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God regenerates us by His Spirit by granting us repentance and faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, that we might be His children (John 1:12; Romans 8:14; Galatians 3:26; 4:6). From the time we are led by the Spirit to be His children, He leads us forward - “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

Being stirred in the heart by the Holy Spirit, every child of God desires and pray for divine leading in his daily life. They pray like David, “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:4-5; cf. Psalms 5:8; 27:11; 86:11; 119:27; 143:8).

The assurance and counsel of God to every one of His children is: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). It is certain that divine direction will be given to all those who humbly trust in the LORD for His direction. “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way” (Psalm 25:9; cf. Psalm 23:3).

But those who follow their own ideas without acknowledging God’s promise to direct them by His truth will face the outcomes of their folly. “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Proverbs 28:26a). Refusal to cease from self-driven, self-pleasing ways to trust and obey God’s truth and guidance for direction in life, is depicted as being spiritually dead – “For to be carnally minded is death” – while the wonderful promise to those who are “spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6; cf. Ephesians 4:17-21).

God seeks His children’s willing obedience, which is the obvious expression of their profound faith in Him. When He teaches and instructs us by His Word and His Spirit, He expects that we fully trust and apply His instructions in our lives so that we may be led forward in His blessed ways. In Psalm 32:8-9, the Lord says, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.” He tells us not to be like certain stubborn beasts which have to be always put under restraint, but as obedient children who joyfully follow His ways.

The prophet Isaiah describes the Lord as standing by our side, as it were, ready to tell us which direction we should go – “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21). He speaks to us through His Spirit’s leading of our heart. Again, the Lord assures us through Isaiah, “Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me. Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go” (Isaiah 48:16-17).

Our finite minds do not possess the necessary abilities to know, discern and perform all of God’s will concerning our lives. Jeremiah acknowledges, “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). We need to pray, trust and submit to Him humbly. Then the Lord will lead us each step of the way by His Spirit and by His gracious providence.

Most of the time, the Spirit will guide us through the Word by rebuking, correcting, encouraging, comforting, illumining, instructing and convicting us. But when we are faced with situations which are beyond our powers, He will guide us forward by His sovereign, supernatural works. To everyone who is genuinely submissive to God, He will provide His sure help and guidance. He will supernaturally direct us through His path.

God’s leading of His people, whether it be individually or collectively, is not only promised and taught in the Bible but also demonstrated through the experience of His people. Please rejoice and be strengthened as you read the following biblical records of God’s leading of His people:

• Nehemiah 9:20 succinctly testifies of the Lord’s guidance through the Spirit and His miraculous provisions for His ancient people of Israel – “Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.”
• Psalm 77:20 tells of God’s leading of Israel by the hands of her leaders – “Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”
• Psalm 78:52-53 likewise reiterate the same truth: “But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.”
• Psalm 80:1; 136:16; Exodus 3:10; 13:21; 14:19; 15:13; Deuteronomy 11:5; Isaiah 63:11-12; Hosea 12:13; Acts 7:35-36 give further instances of God’s unswerving leading of His people.

Much of humanity is under “the god of this world” who “hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Jesus expressly said to the unbelieving Jews, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). Being misguided by Satan, people walk not after the truth of God.

In the Garden of Eden, when the first parents at the behest of Satan rejected the truth of God, sin began. Sin continues to abound whenever people rejected God’s revealed truth in the Bible. Concerning two defiant challengers of God’s servant Moses, Paul said, “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith” (2 Timothy 3:8). In Romans 1, the apostle Paul points out that wherever people “changed the truth of God into a lie” (verse 25), there will be a proliferation of vile sins, such as idolatry and homosexuality.

In our times, many think that there is no such thing as absolute truth, especially about religious truth. Some think about religion as simply a matter of personal preference like food, sport or art. Even among those who call themselves Christians, there exists a cynical aversion to accepting Biblical doctrines and instructions as absolute truths to live by.

But the Bible declares concerning “the church of the living God” that it is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). The church is responsible to proclaim and preserve the truth, which God has given His people in His Word. The church is expected to hold forth the truth, to immovably, unshakably live, uphold, guard, and proclaim the truth of God’s Word. The people of the church must know they are called not only to believe in God’s perfect, authoritative truth as revealed in the Scriptures, but also to conduct their lives according to God’s truth. Christianity is a life in the truth!

Christian Life is Walking in the Truth

Christians must know the importance of truth in their lives. The truth of God must govern their thinking, speech, conduct and teachings. The integrity of Christian life lies in its conformity to the truth of God’s Word!

The apostle John has written about his special joy concerning those who lived according to the truth. “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father” (2 John 4). Again, he wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 4).

God has given us His perfect truth through the Bible in order that we may not only know it and believe it, but also live by it. In the New Testament, the word “walk” is often used as a metaphor for the manner and activity of one’s life. Hence, the phrase “walking in truth” denotes how a Christian’s life ought to be controlled and guided by the truth.

In fact, John emphatically mentioned that their “walking in truth” was just “as we have received a commandment from the Father” (2 John 4). It is our heavenly Father’s will that we walk in the truth. So, living according to God’s truth is not optional for Christians. God has revealed His truth in the Bible, that we may be freed from ignorance, unbelief and disobedience to His will.

Christians who have received the truth of God in the Bible have a great responsibility to live according to the truth. The more clearly and bountifully He provides us with the truth of His Word, the greater is our responsibility to believe and obey it.

As a faithful minister of God’s Word, John commented, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” The ultimate goal of every true pastor or preacher is to see that his congregation walk in the truth of God. A pastor’s job is not to charm his congregation with an excellent exposition of the Word, but to diligently encourage, guide and help his people to believe, love, and obey the truth. He himself must be an example to the congregation as to how a Christian ought to walk in the truth. While a pastor’s great grief is that his people walk ignorantly or indifferently or rebelliously concerning the truth that God has revealed to them, his greatest joy is that they walk in the truth.

My beloved Gethsemaneans, are you walking in the truth? Are you moving along in life according to the biblical truths, or according to the fleshly and worldly ideas and goals?

Every one of us must be firmly planted on the solid foundation of the truth so that none will be led astray by the temptations of sin, false doctrines, trials or persecutions or any other device that is implemented against us by the enemy.

Let us live the truth! Let our habits and practices be all governed by His truth. Like the “elect lady and her children” who manifested abundant evidence of being consistent followers of Christ and His truth, as commended by the apostle John (cf. 2 John 1), may you also abound with evidence of a life in truth.

Biblical Christianity is all about the absolute truth. It possesses the truth which is revealed by the God of truth. It declares the perfect truth. It promotes a life lived according to the truth. It guarantees the blessings of the truth. Hence, it is not a search or expedition for the truth. Neither is it an evaluation of what might be the truth. It seeks no verification of its declarations by experts.

We Worship the God of Truth

We worship the “God of truth”. “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4). He is “abundant in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6; cf. Psalm 86:15). Indeed, as the psalmist said, “O Lord, … thy truth reacheth unto the clouds”
(Psalm 108:3-4 cf. Psalm 57:10).

God, the Triune - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – is indeed Truth. God, the Father, is the “LORD God of truth” (Psalm 31:5; cf. Isaiah 65:16). He speaks only truth – “… O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true” (2 Samuel 7:28). Numbers 23:19 instructs us that “God is not a man, that he should lie”. How wonderful it is that we can trust all His words, for He is the “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). God always speaks the truth.

God, the Son - our Lord Jesus Christ - is the Truth. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). The apostle Paul also said that “the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:21). Moreover, Jesus insisted that He always told His hearers the truth (cf. John 8:45-46). In John 8:14, Jesus claimed, “Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true”. Jesus was also a witness to the truth. He said, “for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37). He is also called “the faithful and true witness” (Revelation 3:14).

The Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 John 5:6). In particular, the Holy Spirit was to reveal to the apostles the inspired truth of the New Testament (John 14:26; 16:13). Peter, the apostle, wrote concerning the inspiration of the Old Testament that “… the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21; cf. 2 Samuel 23:2; Nehemiah 9:30; Ezekiel 11:5; Zechariah. 7:12; Mark 12:36; Acts 28:25; Hebrews 1:1; 3:7; 9:8; 10:15; 1 Peter 1:10-11). The Spirit is also the revealer of spiritual truth to believers – “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:10-13).

We Have the Truth of God

The Bible (of 66 books) in our hands is God’s inspired, infallible, inerrant and preserved truth. We have perfect confidence in the Bible – confident that all that it teaches us is true. Jesus affirmed this as He prayed to the Father that “thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Likewise, God’s servants, whom the Holy Spirit has used to write the Bible, testify repeatedly of the fact that the Bible is true and trustworthy. Consider the following verses:

• Psalm 119:160 – “Thy word is true from the beginning: And every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
• 2 Corinthians 6:7 – “By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.”
• 2 Timothy 2:15 – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
• James 1:18 – “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

The Bible, being God’s perfect truth, is precious and more valuable than any earthly riches. The psalmist spoke of it thus: “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver” (Psalm 119:72). Again he said, “Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold” (Psalm 119:127).

We who have the Bible must cherish it. Hold on to it at all costs! Proverbs 23:23 exhorts, “Buy the truth, and sell it not.” Do you esteem God’s Word, the Bible, to be greater riches than all the wealth in the world? The truth of God’s Word is an exceptionally desirable possession. The truth of God’s Word alone provides us with divine wisdom and counsels. Do not stand to chaffer about it; promptly make it your own!

God’s truth is eternal, for “the truth of the LORD endureth for ever” (Psalm 117:2). It grants salvation (Psalm 69:13; cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:25); sanctification (John 17:17), spiritual freedom (John 8:32), genuine worship (John 4:23-24) and rejoicing (1 Corinthians 13:6).

Dear Gethsemaneans and missions partners (in Singapore, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Malaysia, India, and more),

I greet you all in wonderful name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Since Gethsemane Bible Institute commenced in Ethiopia in 2012, I have given much of my time to teach God’s Word. Normally I teach 4-6 courses per term (2 courses in regular day classes, 1 or 2 courses in the evening classes, and also 1 or 2 in the weekend distance-learning classes).

Teaching in GBI caused me to realise my need for further learning. I had not taken some of the important courses for biblical interpretation, such as Hebrew and Greek languages in my undergraduate studies. I had also to learn to defend the truth of His Word in this age of biblical and theological criticism and confusion. By the guidance of the Lord, I joined the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology (EGST) in May 2015. I registered for the Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies (MABTS) programme, and concentrated on Old Testament studies. By the grace of God, through your prayers and support, I have completed the programme and graduated in July 2018. The topic of my MA thesis is: Cain’s Failure to Maintain Vertical Relationship as the Cause for His Failure in Horizontal Relationship: A Narrative Analysis of Genesis 4:1-16. (You may read a summary of learning points gleaned from my thesis, as attached.)

I am much thankful to God for His grace, provision, and protection as I have been travelling from Alemgena to Sarbet (in the middle of Addis Ababa, where EGST is located). The Lord has preserved my health these three years so that I am able to complete my studies. May the Lord bless you all for standing by me and sharing in this success with me.

Since I began my part-time class at the EGST, I was not able to teach in the evening class because most of my EGST classes were in the evenings. Now I turned to teach the evening class this summer. Currently, I am teaching 5 courses (3 evening courses: on Discipleship, Servant Leadership, and Comparative Religion; and 2 distance-learning courses: on Ten Commandments, and a study of 1 & 2 Kings).

Side by side with teaching in GBI, I am serving in the following areas as well: preaching during the Lord’s Day service (at least once per month respectively in Alemgena and Addis Ababa, as assigned by Rev. Ephrem), teaching children’s Sunday school class in Alemgena, singing in the choir, and evangelism.

It is my pleasure and honour to serve the Lord in His vineyard with you, and share God’s doings in my life with you.

Sincerely in Christ,
Imane Dola

Excerpt from my thesis entitled

Cain’s Failure to Maintain Vertical Relationship as the Cause for His Failure in Horizontal Relationship: A Narrative Analysis of Genesis 4:1-16

A. Sad Scenario

Cain’s failure to maintain “brother-to-brother” horizontal relationship was the consequence of his broken vertical relationship with God through his unacceptable offering. Thus, he killed Abel in anger against God and out of jealousy of his brother’s success, denying his responsibility. Sadly, modern scholars’ explanation of shifting the blame on God for rejecting Cain’s unacceptable gift is a gross misrepresentation of God’s just character. God was not the cause for Cain’s crisis; the problem lies in the behaviour of the man himself and in his unacceptable offering.

B. Practical Application for Today’s Ethiopian Christians and Church

1. In Our Relationship with God

As worshippers of the sovereign and just God of Cain and Abel, we should be aware that God regards or disregards offerings that are presented before His altar. We should also be aware that failure to maintain our vertical relationship with God has a direct bearing on our failure to maintain right relationships with others, thereby leading us into tragedy. So, we must obey God in all that He commands us and demands of us. When He does not respond to us the way we expect, we shouldn’t be wrathful against God because He is not unjust in His doings. Rather, we should examine ourselves, admit our failure, and repent. We should also take God’s word of advice or warning seriously because all that He commands us is intended for our good.

When we read about God’s dealings with individuals or groups of people in the Bible, which are difficult to explain, we shouldn’t doubt His just and righteous character. We should humble ourselves and pray to God to help us understand those things.

2. In Our Relationship with Others

Every human being is responsible for his “brother” - the other fellow human being - because we are our brothers’ keepers. Though we are not able to take responsibility for all the whereabouts of other people, we should do what we can for those who are next to us. At the same time, we should know that human life is sacred, for man is created in the image of God. The LORD prohibits murder, so we must never take a human life. We must not use the power that we have in our hand (whether it be authority or physical strength) to hurt others. We should be aware of the fact that the powerless innocent may physically die, but we are the ones who would ultimately suffer because of God’s just judgment! In the New Testament, hatred for a brother is equated with murder (1 John 3:15). A murderer will not inherit eternal life. So we should avoid envy, anger and verbal abuses against a brother because such emotions and actions are fruits of hatred. These attitudes can lead us into the actual physical attack and taking away of life. Positively, we should love our neighbours as ourselves, in fulfilment of our Lord’s commandment (cf. Matthew 22:39).

God’s omniscience is both a warning and an encouragement to us in our relationship with others. Even though we may hide or deny what we did or planned against our brother’s life, God sees every attitude and action of every human being, and thus we cannot escape His judgment. We should always examine our attitudes and actions towards our fellow brother. If we discover that we are doing or planning to do evil, or if our actions are accompanied with arrogance, greed, envy, anger, and hatred against others and their success, we should know that we are going the way of Cain. Therefore, we must quickly turn away in repentance. On the other hand, God’s omniscience is an encouragement to us because He sees what others think or plan against us, and He will protect us from all their secret snares, in accordance with His sovereign will.

Satan is a determined and vicious creature who targets his enemies relentlessly. His first and foremost enemy and the target of his hostility is our Triune God. He is waging a cosmic war against God and all that are His.

He Targets God and Christ

The prophet Ezekiel, while indicting the king of Tyre, goes beyond him to speak about his supernatural evil enabler, even Satan. In the descriptions in Ezekiel 28:11–19, the prophet spoke of things that do not befit the king of Tyre, or any human being. The prophet speaks of that creature as “perfect in beauty” (v. 12), as one that “hast been in Eden the garden of God” (v. 13), etc. Furthermore, he was also referred to as “the anointed cherub that covereth” (v. 14); besides, of no man except Adam could it be said, “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” (v. 15). Other descriptions, which Ezekiel gave about this being, also do not match any human being.

Though this being was said to be perfect in his ways, Ezekiel describes his corruption and condemnation in verses 15-18: “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee… thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.”

When Satan took his antagonism into the Garden of Eden and caused man to rebel against his Creator, God declared war against this wicked enemy. In His declaration of war (which is also the first preaching of the Gospel – protoevangelion) in Genesis 3:15, God clearly alluded to Satan’s murderous hostility against Christ (“her seed”) – “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Satan’s defeat and Christ’s victory were also envisioned in that divine declaration of war against Satan.

Throughout history, Satan had attempted to derail God’s plan for man’s redemption. We will mention just a few of Satan’s attempts to thwart God’s prediction of Christ’s birth as the promised Seed of Abraham to be our Saviour. He tried to accomplish the genocide of the Jews (for Christ was to be born as a Jew) through the Egyptian Pharaoh (Exodus 1:15-20), through Haman who attempted to kill Mordecai and all the Jews (see Book of Esther), etc. He also tried to kill Jesus through the wicked king Herod (Matthew 2:13, 16), and by having Him thrown off a cliff at Nazareth (Luke 4:29). Satan also tried to get Jesus to fall to his temptations. Finally, he had Him crucified, only to have his own head crushed and his power forever shattered by Christ’s resurrection.

He Targets God’s Angels

Satan and his evil angels, in battling God and His purposes, also engage in conflicts with God’s elect angels, led by Michael. That warfare has a past (Jude 9; Daniel 9), present and future (Revelation 12:7) aspect. Although hidden from our view, their battle is no less real (cf. Daniel 10:12-13).

He Targets God’s People

Satan’s hatred for God’s people in this world is a fullblown reality. His antagonism and aggression towards God’s people is not a trivial, inconsequential matter.

The Nation of Israel

God’s chosen nation of Israel has always been Satan’s target. His anti-Israel stance is well-captured in 1 Chronicles 21:1, where it is recorded: “And Satan stood up against Israel.” Satan’s hostility towards Israel is sometimes expressed through malevolent actions against her leaders. Such an instance is recorded in Zechariah 3:1 – “And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.” Here, Satan resisted Joshua the high priest, who represented the nation of Israel before God by railing accusation against Joshua. It was intended to interrupt or thwart Joshua in his intercessory role for Israel.

In Revelation 12, we read of Satan’s future attack on Israel during the period of Great Tribulation. In the figurative language of this prophetic portion, his vicious resentment against Israel that “spills over” to Christ is depicted. In verse 13, it is mentioned that “And when the dragon (Satan) saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman (Israel) which brought forth the man child (Christ).” In verse 17, it is written, “And the dragon (Satan) was wroth with the woman (Israel), and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

The Church

His malicious anger towards the church is in no wise small. The apostle Paul sought to strengthen the Corinthian church against Satan’s ploys with the words: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Through fallen angels and evil men (cf. Ephesians 6:12), Satan will attack the church, by introducing heresies and immoral living. According to 1 Timothy 4:1, Paul warns the church that many churchgoers will be led away by satanic attack on the church - “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; 2 Timothy 3:13; 2 Peter 2:1).

Families

Consider how Satan sought to destroy the children of Job in order to compel him to curse God (Job 1). Think of his strategy of using the extreme trials to coerce Job’s wife to ask Job to curse God and die (Job 2:9)! Paul warned the married Christians not to deprive each other of sexual relations so that Satan would have no opportunity to tempt them – “Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together
again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency” (1 Corinthians 7:5). Contemporary crisis in Christian families and the upsurge in divorce indicate Satan’s success in attacking families of our time.

Individual Christians

Satan attempts to devastate those who devoutly follow the Lord. Whether it be the ancient saint Job, or the apostles like Peter and Paul, or the present-day Christians, Satan is set to target them in order to cripple and destroy the credibility of their witness. Jesus warned Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat” (Luke 22:31). Satan wanted to shake Peter and make him blow away his faith. If he had succeeded, Peter would have been useless to God.

Later Peter reminded Christians of Satan’s perilous hatred in 1 Peter 5:8 – “your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. Here, Peter points to Satan and tells Christians that he is “your adversary”. The pronoun “your” emphasises the fact that Satan is a very personal enemy to all of God’s people. He not only opposes God and His holy angels, but also God’s people. Furthermore, the Greek term which Peter used for “adversary” (antidikos) conveys the idea of an enemy who is seriously and aggressively hostile, and the Greek term for “devil” (diabolos) depicts Satan as “a malicious enemy who slanders or attacks”.

Let us not underestimate the determination of Satan to attack us. The apostle Peter described him as prowling around like a roaring lion seeking to devour its victim. Peter communicates to us the picture of a vicious and ferocious beast pursuing his prey. His goal is to “devour” or gulp down, not just hurt or wound! Total annihilation of Christians is Satan’s strategy and aim.

So, Christians, let us be on our guard. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). The Lord is our Refuge and Defender against this evil enemy. As Martin Luther’s hymn teaches us,

A mighty Fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

As a Presbyterian church, we baptise our infants. However, some Christians reject infant baptism. You might have been questioned about our practice of infant baptism. I would like to provide you with the following biblical reasons for baptising infants of believers in our church:

1. Baptism is the initiation into the covenant community, and the children of believers have always been included in the covenant community by giving them the sign of the covenant.

At Pentecost, when Peter invited the Jews who repented and believed to baptism, he also declared that the covenantal promise of the New Testament which he had just announced was “unto you, and to your children”. Acts 2:38-39 records, “Then Peter said unto them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

Peter did not say the promise is to all children, but to “your children”. Neither was the apostle addressing children who were present among his hearers. Clearly, Peter was specifically referring to the children of the new believers among his hearers as heirs of the promise. Peter was proclaiming, expanding and applying the central promise of the covenant of grace in Christ to his Jewish hearers.

The Jews of all ages have always understood God’s gracious covenant promises in the Scriptures as having been offered to believers in terms of “you and your children”. Whether it be the Adamic (Genesis 3:15), Noahic (Genesis 9:8-9), Abrahamic (Genesis 17:7, 10-14), Mosaic (Exodus 3:14-15; Deuteronomy 4:9, 13, 23, 31), Davidic (2 Samuel 23:5) or the New covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; 32:39), every one of those gracious covenants that God had made, was made with Israel’s fathers and their descendants or children. It is significant to note that the new covenant that God promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34, which is the New Testament / Covenant (cf.Hebrews 8:8-13; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25), clearly indicates that the promise is to them and to their house, or descendants, or children (cf. Jeremiah 33:14; 32:39; 50:4, 5).

On the day of Pentecost, through Peter, God affirmed once again the pattern which He has always expressed in the Scriptures to Jewish believers – “unto you, and to your children”. Then He expands it even to “all who are far off”, which is a reference to believing Gentiles.

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Let us also recall that God’s covenants, both in the old and new dispensations, were all gracious covenants that affirmed and reaffirmed His salvation through repentance and faith in Christ. In the Old Testament, people anticipated by faith the salvation God promised through Christ, while in the New, people affirm by faith
the salvation which God has accomplished through Christ. Therefore, in the Old and New Testament periods, salvation (or justification) has always been by faith in
Christ (cf. John 8:56; Genesis 22:18; Luke 2:28-30; 10:24; Romans 4:9-13, 16; Galatians 3:7-14, 29; 1 Peter 1:10-12).

While in the old dispensation, circumcision was the sign of faith and that of membership in the covenant community which God has instituted, in the new, the sign is baptism, as Peter has declared in Acts 2:38-39 at the beginning of the New Testament. In the Old Testament, circumcision – which was a sign of Abraham’s faith (Romans 4:11-12) – was given to his descendants at the age of 8 days old, even before the child was able to exercise faith, as a sign of the child’s initiation into the covenant community of God’s people (Genesis 17:10-14). Likewise in the New Testament, as Peter’s words show, baptism – which is the new sign of faith and initiation into the church given to those who repent and believe on Christ – is granted to the children of the believers.

Baptism is offered as a sacrament of initiation into the local church, firstly to those who trust in Christ, and then to their children (Acts 2:38-39, 42, 47). God has always included children of the believers into the body of His believing people by granting them the sign of the covenant. While circumcision – the sign of the gracious covenant in the old dispensation – was given only to boys, baptism – the sign of the covenant in the new dispensation – is given to both male and female children.

2. Circumcision in the old dispensation and baptism in the new depict the same truth.

“In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11-12).

Paul clearly makes a connection between circumcision and baptism to point to the spiritual reality to which these covenant signs point. Both circumcision and baptism are covenant signs that point to the regenerating and cleansing work of the Holy Spirit.

3. The Scriptures record that the whole households of new believers were baptised.

The cases of household baptism were mentioned in connection with Cornelius (Acts 10:47-48; 11:14; Lydia (Acts 16:15), the Philippian jailor (Acts 16:33-34), and Stephanas (1 Corinthians 1:16).

These records of household baptism provide yet another proof that God has received children of the believers into the church through the sign of initiation into the covenant community of His people, just as it was all through the ages.

4. The apostle Paul taught the Corinthian church that the children born to Christians (even though the Christian was married to a non-Christian) are “holy” (sanctified or set apart for God).

In 1 Corinthians 7:14, Paul wrote: “… else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.” The apostle Paul here instructed the Corinthian Christians concerning the proper understanding of God’s regard of believers’ children. The children of believers are to be regarded as “holy”. The basic meaning of the term “holy” conveys the idea of “setting apart for God’s use”. Now, God can set apart anything for a specific purpose as He desires. Even garments (Exodus 28:2), flesh and bread (Exodus 29:34), place (Leviticus 6:27), fruit (Leviticus 19:24) were called “holy”, for God wanted them for His use. Even though these things were incapable of consciously doing anything morally upright, God wanted them to be regarded as “holy”. Likewise, the children of believers should also be marked by the covenant community as separated unto Himself.

Paul was not coming up with a new spiritual concept. Instead, he was relating to the Corinthians what has been revealed throughout the history of redemption. The Lord has always called His people to bring up their children as a set-apart people for God. It was to be done, in the Old Testament times with the sign of circumcision. John Calvin commented that “the children of the pious are set apart from others by a sort of exclusive privilege, so as to be reckoned holy in the Church.” Understanding how God regards the children of believers adds further doctrinal clarity to administering the covenant sign of baptism.

5. Children (like Timothy), who grew up in the church learning God’s Word from their childhood (cf. 2 Timothy 1:5-6; 3:14-15), were regarded as part of the church.

Nothing is said about such young men as Timothy, who had been in the church with their parents since young, being baptised when they grew older. This gives a firm reason for the deduction that they were baptised as infants, with their parents upon their conversion.

Furthermore, the apostles, like John and Paul, included instructions for children in the early churches (Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20; 1 John 2:12-13). They did not treat the children of the believers as outsiders, but as an integral part of the church. Even parents were instructed to love their children and bring them up as faithful children (Ephesians 6:4; 1 Timothy 3:4, 12; 5:10, 14; Titus 1:6; 2:4).

6. Finally, Jesus instructed His disciples that the little children (infants) should be welcomed to come with their parents to Him, and that the kingdom of heaven belonged to them (Matthew 19:14).

If Jesus welcomed little children (babies and toddlers) of believers as part of His kingdom, certainly there is good biblical basis for putting upon them the mark of the covenant in baptism, so as to receive them as part of the church, which is the visible realm of the kingdom of heaven on earth.

In the last two Sunday weeklies, I have written about the order of worship, covering such topics as preparation for worship and the elements that constitute the first part of the worship, namely (i) Call to Worship, (ii) Praise Hymn, (iii) Scripture Reading (Responsive/In Unison), (iv) Invocation & Gloria Patri, and (v) Various Hymns. In today’s article, I would continue to endeavour to explain the Scriptural reasons and relevance of the rest of the elements in the order of our worship.

Collection of Offering, Doxology & the Offertory Prayer

The Scriptural records show clearly that collection of offerings were part of the public worship of God. Consider the following examples, which are just a few among the many biblical exhortations to bring offering unto the Lord:

• Exodus 25:2 – “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.”
• Exodus 35:5 – “Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass.”
• 1 Chronicles 16:29 – “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”
• 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 – “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

In the early church, the worshippers brought their tithes and offerings to express their thanksgiving to God (Psalm 96:8; Proverbs 3:9; 2 Corinthians 9:12), and to support the Gospel work and the poor brethren (Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-37; Hebrews 13:16).

The Bible teaches us to give to the Lord’s work cheerfully and generously – “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). How else can we reverentially and appropriately give for the honour and praise of our gracious and generous Lord?

Upon the collection of offering, the congregation sings the doxology and bow before the Lord for the offertory prayer. The intent of the doxology (or a thanksgiving chorus) is to both acknowledge the Lord as the Giver of all material blessings and to express our gratitude to Him. In this prayer, we thank Him for blessing us and enabling us to offer our tithes and offerings, and dedicate them humbly to His glory. “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the LORD’S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 116:17-19).

Scripture Reading and Scripture Memorisation

As mentioned earlier, the reading of Scripture has been an integral part of the public worship of God’s people (Joshua 8:33–35; 2 Kings 23:2; Nehemiah 9:3; 1 Timothy 4:13). The Scripture portion that will be the text for the sermon will also be read ahead of the delivery of the sermon.

We are also highly encouraged to memorise the Scriptures - “Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live” (Proverbs 4:4b; cf. Psalm 119:11; Proverbs 3:1; 7:3; Deuteronomy 6:6; 11:18). This habit of memorising the Scriptures is to be inculcated in our children. Hence, to specifically encourage our children to memorise God’s Word, that they may also know the great value of retaining the Scriptures in their minds, we have included Scripture memorising as part of our worship.

Pastoral/Intercessory Prayer

The pastoral prayer has been a common element in the worship services of the Protestant churches. During this time, the pastor would arise and pray to the Lord on behalf of the congregation. During this time, he would take about 15 minutes to pray for the spiritual growth and protection, comfort and strengthening, faithfulness and fruitfulness of the people.

Unfortunately, in many churches of our time, such a prayer by the pastor for the flock is shortened to 5 minutes or less. Some have even done away with it. The long pastoral prayer provides the pastor with a weekly opportunity to not only bring the congregation before the throne of God in worship, but also to teach them to pray by example.

The apostle Paul reminded the young pastor Timothy, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 2:8). James advised his readers in chapter 5, verse 14 to call on elders to pray for the sick. It is the duty of men whom God has appointed to lead the church (pastors/elders/preachers) to pray for the blessing of the church.

Sermon

This element of worship is of supreme importance because as the Word of God is preached by a faithful pastor or a faithful preacher, God Himself addresses the congregation with His truth and wisdom. The man whom God has placed in a congregation to feed the flock as their pastor must declare “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27b). Hence, Timothy the young pastor was exhorted to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2).

In the sermon, the minister of the Word must read and explain the words of the Scriptures and faithfully declare their truths and wisdom, for the glory of God and for the salvation and edification of the people who hear him. He must be mindful to rebuke, correct and instruct his hearers according to the truth of the Word, that repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ may be wrought. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

As Jesus has said, “Take heed therefore how ye hear” (Luke 8:18). The Westminster Larger Catechism (Q. 160) instructs us on how to hear the preaching of God’s Word with the answer to the question: “What is required of those who hear the Word preached?” — “It is required of those who hear the Word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine what they hear by the Scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.” (See Deuteronomy 32:46-47; Philippians 4:9; James 1:22; Luke 9:44; 1 Peter 2:1-2).

Benediction

At the end of worship, the pastor of the congregation pronounces the benediction. The word “benediction” comes from the Latin bene (which means “good”) and dicere (which means “say”). In the Scriptural context, a benediction is a pronouncement of blessing (“good words”) from God by His representative upon His people. It is the LORD’s blessing upon His people who have gathered to magnify Him in worship.

When worship ends, we go out of God’s presence into the world where we live and work by receiving the promise of God’s gracious blessings. It is spoken by the “undershepherd” whom the great Shepherd of the sheep, even the Lord Jesus Christ, has called and ordained to shepherd His flock.

In the Old Testament, the priests were commanded by God to give such a blessing to the people: “Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:23-27). Likewise, Jesus at the conclusion of His earthly ministry, “lifted up his hands, and blessed them” (Luke 24:50). Towards the end of the epistles, the apostles also pronounced blessing upon those who had gathered to hear them being read in their congregations (cf. Romans 16:24-27; 1 Corinthians 16:23). Their benedictions became a pattern for the pastors to pronounce God’s blessings for His glory and for His obedient people’s spiritual welfare.

We continue the article on the order of worship in our public worship service. For your solemn consideration, the biblical reasons for each of those elements of our order of worship are provided below.

Call to Worship

This first item in the order of worship is the reading of a short passage that records God’s call to His people to worship. For example,

• “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2).
• “Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious” (Psalm 66:1-2).
• “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker” (Psalm 95:6).

The call to worship is meant to alert God’s people to the divine call in the Scriptures to worship Him. It beckons them to leave behind all their chores of life and focus on His great Person, attributes and work as their Creator, Redeemer and Provider. It is a call to respond to the divine ordinance of worship with faith, submission and adoration.

The call to worship should be wholly a divine call, not a human exhortation. Hence, it must be read out loudly from God’s Word. It must be heard by the congregation as the voice of God, though it is read by a human voice. People must hear it as God calling them to a worshipful relationship with Him, whereby they respond to His voice with praise and thanksgiving. The efficacy of worship is in that people respond to the hearing of God’s Word. So, the worship proper should always begin with the reading of a divine call to worship from the Scriptures.

Praise Hymn

Upon the call to worship, the congregation arise to render worship to God by singing hymn(s) or psalm(s) of praises and thanksgiving to Him. Scripture frequently teaches God’s people to sing praises to God – “Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth” (Psalm 33:1-4); “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness” (Psalm 30:4).

Though the New Testament does not record choirs singing in the early church, Scripture tells us that it was an accepted practice in the worship service of ancient Israel. A group of Levites were appointed to sing in the temple (1 Chronicles 9:33; 15:16, 27; 25:1-8). The Lord has not forbidden the choir from singing. So, during the worship, choirs may sing for the glory of God.

However, they should not supersede the singing of praise to the Lord by the congregation. The Lord is most pleased to hear His people singing, for His Word says, “come before his presence with singing” (Psalm 100:2). Likewise, the prophet Isaiah envisioned the worship of God’s people as “the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion” (Isaiah 51:11).

Responsive Reading

The Bible exhorts His people to read and meditate on His Word – “give attendance to reading” (1 Timothy 4:13). The Ephesian church was also told, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19). To speak and to sing the Scriptures are our duties. Moreover, public reading of the Scriptures has been practised in the worship of God’s people. In Nehemiah 9:3, we read, “And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.”

Indeed, in these days when the Word of God is made available in printed form to all believers, it is a great privilege to read His Word together in the worship service.

Invocation & Gloria Patri

In worship, we call on the Lord through prayers. Hence, prayer is an important element of worship. In our public worship, we have several occasions of prayers, the first of which is referred to as “invocation”. It must be noted that “invocation” does not mean invitation. In this prayer, we are not inviting God to join us. In worship, it is not we who invite Him, but God who invites. Rather, it is a prayer to invoke (call upon) God to bless the worship. It is not a prayer for all the needs of the people or the church, but a prayer which acknowledges God’s greatness and mercy to bless His people as they gather for the time of worship.

While God greets us as we gather (in the salutation), we do not presume upon His promised mercy to us. We praise God for who He is. Notice that the elements of a prayer of invocation usually include things about which we have just sung or confessed. We earnestly ask God to use them as a means of grace to those who are present. In this prayer, we remember the Lord and His names that depict His relationship with us, and hallow His name by acknowledging His greatness and works and ascribing praise to Him. Upon praising God, we also seek His blessings on the worship service.

Various Hymns

Several hymns are placed in the order of worship with clear biblical reasons. Every one of those hymns is chosen to be sung at certain points in the service so that the Scriptural purpose for psalms, hymns and spiritual songs may be performed. While the “opening hymn” is designed to be an appropriate response to the call to worship (whereby the congregation may rise to praise the Lord), the rest of the hymns are meant for the congregation to express their confession of sin, assurance of salvation, devotion to follow His will, readiness to hear the preaching of God’s Word, etc. for the honour and glory of God.

The closing hymn is chosen to help the congregation to have an appropriate response to the preaching of the Word, that they may humbly and joyfully yield to the Lord in faith and obedience to live a blessed life of boldness and service to Him.

Brethren, you must sing all the songs with great delight and real joy in the Lord. Singing is meant to be a God-appointed channel for His people to respond
to His call to worship. Singing provides you with the privilege to be an active worshipper during public worship. Your singing is your response to God who communicates to you through His Word and Spirit.

(More on this topic next Lord’s Day …)

Churches, like the Roman Catholic, Coptic, Anglican (which are mostly Episcopalian) churches, have adopted in their public worship certain forms, rituals and liturgy which are not warranted by the Word of God. Reformers and Puritans have rejected such forms of worship as unbiblical and unacceptable in the light of God’s Word. Sadly, today, many of the modern Presbyterian, Baptist and other congregational churches, being influenced by the Charismatics, adopt in their public worship many unbiblical and secular activities and programmes.

All the elements of a public worship ought to be fully focused upon the One whom we worship. The forms and elements of our worship services must direct our minds to the Almighty. The public worship entirely must be, first and foremost, in accordance to His will and for His honour, glory and pleasure. How we worship and whom we worship are integrally and inseparably bound. Even the music and instruments that are used in the public worship must not distract us from being drawn to God. Considerable care must be given to how the worship service is conducted, as defined by the Word of God. The content and order of worship must equip the worshippers to offer biblical worship to God. Only the truths set forth in Scripture by the Holy Spirit can guide us to offer an acceptable worship to God (John 4:24; cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17). As the apostle Peter said, we “are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

Undoubtedly, all of Christians’ lives and activities ought to be regulated by the Scriptures, whether by express commandment, prohibition, general principle, or godly example (Psalm 19:7-11; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:13-16; 2 Timothy 3:10). Even so, Christians’ public worship should also be regulated by the Scriptures. John Calvin, the great theologian of the Reformed faith said, “God disapproves of all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by his Word” (“The Necessity of Reforming the Church”).

True, the Scriptures do not provide us with a set of “worship order”. However, that does not necessarily mean that we can include any element in the liturgy or order of worship as we deem fit. We have many warnings in the Holy Scriptures against offering what pleases man as a form of public worship to God. Examples of God’s rejection of Cain’s offering (Genesis 4:3-8), the divine prohibitions codified in the first and second commandments with regard to worship (Exodus 20:2-6), the divine wrath against the worship of the golden molten calf (Exodus 32), the destruction of Nadab and Abihu who offered “strange fire” to God (Leviticus 10), God’s rejection of Saul’s claim of offering of a sacrifice that was not required by God, saying, “to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22), Jesus’ rejection of Pharisaic worship which honoured the “tradition of the elders” (Matthew 15:1-14), the apostolic warning against the “will worship” (ethelothreskia) in Colossae (Colossians 2:23), all of these and more recorded in the Scriptures warn of God’s utter contempt for elements of worship that are not sanctioned by His Word.

Hence, there has been a great necessity for proper study of the sound theology of worship in the Scriptures. It is such a theological contemplation that led the Reformed, Presbyterian churches to follow a doctrinally sound order of worship. Reformed and Presbyterian order of worship that we follow today in Gethsemane B-P Church is based on the truths that God has revealed in the Scriptures, so that we may not worship Him according to the imagination and devices of men, nor the propositions of Satan. Our “Order of Worship” consists of the following: (i) Preparation for Worship, (ii) Call to Worship, (iii) Praise and Thanksgiving Hymn, (iv) Invocation, (v) Scripture Reading, (vi) Hymns of Confession / Assurance, (vii) Collection of Tithes and Offerings, with Doxology and Thanksgiving Prayer, (viii) Hymn for Mutual Edification, (ix) Pastoral Prayer, (x) Sermon, (xi) Baptism / Lord’s Supper, (xii) Closing Hymn and Prayer, (xiii) Benediction. These elements in the “Order of Worship” are warranted by the Holy Scriptures, and hence constitute an acceptable way of worshipping the true God, instituted and prescribedby Himself in His Word. Their biblical warrant is briefly mentioned below.

Preparation to Worship

Our preparation to worship God on the Lord’s Day does not begin 10 or 5 minutes before the service. From Monday to Sunday we must prepare to be at the church for worship, for the Lord said, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). He does not want us to forget even for a second that we are to worship Him on the appointed day. So, He made it a moral duty of all His people to congregate and worship Him. He commanded that we keep the day of worship “holy” (which means “separated unto God”). In other words, we must separate the day unto Him for His praise, honour and glory. This is every believer’s duty, not just the pastor’s (or preacher’s) and the worship leader’s (elder’s and deacon’s) duty. Not to sanctify the day of worship in our minds and prepare to worship Him is a great sin, just like idolatry (cf. Isaiah 58:13).

The LORD’s words through Moses – “Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:10-11) – instruct us how important it is for us to come to His presence for worship with great preparation of heart, mind and body. For this special occasion, God gave Israel two days to prepare. It is recorded in Exodus 19:14 that Moses went down from God’s presence to the people and sanctified them. The people obeyed and prepared themselves for worship.

We too must prepare by sanctifying ourselves by reading God’s Word, remembering the greatness of our God, repenting of our sins, renewing our trust in Him and consecrating ourselves in prayer to worship and serve Him with sincerity and holiness.

How have you been coming to worship God? Come early to church with prepared and sanctified hearts. Be seated 10 minutes before worship begins and quieten your hearts. Avoid talking with others in the sanctuary. Look at the bulletin and ponder on “A Word on Worship” (the brief exhortation on worship) for a couple of minutes. Then go over the “Order of Worship” and pray for the Spirit’s preparation of all those who are ministering during the worship service. If time permits, consider the hymns and Scripture passages that will be used.

(More on “Order of Worship” next Lord’s Day …)

Worship Ought to be Reverential

Worship in our church must reflect utmost reverence for the most High and Holy God (Leviticus 19:30). In times of worship, we come before the Almighty God who commands us to gather to worship Him. It is not merely a mutual meeting of God’s children; worship is conducted in acknowledgment of the presence of God to whom we gather (Psalms 27:4; 48:9b; 63:2; 77:13; 135:21). From beginning to end, the public worship of God must be characterised by total reverence for His greatness, holiness and glory, and by humility before God that yields repentance, faith, submission and service unto His glory and truth.

Worship Ought to be Biblical

God instituted His worship by His people, so it ought to be conducted according to His revealed will. Public worship on the Lord’s Day must reflect the biblical truths about worship, as made known in God’s Word. Everything about the worship service must be God-centred and theologically sound for it to please and honour God. As a result of the Corinthian church’s irreverential and inappropriate partaking of worship and the Lord’s Table, Paul pointed out that “many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep” (1 Corinthians 11:30). Concerning worship, he sternly admonished: “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). Only scripturally warranted activities can be permitted in the worship (Deuteronomy 12:30-32; John 4:23-24), which must be in accordance to truth as revealed in God’s Word. Nothing unscriptural should be introduced in the church worship service; it should only consist of divinely sanctioned elements of worship. It must also be ensured that all the scriptural elements and orderliness affirmed in the Scriptures are not neglected. Only then can we be sure that we are led by the Spirit to worship God.

Biblical Guidelines for Orderly Worship

Paul has laid down much-needed principles for orderly worship services. Sadly, the Corinthian church had been conducting their worship services as they felt best - a kind of free, spontaneous worship service, where any individual could sing a hymn, prophesy or speak in tongues. However, Paul sharply rebuked such a disorderly, chaotic conduct of worship, and instructed the church with some guidelines. Paul insisted on orderliness and purpose in the church’s public gatherings, as attested to in 1 Corinthians 14:26-40.

1. Worship must not consist of free-for-all, spontaneous activities: The Corinthian church had not maintained order when they gathered for worship. Apparently, everyone did as he liked – hence, Paul asked, “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying” (v. 26). Our conduct should not distract other worshippers from truly worshipping the Lord in spirit and truth.

2. Worship services must be edifying: Everything done during the public worship must be intended to bring about the building up of the church. Promoting spiritual growth and maturity of the church must be the chief concern of all in the worship services. Nothing should be done with personal promotion or prominence in view, but with others’ edification. “Let all things be done unto edifying”!

3. Worship services should not be haphazardly put together: Even if there are several people who are equipped with the same spiritual gifts in a local church, Paul did not permit all of them to exercise their gifts. Paul urged that each service element should not be haphazardly thrown together with no order, but with meticulous deliberateness so that there will be no confusion (vv. 29-33). We are reminded that “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” Disorganised services can distract the worshippers from fully focusing on God. Those who plan the worship services must be deliberate in what they include and how they order them.

4. Worship services should be led by those who are in the church leadership: Women in the church are advised to submit to men of leadership and not to speak in public worship (vv. 34-38). Paul’s principle of prohibiting women from questioning their leadership applies to all the leadership realms of the church, especially as it relates to the worship service. Neither men nor women in the worship should challenge or disrupt the church leaders who lead the worship service. Public worship services and other activities of the church must be planned and led by church leaders, and all the worshippers and members should respect and submit to their authority regarding the worship service.

5. Worship services should be Word-focused: In vv. 36-38, Paul emphasised on the declaration of God’s revelation. Today the divine revelation received through prophecy is complete and is given to us in the Bible. So, the declaration and practice of the Word in the church worship service are paramount to God-honouring worship service.

Photo News from the Philippines

(Rev Reggor recently visited our mission stations in Bohol and Anda to encourage and minister to the brethren there. He has provided some photo updates for us here.)

Home Visitation and Bible Study in Anda

Children in the Bohol Mission Church

Cebu Youths in fellowship with Pastor Reggor