O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness

WHAT WISDOM SHOULD YOU RELY ON?

“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.” (Proverbs 3:7)

This verse is a caution to us against relying on our own human wisdom. Have you been living your life relying mostly on yourself and God has a limited part in your life? Have you at times made decisions in your life and subsequently realised that those decisions were wrong because you did not seek God prior to making them? We all have. Such decisions could have been made hastily, without regard to spiritual considerations, or made without taking time to pray over them.

The Wrong Wisdom to Rely on

We live in a world that consumes itself with human wisdom, pride and successes. About a month ago when I was in a bookstore, I had a look at the top ten non-fiction book titles. Some of them were “The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down”, “Atomic Habits, An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones”, “The Art of Thinking Clearly”, “POWER”, “The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed and Happiness”. While some of these are intended for readers to ‘self-help’, clearly these are the ways of the world without regard to the teachings that truly matter – that of the Almighty God in His Word. Some of the titles reflect the mindset of seeking material wealth, power and ambition as the priority in life. We have to watch out for the different mindsets of the world. They are in opposition to God.

Two other verses help to clarify the caution in Proverbs 3:7. First, Romans 12:16d tells us “… Be not wise in your own conceits”. Second, Proverbs 12:15a tells us “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes”. Read together, the point is that reliance on our own wisdom is proud and foolish. Reliance on our own wisdom and decisions made from that will not be in God’s will and we bear the consequences of such decisions.

The Right Wisdom to Rely on

How can we not be “wise in our own eyes” in life and in decisions we make? We are taught some ways in this verse and the contextual verses. First in verse 7 we are instructed to “fear the LORD, and depart from evil”.

Fear the Lord

To fear the Lord is to be in awe of Him, to give Him the greatest respect because of how great He is, and to be motivated by that to live for Him. First, only a true child of God can properly fear the Lord. Second, we need to get our priorities in life right. Are our lives our own? Do you think your life is for you to live only for yourself, your family, your studies/career, ambitions and/or happiness? If you are a true child of God, does it matter to you that you have been redeemed from eternal condemnation in hell with a great price, by the suffering and death of God’s only Son who is God Himself? If not for saving grace we face the condemnation and punishment of the wrath of the Just and Holy God. We unworthy sinners have been saved by grace that we totally do not deserve. To live our lives for our own purposes is foolishness that will not benefit our souls.

In practical terms to live our lives in fear of the Lord involves putting God first in this short life on earth we have. God has His will for each of us. He puts us in different vocations and phases in life. We have to regularly consider and seek what God’s will for our lives is. In whatever vocation we are, be it in our jobs or education, we are to do our best but to glorify God in that which He has given to us to do and to strive to be a witness and good testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ. That critically requires us to be guided by God’s Word because He has given us His Word as a manual to govern our lives. Just as without following any good instruction manual, a product will not work properly, not living according to God’s instruction manual for us is the wrong way of living. That displeases God and it affects adversely our relationship with Him.

We ought to reflect regularly whether we put God first in our lives. Do we in effect put God last in the way we live our lives? Consider some scenarios. Do we:

1)   Set aside time each day to consider God’s word and seek Him in prayer?

2)   Ensure we do not miss the Lord’s Day worship? Even if we make plans for overseas holidays, do we consider the Lord’s Day worship important to set aside time to worship Him in a sound church?

3)   Ensure we are punctual for the Lord’s Day worship? Since the Lord’s Day worship is to worship God, to be late for the worship service is disrespectful to God. Ironically, we would ensure we are on time, and even be early, to attend events outside church worship service that we view as important, for example those that will be graced by a prominent guest of honour. 

4)   Put our minds in full attention and devotion when worshipping God in the worship service? Do we distract ourselves or other worshippers? Simple steps can be taken for this. Consciously put our electronic devices to silent mode and do not check them during the worship. Do not chat with others before or during the worship. Concentrate on every aspect of the worship service and do not let our minds wonder away.

5)   Factor importantly whether there is a sound church to worship in if we are considering moving to a foreign country for work or studies?

6)   Honour God on the Lord’s Day by planning our commitments around weekdays so that we can keep the Lord’s Day holy (The 4^th Commandment)?

7)   Put spiritual considerations as central in our lives and in the decisions we make?

8)   Set aside time regularly for Christian fellowship? Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to forsake this. That instruction points out that the main purpose of Christian fellowship is to exhort one another. Prayers, encouragement, serving together, learning from each other are some of the benefits of fellowship. There are bountiful opportunities for these in our church. 

9)   Give of our ability, resources and time to serve God and others, in and outside the church?

Remember the principle in Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Depart from Evil

Next, fearing God and putting Him first in our lives cannot do without the other instruction in verse 7 of “departing from evil”. Every day in our lives we are to apply this. The meaning of “depart” is to remove, abandon or turn aside. Thus, we are commanded to remove ourselves from evil, abandon or turn aside from it. “Evil” includes sin, which is transgressing God’s commands or falling short of the standards God has set in His word. There is much evil and sin in this world, under the influence of the devil who is the adversary of all who are God’s children. If we are not careful, we may become a participant of evil/sin. It is important for us to be clear about this. We are still in our flesh. We fall into sin if we do not take care or if we do not care. This is obedience which God requires from us. Proverbs 3:1 instructs us not to forget God’s laws, and to keep His commandments. We have to live our lives being clear that sin offends God, we must watch out for it, be sensitive to temptation to sin and remove ourselves when we see temptation. In practical living and in decisions we make there may be aspects that are worldly, sinful or displeasing to God. We must ensure we avoid decisions that may be tainted by such things because they are evil in the eyes of God. Otherwise, God will not be honoured and He will be displeased. Secondly, where relevant we must ensure we conduct ourselves and make decisions that promote the teachings in God’s Word, for example, holiness, love, humility, service and evangelism.

Trust God fully

To live our lives in fear of God and putting Him first also involves trusting God fully. The simple reason is that God cares for us as His children and He is in control of all things. In two preceding verses, in Proverbs 3:5, we are taught to “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding”. In all things that we do, while God gives us the intellect, ability and resources, we are to pray and trust the Lord with all our hearts instead of relying in any way on ourselves, for example in the sense of proudly thinking that what we have done or can do is due to our own abilities. We need to commit all our undertakings and decisions fully to God, seeking His help, leaving and accepting the outcomes from Him. If we seek God (and we must do so earnestly), He will be found of us: 1 Chronicles 28:9.

Acknowledge God

Further, Proverbs 3:6 tells us to acknowledge God in our ways. To acknowledge God is not merely recognising His existence and knowing who He is because the word “acknowledge” means to experience with knowledge. The appropriate meaning in context means to have an intimate relationship with God through experience. In our lives we are to seek to know God better and improve our relationship with Him continually because each of us is a child to God our Father. The big question is whether we commit ourselves to do so.

Conclusion

If we do the above earnestly, then surely God shall direct our paths and we can trust Him for that. By being sensitive in our hearts and minds to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can discern the Lord’s directions for us. With God’s help, we can make decisions that are not wise in our own eyes.

Finally, if you are reading this exhortation but you have not trusted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour yet, then you likely cannot appreciate or even understand what these all mean. Life is short and like a vapour. Death can come suddenly without warning. Don’t be foolish to think you will have a long life and there is therefore no need to consider your eternity. You need to find out who Jesus is and what He has done for you. There is only one true and living God revealed to us in the Bible, who has given His only beloved Son Jesus, who is also God, to die and bear the punishment of our sins. You need Him as your Saviour. Come to Jesus, repent from your sins and plead with Him to be your Saviour and Lord of your life.

– Elder Peter Koy

Appointments for the Week

Monday, Feb 12

        7.30 pm     No ERBL Lecture

Tuesday, Feb 13

        8.00 pm     Prayer Meeting (Dn Ian Tay)

Wednesday, Feb 14

       10.00 am    SF Meeting

Thursday, Feb 15

      10.00 am     Ladies’ Prayer Group

        7.30 pm     ERBL: Bible Geography (Ms Lilian Lee)

Saturday, Feb 17

        3.00 pm     LTF

Sunday, Feb 18

  8.00 am     The Comfort of God Zechariah 1:7-21 (Rev Quek Keng Khwang, with Holy Communion)

  8.00 am Choir Practice

  9.15 am Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  9.40 am Sunday School / Catechism Class

10.15 am Coffee Corner

11.00 am The Comfort of God Zechariah 1:7-21 (Rev Quek Keng Khwang)

11.00 am Children’s Ministry

11.00 am Chinese Service (MPH)

11.00 am Filipina Service (Rm 1-6)

12.15 am Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  2.30 pm Thai Service (LMH)

  4.00 pm Indonesian Service (Rm 1-6)

Announcements

Infant Baptism on Easter Sunday, 31 March 2024.

Parents, please email the church office, with your full names, contact numbers, and your child’s name and date of birth by 10 March 2024.

Life BPC Job Vacancies

1. Estate Management Officer (EMO)

Responsibilities:

EMO plans, oversees and coordinates all property management and preventive maintenance activities associated for the church premises. Coordinates facilities usage for a range of Church activities and Church’s authorized users using the premises. The EMO reports to the Church Operation Manager.

Qualifications:

• Diploma or equivalent
• 5 years’ experience in real estate management and maintenance
• Certification in real estate management and maintenance is an added advantage
• Lifers are preferred

2. Administrative Executive (AE)

Responsibilities:

The Administrative Executive reports directly to the Administration Manager (AM) to provide administrative support for the Church office and ministries.

Qualifications:

• GCE ‘A’ level or higher
• 3 years’ experience in administrative support
• Skill in Microsoft Office, database and general computing is mandatory
• Lifers are preferred

Candidates with relevant qualifications and experience may submit your application and CV to the Church Operations Manager at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Condolence

Our condolences to sis Yeo S H and family on the passing of her mother, Mdm Ng B K (91 years old), on 09 Feb 2024.

Redesignation of Duties

Elder R Lim will be posted overseas for work for two years, from 22 Feb 2024. During his absence, Elder T Tan will serve as the General Superintendent of the Sunday School, and Elder Lim C W will serve as the Chairman of the Staff Resource Committee.

Vacation Bible School 2024 for N2-P6 children will be held on 29-31 May (Wed-Fri). Theme: Champions for God. Registration will open soon.

Coffee Corner

Welcome to Coffee Corner. Our mission is to provide an occasion for fellowship among worshippers from 9.30am-10.45am. Please join us over a cuppa to get to know each other and welcome new friends.  

We greatly appreciate food contribution. Do come by and fill up the chart at the Coffee Corner or text Amy if you wish to contribute any food item. 

The Coffee Corner also needs helpers to prepare food and drinks on Sundays. If you

are available to serve in this ministry, please contact any of the helpers on duty and we will include you in our duty roster. 

We also wish to inform worshipers that Coffee Corner will be closed on 11-Feb (Today), being the Second Day of the Lunar New Year.

Holy Communion Elements Preparation

Lifers are invited to serve in the Holy Communion elements preparation, clean-up and washing. Those interested may contact Jenny or Wendy .

Traffic Wardens

Lifers are invited to serve our Lord as Traffic Wardens on Sunday. Kindly contact Dn Choong or Bro Kelvin if you are available.

Far Eastern Kindergarten Online Registration 2025 Intake

• Pre-Nursery: Children born in 2022
• Nursery (Vacancies in PM only): Children born in 2021
• K1 (Vacancies in PM only): Children born in 2020

Priority registration for church members: 1 February to 14 February 2024.

Register online at http://www.lifebpc.com/fekedu/registration.html

It will be on a first-come-first-serve basis after 14 February 2024. 

Please visit our website http://www.lifebpc.com/fekedu/ or call 6251 3676 for more information.

Exploring Christianity

25 Feb – 24 Mar 2024

9.30am – 10.45 am @ Beulah Rm 2-1

Register at https://tinyurl.com/ExpChr2024

For enquiries, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Church Camp 2024 will be held from 10 June to 14 June (Mon to Fri) at Resorts World Awana, Malaysia. 

Speaker: Pastor Tan Soon Yong

Theme: Truth Matters 

Registration for Church Camp 2024 is now open. You may go to the church's website at www.lifebpc.com/church-camp-2024 to register online. Availability will be on a first come first served basis. Please do register early! If you require assistance, please contact Josiah Seah at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Seniors Fellowship Seminar: Bones of Contention: Osteoporosis

Date: 27 April 2024

Time: 4-6 pm (followed by dinner)

Venue: Beulah MPH

Register at https://lifebpc.com/sfseminar

Seminar: Pornography & Sexual Lusts

Date: 6 April 2024

Time: 2-6.30 pm (followed by dinner)

Venue: Beulah MPH

Register at https://forms.gle/Kf1aZefXGTvU3ojFA

Seminar: Pornography & Sexual Lusts

Date: 6 April 2024

Time: 2-6.30 pm (followed by dinner)

Venue: Beulah MPH

Register at https://forms.gle/Kf1aZefXGTvU3ojFA

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