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As we begin a new year today, I would like to exhort all of you to heed our Saviour’s solemn counsel – “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

What is your highest goal this new year? Let it be what our Lord expects us to pursue all the days of our lives on earth. His will for us is to seek His kingdom and righteousness as our first and foremost passion. Anything that impedes this goal must be rejected utterly. 

We are exhorted here in Matthew 6:33 by the Lord Jesus Christ, that we should make God’s kingdom and His righteousness our primary object of attention. We must be deliberate in giving preference to spiritual matters over worldly matters. Nothing should be allowed to take precedence over our commitment to seek spiritual and moral excellence. We must exert great care and diligence to live a consecrated life to God. That must be our chief business on earth. Our hearts, minds and bodies must be wholly dedicated to fulfilling our spiritual duties, both in public and in private.

Our preoccupation should be God’s reign and righteous will concerning us, rather than the material provisions for our daily lives. We should be eagerly praying for, and dedicating ourselves to His kingly pleasure and purposes. Let us not be like those who strive to be religious for material gain. They appear to be very prayerful and devout, but the pre-eminent things in their lives do not tally with what they appear to do, but rather with the motive of their hearts – which is material gain. When piety is expressed for temporal advantage, it is not the kingdom of God that is first sought after, but material gain. Therefore, they seek first worldly advantages.

Let not our hearts be deceived into making spiritual matters subservient to earthly matters. Let us not seek God and His kingdom to become wealthier and healthier. We must let all our pursuits in life be subservient to our desire for God, His kingdom and righteousness. Whatever our engagements in life are, we must remember that we have a higher goal. And in our relationships with people, we should never forget that we have a greater commitment to God.

We are specifically instructed by our Lord to seek first “the kingdom of God”. What is the kingdom of God? It is to have Him reign over our hearts. His will must be our highest concern. Our prayer should always be: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). It is also to serve Him in His kingdom. The Lord exercises His authority and will today through His church. So, we must serve the Lord in His church to exalt His greatness. We must give ourselves to the extension of His kingdom through the preaching of the Gospel. We must also live in obedience to His Word to promote His righteousness. Let us also look forward to His coming as King of kings. If these are our chief concerns of life, the Lord promises to take care of all our needs.

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GYF Retreat 2022 Report

by Cornelius Koshy

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24). Challenging each youth to be obedient, resilient and exuberant to do God’s will despite discouraging and distressing situations, was the main thrust of the 5 theme messages. 

The theme of this year’s youth retreat was “Laying a Firm Foundation”. We thank God for enabling Pastor and Pr Cornelius to exhort the participants with biblical attributes and practical advice, so that they may build upon the foundational doctrines and “go on unto perfection” (Heb 6:1). Coupled with two workshops on “BGR” and “Aspirations” conducted by Pastor, the participants had a total of seven sessions of focused study of God’s Word and Q&A. 

Just as we enjoyed the experience of feeding the farm animals like horses, cows, rabbits, turkeys, ducks, chickens, etc., we were all also delighted with the spiritual feeding received in the camp! This ministry of the Word was suitably complemented with warm fellowship with one another, especially with new friends who joined our retreat. This year, we had guests from Calvary Pandan, Calvary Kuching, and Bethel BP Churches. Needless to say, our youths in Gethsemane were delighted to make some new friends! Most notably, we were thankful to God for the opportunity to bring six youths from Kuching to join us for this year’s retreat. They are the children of the Teo and Chung families from Calvary Kuching: Daniel, Samuel and Gabriel (Teo), as well as Abigail, Nathanael and Dominic (Chung). We thank God for His blessings of provision and protection upon each participant!

A pair of toe-socks – specially printed in collaboration with TGCM Print – was given to each participant. When worn, the letters on each toe formed the key word of this year’s theme: “FOUNDATION”. The youths received well the witty and meaningful memorabilia. We truly thank God for some youths who had spent some of their holiday time with TGCM Print to prepare the 90 pairs of socks. May the youths be reminded to “walk in love” (Eph 5:2), “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7), and “walk after his commandments” (2 John 6), whenever they wear these socks!

The youths were also treated to sumptuous meals cooked by the resort’s kitchen. The resort provided food aplenty, and some sisters also prepared a “condiments table” which supplied an endless flow of snacks and drinks. Praise the LORD for everyone who helped us behind the scenes!

Because of the resort’s greenery, the Bible Witness team also had the chance to record two music videos for BWTV singspiration programmes. We thank God for Bro Matthew and Bro Andronicus, who came with the youths to assist with the video production. We thank God for both sun and rain at His chosen times, and for His help in seeing us through all the planned programmes and activities. When it poured on the second night, the LORD allowed us to witness the campfire from a distance, enabling us still to feel its heat and awe at its glow in the darkness of the night.

Finally, the GYF Committee gives thanks to God for our very committed and responsible Auxiliary Committee (comprising Amoz, Gideon, Marcus and Rayson) who laboured with us to organise the GYF Retreat, and for the young adults who joined the retreat to assist with supervision over the youths. May the youths remember all that they have learned in this retreat. May God, in His good time, raise some of the youths and young adults to serve Him and continue the Gospel work of our Lord Jesus Christ in Gethsemane BP Church.

GYF Retreat 2022 Testimonies

Bernice Tan

Praise God for the opportunity to join Gethsemane’s first youth retreat after the Covid-19 pandemic. The retreat was a great opportunity to have a blessed time of fellowship with other like-minded youths, and a great time to unwind from the pressures of our school life. Thank God for granting grace and wisdom to Pastor and Pr Cornelius, who impressed upon us our personal responsibility as to whether we lay a strong or weak foundation. I would also like to thank God for granting us journey mercies, as well as keeping us safe and healthy during the retreat. All glory be to God!

Abigail Chung

I thank God for giving me the opportunity to join this year’s youth retreat at Sinar Eco Resort. I initially thought that I would not be able to participate because I had already made plans to fly back to Kuching. But by God’s grace and through the church’s support, the brethren from Kuching could also join. Thank God that brethren from other churches participated as well. 

Thank God for giving Pastor Koshy and Pr Cornelius good health and strength, as well as godly wisdom, to preach to the youths on the theme: “Laying a Firm Foundation”. I pray that all the youths have had a fruitful retreat and that we will stand strong in the Lord. I also pray that we will not waver when troubles come, but instead be a good testimony for Christ in our school or work. Thank God for the Auxiliary Committee, young adults and adults, who helped at the retreat and cared for the younger youths. Thank God for the blessed time we had at the retreat, and the fellowship we had with one another. 

My prayer is that God will continue to protect and guide each youth, so that we might not be misled by worldly ideas. I also want to thank God for the good weather (including the heavy rain!), and for the opportunity to experience and appreciate God’s creation to the fullest without worldly distractions. “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 107:1).

Clement Tan

I would like to take this opportunity to thank God for allowing me to join my first youth retreat. Thank God for Pastor and Pr Cornelius’ preaching. This helped me to learn more from the Scriptures, and allowed me to gradually mature as a Christian. Also, the two workshops conducted on the last day of the retreat helped me learn how to interact with a person of the opposite gender, and realise that our path in life is determined by God. Other than these, I have bonded a lot with the other youths and got to know them better. As Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Lastly, I thank God for allowing me to spend my year-end holidays fruitfully.

Dominic Chung

I am thankful for being able to participate in this year’s youth retreat. Thank God for those who organised this retreat, and for Pastor Koshy and Pr Cornelius who preached during this camp. Thank God for the fellowship I had with other brothers and sisters in Christ, and for helping me make new friends during this period. Thank God for the messages on “Laying a Firm Foundation”. I look forward to meeting these brethren again in the next retreat, God willing.

Joel Tan

I praise God that He opened a way for me to attend this year’s youth retreat. The theme, “Laying a Firm Foundation”, is highly relevant in that I am graduating from school in the first half of next year, and I will soon be out in a world that is scarcely navigable and very unwelcoming to Christians. I will always be thankful for the lessons learnt and the reminders administered to us, so that we can live our lives effectively for the Lord. 

In particular, I thank the Lord for reminding me that the Christian life is not obligation-free. Far from that, there are regulations and requirements that we have to adhere to in every area of our life and service. The lifelong responsibilities we face as Christians are grave - and they cannot be discharged in any way we like. In that regard, we should not take inspiration from the thought leaders, academicians and celebrities of this world, but rather strive every day to be more like Christ. 

May I always be willing to abide by God’s directions and God’s will for me. My only desire in life is to perform whatever task He has assigned me to do with distinction for His glory, and always to submit and be more than happy to follow His leading. If my lot in life is to suffer great trials and hardships for Christ, then may I endure them well for the Lord, with much faith in Him and displaying the grace of the Lord for all to see. As the exhortations in 1 Peter 4 remind me, may I always reflect God in all I say, do and think, and may my life be lived according to the standards of God, not of men.

All praise be to our Heavenly Father for a good retreat, which went without incident or accident. Truly, He protects His servants.

(This is the continuation of the article on “Our Speech Matters!” by Pastor Koshy, published last week. It is compiled from several articles that he wrote in Bible Witness, Volume 11, Issue 4. Part 3 will be published next week.)

The Book of Proverbs describes various characteristics of wise speech. It also provides practical instructions on developing wholesome speech so that we may speak wisely. These biblical counsels on wise speech are discussed below.

Words of Wisdom

Proverbs 10:13 casts light on those who utter words of wisdom – “In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found”. In Proverbs, a man of understanding is one who yields his mind to the fear of the LORD (2:5), as well as to righteousness (2:9; 8:8; 10:32), learning (1:5; 16:21), prudence (14:8, 15; 16:21) and knowledge (2:5; 8:9; 14:6; 18:15; 19:25; 28:2). Such a man will possess wise thoughts, and is deemed wise.

Proverbs 10:31 sheds more light on how we can be wise in our speech. It says, “The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom”. Just men are mentioned here as speaking wisely. The same is said about the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 – “She openeth her mouth with wisdom” (v. 26a). A commitment to righteousness or virtue will help us dispel foolish and ungodly thoughts and attitudes, so that we may speak wisely.

We are also told in Proverbs that through much learning (cf. Proverbs 1:5; 16:21) and careful analysis (cf. Proverbs 14:8, 15; 16:21), we can obtain needful knowledge for wise speech. Proverbs 15:7a says, “The lips of the wise disperse knowledge”. Not only does he possess knowledge, he is also committed to using it to everyone’s benefit, unlike fools who use their knowledge to hurt others. “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness” (Proverbs 15:2).

Words of Truth

In order that we may know and speak the truth, the Book of Proverbs records the words of the wise. “Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?” (Proverbs 22:20-21). Biblical wisdom is absolute truth, and we should never doubt the veracity of its wisdom. God’s wisdom declares, “Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. For my mouth shall speak truth” (Proverbs 8:6-7a). It calls the readers to take heed of its excellent counsels, for they are truth.

If we utter a word that is contrary to the Scriptures, it is a lie, and hence deceitful. If we speak contrary to the truth of God’s wisdom, we become false witnesses and deceivers. So, we must uphold the wisdom of God’s Word in our conversations. Proverbs 12:17 says, “He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness; but a false witness deceit.” We must guard and guide our speech according to the true wisdom of His Word, lest we become false witnesses. When our words are based on the truth of His Word, we shall be faithful and righteous in our conversations and instructions. Otherwise, our speech will be deceitful.

Moreover, Proverbs 14:5 reminds us that “a faithful witness will not lie”. While commenting on this verse, Matthew Henry described a faithful witness as such: “He speaks truth and represents everything fairly, to the best of his knowledge, whether in judgment or in common conversation, whether he be upon his oath or no, he shows forth righteousness; he makes it to appear that he is governed and actuated by the principles and laws of righteousness, and he promotes justice by doing honour to it and serving the administration of it.” Proverbs 13:5a says, “A righteous man hateth lying”. The righteous man does not just avoid lies; he hates them!

Those who speak the truth according to God’s Word shall be a great blessing to those who hear them. Proverbs 14:25a says, “A true witness delivereth souls”. A man of integrity would endeavour to bring truth to light and rescue those who are injured by falsehood. Over and above, a faithful Christian who truly witnesses against sin and preaches the Gospel truths of Jesus Christ will be an instrument in God’s hand to deliver souls from eternal death. A truthful person, even if he is a child, can bring great joy to those around him. A father’s admonition in Proverbs 23:16 testifies to this blessing: “Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.”

Righteous Words

The words that a righteous man speaks are acceptable to God. Proverbs 10:32 says, “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.” Unlike the wicked, the righteous man seeks to please God in his speech. He will not allow his mouth to speak any perverse thing, which is detestable to the holy God.

Hence, words that spring forth from the righteous will have the qualities that impart spiritual blessings. They will be helpful and life-giving. “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life”, proclaims Proverbs 10:11. A righteous man’s words are depicted as “a well of life”. The Hebrew word for “well” (māqôr) is normally translated as “fountain” or “wellspring”. The picture is of a vibrant, bubbling fountain. The speech of the righteous is intellectually, emotionally, morally and spiritually rejuvenating to his hearers.

Not surprisingly, Proverbs 10:20a gives much praise to “the tongue of the just”, and says that it “is as choice silver”! Like the silver that is refined by the removal of dross, a just man would carefully refine his speech by removing every unacceptable word.

Furthermore, Proverbs 10:21 speaks of “the lips of the righteous”, which “feed many”. The Hebrew word for “feed” (rā˓â) indicates more than just “feeding”, as it occurs widely in connection with shepherding. Therefore, it can be said that the speech of the righteous does the work of a shepherd, such as guiding, leading, feeding, nursing, caring and guarding. Righteous words will nurture the hearers.

Pleasant Words

“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24). The Hebrew word translated as “pleasant” (nō˓am) occurs about seven times; and the King James Bible translated it as “beauty” four times, “pleasant” twice, and “pleasantness” once. The root form of this word is even used to refer to the beauty of the LORD (cf. Psalms 27:4; 90:17a). Here, pleasant words are compared to the sweet and healthy honeycomb. This comparison is meant to show us that pleasant words sweeten fellowship and restore troubled relationships.

Besides Proverbs 16:24, there are other passages in Proverbs that speak of pleasant words. Proverbs 16:21 says, “The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.” Sweet words, which are the result of prudence, promote instruction in the sense that they make learning desirable. Before one opens his mouth to speak, there must be much forethought concerning the attitude and choice of words. This is further emphasised in Proverbs 16:23 – “The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.” Prudence of heart is essential in developing pleasant speech.

Proverbs 27:9 also provides a similar instruction: “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.” According to this verse, the “hearty counsel” adds sweetness to one’s speech. But what is hearty counsel? It is sincere and passionate advice given without any hidden agenda or deceit.

To sum it up, this thought is repeated in Proverbs 15:4, which says, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life”. The words, “wholesome” (Proverbs 15:4) and “health” (Proverbs 16:24), are from the same Hebrew word (marpē˒). A wholesome tongue is a healing tongue, i.e. a conciliatory or appeasing tongue. This is compared to a “tree of life”, an emblem of a blessed and meaningful life.

(This article by Pastor Koshy is compiled from several articles he wrote in Bible Witness, Volume 11, Issue 4.)

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). Our speech has the power to either hurt or comfort, destroy or nurture. The potential of the tongue is sobering. So, it needs to be used with much care.

If we do not pay close attention to our speech, it will destroy our Christian testimony. “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell” (James 3:6). What a startling caution this is against unguarded speech!

The evils that can arise from one’s misuse of speech are beyond measure. From one’s mouth proceed blasphemy, falsehood, slander, scandal, profanity, perjury, obscenity, threatening, ridiculing, boastfulness, and the list of evils goes on and on. Oh, what fiery destruction and shame could proceed from an uncontrolled tongue!

Thus, our Lord Jesus reprimanded His hearers, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matthew 12:34-35). Then He put everyone on notice, warning, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36).

Christian men and women must take heed that no unwholesome word proceeds from their mouths. In Proverbs 4:23-24, we are exhorted: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.” Christians must be deliberate in avoiding every form of ungodly speech, and instead in cultivating wise and godly speech. To disregard or to think lightly of the importance of wise speech is to prove oneself to be foolish and unrighteous.

The Book of Proverbs gives special attention to the importance of wise speech. It encourages readers to cultivate speech which builds up their hearers – by promising them that “a man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth” (Proverbs 12:14a).

Proverbs has many wonderful counsels on wise speech, and they are strewn across the entire book, mingled with myriads of counsels on many other subjects. We shall consider in this article (and its continuation next week) the wonderful counsels in Proverbs concerning wise speech. 

The Nature of Wise Speech

Wise speech is a distinguishing mark of godly men. It pleases God and brings cheer to its hearers. But foolish speech, which characterises the wicked, dishonours God and troubles men. Proverbs 10:31-32 says, “The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.”

While the wise man desires excellence in speech, the fool despises it. “Excellent speech becometh not a fool” (Proverbs 17:7a). In Proverbs, a wise man is one who fears God and loves godly wisdom. He always seeks to nurture his speech according to the wisdom that God gives. Only a fool would reject such a noble aspiration.

Proverbs urges us to cultivate wise speech by pointing out its benefits to us. The helpful nature of wise speech is lauded in Proverbs: “the tongue of the wise is health” (Proverbs 12:18b). In other words, a wise man who cautiously utters his words will bring healing to his hearers.

Another verse that speaks of the helpful characteristic of wise speech is Proverbs 18:4, which says, “The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.” The synonymous parallelism in this verse portrays “the words of a man’s mouth” as wise words – which are as “deep waters”, a great reservoir of wisdom and counsel. Moreover, his words flow out like a “brook” to provide wisdom for others.

As much as one’s wise speech honours God and edifies his hearers, it also brings wonderful benefits to himself. “A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth” (Proverbs 12:14a). Likewise, “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled” (Proverbs 18:20). Indeed, a man who grows in wise speech will receive this promise of much happiness and satisfaction in life. The phrase “fruit of his mouth”, as with its other occurrences in Proverbs (cf. 12:14; 13:2), refers to good fruits produced by a man’s speech. The phrases, “fruit of his mouth” and “increase of his lips”, are synonymous. They both refer to the benefits of one’s speech. 

Another such benefit is further affirmed by Proverbs 14:3b – “the lips of the wise shall preserve them.” Indeed, the words that the wise speak are a protection to themselves and to others who hear and follow them.

In order to help us cultivate wise speech, the Book of Proverbs describes various characteristics of wise speech, as well as provides practical instructions on developing wholesome speech. Truly, blessed is the man who pays heed to these discreet instructions from Proverbs!

(To be continued next week)