Text: Jude 12-13
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 16 February 2020
Text: Jude 12-13
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 16 February 2020
Every married man, if he is sincere, would confess that loving his wife is a lot more difficult than he had imagined. Why is it so? One of the most common responses of husbands is that the wife is not easy to relate to or that she is a very difficult person to communicate with. Though it is true that some women do exhibit a bitter and defiant spirit towards their husbands, it is undeniable that husbands do fail to love their wives as expected by the Lord.
The biblical imperative is that husbands ought to love their wives as Christ has loved the church – "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25). No husband has ever fully loved his wife to that degree or extent which is expected of him by the Lord. So, every Christian husband must make it his duty to love his wife likewise.
In the relationship between Christ and the church, Christ’s love is antecedent to the church’s love for Him. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10). "We love Him, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).
Christ’s loving redemption did not come to the church because she was perfect in her ways and pleased Him always. Instead, Scripture says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). So, husbands’ love for their wives cannot be merely a reciprocal affection. Husbands should love their wives, even though they feel disrespected or hurt by them.
It is because of divine love that Christ has chosen a people to be redeemed and be His church. He said, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you … Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you…" (John 15:9a, 16a). Indeed, "Christ… loved the church" (Ephesians 5:25) – He chose to love the church.
Husbands must be committed to love their wives even when they are taken for granted or disrespected by their wives. It must be emphasised that the biblical command given to the Christian husband to love his wife is not contingent upon how well she conducts or fulfils her role. The desire to love his wife must always be kept burning within the heart, even when it seems very difficult.
Christ’s love for the church is sacrificial; He made the ultimate sacrifice by dying for her redemption. "Christ …loved the church, and gave himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25).
Every husband must be willing to make sacrifices for his wife. This does not just mean that you are prepared to make that one ultimate sacrifice by dying for her, if need be. More than that, it means that you will live daily for her by painstakingly seeing to it that she be cared for and nourished up in Christ. Husbands ought to live sacrificially for his wife. He must be willing to set aside his personal interests to help her to be a happy and fruitful Christian woman.
Christ said that He came to serve the church - "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). He knew the physical and spiritual needs of His disciples, and ministered earnestly to them without delay.
Husbands must be concerned about and be ready to care for their wives’ needs. Husbands who are too occupied with themselves are often ignorant and indifferent to their wives’ problems and needs. Husbands are exhorted to "love their wives as their own bodies" (Eph. 5:28), and to "love his wife even as himself" (Eph. 5:33). Normally, no man would harm his own body, but would cherish and nourish his body. Likewise, every husband must love, care and nourish his wife. Though they abstain from adultery, husbands would still fail miserably in loving their wives as Christ loved the church, if they only think of being served by their wives and not serving their wives to cherish and nourish them. Husbands who show little interest in caring for their wives’ emotional, physical and spiritual well-being, must repent and strive to be servant-leaders, as Jesus is to the church.
Christ loves the church with the intention of presenting her sanctified - "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph 5:26, 27).
Husbands who love their wives as Christ loves the church must also desire their spiritual purity, that they may be set apart for God’s glory and honour. Christian husbands must do everything needful – rebuke, instruct, encourage and lead – in order that their wives may pursue their sanctification. They should at all costs avoid provoking or guiding her to sin. There should be no vulgarity, dirty jokes or ungodly activities, such as watching ungodly movies and following a materialistic lifestyle. Husbands must admonish their wives if they have unbiblical thinking, bad habits or sinful conduct. Wives must also be instructed to dress modestly, to avoid appearing "under-dressed" (with hemlines above their knees, revealing clothes, etc.) – that they may not be sensual in their appearance and become a temptation to other men. Husbands must not approve of any worldly lifestyle adopted by their wives (1 Jn 2:15) if they were to love their wives as Christ loves the church.
Husbands’ highest duty of love to their wives is to help them grow in purity and holiness before God. Husbands must encourage their wives to be set apart for God and to increase in the service of the Lord. Husbands must always be mindful that their wives are given to them not merely for their pleasure and comfort, but to guide them according to the Scriptures for the Lord’s honour and glory. Through biblical instruction and example, husbands must help their wives to put sin to death so that they can come alive to righteousness. It is also the task of the husbands to help their wives flourish in the exercising of their spiritual gifts to serve and glorify God. Their wives must be encouraged to bring glory to God by doing good to others. Husbands ought to love their wives with a sanctifying love.
Jesus’ love is an enduring, steadfast love, for "having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end" (Jn. 13:1). It is with a lasting, faithful love that Christ loves the church. As the apostle Paul said, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:35-39).
Husbands must be utterly faithful and committed to their wives in the same way that Christ loves the church. Christian husbands must provide their wives the security of steadfast and faithful love, in which she can blossom emotionally and spiritually. A husband must be committed to his wife to the exclusion of all others – "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" (Eph. 5:31; cf. Gen. 2:24).
A husband, who ill-treats his wife and puts her down, dishonours Christ. Such a husband projects a false picture of Christ, a "Christ" that could possibly abuse and put down His bride, the church. Husbands who desert their wives – either through infidelity or indifference – in effect portray a heresy, which gives the impression of a false Christ who could abandon His church. So, let every Christian husband bear a good witness in this ungodly world concerning his Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, by loving his wife as Christ loves the church.
Two days ago, the CNN reported: "As the coronavirus outbreak continues spreading across Asia and the rest of the world, grief and anger are cutting through the noise, after the death of Chinese whistleblower-doctor Li Wenliang." In Singapore, as of Friday (7th February 2020), about 33 people have been reported as having contracted this deadly virus. Channel News Asia reported on Friday, "Coronavirus outbreak: Singapore raises DORSCON level to orange; schools to suspend inter-school, external activities." The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now declared the virus outbreak a global emergency.
As the fear of pestilence grips the people of our city-nation, we must be prepared to face whatever come our way. Yes, we must observe good hygiene practices as a precautionary measure. But even more importantly, let us also be spiritually ready as we face this time of emergency.
What does the Bible say about "pestilence" or "plague"? The Hebrew and Greek words for "pestilences" (Heb. deḇer and Gk loimós) in the Bible refer to contagious epidemic disease. Pestilence is often associated with other calamities (e.g. Exod. 9:3–15; Leviticus 26:25; Habakkuk 3:5; Luke 21:11). It is recorded as a judgment or punishment sent by God, rather than a naturally occurring phenomenon.
In the Bible, pestilence (Heb. deḇer, māweṯ; Gk. thánatos) usually refers to divine intervention in human history in the form of human sickness to punish the rebellious conduct of people. God had pronounced that pestilence will be brought upon Israel for her neglect of her covenant obligations to God. In the case of His covenant people Israel, it served as a scourge to bring about repentance and obedient behaviour.
The Lord destroyed 70,000 Israelites after David’s census, which was out of prideful confidence in the number of their people (2 Samuel 24:13–15).
Certain prophets of Israel, like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who proclaimed divine sentence on the rebellious Jews, almost always predicted pestilence as part of a list of scourges that would befall them: "the sword, the famine, and the pestilence" (Jeremiah 24:10, cf. 14:12, 27:8, etc.). The enemies of Israel could also be the objects of this form of judgment (Psalm 78:50; Ezekiel 28:23; 38:22).
As for ancient Israel, when pestilence was sent as a punishment for sin, it was not applied indiscriminately upon all. The one who remains faithful was promised divine protection from its effects.
Jesus mentioned "pestilences" as part of the signs of His coming. They will, according to the Book of Revelation, reach unprecedented proportions, causing great pain and distress upon the earth during the seven-year Tribulation prior to Jesus’ return to this earth.
In recent history, Singapore had encountered pandemics, such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in 2003, swine flu (H1N1) in 2009. According to the National Library Board’s Infopedia, an estimated 415,000 people were infected with H1N1 influenza in Singapore, and there were at least 18 fatalities. Now, we are facing another crisis.
How shall we prepare ourselves to face such an outbreak of diseases in our present times?
Firstly, let us pray for God’s mercy to protect us and heal those who are infected by this disease. Let us remember in our prayers doctors, nurses and all medical professionals who work hard to attend to the sick and also to prevent the spreading of the disease. "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
Let us act responsibly by taking all necessary precautions to avoid being infected and also to prevent the spreading of the disease. Please pay attention to put into practice the advice given by the government’s medical authorities as precautionary steps.
If any among us become afflicted, let us be comforted that the Lord is with all those who trust Him. Even in death, the Lord is with His people. So we can assuredly say, like David, "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" (Psalm 23:4).
If a believer dies due to this outbreak, he will certainly be with the Lord. "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). So, let us humbly seek and worship Him. Let us also labour for Him, "knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:24).
Text: Jude 11
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 9 February 2020
Is your mind made up before getting any counsel? Christians who are young in the faith may lack the necessary biblical knowledge to make certain decisions in life. This may be due to their lack of understanding concerning some biblical doctrines. When certain situations arise, they do not know what to do. They would usually ask more spiritually mature Christians for advice, as they genuinely want to know and do God’s will.
However, there are those who ask for counsel for the wrong reasons. Some, being driven by personal lusts, seek God’s help to gratify their desires. When they ask for counsel, they ask with the hope that the counsel they receive will be in line with their intentions. In other words, they have already decided on their course of action even though the counsel they seek might be different!
This all-too-familiar scenario in the church also happened during the time of the prophet Jeremiah. Certain individuals went to Jeremiah to seek counsel concerning God’s will but only to act contrariwise.
Judah was in ruins in the year 586 BC. The "terrible and dreadful" Babylonians (Habakkuk 1:7) destroyed the city of Jerusalem and burned down the Temple and all the houses of Jerusalem. They also carried off many people and the treasures of the Temple, leaving behind the poor ones (2 Kings 25:9-13). In the chaos that ensued, a man named Johanan took some of the Jews and "dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt" (Jeremiah 41:17).
He was already on the move to go into Egypt for fear of the Babylonians (Jeremiah 41:18). However, Johanan and the people still asked Jeremiah to show them God’s will concerning them so that they might act accordingly (Jeremiah 42:1-3).
Sadly, even today, there are some who seek counsel only after having taken steps towards a particular direction. Though such an action seems to be irrational, many are found making this mistake. For example, some, having established relationships with unbelievers, approach their preachers or elders to ascertain whether such relationships are okay. Some others proceed to make investments before praying earnestly about those matters. There are others who apply for jobs without considering whether those professions are God-honouring or not. They act before asking for or finding out God’s will. If a Christian is sincere in seeking spiritual counsel, he should not act before getting an answer from God.
Another characteristic of people who have made up their minds before asking for counsel is that their decisions are based on what is most pleasing to themselves. Such people tend to give only lip service to God. Johanan and the people professed that they would do all that the Lord said, whether they liked it or not (Jeremiah 42:5,6). Yet, Johanan and the people had already presumed that which would please them the most would be the best. They claimed that they would obey God so that His favour would be upon them. But in reality, they only wanted God to approve what they had decided beforehand as the best course of action. Being overwhelmed by fear of Nebuchadnezzar, they were only concerned about their own survival and safety, rather than doing God’s will.
When a person has decided on his own what pleases him the most, he will be very hesitant to obey God’s will. Although God’s will may at times not make sense to us, we just have to trust it to be our perfect guide. We just need to do what God requires of us. Our heavenly Father always knows what is best for us. Therefore, it is better to pursue His will than follow what we think to be the best.
Jeremiah gathered Johanan and the people after receiving an answer from God. He then made known to them that God wanted them to stay back in the land that God might build them up. God also encouraged them not to be afraid of King Nebuchadnezzar, as He had promised to be with them. A warning was also issued against Johanan and the people that if they were to flee to Egypt, they would die in Egypt and none of them would escape (Jeremiah 42:7-22).
When they realised that Jeremiah’s counsel was not in line with their plan, they turned against Jeremiah. They accused Jeremiah of lying. They also disputed that Jeremiah was sent by God to give such a message. They even charged Jeremiah for being involved in a conspiracy to deliver them into the hands of the Babylonians. Thereafter, Johanan and the rest of the people acted against "the voice of the LORD". Their self-pleasing attitude emboldened them to blatantly accuse God’s appointed servant (Jeremiah 43:1-4).
Pastors and preachers are often attacked by self-seeking, disobedient people. Such people have no regard for God’s messengers. Neither they reverence God’s Word. Oh, what tragic errors are found in those who made up their minds even before seeking spiritual counsel!
Psalm 16:11 — "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
We thank God for helping Gethsemane Malayalam Fellowship to organise a retreat on Monday, 27th Jan 2020. We are grateful for the good feasting of God’s Word during this year’s Chinese New Year holiday. Including children, 34 Malayalees gathered at Gethsemane Media Centre. Malayalees are from Kerala (a south Indian state), and we speak the Malayalam language. Roughly 30,000 Malayalees live in Singapore. For the past 13 years, we gather together every Sunday in Gethsemane BP Church as Malayalam Fellowship, with our pastor teaching us from various Scriptural books/topics. During this fellowship, we sing spiritual songs, pray, read the Scriptures and study the Word in our mother tongue, and it is a great blessing for our spiritual growth.
During this year’s retreat, Pastor Prabhudas Koshy preached two messages on the topic of "Living in the Awareness of God’s Presence", and Sister Abigail Skariah taught our children from the same topic. During the first session of the retreat, Pastor explained from the Scriptures that no one can hide from the presence of God (Psalm 139). His presence will be unbearable for those who live in sin, and try to flee from Him. But believers who sinned against God, fearing that God will cast them away from sin, would pray, "Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11). To all those who repent, the Lord shall not only grant forgiveness, but also His fellowship. 1 John 1: 6-9 declares, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." In the second session, from the life of Moses and Joshua, we learned how to rejoice in the presence of God. It is very important to learn how to live in the presence of God, which is a life of heavenly joy. If we live a moment without the awareness of the presence of God, we may fall into terrible sins. God’s presence will give us real peace in our life.
We thank God for bringing some new contacts to this retreat. We are planning to follow up with those new contacts and invite them for our regular meetings. Please pray for the Holy Spirit’s working in the hearts of all those who came so that they, being convicted of the truth, may join our main worship services and Malayalam fellowship gatherings. If you have friends, neighbours or colleagues who speak the Malayalam language, please invite them to our church and to our Malayalam Fellowship. May our God use all of us to reach people around us, even people of various languages and cultures, with His glorious Gospel. All glory to God!
Text: Jude 8-10
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 2 February 2020
(Extracts of recently received correspondence from Pr Sujith Samuel)
We thank God for helping Gethsemane B-P Church, Singapore, to finish the renovation works of the new premises in Singapore and begin the work for the further extension of God’s kingdom. May the Lord use this new place for His glory.
The last semester’s classes of Gethsemane Bible Institute (GBI, Vizag, India) ended on 14th November 2019. Most of the students attended the examination. We will be conducting a supplementary examination for those who needed more time to complete their assignments. Many of them were taking theological examinations for the first time, which understandably was a difficult experience for them.
The classes for the new semester (Jan-April, 2020) of GBI have begun. We have 14 students this semester. Thank you very much, Pastor, for making available your video courses, class materials, financial support and guidance needed for the work here. FEBC online classes are also very helpful for the students. The students are very happy to study many subjects offered by GBI and FEBC. We are also planning and getting ready to have live classes with you through Skype. We eagerly look forward to having this facility soon.
Since the second week of November 2019, a Telugu worship service has been conducted after the English Service held on Sunday morning. Pastor Thomas, who is one of our students, is helping to organise it. Bro Joshua, a local man, is very interested in bringing more people to the Telugu service. He is trying to spread the word especially among his relatives and friends.
I have been invited by Pastor David to preach in his church during the Christmas service, and again in the coming week. My Christmas ministry in his church was a blessed experience. The believers gathered in a small room belonging to a member of Pastor David’s church to hear me preaching. That’s where the church meetings are currently held. Because there is insufficient space for their gatherings, they decided to construct a small meeting place on top of the house. The total estimate for the work is around Rs 200,000 (SGD 4,000). They had already finished half of the work by raising funds from church members and friends. It will be good if we can extend some help to them in finishing the work. The pending work includes painting, electrical works, bathroom works, etc.
This semester, the following subjects are offered:
Since more students have joined GBI this semester, we need to purchase some new tables and chairs. Our office computer is also failing. It will be good if we can buy a new PC for the office and GBI.
Thank you for all the prayers and support for the work here. May the Lord guide and help us forward.
Recently, I came across a Latin phrase—non sum qualis eram—which means "I am not as I was" or "I am not what I used to be."
In reality, every Christian should be able to say, non sum qualis eram. When an individual is regenerated by the power of the Word and the Spirit (John 3:3-8; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23), "he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Then he is expected to "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24), and "walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4c).
Everyone who is in Christ becomes "a new creature" (cf. Galatians 6:15). The word "new" (Greek: kainos) means new in quality, not just in sequence. Hence, a Christian has a qualitatively different life from his past. A transformation of life does occur when one is regenerated as a child of God. His "old man is crucified with him (Christ), that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Romans 6:6). A Christian would, from then onwards, "put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind" (Ephesians 4:22-23; cf. Colossians 3:9-10).
The transformation wrought by the new birth is not only an instantaneous spiritual miracle, but also entails a lifelong process of sanctification. In the life a Christian, extensive changes will happen - old beliefs, ideas, values, plans, loves, desires, etc. will be replaced by the new spiritual realities that accompany salvation. God plants new perspectives, desires, loves, inclinations and truths in His redeemed child. Though he lives in the same body with all its sinful propensities, a new aspiration and pursuit (which are after the righteousness of God) begin to thrust him forward (cf. Galatians 6:14). He will also be daily nourished and established by the truths and providential working of God through the Spirit, so that he may live a life that constantly separates him from sin and ungodliness while conforming him to the image of Jesus Christ. His ignorant, darkened, carnal, defiled, materialistic and hardened pre-conversion life is now enlightened, sanctified and loving. Though he once pursued wickedness and sin, he now follows after righteousness and holiness. Hence, constantly being changed, he can say, "I am not what I used to be."
Every Christian will be changed daily because he desires to be more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ. Perfection in this life will always be a goal, never an achievement. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). A Christian knows that he is far from being perfect. So, he eagerly pursues perfection with all his might. The Christian life is a lifelong process of spiritual growth. Hence the commandment to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
As Paul testifies, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13–14). Christ-likeness is the prize that every Christian must pursue. He looks forward to tomorrow with the desire and assurance that with God’s help, he shall be more like his Master.
Let us therefore press on, knowing that everyday we shall be gradually molded to become more Christ-like, till we see Him face to face. Paul affirms so: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). The apostle John also agrees: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).
Dear Pastor,
Blessed New Year to you!
By God’s grace, we are pressing on in the work of the ministry in this brand new year.
Yesterday (6th Jan), we had our 2nd-semester opening of GBI. The Lord has encouraged us by sending new students to study. There’s one from Cavite City (near Manila) who arrived early morning of last Sunday. He was referred to us by Dr Jose Lagapa. He is from a Bible-Baptist church, but is willing to study Reformed Theology and Calvinism.
Then another brother, also from a Bible-Baptist Church here in Cebu, enrolled for a few subjects. For some time, he has been attending our prayer meeting and worship service with his wife. And to my surprise, he came yesterday for the Prayer and Registration, and enrolled for a few subjects. Add to it, the missionary/preacher of True Life BPC in Trinidad, Bohol also enrolled, taking a few subjects. Our two brothers from Bukidnon (Johnnyrey and Warly) had arrived safely yesterday morning, just in time for the opening. Praise God!
All in, we have 17 students being enrolled this semester, 4 of whom are full-time.
Pastor, as I think about it, it’s no doubt the Lord’s way of encouraging us to press on with the ministry of GBI. I could see that Eld. Eliezer Ortega, Pr. Edsel and Dn Samuel were also encouraged to see this development. Praise God!
I am sending you a photo taken after the registration. On Eld. Eli’s side is our brother Kenneth Guillas from Cavite City, and next to him is Greluz Damos (both Bible-Baptists). Next to Pr. Edsel is Pr Rodolfo Gayon (True Life BPC Missionary in Trinidad, Bohol). Except for Sis. Juvy, the sisters are studying part-time. Please do continue to include us in prayer.
Lastly, thank you very much for the support and blessings received. Kindly extend our greetings and thanks to all our brethren for their prayers and support.
All glory to God!
Respectfully,
Reggor
