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Food for thought

John 4:34 - My food, said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work As I read this verse, I noticed a marked difference between Jesus and His disciples. Although they were travelling together and facing the same circumstances, their priorities were very different. Jesus was intentional about going to Samaria, while the disciples would probably have preferred to avoid the region. Jesus was willing to engage a Samaritan woman, while His disciples were surprised to find Him speaking with her (John 4:27). The disciples went into town to buy physical food for consumption, but Jesus was consumed by His spiritual food,  doing the will of His Father and finishing His work. The difference was not in their circumstances, but in their priorities and perspectives. The disciples saw Samaria as a place to be avoided; Jesus saw it as a place of divine opportunity. The disciples saw a despised Samaritan woman; Jesus saw a soul that needed salvation. The disciples were con...
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Take off the grave clothes - John11:38-44

The raising of Lazarus was one of the greatest miracles recorded in the New Testament. Lazarus had been dead for four days. His body was already decomposing. Even Martha acknowledged the reality of death when Jesus asked for the tombstone to be removed. But Jesus did what no human being could do. He called out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" ( John 11:43 ) And the dead man came out! Imagine the scene. A man who had been dead for four days was now standing before them alive! The miracle was so extraordinary that it had a profound impact on the people who witnessed it. Many believed in Jesus, while the religious leaders became increasingly determined to put Him to death (John 11:45–53). Death had been defeated by the voice of Jesus! But notice something interesting in verse 44 . Lazarus was alive, but he was still wrapped in his grave clothes. His hands and feet were bound with strips of linen, and his face was covered with a cloth. He had received life, but he was stil...
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Living in the oil of joy

This morning, I was up at 4.00 am and spent some quiet time with the Lord. As I opened the Scriptures, the same thought that had been on my heart yesterday surfaced again, but this time, I encountered it from another passage in the Book of Hebrews. It was as though the Lord was drawing my attention to the same truth from a different perspective, bringing a fresh understanding and deeper insight into His Word. As God's mercies  are new every morning  so is His Word. Hebrews 1:9 - You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (NIV) Understanding the oil of joy In biblical times, oil was associated with joy, celebration, honour and blessing. It was used on festive occasions, as a sign of honour, and in religious ceremonies. For example, in Psalm 23:5 , David declares, “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” The anointing with oil here conveys a picture of God's generou...
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The joy of the Lord

“The joy of the LORD is your strength.”  — Nehemiah 8:10 (KJV) It has been a hectic few days. I had been working night shifts, often with very little sleep during the day. On average, I managed only about three-four hours of sleep a day. On Saturday morning, 24 October, after completing my night shift, I returned home, took a shower, and headed straight to the airport. I had a speaking engagement at HighPointe Life, Klang on Sunday morning. As usual, Ps Stephen and his wife, Flora, came to pick me up at the airport. We enjoyed a good time of fellowship over lunch, after which I spent much of the afternoon preparing my message for Sunday morning. That evening, we were invited to Ps Reni’s parents’ home for a memorial service in remembrance of his parents, who had both passed away over the years. It was a privilege to meet members of his family and relatives and to share in this meaningful occasion. Slept past  midnight and was up early to pray  and seek the Lord . I know ...
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Refreshing others

Philemon 1:7 (NIV) -  Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.” Paul commends Philemon for refreshing the hearts of the Lord’s people. What a testimony to bear! Philemon was not merely known for what he possessed or what he had achieved, but for the way he touched the lives of others. What made his testimony so special was that he did it out of genuine love, without expecting anything in return or having ulterior motives. His love was sincere, selfless and Christ-centred. He refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people not for recognition, personal gain or praise, but because he genuinely cared for them. That is the kind of love God desires from us: a love that gives without expecting anything in return, serves without seeking recognition, and cares without hidden motives. But what does it mean to refresh the hearts of others? To refresh someone is to bring encouragement, comfort, strength and renewed hop...
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Seek ye first the kingdom of God

Matthew 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom  and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. We often treat Matthew 6:33 as an isolated promise of provision, but less time is spent meditating on its actual significance within Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Jesus speaks these words directly into the context of  human worry and survival . Right before this verse, Jesus addresses the crowd's deep anxieties about daily living:  What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?  (Matthew 6:31). He notes that the pagan world runs after these exact things. In our modern context across Singapore and Malaysia, this translates directly to the modern rat race - worrying about inflation, housing, career advancement, economic stability, and keeping up appearances. Jesus' remedy for this anxiety is radical: stop chasing the things the world chases. Instead, completely reorient your life around a different priority.  A Christian cannot live their l...
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Has the devil been relieved of his job?

The Bible tells us that one of the devil’s main roles is to be  the accuser of the brethren  (Revelation 12:10). Unfortunately, it seems that he no longer has to do the job himself because some of us Christians have taken over that role! Today, my heart was broken when I heard how two very well-known "preachers" had begun mocking one another on social media. In the process, derogatory words were used that brought dishonour to the name of our Lord.  Where was the fruit of the Spirit? Where were the love, gentleness and self-control that should characterise those who claim to serve Christ? What we witnessed was not the fruit of the Spirit, but the works of the flesh. Hearts were broken, families were saddened, and the Church of Jesus Christ was put to shame. Meanwhile, the enemy must have been delighted. James 3:10 reminds us: -  Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. How can we bless God with our mouths an...
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