Testimony And Encouragement

Greetings in the wonderful name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is both my joy and honor to share with you of the faithfulness of God in my life and my family, and in the ministry to which He has called me.

I would like to express my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Rev. Paul for granting me this opportunity. I also wish to convey my profound appreciation and thanks to Bethel BPC, Melbourne, for your faithful support during my studies at Far Eastern Bible College in Singapore, (2014-2017) both financially and through prayer, and also for your continued support of the ministry of First BPC, Yangon.

Above all, I give thanks God for the gift of salvation that I received freely and entirely by His grace. Salvation is not the result of any human merit, effort, or contribution, but it is solely the gracious gift of God to sinners. As Scripture says: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9).

As the hymn writer beautifully, expressed what Christ did on my behalf so that I may live in Him: “His robes for mine: O wonderful exchange! Clothed in my sin, Christ suffered ’neath God’s rage. Draped in His righteousness, I’m justified. In Christ I live, for in my place He died.”

In addition to the grace of salvation, God extended another grace by calling me into His sacred service. As the Apostle Paul expressed his gratitude, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (1 Timothy 1:12). In the same spirit, I am deeply grateful that God, in His mercy, called me into the ministry despite my unworthiness and incompetence. It is a great honor and privilege to serve my Savior, my Lord, and my King. What more glorious opportunity can a human being have than to take part in the ministry of the King of kings and Lord of lords? None!

The faithfulness and goodness of God are seen and experienced in the daily life of our family, both at home and in the ministry. God not only called me into the ministry, but He continues to prove Himself true and faithful to His Word: “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). The Lord has faithfully provided for all our needs, both spiritual and physical, according to His sovereign purposes. It is my duty and commitment to follow His guidance faithfully.

By the way, my name is Samuel Van Thawng Hup, and I am married to Mrs. Bawi Hnem Mawi. The Lord has blessed us with three wonderful daughters (Rachel, Pricilla, and Ann). As a family, we serve the Lord at First BPC, Yangon. I am privileged to serve as one of the preachers.

Areas of Ministry Service

Allow me to highlight the areas of ministry in which I am involved in the church. Since my return from FEBC, Singapore (2017), I have been serving as a preacher at First BPC, Yangon. My primary responsibility has been overseeing the Children’s Sunday School Department, including assisting teachers in curriculum selection and organizing Daily Vacation Bible School (DVBS) programs twice a year.

I have also been involved in various teaching ministries, including: Adult Sunday School, Youth Fellowship Group, Women’s fellowship Group, Church Prayer Meetings, and Online Zoom Service.

In addition to serving in First BPC, I also have the privilege to visit and serve at Ngalti BPC occasionally. The most recent visit was April, 2025. By God’s grace we were able to conduct Children’s Sunday School Teachers’ Training at Ngalti BPC. It was a meaningful and enriching opportunity for me to take a part in the training of teachers.

From this year onward, the leadership of First BPC has assigned me as overseer of the Youth Fellowship Group. I am currently teaching the Epistle to the Romans to this young people’s group. I also teach the Westminster Shorter Catechism in the Adult Sunday School. I need God’s grace and guidance; brethren please do pray for me.

Serving is the Lord is a Privilege, not a Right

I would like to encourage you, brothers and sisters in Christ. As we all know well, serving the Lord is a once-in-a-lifetime privilege. We have only one life given by God, and only one life to serve Him. Scripture exhorts us: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

What motivated Apostle Paul to continue in the work of the Lord? The answer is found in the word “therefore.” This refers to the hope of the resurrection. The hope of resurrection is what motivated Paul to continue steadfastly in the ministry. In other words, it is this resurrection hope that gives meaning and value to every sacrifice and labour in ministry. This exhortation is not only for full-time ministers, but to every believer in Christ. All believers are called to be steadfast in the faith and abounding in the work of the Lord. Faith in Christ and service to Him cannot be separated. The evidence of being steadfast in the faith and confident in the resurrection hope is that we are always abounding in the work of the Lord. The local church has many areas of ministry in which we can serve. Sadly, some Christians do not or cannot find a place to serve in the church. This is a very unfortunate situation.

We are Saved to Serve God

Our service to God has an end; therefore, we must carefully consider how much time and opportunity we have. We are created and saved to serve God, and all Christians are called to serve Him. Remember, sometime our service to the Lord may not be recognized by men, but it is never unrecognized in heaven. Our service is faithfully recorded in heaven. No work done for the Lord is unnoticed. Every labor rendered to God is not in vain, and we shall be rewarded according to our faithfulness in service. When we serve the Lord, we need to “Serve the LORD with gladness” (Ps. 100:2a).

May we all, therefore, brethren always abound in the work of the Lord in every sphere of life — in the church, in the home, in the workplace, in school, and wherever we are – for the glory of God. Amen.