Matthew 10:16-23 (KJV)

16. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

17. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

18. And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

19. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

(1) Blessedness of Embracing God’s Word in Daily Living
Psalm 119 tells us the key to victorious living is an applied knowledge of God’s Word in our lives. Indeed, life is full of troubles, tears and sorrows. This is a fallen world that we live in. Yet there is peace, hope and joy in the Lord.

Psalm 119 is an acrostic psalm with each of the 22 sections of 8 verses beginning with succeeding letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This is done to facilitate learning – it is an aid for those who take up the challenge to memorize all of the 176 verses.

The preface of the psalm in verses 1-8 introduces the theme – blessedness of embracing God’s Word in the believer’s daily life. It was a constant prayer in the psalmist’s heart – “5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes.” There was a purposeful resolve to walk with God which led to a conscience without rebuke, “6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.”

Ezra 2 (KJV)
Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;
Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.

(1) A Year Since Our First Prayer Meeting
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Our first prayer meeting at the Praise Chapel was conducted on 15 August 2103. It marked the beginning of our gospel work at the Diary Farm area.

Thank God for gathering His people every Wednesday night at 8pm for prayer since then. We can testify to many rejoicings of answered prayers.

God’s people are spiritually refreshed and strengthened. The Scriptures are opened and God’s people are instructed. In the past year, we have studied the book of Exodus, Daniel and have just begun a new series on the book of Ezra.

Ezra 1 (KJV)
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

Matthew 10:1-15 (KJV)
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

(1) I Know That My Redeemer Lives – Job’s Song in the Night
Job suffered the severest calamities of anyone in the Bible. His whole world came tumbling down as he lost his possessions, his family, his health, and the respect of his peers.

From the pages that record the sufferings of Job, emerged one of the most precious promises of the Bible: “God…giveth songs in the night” (35:10). Job knew well this beautiful providence of God. When the curtain of catastrophe fell over his soul, a shaft of brilliant sunlight broke through the dark clouds. God gave him the sublime song, “I know that my Redeemer liveth!”

Matthew 9:35-38 (KJV)
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

(1) Turning to God from idols to serve the living and true God
1 Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

On 23 March 2014, Jonathan Tang Meng Wei, his wife Jacqueline and their children Jovan and Janelle, and Meng Wei’s mother Mdm. Peh Choo Pun received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. The family has been coming for worship on the Lord’s Day, with Mdm. Peh attending the “Mandarin service” through the simultaneous translation of our worship service into Mandarin. Jovan and Janelle have been attending the children’s Sunday School faithfully.