Our sovereign and gracious God has faithfully guided our church in its 37-year history, leading us to engage in numerous Gospel mission frontiers. We are profoundly grateful for His providence, which has enabled us to train, commission, and support many faithful servants in the mission fields He has opened before us.
By God’s grace, we continue to prepare and equip those called to the ministry in these mission fields. The Gethsemane Bible Institutes (GBI) overseas remain devoted to training scores of men annually for the ministry. These institutions represent a vital part of our commitment to the Gospel.
The Lord has also blessed us with opportunities to provide monthly support to pastors, teachers, preachers, and students in need. Through the generous giving of our members and friends, we have rented and built facilities, including properties purchased to advance Gospel missions. Over the past 25 years, millions of dollars have been joyfully invested in these projects to sustain and expand the work of His kingdom.
Today, we have a fresh opportunity to further the Gospel. We must act swiftly to secure a one-acre plot of land for a new GBI campus and church. The deposit has been paid, but $100,000 more is urgently needed by the end of January 2025 to complete the purchase.
We urge you to pray earnestly and give cheerfully as the Lord enables. Your support will advance the Gospel and glorify God among many abroad. Please watch for updates during Sunday announcements, and let us respond quickly, trusting God to use our efforts for His glory. As 2 Corinthians 9:13 reminds us, may this work prompt many to “glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men”.
Annabelle Lim
I thank God for the opportunity to attend this year’s DVBS on the theme, “Joy Unspeakable”, held at Gethsemane Media Centre from 27 to 29 November 2024. Actually, I had been afflicted for several weeks with an unspecified headache, which made me seriously doubt if I would be able to go through the DVBS lessons. Thank God for His sustaining grace and the occasional relief from the medicine. I wish to share some thoughts I had gathered through our preachers who taught us.
Day 1 Morning Lesson: Joy in Salvation (Text: Luke 15:1-10)
I learnt from the parables of the “Lost Sheep” and “Lost Coin”, taken from Luke 15:1-10, that every soul is important to God. When one soul is saved, the whole heaven rejoices! Jesus is delighted to save sinners. When we are saved, we are joyful because we have escaped hell and inherited the promise of heaven. Moreover, we receive true joy (a fruit of the Spirit) that can never be destroyed. When an unbeliever is saved, we should be delighted that another person is added to the kingdom of God!
Day 1 Afternoon Lesson: Job Overcame Sadness (Text: Job 1)
I learnt that everything goes according to God’s own will and purpose. For example, from the life of Job, God’s purpose for his sufferings was to prove to Satan that Job was a just man. I also learnt that whatever happens to us, we cannot blame God. Job was a just man and he did right in the eyes of God. However, when Satan desired to test his faith, God allowed it. Satan took away his wealth, possessions, and children. But that was not the end of it. Satan also struck him with boils from head to toe. Job was sad, but he maintained his integrity and worshipped God. Even through this painful time of suffering, he did not blame or curse God. Instead, he endured it. God gave him a wonderful and blessed ending. He had twice of the wealth he lost. In summary, God does things for a good purpose (Romans 8:28). When heartbreaking situations come in life, we should not doubt God’s goodness, but keep trusting Him to find strength to overcome our trials.
Day 2 Morning Lesson: Joy in Service (Text: John 13:3-15)
I learnt that as Christians, we must serve God with humility, obedience, and joy (Colossians 3:23)! We must serve God wholeheartedly, with reverence, not to please men, but to please God. We must also serve Him with much gladness, knowing that we are saved to serve (Psalm 100:1-3). Jesus used Himself as an example. He was the Son of God, but He showed great humility when He came down to earth to die for us. In John 13:5, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, and He was joyful! We must serve God happily and faithfully because He has saved us. Jesus can help us to serve God with a joyful spirit amidst problems.
Day 2 Afternoon Lesson: Jeremiah Overcame Sadness (Text: Book of Jeremiah)
I learnt to overcome sadness from the life of Jeremiah. He was appointed by God to declare God’s judgment against God’s people. When the prophet Jeremiah knew that, he was sad and afraid, but God comforted him and told him that He would be with him. After Jeremiah declared God’s Word to the people, false pastors, priests, prophets, and even to the king, he was hated and many people wanted to kill him. They placed Jeremiah in a deep dungeon, which contained no water. Jeremiah was very dejected and it looked like there was no hope for him (cf. Jeremiah 38:7-10). But God delivered him out of the dungeon. In summary, I learnt that we must cast all our cares on God, for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We must always turn to God when we go through times of sadness.
Day 3 Morning Lesson: Joy in Suffering (Text: Philippians 4:4-8)
I learnt that we must rejoice in the LORD always. The Book of Philippians is one of Paul’s prison epistles. He was in prison, and yet he told the Christians in Philippi to rejoice in the LORD always! He wrote this letter to the church because he wanted to comfort the Christians in persecution, and to rebuke strife and disunity. In Philippians 4:4, he commands us to rejoice habitually (being glad and cheerful). Joy gives us spiritual strength. We should also rejoice because Jesus is coming again which gives us hope and comfort (Philippians 4:5b). Studying God’s Word also brings us joy. As 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 tells us, Paul had gone through deep suffering. Yet, he urged Christians to rejoice in the LORD. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul mentioned that he was suffering from a disease. But he said, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” In summary, we should always rejoice in the LORD, whether in good or in bad times.
Day 3 Afternoon Lesson: Jesus Overcame Sadness (Text: Mark 3:1-5)
I learnt that we should not be arrogant, refusing to do the right thing, despite knowing that we are supposed to do it. The cause of Jesus’ sadness is because of the hardness of the people’s hearts. When Jesus entered into the synagogue, He saw a man with an injured hand, but the people standing beside the man did not help him. Jesus was “grieved for the hardness of their hearts”. He was saddened by the people’s refusal to do good on the Sabbath. He asked them, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?”, but the people kept silent and they did not bother. He was sad, but He overcame the sadness by healing the man and doing that which was good. In conclusion, I learnt that we can only be joyful when we do the right thing in God’s sight. Sin brings sadness, but obedient faith brings happiness.
God has provided us, through His Word, many real examples of God’s people being joyful despite their troubling circumstances. We too must take a leaf out of these saints’ lives – Christians have no excuse to be depressed. I pray that I will keep God’s Word in my heart as I navigate through my own health issue. May God’s name be magnified by the way I respond to life challenges.
Ruhamah Resuma
“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Psalm 34:8).
Firstly, I thank God that I could attend this year’s DVBS, on the theme: “Joy Unspeakable”.
Secondly, I thank God for Teacher Jonathan Hendricks who taught the primary class in the morning sessions on the main theme, and for Pr Ho Kee How, Pr Jeremiah and Pr Kelvin who taught on the topic, “Overcoming Sadness”, from the lives of Job, Jeremiah and Jesus respectively.
On the first day, I learned about “Joy in Salvation” from two parables (the “Lost Coin” and the “Lost Sheep”), that how even the angels rejoice when a sinner repents. On the topic “Overcoming Sadness”, I learned from Pr Ho through the life of Job, how God allowed Satan to take away his children and possessions, smite him with a skin disease (which eventually resulted in his wife telling him to curse God and die), so as to try and test his faith in his God. But Job endured all the sufferings and kept strong in his faith. As a result, God blessed him with twice as much as he had before. We too should be like Job, enduring the tests that come our way. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation” (James 1:12a).
On the second day, I learned about “Joy in Service”. I learned how Jesus, though He was God, humbled Himself to be a man and washed the feet of His own disciples. We, being His followers, must follow His example. Christians should not be lazy or proud, but always be humble and ready to do God’s will. The Bible says, “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15). In the afternoon, I learned from Pr Jeremiah about how the prophet Jeremiah endured much suffering because he preached against sin. I learned that Christian victory rests on Christ alone – “casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
On the third and last day, I learned about “Joy in Suffering”. Even though Paul has suffered much, he was joyful even in prison, because he was serving the Lord. He encouraged the Philippian believers to rejoice – “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).
And the last lesson in this year’s DVBS was taught by Pr Kelvin. I learned about the life of Jesus and about how on one Sabbath, Jesus saw a man with a withered hand and was angered and saddened because the Pharisees did not want to help the man. Instead, they waited to accuse Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. Jesus overcame His sadness by doing the right thing. “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42b). The cause of sadness is sin, but the source of true happiness is Jesus, “whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).
Thirdly, I thank God for the teachers, singspiration leaders, activity leaders, the art and craft team, the refreshments team, and all others who helped make this year’s DVBS a blessed and fruitful programme for us children.
Lastly, I thank God for all the children who attended from Gethsemane BPC and from other churches, and even those who were invited by our church members. All glory, honour and praise be to God.
Reuel Resuma
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).
This year’s DVBS, being my last, was very special to me. I have been attending DVBS with my brother since I was 3 years old, and I thank God for Pastor and all the teachers, preachers, aunties, and uncles who faithfully served in the DVBS. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
The theme of this year’s DVBS was “Joy Unspeakable”. In the morning sessions, Teacher Jonathan Hendricks taught us from this theme, and in the afternoon, Pr Ho Kee How, Pr Jeremiah and Pr Kelvin taught us on the topic, “Overcoming Sadness”, from the lives of Job, Jeremiah, and Jesus.
Teacher Jonathan taught us three important things: “Joy in Salvation”, “Joy in Service”, and “Joy in Suffering.” On the first day, I learned from about the parables of the “Lost Sheep” and the “Lost Coin” (Luke 15:1-10), which talk about how the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents. “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10).
On the second day, I learned that Christians should joyfully serve God and not to allow themselves to be sluggish and lazy. “Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing” (Psalm 100:2).
On the last day of the morning session, I learned from the experience of the apostle Paul that even though he was harshly persecuted and put in prison, he joyfully served God and even encouraged the Philippian Christians to rejoice in the Lord! “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).
In the afternoon sessions, I learned from Pr Kee How on the first day that even when Job lost everything and was afflicted with a skin disease, he never gave up his integrity and believed in God’s promises. In the end, God blessed Job. “So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning” (Job 42:12a).
On the second day, Pr Jeremiah taught us that the prophet Jeremiah was prepared and ordained by God for the ministry. He faithfully preached God’s Word to the Jews, which resulted in persecution from the unbelievers. He was whipped, and thrown into a dry well and was left to die. But God sent Ebed-melech to plea to the king to save Jeremiah’s life, and he was pulled out from the pit. Even in persecution, and sorrow, Jeremiah never doubted God’s promises, and fully trusted in God – “casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
On the last day, Pr Kelvin talked to us about Jesus’ ministry. Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and was angered and saddened when no one helped a man with a withered hand, because of the hardness of their hearts. Seeing this, He rebuked them, and healed the man. Sin brings sadness, but faith brings true happiness and joy. When a person sins, he will face the consequences of his sin, and he will be sad. But when he repents and believes in Jesus, he will have joy. “The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!” (Psalm 21:1).
Finally, I want to thank God for all those who led in singing, art and craft, and games. I also thank God for those who helped prepare the food for the children. I thank God for all the children who attended, including familiar friends from our church, and new ones from other churches, as well as those who were brought by their friends.
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). All glory be to God!