18. O Sing Unto the LORD
Hymns: RHC 143 O Holy Night, 314 Near, Still Nearer, 106 Christ Liveth In Me, 147 Away in a Manger PSALM 98 1 <A Psalm.> O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, …
Category: Weekly Newsletter
Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 48
The Lord’s Return Is Near
The church of Jesus Christ is exhorted to prepare for the Lord’s imminent return.
Let us look at James’ exhortation to the church in James 5:7-8 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
James addressed the early church who were persecuted for their faith, suffering the loss of their possessions, even their livelihood and home. What were they to do when they have been following the Lord and yet incarcerated? Life was difficult! He exhorted them to be patient, to learn patience. To be patient when their rights have been encroached. James was painting the rich oppressors of this world (James 5:1-6), whose riches come through evil ways and will ultimately be disappointed with life. These wealthy oppressors of this world, those who use their wealth to make more personal wealth for personal gain at the expense of others will not face a good end. These rich, elite men of the world will one day cry in misery because their fortunes are turned. When Christ returns, they will be judged. “Weep and howl” (James 5:1) described the great grief, pain and sorrow that they will experience. These who have hoarded their wealth and lost them eventually to decay. Their wealth rotted away.
Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 47
(1) Royal Priesthood
Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
As you pray for God’s mercies to be granted, take with you these thoughts:
The infinite willingness of God to bless. His very nature is a pledge of it. He delights in mercy. He wants to be gracious. His promises and the experience of His saints assures us of it.
Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 46
O Jesus I Have Promised
O Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.
O let me feel Thee near me
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.
O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee,
That where Thou art in glory,
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.
Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 45
Enter and Find Pasture
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (Jn. 10:9 KJV)
Jesus said, “I am the door”, by which a man, entering in, is saved. Not only will Jesus save his soul, but he finds pasture – nourishment for his soul. The Apostle Paul who was gloriously saved when He met Jesus by a bright light from heaven on the Damascus road testified that more than temporal physical blessings (Matt. 6:33), the man who is reconciled with God through Jesus Christ, experienced the desire to live a life that is right in the sight of God and finding peace and joy in the heart.
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
He testified how the repentant sinner can be saved in Romans 10:9-10.
9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 44
He Loved them Unto the End
John 13:1Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
It was a most trying time in our Lord Jesus’ earthly ministry where He would suffer shameful betrayal and desertion from His disciples. The suffering steps to the cross would soon begin. Yet, whether to His disciples or to the lost, He remained true to the mission that His Father had sent Him – He loved them unto the end.
JC Ryle said well, “Knowing perfectly well that they were about to forsake Him shamefully in a very few hours, in full view of their approaching display of weakness and infirmity, our blessed Master did not cease to have loving thoughts of His disciples. He was not weary of them: He loved them to the last.”
To think of such let-down would have driven a mortal man to great despair yet our Lord patiently and lovingly bore all. The Apostle Peter who, himself, deserted our Lord Jesus, having later repented, recounted the greatness of that love wrote:
20For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1 Pet. 2:20-25 KJV)
Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 43
Reformation in Switzerland
From Germany, the Protestant Reformation progressed to Switzerland, where in the northern part the people were mostly German in language and customs, in distinction from those parts which were geographically and in certain other respects linked with France.
Ulrich Zwingli led the Reformation movement in the northern part of Switzerland. He was born in the village of Wildhaus in 1484. Like Luther, he was of lowly birth, but he was brought up in more favourable circumstances than Luther and was educated in a school at Basel and at the University of Vienna. He was an altogether different type of man from Luther, but the teaching of the Spirit of God led both of them in the same direction. Zwingli became more and more convinced of the sad condition of the Church, and as he was a very earnest and diligent student of the Bible, he also became convinced that between many of the teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church and those of the Scriptures there was a world of difference. At the same time, he read the writings of the early Fathers and the books of Wycliffe and Huss. When a colleague of Tetzel, Bernardin Samson, sold indulgences in Switzerland, Zwingli raised a protect, but he was not as bold as Luther, nor was Samson as boisterous as Tetzel, so there was not such a violent clash in Switzerland as there was in Germany.
Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 42
Day by Day – Hymn Story
Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
The waves of revival that swept the Scandinavian countries during the latter half of the nineteenth century were greatly influenced by the wealth of fine hymns which flowed from the pen of Linda Sandell, born on October 3, 1832 at Fröderyd, Sweden. She was a daughter of the pastor of the parish church of that community. Being a frail youngster, she usually preferred to spend her time in her father’s study rather than to join her comrades in play. When she was twenty-six years of age, she accompanied her father on a journey to Gothenburg, but tragedy occurred before the destination was reached. The ship gave a sudden lurch and Lina’s father fell overboard and drowned before the eyes of his devoted daughter. She was the author of this hymn – Day by Day.
Although she had written hymns prior to this tragic experience, more songs began to flow out of her broken heart which reflect a simple, child-like trust in Christ and a deep sense of His abiding presence in her life.
Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 41
If the Foundations Be Destroyed!
The psalmist cried out in Psalm 11:3 “3If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? ”(Ps. 11:3 KJV)
On 25 September 2018, I read with great trepidation on the Straits Times “Opinion” page Professor Tommy Koh’s article “Section 377A: Science, Religion and the law” what seemed to be a public appeal to repeal Section 377A of the Singapore law.
As a citizen of Singapore and a Christian pastor, I felt the urgent need to give a response because the very structure of the family consisting of father, mother and children coming out of that blessed union is about to be overturned. I write to emphatically emphasize that this societal order from time immemorial must not be compromised.
Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 40
(1) O Happy Day!
We thank the Lord for a blessed Baptismal Service last Lord’s Day. “O Happy Day!” was the message of rejoicing from:
Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
The thoughts summarized in our message were:
(1) Coming to the Lord/The Lord is coming to you (v1-16a)
(2) Cleansing from the Lord/The Lord cleansing you (v16b)
(3) Calling on the Lord/The Lord calling you to service and devotion (v16c)
This sermon can be assessed @ https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninf o.asp?SID=9301872421