"Every person deserves a fighting chance!" Brother Singh does not care about your ethnicity or religion; whether you graduated from Yale or jail, his heart is open to anyone who needs help. He is simply one beggar showing other beggars when to find bread. Because of his openness to people—and their struggles—his witness is genuine and effective. Our lifestyle as Christians should reflect the grace of God to people in our community. If our attitude is correct, it is a powerful witness.

Brother Singh states, "Every person deserves a fighting chance!" He does not care about your ethnicity or religion; whether you graduated from Yale or jail, his heart is open to anyone who needs help. He is simply one beggar showing other beggars when to find bread. Because of his openness to people—and their struggles—his witness is genuine and effective. If we do not have empathy for the Ukrainian civilians fleeing the ravages of war, the Spirit of Jesus is lacking in our lives. Likewise, we ought to have an open and responsive attitude towards those in our community who need help. Yet too often, we "write-off" someone because we decide they are beyond salvation. 

Christianity is a life, but religion is manufactured. The line between the two realities is barely detectable at times. Christianity leads to salvation, but the counterfeit versions lead to damnation! While we often blame the enemy for undermining the work of God (and he does), human nature in its depravity is perfectly capable of producing imitations. Therefore, the genuine gospel is simple and easily understood by anyone who truly desires to live for God.

While the gospel is simple, the conversion process is long and arduous. It begins with a 'quickening' (Ephesians 2:1), where we receive an ignition of eternal life. But that is only the beginning! What those who practice religion fail to realize is that "this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." (1 Corinthians 15:53)  God must transform our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

When a saint is targeted, causing them to stumble and lose their faith, that is not the time to give up on them. Brother Singh is a champion of underdogs. He supports those individuals whose credibility is eroded in the church. When we turn our backs on someone or point an accusation, we forget, "there is none righteous, no, not one! For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:10 & 23). In this remarkable lesson, we discover aspects of the Spirit or nature of Jesus that every child of God ought to strive to emulate. Empathy allowed Jesus to identify with sinners, though he was sinless himself.

Following up on Wednesday night's lesson, Brother Sam encourages the saints with a quotation from Ezekiel pertaining to the duties of a priest "They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean" (Ezek. 44:23). Our assembly and fellowship are blessed to have a pastor who "rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth" (1 Cor. 13:6). Br. Sam commends Brother Desmond Singh for maintaining a standard of righteousness when the Body of Christ could easily follow worldly trends,

Brother Singh expresses his awe and incredible wonder, knowing that God the Father "hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we {the elect} should be holy and without blame before Him in love."(Ephesians 1:4) It is incomprehensible to finite human minds that before anything existed, God loved us individually—not to accomplish fame or fortune, not to be wealthy or powerful—but to be holy and blameless before Him. So then, we must grasp that we have a higher purpose than those committed to this world's existence. Brother Singh's responsibility is to preach a message that will save us from this untoward age. He needs the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to use the right scriptures in context but to inspire us to receive the good news with gladness.

Speaking of two resurrections, one spiritual and one physical, Jesus said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." (John 5:24-25). In modern English, we read: "I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message {my gospel} and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. And I assure you that the time is coming. Indeed, it's here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live." 

How shall we learn scripture? To whom does the Lord reveal His knowledge? God's elect receive it  "precept upon precept,  line upon line,  here a little, there a little." (Isaiah 28:10) Tonight, Brother John Mowat reflected on the coming resurrection in the manner prescribed above. The love of God's word flows from this elder's heart like lava.

Brother Singh explains a generally misunderstood scripture in modern Christianity in this inspiring lesson. Nicodemus, a Jewish leader, and Pharisee approached Jesus at night, saying, "Rabbi, we know God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you." Nicodemus was likely a secret disciple of Jesus. So, before Nicodemus could ask it, Jesus discerned his question: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

After separating the elect from the non-elect, Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you 'continue' in my word, then are you my disciples indeed" (John 8:31). Elsewhere he demands, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Fidelity is measured by commitment to faithful action, not by the words we speak! Often Brother Singh emphasizes 'lifestyle' to demonstrate our commitment to the gospel he preaches! It is not enough to nod in agreement and exclaim Amens to the messages we hear; we are to incorporate them into our life.