Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
Hymns: RHC 423 Follow, I Will Follow Thee, 432 How Good Is the God We Adore, 532 Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
Psalm 128
Godliness and Fruitfulness
OUTLINE
(1) Fear God (v1a, 4)
(2) Follow Him (v1b, 2)
(3) Overall Fruitfulness Through Him (v3, 5-6)
Two Souls Saved – Its sequel
In our pastoral weekly on 4 February 2018, there was a testimony entitled “Two Souls Saved”. This is the extract: “Two friends, Lily and Jimmy who came to our 4th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service shared that their close relative was at the hospital stricken with colon cancer. He has professed faith when a Korean pastor visited him last week. She requested for a visitation to be made to confirm the man’s faith. I was asked to contact his son, Mr Chan Hong Kiat.
A visitation was arranged with Hong Kiat at 2 pm on Monday, 29 January to visit his father at Alexander Hospital. Mr Chan Choong Shoung, Hong Kiat’s father, listened to the gospel message spoken to him in Mandarin. His wife was there with him by the bedside. By the grace of God, Mr Chan received the Lord Jesus Christ. When asked to affirm his new-found faith with his wife and son, he did so. Mr Chan was invited to attend our inaugural Mandarin service on 4 February as he was scheduled to be discharged on 1 February. On Wednesday 31 January, at the request of Hong Kiat, another visitation was made together with Tong Seng and Siew Choy where we sang John Sung choruses together. Mr Chan was rejoicing in the Lord.
Hymns: RHC 445 O Master Let Me Walk with Thee, 106 Christ Liveth In Me, 242 Blessed Quietness
PSALM 131
1 A Song of degrees of David. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. 2 Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul iseven as a weaned child. 3 Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever. Psalm 131:1-3 (KJV)
PRAYER OF A HUMBLED HEART
OUTLINE
(1) Not presumptuous (v1)
(2) But contented (v2)
(3) Always confident in God (v3)
No Man Can Serve Two Masters
24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Matt. 6:24 KJV)
Our Lord Jesus gives the word of warning to His listeners in Matthew 6:24. This is concerning a competing spirit called “mammon” for the believer’s affection that goes against the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life.
“Mammon” is the Syrian god of riches or money. Jesus is depicting material wealth and possessions and the inordinate pursuit of it as a rival god to the worship of the living and true God.
I was having my breakfast and looking at the birds nearby looking for food. I am reminded of Jesus’ words:
26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?(Matt. 6:26 KJV)
I am reminded of God’s care for my life. I am more precious in the sight of God than these birds. I am fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of the living God (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7).
Hymns: RHC 314 Nearer, Still Nearer, 313 O Love that Will Not Let Me Go, 319 It Is Well With My Soul
PSALM 75
1 To the chief Musician, Altaschith, A Psalm orSong of Asaph.Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto theedo we give thanks: for thatthy name is near thy wondrous works declare. 2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. 3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah. 4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: 5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not witha stiff neck. 6 For promotion comethneither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God isthe judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. 8 For in the hand of the LORD there isa cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring themout,anddrink them. 9 But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; butthe horns of the righteous shall be exalted. Psalms 75:1-10 (KJV)
GOD BLESSES THE RIGHTEOUS
The LOVING CARE OF GOD TO HIS PEOPLE PROCLAIMED (v1-3)
His people gratefully thank Him for His presence and His intervention in their lives (v1)
For He receives and presides His people in righteousness (v2)
Although tempest of life will come but He is their stronghold through them all (v3)
THE RESISTANCE OF GOD AGAINST THE PROUD (v4-5)
The boastful admonished (v4a)
The evil man’s strength resisted (v4b)
The self-exalting put in their place (v5)
GOD SOVEREIGNLY CHOOSES WHOM HE WILL BLESS (v6-7)
He raises up whom He chooses (v6)
For He is the SOVEREIGN JUDGE (v7a)
Putting down one (v7b)
Putting up another (v7c)
HIS BLESSING IS UPON THE RIGHTEOUS (v8-10)
His judgment comes upon the wicked (v8)
His blessings are upon His thankful people (v9)
For God favours the righteous (v10)
(1) A Follow-Up Visitation
In our weekly pastoral of 15 July 2018 under the heading “Visitation to Share the Gospel”, a testimony was recorded concerning Mr Lee Khiak Khiam, Marcus Lee’s father, receiving the Lord.
“Thank God for leading Marcus Lee to evangelize to his unsaved parents. His mother has come to receive the Lord earlier this year and on 14 July 2018, his father responded to the gospel invitation to receive Jesus Christ as His Lord and Saviour. I was invited to visit his home that evening with the hope of sharing the gospel with Marcus’ father in Mandarin. Praise the Lord for his willingness to listen and his willingness to confess Christ… The Lord grant us wisdom to help this newly converted soul.”
On 8 September 2018, Marcus requested a follow-up visitation to confirm the faith of his father at his home. Marcus’ mother was also present with us. We give thanks to the Lord that Mr Lee Khiak Khiam not only affirmed his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he requested also water baptism. Due to the weakness of his body and medical condition, he is unable to come to church.
Hymns: RHC 324 Trusting Jesus, 355 Day by Day, 333 Yesterday, Today, Forever, 115 Constantly Abiding
PSALM 73
1 A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. 2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. 6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. 7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. 9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. 10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. 13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. 14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. 15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. 16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. 20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. 21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. 22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was asa beast before thee. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. 26 My flesh and my heart faileth: butGod is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. 28 Butit is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works. Psalms 73:1-28 (KJV)
WHOM HAVE I BUT THEE
The Prosperity of the Wicked Stumbles Me (v1-10)
I envied them (v1-3)
Their pride and strength seemed to receive divine consent (v4-7)
They even blasphemed against God and seemed to get away without judgment (v8-9)
God’s people greatly oppressed by the wicked (v10)
The Afflictions of the Godly Baffles Me (v11-16)
The godly is discouraged by reason of their oppression crying out “Where is God?” (v11)
The ungodly continues to prosper (v12)
The godliness of the godly seemed to bring them no where (v13)
The godly continues to be chastened in their sore affliction (v14)
I dare not murmur against God lest the godly be stumbled (v15)
Yet the sight of God’s afflicted people brings pain to my heart (v16)
But the Lord in His mercy enlightens me – I discovered the misery of the wicked as revealed in His Word (v17-22)
The ungodly shall certainly not escape God’s judgment (v17-20)
They are unknowingly sliding down to destruction (v17-18)
There end will be sudden and most terrifying (v19)
The unsaved most miserable under God’s judgment (v20)
I am most ashamed for envying the wicked (v21-22)
My heart grieved (v21)
How foolish in envying the wicked (v22)
Thank God I continue to abide in His presence (v23-28)
I abide in God and He upholds me (v23)
By guiding me with His counsel until I arrive in heaven (v24)
I desire my God more than anything else (v25)
Though my body and heart gradually weakens, God shall be the strength of my heart and my help forever (v26)
All who wander from God shall perish without God (v27)
But I draw near to Him and put my faith in Him and testify of His goodness in my life (v28)
Sin No More
Hear the words of Jesus to the infirmed man at the Temple, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” (John 5:14)
These words provide a grim reality of the devastation of sin since the Fall of man at the Garden of Eden. The curse of sin upon mankind is the cause of physical diseases and eventually death. What a sad state of helplessness and hopelessness if the curse of sin cannot be lifted. The curse of sin was lifted for this impotent man lying by the pool in Bethesda when he met Jesus that day. He has been plagued with thirty-eight long years of weariness and pain, an unbearable state of constant suffering. [JC Ryle]
That freedom from the bondage of sin must cause him to be grateful and choose wisely not to meddle with sin. Jesus says to him, “… sin no more, lest a worse thing come to thee.” Jesus speaks here of God’s future judgment that comes in this man’s life if he chooses to go the way of sinners again. It is a stark warning to cherish his freedom and yield not to temptation. In other words, may the fear of God cause him to depart from evil all the rest of his days on earth.
Hymns: RHC 339 When I Fear My Heart Will Fail, 542 Saved by Grace, 284 Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
PSALM 124
IN PRAISE OF GOD’S WATCHFUL CARE
OUTLINE
(1) He Cares (v1-5)
(2) Thanksgiving for His Care (v6-7)
(3) Confident of Future Care (v8)
Living Water – John 4
Jesus passed through the city of Sychar in Samaria for an appointment with a woman at Jacob’s well. It was midday when Jesus, being wearied from his journey, asked the woman drawing water at the well, “Give me to drink”. The woman was surprised knowing that Jesus was a Jew, for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans (John 6:9). Jesus identified Himself as One that can offer her living water for whosoever drinks of the water that He will give him shall never thirst. Living water is fresh spring water as opposed to stagnant water. Jesus explained this “living water” that He would give her shall be in her a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
The woman, of course, requested Jesus for this living water – John 4:15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
Jesus initiated a process that will open the fountain of living water for her consumption. How did Jesus do that?
He first sought to treat the spiritual ailment in her life. She was seeking for true love and until she met Jesus, has not found it.
John 4:16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
The woman’s reply was that she has no husband. This was not true. For Jesus pointed out to her that she has had five husbands.
John 4:17-18 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
She realized that Jesus was no ordinary man. Jesus could understand her heart’s cry. She sought to find the love and peace of home life through marriage but has been fumbling in this area. By it, it exposed her inadequacy of to run her life and she felt miserable. Jesus is offering her the divine wisdom needed to stabilize her life, a life with God. Inadvertently, she reckoned that it has to do with being connected with the worship of God the Father in heaven.