Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
This is God’s plan that was enacted with the call the Abraham in Genesis 12 finding its fruition the salvation of Jews and Gentiles. What glory. What graciousness. What joy. God did not forsake His people Israel but Israel together with the Gentile world can be saved through the gospel of Jesus Christ. How undeserving we are and how merciful God is to condescend to save us!
Ecclesiastes 3:14-17
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. 15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. 16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. 17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
The Apostle Paul testifies by his personal experience in his encounter with the ascended Christ on the Damascus road and was gloriously saved, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6 ) He further testifies of his calling to service, “Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.” (1 Timothy 2:7).
Despite many differences with regard to choices of taste and preferences among believers, we should receive one another. A person should be received because Christ has received him. Christ has died for him. And therefore, he is precious in God’s sight. It brings glory and honour to God when we are willing to forbear and tolerate each others’ idiosyncrasies.
The Apostle Paul express his desire in prayer that the God of steadfast endurance and encouragement will the strong and the weak believers in Rome to live in peace and harmony looking to Christ Jesus as their example par excellence. Forging unity in worship of God.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
God’s Word provides the believer with encouragement and comfort. The biblical characters like Joseph and David, Absalom and Ahithophel helps us to see godly men and also the ungodly. It provides for us admonition and it provides for us wisdom to a godly walk.
Sanford Bennett (1836-98), a music teacher and instrumentalist, owned a drugstore in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. His friend, Joseph Webster, who had frequent bouts of depression, would often come to the store. Together they would compose songs that helped Webster come out of his melancholy.
The knowledge of God and from God in Scripture is the highest knowledge, the apex of all knowledge. It is the basis or foundation of our faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Dr Carl McIntire, the founder of the Bible-Presbyterian movement says “The genius of the Protestant faith has always been that the Holy Spirit speaks through the Scripture directly to the individual.” It is profitable for you when you appropriate it for yourself with prayer.
The Apostle Paul quoted Psalm 69:9, “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.” Hendriksen said well, “The main lesson Paul is conveying is this: If Christ, the Holy One, was willing to take upon himself so much suffering, in the form of insults hurled at Him by His enemies, then should not we be willing to sacrifice just a little eating-and-drinking pleasure for the sake of our fellow-believers?”