Dear BPCWA worshipper, In this final pastoral recapping the family camp messages, we summarise the last 4 sermons in the camp. I pray these summaries have caused your desire to revisit the sermons. The Purpose in Watching (1 Thess 5:1-8). Life is always a spiritual battle, and everything can be joyful if you have a purpose. So, we must not be bitter. 1) The purpose of imminence (vv1-3). We do not need to know the precise date and time nor even the period when Christ returns and we must not be lazy while watching. “Know” refers to the head knowledge that we have of Christ’s return. The day of the Lord is the climax of our salvation that marks the
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, Having completed the recap of the morning devotion messages, we will go on to the summary of the first 4 thematic sermons preached. I hope these will reiterate the lessons. The Consequence of Not Watching (Matt 24:42-51). The call to “watch” in v42 refers to the Lord’s return to rapture His church, where “that day and hour knoweth no man” (Matt 24:36). This message is hence for us, professing believers. 1) The deliberate consequence (vv42-44). “Watch” means to rouse, because our mission is in jeopardy if we neglect this watching. The call to watch refers to our holy testimony which Satan will target to ruin. We must be more careful about this as we get older since
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, In this pastoral, I will continue with the morning devotion messages preached from Prov 27:7-8. I hope you will read it to refresh and reaffirm key lessons to be learnt. Necessary Hunger to Keep Growing. “The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet” (Pr 27:7). Isn’t being full a good thing to be desired? Not always so. It can remove appreciation of what is good and needed. The honey in the honeycomb is full of protective antioxidants and comes with many other health-promoting qualities. One who is hungry will be grateful to have it. But despite all this goodness, the foolish full soul wants nothing of it! What is
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, Beginning this week, I will be summarising the salient points of the messages preached at the family camp. I will begin with the morning devotion sermons, summarising 2 in today’s pastoral. This will be followed by the thematic sermons thereafter. Detrimental Emotions. Pr 27:3, 4. “A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both. Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” 1) Wrath is an emotion of being vexed, annoyed, unhappy, and irked. Foolish wrath is, for example, when we get upset or irritable because it doesn’t fit my view or go my way, or because we are physically uncomfortable. But
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, In last week’s pastoral, we saw how while He was on earth, Christ had a particular concern for the temple, the place of worship prior to the New Testament church age. He referred to it as “my Father’s house” and “my house”. Today, the church is called “the house of God, which is the church of the living God” (1 Tim 3:15). We know that theologically, but it often doesn’t strike our minds that it means that Bible-Presbyterian Church of WA is, therefore, God’s house. If this is truly the case in our hearts, then what should that mean or do to us practically? Care for God’s heritage. In the Old Testament, God gave the children of
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, The recent passages from Philippians have shown to us the minds and hearts of Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus when it came to having a care and love for the church. Such an extent of interest and passion for the church may seem alien, if not even extreme, to some of our contemporary Christian thinking. To many, “the church exists to love me, care for me, and serve me. What? I am supposed to love and care for the church?” Some feel that online worship from the comforts of home is better and there is no need to be involved in the church. I would like to pose this question to you – how do you view the
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, Besides the situation where our Lord returns and raptures His living children to Himself, death is inevitable for us on earth. Rich or poor, royalty or beggar, young or old, no one can escape when their time on earth is over. No one really knows when they’ll die, though that day of death is already fixed, “Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass” (Job 14:5). Have you ever thought of how to help your family prepare to be ready after you depart? If so, what Biblical instructions must you give to your family now? Or as part of the bereaved family of
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, During the recent English Basic Bible Knowledge classes, I finished covering the 10 commandments. Among what was covered was the 9th commandment, which is “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Ex 20:16). This includes being true to the covenants that we voluntarily enter into. Yet, many Christians view covenants simply as mere agreements to be entered into and to be freed of when it doesn’t quite sit with them on some matters. I want to understand this further today, particularly regarding the view of covenants in the church. Importance of covenants. Our God is a LORD of covenants. Even our salvation is a covenant – the covenant of grace. We are so strong in
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, Time certainly flies, and we’re almost midway into the year. And one of the key highlights of the year is our English Family Camp/ Chinese Retreat! As you’ve noticed in the church bulletins, we have begun to pray for the upcoming English Family Camp/ Chinese Retreat. These major events for the year are a little more than 2 weeks away. Excitement and planning are certainly stepping up as a lot of finer details need to be finalised and arranged prior to the events. As briefings are announced and announcements increase, this would typically stir even more excitement for those who have signed up. We are thankful that many were able to take leave from their work to
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, God has warned that pestilences will be one of the end times signs, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (Matt 24:7). While the world is still reeling from COVID-19, it is now struck by Monkeypox outbreaks in multi-countries, even in Australia. Since pestilences will be on the increase and can affect us personally, how should the Christian respond? Personal experience. With the number of COVID-19 positive daily cases in the thousands in WA alone, it is quite inevitable, humanly speaking, that many will be affected personally. Gone are the days when Perth was so well “insulated” that we went about maskless
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