Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
Steps For Effectual Prayer
James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
(1) Confession and Reconciliation (v16a)
(2) Prayer Restores (v16b)
(3) Burdens Lifted (v16c)
(4) More Prayer, More Power (v16d)
The late Rev Dr Timothy Tow said, “United Prayer is like burning charcoal, more prayer, more power, less prayer, less power”.
Patience, Comfort and Hope
Romans 15:4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
“Whatsoever things” in this verse has the meaning of whatever that God has revealed to us in His Word is for our instruction. “Written aforetime” has the innotation that what was previously written continues to stand written today to bear witness of the truth.
Do not neglect reading and studying the Bible. It is God’s written revelation to help us especially when we are going through trials and tribulations in life.
The Bible teaches us cheerful endurance in times of afflictions. It lifts our ailing hearts in the midst of our disappointments. It keeps the fire of hope burning in whatever challenging circumstances we may be facing. If our Christian life is to grow, we must apply the Scriptures to our daily living.
Beyond the Sunset – Blindness Transcended by Spiritual Sight
Virgil Block (1887-1978), a Quaker pastor, wrote more than five hundred gospel songs. His best-known hymn, “Beyond the Sunset,” was inspired by a beautiful sunset “witnessed” by a blind Christian. He recounted as follows:
“This song was born during a conversation at the dinner table, after watching a very beautiful sunset at Winona Lake, Indiana, with a blind guest – my cousin Horace Burr and his wife Grace. A large area of the water appeared ablaze with the glory of God, yet threatening storm clouds were gathering overhead.
Returning to our home, we talked about the impressive spectacle we had witnessed. Our blind guest excitedly remarked that he had never seen a more beautiful sunset. ‘People are always amazed when you talk about seeing,’ I told him. ‘I can see,’ Horace replied. ‘I see through other people’s eyes, and I think I often see more; I see beyond the sunset.’ The phrase, ‘beyond the sunset’ and the striking inflection of his voice struck me so forcibly, I began singing the first few measures.
Infant Baptism
Infant Baptism is a biblical doctrine, in accordance with the Reformed Faith, where infants are baptised so that they become a part of the covenant family in the visible church. The believing parents enter into a covenant with the Lord by bringing their infant for baptism, promising God to bring their child up in the fear and knowledge of God. In the Old Testament, God instructed Abraham to circumcise every male child who was eight days old in his household, as a sign of His covenant with Abraham for all their future generation.
(1) A Timely Poem
Thank God for His special care and protection upon Elder Dr Tow Siang Yeow who turns 88 years old on 6 November 2015. We remember the Lord’s goodness upon him. Sometime ago, Elder Tow wrote a poem on kindness. Prayerfully, the poem, entitled “What is kindness?” would encourage us to be kind one to another.
(1) Ordination Service
Thank God for a blessed ordination service on Reformation Sunday (25 October 2015). We had well over 200 in attendance to witness the special occasion.
The four-member ordination council comprises Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo (Pastor of True Life BP Church), Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy (Pastor of Gethsemane BP Church), Rev Tan Kian Sing (Pastor of Berean BP Church) and Rev Dr Tow Siang Hwa (Senior Pastor of Calvary Pandan BP Church). However, Rev Dr Tow was not able to be with us as he was still recuperating in the hospital after a surgery.
Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo chaired the ordination service whilst Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy gave the message entitled “The Power and Prospect of the Ministry” taken from 2 Timothy 1:6-18.
Two other pastors, Rev Kiantoro Lie (Pastor of Calvary Batam BP Church) and Rev Wee Eng Moh (Pastor of Berith BP Church) joined in the laying of hands during the ordination.
Rev Tan Kian Sing gave the charge from 1 Timothy 4:12-16; Titus 2:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:1-5.
Reformation/Ordination Service
Order of Worship
Call to Worship Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo
Opening Hymn The Church’s One Foundation (260)
Invocation/Gloria Patri
Responsive Reading Titus 2:1-15
Hymn Take My Life and Let It Be (419)
1) When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder – A Young Girl Is Called Home
A poorly clad fourteen-year old girl, Bessie, the child of a drunkard, was sitting on the steps of a broken-down house in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Professor James Black (1856-1938), a Sunday-school teacher, saw her there and asked, “Would you like to go to Sunday school?” She replied, “Yes, I would like to go but…” Black answered, “I understand.”
The next day he sent a parcel of clothing to the young girl, including a dress and new shoes. Bessie attended Sunday school that week and continued faithfully for many weeks thereafter. As president of the Youth Society, Black would call the names of members to mark attendance. They answered the roll call by repeating Scripture texts. He always looked forward to Bessie answering to her name when the roll was called.
Enoch Walked With God
Genesis 5:22-24 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
If I walk with the world, I can’t walk with God. For the world is like a net; the more we stir in it, the more we are entangled. (DL Moody). How does a Christian live in the world but not be of the world? Was it easier to be a Christian in the pre-flood era? We hope to draw some lessons from Enoch’s life about walking with God in these perilous times that we live in.
Witnesses for Christ (Part 2)
The Apostle Paul wrote to encourage the Colossians to greater service for the Lord by (1) glowing for Jesus (Col. 1:9-14) (2) being grounded in Jesus (Col. 1:15-23).
To glow for Jesus, he encouraged them to grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ (Col. 1:9 cf. 15-23), in fruitfulness (Col. 1:10-11) and in gratitude (Col. 1:12-14).
Verses 15-23 tells us it is critical that we are grounded in Christ for (a) He is God (v15), (b) He is Creator (v16-17), (c) He is the Head of the Church – The Pre-eminence (v18), (d) He is Saviour (v19-22), (e) He is the Good News (v23).