Lord’s Day, Vol. 2 No. 4

(1) A Note of Encouragement

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!

Our heart-cry was to worship the living and true God according to Scriptures. We assemble at this rented Worship Centre of “The Salvation Army” to worship and witness for Him. We are living in the last of the last days, the last, last hour before Christ’s return and our witness reflects this truth. The name “Blessed Hope” is taken from the Bible verse in Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” May the Lord bless our desire to worship and magnify His Name! In doing so, we prepare a people ready to meet our Lord.

(2) An Uplifting Hymn

The hymn “He Giveth More Grace” by Annie John Flint was written to encourage the hearts of suffering and afflicted Christians. She has written many poems dealing with faith and the triumph of faith in a trial. This song was based on three Bible promises:

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Jude 1:2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

This hymn story was extracted from “Songs in the Night – Inspiring Stories behind 100 Hymns born in trial and suffering”. It tells us that there is a grace and strength from God that is not given in the everyday routine of life. But God gives it in our hour of need when our trust is in Him. When troubles and trials come upon us, may we know His added grace, His increased strength and His multiplied peace!

Stanza 1
He giveth more grace as the burdens grow greater
He sendeth more strength as the labors increase
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy
To multiplied trials His multiplied peace.

Stanza 2
When we have exhausted our store of endurance
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Chorus:
His love has no limit
His grace has no measure
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth and giveth again.

This hymn greatly helped a missionary to India when it was first released in the 1940s. The missionary received this record through the mail from a caring individual from America who had no idea how discouraged and how exhausted of resources she was. She excitedly loaded her record player and began playing this new inspirational song. It was told that when it got to the chorus, “He giveth and giveth and giveth…” the needle got stuck. Over and over she heard the phrase He giveth and giveth and giveth and giveth and giveth…until it brought absolute joy from the deep resources of her heart. She realized God truly wanted her to experience His unlimited and overflowing grace for her life.1

As I reflect upon our new outreach and the challenges we face, I shudder. However, my heart was uplifted and encouraged by this hymn story. Indeed, the grace of God will see us through. We continue to trust in Him.

(3) The Chinese Character for “Righteousness”.

The ancient Chinese recorded vividly for us in the word for “righteousness,” how sinful man can make right with the living and true God. This is the Chinese character for righteousness pronounced “Yi”.

Lamb 羊 + 我 me = 義 Righteousness

The top radical is a lamb or sheep and the bottom radical is “I” or “me”. The Lamb of God covers me giving to me this “righteousness”. It pre-figures the coming of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who will take away the sin of the world (John 3:16-17). Jesus was born into human history more than 2000 years ago. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross as man’s substitute to reconcile man with God. Jesus rose from the dead the third day victorious over sin and death. Jesus gives to every man who would believe in Him eternal life.

All who receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour by faith receives this righteousness and enjoys the blessedness of life with God. For Adam, it was that coat of skin, that took away the guilt of sin and restored his state of blessedness with God. In Genesis 3:21, God initiated a way out for Adam and Eve after they disobeyed God by eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God reached out to the guilt-stricken, fear-filled, shame-plagued heart of our first parents to provide a solution – “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins and clothed them”, a pre-figuring of the redemption work of Christ.

This salvation in Jesus Christ is given freely by God’s grace though it was bought with a great price. This is the good news of the blessedness of life with God by faith in Christ Jesus. Let us be ambassadors for Christ to share this tiding of great joy this Lunar New Year to our relatives and friends. There is peace and joy, hope, help and healing in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Yours lovingly
Pr Lek Aik Wee