When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

He was only five feet tall, with a large head made bigger by a huge wig, and with a hooked nose and a frail and sickly body. Such was the appearance of the illustrious Dr. Isaac Watts (1674-1748). As a young man he had proposed to a lovely lady. While rejecting his proposal, she said, “I like the jewel but not the setting.” Illnesses plagued him throughout his life, and for most of his last 30 years, he was an invalid.

(1) Abide With Me

Henry F. Lyte (1793-1847) pastored a poor parish church in a coastal town in England, battled asthma and tuberculosis throughout his life. Despite physical frailty, he laboured diligently and was greatly loved by the people. He once said, “It is better to wear out than to rust out.”

His health worsened to the point that he almost had to crawl to the pulpit for his final sermon in 1847.

Weakened from the ravages of the lung diseases and facing the sorrow of his impending departure from his beloved parish to Italy, he walked by the sea with a very heavy heart.

Thoughts on Psalm 117

Psalm 117:1-2 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalm 117 is the shortest psalm, the shortest chapter and located in the mid-point of the Bible. It is a written testimony of God’s people in relation to their experience with Him. We have not seen God nor touch Him but He is real, He exists, He manifests Himself in the life of His people by His great love and by His everlasting Word. This short psalm gives punch to the message – an invitation to a lifetime of blessings with the living and true God.

(1) Precepts of Prayer

We would begin a new series on the ‘Precepts of Prayer’ for our Wednesday night prayer meetings from 6 May 2015. We shall study the biblical principles of prayer – How we ought to pray! Set aside time for this appointment with God in corporate prayer for His kingdom’s sake.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Righteousness Exalteth a Nation

A nation where justice reigns, where there is righteous administration of the government, where law is upheld and order prevails, receives God’s favour. God exalts such a nation (Prov. 14:34).

In the past week, the nation mourns the death of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, architect of modern Singapore. Mr Lee Kuan Yew once said, “I’m very determined. If I decide that something is worth doing, then I’ll put my heart and souls to it. The whole ground can be against me, but if I know it is right, I’ll do it. That’s the business of a leader.”

Our late principal of the Far Eastern Bible College, the late Rev. Dr. Timothy Tow taught us, “Singapore law is taken from Indian law and Indian law from British law and British law from Roman law and Roman law from God’s laws as recorded by Moses in the Holy Scriptures.” Broadly speaking, that’s the basis for the Singapore constitution that is worth our defending.