Recent Posts

God’s Word instructs us in 1 Timothy 6:18-19, “That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

Paul stated at the end of the previous verse (v. 17) that it is “the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy”. If God is the One who bestows all good things on us, then He also has His reason to give us those good things. Our text for today’s meditation delineates God’s intention to bestow us wealth.

Firstly, it tells us that God bestows wealth on His people for a purpose: “that they do good, that they be rich in good works”. The love of money is the parent of all wickedness. J.C. Ryle said, “Nothing I am sure has such a tendency to quench the fire of religion as the possession of money.” We must not allow our wealth to affect our spiritual and moral commitment. Money is given unto us, that we may increase in “good works”. Good works are the fulfilment of the Lord’s will concerning us. Every work of self-gain and self-glory is evil work. Always remember that your money is to help you further God’s will. We can never be used or blessed by the Lord, if we do not fully commit to giving all for His glory.

So our Scripture text tells us that we must be “ready to distribute, willing to communicate”. When we receive money, most of us immediately think of keeping or saving it, if not multiplying it. But we are instructed that it is wrong to withhold from the needy when the Lord has not withheld it from us, though it was more than sufficient for all our needs. The Scriptural exhortation is: “distributing to the necessity of saints” (Romans 12:13), and “to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). More blessings come from giving than receiving (cf. Acts 20:35). As it is commonly said by preachers, “Give according to your income, lest God make your income according to your giving!” The right mindset is: “Get all you can, save all you can, and give all you can” (John Wesley). Note this attitude of giving must be accompanied by “readiness” and “willingness”. The words “ready” and “willing” in v. 18 call us not to delay when it comes to giving to the needs of the Lord’s work or for the poor. We should give as we would receive – cheerfully, quickly and without hesitation.

If we give generously as God’s Word teaches us, we are assured in v. 19 that we will be “laying up in store for [ourselves] a good foundation against the time to come, that [we] may lay hold on eternal life”. Generosity is a good foundation for the rest of our time in this world and even eternity. Our Lord Jesus’ teachings corroborated this truth. He said in Matthew 6:19-20, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal”. Jesus also taught us that He will reward us – “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). 

That is biblical investing of our lives and resources according to what the LORD has commanded – which is “investment with sure returns”!

Report from Rev. Reggor Galarpe (Gethsemane BPC, Cebu, the Philippines)

Dear Pastor, greetings to you in our Lord’s most blessed Name! Praise God for His sustaining grace upon us in the ministry of the Gospel. Glad to hear of the good report on the recent Malayalam Fellowship Retreat in Vizag through the report of Dn. Benny. Praise God for sustaining you in the many opportunities to teach and preach God’s Word among His people, and to fellowship among the brethren there in Vizag.

We praise and thank God for His grace as we carry on in the work of the Gospel. 

(1) Thank God for the ongoing studies in GBI-Cebu’s second semester. Praise God for the KJV Reference Bibles received from Mr. Yong (Pr. Joshua Yong’s father) that he sent for our students. He did mention to me his burden to send Bibles for our GBI students during the combined retreat here last December. 

(2) Thank God for the new resident in TGCM-Cebu. He was introduced to us by a Baptist pastor, who originally wanted to bring his younger brother into the programme. However, his brother was unwilling; he ended up bringing to us one of their worshippers. Praise God nonetheless! 

(3) As for the church, we thank God for the recent combined fellowship meeting we had last Sunday afternoon. It was held at TGCM premises. It was the first time for most of the brethren to visit TGCM after it underwent renovation last year. So, we take time to praise God and dedicate the premises to the Lord in thanksgiving. Thank God also for a good number of brethren who came for the meeting, and for the blessed time of learning God’s Word, prayer, and fellowship among us. 

(4) Also, I thank the Lord for sustaining our children’s outreach in the home of our Sis. Ophelia. By God’s grace, it’s been more than a year since we started reaching out to the children in the neighbourhood. It was originally held every Thursday afternoon, but was moved to Saturday afternoon, starting January this year. Bro. Johnny Rey and I take turns teaching the children, while Sis. Carol would prepare some activities for them.

In another update, I would like to inform you that Bethel BPC has invited me to minister among the youths in their YPG Camp, which will be held 7th-11th July this year. Praise God for this opportunity to visit the church and minister to our brethren there.

Lastly, we are praying for the upcoming Missionary Conference in June. The Lord will provide! Once again, thank you, Pastor, for all your prayers and support for us. Please convey our greetings to all our brethren there. 

Sermon Text: Psalm 71
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 25th February 2024

Sermon Text: Psalm 70
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 18th February 2024

King David spoke of his motivation to give generously in 1 Chronicles 29:13-14, “Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.”

David uttered those words before the LORD after he had prepared, with all his might, the things needed to build the house of God. With the help of his people, he had gathered gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, onyx stones, glistering stones of diverse colours, and all manner of precious stones and marble stones in abundance. Beyond all these, David made a sizeable public love offering from his private estate to stir others with his example. His gifts included gold and silver, and 1 Chronicles 29:4 records that David gave “even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal”. David’s generosity was lavish. His generous giving served as a catalyst for the generosity of the people. Christian leaders will do well to remember that they will never see open-handed giving from their people if they themselves are not willing to take the lead in this as well.

David’s words uttered before the LORD as he dedicated his gifts to the building of God’s house, instruct us on how to be generous givers.

David’s heart was thankful to God for all the material blessings he had in his possession. He acknowledged that they were God’s gift to him. So, David said, “for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” We, too, must always be thankful to God for all our wealth and possessions, which He has bestowed upon us. Whatever we possess is what we receive from the LORD, so they belong to God. 

Our attitude concerning our assets is revealing. If we think that all of our possessions are ours, we will be unwilling to give generously. Scripture reminds us: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts” (Haggai 2:8). We need to start with an attitude recognising that our assets belong to God. “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). Then we will be motivated to give generously by having this attitude: “If He gave me all these things, what right have I to keep them from Him when His work requires them?”

May the same conviction be in us constantly, that we may never withhold what God has bestowed on us. Wealth and honour cometh from Him. So, when God’s work requires funds, let us quickly release what God has entrusted us with. It is only because of God’s enablement that we are able to give as generously as David did.

Report on Gethsemane Malayalam Fellowship Retreat 2024

Report by Dn Benny Skariah

We thank God for enabling Gethsemane Malayalam Fellowship to organise our first overseas retreat in Vizag, India, from 10th – 12th February 2024. A small team of nine from Singapore travelled to Vizag on Friday evening (9th February). We were gladly received by a few brothers from Vizag. After a sumptuous dinner, we had a good night’s rest. Pastor Koshy, Sis Carolyn, and a few other brethren from other parts of India also travelled to Vizag to join this retreat. On Saturday morning, about 70 participants gathered together at Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church, Vizag City to be taught on the topic, “Doctrines of Grace”, by Pastor Koshy in English. In the afternoon, we had a special session in Malayalam. In that session, Rev. Sujith Samuel led us in a “Survey of the Book of Numbers”, where he highlighted the working of God’s grace in the Old Testament (cf. Numbers 6:22-27). In the evening, we spent our time visiting a few places in Vizag, went to the hilltop park in the city, and took a train ride to take in the beautiful night view of Vizag.

On the morning of the Lord’s Day, we joined our Telugu brethren in worship of the Lord and partook in the Holy Communion. Rev. Sujith Samuel preached to us on the theme, “Perseverance of the Saints”, based on John 10:27-30. His message was translated into the Telugu language by Pastor Bhagavath. In the afternoon, we joined the English worship service, where Pastor Koshy expounded on the topic, “Perseverance of the Saints”, from 1 Peter 1:1-5. He explained how the apostle Peter encouraged the Christians – who were under persecution, rejected by their society and displaced in various places – with the truth of God’s election of them. They were His beloved people whom He would preserve by His great power for the ultimate salvation in heaven. In the evening, we organised a fellowship dinner for all our brethren in Vizag, and 50 of us enjoyed a time of fellowship over food. 

Early in the morning on the last day of our retreat in Vizag, some of us, together with Rev. Sujith and Pastor Bujji Babu, travelled 40km from the city to view some lands for sale, with the intention to consider whether they are suitable for building a church-cum-Bible college and associated amenities. Please pray for God’s leading in this matter and for the necessary funds. Pastor Koshy and others went directly to Gethsemane Bible Institute in K. Kotapadu (30km from the city) to teach our students. In the afternoon, we all gathered together with some of our past GBI graduates who are currently serving the Lord in the nearby villages, and we enjoyed a good lunch prepared by our GBI staff. On our way from GBI to the airport, we visited the homes of our preachers, Rev. Sujith Samuel and Bro. Seraph McGregor, where we enjoyed the warm fellowship that their families offered to us.

“The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad” (Psalm 126:3). We are truly blessed by this retreat, and we give all glory to our Lord for all safety, protection and provisions. We also thank God for the many brethren who have laboured much, especially Pastor Bujji Babu, Bro. Anand, Bro. Joyson, Bro. Bharath, Bro. Solomon (and many more), as well as for all who joined us, and for all who prayed for us!

Sermon Text: 1 Peter 1:3–12
Speaker: Pr Kelvin Lim
Date: 11th February 2024

In Acts 3:1, we see Peter and John going up together into the temple, “at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour”. God would use these two apostles to bring about healing in a man who was lame. “And he (the lame man) leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them (Peter and John) into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:8).

This miracle was wrought at the hour of prayer. A certain man, who was lame from his mother’s womb, was carried and laid at the gate of the temple on a daily basis (v. 2). He was there to ask alms. Asking of alms was a common thing among the poor people of the Jewish community. If they were blind, or lame (like this man was), they would normally sit outside the temple, where people often came to pray. Showing mercy to the poor and needy is something God has commanded both in the Old and New Testaments, so many worshippers would give alms to help these poor people to survive, including this lame man in question. But something else better happened to this man. For Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (v. 6). And then Peter “took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength” (v. 7). Amazingly, this man didn’t immediately run back home to tell the people, but he went into the temple together with Peter and John, to pray and praise God (cf. v. 8). The most important thing to him, upon restoration of his mobility, was to get into the temple to pray – not to go away to engage in self-centred pursuits, Brethren, why does God heal us? Why does He save us and give us all spiritual and physical blessings? That we should pray.

Prayer in the Leadership and Laity

Significantly, we can observe two categories of people mentioned here. Firstly, the apostles Peter and John (representing the leaders), who were observed to be going to pray. Peter was a man who would have a big role to play in the early leadership of the church. Before Paul appeared on the scene, Peter was the most celebrated among the early church leaders. John, another “pillar” of the church leadership (cf. Galatians 2:9), was seen on several occasions together with Peter in the Acts episodes. It seemed that both were the chief representatives of the apostles. This is corroborated in 8:14-15, “when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them (the Samaritan converts) Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost”.

These were two mighty leaders of the early church, who were able to stay together and serve God because they were prayerful people. Truly, the leadership of our church must be a prayerful leadership. There is something really special about the leadership that pray. God will use them mightily. But the converse is true – the leadership that cannot pray together is in great danger! Peter and John, though endued with so much power of the Holy Spirit, performing stupendous miracles, went regularly to seek God in the temple. It goes without saying why they went to the temple at the ninth hour. Was it to perform some miracle? No, but to pray! For it was the hour of prayer in the temple. They went there like any other worshipper – to pray! That, we believe, is the secret of their mighty ministry together as church leaders.

Secondly, the prayerful inclination of the healed lame man (representing the lay people) is also worthy of more than a passing mention. Because of Peter and John, he was also led to enter the temple to pray. A praying leadership will give rise to praying congregations. This is alluded to in Acts 1:14, where we see not only the eleven disciples, but also others (including “the women”) being mentioned as praying with them. This is significant in the ministry of the church. While it is a pastor’s duty to pray as an expression of his faith (in obedience to God who commands that we should pray), at the same time, it is also his duty to call people to pray for him. Take a leaf from the apostle Paul’s desire for the lay people to join him in prayer.

When Paul wrote to the Romans, he said in Romans 15:30, “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me”. Paul asked the people in the church to exert themselves in the spiritual exercise of prayer on behalf of him. He was unashamed about this matter of asking others to pray with him and for him. In Ephesians 6:19, we read that he had asked the Ephesian church to pray “for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel”. Without question, for the church ministry to flourish, both the leadership and laity must strive together in prayer, so that, among other things, “the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified” (2 Thessalonians 3:1). 

Prayer for Strengthening of Ministry

Belief in Christ and prayer are two sides of the same coin. Every believing heart is supernaturally, spiritually endued with the desire for prayer. There is not a believing heart that doesn’t pray. The greater the faith of a man, the greater his prayer habits. Dear church, we must not fail to pray if our ministries (both local and overseas) are to flourish. It is good to remember that Peter and John, who were going up to the temple to pray together, were working together for the spreading of the Gospel. When you pray together, you work well. Whether you are serving in a committee, or going for evangelism, or engaging in visitation of the elderly / needy brethren in church, it is vital to pray first. Otherwise, you may quarrel along the way, or your visitation may end up in disarray. Likewise, if you are singing together in a choir, or if you are working together in the PA team, or the internet media ministry, or the ushers’ ministry, or the refreshments team (which also oversee the Holy Communion preparations), etc., always pray first – and pray together frequently.

The attitude of prayer ought to be one of humility, and acknowledgment of weakness prevailing in us. It is not a time to show off our powers. Each time we come together as a church (even if it’s a small group of brethren), it is most necessary and fitting to pray to the Lord. It is not without reason that the Old Testament temple (and, as a corollary, the church) is called “an house of prayer” (cf. Isaiah 56:7). 

Prayer Requires Regular Appointed Times

If the church is to be a house of prayer, then there must be appointed seasons of prayer in the church. Notice that Peter and John went up to the temple regularly for prayer. There was a set time for prayer, which, according to Acts 3:1, was the ninth hour (i.e. 3 o’clock in the afternoon). The ninth hour was one of the set times for Jewish prayers. According to the Old Testament, there were morning sacrifices, and evening sacrifices in the temple (cf. Exodus 29:38-42), so the believing Jews all went to the temple to pray at those set times, as it was customary.

There is thus biblical precedent for the church to set aside a regular appointed time for corporate prayer – hence the weekly church prayer meeting, which is, in many ways, the “power-house” of the church. Sadly, there are people who don’t believe in the importance of prayer meeting. Worse still, there are people in churches today who don’t see the need for daily prayer, as individuals and as a family. They say there’s no evidence in the Bible for such daily devotion. Do they not know from Scripture how Job prayed for his children every day, even with sacrifices, in case they had sinned and thereby needed sanctification (cf. Job 1:5)? Have they conveniently forgotten the biblical instruction in Deuteronomy 6:7, where God says that a father should speak about God’s Word with his children while he sits, walks, lies down, and moves about with them? Have they not read the Book of Proverbs (especially chapters 1 to 8), wherein is impressed upon us how a father and mother should instruct the children in the Word of God? The biblical teaching is that such times for devotion / prayer are not just on a regular basis, but as often as possible! The same applies to the larger family of God, the church.

Truly, when a church makes full use of those provisions under God’s providence to pray (at set times and set places), there’ll be provisions of God’s blessings. While none of us today is an apostle and so won’t be able to heal people miraculously, we will be used by God to restore many to the joy of salvation, and to spiritual health. That, spiritually speaking, is the biggest miracle! Just like that healed lame man, who “entered … into the temple, … praising God”! That being the case, may we, as a church, pray always (Luke 18:1) and without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Amen.

Sermon Text: Psalm 69:18–35
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 4th February 2024

Before Christ’s ascension, He commanded the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit’s promised empowerment, that they may be His witnesses all around the world. “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). For “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

In obedience to the Lord’s command, the apostles returned to Jerusalem (Acts 1:12a), and “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1:14). That first prayer gathering after Christ’s ascension, which began with just the eleven apostles, eventually grew to a total of about 120 (Acts 1:15). From that group of praying men and women who waited for the power of the Holy Spirit, sprang up the first New Testament church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1–47)!

Be Given to Prayer

The Lord’s instruction to the apostles to tarry in Jerusalem led them to a season of prayer, together with other believers. They prayed with hearts submissive to the Lord’s command, and with the joyous expectation of the Spirit’s might  that would empower them as witnesses to the Gospel in a hostile world. Though they hardly knew the details of what would happen, they knew for sure that life and the ministry ahead of them would be full of trials and sorrows. But their persistence in prayer would be instrumental in preparing them for all the challenges which they would face. Through constant collective prayers, the church overcame persecution, apostasy, temptation, and made significant progress in preaching the Gospel and advancing the church’s work.

The early church relied on God through prayer for all their spiritual and physical needs. They relentlessly pursued divine help in prayer. They prayed individually as believers (cf. Acts 9:10–12, 40; 10:9), and corporately as a church (cf. Acts 1:14, 24; 4:24–31; 12:5, 12). What a far cry from the contemporary church! Sadly, prayer is much neglected in the church at large today. In churches of our day and age, we hear of large crowds turning up for concerts, for entertainment, and even for listening to the testimonies of the rich and famous. Prayer meetings, on the other hand, attract only the faithful few. Lack of interest in prayer is the primary reason for the weakness of the contemporary church.

We must take care not to be drawn away from prayer by laziness, pleasure, business, etc. The dire consequences of neglect of prayer cannot be ignored. The present circumstances in which we live and serve are perilous to holy living that is acceptable to God. There are many powerful temptations and demonic doctrines that lurk around us. Only through much prayer can we keep ourselves holy for our Master’s use. Unless we are diligent in prayer, we will be overtaken by the adversary’s ploys to destroy us (cf. Luke 21:36). Truly, only when we are given continually to prayer will the church members’ personal life and the church ministries flourish spiritually.

Be Earnest in Prayer

That is why we read of Paul’s apostolic exhortation to the church in Colossae, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2). We too must take heed of this injunction to pray with earnest perseverance and give ourselves unto prayer as God’s Word requires. Now, the Greek word (proskarteréō) translated as “continue” has the idea of “to continue to do something with intense effort, even with the possibility of difficulties along the way, until one has brought it to the wished-for end”.

So, firstly, our prayers must be earnest before God. Prayer should never be perfunctory. A casual or superficial attitude in prayer is akin to being irreverent before God. An indifferent heart in prayer is tantamount to mocking God’s holy and solemn presence. Wandering hearts and sleepy prayers are not befitting the majestic presence of our gracious God. Then, secondly, there must be devoutness and commitment to prayer. Jesus had said that “men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). This is not to say that we are to be always on our knees, but rather that the spirit of prayer should never be laid aside. We must have a prayerful spirit all the time. We must also delight in frequent prayers, whether they be short or protracted prayers. God must be frequently sought, for He alone is our help.

Scripture records many examples of men and women who prayed earnestly and without ceasing. We need not look too far. Even in Paul’s epistle to the Colossians, the apostle mentions his co-labourer, Epaphras, as “always labouring fervently for you in prayers” (Colossians 4:12). Such constancy in prayer has been the secret of God’s servants who are God-honouring. Such is also the secret of a God-honouring, vibrant, fruitful church. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, a praying church will be empowered and guided to fulfil God’s glorious purposes concerning its work on earth. Believers will be built up in knowledge and godliness to serve the Lord in love, unity and peace, that the Gospel may spread far and near. The Spirit of God will invigorate a praying church to magnify the Lord, that more members may be added to the church as the blessings of the Gospel of Christ spread throughout the community.

Be Watchful in Prayer

In Paul’s apostolic counsel on prayer, we are also called unto watchfulness in prayer—“watch in the same” (v. 2b). The word rendered “watch” has the idea of “refrain from sleep”, “stay awake”, “be alert”, “be vigilant”. When physical tiredness and sleepiness prevented Peter, James and John from being awakened unto prayer, Jesus rebuked them: “What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40–41). Even physical fatigue is not a satisfactory excuse for failing in prayer. Christians must be awake unto the pressing matters of life and ministry, so as to bring them to God in prayer.

Besides, being watchful also entails looking out for what God has already blessed us with, which should evoke a thankful spirit in us. Whenever we pray, we must be full of thankfulness towards God. Admittedly, we are more prone to ask or complain than to give thanks. When we pray, we must be grateful for the blessings already granted, and for the promises He has given unto us. Beware: ungrateful men are not fit to pray! On the other hand, grateful men who depend upon God for spiritual wisdom and power to lead those under their care will pray without ceasing. Those who desire to be faithful in their God-given roles will be utterly dependent on God through prayer. Gratefulness and watchfulness would hasten them to the presence of God. They will be serious in their commitment to pray for their families and those under their charge, as well as to pray with them. They will also count it their special joy and duty to be with people who gather together to pray. Indeed, men of faith are not only given to prayer, but also earnest and watchful in prayer.

Conclusion

Most of us are not called to be preachers of the Word or to be leaders of the church. But all of us are called to be mighty in intercession. Like Epaphras, who was constantly mindful of his home church and toiled in prayer for the brethren (cf. Colossians 4:12), we too must pray. With burden, faith and thanksgiving we must pray. Let there be godly expectation of divine blessings as we pray for ourselves and our church. All of us can pray for one another—and that we must do.

Sermon Text: Psalm 69:1–17
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 28th January 2024

It is not uncommon that Christians feel troubled about their struggle to fulfil their Christian calling to live a holy and God-pleasing life. Are you also feeling inadequate and helpless to be a faithful and fruitful Christian? Do you think Christian life and ministry surpass your human abilities and powers? Do the challenges and goals of Christian life and ministry appear daunting before you?

Feelings of inadequacy, resulting in doubt and anxiety, are typical of everyone who cherishes a genuine desire to do the will of God and please Him. Such was the apostle Paul’s concern. That great hero of faith made repeated assertions about his insufficiency. He asked in 2 Corinthians 2:16b, “And who is sufficient for these things?” He also wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God”.

Paul’s sense of his personal insufficiency was an all-pervasive view of his life. When he said, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves” (cf. 2 Cor. 4:7), he was attesting to his total inability in the matters of Christian life and ministry. Brethren, there is no greater folly than to think that we possess the power to attain supreme spiritual heights within ourselves. Wise is the man who readily acknowledges – “O, how little is my sufficiency!” 

“But our sufficiency,” says Paul, “is of God.” (2 Corinthians 3:5b). So, the answer to the question, “Who is sufficient for these things?”, is all who trust in God, who is our sufficiency. In God, we have all sufficiency. In Him is all the wisdom, all the thoughts, all the love, all the power, and all the conquering energy which every devoted and serving Christian needs. His own inadequacy and lack of human resources turned Paul into an empty vessel that is to be filled with divine power and goodness for the blessed ministry of the Gospel. Paul did not rely on his natural abilities to accomplish his ministry. Instead, he ministered, trusting in divine empowerment. So, he wrote, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor. 2:4).

That our sufficiency should be of God is infinitely better than if it were of ourselves, for then our sufficiency cannot be questioned, doubted, interrupted, or depleted. If we had to bear all the burdens and challenges, we would soon be undone. But now, we are like a child who travels with his father, and his father pays for everything. Like a child who draws all his needs from his father’s constant provision, we must draw upon the inexhaustible resources of God so that we may be well-furnished to fulfil all our Christian responsibilities and duties. 

We can now expect to live a peaceful and princely life; our heavenly Father will provide for us from His all-sufficiency. Our sufficiency is of God; let us practically enjoy this truth. Like Paul, let us also learn to live by drawing on the Lord’s ever-sufficient grace. Consider Paul’s testimony in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 

“We are poor, leaking vessels,” Charles Spurgeon wrote, “and the only way for us to keep full is to put our pitcher under the perpetual flow of His boundless grace. Then, despite its leakage, the cup will always be full to the brim.” Our sufficiency is of God! When it comes to God’s work, such as evangelism, we know we have no power to reach souls and save them. One might cry, “I feel it is a work too hard for me. I do not feel I’m able to win a soul.” Let him also continue to remember the truth that “our sufficiency is of God.”

Brethren, if God sends us, He will go with us to help us accomplish His work. When God calls a man to preach and gives him a message to deliver, He will also prepare the ears and hearts to hear and believe the message. He, who has called us, is able to fulfil the work He has begun in us (Phil 1:6). O, how blessed are those words for every servant of Christ working for His dear name: “Our sufficiency is of God!”

Thanksgiving Testimony of Salvation

(William Lee’s testimony of God’s gracious work in the salvation of his mother, Mdm Kong Mok Kum, before calling her home on 19 Jan 2024.)

When my mother was hospitalised in July 2020, she told me she wanted to have a Christian funeral service when she died. I explained to her that before a minister can conduct a Christian funeral for her, she must first accept Jesus as her Saviour. I also told her it would be a burial and not a cremation. She understood, agreed and accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She reaffirmed her faith when Pastor Koshy and Pr Daniel Lim visited her in the hospital, and she was baptised on 1 Aug 2020.

Over the next three years, she grew spiritually from faith to faith. When told she had cancer in September 2023, it did not devastate her because her faith was strong, and she knew that this was the beginning of a journey towards her eternal home in Heaven. She knew she must persevere through the suffering of pain as her body grew weaker physically. But God has been merciful to grant her grace to endure and hope to look towards the day when she closes her eyes for the last time on this earth and enters Heaven with joy unspeakable, beholding Jesus Christ, who loved and saved her. Revelation 21:4 says, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

She has gone to a place that the Lord Jesus has prepared for her (John 14:3), where there will be no more darkness, suffering, pain and death. Up in Heaven, she shall join my father, and all who like them have accepted Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord, and have gone ahead much earlier to glorify Him in ceaseless praise.