Category: January 2014

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!

Thank God for bringing Rev. Dr. Tow Siang Hwa, our pastoral adviser, last Lord’s Day to administer the Lord’s Supper and minister God’s Word from Psalm 23.

His vivid description of walking through the valley of the shadow of death where dangers abound perhaps from wild predators or rough terrain brought much comfort to our hearts. Indeed, with the Lord as our Shepherd, we will fear no evil. He takes care of us in life’s valley to protect us from harm and danger.

Dr. Tow was unable to come in December 2013 due to a fall. Thank God for granting him recovery. Do continue to uphold Dr. Tow in prayer.

1 A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (Psalm 103:1-2)

As we begin 2014, let us with thanksgiving recount God’s blessing upon us and forget not all that we have received from His good hand. The psalmist had much to thank God for. And he listed them one by one in this psalm. As we survey how God blessed the psalmist, we too, must echo that deep sense of gratitude in our own hearts. The psalmist reminded his own heart how easily he can become forgetful and be disconnected with the Giver of his benefits. Therefore, he commanded his own soul, to bless the LORD, to praise the LORD, to be thankful for all His care for him. May we at Blessed Hope do so too!

In the matter of soul winning, our Lord sets the example par excellence. Jesus came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Matt. 9:13). The Pharisees laughed Him to scorn but Jesus continued the work that His Father entrusted to Him. How did Jesus accomplish this work? We can glean from Matt. 9:35-38: it is hard work (v35), it is heart work (v36) and it is Holy Spirit-led work (v37-38).