Month: July 2017

Dear BPCWAians, this week we will summarize what we learnt from our Family Camp’s morning devotions. I pray that it will be a useful reminder and also an edifying learning for those who missed these devotions about the 7 sins that God hates in Prov 6:16-19. How would you feel if someone walks up to you and calls you wicked, perverted, digusting and worthless person who should die? You may respond with indignation that you have not robbed, murdered, raped, and molested anyone, so how dare he call you these terms! But in Prov 6:12 and 16, God uses these terms on those who exhibit the seven sins listed. He calls such a person in “naughty” which is “belial” in

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Dear BPCWAians, How quickly time has flown by since our Family Camp. It is useful to recapitulate some key points from the camp messages so that we reaffirm the lessons we have learnt. It is also helpful for those who were unable to attend to have a summary. This way, the church will have a unity over the key focus areas as a family of God. The church and camp theme is taken from Phil 1:27, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith

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Dear BPCWAians, Over the last 2 weeks, we have been looking at what God requires of Elders, from 1 Timothy 3. As qualifications, these criteria would apply to both the Pastor (the Teaching Elder), as well as to the Ruling Elder. We now come to an important qualification, but yet one that is much misunderstood. While, as we have been seeing, God sets a much higher standard for Elders as compared to Deacons, 1 Timothy 3:2 ends off with yet another essential criteria – that of being apt to teach. What exactly does it mean, and how does it refer to the Pastor and the Elder? Some think that if an Elder must be “apt to teach”, doesn’t that make

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Dear BPCWAians, Today, we will continue looking at the qualifications for Elders, as taught in the Bible. Of Good Behaviour – A Pastor and an Elder must be men who are kosmios, literally meaning orderly and well arranged. God is a God of order, and everything in His house must “be done decently and in order” (1 Cor 14:40). Their lives must be in order in all aspects. This includes how they carry themselves and how they carry out work. In other words, the person holding this Office must seen as orderly in deportment, manners, and how he carries out his duties. In his personal life, he cannot be unkept, haphazard, and disorganized. It does not mean he must be

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Dear BPCWAians, After having looked at the qualifications for Deacons, we will move on to the Biblical qualifications for Elders. The Office of Elder is held by men only, not women. The Board of Elders (BOE) is responsible for the spiritual oversight of the Church in matters of doctrine, principles of government, church elections, admission and discipline of members and the administrative oversight of the Church (BPCWA’s Constitution, Article 11.2). As such, the Elders have a significant impact on what BPCWA would be since they are responsible for the direction and spiritual activity of the church. So, it is crucial that Elders are chosen with utmost carefulness to ensure that they meet the qualifications of the Office. In a Presbyterian

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