Year: 2022

Christmas – Christ’s first coming must make us prepare for His second

Dear BPCWA worshipper, Uniquely this year (as occurs probably every few years), Christmas falls on a Sunday. So today, we commemorate two wondrous events together – the birth of Christ (Christmas), and the day that we spend every week celebrating – the resurrection of Christ (the Lord’s Day). Yes, while we know that Christ was not born on the 25th December, but churches appointed a particular day of the year to remember His incarnation. Let us remember Christ’s first coming. Though we don’t know the exact date, the birth of Christ must be an important event for Christians. We don’t celebrate it like we do a person’s birthday. Of much greater significance is that a day more than 2022 years

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Recapturing our 2022 Church Theme

Dear BPCWA worshipper, We have come so quickly to the end of 2022. Our church theme for this year was taken from Matthew 25:13, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” The aim was to stir us to be watchful for our Saviour’s Return. As always, I will recapture some of the key aspects of this theme at the end of the year. My prayer is that we will all not forget the lessons even after the year has ended and a new church theme starts but instead will continue to live out this theme in our lives till we meet our beloved Saviour. Why does God give us prophecies?

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Becoming Christians who are not of the world

Dear BPCWA worshipper, There is a great misunderstanding of worldliness in Christendom. Some Christian groups today teach that “gain is godliness”. This is well demonstrated in the health and wealth gospel so popular today, from which God commands “from such withdraw thyself” (1 Tim 6:5). This is an easy message that finds ready acceptance among many because it is appealing to the flesh. Followers, and even churches, of such a gospel have no qualms in seeking after mammon. On the other end of the spectrum are also some groups who believe that to be “unspotted from the world” (Jas 1:27) means that their communities should dress in very plain traditional clothing, not own cars, avoid tapping from the public electricity

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Worldliness makes us bring up worldly seed

Dear BPCWA worshipper, We have thus far seen how the world can affect even sound Christians in a conservative church. We have grown so used to being in the world that we have unknowingly learnt the world’s ways. This week we want to consider how we can fall into the snare of worldliness in bringing up children. When this happens, we not just inculcate worldliness in ourselves, but set the firm foundations for it for generations to come. This can happen to parents bringing up worldly seed, or it could be us who have been brought up as worldly seed by our parents. 5) We give our children to the world. Weigh your life and actions as a parent honestly

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The World in the Christian

Dear BPCWA worshipper, Last week we saw how God expects us to be separate from the world. This is not to mean that we must seek to be hermits, be underachievers, avoid shopping centres or restaurants, abstain from holidays, or stay far from anyone who is not a Christian. In fact, even if you do not engage in much in of what the “worldlings” do, you can be worldly! Worldliness is not just what you do or don’t do, but what is in your heart in the first place. This is why in 1 Peter, God tells us “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Pet 2:11). Sadly,

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The Christian in the World

Dear BPCWA worshipper, The Christian must have the right view of the world to live rightly in this world. The Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16).  Yet, God reminds us that “the whole world lieth in wickedness.” (1 Jn 5:19). So are we to love the world or shun it as evil? Do you think the world is evil? We live, walk, see, and talk every day in the world so much that we’ve gotten accustomed to it. Yes, we’ll admit that some pockets in the world aren’t good, but we may feel that to “generalise”

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The Thinking that Leads to Spiritual Steadfastness Part 2

Dear BPCWA worshipper, We must remember that godly thoughts lead to godly living. I shall summarise the remaining areas of Philippians 4:8 and I pray it will help us reinforce our learning that will lead to us practicing what we have received and heard. Whatsoever things are just. This refers to whatsoever is in line with the justice and righteousness of God and is therefore approved and acceptable to God. Whatever the Bible says is just, and the Bible must be the standard for judging all things. So, while the media and the world may try to evoke emotions to change public opinion or for greater readership, the Christian must constantly be on guard to question if their ideas are

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The Thinking that Leads to Spiritual Steadfastness

Dear BPCWA worshipper, Given how significantly our thought life affects our spiritual character “for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he . . .” (Prov 23:7), and how it contributes to our spiritual wellbeing (Phil 4:1, 8), it is important that we do not forget the key lessons from Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”. What you seek after, what you would choose, and what kind of Christian you are is the product of what has first occurred in

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Church Study Series: The Bible-Presbyterian Church Government 3

Dear BPCWA worshipper, so far, we have understood the roles of elders, deacons, members, and the purpose of elections. As a worshipper in the church, we all must love God’s church and must be interested to know how God intends His church be governed.  I hope that the study has not been something that you are uninterested in. Church government affects the church as a whole, and an orderly church is well-pleasing to God, not to mention that it ensures unity and peace. While it is not necessarily a popular subject with Christians, it is a necessary subject that must be taught to every generation so that the government of the church is consistent through the ages for BPCWA and

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Church Study Series: The Bible-Presbyterian Church Government 2

Dear BPCWA worshipper, Last week, we saw how different churches may run the church differently based upon their doctrines and denomination. A lack of understanding and unity on church polity can lead to many problems in the church. We are a Presbyterian church and must maintain a Presbyterian church polity, one ruled by the teaching elder (known as the pastor) who preaches and oversees the church together with lay ruling elders. The Deacon’s role is not to preach. To understand the role of deacons, we must go back to the reason why the office of deacons was established. In Acts 6:1-4, deacons were to “serve tables” so that the Apostles (the teaching elders) could give themselves to “prayer, and to

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