Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
The Apostle Paul was moved by the Spirit of God to carry the gospel to the Gentile world. He was empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring the message of the gospel from Israel to Asia Minor and to Europe.
Acts 9:15-16 (KJV) 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
Matthew 28:1-15 (KJV)
1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
This is a blessed day for the people of God as they remember Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. Death is conquered. Hell vanquished. Sin is a defeated foe. Salvation grace came upon all who are willing to call upon the name of Jesus. In the evening, I receive the confirmation of God’s grace in the heart of an elderly gentleman above the age of 90. His family members including spouse and children have accepted that the father is now a Christian. They were willing to honour his choice to be a Christian and baptism has been requested for their father. What rejoicing!
The most significant day in human history is the day when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, rose from the dead. Harold W. Hoehner in his book “Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ”, gave the date to be 5 April A.D. 33. On that glorious morning, death is conquered, hell is vanquished, and heaven won!
One of the two criminals that hung on the cross with Jesus Christ at the execution ground of the Jews outside Jerusalem called Calvary, confessed with his mouth and believed with his heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Saviour of the world. He was gloriously saved in the last moments of his physical life.
Luke 23:32-33, 39-46 (KJV)
32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.
33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
Jesus Christ is Lord to all mankind. There is no distinction between the Jew and the Gentile. God’s plan was to bringing the riches of His blessing to all mankind through the nation of Israel. More specifically, through Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah. The blessing of God’s salvation will go forth from the Jews to all the nations of the world.
Thank God for the gospel. Salvation would become impossible if we have to keep the law to be saved. The sinful nature in man renders it impossible for him to keep the law as summarized in the Ten Commandments. But salvation comes by faith in the truth that God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Faith in the heart and confession of the mouth is God’s way of saving a soul destined for judgment in hell fire.
2 Kings 5:15-19 (KJV)
15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
16 But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
God provided His Laws by which Israel is to live. The people of Israel are not to imbibe the ways of Egypt nor the ways of the inhabitants of Canaan. Israel has a God-ordained mission to be a witness of God to the nations of the world. Her work was to bring forth her foremost Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. All the Laws given by God to Israel pointed them to faith in the salvific work of Jesus Christ. Israel stumbled when she rejected her Messiah, Jesus. Both His death and resurrection is prophesied in the Old Testament Scriptures. Worship and the sacrificial system in both the Tabernacle when they came out of Egypt and in the Temple in Jerusalem pointed to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins.