Celebrating Our 40 + 4 Church Anniversary

by Mitchell Tan
August 26, 2017

THANKING GOD FOR THE BETHANY SPIRIT

As we celebrate our 40 + 4 anniversary, we celebrate the Lord’s work at Bethany these many years. We thank God for His blessings on us as individuals and on the many ministries in our Church. Truly, we thank God for the spirit that we have as a Church in serving Him together. At the beginning of the year, Pastor taught some of us what it meant to have the Bethany spirit. I would like to reiterate what was taught. We can understand this spirit in the acronym BETHANY.

1. B FOR BOLDNESS

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John”
Acts 4:13

We are meant to have the boldness of Peter and John in speaking for Him and not be afraid to do so.

2. E FOR EVANGELISM

“For that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
Matthew 4:17

Our commitment is to follow the footsteps of the Lord Jesus in sharing the gospel with others.

3. T FOR TRUE-HEARTEDNESS

“For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
Acts 4:20

There is also the example of the true-heartedness of Peter and John. They were true to the Lord and His word. Let’s learn to be true to all that we have heard and learnt from the Scriptures.

4. H FOR HOLINESS

“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct”
1 Peter 1:15

Our challenge is to be holy as God our Father is holy.

5. A FOR ACKNOWLEDGING GOD’S MERCY, POWER AND PROVISION

“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.”
Psalm 116:5

We must acknowledge the Lord’s mercies and grace on our lives and on our Church the last 44 years.

6. N FOR NEAR TO GOD

“But it is good for me to draw near to God”
Psalm 73:28

Another challenge is to learn to draw near to God, that we may trust in Him and declare all His works.

7. Y FOR YIELDING FRUIT

“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit”
Matthew 7:17

Last but not the least, we are to be trees that will bear good fruit.

HAVING THE SAME SPIRIT OF FAITH

This is the Bethany spirit that we are meant to have. As we go to the Shang for our anniversary celebration, let’s seek to have this BETHANY spirit in sharing our faith and being a blessing to others. Please plan also to come for Youth Conference 2017. Our theme this year is on “The same spirit of faith”. Paul wrote these words to the Corinthian Church.

“And since we have the same spirit of faith”
2 Corinthians 4:13

This same spirit of faith is something we can learn to have cultivate, possess and express. Paul and his friends had this same spirit of faith. The Corinthians were encouraged to have this same spirit. It is something that all of us can have too. The first major event for our 45th year is our Youth Conference. Let’s come that we may all learn to have the same spirit of faith. Let’s all catch the BETHANY spirit for the 45th year of ministry.

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