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TRUE LIFE BIBLE-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
RELC Auditorium, 10.30 am

30 Orange Grove Road, down Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore 258352
Mailing Address: 1 Goldhill Plaza, #03-35, Singapore 308899
Email: admin@truelifebpc.org.sg; Website: http://www.truelifebpc.org.sg
(Ring Pastor Jeffrey Khoo 62561189 Anytime)

Vol. XVII No. 3
20 October 2019
“The LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep SILENCE before him.”
Call WorshipDn Tan Beng Lee
Opening HymnPraise to the Lord, The Almighty
Invocation/Gloria Patri
Responsive Reading1 John 4:8–21
HymnPraise Him, All Ye Little Children
Announcements
Offerings/HymnSinging I Go
Doxology/PrayerDn Tan Beng Lee
Scripture TextPsalm 145
SermonSpeaking the Praise of the Lord
(Rev Lek Aik Wee)
Closing HymnThe Excellency of God
BenedictionRev Lek Aik Wee
WORD OF LIFE BPC IN KAMPOT

Update by Pr Tann Heng
21 September 2019

Praise God for His grace and mercy upon my life and my family. I am really thankful to God for True Life BPC’s session and members in Singapore, always supporting the ministry in Cambodia with prayer and finance. Especially this time is the period of home church building of Word of Life BPC in Kampot. According to the contractor, this home church building costs about (USD49000). At this point in time we still need about (USD36500) to complete this building project. Please pray for us. Pray for God’s provision to complete it as soon as possible. Here are some photos of the building (see drawing plan at back page).

Now the land belongs to my parents-in-law. This is my concern also—what is going to happen after 10 years? Recently, I asked them again about the land and the building and they told me that they are thinking of these three options: (1) After 10 years, they may give this land to me as inheritance for the ministry, or (2) they may rent this land to the church for the ministry, or (3) the church can buy another piece of land so that the church can carry on the ministry in another place. On account of that, I think God is opening the door to allow this land to be a home church for God’s people, for worship (God willing). Now, we really need a place to worship especially for this village’s children and adults. Please pray for the building to be completed as soon as possible.

OBEISANCE NOT WORSHIP

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God…. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” (Rom 13:1, 7).

Following up on my sermon on September 8, it should be clarified that the biblical injunction to submit to authorities does not mean kowtow or worship. Many Asian Christians in the days of Japanese Imperialism rightly refused to kowtow in worship to the image of the emperor. Remember Daniel’s three friends (Dan 3:1–18). Missionary Timothy Pietzch, founder of Tokyo Bible Church, wisely said, “If the image can bow back, then you can bow.”

Although human rulers or judges are not to be worshipped, we should not hold them in contempt either, but render unto them due honour or respect for the office to which they have been appointed under God. In Court, you bow to the judge, but the judge also bows back.

Besides Romans 13, we have other passages that tell us to be submissive to the authorities. 1 Peter 2:13–14, 17–18 says, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well…. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.” Titus 3:1, 2, “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.”

It ought to be noted that this call to submit to human authorities does not mean blind submission or obedience. Our submission to the authorities should be in the Lord. That is, we do not and cannot obey if they tell us to do evil or violate God’s Law. It goes without saying that no human government is infallible or perfect. As Christians we should pray for our government leaders that they will make decisions and policies that are morally good and right. “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.” (Prov 14:34–35). JK

ROBBING MAN AND ROBBING GOD

Following up on my sermon on Romans 13:8–10, “No IOU”, I did say in my sermon that borrowing in and of itself is not wrong lest hearers misunderstand. The Bible does speak of lending and borrowing; for example, the “very poor” borrow to survive, but the rich when they lend should not charge interest (Exod 22:25). At the same time, the Bible also says, “Owe no man anything” (Rom 13:8). We don’t owe when we don’t borrow, and if we do owe, we must pay back as soon as we can. “The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.” (Ps 37:21). That was why I said we should do our best to be in a strong position, to be able to support ourselves and have enough to help others when there is a need. As Wesley famously said, “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” Not forgetting God is our Provider, “Self help with God’s help is the best help” as often told to us by Pastor Timothy Tow.

We often hear of man robbing from man, but how about man robbing from God? Some are not convinced that man can rob from God, but Malachi 3:8–10 speaks to this clearly, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matt 11:15). JK

THE MODEST WOMAN VS THE STRANGE WOMAN

David Cloud

Text: Proverbs 7:7–23

Consider some of the contrasts between the strange woman described in Proverbs and the modest woman:

They are different in where they go. The strange woman is not afraid of going out “in the black and dark night” (Prov 7:9). Her “feet abide not in her house; now is she without, now in the streets” (Prov 7:11–12). The modest woman, on the other hand, is cautious about where she goes and when she goes and with whom she goes; she avoids going to places where moral temptations lurk; she avoids being alone with men other than her husband and brothers; she avoids situations that could place her in the way of moral harm. The modern pop culture would applaud the strange woman as “liberated,” but the liberty to do evil is actually enslavement.

They are different in their attire (Prov 7:10). The immoral woman has “the attire of an harlot”--skimpy, tight, suggestive--to draw attention to herself sexually and to lure men to her on that basis. The modest woman, on the other hand, is clothed in such a way so as NOT to draw men’s attention to her in a sexual manner.

They are different in spirit (Prov 7:10–11). The immoral woman is “subtil of heart ... loud and stubborn.” The modest woman has “a meek and quiet spirit” (1 Pet 3:4).

They are different in countenance (Prov 7:13). The immoral woman has “an impudent face.” The modest woman, on the other hand, is “shamefaced” (1 Tim 2:9). This is the Greek “aidos,” which “has the idea of downcast eyes” and means “bashfulness, i.e. (towards men), modesty or (towards God) awe” (Strong). It implies “a shrinking from trespassing the boundaries of propriety” (William Hendrickson, New Testament Commentary).

They are different in their religion. The strange woman makes religious offerings and attends to religious duties (Prov 7:14), but her heart is far from God; she goes to church, but she is a hypocrite; her true and real life is devoted to evil. The modest woman, on the other hand, serves God from the heart. She is the same person in the dark of night as she is in the light of day.

They are different in their definition of love. The strange woman confuses love with lust, thinking that “love” is mere romance and the fulfillment of sexual desire regardless of one’s marital status (Prov 7:18). This is the definition of love promoted by Hollywood and rock & roll. The modest woman, on the other hand, knows that genuine love is godly commitment in marriage. True love is keeping God’s commandments (1 John 5:3).

They are different in the way they look at life. The strange woman lives only for the moment; she does not look at the end of things but only at the beginning. She does not think about God’s judgment but only about the pleasure of sin (Prov 7:22–23). The modest woman, on the other hand, knows that sin is pleasurable only for a season and she focuses her attention on the eternal rather than the temporal (Heb 11:24–26).

[Source: www.wayoflife.org, March 19, 2019. Thanks to Dr Bob Kluttz of Hokkaido Bible Centre for sending this article to me. JK]

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