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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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Sunday service at ECOS

This morning I had the privilege to minister the Word at Emmanuel Church of Singapore in Geylang. I am coming to this church after about eight years. It was good to see many friends and to be part of the worship this morning. This church has been a blessing to me over the years and in spite of many challenges they are continuing to serve the Lord. I thank God for the many open doors and opportunity to share His Word.
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The walls are ever before me

Isaiah 49:16 -  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.(KJV) God’s unfailing faithfulness There are times in life when everything around us seems broken. The things we once depended on may have crumbled, our plans may have failed, and the future may appear uncertain. In such moments, it is easy to wonder whether God still remembers us and whether His promises will ever come to pass. Isaiah 49:16 offers us a beautiful assurance of God’s unfailing faithfulness. In Isaiah 49, God speaks to His people, Israel, who were experiencing distress and the consequences of their rebellion. They felt forgotten and forsaken. In verse 14, Zion declares, “The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.” But God answers with a powerful declaration of His love and remembrance. He assures His people that He has engraved them upon the palms of His hands and that their walls are continually before Him. What a wonderful picture of a God who ne...
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Under the watchful eyes of God

Psalm 33:18  –   “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.” Yesterday morning, I shared this verse with some friends. But as I began to take a deeper look at it, I realised that it had so much more to offer than I had initially understood. What began as a simple verse to encourage others became a personal reminder of God's watchful care over my own life. Psalm 33 is a psalm of praise that celebrates the sovereignty, faithfulness and greatness of God. It reminds us that the Lord is not only the Creator of the heavens and the earth, but also a God who is personally concerned about the lives of His people. He is not a distant God who simply observes what is happening in the world. He is a loving Father who watches over those who fear Him and place their hope in His unfailing mercy. Sometimes, in the busyness of life, we can become so overwhelmed by the pressures around us that we lose sight of the One who is watching over us. There...
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TEAM 2819 – Nepal Flood Relief

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TEAM 2819 on 21-23 Sep had the privilege of reaching out to families affected by the devastating floods in Nepal. Although our contribution may have been small in comparison to the great needs we witnessed, we are grateful to God for opening the door for us to serve those who were hurting and in need.     Together with our partners,  PEM International – Nepal , we were able to carry out this relief effort and bring practical assistance to 150 flood-affected families. More than simply distributing food and essential supplies, our desire was to demonstrate the love and compassion of Christ to people who had gone through a difficult and painful experience. Jesus said:  “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.” -   Matthew 5:13–14 We believe that being salt and light means not only proclaiming the Gospel with our words, but also demonstrating the love of Jesus through our actions. In a small way, this relief effort gave us an o...
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