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Studying the Scriptures and serving the Lord Jesus Christ are integral to the life of those whom the Lord has called into the ministry of the Word. Serving God ought to be supplemented with studying of the holy Scriptures so that the servants of God will know and do His blessed will rather than their own! While every born-again Christian has been redeemed to serve the LORD, not all are called into serving Him in the ministry of the Word. This ministry of the Word is to be complemented with continuous prayer (cf. Acts 6:4). Therefore, I am very thankful to the LORD my God for opening this door of learning again to me in the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC), with the support of our beloved Pastor and the Board of Elders in Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church (GBPC).

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven … and a time to build up” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3b). “Re-signing” to study God’s perfect Word in FEBC is indeed a God-given privilege! One reason for returning to study is to equip myself and be rooted and built up in the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord and Saviour. Re-learning the biblical doctrines of the Reformed faith which I have been taught will surely strengthen the foundations that were earlier built. It would be like the reminder of Paul to Timothy, “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 2:2). It will be very refreshing for me to hear again those wonderful teachings which we profess and hold on to! Moreover, there might be things for me to unlearn as well if I have unconsciously come to know them. Jesus said, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:2). In the process, there would be some painful pruning or “sharpening”, yet it is needful! “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). In this regard, I long for your continuous prayer that the LORD sustains me both in college and in church for the next three years. It is a heavy responsibility to study the Word, not to mention to serve the LORD at the same time.

Next, there is nothing more meaningful and interesting in the life of a person called of the LORD into the ministry of the Word than the study of theology. To study the Bible continuously is joy unspeakable, especially when doing so with a grateful and prayerful heart together with many others. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7). Indeed, I am very thankful to the LORD for this opportunity to return to my alma mater, FEBC, to continue and complete the Master of Divinity (MDiv) programme, which I had started but left stranded for a while. “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). As much as there is joy within, fear is not absent either! The concerns regarding the ability to cope with all the demands during the course of study, especially in the subjects of Greek and Hebrew, are real but I trust in the LORD for help. For His grace is ever sufficient, and He “is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

The ministry of the Word to the inmates in Changi Prison Complex continues on Wednesday afternoons and sometimes on other days. The LORD is pleased to bless this work and has brought some of those inmates to our midst. Among them is Bro Vijay, who is attending our church service on Sundays and studying in FEBC on Thursday evenings. Moreover, teaching children from the Gospel of John during GCM on Saturdays, held concurrently with various fellowship gatherings, remains unaffected. May the LORD be pleased to save the souls of our young ones through the teaching and preaching of His infallible and inerrant Word, and even to call some to serve Him one day!

Serving the LORD gladly must be the desire of every born-again believer. It is the reasonable service of every saint to learn good doctrines of the Bible, and to present himself according to the truth thereof to serve God as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Him (cf. Romans 12:1-2). Moreover, having learnt all these wonderful teachings from godly men in the faith, let us pass it on to the next generation for the blessings of God’s people, and for the extension of His kingdom here on earth. May the LORD our God be praised as all glory and honour belong to Him, the living and true God!

Sermon Text: Psalm 17
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 7th August 2022

Venue

The 21st Bible Witness Retreat, if the Lord permits, will be held at Pullman Hotel in Kuching, Sarawak (E. Malaysia). We truly thank God for providing us with this excellent venue at a reasonable cost. We chose Kuching as the location for the September retreat so that the participants from Singapore would have an opportunity to encourage the brethren of Calvary Kuching B-P Church, a work that the Lord has given to the care of our church, GBPC. However, due to the COVID travel restrictions and the recent surge of infection in Singapore and South-east Asia, we could not plan early to secure a venue in Kuching. We appreciate the timely help of Bro Jeremy Teo (from Calvary Kuching) and Bro Simon Chung (a Gethsemanean residing in Kuching) to find and secure a suitable venue in Kuching.

Topic

The retreat’s topic of study is the “Doctrine of Repentance”. We know that our risen Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, having ascended to heaven, does “appear in the presence of God for us” (Heb. 9:24). And there, “he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). His Word assures us that “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 Jn. 2:1). This gracious Saviour lovingly urges us not to live in sin, guilt, shame, and broken communion with Him. He desires that “we confess our sins, (for) he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9). Our Saviour is graciously disposed towards us, that we may come to Him in repentance and live in the joy of our fellowship with Him. That being so, should we not earnestly learn His counsels to put away our sins, and rejoice in His pardon and restoration?

Participation

More than 50 participants (from Singapore) have registered thus far for the 21st BW Retreat. We also expect 10 or more brethren from Kuching to join the retreat. Though more than the initially anticipated number of attendees have signed up, we encourage more to come and benefit from this opportunity to learn God’s Word, and to enjoy the Christian fellowship. If the Spirit of the Lord moves you to give for the support of this retreat (especially for certain needy brethren), please give towards “BW Retreat”. We also covet your earnest prayers for the blessing of the retreat.

Report from the Philippines’ Mission Churches

(The following is an abbreviated version of reports received over the last two weeks.)

I praise the Lord for enabling us to use the temporary place of worship. The cementing of the floor is already completed. The workers are currently finishing the children’s classroom and fixing the doors. We praise the Lord for Bro. Jumar and Sis. Olive, who helped us to clean and prepare the place for the last Sunday’s worship. We had also put up the curtains to decorate the hall, and laid the electrical extension cords for the electric fans. Praise the Lord that the new worship place is very spacious and cooler. We praise God for this temporary provision as the present place cannot hold all the worshippers. Praise the Lord that we can have a good shelter for eating and fellowshipping as well. Indeed, after the worship, we had lunch together inside the worship hall.

We also thank God for a new family from the neighbourhood that joined the worship. God willing, this week, Bro. Renato Olarita will come from Valenzuela to live and serve with us here in Pangasinan. He will be coming with his wife, Sis. Marianette, and their 3 children.

Please pray for my wife Se Jin’s 5-year amendment to her ‘Permanent Resident Visa’. May the Lord enable us to serve Him as a family in this place. Se Jin also had to see the doctor, and we thank God for the normal blood-pressure and blood-sugar readings. The doctor has advised her to continue the medication, and will see her again after four months.

The Lord recently helped me to travel to preach God’s Word in Tactac, Sta Fe. There, I met Bro. Jomart and his wife. They came here from Singapore to visit their family members. Bro. Jomart requested me to share the message of salvation with more than 40 relatives who came to listen to God’s Word. Praise God for enabling me to preach from Romans 10:5-13.

Sermon Text: Psalm 16
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 31st July 2022

The first day of the week, Sunday, was the typical day of gathering and worship of the early Christians (Jn. 20:19; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2); and it is referred to as “the Lord’s day” (Rev. 1:10). The phrase “the Lord’s day” is best understood as a reference to Sunday. It became customary to refer to Sunday because Christ rose from the grave on Sunday. The apostle John was met by the risen, ascended, and exalted Christ on the first day of the week to reveal the prophecy of the Book of Revelation. When early Christians gathered for their worship on the first day of the week, they would spend a lot of time together in worship, studying God’s Word, praying, fellowshipping, breaking bread, etc. (Acts 20:7, 11). Listening to the exposition of the Scriptures was their delight, and hence a whole-day affair (Acts 28:23).  

The church historians record that in the first four centuries after the Reformation, most Protestant churches met for worship on the Lord’s Day in the morning and evening; the believers considered both services necessary for their spiritual rejoicing and edification. In the last six decades, the evening service has been frowned at and has become so uncommon. This abandoning of the evening (or afternoon) service in Protestant churches is a sign of the growing spiritual apathy and worldliness of the Christians of our time, who spend much of the Lord’s Day for secular purposes rather than spiritual. 

Brethren, there is no good and acceptable reason why our generation of Christians will allow ourselves to be less passionate about spiritual things, and be unlike the godly Christians of yesteryears. Let us not waste our opportunity to serve the purposes of God devoutly. Let us consider our short time here on earth with utmost seriousness in using it for our spiritual nourishment and for God’s glory. Let us take heed of the Scriptural exhortation: “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16). 

There are amazing blessings in coming together and learning God’s Word from the teaching service on Sunday evenings. Come with your families to learn from God’s Word. We are now learning from the biblical history of “The Kings of Judah and Israel”. Let us gratefully come to hear His Word and save ourselves and our children from the evils of this generation. Make it our habit to be found in His house on the Lord’s Day.

Photo News

The 18th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service of Gethsemane B-P Church, Cebu, the Philippines, was held last Sunday (17th July 2022).

Praising God for the Prayer Meeting!

Over the past two weeks, two sisters came forward to give their testimonies during our church’s Tuesday night prayer meetings. They are published below to encourage all Gethsemaneans to consider the prayer meetings.  

Judy Chan

I would like to testify of the Lord’s goodness in helping me overcome my struggle in attending prayer meetings. Coming for prayer meetings initially had been an intense spiritual battle. Before coming to Gethsemane, I thought prayer meetings were optional, on a need-to basis. Since coming here, I learned that the prayer meeting is crucial to our spiritual growth, as shown by the pattern of the early followers of Christ. They “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication” (Acts 1: 14). Even though I became aware of the importance of the prayer meeting, because of the weakness of my flesh, I felt like my whole being was resistant to going for prayer meetings. I thank God for speaking to me continually through the messages preached. Yet, regular participation in prayer meetings was challenging for me. Sometimes I thought this struggle would never end, but God was gracious to see me through. Slowly, I experienced less resistance within me and even look forward to coming every Tuesday for the church prayer meeting. Praise the Lord for helping me overcome my struggle! Truly, as the hymn often sung by the children declares, “God is so good”!

Xin Hui

The hymn “Amazing Grace” truly testifies of God‘s goodness to me. The third stanza of this hymn spoke to me, especially when my parents were against my faith in Christ in its early stage. I went through a lot of stress and fear. Yet, God’s grace has seen me safely through all those testings of my faith. He has shown me how good He is, even in my bouts of depression and hopelessness. When we are weak, God’s strength is made perfect! I pray that we will constantly be reminded of God’s saving grace in our lives that saved us from eternal damnation and into the wonderful hands of Jesus Christ. Oh, how good our Saviour is! This comforting and assuring truth is also declared in Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Sermon Text: Psalm 15
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 24th July 2022

Sermon Text: Psalm 14
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 17th July 2022

Mutual biblical responsibilities of Christian married couples are never to be ignored if they are to enjoy the marital bliss that God has promised (Psalm 128). Here is a continuation of this topic that I began sharing with you last Lord’s Day.

• A forgiving, restoring attitude to the other: Offences and deep hurts can occur in marital relationships. If resentment occurs (which undoubtedly will), one should avoid going to sleep in displeasure – “let not the sun go down upon your wrath” (Eph. 4:26). God’s Word teaches us not to entertain bitterness against each other, but always to extend tenderness and mercy to forgive and reconcile. If matters are not handled with understanding and compassion, quarrelling and brawling will ensue, and the house will be full of malice and disquiet. Though admonishing each other is necessary, it should be done with wisdom, gentleness and prayer. If there are provocations from the other, be mindful to avoid rudeness and retaliation. Do not engage in fault-finding, nagging, harassment, threatening; never lay violent hands on each other. If the other behaves badly, show patience and forbearance so that the misbehaving person may not wax worse. “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:31-32). God’s Word forbids vindictiveness and retaliation (Rom. 12:17-19). We should also refrain from slandering each other before others.
  
  Swinnock, a Puritan preacher, said, “[T]o procure a quiet life, the husband must be deaf, and the wife blind. Sure it is, the man must not bear to declare it abroad, nor the wife sees to say it among her gossips whatever is amiss at home if they would live in peace.” A rift between a husband and wife is half-settled when it is kept within the house, with prayers and dedication to resolve the contention lovingly. But when it is announced publicly in the ears of others, it will be like a rotten, septic sore that is hard to be cured. Christian couples must, at all costs, refrain from hardening their hearts against each other, leading to retribution, separation and divorce. Christ, our Lord, did reprimand the hard-hearted conduct that led to the dissolution of marriages (Matt. 19:8; Mk. 10:5-9). Just as God expected the prophet Hosea to show mercy and restorative love to his adulterous wife, which was to be a picture of God’s patience and reinstating love towards His disobedient people, there must be a willingness to forbear and forgive. Spiritually strong and mature persons would be tolerant and enduring in their spousal relationship, showing divine kindness and forgiveness to each other (Gal. 6:1; Prov. 16:32; Rom. 12:21; 1 Pet. 3:9).
  
• A prayerful nourishing of each other: The husband and wife, “being heirs together of the grace of life”, are exhorted to maintain their attitudes towards each other in such a way “that your prayers be not hindered” (1 Peter 3:7b). If husband and wife live together without mutual respect and affection, their united prayer will be cut off. Living in a house with conflicts, jealousies, bickering and altercations is detrimental to the spirit of prayer. God expects all believing spouses to conduct themselves with honourable attitudes towards each other so that their prayers together will not be hindered. Christian couples must be diligent in praying together and for each other. They must seek the Lord’s guidance, provisions and protection. They must yield in prayer to do God’s will as His servants. God must be sought, trusted and obeyed. “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it… It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows” (Psalm 127:1-2a). Without God’s help and blessings, their labour to build up their families is in vain.
  
  Praying to God that you may prosper and succeed in your individual roles and duties to each other, and in collective labour for Him within and without the house, is necessary. Prayer and labour must go together so that you may flourish in God’s purposes. To labour in the house and not pray, would be a life without God and His blessings. May it never be a case of “ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:2b). Pray at God’s mercy seat for each other’s spiritual progress, steadfastness and triumph over all temptations and trials. Pray also that you will be a blessing to the other and, together, a blessing to the rest of the family and to God’s people everywhere.
  
• A commitment to show benevolence to each other: “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife to the husband” (1 Corinthians 7.3). What precisely is “due benevolence”? The word ‘due’ literally refers to a payment of the debt due or an obligation of duty that is due. What debt (or duty) does the husband and wife owe to each other? Benevolence! [Some modern English versions of the Bible omit this word. The Greek word for “benevolence” (εὔνοια) is specifically mentioned in the Textus Receptus (Majority Text) of the Greek New Testament]. “Benevolence” is deep-felt love towards the other in action through kind deeds. Due benevolence is a debt of goodwill or kindness in action.
  
  Christian husbands and wives must know their biblical debts or duties, and readily and joyfully render them to each other. Both husband and wife should focus on their own God-given duties to the other. The mutual duties of the married couple are far more than engaging in a sexual relationship; they also entail a mutual rendering of loving concern, submission, reverence, care, meekness, forgiveness, etc. It is a two-way debt. None should leave his or her spouse to care for himself or herself. God has given every married individual the duty of loving and caring for the spouse. They have a mutual debt to encourage, correct, comfort, provide for, guide and protect each other. In these days, far too little help flows from one towards the other. More and more understanding, awareness, companionship and support should be extended to each other. Many married couples spend their time and energy pursuing fortune, fitness and fame. Their sentiments are not sufficiently directed to each other as taught by Scripture concerning the building up of each other and of their relationship in the Lord. Misspent emotions and energy render them incapable of genuine love and powerless to pay due benevolence to each other. Thus, many marriages are deprived of marital joys, harmony and peace. Ask yourself, “Do I make my wife or my husband happy?” This is an essential part of the benevolence which is due. “Do I do my part to make my family life peaceable, enjoyable and pleasant?” “Do I provide companionship and friendship that are sanctifying, pleasing and uplifting to my spouse?”

May all Christian husbands and wives cultivate a divine sense of duty to the other whom He has provided for them to love and cherish. Let there be mutual appreciation and never-failing fondness and courtesy. With unceasing acts of sacred love and kindness towards each other, let us strengthen our marital union for the glory of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Sermon Text: Psalm 13
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 10th July 2022

God expects Christian couples to nurture their relationship according to His counsel. From time to time, our own sins and Satan’s cunning and cruel devices can leave our marital relationships in great peril. To prevent Christians’ marriages from being victimised by sins and Satan, our Sovereign Lord, in His Word, has given husbands and wives peculiar duties, which they owe to each other.

Failure to perform biblical duties not only engenders matrimonial disunity, but also bring great dishonour to the LORD and the church. Scripture reminds every Christian couple that their life together as husband and wife is to be a witness to the relationship of Christ and the church. “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:31-32).

The well-being of every marriage is assured if the man and his wife fulfil their duties as defined by the Scriptures. So, knowing marital duties and taking every care not to neglect God-given duties within marriage is necessary. The Lord has commanded, “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:6). Not working to foster matrimonial unity and togetherness is disregarding God who has joined them in marriage. Neither the husband nor the wife should undo the marriage; rather, with God’s help, they should build up their marriage in obedience to God.

The Mutual Duties Between Husband and Wife

• A special, sweet love for the other must be maintained passionately and persistently, for it is demanded in the Scriptures (cf. Eph. 5:25, 28; Col. 3:19; Tit.2:4). The marital love for each other is more special than the common love for parents, brothers, sisters, or friends. Husband and wife ought to always express deep and profound love towards each other. She ought to be “the wife of thy bosom” (Deut 13:6; 28:54). “The wife of thy youth” is always to be regarded as “the wife of thy covenant” (Mal. 2:14). The man must always think of his wife with loving affection, and so should the wife love her husband (Titus 2:4). The husband’s love for the wife should be like that of Christ – “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). Like Christ, the husband must love his wife at all times, in all circumstances. His attitude, speech and actions towards her must be flavoured with love. Love must be the reason for his reproofs, admonitions and instructions. Such love will set aside disappointments and bitterness caused by the flaws and sins of the spouse, and work to sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word (Eph. 5:26). Genuine love covers the sins of the other, and seeks to restore, refresh and renew with the truth and wisdom of God’s Word. True love that originates from the Saviour and Lord is not retaliatory, but restorative. A tender-hearted outpouring of love into each other’s bosoms will express plenty of forgiveness and dearness. It overcomes hurts, and then ministers grace with patience and diligence to the other. Such mutual affection will produce fresh and beautiful fruits of marital love that bespeak the mystery of Christ’s love for the church.
  
• A cheerful care for one another must always be expressed without hesitation. “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it…” (Eph. 5:28-29). Just as a man expects care and honour from his spouse and others, he must show genuine care for his spouse by nourishing and cherishing her, both spiritually and physically. Negligence and abandonment of the spouse are forbidden and not worthy of a Christian. The spouse’s spiritual growth and physical well-being are God-given marital duties. While the husband provides the overall care for the wife and the family, the wife is to be his helpmeet, as God has designed for her to function. The wife is to be with her husband as his suitable help (Gen. 2:18, cf. 3:12), and also a keeper of the house in loving and nurturing the children (Titus 2:4). Every Christian wife should conduct herself in such a fashion that she is presented as a favour which her husband has obtained from the LORD. Mutual tender care between husband and wife is expected of them by God.
  
• A humble and mutually honouring relationship with the other is in order. Scripture calls Christian wives to live submissively with their husbands. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord” (Eph. 5:22; cf. Eph. 5:24; Col. 3:18; Titus 2:5; 1 Peter 3:1-6). Wives’ submission to their husbands is commanded, even in cases where their husbands have been unreasonable, profane and ungodly. The motivation and strength for the manifestation of humility and submissiveness are drawn by looking at the glorious Christ, rather than at the conduct and disposition of their husbands (cf. 1 Peter 3:1; 1 Cor 7:13-16). It is unbecoming of Christian women to be quarrelsome, domineering, abusive and violent. Such women inflict great pain and trouble upon their husbands; instead of being “a crown” to their husbands, they become “as rottenness” in their husbands’ bones (Proverbs 12:4). Christian wives ought to be meek, gentle, submissive and obedient to their husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. The husbands too are expected to be gentle, helpful and honouring to their wives. “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel…” (1 Pet. 3:7). Husbands ought to understand the weakness of their wives and be sensitive to their deepest physical and emotional needs. As heads of their wives, husbands are not to be tyrannical, intolerant or unforgiving. Every husband should be like Joseph who, though deeply troubled in his heart, cared for Mary’s reputation and was “not willing to make her a publick example” (Matt. 1:19). Christian husbands should refrain from bringing public shame to their wives. Instead, he must patiently and gently seek to guide her to virtue and honour. When both husbands and wives seek to honour one another in Christ, as Christians are instructed (Rom. 12:10; 1 Cor 12:23-24), their marriage will be honourable before God and all men.

More of the biblical duties of the married Christians will be addressed, God willing, in next week’s bulletin. Where the husband and wife perform their God-given duties, there will be a happy family of peace, virtue and honour.