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READ:

Hebrews 13:7b

^7b Whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

EXHORTATION:

After instructing Christians to remember those who have the rule over them and have taught them God’s Word, the writer of Hebrews exhorted them to follow the faith of their faithful teachers. What could have been intended by the word “faith”?

Firstly, “faith” is the trust that one’s heart places in Christ and His Word. It is by such faith that we are saved. Ephesians 2:8 says, “by grace are ye saved through faith”. Secondly, “faith” can be a reference to the truths of God that we ought to believe. Thus, we are exhorted in Jude 1:3 to “contend for the faith”. Thirdly, “faith” also signifies fidelity or faithfulness. In Titus 2:10, the Greek word for “faith” (pisitis) is translated as “fidelity”. So the word “faith” here could encompass all of those Scriptural thoughts attached to it; it therefore indicates the leaders’ dependence upon and faithfulness unto God and His Word.

We are instructed to “follow” the faith and faithfulness of those godly men who have preached the Word of God unto us. The Greek word for “follow” (miméomai) literally means “imitate”. We ought to follow in the footsteps of faithful preachers who have taught God’s Word unto us. We must speak words of faith and perform deeds of faith as they have done.

We are also told to follow their faith, “considering the end of their conversation”. The word “consider” actually means “to look at again and again” or “to observe carefully”. The word “end” (ekbasis) means “a going out” or “an egress”; hence it refers to one’s going out from life or exiting from the world. It could be a reference to their death, when they are finally delivered from all their toil and suffering, which they have endured in living a life of faith and faithfulness.

We are here also reminded of how Paul has described his anticipation of the end of his life and ministry. He wrote, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Paul made Timothy aware of the anticipated end of his journey on earth, that he might be encouraged to live faithfully and make full proof of his ministry (2 Timothy 4:5).

READ:

Hebrews 13:7a

^7a Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God.

EXHORTATION:

This is an exhortation that is intended to guard our hearts against wandering away from the divine truths which God has given to us through men who faithfully serve Him among His people. It would be tragic if we forget God’s faithful servants who give us His truth and instead follow after those who teach contrary to the truth of God’s Word. This is why the apostle Paul warned the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29-32, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”

Human nature is very unpredictable. How many congregations have forgotten and neglected the labour and teachings of the faithful pastors who had laboured among them. Such forgetfulness is akin to sinful ingratitude. It is very much like the situation mentioned in Ecclesiastes 9:15 – “Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city: yet no man remembered that same poor man.”

In order to protect Christians and churches from departing from faithful teachings of godly leaders, they are exhorted to “remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God”. The word “remember” denotes thankful recollection of the leaders and their preaching. It is an exhortation to treasure up their instructions in the heart, and call to mind their exhortations, counsels and warnings.

The leaders whom we ought to cherish are those “who have spoken unto you the word of God”. The men whom God has graciously called to rule the church are gifted by Him to expound and enforce the Scriptures. Every pastor must rule the church by carrying out the ministry of the Word with faithfulness and authority. The apostle Paul advised Titus, “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee” (Titus 2:15). The tireless labour of faithful preachers must not only be appreciated, but also heeded.

Many of us were deeply saddened and troubled upon hearing the sudden news of Pastor Reggor Galarpe’s ill health. Concerned, I reached out to him by phone. Though he was enduring physical pain and facing the uncertainty of biopsy results, his voice remained calm and unwavering—bold in the Lord, as always. Despite the looming prospect of medical treatment, his heart was steadfast, eager to continue serving the Lord, whatever the outcome.

During our conversation, he mentioned an article he had written to inform and comfort the Cebu congregation while he and his family waited for the test results. We are privileged to share that article within the pages of this bulletin. This reflection was penned in the “shadow” of affliction, yet lit by faith.

As I reflected on Pastor Reggor’s ministry in Cebu and how the Lord has used him to strengthen mission stations across the Philippines for more than 20 years (since 2003), I was reminded that those called to serve Christ are often called to serve Him in seasons of unusual hardship. The apostle Paul testified to this very reality, declaring, “Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me…” (Acts 20:19).

To serve the Lord in times of comfort is commendable, but to serve Him in seasons of affliction is extraordinary. The apostle Paul, in his farewell discourse to the Ephesian elders, pulled back the curtain on his ministry to show that it was accomplished not in ease, but with tears. He described it as a path that had been walked in suffering, hardship, and perseverance.

In “serving the Lord with all humility of mind”, Paul knew that divine strength is made perfect in weakness. Paul’s humility was not false modesty, but the fruit of a heart surrendered to divine grace. His Christ-centred service was marked by submission even amidst intense trials.

His service was also “with many tears”. They were not tears of defeat, but of intercession, of burden-bearing for the souls entrusted to him. These tears speak of the depth of his pastoral heart: a man not indifferent to pain of others, but willing to be poured out for others.

The phrase, “and temptations, which befell me”, reveals the severity of his afflictions. His calling placed him directly in the path of danger. Yet he remained unmoved, being focused on his calling as a preacher of the Word.

The servant of Christ is not spared from – but strengthened amidst – affliction!

Going Through Series of Tests

Rev. Reggor Galarpe

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17). 

For some time, I have been bearing with occasional backache – a kind of painful sensation that many would consider as “panuhot” (bloatedness), which can be easily relieved by applying some liniment. It was no big deal until I started to feel pain on my right upper quadrant (right side of chest and abdomen); that was when I went for a medical check-up in September last year. I thought that it might have something to do with my internal organs (kidney, liver, gall bladder, etc.). I was ordered to go for the usual blood tests, plus ultrasound scan of the whole abdomen. All these revealed no “alarming” result, meaning everything’s fine inside – praise God!

However, the “on and off” pain continued, so the doctor advised that I go for the CT scan (whole abdomen). For some reasons (one of which was the cost), I thought of delaying it for some time later, hoping that the pain would be gone, but it persisted, though still manageable with the “ever-dependable” liniment. Then, in April this year, I noticed a swelling on my back. With all that was going on at that time, especially the preparations for our Combined Church Camp, I thought of seeing the doctor only after the event was over.

Indeed, a week after the camp, we went to see the doctor and I showed her the swelling. The initial impression was somewhat comforting, as she thought that it could be an accumulation of fat tissues. I was advised, in addition to the usual lab tests, to undergo another ultrasound (this time for my back), and also chest x-ray to see if it has affected my lungs. While the x-ray result was normal, the ultrasound suggested further imaging. Thus, the following week, I was scheduled for the CT scan of the whole abdomen (with contrast).

Again, I take comfort that all the internal organs are generally in normal condition, except for the swelling (caused by a mass), in which the result suggested tissue correlation. The doctor explained that the mass would have to be removed and be subjected to examination. I was referred to a surgeon and had been to his clinic last Wednesday. As per doctor’s advice, he will be taking some tissues from the affected part (a procedure that will be performed “out-patient”; no need for hospital admission), and have it examined to determine its nature. And from there, he will consider the treatment procedure, and work on reducing the size of the mass and then its removal.

In the midst of this, many things come to mind, but we (me and my family) look up to the Lord for His mercy and grace, yielding to His sovereign will and purpose. Humanly speaking, times like these can be very troubling and disturbing. But for us God’s children, they are occasions to seek and find (even rejoice) in God’s comfort. 

Come to think of it, it is in such times that we experience the goodness of the Lord in a very special way, and that we are drawn closer to the Lord and His Word, ever realising how helpless we are and how desperately we need the Lord!

Sermon Text: Psalm 111:1–10
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 29th June 2025

READ:

Hebrews 13:6

⁶ So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

EXHORTATION:

Oh, how we need to cast off our despondency. At times, the pressing needs of life can fill our hearts with overwhelming anxiety and perplexity. We should not allow our hearts to drown in despair. We ought to teach ourselves to wait upon the Lord, who is our Help.

Let us first acknowledge that we are poor and helpless creatures. Let us humbly and sincerely confess our destitution without the Lord’s help. The youths and the elderly alike need the Lord’s help. Even the wealthiest, the wisest, or the mightiest cannot stand alone. There will be times when man becomes acutely conscious of his need for help.

It was David’s practice to confess his need before the Lord and seek His help. Consider the following confessions of David in the book of Psalms:

“But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God” (Psalm 40:17).

“But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high” (Psalm 69:29).

“But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying” (Psalm 70:5).

“Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy” (Psalm 86:1).

“For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me” (Psalm 109:22).

In times of our need, let us also joyfully and boldly confess that the Lord is our Help. Every Christian ought to be able to testify of his cheerful confidence in the Lord, even when he faces perplexing situations of need and anxiety. Admitting that he has a need and confessing that the Lord will help are sure ways to cast off one’s anxiety.

He is all-sufficient. The treasures of His grace are inexhaustible. He is able to help us in all our needs. It is impossible and inconceivable that the infinite resources of our Divine Helper should ever fail. Let us therefore triumphantly confess that the Lord, our Helper, is greater than our needs, our troubles and our foes. He will help and sustain us.

READ:

2 Peter 1:5

⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge.

EXHORTATION:

The apostle Peter had just mentioned in the previous verse that God has granted to believers exceeding great and precious promises, that they may escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. In fact, through God’s promises given to the believers, they are empowered to attain many more spiritual advantages than being delivered from the lustful snares of this corrupt world. All the potential for greater spiritual attainments and excellence is provided for every Christian in God’s exceeding great and precious promises. The supply is abundant, but it needs to be appropriated by believers.

So, Peter exhorts us to show greater enthusiasm by “giving all diligence” in our spiritual pursuits. The apostle calls us to greater earnestness and activity. The responsibility of believers to pursue spiritual excellence is stressed in those words. Being thankful for His great promises is not enough. Spiritual heights and glories in a Christian life are to be pursued with utmost labour. Idleness, negligence, disengagement and suchlike are not for those who appreciate God’s great promises.

We ought to show diligence, first of all, in getting our own individual lives aligned with spiritual realities. Before we can make any real impact in others’ lives for God’s glory, we must make progress in our own personal lives. We need to pay attention and make every effort by trusting in His gracious promises to cultivate all the wonderful spiritual qualities and abilities that the Lord expects of us. In order to do that, we must trust in God’s gracious provisions that He has promised. We must not give in to lethargy, discouragement, disappointments or frustrations. Trusting in God’s wonderful promises, we must thrust forward to make spiritual progress in our own lives. Others may discourage us, circumstances may attempt to deter us, but we must give all diligence to progress in our quest for spiritual excellence. This is why God has graciously given us His “exceeding great and precious promises”.

Now, our faith in God’s promises must lead us to virtue. The word “virtue” refers to spiritual and moral excellence that would bring praise to our God. The more we strive to glorify God, the more we need to know His will to perform it. So, let us strive by faith unto virtue and knowledge.

READ:

Hebrews 13:5b

^5b For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

EXHORTATION:

Herein we have a reminder of God’s promise of His presence and tender care for all His people. The word “for” connects it to the earlier portion of this passage, which exhorts Christians to avoid a covetous life and to live in contentment. This divine promise is mentioned to encourage us to live contentedly with what we have in our peculiar circumstances. This promise of the Lord is intended to instil in us courage to live contentedly. These assuring words of the Lord are spoken to every child of God. The word “thee”, being singular, addresses every individual child of God. None of His children will be without God’s presence and provision.

This promise of God to every child of His is not just for certain occasions only, but it is for all times. The Lord said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” The word “never” tells us that no time is excluded. Even in hard times, He will remain with His child as his faithful God to help and guide him. This promise covers every circumstance and every moment in the life of a child of God. Be it in times of plenty or scarcity, the Lord shall be with His child. Dear child of God, are you going through times of great need or difficulty? Is your heart filled with anxiety? You should now say to your heart, “God, who has promised me that He will never leave me, is with me now. He will not abandon me in this hour of need. Oh, praise the Lord, who is my great companion and help!”

This promise also goes with His children wherever the Lord would lead them. To every one of them, wherever His providence would lead him, He says, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” When the Lord spoke to Joshua to strengthen him to lead the people of Israel into the land of the Canaanites to conquer it, He promised that His presence would be with him. The Lord promised Joshua, saying, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9). The Lord, who had been with all His servants wherever He sent them, will also be with each of us who trust Him and go where He leads.

When God is with us, we have all the good that we can ever have in our life. What comfort and confidence this promise brings to His children as they go through all sorts of difficulties, troubles, weaknesses, losses, desertions, strange places, and dangers!

READ:

Hebrews 13:5a

^5a Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have.

EXHORTATION:

Christians must be careful to avoid covetousness in life. It is a pernicious sin. The prophet Habakkuk said, “Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil” (Habakkuk 2:9)! In other words, one who lives covetously to secure a life of ease, which is seemingly free from troubles, will only invite greater troubles to his house.

In exposing its maliciousness, the Scriptures warn Christians against living with a covetous spirit. Consider some of the following Scriptural depictions of covetousness:

• Covetousness or “love of money” is “the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10a).
• Covetousness is an ensnaring sin. 1 Timothy 6:9a says, “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare”.
• Covetousness leads to “many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition” (1 Timothy 6:9b).
• Covetousness is an afflicting sin. Covetous people have “pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10c). No wonder the apostle James says, “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you” (James 5:1)!
• Covetous people “have erred from the faith” (1 Timothy 6:10b).
• Covetousness deceives the hearer of God’s Word into pursuing wealth at the expense of God’s wisdom, which will thereby “choke the word, and he [the hearer] becometh unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22; cf. Ezekiel 33:31).
• Covetousness interferes with a life of contentment and godliness (1 Timothy 6:6-9).
• Covetousness holds down people from entering the kingdom of God. In Mark 10:23, Jesus said, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:10; Ephesians 5:5).
• Covetousness brings God’s wrath upon people (Ephesians 5:6). Thus Proverbs 11:4 reminds us, “Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.”

Let us therefore be content with whatever the Lord has given us, and do not covet the luxuries and riches of this world.

READ:

Jeremiah 29:13

¹³ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

EXHORTATION:

This is an exhortation found in the concluding section of a letter that the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the Jewish captives who were deported from Jerusalem to Babylon in 597 BC. He knew that the Jewish people would have a difficult time in that heathen nation. So in that letter, Jeremiah, like a very concerned pastor, sought to instruct and encourage them. He told them how they should conduct themselves in that heathen land so that they may be good witnesses to the idolatrous Babylonians.

Jeremiah also warned them not to follow the false Jewish prophets who were among them. He wrote, “Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD” (vv. 8-9). Those false diviners had given the Jewish captives the false hope of a quick return to their homeland. But Jeremiah told them that God would bring them back only after 70 years; as such, they should live in peace in the land and work to establish themselves there. He admonished them not to be afraid nor discouraged. The prophet also reminded them of their responsibility to seek the LORD in prayer so that the divine promise of their return after 70 years would be fulfilled according to His Word.

God’s people should always seek Him in prayer according to the knowledge of His will, as revealed in His Word. His promise is that if they seek Him, they shall find Him. The LORD wants His people to search for Him wholeheartedly. Even when He chastises His people for their sins, He graciously calls them back to Himself. His chastening is to remind His children that only when they diligently and sincerely seek Him, shall they enjoy His presence, provision and protection. The Lord shall not hide Himself away from His people forever. It is His pleasure to draw near to all who would draw near unto Him at His gracious promptings in their hearts. He will hear their prayers of repentance and forgive them. He will give them His peace even in the midst of their many afflictions. Whatever be the circumstances of their lives, He will draw near to all who genuinely seek Him in prayer. Do not doubt whether He will receive you if your heart is moved to seek Him. He seeks us before we seek Him. Our “search” for Him is the response of our hearts to His invitation.

READ:

2 Peter 1:4b

^4b That by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

EXHORTATION:

Having described the promises of God as “exceeding great and precious”, the apostle Peter now enumerates God’s ultimate purpose in giving His promises to the believers. God’s plan is to aid the believers, through the promises, to become “partakers of the divine nature”.

The Greek root word for “partaker” (koinōnós) is the same Greek word for “fellowship”. It means sharer or partner. What does it mean to share in the divine nature? It certainly does not denote the teachings of the heathen religions that man would ultimately be absorbed into what they call the divine one or become one with their so-called “god”. The notion that the creature could become one with the Creator is not only totally contrary to biblical teachings, but is also absolutely abhorrent to God!

It is important to note that Peter did not say that we might participate in God’s being, but in His divine nature. The term “nature” here indicates God’s character, and not His essence and substance. The expression “divine nature” does not indicate the Person of God. We can never participate in God’s Person, for we are and will always remain as human beings whom God has created. The last portion of our verse gives us a clearer understanding of what Peter meant by “divine nature”. Peter sheds light on the intended meaning of “divine nature” when he mentioned “having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”. So the divine nature is the opposite of “the corruption that is in the world through lust”. In other words, we are called to partake in God’s holiness. Hebrews 12:10 also mentions the same purpose of God concerning the believers that “we might be partakers of his holiness”. Likewise, in Ephesians 4:23-24, the apostle Paul exhorts us, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

God gave us the promises that we may be attracted to His holiness to become partakers of it. We should not be like those who are allured by the material prospects of this world and become partakers of the corruption of its lust (or evil desires). “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).