Before Brother John exhorts the congregation, Brother Singh reveals a pastor's heart. He reminds us that we mostly say prayers instead of praying prayers. Prayer is an intimate, heartfelt dialogue with our heavenly Father. But, like our worship and service to God, we can easily fall into a dry and lifeless routine. We live near the end of the age. Troubles abound on every side. Considering the needs in our assembly and our fellowship worldwide, now is the time to approach prayer as never before. Let us pour out hearts unto our heavenly Father because our every breath is in His hands.

One of the peculiarities of the work that Jesus started was the small number of faithful followers. The most outstanding teacher who ever lived only managed to have about 120 followers by the time they gathered for Pentecost. "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women … Peter stood up among the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about a hundred and twenty) ..." (Acts 1:15)  Crowds tend to be fickle. While ministries are impressed with large numbers, God counts faithful hearts.

The purpose of worship service is to prepare our hearts to receive the preaching of the word of God. If our minds and spirits are not in tune with the worship, the most profound lesson will not penetrate our understanding. At best we will be educated but not illuminated. Intellectual comprehension will not save us, "for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). Life is tentative, and the reality of death faces everyone. Life is too precious to be wasted on negativity. Conversion removes all traces of idolatry, quarreling, jealousy, and outbursts of anger...

Br. Vid and Br. Sam offer personal testimonies to water Br. Singh's vital message of 8-10-22 entitled "The Unconverted Heart."  Conversion is a lifelong process. We face the danger of spiritual complacency developing over time. Conversion of the heart is essential to moving beyond the human tendency to worship God according to traditions handed down by our religious forefathers. 

Two traditions are tough to give up: Traditional food and religion. Our roots of bitterness often spring up from within the heart when Godly authority challenges our traditions. The problem is so significant concerning our conversion that the Bible warns us to look "diligently lest any man fails of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled" (Hebrews 12:15). So, it ought not to surprise us that conflict over traditions arose between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees.

The history of Israel, as found in the Old Testament, records God’s people as being rebellious and prone to seeking after other gods. That history helps our God-called ministry to comprehend the enormity of conversion for modern saints. We are coming out of spiritual Egypt—from backgrounds where false religion blinds people to the truth. “While men slept, {the Lord’s enemy} came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” Let us be realistic! Christ’s church today does not have the power demonstrated by the New Testament church. 

Brother John reviewed aspects of Wednesday night’s message “A Call to Come Out of Babylon.” His exhortation led to Br. Singh’s cautioning that the Body of Christ can become complacent like Judah, relying on the mechanics of religion rather than our heartfelt commitment to living for God. God spoke through His prophet: “Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor…” (Jeremiah 7:4-5).

We live in dangerous times because God’s judgment reigns down on earth. While God’s people should be protected as the Hebrew children were in the Land of Goshen from the plagues judging Egypt, the enslaved people were to live as separate people. So, the question arises: “If God judges a major city today for its sinfulness, are God’s elect so attached to that city that they will also be judged?” It is a sobering question. But, before answering, let us consider the warning issued to Israel before entering the Promised Land.

Every man "truly called" to preach the gospel has a traceable history that is inexplicable apart from the sovereignty of God. Brother Singh's account began at age twelve. Despite poverty, hardship, and immigration barriers, God led him to two residencies in America before leading him to pastor the assembly in Canada forty-two years ago. Some of the original members of that fledging congregation were present in service today. With fifty-five years of experience behind the pulpit, he can look back at a life of faithful dedication to God, despite his human frailties.

  Watering the lesson from Wednesday, "Walk Worthy,"  Brother Sam stressed that we live in constant anxiety because we neither know nor incorporate the word of God. Instead, we feed on the nightly news filled with negativity. Succinctly summed up: "Henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having their understanding darkened, alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts." (Eph. 4:17-18). Faith and hope are the opposite of fear and dread. Feeding on the word of God strengthens us and gives us peace.