Welcome to the September 2026 Prayer Vigil!
Occasionally there are articles online about archeological discoveries which claim to have a bearing on Christianity, and one of these claim to be the discovery of ancient manuscripts which should prompt a “rethinking” of Christianity. However, a closer look shows that the manuscripts are about Gnostic beliefs which first appeared between the late first century and early second century AD and have a distorted view of the Christian faith.
In fact much if not all of Gnosticism goes against the truths revealed in the Bible. It is an eclectic blend of “Christian” elements, Jewish apocalyptic thinking, Platonic philosophy, Zoroastrianism and Egyptian religion. Gnostic believers were active in Egypt, Syria, Rome and Asia Minor by the second century AD and their writings include texts which go by names such as Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Philip, Gospel of Judas and Apocrypha of John.
There are at least four main areas where Gnostic beliefs contravene what is in the Bible -
1. Concerning creation and the existence of good and evil, Gnosticism claimed that creation was carried out by a subordinate and flawed being called the Demiurge which the Gnostics considered equivalent to the God of the Old Testament, while the real supreme God is entirely spiritual and detached. With this concept of creation by a flawed being, all things in the physical universe are considered corrupt and evil. On the contrary, the Bible tells us that there is only one true and good God who created all things both visible and invisible and that what he created was good (Gen. 1:31) until sin ruined the world. God the Father and Jesus the Son were together as one even before the beginning of the world (John 17:5) and all things were created by the Son who is the Word (John 1:1-3).
2. Concerning Jesus Christ, Gnosticism claimed that because all physical matter was evil, the divine Christ could not have become fully human and that he only appeared to be human (Docetism), or was a spirit inhabiting a physical body while on earth and left before the crucifixion and therefore did not really suffer and die. On the contrary, the Bible shows that Jesus was fully human and fully divine (John 1:14) and tells us time and again that Jesus had to be the sinless sacrifice, without blemish, acceptable to God for our sins through the spilling of his blood (2 Cor. 5:21; 1Pet. 1:18-19; Heb. 2:14-15, 9:14). Therefore, checking for agreement that Jesus came in the flesh shows whether a spirit is from God or not (1 John 4:1-3).
3. Concerning sin and salvation, Gnostics believed that there was sin because the human spirit or “divine spark” was trapped in the evil physical body. Salvation required an intellectual and spiritual awakening through possession of secret knowledge (gnosis) so that the spirit could break out of the physical prison and return to the realm of light (Pleroma). This knowledge was only available to an elite who possessed special insight. However, the Bible tells us that sin is our moral rebellion against God (Rom. 3:23) and that humans cannot hope to have salvation through our own efforts through knowledge or works. Salvation is only possible through our repentance and faith in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which is a gift by God’s grace (Eph. 2:8-9). Salvation is available to all who choose to believe (John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9) and is realized through a restored love relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ and not just escape from physical existence.
4. Concerning resurrection, Gnostics did not believe in resurrection of the physical body as physical matter was considered an evil trap to be done away with completely. The Bible on the other hand reveals that God will restore and make new the heavens and earth (Is. 65:17; Rom. 8:19-22; Rev. 21:1) and the saved will be resurrected or raised physically as Jesus was raised (John 20:26-28; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15).
Let us pray -
Holy Father, Almighty God, thank you for your steadfast love and mercy. Thank you that your Holy Spirit is here with me to teach me all things and remind me of the truths in your word - that I am a new creation living under your grace through my restored relationship with you made possible by my faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ your son. Protect me from the deceptions of the evil one and the false teachings that can lead me away from the truths about Jesus. Guide me that I will not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of my mind that I may know and do your will for your glory and the salvation of people you bring into my life.
Continue in prayer for -
- Our church as we continue in the process of calling a pastor to shepherd our church.
- Give thanks for Pastor Domenic and his ministry of preaching for our church.
- Pastor Luther (pastor of Pastor Domenic’s church) and his family; for his recovery and restored health after bypass surgery.
- The deacons, ministry leaders and teams, the church staff, Life Group leaders and Small Community Group hosts, that the Spirit will work through them to help the whole Body of IBC work together as one and grow in Christ.
- The Lord to raise up more leaders and discipleship makers in IBC so that we will be a community of disciple makers and prayer warriors to fulfill the vision and mission of IBC.
- Carlos and Analie as they continue God’s work in Hong Kong while they wait for the Lord’s call to leave Hong Kong at the appropriate time.
- God’s guidance for Amy in the Youth Ministry and for Suzy Pelling after her departure from our church, and for the Lord to choose another person to coordinate our Children’s Ministry.
- The missionaries among us and our mission partners as they work with IBC to reach out to the communities in Hong Kong and beyond; also, for our church members who reach out regularly to people in the community e.g. the prisoners and the homeless.
- The inmates of the Ling Oi Drug Rehab Centre, Lai Chi Kok prison and other prisons; the street sleepers in Sham Shui Po and Happy Valley; the elderly in Wah Fu Estate and Silver Mine Bay; that they may experience God’s love and receive salvation through Jesus.
- Our young people as they begin new school terms abroad (Mica Chan, Charis Yip, Miles Ling, Timothy Tso, Joshua Tso, Isabelle Roskell) or who will be going abroad (Nathaniel Yip, Emily Ling, Matthew Lam), for their protection and strengthening of their faith.
- Those we know who need physical, emotional or spiritual healing and care: Dave Kwok’s colleague Demi (recovery after stroke); Tony Mo (recovery from second stroke); Mike Ainslie (Alzheimer’s); Brian and Yun Xiang’s baby Hudson; Alice's brother-in-law Edward (treatment for rare illness); Thomas Lam (eyesight); Iris’ two sisters, Winnie and Teresa, and Jackson’s sister-in-law Alice (God’s grace in their fight with cancer); Stephanie’s father (eyesight and hearing); Frank’s brother Jan (glaucoma) and brother John (cancer); Ailin Iwan’s father Susanto Iwan in the U.S.(treatment for prostate cancer); Sandy’s father (Thomas’ father-in-law) in Shanghai (cancer treatment); Latika Paul in India (suffering from unusual hunger pangs at night).
- God’s grace, care and strength for Uncle Harold, Beatrice, Y.M. Chen, Kaushic’s mother and Alex’s father; continue to pray for Steve Metz and his family members, and also Steve’s recovery from shoulder surgery; for Andrea and Faizal and family as her mother passed away recently.
- The Lord’s strength, wisdom and peace for caregivers for the elderly or those with health or special needs.
- Non-believing friends and loved ones to be drawn to Jesus – Charlie Teo’s grandfather in Shanghai; Frank’s brother Jan; Kenneth’s mother and siblings; Terry’s son Joseph; Michelle Niem’s family members; Angela Arguelles’ sister and brother-in-law; Pansy’s husband; Stephanie’s parents and sister; Frederick’s mother; Ivy’s son and family; Maria Tanielu’s mother and family in Samoa; Charles’ brother William in Canada; Iris’ sister Winnie in Australia; Ailin Iwan’s parents in the U.S.; and Sandy’s father in Shanghai.
We lift up these prayers in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, Amen!
[This prayer guide was prepared by Charles Ip]