Dear BPCWA worshipper, We continue this week with the final message on enjoying God. I hope that as we read through this, it will help us to reconsider our relationship with God. We may sing “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”, but is the relationship and communion with Him something that we truly desire deep in our hearts? Are we ready to forgo communion and closeness with God for the trivial things and the pet sins that so often captivate our hearts? Is “Christian hedonism” enjoying God? The undeniable answer is simple and a resounding NO. Christian hedonism is about seeking pleasure, not God, as the chief end of man. Why? “Hedonism” simply means “the pursuit of pleasure; sensual
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, As usual, I would like to summarize the family camp messages to recapture the key points for the important purpose of solidifying the lessons we need to learn. This also serves as a useful summary for those who could not attend the camp. I will start with the summary of our morning devotion messages “To Enjoy God Forever”, followed by the thematic messages thereafter. What does “to enjoy God” mean? Last year, we covered the first part of the Westminster Catechism’s statement that “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever”. However, the second part of the statement is often nebulous to many of us. What does it mean? The Westminster writers base
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, In last week’s pastoral, we saw how things can change unexpectedly. When these changes happen, life can be so different from what we expect or have been used to. Things that we thought “would always be there” may not be there anymore. Opportunities that we thought we could “get to one day” can vanish abruptly. Even the government cannot predict in advance when a lockdown will occur, or when it will be lifted. Our lives are transient, and so are our opportunities. Knowing this, it is time to make changes. Don’t procrastinate, recalibrate today. “God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods” (Jos 24:16). If we continue thinking that serving God and mammon
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, What an eventful week it has been as we witnessed the snap announcements of COVID-19 restrictions, an eventual 4-day lockdown, and even now the post-lockdown restrictions which we are currently in. Nothing happens by chance and God allows all things for our good, and we should view life through a spiritual lens. If so, what are the lessons that we should learn from these recurring incidences? The day may end suddenly. Last Sunday after the English Worship Service, most of us were shocked to learn of the local COVID-19 case and the sudden requirement for everyone to wear masks on the spot after the worship service. In the weeks and days prior, there had been a surge
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