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Taken from Jeremiah Burroughs’ “The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment” (p.45-47), published by Banner of Truth. Jeremiah Burroughs (1599–1646) was an English Puritan preacher, who played a prominent role in the Westminster Assembly of divines.

A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by way of addition, as by way of subtraction. That is his way of contentment, and it is a way that the world has no skill in. I open it thus: not so much by adding to what he would have, or to what he has, not by adding more to his condition; but rather by subtracting from his desires, so as to make his desires and his circumstances even and equal. A carnal heart knows no way to be contented but this: I have such and such possessions, and if I had this added to them, and the other comfort added that I have not now, then I should be contented. Perhaps I have lost my possessions, if I could only have given to me something to make up my loss, then I should be a contented man. But contentment does not come in that way; it does not come, I say, by adding to what you want, but by subtracting from your desires. It is all one to a Christian, whether I get up to what I would have, or get my desires down to what I have, either to attain what I do desire, or to bring down my desires to what I have already attained. My wealth is the same, for it is as fitting for me to bring my desire down to my circumstances, as it is to raise up my circumstances to my desire.

Now, I say that a heart that has no grace, and is not instructed in this mystery of contentment, knows of no way to get contentment, but to have his possessions raised up to his desires; but the Christian has another way to contentment, that is, he can bring his desires down to his possessions, and so he attains his contentment. Thus, the Lord fashions the hearts of the children of men. If the heart of a man is fashioned to his circumstances, he may have as much contentment as if his circumstances were fashioned to his heart. Some men have a mighty large heart, but they have straitened circumstances and they can never have contentment when their hearts are big and their circumstances are little. But though a man cannot bring his circumstances to be as great as his heart, yet if he can bring his heart to be as little as his circumstances, to make them even, this is the way to contentment. The world is infinitely deceived in thinking that contentment lies in having more than we already have. Here lies the bottom and root of all contentment, when there is an evenness and proportion between our hearts and our circumstances. That is why many godly men who are in a low position live more sweet and comfortable lives than those who are richer. Contentment is not always clothed with silk and purple and velvet, but it is sometimes in a home-spun suit, in mean circumstances, as well as in higher. Many men who once have had great estates, and God has brought them into a lower position have had more contentment in those circumstances than they had before.

Now, how can that possibly be? Quite easily, if you only understood that the root of contentment consists in the suitableness and proportion of a man’s spirit to his possessions, an evenness where one end is not longer and bigger than the other. The heart is contented and there is comfort in those circumstances. But now let God give a man riches, no matter how great, yet if the Lord gives him up to the pride of his heart, he will never be contented; on the other hand, let God bring anyone into mean circumstances, and then let God but fashion and suit his heart to those circumstances and he will be content.

It is the same in walking: Suppose a man had a very long leg, and his other leg was short—why, though one of his legs was longer than usual, still he could not go as well as a man both of whose legs are shorter than his. I would compare a long leg, when one is longer than the other, to a man who has a high position and is very rich and a great man in the world, but he has a very proud heart, too, and that is longer and larger than his position. This man cannot but be troubled in his circumstances. Another man is in a low position, his circumstances are low and his heart is low too, so that his heart and his circumstances are even. This man walks with abundantly more ease than the other.

Thus, a gracious heart thinks in this way: “The Lord has been pleased to bring down my circumstances; now if the Lord brings down my heart and makes it equal to my circumstances, then I am well enough.” So, when God brings down his circumstances, he does not so much labour to raise up his circumstances again as to bring his heart down to his circumstances. Even the heathen philosophers had a little glimpse of this: they could say that the best riches is poverty of desires—those are the words of a heathen. That is, if a man or woman has his or her desires cut short, and has no large desires, that man or woman is rich.

So, this is the art of contentment: not to seek to add to our circumstances, but to subtract from our desires. Another author has said, The way to be rich is not by increasing wealth, but by diminishing our desires. Certainly, that man or woman is rich, who has his or her desires satisfied. Now, a contented man has his desires satisfied – God satisfies them, that is, all considered, he is satisfied that his circumstances are, for the present, the circumstances. So, he comes to this contentment by way of subtraction, and not addition.

Sermon Text: Psalm 36
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 19th February 2023

Sermon Text: Psalm 35
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 12th February 2023

In our recent mid-week gathering on Tuesday nights, we have been focusing on John 15:1-11 for the meditation of His Word before our prayer time. We learned how our Lord Jesus Christ has emphasised the importance and benefits of the spiritual relationship which all true believers should have with Him and the Father, using the imageries of the Father as the ‘Husbandman’ (vinedresser), Christ as the ‘Vine’ and believers as the ‘fruitful branches’. Towards the end of the above section of His discourse, Jesus emphasised how those who abide in Him will be prayerful, resulting in their experience of joyfulness.

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 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. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:7–11).

Clearly, according to Christ, those who abide in Him and His words will be moved to ask of Him whatsoever they will, and they will be granted the requests. Prayer will be the natural expression of the desires and expectations of their hearts, resulting from their abiding in Christ. Prayer becomes the verbal articulation of their communion with Christ. Prayer is not meaningless utterance (i.e. vain repetition of words [cf. Matt. 6:7]) or demand of carnal desires (i.e. asking amiss [cf. James 4:3]), but vocalisation of desires of hearts that abide in Christ! Our prayers must flow from our relationship with Christ and the nourishment we receive through His Word. Prayers not defined by our abiding in Christ are null and void.

From the understanding that Jesus gives in John 15:1-11 about the correlation between our abiding in Him and our prayers, I shared some vital truths that should shape and constitute our prayers last Tuesday night. They are briefly recounted below.

Father, we thank Thee for:

1. Christ, the Vine, which Thou has made us branches thereof (v. 1). Without Christ, whom the Father has sent, we shall never be part of the vineyard.
2. Thy pruning (“purging”) that makes us abundantly fruitful. “… every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (v. 2).
3. The spiritual nourishment we receive from Christ through His Word, just as the branches that abide in the vine receive their nourishment. “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (vv. 3-4).
4. The fruitfulness we are assured of (and expected from us). “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (v. 5).
5. The promise of prayer to all those who abide in Christ. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (v. 7).
6. The promise of divine love to all those who abide in Christ. “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love” (v. 9).

Father, we ask of Thee for:

1. Spiritual nourishment to be fruitful believers. “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away…” (v. 2a).
2. Greater fruitfulness through Thy nourishing and chastening (“purging” or pruning). “… and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (vv. 2b-3).
3. Thy abiding presence to delight us to abide in you and be fruitful. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (vv. 4-5).
4. Thy mercy to forgive and revive us if we are withering or lacking fruit. “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (v. 6).
5. Understanding to pray according to Thy Word. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (v. 7).
6. Thy glory to manifest in and through us. “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit…” (v. 8a).
7. Help to bear the genuine marks of discipleship – “so shall ye be my disciples” (v. 8b). Let all the proofs of being Christ’s faithful disciples be experienced and seen in us.
8. Help to rejoice in Thy love for us, just as the Lord Jesus delights in the Father’s love for Him. “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” (vv. 9-10).
9. Help to know and obey Thy commandments as we abide in Thy 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” (v. 10).
10. Fullness of joy to fill us. “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (v. 11).

Sermon Text: Psalm 34
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 5th February 2023

Elder Mah Chin Kwang

All of us praise and thank the Lord for His grace and mercy in bringing our lives a little closer to what they have been in early 2020 before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The sudden surge of the virus upon the shores of our little island resulted in 2.2 million confirmed cases and 1,700 deaths, thus far. In our church, many brethren and friends, together with their respective families, were infected, but none succumbed to the disease. All glory and praise to His precious Name!

We praise the Lord that after 3 full years, the Lord is pleased to ease His hand of judgment and chastisement upon our sinful world, re-opening windows of opportunity to serve Him. Like God’s people of old (as we read in Scripture), we too would be guilty of gross negligence and disregard of Him if we do not seize every opportunity to share the blessed Gospel once again, near and far. And thus, by God’s singular grace and pleasure, with the unanimous support of the Board of Elders of our church, Mission Pangasinan 2023 shall be held from 8th to 12th February, God-willing.

Owing to the opportune short school break this week, Rev. Donald dela Cruz, our missionary in the mission church in Pangasinan and his co-workers have worked extremely hard to organise and facilitate the upcoming event. Not all in the 25-member team of 2020 are able to join us this time, owing to the date of this mission and other personal constraints. Nevertheless, all praise to the Lord that despite the present smaller team of 16 brethren, the scope of this short-term mission was not curtailed.

The evangelistic fervour and brotherly care of the apostle Paul and his co-labourer Timothy set for us an enduring example, as we read in Colossians 1:9, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”.

Truly, not all can be with us on this mission, but all can be engaged in prayer for the Lord’s outpouring of His blessings in the learning of God’s Word, and through the fellowshipping with the saints in praise and prayer. May the Lord bring salvation to many, and grant strengthening to all saints, during the following planned spiritual activities:

• Visitations of 8 homes on Thursday (9 February) and Friday (10 February), with devotions to be shared by Pr Jeremiah (at 2 homes), Pr Samson (at 2 homes), Elder Mah (at 4 homes)
• Street evangelism on Friday (10 February)
• Prayer Meeting on Friday (10 February), with a message by Pr Jeremiah
• Adults’ Teaching Meeting on Saturday (11 February), with 4 messages by Pr Samson
• Children’s Vacation Bible School on Saturday (11 February), with 3 lessons to be taught by Pr Jeremiah, Dns Diana, Sis. Aileen, Sis. Gina, Sis. Kim Lei
• Worship Service on the Lord’s Day, with Rev. Donald delivering the sermon 
• Junior Worship on the Lord’s Day, incorporating a lesson by Sis. Aileen, Sis. Kim Lei.

May the Lord Jesus Christ be highly exalted in these spiritual endeavours.

Things That Wreck Short-Term Missions

Prabhudas Koshy

Our self-conceited attitude, unreasonable expectations and hypocrisy can disrupt, or even ruin the short-term missions organised by our church or fellowship groups. To maximize your contribution to the missionary, mission church and the mission team, please avoid doing the things mentioned below:

1. Negligence of personal daily devotion. Some have neglected their time of prayer and meditation of God’s Word because they have to pursue a busy schedule. It is inadequate just to rely on group devotions and the preaching of the Word during the mission activities.
2. Unwillingness to do any menial work. To make a mission trip successful, everyone in the team must always be ready to take up any task or challenge. It is absurd to refuse to do any menial work, saying that your only duty during the missionary trip is to win souls. It is false to think that doing menial work (like data entry, loading trucks, cooking, etc.) will distract you from your primary task of winning souls. Not everyone is called to be a preacher. For example, younger Christians in the team who are not equipped to preach and teach can contribute by helping in the physical aspects of the ministries.
3. Pick on the missionaries and their mistakes. Do not jump to conclusions quickly when you notice something that appears wrong. Be patient and careful not to make an unjust and erroneous judgment.
4. Disagree, criticise and murmur against your team leaders. Normally, leaders of mission trips are Christians who are experienced and mature. They make decisions based on their best knowledge and judgment. It will be far better to prayerfully cooperate with the leaders in whatever way you can, than be a “dissident” in the mission team. If you complain and murmur, it will affect the team’s unity and effectiveness. 
5. Harshly deal with team members who make a mistake. Unkind remarks and discourteous behaviour can lead to much grief and problems during mission trip. Be gracious and affectionate to one another.
6. Being too suspicious or too trusting of everyone you meet during the trip. It is wrong to think everyone in poor countries is out to get something from you. Also, it is dangerous to think that everyone who appears to be friendly is safe to trust. The best is to follow the instructions given by the team and local leaders.
7. Refuse the local food, as it might not have been cooked well to your taste.
8. Keep your distance from team members who cannot raise their full support. Be kind and generous towards one another.
9. Get involved romantically with someone or get into a quarrel with your friend. Though there is nothing wrong with getting to know someone closer, you must not lose focus of the nature and purpose of the mission trip. Also, avoid getting into petty quarrels with your friend.
10. Scold your home church upon your return from the mission field for their lack of commitment, their weak prayers, or their inadequate giving to missions. One or two mission trips do not prove that you have become the “perfect” evangelistic Christian. Instead, encourage the home church by your example in supporting the missions, since you have witnessed the needs and struggles of the church’s overseas missions.

Sermon Text: Psalm 33
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 29th January 2023

Christianity has spread all over the world because of men who have unashamedly gone forth to preach the Gospel everywhere. Hence, we can say that the history of the church is the history of valiant men of faith. Chief among those men is certainly the apostle Paul, who said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Be Not Ashamed!

Feelings of shame and fear are not helpful at all in the work of the Gospel. Those who are ashamed of the Gospel are a hindrance to the work of the Lord. Dear brethren, in these days we are witnessing an increasing aversion to the Gospel of Christ everywhere. Sadly, the unpopularity of the Gospel has compelled many Christians and preachers to compromise the content and delivery of the Gospel. They try to make the Gospel inoffensive. But such a gospel is not the Gospel of God (cf. Romans 1:1) or the Gospel of Christ (cf. Romans 1:9, 16), but the gospel of man, which cannot save sinners! 

What are your personal feelings concerning the Gospel? Would you say, “I am not ashamed”? Without a bold determination, we cannot make progress in the Gospel work – in the face of extreme ridicule and opposition. In the past, men and women suffered much to hand down to us the Gospel of salvation. Today, it is our duty to preach the Gospel. We cannot fail. So, let us not cower and falter in our duty to preach the Word of salvation. If the people in the church would fail to preach the Gospel, there will be none other to do it.

We who have received the salvific blessings of the Gospel have a great responsibility to declare it. We are entrusted with the Gospel, that it may be preached. Let our resolve be clear and well expressed, like Paul who said, “for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

Gospel Has Power!

Our motivation to preach the Gospel in all circumstances is its power to save sinners. Paul said about the Gospel that “it is the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16b). The power of the Gospel is “the power of God”. Through the Gospel, the resources of God’s infinite power work to save sinners from the bondage of sin. The Gospel is the way through which God exerts His omnipotent power for the quickening of souls that are dead in trespasses and sins. It is the efficacious or mighty plan of God, by which His power goes forth to save, and by which all the obstacles to man’s redemption are taken away. 

In 1 Corinthians 1:18, Paul said, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” Again, he wrote in the same chapter in 1 Corinthians, “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (vv. 24-25).

The fact that the Gospel is the power of God implies some profound truths about the Gospel. Firstly, the Gospel is completely God’s plan, and not a device of man. Secondly, it is the perfect and effectual means to the salvation of sinners. Thirdly, the Gospel is mighty; hence it is called “power” – “the power of God”. The Gospel is not at all feeble or ineffectual, but it is “mighty … to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Corinthians 10:4b). It has shown its power to be applicable to every degree of sin and every combination of wickedness. Nothing can make the Gospel void from saving God’s elect. 

Gospel Saves!

The Gospel guarantees complete deliverance from sin and hell, for it is “unto salvation”. By the power of God in the Gospel, those who trust in it shall be saved to the uttermost (cf. Hebrew 7:25). The Gospel also offers salvation to everyone who believes – “to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16c). Salvation is offered to everyone who believes in the Gospel of Christ. Those who reject the Gospel will not be saved, for it is the only way of salvation. But salvation is conferred on all who receive it by faith. One’s racial or social background would not prevent one from being saved upon faith in Christ. Jews and Gentiles alike can receive salvation by faith in the Gospel of Christ.

The phrase “to the Jew first” does not suggest that Jews are better or that they have preference over the Greeks when it comes to salvation. It simply indicates that the Gospel came to the Jews before the Greeks, through the ministry of Jesus Christ (cf. Matthew 10:5-7) and the apostles (cf. Acts 3:26). “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:12-13).

So dear brethren, since the Gospel has the (divine) power to save sinners from eternal damnation, let us never, for a moment, be ashamed of the Gospel – but “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ … that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).

Sermon Text: Psalm 32
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 22nd January 2023

The Doctrine Defined

The doctrine of the preservation of Scripture teaches that God providentially preserves all the inspired words of the Bible, in the original languages, forever. It proclaims the indestructibility of the Bible. The Bible today is every bit as perfect as it was first written, and it shall be so forever. Hence, God’s people of all ages esteem the Bible as entirely trustworthy and authoritative. It is forever the inerrant, infallible source of truth.

Despite the intense efforts of some wicked men to destroy the Bible, God has sovereignly overseen the process of Scripture’s preservation and transmission down through the ages. Throughout the history of God’s people, He has been actively preserving all the words of His Scripture. The LORD has kept all the inspired words of Scripture until now; we have no reason to believe He will stop preserving it now or later. We can confidently say that the LORD keeps His Word intact, as He has promised.

The Westminster Confession of Faith declares, “The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it, was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and, by His singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical…” (Chapter 1, Para. 8).

Certainly, this declaration corroborates our stand on Verbal Plenary Preservation. “Verbal” means every word in the Bible. “Plenary” means all parts of the Bible. So, just as we affirm the verbal, plenary inspiration of Scripture [i.e. the entire Bible is divinely inspired, down to the very words of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; Matthew 5:17)], we also affirm that all the verbally, plenarily inspired (VPI) words in the original languages are verbally and plenarily preserved (VPP) by God throughout the ages. God assures us that we can trust the whole of Scripture to be accurate and perfect, because He preserves every word of it.

The Doctrine’s Biblical Proof

The LORD has promised to keep His Word intact. In the following Scripture portions, He has declared His perfect preservation of every word He has uttered in His Book. God has promised to keep His Word perfect, and make it available and unchanged as long as the earth remains.

• Psalm 12:6-7 – “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”
• Psalm 33:11 – “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”
• Psalm 111:7-8 – “The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.”
• Psalm 119:89-90 – “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.”
• Psalm 119:144 – “The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.”
• Psalm 119:152 – “Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.”
• Psalm 119:160 – “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
• Isaiah 40:8 - “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
• Matthew 5:18 – “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
• Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away” (Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33).
• 1 Peter 1:23 – “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
• 1 Peter 1:25 – “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

The Identification of the Preserved Scriptures

Do we have the inspired words of God today in the original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek)? If we do, then where are they? We stand with the traditional texts, which have been identified and propagated by the Reformers, namely the Masoretic Text of the Old Testament (Hebrew/Aramaic) and the Textus Receptus of the New Testament (Greek).

The Westminster divines in 1648 believed their Bible to be totally infallible and inerrant without any mistake. This is observed by William Orr who wrote, “Now this affirms that the Hebrew text of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New which was known to the Westminster divines was immediately inspired by God because it was identical with the first text that God has kept pure in all the ages. The idea that there are mistakes in the Hebrew Masoretic texts or in the Textus Receptus of the New Testament was unknown to the authors of the Confession of Faith.”

Our English Bible, the King James Version (KJV), being the most faithful translation of the preserved texts (words) of Scripture in the original languages, is therefore used as our Bible in all our worship and fellowship meetings. We refuse translations based on other original language texts, which the Reformation scholars and theologians had rejected.

The Hebrew O.T. text and Greek N.T. text that the Westminster divines used in their day were the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus, which underlie the Reformation Bibles, as best represented by the KJV. If the Westminster pastors and theologians did not think that the Bible which they possessed in their day had any mistake, why is it so wrong and sinful for us today to also believe that the same Hebrew and Greek Scriptures (which the Westminster divines used) are without any mistake?