Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
(1) Homegoing of Mdm. Ivy Ng Teck Cheng
Mdm. Ivy Ng Teck Cheng (Mrs. Jamieson) went home to be with the Lord on 31 December 2015 at the age of 77. Her life has touched many hearts. The Silver Hall at the Singapore Casket where the vigil service was held was packed to the brim. On 2 January 2016, her body was laid to rest at the Choa Chu Kang Christian cemetery in Christian burial.
The outworking of the commandments in the believer’s is described in his love for God and for his neighbour. There is reward forthcoming from Christ when He returns to reward His servants.
The Apostle Paul illustrates the new relationship the born-again believer has with Christ to be like the termination of a marriage covenant at the death of the spouse where the surviving spouse is discharged from the marriage contract. This freedom is likened to the freedom from the condemnation of God’s law. He is “dead to the law by the body of Christ” in that Christ bore his sins when He was crucified on the cross. Christ’s death freed the believer, discharged him, from the judgment by the law for his sins.
Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; 2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
The Jews were a special people entrusted with God’s law. Israel was a nation created by God to be His witness to the nations of the world. Moses wrote this truth concerning the great wisdom God’s law that exalts the nation to give glory to God.
This chapter is to be read and understood as a whole. The Apostle Paul is putting forth precious truths concerning the state of the redeemed man. He tells us firstly that the moral law, as summarized in the Ten Commandments, is not abrogated when one becomes a Christian. It is furthest from the truth that he can now live outside the boundaries of God’s law, forsake holiness, and live lawlessly, having been freed from the bondage of sin and dead to the stranglehold of the law. He can now choose not to sin (Rom. 7:6).
We must continue to struggle against sin in our lives. For our encouragement, Scripture gave to us in the book of Job, the earliest recorded writing of Scripture such a man of God – Job 1:1 “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed (hate) evil.” The word “perfect” does not mean sinless perfection but holiness. He was a man who walked with God, who made right with God by that close communion with God. He made right with God and he interceded for his children daily. God Himself pronounced him “perfect.”
As the old saying goes, “Holiness is not inability to sin, but ability not to sin.” The freedom that we have as born-again Christians is within the boundaries of God’s Word. The Word of God sets the boundary for our protection. Just like our parents set the curfew hours that we are not to come home after a certain time. When we obey, we are protected. When we disobey, we expose ourselves to the dangers of this wicked world, waiting to devour our very souls.
– Mr Chong Wing Keong, Mdm. Cheong Lian Neo (Mrs Chong), Mdm. Chua Siew Eng (Mrs Lek), Mdm. Megan Yap Kim Lan.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.