day, after healing an impotent man who had been suffering for 38 years, Jesus proclaimed, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work” (John 5:17). Jesus constantly affirmed the truth that though God has ceased from the works of creation, He never ceases from His works of providence. Even on the Sabbath day, God’s care and protection of His people continue unabated. On another occasion, Jesus also said, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28). These words of Christ further prove that the ultimate purpose of the Sabbath was neither leisure nor inactivity, but involvement in activities that honour and render worship to God.

On the day of worship, we cease from our regular duties and activities to take up works that pertain to God’s glory, as God has meant it to be. While everything that we do (even eating and drinking) must glorify God (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:31), the Sabbath day activities should not include all the mundane works, entertainment and sports that we normally engage in. Since Creation week, God’s special purpose for the day of worship is that we serve Him by manner of special services that particularly pertain to worship and service of God, not by doing the same things we do all through the six days of the week. While we do many things for six days to the glory of God (Colossians 3:23), all such works – except that which belongs to the worship of God, such as public and private worship, acts of charity and edification, etc. – are strictly prohibited on the day of worship.

So, we hereby affirm what Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q. 60, states: “The Sabbath is to be sanctified by an holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreation as are lawful on other days, and taking up the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy”.

Since time immemorial, God’s people have been singing unto the Lord as individuals, as a congregation and as a choir. While it is biblical to look at the ministry of preaching as the most important ministry in the church, looking down on the ministry of the church choir as though it is irrelevant in the church is downright unbiblical. When Martin Luther said, “Music is next to theology”, he was not suggesting that theology is the only thing that matters and that the church could serve God without music. Actually, what he was advocating is the opposite – music is to be in tandem with (though always guided by) sound theology. In fact, good theology makes the whole church sing! “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted” (Psalm 89:15-16).

It is God’s will that every Bible-believing church should aspire to be a singing church. One cannot read the Bible and fail to realise there are hundreds of biblical commands, exhortations and testimonies, calling us to sing praises unto the Lord. It is estimated that there are 185 songs in the Bible! Do you know that some of the books of the Holy Bible are written entirely as musical texts? They are the Book of Psalms, Song of Solomon, and Lamentations. In the Old Testament, you can find “The Song of Moses” (Exodus 15), “The Song of Wells in the Wilderness” (Numbers 21:17- 18), “The Song of Victory of Deborah and Barak” (Judges 5), and “Jehoshaphat’s Battle Song” (2 Chronicles 20:21). Furthermore, when God’s people were allowed to return to Jerusalem after seventy years of captivity in Babylon, Ezra recorded for us how God blessed the returnees with a choir of 200 singing men and singing women (cf. Ezra 2:65).

In the New Testament, one can find “Mary’s Magnificat” (Luke 1:46-55), “Worthy is the Lamb” (Revelation 5:9-10) and “The Song of the Lamb” (Revelation 15:3). It is also noted that the Lord Jesus ended the meeting with His disciples at the upper room with a hymn (Matthew 26:30). When Paul and Silas were imprisoned at Philippi, instead of worrying for their lives, at midnight before they went to sleep, they simply committed themselves to God in prayer and sang praises to Him (Acts 16:25)! Truly, singing praises unto the Lord had always been part and parcel of the lives of God’s people. No matter what situation they were in, God’s people sang praises unto God.

Why are all these recorded for us? Is it not to convict our hearts that we must be a singing people? Take note how the apostle Paul exhorted the church at Ephesus regarding this matter. “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18-20). A church that is at the forefront of singing praises unto the Lord is a fruit and a sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit. If our people “drag their feet” and find it a big struggle to “sing unto the Lord”, there is something spiritually wrong!

Obviously, this is not to say that everyone in Gethsemane must serve in the church choir. Paul explains, “For the body is not one member, but many … If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him” (1 Corinthians 12:14-18). Truly, we all have different gifts and callings. Among these must surely be the gift of music. May those who are so gifted and so moved of the Lord to serve Him in the church choir ministry, rise up and serve Him!

Our church is blessed with a choir. It is known as “Voices of Gethsemane”. Its purpose is to gather, organise and train those whom God has blessed with the ability to sing. Audition is not necessary for brethren to join us. It is open to any interested person who is a born-again believer, and who feels called to sing in the choir. If you are being moved of the Lord to join us, you are most welcome. We meet at 9.00am on Sunday mornings. Be assured that the church choir needs more help and “reinforcements”, and your prayerful contribution will be gladly received by all among the Voices of Gethsemane.

So come and let us serve the Lord and His church together! Indeed, “Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah” (Psalm 66:1-4).

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:

1. A Life in Consecration – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice …” (Romans 12:1a). To dedicate our life to God involves a personal, deliberate presentation of our bodies unto God as a living sacrifice, which means an offering set apart unto Him.
2. A Life in Holiness – “… holy, acceptable unto God …” (Romans 12:1b). For an offering to be acceptable unto God, it must be pure and holy, for it is to be set apart as sacred to God. So, we must live our life in constant pursuit of holiness.
3. A Life of Worship – “… which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1c). A life dedicated unto God is a life in service unto Him. That entails a life of worship.
4. A Life of Separation – “And be not conformed to this world …” (Romans 12:2a). We are to separate not only from sin, but also to be separated from the ways of the world.
5. A Life that is Transformed – “… 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 12:2b). A transformed life involves the renewing of the mind that enables us to know God’s Word, to follow God’s way and to discern God’s will.

Once again, on behalf of the brethren here, “Blessed 28th Anniversary!”

Yours in Christ,
Reggor B. Galarpe
Gethsemane BPC (Cebu)
Cebu City, the Philippines

My Testimony

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.

Christ died on our behalf! He died on the cross, bearing the wrath of God against our sins. Christ had no sin of His own to suffer and die. He perfectly obeyed His Father and fulfilled all His laws. He was sinless. But God imputed our sins to Christ, that by His death, He might satisfy the demands of God’s justice. By bearing our punishment, He delivered us from enduring the eternal punishment in hell!

Because Christ willingly took our place to save us from God’s just wrath against our sins, His death is known as “substitutionary death”. Christ’s death on the cross is also known as “vicarious death”, for the word “vicarious” has the idea of “experienced through a substitute”.

It is the clear teaching of God’s Word that Jesus Christ came to earth to pay for the sins of all who would believe on Him. Please meditate on the Bible verses below, which declare the truth of Christ’s substitutionary death for the salvation of sinners from divine wrath:

• “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
• “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
• “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10).
• “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11).
• “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).
• “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).
• “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead” (2 Corinthians 5:14).
• “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).
• “For he hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians3:13).
• “For he that is dead is freed from sin” (Romans 6:7).
• “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (Romans 6:8).
• “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God” (Romans 6:10).
• “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
• “Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him” (1 Thessalonians 5:10).
• “… Christ also suffered for us …” (1 Peter 2:21).
• “Who (Christ) his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
• “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).
• “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

Prayer has been the life-line of Gethsemane B-P Church. In addition to the congregational gathering on Tuesday nights to pray together after the Bible learning, many “prayer-bands” in our church meet to pray at other times of every week. One of such is held on Fridays at 7.30am in the Church Resource Centre. Though it is made up of a small group of prayer warriors, they have been interceding for the church for the past eight years. We share with you a testimony by one of its regular participants, Sis Diana Chan. May God raise up such prayer groups of our worshippers and members all around this island!

Sis Diana Chan’s Testimony

We praise God for moving the heart of Pastor Koshy to hold a prayer gathering every Friday morning for Gethsemane Bible- Presbyterian Church brethren. Thank God for Pr Kelvin Lim for taking leadership of the Friday morning prayer meeting ministry since its inception on Friday, 7 November 2008.

This prayer meeting is held

• on Friday morning,
• between 7.30am and 8.15am,
• in our Church Resource Centre.

The objectives of the Friday morning prayer meeting ministry are twofold:

• To encourage church brethren to seek the Lord early in the morning before we go to work, to school or start our daily activities, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who “in the morning, rising up a great while before day…departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35).
• To learn to pray according to Scripture.

When the Friday morning prayer meeting was introduced, it used to start at 6.30am and end at 7.15am. It was truly challenging holding the prayer meeting at such an early hour, as not many members would attend. Usually, besides Pr Kelvin Lim who led the meeting, there were one or two other members present for the sessions. There were occasions when due to work demands, the other members were not able to attend, so Pr Kelvin would spend time alone with the Lord.

Till today, it is still a small group attending the Friday morning prayer meeting. However, we praise and thank God for His grace and mercy in sustaining this ministry for almost eight years already. Currently, we are studying the Book of Acts. On those Fridays when Pr Kelvin has other speaking engagements outside of Singapore, Pastor Koshy would lead us in the meeting.

We usually start the Friday morning prayer meeting with responsive reading from the Word of God. Pr Kelvin would lead us in an opening prayer of praise and thanksgiving, followed by an exhortation taken from the text in the responsive reading. We thank God for the edification from God’s Word early in the morning.

Before we pray, we would go round the group for brethren to share their praise and prayer items. As the group is small, the items we share are usually quite in-depth, which include personal, family and church matters, as well as our individual ministries and service for the Lord.

We thank God for the praise and thanksgiving items. It is very encouraging to listen to brethren who, in rising up early and coming together in morning, give thanks and praise to God for His grace and faithfulness. “Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks” (Psalm 75:1). We also thank God for the prayer items. Truly, it is of the Lord’s mercy and grace that we are enabled to “let (our) requests be made known unto God” with joy, thereby allowing “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” to guard our “hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

I am thankful for the Friday prayer meeting as “it is good for me to draw near to God” (Psalm 73:28) in the morning and, through the Word of God, be made more aware of His presence, as well as be guided in my thoughts, actions and behaviour as I go through the day.

May God bless all the brethren in Gethsemane Bible- Presbyterian Church and draw us close unto Him “that hearest prayer …” (Psalm 65:2), so that our mouths may “be filled with thy (God’s) praise and with thy (God’s) honour all the day” (Psalm 71:8).

Indeed, “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee” (Psalm 70:4).

He is Faithful to Keep Us Close to Him

Prabhudas Koshy

“God is faithful, by whom ye were
called unto the fellowship of his Son
Jesus Christ our Lord”
(1 Corinthians 1:9).

As Christians, one of our greatest consolations is that we have an unchanging, ever dependable, true and faithful God. Our circumstances may change, people whom we relied on for a long time may change, but He who has called us “unto the fellowship of His Son” will unchangeably remain as our endless help and strength.

God will also remain faithful to all His promises. He will not fail to perform what He has promised. We can trust Him to keep every word He has promised. He will not deceive us. He will not commence anything which He will not perfect and finish. Our confidence about the blessed hope that Christianity gives to us is wholly built upon the faithfulness of God.

The apostle Paul’s purpose in presenting the truth about God’s faithfulness here is to provide the proof for his earlier statement that the believers will be kept blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, their ultimate bliss in heaven is guaranteed by the fidelity of God. As Paul says in Philippians 1:6, “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”.

Paul also reminds the believers that they have been called by God. He said to them, “ye were called”. It is God who has called them. The word “called” here does not refer merely to an invitation, but what the theologians refer to as “the effectual calling”. When the Gospel call is given to repent and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, some hearers would reject it. But some others would experience a deep-felt inward call to repent and believe on Christ. Those who are effectually called are not those who just receive the external call of the Gospel, but also the inner call of the Gospel by the working of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. Westminster Shorter Catechism explains effectual calling as “the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel” (Q & A: 31).

When God calls us, He leads us into a close fellowship or communion with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. From then onwards, we shall enjoy a warm and abiding relationship with Christ. Let us always seek to walk with Christ.

Bible Witness Media Ministry has produced two volumes of “Scripture in Song” DVD, especially for the spiritual nurture of children. In both DVDs, we have children from our church singing all the songs. Today, I would like to share with all of you the story behind it and our purpose for its production.

Its Story

The idea of “Scripture in Song” first began as a family affair about two decades ago. My wife and I were making efforts to help our three young children memorise God’s Word. During that time, I noticed that my children could memorise lyrics of the songs that they learned to sing. I suddenly realised that music can be an efficient aid in helping them to memorise the Word of God. Indeed, singing God’s Word can edify everyone at home as Psalm 119:54 states, “Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.” I was then very stirred in my heart to put tunes for some of the verses. Though I loved music, I had no formal training. Nonetheless, I could make a melody on a piano, which I had in my home. I sought the Lord for His help in prayer. Then I would meditate on a particular verse that I wanted to teach my children and think how I could best sing it without altering the words. When I seemed to have some sort of melody, I would sit at the piano with my Bible and try to play that melody. My children, who heard me trying to sing them, quickly learned them. Admittedly, there were times when I forgot the melody, having no device to record the tunes and also not knowing how to write the music notations. Then when I lamented that I had forgotten the tune, my children (who had heard me singing and playing the tune) would effortlessly recall and sang those words of Scripture to me, to my great surprise!

Since the portions of Scripture that we have been singing in our home have proven to be helpful in teaching my children spiritual truths, I introduced them to Gethsemane B-P Church as “Scripture in Song”. The children and adults alike learned them and started to sing in children’s meetings, fellowship meetings and other gatherings. Later, Bible Witness Media Ministry produced two DVDs, entitled “Scripture in Song” I & II, for children. We praise God for the joyful participation and contribution of children and several brethren of Gethsemane BPC that helped us to produce those DVDs for the benefit of Christians everywhere.

Its Goal

Our prayer is that our feeble efforts in producing the “Scripture in Song” DVDs will contribute towards propagating God’s truth and promoting a love for His Word. Songs are one of the ways which Scripture says that we can declare God’s truth to the coming generations – “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 89:1).

We pray that Christian parents, Sunday School teachers and those who minister to children would find the “Scripture in Song” profitable in aiding children to memorise God’s Word. In fact, I sing them during my pastoral visitations to homes of our church members, hospital visitations, fellowship group meetings, etc. Once we learn to sing them, they become very useful for our own spiritual strengthening and also for exhorting others.

Its Reason

We all know that the Book of Psalms is a collection of Hebrew songs which declare the truths of God. They are inspired songs. The ancient people of God, the Jews, sang them in their homes, in their journeys, and in times of worship. However, we do not know the ancient Hebrew tunes of the Psalms. Though we have the Psalms faithfully translated into our English KJV Bible, we don’t have tunes to sing the exact words in the KJV. We know of the existence of the Psalter, from which we do sing. However, they are paraphrased to fit the music, and not exact words of the KJV Bible that we use. “Scripture in Song” that we have produced, on the other hand, are the exact words from the KJV Bible.

Singing of the Scripture portions is greatly profitable to our souls. This is evident from the very fact that some portions of Scripture are songs, which were sung to instruct God’s people in spiritual truths. Moreover, there are clear exhortations in Scripture to sing the truths of God. There are also many testimonies of the benefits of singing the truths of God. Here are some of those exhortations:

• “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works” (1 Chronicles 16:9; cf. Psalm 105:2).
• “For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody” (Isaiah 51:3).
• “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).
• “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
• “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms” (James 5:13).

Music is God’s gift to man as an appropriate and fitting means to (i) worship His glorious Name (Exodus 15:1; Psalms 66:4; 96:2); (ii) meditate and rejoice in the truths and works of God (Psalms 63:4-6; 71:23; 104:33-34); (iii) effectively declare His truth to others (Psalm 89:1); and (iv) edify and nurture others (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). Because God has meant music to be a channel for such noble spiritual purposes, music that is godly and scriptural can benefit our children in their spiritual growth.

Memorise and Sing Them!

I would like to encourage all worshippers in Gethsemane BPC to commit to memory as many “Scripture in Song” as possible. Let us make sure that children and parents alike learn to sing His Word. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom”!

The term “fellowship” has become a commonplace word not only in the church but also in the secular world, so much so that even casual meetings over some drinks have come to be known as “fellowship”. The modern world’s idea of “fellowship” has become so watered-down that it no longer carries the intended meaning as defined by Scripture.

The Greek word koinōnia is where we get our English word “fellowship”, as translated in our King James Bible in twelve instances. In other occurrences, it is rendered as “communion” (4 times), “communication” (once), “distribution” (once), “contribution” (once) and “to communicate” (once). It comes from a root word that means “partnership”, and suggests a close relationship as expressed in God’s covenantal bond with His people. Christian fellowship among believers is an extension of that covenantal relationship of love that exists between God and His people. The apostle John’s words in 1 John 1:3 affirm this understanding of Christian fellowship - “that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

It all began with God. Even though man was alienated from God by his sin and rebellion, God initiated the move to reconcile man to Himself and seek a closer relationship with him. In Genesis 3:8-9, right after Adam had sinned, God never left him despite his alienation, but condescended and came down to find him. As fallen Adam hid from God’s presence, God graciously called out to him, “Where art thou?” (Genesis 3:9). These words continue to echo in the gospel call of Jesus Christ, “Where art thou, O sinner?”

Surely it does not mean that God, being omniscient, did not know where Adam was and needed to ask such a question. It was God’s initiative to give Adam the opportunity to confess and repent of his sin. Thus, Christian fellowship is an act of God’s grace in seeking out sinful man so that He may establish a sweet relationship with him.

By nature, fallen men and women are bent on running away from God. This truth is obvious in the way we react to God’s Word in the light of the carnal things that we think, say or do. Because of sin, we are at enmity with God. But God has always been stretching out His hand in reconciling sinful man to Himself. Biblical history is replete with God’s call to man to come into a sweet relationship with Him, as shown in the following passages:

• Genesis 17:7 – “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.”
• Exodus 29:45 – “And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.”
• Leviticus 26:12 – “And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.”
• 1 Kings 6:13 – “And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.”
• Jeremiah 7:23 – “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”
• 2 Corinthians 6:16 – “… for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
• Ephesians 3:17 – “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.”
• 1 John 4:15 – “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
• Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

(Cf. Jeremiah 11:4; 30:22; 31:33; 32:38; Ezekiel 11:20; 2 Corinthians 6:17-18).

These are just some of the many verses in the Bible in which we see God’s wonderful calling, desire and effort to reconcile and keep His people close to Him. It is a relationship by which God holds His elect dear unto Himself.

This vertical relationship with God is expressed in the horizontal, mutual relationships among His people. This is what we call Christian fellowship. “If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12b). “He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16b).