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READ:

1 John 4:16a

^16a And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.

EXHORTATION:

The apostle John here speaks of his experiential knowledge of God’s love, which is not only his most cherished spiritual blessing, but also that of all other believers. All true Christians have tasted God’s love and can speak of its wondrous blessing in their lives in the most enthralling and confident manner. They do not speak of God’s love as a mere philosophical concept or ideology or possibility, but as their most intimate of experiences.

Knowing the love of God is the dearest and sweetest experience of Christians. They perceive the love of God in their minds, as the apostle John said in 1 John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.” This is not a mere intellectual opinion or proposition about God’s love, but a deep conviction and full assurance resulting from the working of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel of Christ. As Paul said in Romans 5:5, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”. The Holy Ghost imparts an intense appreciation and sense of God’s love declared by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So like the apostle John, all genuine Christians are able to say most sincerely, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1)!

Once we are loved and adopted as God’s children, we will be led by His good and gracious providence to more and more blessings of the love that God has towards us. God’s promise is that His children would discover more and more blessings of His love with each new day. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32)? Thus, it behoves us to pray like Paul for greater perception of His unending, infinite love towards us – “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Christians are the authentic witnesses of God’s amazing love. Hence, every Christian ought to be one who testifies to God’s love, both from the heart and with the lips. Let us sing of His love. Let us proclaim His love with our voices and actions. Oh, the love of God that will not let us go!

READ:

Jude 1:21

²¹ Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

EXHORTATION:

The apostle Jude commands believers to keep themselves in the love of God. Believers must remain in the realm of God’s love. They should not wander away from the goodness and blessings that God has lovingly provided for them.

God’s love for His people is profoundly taught in the Scriptures. It is so great and wondrous. Psalm 36:7 says, “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.” In Ephesians 2:4, the apostle Paul describes it as “his great love wherewith he loved us”. 1 John 3:1 exclaimed, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God”. It is in the provision of God’s great love that we are commanded to remain always.

In John 15:9-10, Jesus explained what it means to remain in God’s love. He said, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” So according to Jesus, to keep ourselves in God’s love is to be obedient to His commandments. And when we remain obedient, we will have greater opportunities to relish in His love. When we remain obedient to God’s Word, we stay in the sphere of His loving provision and protection. It is, therefore, very important that we be watchful not to drift away from the realm of God’s love through disobedience. Rebellion and disobedience would push us into the realm of His severe dealings of displeasure and wrath. So, let us be wise to keep ourselves in God’s love.

As children of God, we must live with a constant awareness of His love. We must delight in the knowledge of His love and all that it has granted us in Christ Jesus. We must seek to be nourished in all the blessings that His love has promised. We must, like Paul, pray that “the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God” (2 Thessalonians 3:5).

The ultimate expression of His love is that He will soon come for His people. So we must live in the constant anticipation and prayer for His return. Referring to His coming, Jude exhorts us that we should be “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

READ:

1 John 2:1b

^1b And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

EXHORTATION:

We live in a world of many temptations of sin and with a body marred with sinful lusts. Though Christians are not permitted to sin, it is highly likely that we will find ourselves being overtaken by sin from time to time. John’s exhortation here should never be taken as a licence to sin. Nonetheless, if a Christian commits a sin, he should admit his sin and turn to Christ who is our Advocate with the Father in heaven.

The present advocacy of Christ in heaven is due to the fact that we still have sins. In heaven’s court, the charge against our sins will be read out. To make things worse, our adversary, Satan, will press the charge further against us. Satan is a hate-filled prosecutor who accuses us relentlessly (Revelation 12:10; Zechariah 3:1-2). He attempts to turn God against us, as he did in the case of the Old Testament saint, Job (Job 1:6-11).

Undeniably, our sin causes us to be guilty. In view of our absolute inability to have the charge against us disallowed, God’s love has ordained a perfect, able and suitable Advocate for our acquittal. He is Jesus Christ. There are two reasons why a repenting Christian, though he had committed a sin, can be comforted because of Christ, the Advocate.

Firstly, our Advocate, Jesus Christ, is “with the Father”. As our Advocate, Christ will not attempt to hide or deny our guilt. He will admit the guilt of His people for whom He has become the Advocate. He will not forsake them in their hour of need. He will have pity on His people and plead their case with the Father. He will speak to the Father in their defence. Jesus Christ remains with God to plead for every one of His people.

Secondly, our Advocate, Jesus Christ, is “the righteous” One. He is our perfect Advocate. His perfect righteousness is the basis of His plea for us. He will say, “Father, yes, they are sinners. Yes, they are unrighteous. But Thou has accepted Me as their Substitute. Now, please see my righteousness that I have given to them. I also have shed my blood as a propitiation for their sins. They wear my righteousness by faith.” In this way, Christ will appease God’s anger against our sins.

What more can a sinner ask for than this? Let us confess our sin, and embrace our great Advocate, Jesus Christ, by faith. He will not reject us.

READ:

1 John 2:1a

^1a My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.

EXHORTATION:

John’s salutation of his readers, “My little children”, expresses God’s love for His people. Divine love that flowed through the exhortation of the apostle sought sanctity in the lives of His people; hence he tenderly commanded them not to commit sin.

Would God’s children be bent on pursuing sin, knowing that it would grieve their loving Father? His dear children should say, “Oh, I will not grieve my God, who is so kind and good to me. Oh, how could I again grieve my God who has forgiven my sins?” If every child of God is grateful for the immense love that God has bestowed on him, he will not want to defy and dishonour God with his sins. Sincere appreciation for divine love and mercy will be a powerful incentive in the heart of God’s children to forsake besetting sins in their lives.

So, under the full force of God’s love towards us, John exhorts us: “these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” He has just mentioned in the previous chapter about the divine commitment to forgive us. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). The reason why he highlighted God’s unreserved commitment to pardon those who confess their sins, is not to encourage them to continue in their sins, but rather to persuade them not to live in sin again. Having been divinely forgiven, how can we callously live in sin still? Jesus died to rid us from all uncleanness, so we are indebted to please Him and not to vex His gracious heart.

This is not an exhortation to claim that Christians will be perfectly sinless, but to rouse them to decisive action against any propensity towards sin. They should not entertain sin within their hearts. They should not yield to temptations of sin. Their love for their holy God should kindle in them a strong aversion to sin. They must sturdily detest sins, which their God hates. Instead of succumbing to the downward pull of sin, they should yield to God’s loving call unto purity.

Beloved Christians, you should neither justify nor excuse your sins. You also should not feel proud of your sins. Rather, you must repent of your sins in shame and godly sorrow. Neither think of sin with pleasure nor recollect past sins to dwell on them. Instead, pray and deliberate on how to avoid sins, and then act on the plan to avoid or flee from them.

READ:

1 John 5:21

²¹ Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

EXHORTATION:

The apostle John begins his final exhortation of his first epistle by addressing believers as “Little children”. This is his characteristic affectionate term in addressing believers. In this epistle, John used the salutation “little children” at least 8 times (1 John 2:1, 12-13, 18, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21). With tender affection, the apostle here warned believers concerning the danger of “idols”.

What are those “idols” against which the writer is warning? The Greek word eidolon, rendered here as “idols”, denotes an image or figure or anything that is set up to be acknowledged as representing God. In the New Testament, the word “idols” has been used for the heathen gods. Many of the early Christians were people who “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). However, there was a great danger of them being tempted to return to idolatry because the communities among whom they lived were greatly influenced by idolatrous practices. So the apostle Paul warned the Christians in 1 Corinthians 10:14, “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” Then he continued, “What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?” (1 Corinthians 10:19-22). Likewise, in 2 Corinthians 6:16-17, Paul admonished, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? 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. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you”.

The word “idol” has also been used in the New Testament to represent anything which occupies the place that is due to God. In Ephesians 5:5 and Colossians 3:5, covetousness is referred to as idolatry; thus we are commanded to mortify our tendencies to be covetous. The exhortation to keep ourselves away from idols entails our duty to love and serve our living and true God always, and our consecration to be separated from all things that distract us from Him and His truth.

READ:

1 John 5:15

¹⁵ And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

EXHORTATION:

The scope of our prayers is found in two phrases of this verse: “whatsoever we ask” and “the petitions that we desired of him”. Together, these 2 God-sanctioned “perimeters” instruct us that as long as we are asking according to His will (v. 14) and are sure that He will hear us or attend to our prayers, there is no limit as to what we can ask. We can ask whatever we would, as long as His will permits.

Some people seem to be disheartened by their unfounded thinking that if they are only allowed to ask within God’s will, they will somehow miss the best things in this life. Such a notion is far from the truth! Nothing is greater or better than God’s will. No human mind can ever imagine or grasp all that God has planned for His people. The apostle Paul quotes from Isaiah 64:4, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Paul further assures us that God “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20). Consider also the promise of Psalm 84:11 – “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

What an assurance that we (who pray according to His will) have – “we have the petitions that we desired of him”! The apostle John had already taught this truth in 1 John 3:22 – “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”

It is not enough for us to merely desire to achieve great things by prayer. We must believe in the Lord and His promises, and go to Him in prayer, submitting our petitions that are according to His will. Only then will we have what we desired, and more.

Prayer is the means of access to God in order to procure all His great and wonderful blessings. God is our inexhaustible source of grace, wisdom, strength and all good provisions. Through the ages, His people have bowed down in prayer to drink from the living stream of His blessings. Let us not foolishly neglect this open channel of blessing to all His people.

I would like to share with you two short articles that I wrote to counsel believers to be always watchful against their tendency to drift away from the communion and service of the Lord. May the Lord help us to pay heed to the counsel of His Word.

The Pitfalls of Backsliding

Proverbs 14:14 vividly depicts the stark contrast between the “backslider in heart” and the “good man”, underscoring the profound impact of their chosen paths. Prov 14:14 - “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.” This verse implies that those who veer from the righteous path, even if only in their hearts, will ultimately be engulfed by the repercussions of their decisions.

The term “backslider” comes from the Hebrew word “sûg”, which implies a hostile turning away. In Psalm 53:3, this word describes an unrepentant person who actively rejects God. He turns away from God because his heart is “filled with his own ways”. A backslider is self-conceited and considers his fleshly desires above God’s will. He is resentful when the ways of God are shown to him. He wants to pursue his personal ambitions rather than God’s commandments. 

This rejection stands in stark contrast to the “good man”, who finds contentment. Instead of finding satisfaction, the backslider becomes consumed by the foolishness of his sinful choices. Let us note that sin is ultimately the source of human despair.

The prophet Jeremiah reinforces this idea in Jeremiah 2:19: “Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.” Here, Jeremiah delivers a powerful message: our own wrongdoings will ultimately lead to our downfall. Turning away from God brings bitterness and hardship.

This proverb resonates deeply as it unveils a universal truth: our choices bear consequences. When we opt to deviate from the righteous path, we sow seeds of trouble that will inevitably sprout. The backslider, ensnared by his own folly, becomes entangled in a cycle of discontent.

Yet, this need not be the end of the narrative. The proverb also holds out a beacon of hope. The “good man”, the one who remains steadfast to his principles, discovers a profound sense of inner peace and contentment. This contentment doesn’t stem from external factors, but from leading a life in harmony with his God-honouring values.

The message is clear: true happiness comes from living a life of integrity. When we stray from the right path, we risk harming others and inviting dissatisfaction into our own lives. By choosing to live righteously before God, we inherit assurance and inner peace, and thus avoid the pitfalls of backsliding.

God’s Proving and Our Right Response

Exodus 20 recounts God verbally delivering the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Moses was summoned to the mountain, and God spoke the commandments aloud to Him, which were later inscribed on stone tablets by God Himself (cf. Exodus 31:18; 32:15). The Israelites, witnessing thunder, lightning, and smoke, were terrified and stood afar off, preferring Moses as a mediator. They feared direct communication with God. We read of this episode in Exodus 20:18-20, “And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”

Moses reassured them that God’s presence and commandments were meant to test their faith and obedience, not to instil fear but to prevent sin. Moses said to them, “Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”

This encounter underscores the clarity of God’s Word, which can be overwhelming, especially when confronting our sins and imperfections. The Israelites’ fear highlights the “perspicuity” of Scripture—the clarity and authority of God’s Word. It’s not that God’s Word lacks clarity, but our sin clouds our perception and acceptance of it.

Hebrews 12:18-24 contrasts the Israelites’ fear at Mount Sinai with how believers under the New Covenant should approach God. The Israelites were so fearful of God’s voice that they asked not to hear it anymore, unable to endure the commands (Hebrews 12:19-20). In contrast, New Covenant believers are called to come to “mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22). Believers should approach God through Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant, whose sacrifice has made a new way to God (Hebrews 12:24).

God’s proving of believers is continual, intending to convict, challenge, and transform them, drawing them closer to Him. When preached clearly, God’s Word should not cause retreat or fear, but inspire repentance and a desire to yield to God’s will. God’s Word insists on how to live and come together, emphasising holiness, obedience, and strength. Obedient and righteous people will be strong, pure, beautiful, and resistant to backslide.

In essence, God’s proving is not about destruction, but about refining believers into obedient, faithful servants equipped for a closer walk with Him and for greater work.

Sermon Text: Psalm 87
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 1st September 2024

Sermon Text: Psalm 86
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 25th August 2024

From Rwanda:

I am in Rwanda! We’ve experienced the hardest of times as thousands of churches were shut down. Our campus church was also closed down. Please pray for us.

Rev. Kim

From Ethiopia:

Dear Rev. Koshy,

Greetings in our Lord’s blessed name! How are you doing in God’s work with your entire beloved family? Praise the LORD that all the brethren are kept safe as we serve God. We hope that God’s good hand will preserve your dad and mum. We are praying for them.

God willing, we are going to have our Mission Church’s 18th Anniversary Thanksgiving and GBI 8th Graduation Service on 1st September 2024. Pray for God’s blessing and provision. Please convey my regards to your family and the church.

Rev. Ephrem

Our reply:

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in abundance!

With heartfelt gratitude, I reflect upon the Lord’s immeasurable blessings bestowed upon Gethsemane BPC, Ethiopia, for the past eighteen years. His steadfast protection and guidance have been our constant companions. We also praise the LORD for eight years of GBI ministry. May the Lord’s work spread across Ethiopia and even to other nations of Africa, through faithful men trained in GBI.

As you eagerly await the Thanksgiving Service on September 1st, we will join you in spirit to recall and rejoice in the Lord’s faithfulness. Our fervent prayer is for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s power to revitalise all our ministers of the Word and the members.

Please convey our heartiest greetings to all the brethren who gather for the Anniversary Thanksgiving Service.

Heartily in His service,
Prabhudas Koshy
For Gethsemane BPC, Singapore

Rev. Ephrem’s Reply:

Many thanks, Rev. Koshy. Praise the LORD for the uncountable blessings we have received through your ministries. I will convey your greetings and wishes to the congregation. Remain blessed in Christ!

From Pangasinan (the Philippines):

Dear Pastor Koshy,

The construction of the worship hall is almost done. The plastering of the walls and rooms is done. The workers are currently framing the windows and the doors, and God willing, they will be installed in the middle of the week. After this, they will work on paving the way from the street to the worship hall. The excavator will be available next week to dig the ground for the toilet’s septic tank. The excavator will also flatten the kitchen area.

Thank God for the support and love gifts from Gethsemane, Singapore, so that we can complete the building. We will move our household things from the Mission Station soon after the rainy season to the house we’ve built near the church because the Mission Station (the rented house) is scheduled to be demolished in January to give way for highway construction. I praise the Lord also for the unity of our Session to support our poor and needy brethren. We’ve prayed and desire to make our help to the needy long-lasting and tangible. Praise God for the wisdom to develop the project to aid some of our college-age teenagers. We’ve noticed in our midst promising and talented students, but their parents or guardians cannot financially support them to study in college. We even have some orphans who are left in the care of their relatives, who are unable to support their further studies. The Session is currently finalising the criteria for choosing the eligible students.

Another ongoing plan is to hold an evening service every Sunday in San Fernando, La Union. I talked to the family of Bro. Eddie and Sis. Luz regarding the matter. They are attending a Baptist church, though not regularly. They willingly offer their place to start the work. After the construction of the worship hall, we will visit them and find a suitable place there for a long-term ministry. God willing, we will start the work in October. We are earnestly praying that the Lord will send a man of His choosing to take care of this flock. While waiting, we can care for them under Gethsemane B-P Church, Pangasinan.   

Donald dela Cruz

From Vizag (India):

Dear Pastor,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Last week, we held the second Pastors’ Meeting in Araku Hills, a tribal area around 100 km from Vizag City. Thirty-five pastors serving in various churches joined this meeting. As the place is near the border of Odisha, some pastors from Odisha also joined the meeting. Some travelled around 80 km to join the meeting.

We only planned for a one-day meeting as it was difficult to arrange accommodation for all pastors attending this meeting. In the meeting we conducted in May, we offered sessions on “Justification” and “Sanctification”. In this latest event (Friday, August 16), the topics taught were “Total Depravity” and “Perseverance of the Saints”. These topics were taught by Bro Seraph McGregor (the morning session) and me (the afternoon session). Pr Bujji Babu and Bro Bhagavath helped translate the messages into Telugu. We also visited a church in the evening and conducted a prayer meeting. All the residential students from GBI, Kotapadu, also joined this meeting. We managed to arrange a hall and some rooms for our stay in a hotel in Araku. Thank God for providing a good place for our stay during the night.

The following day, we visited a Christian mission hospital in Odisha, Asha Kiran Hospital (which is 60km from the meeting venue), to see the land we have purchased with the help of Malayalam Fellowship in 2018. As the roads are in good condition, we could reach the hospital within one and a half hours. We had the opportunity to spend time with Dr Mathew, the director of Asha Kiran Hospital. He is currently doing four online subjects in the FEBC distance-learning programme. He also shared with us how he came to faith, and even to embrace the Reformed convictions. He is very grateful for the opportunity to study theology through online courses. He also shared the testimony of other missionary doctors who came to serve in tribal areas and to start the hospital. In earlier days, there were no churches in the whole area. But now, there are churches in many villages around the mission hospital. He shared with us the great need for training rural pastors, as many of them are men with little training in theology. After lunch, we visited the land we purchased here, and realised villagers regularly cross it to get to their homes as it has no proper fence or compound wall. We need to construct a fencing or compound wall around the land.

Though our return journey to Vizag was long (7 hours) due to heavy traffic, it was safe and uneventful. We are deeply grateful for the journey mercies we received, and for your continued support. The travel through Ghat roads (through the mountains) can be quite dangerous, and we are thankful the Lord has kept us safe.

Many pastors who joined the meeting asked us to conduct such theological training sessions at least once a month. For now, we are planning to conduct such sessions once every three months. If they come faithfully, we hope to increase the frequency of these meetings. God willing, we are planning to conduct the next training in November. If you could also come to preach in the next meeting, it will be a great encouragement for these pastors.

In Christ,
Sujith Samuel