A Wonderful Saviour

– A Light out of Darkness

Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), America’s most prolific hymn writer, authored more than six thousand hymns, blessing millions worldwide. Embarrassed by the volume of credits to her name, she used over two hundred pseudonyms. Fanny Crosby did her composing in a dark room – total darkness – for she was blinded in infancy by a doctor’s mistake. Her father died when she was a year old, requiring her mother to hire herself out to a wealthy family. When her grandmother heard that the little child was incurably blind, she said, “Then I will be her eyes.” She took long walks with Fanny and graphically described the sunsets, clouds, trees, flowers, birds, and beauties of nature. Her grandmother’s word pictures were so vivid that Fanny even had a favourite flower – the violet.

The Apostle Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit aids the believer to the will of God. The mysterious working of the Holy Spirit within us is not seen but can be understood as a comforting truth and a life-bearing compass. Indeed, as the godly man’s reminder goes “the believer’s heart is the Holy Spirit’s home. Have you God nudging you lately? The Holy Spirit can do more in a minute than we can do ourselves in a lifetime”!

When Noah is building the ark, he has not seen rain. But he knows that God will be sending rain in the fullness of time and the ark that he builds will provide security and safety from the coming calamity. The Bible tells us that Noah feared God. He took God at His Word and proved Him faithful! Hebrews 11:6 testifies “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” May God grant us faith in His Word so that we will continue to hope in Him as we await His soon return! Amen.

Believers are the “firstfruits of the Spirit” in that the Holy Spirit indwells all who adopted into the family of God giving them the power to overcome sin. The believer can choose to yield to temptation and thus sin against God. The groaning that the Apostle Paul speaks of is the weariness that comes with that constant struggle. Satan and the world will continue to seduce the believer to their fallen ways. Each time the believer falls, he pays a price for the consequence of sin.

Since the fall of man, sin, sorrow and death has plagued humankind with untold misery. The curse came upon all the created world. And there seemed no relief since then. The Apostle Paul acknowledges that this sad predicament for the created world is a known truth to all. Here, he emphasizes the entire creation is groaning or signing in pain together like that of a woman in labour during childbirth. It is excruciating and unbearable.

The ravages of sin plague not only humankind but also all animate and inanimate living creatures. Thorns and thistles grew from the ground and animals become carnivorous predators. This will continue until the time when Christ returns to restore order in His creation to the pre-fall Edenic state. There will be no more spiritual blindness, apostasy, crime and rebellion, debts, bankruptcies, greed or repossession of properties.

The Apostle Paul reveals to us that the creation eagerly anticipates and patiently awaits the time when Christ would return to restore it to pre-fall Edenic paradise. At that time, the children of God will rule with Christ for a one thousand years on earth (Rev. 20:1-6) and thereafter this present heaven and earth will be destroyed and God will create a new heaven and a new earth and eternity will begin. How does this coming future affect the Christian? It will teach him to seek the things that has eternal value rather the things of this world that has a temporal value and will perish with time!

Matthew 26:69-75 (KJV) 69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.

(1) 2nd Anniversary Thanksgiving Service

Thank God for gathering His people last Lord’s Day in thanksgiving on the occasion of Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church 2nd Anniversary.

Thank God for bringing Rev Dr Tow Siang Hwa, our Pastoral Advisor, to rejoice with us. Dr Tow led us in pastoral prayer.

Two years is a milestone in the life of an infant church. Thank God for keeping us and sustaining the work. The Lord enables us to hold prayer meetings and worship services week after week. Great is His Faithfulness. It is our prayer that the Lord will continue this good work for His glory till He comes.