Dear BPCWA worshipper, We live in a world that promotes ideologies that are very contrary to what God says. Indeed, one of God’s commandments that can be repugnant to the people in the world is that of submission. Slowly but surely, Satan is moving the world’s mentality away from obedience and submission. Such sentiments have an inevitable influence on Christians’ thinking too. Media, governments, and schools constantly promote the values of individual rights, democracy, and independence. It is not the intent of this pastoral to argue for or against these. However, the great concern is how the trend can spawn an anti-authority and rebellious mindset which Christians must guard themselves against. We saw in our recent sermons on 1 Samuel
Read moreDear 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
Read moreDear 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
Read moreDear 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
Read moreDear 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)
Read moreDear 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
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, How has your walk been since the retreat and camp? The church theme is not just for us to be excited after the retreat and camp, and then for us to revert to our old ways thereafter. It is a lifelong theme for a lifelong walk! Final summary. Over the past few weeks, we have been walking through the sermons preached based on our church theme “Walk as Christ Walked”, taken from 1John 2:6 “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” We often say we want to love God more. If so, then start walking as Christ walked and you will demonstrate your love for God. In
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, We will conclude the recap of our camp thematic messages with the “S” and “T” of walking IN CHRIST. Sanctification. God tells us that as His sons (1Jn 3:1), we know that we will eventually be perfect because “we shall be like him” (1Jn 3:2). This knowledge ought to do something since “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1Jn 3:3). Purification is about sanctification. In sanctification is how Christians must walk, even as Christ walked. Christ is the perfect model of sanctification and how every Christian ought to walk in this world (Jn 17:19). Sanctification means being dedicated and set apart to God for sacred duty. So, sanctification must
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, This week, we want to consider walking as Christ walked in our relationships and in increasing fruitfulness. This is the “R” and “I” of IN CHRIST. Relationships. In 1 John 1:5-7, we are reminded that since God is light, “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him” (1 Jhn 2:10). The Apostle John chided the believers because loving the brethren had departed so far from what God expects, so much so that the old and existing commandment sounded new to them. Hence, he said, “Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the
Read moreDear BPCWA worshipper, Last week, we saw how the driver for us to walk as Christ must be love for God. When we do so, the result will be that our love for God will grow as we walk like Him. Walking as Christ walked is not an option for a Christian. We will cover the next 2 sermons in today’s pastoral, where we will learn 2 prerequisites for walking as Christ walked. Consecration. Consecration is the first prerequisite to walking as Christ walked. 1Jo 2:2 tells us Christ “is the propitiation for our sins”. Christ’s propitiation is because the wrath of God was coming toward us. Christ stood in between us and God and deflected God’s wrath. To be
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