Godly Men for His Service

The church of Jesus Christ needs godly men in the pews and pulpit whom He can count on to do His will and purposes in the church. When people within the church increasingly become materialistic, selfish, prideful, pleasure seekers, haters of the truth, and irreverent of God, we need to pray for godly men in our congregation. Very few men are genuine lovers of Christ and His righteousness these days. We live in a pernicious time, and hence we need to pray as David pleaded, “Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men” (Psalm 12:1).

God seeks those whose hearts are right with Him to take up the church’s offices, such as pastors, elders, preachers, deacons, etc. His chief concern is not about abilities or skills, but spiritual character. Hence, 1 Timothy 3:1-13 enumerates the spiritual and moral qualities required of elders and deacons who serve in church leadership.

God expects those who serve Him to be men of devout hearts. He delights in the humility and loyalty of the leaders of His people. In the Scriptures, we see God’s commendation of pious and zealous men who served Him. Here are some examples:

• Nehemiah 9:7-8 notes God’s assessment of Abraham, “Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram … and foundest his heart faithful before thee”. 
• Numbers 12:3, 7 records God’s words about Moses – “(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) … My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.” 
• When the LORD directed Samuel to search for a successor to Saul, the LORD advised him to “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). Saul was chosen because the people wanted a man with the physique that would suit a king – “there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people” (1 Sam. 9:2). But their choice of Saul was catastrophic because he was not dedicated to do God’s will. So he was told, “Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Sam 15:23). Concerning David whom God has chosen to replace Saul, it is written that He “raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will” (Acts 13:22; cf. 1 Sam. 13:14). 
• When King Jehoshaphat of Judah “hast prepared [his] heart to seek God” (2 Chron. 19:3), the Lord blessed him. 
• King Josiah, whose heart was tender, and who humbled himself before the LORD, was used mightily by the LORD to lead His people to a spiritual revival (2 Kings 22:19). 
• Daniel, whom God greatly used during the Babylonian captivity, “purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself…” (Daniel 1:8).
• Ezra, who “prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it”, was appointed by the LORD “to teach in Israel statutes and judgments” (Ezra 7:10). 
• Nehemiah chose faithful men to fill responsible positions – Hanani and Hananiah to supervise the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall (Neh. 7:2); Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, Pedaiah, and Hanan as treasurers over the treasuries (Neh. 13:13); etc.
• The apostles and their co-labourers in the ministry were devout and faithful men. The apostle Paul testified as well to the godliness and faithfulness of his co-labourers in his epistles (cf. Col.4:7-15).

There is no greater honour that our church can receive than the godliness of its members and leaders. On the other hand, when the congregation is least concerned about godliness, the church will be scandalised, dishonoured, and degraded.

The Launch of Bible Witness TV

We praise God for the successful launch of Bible Witness TV on the 1st of September 2022. We are very grateful to note that people have started to watch it from around the world. Let us earnestly pray for the team that work daily on making the programmes available on BWTV for the edification of God’s people all around the world. 

We would like you to introduce BWTV to your friends. You may send the following information to your contacts. 

How to access:

If you use a smartphone or tablet, access it through our Church App (Gethsemane BPC, downloadable from your app store) for the best viewing experience. You can also view BWTV on a larger screen by casting from the app to your smart TV.

If you use a laptop or personal computer, you can watch BWTV on biblewitnesstv.com.

Notes received:

Dear Pastor,  

Just a short note to add on to the many notes that you must have received, praising and thanking the Lord and you in leading the Bible Witness team over the many months culminating in the launching of Bible Witness TV. What a joyous occasion on this blessed first day of September 2022, to watch and be blessed by these wonderful videos! These videos showcase very well the often-quoted statement, “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God”, in the minds and hearts of all who laboured for Him in this endeavour. May the Lord be gracious to grant more great things for His glory. 

—Elder Mah Chin Kwang

We praise God for the effort made in getting WebTV live. Thank you, Pastor. Please share with the BW team that we are praying for the good work they have done and thank God for their efforts.

—Bro. Lijoy K George