Month: September 2024

Acceptable Biblical Service

Dear BPCWA worshipper, We continue in this pastoral about the Christian’s service. Christ is concerned about His churches, and He walks in the midst of them (Re 1:13). Our service is observed by Him. As such, we must constantly keep our eyes upon Him in everything we do in church, serve aright, and seek to please Him. Some key requirements upon anyone who serves in any capacity. 1) Be humble, not selective.  We must remember that service is not our choosing, but God’s. Be content and diligent where God appoints us. We should not seek to serve only in prominent positions in the church. Some are literally “doorkeepers” in the house of God (Ps 84:10) – coming early to open or staying

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All Should Serve, But with Qualifications

Dear BPCWA worshipper, Last week, I wrote about some fallacies and erroneous mindsets among Christians about service. BPCWA must have a biblical understanding of service so that the service we offer to our Lord is acceptable and pleasing to Him. The topic is indeed so broad that we can only skim over some key points about service. However, outward forms of service and work are not just what counts. As the Son of man is “in the midst of the seven candlesticks” (Re 1:13), everyone who serves must remember that Christ is seeing and examining our works individually and as a church. Remember, God says, “I know thy works” (Re 2:9, 13, 19; 3:8, 15). Qualified to serve. Obviously, the first

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Misconceptions About Service

Dear BPCWA worshipper, Today is our Annual Congregational Meeting, and members have received a copy of the reports distributed 2 weeks ago.  Within the handouts are reports containing updates on the ministries and activities in the church.  I thank God that most BPCWA worshippers are serving in one way or another in the church.  Behind the activities in these reports are many of you who have been diligently serving in both forefront and background roles, and even in areas not mentioned within these reports.  I thank God for the many who serve with the right understanding and spirit.  It is important for us at such a time as ACM to reflect upon how the church and Christians should think about

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Man Proposes, God Disposes

Dear BPCWA worshipper, Man has the responsibility to plan and use his time well. However, despite the best of all planning, things can change. This was what I experienced recently in my trip to Singapore. I believe others have also encountered similar experiences. And such occurrences will not be a once-off in the circumstances of life. As the saying goes,“Man proposes, God disposes”. But when God changes our plans, He is merely working out His plan. Hence, God reminds us in James 4:15, “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”  My purpose in sharing this experience is so that when something unplanned (and perhaps undesirable in our human thinking)

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A Debt of Grace

Dear BPCWA worshipper, The word “grace” is very much on our lips as Christians. We often rightly give credit to God’s grace for the ability to do anything. We sing many hymns about God’s grace. We may know theologically about grace, but do we really think much about it, and are our hearts moved by it? What is grace? Grace means God’s favour, kindness, and goodwill. Charis, the Greek word for “grace”, contains the idea of a kindness that God bestows upon one what he has not deserved. The key point about grace is that it is an undeserved kindness of God. Whether we refer to enabling grace or salvation grace, they are underserved graciousness from God. Salvation is undeserved

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