Dear BPCWAians, Before we move on to 2019, let us revisit our 2018 Church Theme so that we do not forget the lessons we wanted to instil in ourselves and our families regarding what God says to His people, “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (Deut 10:12).

Have you lived in the fear of God in 2018? What have been your greatest fears in 2018? Fears about health issues, financial difficulties, job security, family troubles, bringing up children, not having children, singlehood, failing exams, and losing friends? Perhaps there are others not listed here. Fear is the greatest foe of faith. Did the fear of man (eg friends, spouse, children, parents, boss, teachers) and the fear of situations cause you to distrust your LORD in 2018? Fear cripples you from having courage to make decisions that are based on faith. Have you deferred making the right decisions, delayed obeying God in your personal life and family choices? Our fears can be camouflaged as “practicality”. At the beginning of possessing the Promised Land, the task in crossing the Jordan river at the time of year when it is at its peak flooding and obeying God in marching before the walls of Jericho were most the “unpractical” and “illogical” ways to the human mind. It is time to take stock as you search your heart and ask in all sincerity before the LORD in prayer – have you compromised, given excuses, and avoided God’s known command while sounding so “wise” and “realistic” about life? Be honest. No one knows. You can even deceive your parents, your spouse, or your family. But God knows if you have trusted Him or feared affecting your life adversely if you obeyed Him. Sit down with your spouse, children, family and deal with those decisions before you enter into 2019? Remember what we learnt – courage brings more courage. That is how God tests us to build our faith to the next level.

Have you walked in all the LORD’s ways in 2018? A key word to notice is “all”. Has the LORD been putting His finger on some things in your life that you need to deal with and obey Him in? Has He spoken to you through His Word in your quiet time, through sermons, or Bible studies? Have you been practicing selective hearing? His ways are the safest for us. But without being obedient in all things, that is how we backslide gradually. This is how the little sins we allow and the little ignoring of certain commands will “leaven the whole lump” eventually. God’s requirement for us to obey absolutely in every aspect of our life is for our own good. This is especially so with your innermost private walk with God. Have you entered 2018 with certain besetting sins or carelessness about certain known sins and yet still intend to leave 2018 with the same sins?

Did you truly love and serve your LORD in 2018 with “all thy heart and with all thy soul”? What has captivated and enraptured your heart in 2018? You can know by reviewing what you have been preoccupied with. What has taken up most of your time? Was it your school activities, your friendships in the world, your pursuit of career, your dreams and ambitions, your recreations, your family, and your self-indulgences? What and whom we love we will naturally give our time to, and energy and resources will follow thereafter. Is it any wonder that our Lord Jesus repeated four times, in close succession, to emphasise that if any man love Him, he will keep His commandments in John 14:15, 21, 23, 24? Giving priority to something is the natural outcome of love. No one can claim to love God and not keep His commandments to please Him. Jesus said, “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings” (John 14:24). That is also why loving to know His Word (where His commands reside) shows that we love God. Love to God is not a sentimental feeling, but a desire to know as much as possible what pleases Him in our lives and quickly obeying it. Our feelings will grow when we do, but feelings themselves are not the true proofs of love. The desire to please Him through obedience and not grieve Him are the genuine proofs of our love. What have you committed yourself to that resulted in the neglect of obeying God? These are the things that you have loved and served in 2018.

Let us ask ourselves if we have kept Deut 10:12 in sight and have walked in the Lord’s requirements in light of our theme in 2018. If not, then let us see wherein we have failed and resolve to ask Him help repent in these areas as we enter into 2019 soon. If we refuse to love our Lord with our all, then we are harbouring sin in our lives by refusing to glorify Him as we ought, by giving Him our full allegiance and love (Rom 3:23). As we close off the year, let us then return “to keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good” (Deut 10:13).

Yours in our Lord’s service

Pastor