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GBI, Ethiopia (Report from Rev. Ephrem Chiracho)

Dear Rev Koshy and the Session of Gethsemane B-P Church, Singapore,

Greetings in the blessed Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings…  Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered” (Psalm 40:1-5).

Truly, we are pleased to inform you that 27 trainees of GBI, Ethiopia will have graduated on the Lord’s Day (1^st Aug, 2021). We are thankful to the LORD for the meaningful and fruitful fellowship we have in the Gospel. We praise God for using your wisdom, prayer, labour and support to accomplish His work in Ethiopia. God has been merciful to use us, weak vessels as we are, to extend His kingdom on earth, and to edify and establish His people to do great exploits for the glory of His name. “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered” (Psalm 40:5).

By God’s grace, we have been endeavouring to disseminate the sound biblical truths we have been taught by our spiritual fathers. “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:1-2). God has never failed us, even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death at times.

God has graciously provided all the needs of the church ministries, including GBI, Ethiopia. We have no sufficient words to declare His goodness and mercy. All glory and praise to the living and true God! 

As you rejoice with us on what the LORD has done thus far, please continue praying for us so that God may help us to hold the fort faithfully and valiantly until Christ our King comes. Please convey our gratitude and greetings to the whole congregation of Gethsemane BP Church.

Yours in Christ,
Rev. Ephrem,
(On behalf of Gethsemane BP Church of Ethiopia and GBI, Ethiopia)

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

Dear Pastor Koshy,

Greetings to you in our Lord's most blessed Name!

Praise God for His grace and mercies that sustain and keep us in these difficult times. Cebu City has been placed under a "stricter" quarantine protocol because of the increasing number of Covid cases (which include the Delta variant). Thank God that a good number of our brethren has been fully vaccinated.

Last Monday, we had the GBI “Day of Prayer and Registration” for the first semester. Thank God for the brethren who are able to attend physically as well as those who joined us on-line. For this semester, we have 6 full-time students, with another 8 taking part-time courses and another 5 joining the Tuesday Night Class "on-line" via Google meet.

Preacher Edsel is teaching Proverbs and the Gospel of John, and these classes are held via Google meet. Elder Eliezer is teaching the Book of Philippians and Ten Commandments, and his classes are a mix of physical and virtual meetings. As for me, I am handling the class on Homiletics, as well as Survey of the Bible and Practical Issues of Christian Living (Tuesday Night Class). In addition, a good number of them are taking GBI-online courses (Names of God). 

Pastor, thank you very much for your (and the church’s) prayers for us, especially for the work and the building project. We have visited a few places recently, but the location (meaning the immediate surrounding) is not so conducive. So, we continue to pray as we continue to search for more prospective venues.

Our greetings to Sis. Carolyn and the children.

Respectfully,
Rev. Reggor

Sermon Text: Galatians 3:1–5
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 8th August 2021

(Sermon starts around 52:21.)

Sermon Text: Galatians 2:16–21
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 1st August 2021

(Sermon starts around 50:40.)

Though many of the evangelistic methods we had used in pre-COVID-19 days are not practicable due to the government-mandated restrictions upon us, let us not assume that the Great Commission is rescinded!

Do not the experiences of the last 16 months prove to us that the church is presented with more opportunities to make the Gospel known to our friends and relatives in our communities and afar off? Members, leaders and staff of our church have been hard at work to create and implement new outreaches through modern media facilities, such as live-streaming, broadcasting pre-recorded programmes and interactive platforms like Zoom.

The recent special evangelistic effort – Bible Witness Kids – by the Bible Witness Media Ministry targeting children in Singapore and other places was indeed thankworthy. Since May 2020, we have had many significant online events for the edification of our brethren – Church Bible Conference, Missionary Conference, DVBS, seminars, etc. Those are in addition to weekly events that we hold via online platforms. We also conduct lessons for the students of Gethsemane Bible Institute through the online programmes.

Much more can be achieved in evangelising the unsaved and edifying the believers through online programmes. We must quickly adapt to new methods that are available for communicating the Gospel and Scriptural truths. Our desire and prayer are that through Bible Witness Media Ministry, our church can produce and make available good biblical content for children, youths and adults. Young adults and youths who are knowledgeable and skilled in the modern media must come forward to serve with humility, patience and dedication. We must not hesitate to give our lives and our very best efforts to proclaim the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In every age, the church has flourished through the efforts of men and women who have heeded God’s call to serve Him full-time. Christians who have sacrificially and unselfishly served have been instrumental in the church’s triumphing over severe challenges and advancing the kingdom of God. Christians who have extended compassion and care to the sick and needy have also been instrumental in spreading the Gospel and strengthening many in their faith. Likewise, even in this pandemic period, if church members act with love and compassion towards the needy or sick, the Lord will use them to win and establish many souls in the Gospel.

How our church leaders and staff would minister to God’s people, and how the church would reach out to our communities and the mission stations with the Gospel during this pandemic season, will likely shape the testimony of our church in the coming years. Let us all seek to know God’s will and do His pleasure with a renewed zeal, that the love and truth of Christ may be effectively proclaimed through us.

“Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality” (Romans 12:11-13).

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21).

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Let's Reach Out with the Gospel

Gethsemane Evangelism Outreach Ministry (GEO)

Written by Elder Alan Choy

One of the marks of a biblical church is that its members are committed to proclaiming the Gospel of salvation in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ’s “Great Commission”. Witnessing Christ and preaching His Gospel within our neighbourhood and even unto the uttermost part of the earth is the church’s duty (cf. Acts 1:8; 16:5). Every church member should be committed to this duty, which Christ has entrusted His church to carry out.

To help every church member be involved in evangelistic efforts, the Gethsemane Evangelism Outreach (GEO) was established. Before the authorities implemented the COVID-19 restrictions, GEO had organised monthly door-to-door evangelism sessions, giving out Gospel tracts. We frequently attempted to spread the Gospel in our neighbourhoods. We also held Gospel meetings every year.

However, the COVID-19 situation has prevented our regular evangelistic efforts for more than 16 months. The Lord moved my heart to think about the GEO ministry. Instead of just sitting down and wait for the pandemic to be over, we should reach out to our unsaved loved ones - relatives, friends, and even acquaintances. In small groups of two (or more when an increase in number for visitation is permitted), we can either host or visit our unsaved contacts to reach them with the Gospel of Christ. Some of our aged relatives need to be reached out with the Gospel urgently, for life on this earth is uncertain.

Yes, door-to-door evangelism may not be possible for some time. But GEO can restart our Gospel efforts through “targeted evangelism” (i.e. target our acquaintances who have not the saving knowledge of Christ yet). With the Holy Spirit’s guidance and strengthening, we can win more souls these days. The following plan is suggested to help us achieve this goal.

A hotline number (+65 8541 4200) is made available for the church members to contact an assigned person from GEO for help to reach out to their contacts. If you provide relevant information about your contacts and an appointment time, GEO will reach out to them with the Gospel. (A contact form will be made available to you by GEO for you to provide relevant information for reaching out to your contacts). We would appreciate your presence when GEO members visit your contacts.

Let us pray and make every effort to bring someone to hear the Gospel. Like our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who came seeking the lost souls, may each one of us, His followers, say, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (Jn. 9:4). Brethren, “For we are labourers together with God” (1 Cor. 3:9).

Give me a passion for souls, dear Lord,
A passion to save the lost;
O that Thy love were by all adored,
And welcomed at any cost!
Jesus, I long, I long to be winning
Men who are lost, and constantly sinning;
O may this hour be one of beginning
The story of pardon to tell.

Sermon Text: Galatians 2:11–16
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 25th July 2021

(Sermon starts around 40:22.)

Traditionally, men toiled to provide for the family while their wives tended to the family at home. But increasingly in these days, men choose to be stay-home husbands and dads, while their wives are sent to work and earn money for the family. Recent newspaper articles reported this trend in Singapore, which is also a current global pattern.  

"In Singapore, the Ministry of Manpower's Labour Force statistics show that there were roughly 1,500 stay-home dads in 2017, more than double the figure in 2007. That roughly translates to four out of every 1,000 adult males. This figure might well be higher if more fathers in Singapore who spend at least an equal amount of time (if not more) at home and work would also identify themselves as stay-home dads."

https://www.todayonline.com/commentary/wasnt-easy-convince-myself-i-was-masculine-useful-stay-home-dad

The modern culture is defying the traditional and biblical roles of men and women in the family. The reasonings of Christians who embrace the current reversal of family roles of men and women - such as stay-home husbands/dads instead of stay-home wives/mums – are economic viability and so-called pragmatic, modern-day living. There is also a strong desire and drive to break free from the traditional, biblical gender roles. Advocates of reversal of gender roles portray it as necessary for a comfortable life in modern culture. They contend that the customary/ biblical gender expectations are unhelpful to fulfilling their experience of a life of material comfort and prosperity.

If we choose the pursuit of material prosperity and cosy living environments as more important than fulfilling our God-given roles humbly and faithfully, our decisions and actions will eventually undermine the family sanctity and unity. The Bible warns us, "He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house" (Prov. 15:27). When achieving affluence becomes a priority in life, abandoning and reversing God-ordained roles of husbands and wives within the family would become a necessity. Craving for material glory over and above divine wisdom and truth is causing Christian families to become prey to the evils of secularism and ungodliness of our time.  

The struggles and difficulties that we experience in family life are tests of our believing submission to God's unchanging, authoritative counsels in His Word. Joyful obedience to divine counsels even in hardships is required of us. We must endure our trials with the prayer that we may fulfil our biblical roles assigned to us by God, and thus be instruments of divine blessings in our families.

Let us not give in to the thinking that conformity to God-given roles would diminish our honour and blessings. Proverbs 15:33 assures us, "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility." To those who reverence God and humbly obey His instructions, there are wonderful promises of divine honour and blessings in due time. 

God-given roles of man and woman are so fashioned to be divine channels of blessings in their homes. Both the Christian man and Christian woman are equally valuable in God's sight (Galatians 3:28). Though their specific roles assigned by God differ, there is absolutely no difference in their spiritual position, possessions and privilege. The roles of man and woman are different, just as the roles of the Father and the Son are different.

The biblical role of the husband is to lead, provide for, and protect his wife and children as the head of the family (Eph. 5:23, 25-32; Col 3:19-21; 1 Cor. 11:3). Scripture’s teaching of God's creation order – that man was made first, and from him, the woman – shows the divine ordaining of man's headship or leadership over the woman (1 Cor. 11:8-9, 1 Tim. 2:12-13). It is the divine imperative that every house is ruled and provided for by the husband/father. It is not a licence for the man to be cruel and tyrannical at home, but to assume his responsibility to lead, provide and protect in a godly and loving manner.

After the fall of man, the Lord God said to the first man, Adam, that he ought to toil to provide for his family – "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground" (Gen. 3:19a). God has told man that there will be no easy, trouble-free way of caring and providing for his family in this sin-marred world. Every man must be prepared for hard labour through fatigue and weariness, to earn a living and provide for his family. However, he can put his confidence in God for His help and favour, as Eccles. 3:10-11a declares, "I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time".

The Lord expects men to provide for their families. Jesus' words in Lk. 11:11-12 testify to the expectation that the father will be the provider for the family – "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?" (cf. Matt. 7:9-10). Jesus' words show that it is natural even for children to expect their fathers to provide for what they need. They understand that providing for their needs is their father's loving responsibility, so they go to their fathers for the affectionate care they desire.

Similarly, the apostle Paul reminded men in the early church, "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel" (1 Tim. 5:8). Assuming responsibility for one's own family or for a needy closely-related individual is every Christian man's God-given responsibility. When a healthy-bodied man stays home and does not work hard to earn, is he not drastically failing to provide for his family's needs? Is he not failing to exercise faith in God's promise and obey His counsel? Every hardworking, godly man should put his confidence in God's promises, such as in Psalm 128: "Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee" (vv. 1-2). Let every Christian man take heed that his conduct does not contradict his faith in God's Word. 

While the husband must work and provide for the household, the wife's God-given role in the family is to be a loving manager of the home – "…the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed" (Tit. 2:4-5). When the apostle Paul prescribed the solution to the idleness of the younger widows, which would lead to sin (1 Tim. 5:13), it was not that they should go out and find jobs to occupy their time, but that they "marry, bear children, guide the house" (1 Tim. 5:14).

In God's design of the family life, a mother's care for her children should never be absent or lacking in the home. A father is neither created nor expected to provide ‘motherly’ care for the children. Neither can a maid nor a professional child-caregiver be a replacement for a mother's loving presence. In Psalm 128:3, the divine expectation of a wife/mother is beautifully depicted – "Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table." Why would the Bible depict believing women as being "by the sides of thine house", or as one "to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children" (Ps. 113:9)? It is because the woman's primary, God-given work is in the home.

Every wife's calling is, first and foremost, to work at home and not outside of the home. She should not pursue anything that will cause her to neglect her responsibilities at home. Her primary role is to be a submissive helpmeet to her husband (Gen. 2:18; Eph. 5:22, 24) and a joyful mother to her children (Ps. 113:9; Tit. 2:5).

The specific roles which God has given to husbands and wives are not merely suggestions that can be altered according to one's wish and whim, or to the change of culture in society. When a healthy, strong husband/father neglects to work and be the breadwinner for the family, is he not defying God's authoritative counsel? When a married woman leaves her home to pursue a career and fails to provide attention to her husband and children as Scripture demands, is she not failing to honour God's Word? Neglecting the God-given roles will give occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully (1 Tim 5:14b), and the Word of God to be blasphemed (Titus 2:5). May our homes never be a place where our chief enemy, Satan, has his way; neither be it a place where the Word of God is blasphemed.  

Sermon Text: Galatians 2:1-10
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 18th July 2021

(Sermon starts around 41.00.)

The concept of family – both traditional and biblical – is under serious threat in our modern society. The changing worldly ideologies are also redefining Christians’ mindset about family. Can the church, “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15), be silent while the world misleads its members? Can the church be silent when God’s design for the family is under attack? Will Christian men, the heads of families, resist the pressure of the world to keep their families’ conformity to the biblical portrayal of a godly family? Will Christian parents protect their children from the world’s attack at any cost?

Many Christians lack a commitment to God’s design for the family. They have abandoned the biblical pattern of family life to pursue greater wealth, luxury, selfglory, worldly pleasures, etc. Their hearts, filled with worry and aspiration for exceptional gain, neglect the unchanging truths of God’s design for family life. Sad as it is, they would sooner adopt attitudes and pursuits that are detrimental to the building of godly families.

To make matters worse, the church at large has refused to address the real problems affecting the family life of Christians. A major reason for the church’s silence is that many of today’s pastors, preachers and leaders are themselves greedy of filthy lucre, and lovers of luxury and pleasure. Their quiet acceptance of worldliness in their households obliges them to tolerate their congregations’ conformity to the world. This refusal to confront the incursions of worldly ideologies and trends among the congregants has opened the floodgates to satanic deceptions in the world catching the Christian families off guard! This dangerous, irresponsible conduct of the under-shepherds of the churches today is akin to deceivers “who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake”, as the apostle Paul warns in Titus 1:11.

In such a perilous time as this, for the spiritual protection and blessings of families, Christians should obey Scripture’s counsel that “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words,… perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself” (1 Tim 6:3-5). In other words, Christians should separate themselves and their families from pastors and church leaders who are hesitant to rebuke worldliness, lest their families become lulled into accepting the destructive secularism of our time.

Shockingly, Christians have become intolerant of preachers – and their churches – who rebuke conformity to the world. Such recklessness and resistance have been forewarned in the Scriptures – “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (2 Tim. 4:3). Compromising Christians, who have chosen to live in conformity with the world, will not bear with sharp admonitions against their compromises. To them, such preachers are unreasonable, unloving and legalistic.

At this juncture, I would urge all Gethsemaneans to take heed of this loving pastoral exhortation not to reject God’s design for the household. It is time to acknowledge and safeguard the biblical injunction that God wants us to build our homes according to His truths and holiness. He commands us to know and fulfil His counsels regarding our roles and conduct in the family. He has not left us without principles and guidelines. We are also given great and precious promises concerning our households if we abide by His wise counsels. When our most loving God has furnished us with His unfailing blessed truths for family living, why do we unwisely ignore them and choose to follow the pernicious ways of this world? Why do we make wealth and pleasures of this world our idols, forsaking the glory of the biblical truths? What gross sin and foolish, self-destructive attitude it is to take our families away from the way that God has shown in His Word!

God promises to build godly and blessed homes with His wisdom in Proverbs 9:1-6: “Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: she hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.” (Consider also Psalm 128.)

Let us not be victims of the secularisation of Christian families. Do not surrender our homes, but resist the vicious invasion of secularism and its corruption. If Christians do not stop their compromises with the worldly way of living, soon their homes will have nothing in the way of godliness. Do not desert God and His truths, which He has lovingly revealed in His Word.

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Psalm 128

1 Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD;
that walketh in his ways.
2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands:
happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house:
thy children like olive plants round about thy table.
4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.
5 The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion:
and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.

In recent weeks, being moved in my heart by the Spirit, I have called on Gethsemaneans to take the present crisis that churches face due to COVID-19 seriously. What could it be that Christians are kept away for so long (almost 16 months) from gathering for worship, fellowship and service? Biblical history teaches us that whenever God's people provoked Him to wrath by their sins and hypocritical worship, He would cast them away, taking away their privilege of drawing unto His presence. Anyone who sincerely considers the spiritual condition of today's churches would know that the present crisis is the divine displeasure against the rampant sins of the churches of this age.

So, I have given you a pastoral call, over the last two weeks, to set aside time to sit before the LORD humbly to sanctify yourselves with fasting, repentance, rededication to spiritual renewal. About 70 brethren have responded and sent messages to me, indicating their readiness to seek the LORD for His forgiveness and sanctification through fasting and prayer.

Like the saints of the past, it is time for us to consider our ways and confess our sins. We cannot worship and serve the holy God with impure hearts and unclean hands. The churches of Jesus Christ have been profaned with materialism, carnality and worldliness of the people who gather to worship and serve. We have become like the church in Laodicea, which Christ had sharply rebuked. Consider His warning to that impure church – and even to us:

¹⁵ I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. ¹⁷ Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: ¹⁸ I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. ²¹ To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. ²² He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Revelation 3:15–22).

An exhortation to those who are fasting

Those who have indicated their desire to seek the LORD with fasting are added to a ‘Whats App’ group, to be provided with short exhortations and prayer items. Following is the first exhortation sent to them.

"I send the following exhortation that you may know why and how you should take time to examine yourselves and confess your sins before the Lord.

We must humble ourselves before the LORD to ask Him to guide us in our self-examination. The Bible requires of us to search/examine/judge ourselves that we may repent of our sins, lack of faith, devotion and service to Him.

Lamentations 3:40 – "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD."

Haggai 1:5 – "Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways" (cf. 1:7).

2 Corinthians 13:5 – "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"

Like God's servants who prayed that they might know their sins so that they may repent of them, let us also humbly pray, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps 139:23-24).

We have imperfect knowledge of our failures in character because sin shrouds our understanding. God alone can show us how and where we have failed. We need divine help to be enlightened of our trespasses and iniquities, which we have been committing against Him. No man knows himself till he has been taught of God. So, we must pray, like David, "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression" (Ps 19:12-13).

With hearts that are readied to know and repent from our sins, we must prayerfully apply the Scripture truths to our hearts. "Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me" (Ps. 40:11-13). Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:26 about the church's purification, "that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word". When we carefully hold our thoughts, words, conduct and actions against the counsels of God's Word, we will see our trespasses and sins. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word" (Psalm 119:9). So please read the Scriptures that you may be led to see your sins and that you may seek the LORD's forgiveness and help to put aside all your sins.

Advice on Fasting: According to the LORD's guidance in your heart, choose a day of the week when you can fast before the LORD. As the Lord enables, you may decide whether you allocate a part of the day or the whole day for fasting and prayer. (If you are sick and on medication, you may devote time to prayer without fasting.) Remember, when you fast, you are not just giving up a meal but also devoting that part of the day for prayer. During that time of prayer, you may meditate on God's Word for self-examination, confession of sins, seeking forgiveness, rededication of your life, etc. You can also pray for your family's, the church's and the nation's renewal. Pray for a biblical revival in our lives.

I will be sending you a guideline to pray (please remember it is only a guideline to help you with some thoughts as to how you can pray on your own)."

Responses from the brethren

Below, I include some of the responses from brethren that I have received. May you be encouraged to desire and seek your sanctification as you read the hearty responses of the brethren.

“Dear Pastor, though both my wife and I have an ongoing weekly fasting and prayer programme, we're interested in joining what you've planned for the church, which “harmonises” with what we’ve been endeavouring. Thanks for your initiative for the church. Praise the Lord for especially directing you to start this oft-forgotten source of the believer's edification and blessings. May this be a start of the revival that you so long to have in our church. May the Lord grant you the desires of your heart. In the family devotion this morning, we remembered you and all the other preachers in our church in prayer. May the Lord continue to strengthen you all as you serve Him.

The reminder to pray for you and all our preachers came from a most relevant devotional in this morning's reading from CH Spurgeon, which I wish to share for the benefit of every believer, as below:

‘Brethren, pray for us’ (1 Thessalonians 5:25).

This one morning in the year we reserved to refresh the reader’s memory upon the subject of prayer for ministers, and we do most earnestly implore every Christian household to grant the fervent request of the text first uttered by an apostle and now repeated by us. Brethren, our work is solemnly momentous, involving weal or woe to thousands; we treat with souls for God on eternal business, and our word is either a savour of life unto life, or of death unto death. A very heavy responsibility rests upon us, and it will be no small mercy if at the last we be found clear of the blood of all men. As officers in Christ’s army, we are the especial mark of the enmity of men and devils; they watch for our halting, and labour to take us by the heels. Our sacred calling involves us in temptations from which you are exempt, above all it too often draws us away from our personal enjoyment of truth into a ministerial and official consideration of it. We meet with many knotty cases, and our wits are at a non plus; we observe very sad backslidings, and our hearts are wounded; we see millions perishing, and our spirits sink. We wish to profit you by our preaching; we desire to be blest to your children; we long to be useful both to saints and sinners; therefore, dear friends, intercede for us with our God. Miserable men are we if we miss the aid of your prayers, but happy are we if we live in your supplications. You do not look to us but to our Master for spiritual blessings, and yet how many times has He given those blessings through His ministers; ask then, again and again, that we may be the earthen vessels into which the Lord may put the treasure of the gospel. We, the whole company of missionaries, ministers, city missionaries, and students, do in the name of Jesus beseech you: Brethren, pray for us.”

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“Dear Pastor, I thank God for your love for Him and His flock. I thank God for your steadfast faith and commitment to be true to your calling in spite of obstacles and trials as you lead GBPC. For your loving exhortation, correction and rebuke to our family, as well as your prayers, care and counsel all these years. Thank God for using you to cause us to realise during this time, God's wrath is upon His people who profess Him with their lips but with hearts not committed to obedience unto our Almighty God. May God hear us during this season of prayer as we repent and call upon Him to forgive and restore us. While the Lord tarries, may our feet be found walking in His righteous path, our eyes lifted to heaven, and our hearts yielded in humble submission to Him.”

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“Dear Pastor, thank God for putting in your heart this burden of calling God's people to "fast & pray". After hearing your impassioned plea during the prayer meeting, I have purposed in my heart to have my family included in this spiritual exercise. God willing, we shall forego 1 dinner per week, so that we may have a protracted time of prayer in our family devotion, without the hassle of getting ready for dinner.

Admittedly, I've noticed of late my children's lack of fervency / zeal in their prayer life, & tendency to pray in a perfunctory manner. Sure, they seem to be quick in regurgitating biblical truths & able to give right theological answers, in general. While I'm thankful for their commitment to church & God's truth, I am nonetheless troubled by their general lack of a prayerful disposition. Without prayer, their communion with God will only be that superficial. Without agonising in prayer, they can do nothing spiritual, with the intended results of reaching the heart & piercing the conscience of precious souls! The desire of my heart is that this "fasting & prayer" be a time of revival for my family as well.

Undeniably, our prosperous, affluent society has, ironically, lulled us to a sense of self-sufficiency & to spiritual complacency. We forget that "he that cometh to God must believe that ... he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb 11:6b). If we're truly honest with ourselves, we've to confess that we have not sought God as we ought -- especially in non-pandemic times. But now with this worldwide pandemic raging unrelentingly, resulting in restrictions of movement, gatherings & many other activities (including several means of grace which we've taken for granted in earlier days), we have to realise that this is also a time of chastening for God's children. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (1 Pet 4:17). May we not be engrossed in things that do not matter to God's kingdom. May we instead desire for things that do matter: purity of faith & conduct; and burden for souls!”

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“Thank you, Pastor. These are truly challenging times, and we want to pray steadfastly as a family too.”

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“Dear Pastor Koshy, … I would like to join you in fasting and prayer in regard to all our sins against God.”

Sermon Text: Galatians 1:10–24
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 11th July 2021

(Sermon starts around 31:24.)