Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
Gospel Mission at Changi General Hospital
Mrs. Jacqueline Tang, a new believer, came to worship with us last Lord’s Day. She requested that we visit her husband to share the gospel with him. Together with Richard and Pauline, we made our way to the Changi General Hospital.
“Envy” according the Webster’s dictionary is a feeling of discontent at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another. It describes one who complains discontentedly or murmurs at another’s prosperity. It is to fret or grieve at the real or supposed superiority of another, and hence to hate the person on that account. The Bible tells us that the character of Christian love dispels the entanglement of “envy” and exhibits a calm contentment of the heart at the supposed inequalities of life.
We are thankful to God for bringing Rev. Dr. Tow Siang Hwa, our pastoral advisor, to minister God’s Word to us and to conduct the Lord’s Supper last Lord’s Day. He spoke from Psalm 139 on how we are fearfully and wonderfully made by God, debunking the theory of evolution. We are thankful to God for His truth faithfully expounded from the King James Bible. It was indeed a happy occasion when we took a group photograph to remember this day.
This word “charity” describes the outworking of God’s love in the life of a believer. This love is both unconditional and sacrificial as exemplified by Jesus’ life. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 2:5-6 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all”. This word “charity” has a definite article attached to it in the Greek text. The definite article attached to this love describes the specific characteristic or identity of such a love. Greek grammar tells us that this definite article serves to point out, to draw attention to, to identify, to make definite, and to define the character of this “agape” type of love.
What is Biblical Charity?
We shall begin a series of exhortation on the meaning of biblical charity to be periodically placed in the weekly newsletter based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a for your encouragement.
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene…The scene opens before us at the end of the Sabbath. The Jewish Sabbath is our Saturday. The Jewish day starts at 6am and ends at 6am the next day. The end of the Sabbath is some time at dawn before day breaks on our Sunday. Friday was the first day of Jesus’ death. Saturday was the second day. This is the dawning of the third day, the day of resurrection. Mary Magdalene – who is she? A simple woman folk from Galilee! Why is she special?
The Registry of Societies sent this email on 11 February 2014 – “Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church was registered on 28/01/2014 under the Societies Act. The gazette notification effecting the registration was published in the Government Gazette, Electronic Edition, on 06/02/2014 vide Notification Number 305. Copies of the gazette can be purchased from Legal Publishing, Toppan Leefung Pte. Ltd.”
Thank God for His guidance in the registration of the church.
We have embarked on the study of the Life of Christ as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew in our sermon series since January 2014. There are rich lessons that benefit our souls for eternity. This world and its wisdom will pass away, liable to change and corruption. In contrast, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is the living God in human flesh, full of grace and glory. There is no greater discipline than the study of the Word of God. There is no better picture of godliness than the life of His Son. Jesus Christ is the exact representation of God, the embodiment of the fullness of wisdom. Please pray for the preacher who has taken on a challenge unequal to the task. It is only by prayer and the Spirit’s enabling that the preaching of His Word may be accomplished for His glory.
Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church became a reality when the Registry of Societies gave the approval for its existence on 28 Jan 2014 by an email notification. The title of the email was “APPROVAL FOR REGISTRATION OF BLESSED HOPE BIBLE-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ROS 1112/2013”.
The email reads: “Please refer to your application to register Blessed Hope Bible Presbyterian Church under the Societies Act. The application has been approved-in-principle under the name of Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church and subjected to the acceptance of the Constitution, including amendments made by the Registry of Societies and payment of the prescribed fee of SGD$400.00.” The constitution was accepted and the prescribed fee of SGD$400 was paid at the ROS – counter 21, 6th floor, ICA Building, 10 Kallang Road at 12.34pm on 28 Jan 2014. The administration procedure was completed.
It was an answer to prayer. 24 September 2013 was the date we submitted our application. We waited upon the Lord in prayer for 127 days. The Lord is good. We give Him all praise and glory.
We thank God for Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Khoo who came to share the Word of God with us last Lord’s Day. He spoke from 2 Timothy 4:1-8 encouraging us to fight the good fight of faith, be a “salvation army” for the Lord in the last days. From Scripture, he showed us how we can do so by focusing on the preaching and teaching of God’s life-giving and life-transforming Word. He acknowledged that it is not easy to start a new witness, new outreach, a new church for the Lord. The preacher, the Elders and even the members must be prepared to suffer many hardships. He encouraged us to not despise the day of small beginning. Most importantly, we must make sure that the Lord is with us, that He is pleased with the reason why we start this outreach. When the Lord is with us, we will succeed. The Lord will receive all the praise and honour!