Recent Posts

Revelation 12:11a—“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony”.

Satan and his hosts of demons have, according to previous verses of this chapter, been trying to destroy Israel and Christ and all the believers on earth. Satanic destruction has been unleashed against believers throughout the ages and will reach its climax against the saints of the Great Tribulation. He will try to destroy and slaughter all of the believing people.

However, Satan will be defeated. Notice what our text says: “they overcame him”. Believers will overcome all satanic opposition and persecution. How would they overcome Satan and his demonic hosts? According to our text, their overcoming of Satan and his demons was not by rebuke, incantations, bindings of demons or exorcism.

They overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14 describes the Tribulation saints as “they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”. Because of Christ’s blood shed for their redemption, no accusation would stand. No accusation against the suffering saints of the Great Tribulation would stand before the throne of God. In fact,  no accusation against any believer of any age would stand. It is not that they possess some personal power of their own, but rather that “God hath set forth (Christ) to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” (Romans 3:25). As Paul said, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6-7; cf. Colossians 1:14). All of the accusations against us fall on deaf ears because we have been saved by the blood of the Lamb, even our Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:12, 14).

What’s more, the believers also overcame Satan “by the word of their testimony”. In a world filled with demonic treachery and opposition, their testimony never wavered. They remained faithful regardless of all the threatening situations brought against them by the fury of Satan. They were unflinching and unwavering in the face of hostility. Their witness was clear and steadfast. Truly, Christians do not surrender. As “overcomers”, they go forth bearing Christ’s testimony, even in times of satanic hostility.

Testimony of a New GBI (India) Student

Kynsai Kupar Thabah (from Meghalaya)

I was born and brought up in a Christian family. At the age of 12, I went to study in Sohra, and after two months of my stay there, my father passed away. I studied in Sohra up to my 10th standard. But when I was in my 9th standard, I started to have a taste of alcohol. This venture was more of an experience of fun with my friends. After I completed my studies in Sohra, I went to Shillong to continue with my higher secondary education. It was during those years that I started getting into substance abuse and all sorts of intoxication. 

At that point in life, I just had a mere understanding of the Christian faith. I would pray, and I would read the Bible at times, but I did all of these because I was taught to do so as a so-called Christian. Also, I was never a regular churchgoer. In the year 2017, I was living a life of an atheist. I would be absent from tuition and use the tuition fees to buy alcohol, ganja, tobacco and the like. I would lie to my mother, telling her that I needed money for school projects, but I used the money she gave me to buy these substances. I lived life to my own wishes and walked in my own freedom. I lived a wayward life, and I could never truly obey my mother. Because I stayed with my relatives, I came home late at night. The nights were spent drinking alcohol with my friends, going to bars and parties. I would go to festivals where DJs would be performing, so that I could drink alcohol and enjoy partying. 

It was on a particular Sunday (5th August 2018) when a friend called me up to invite me to attend a church service with him. But I declined his invitation, postponing that to the following Sunday. When the 12th of August arrived, we went to a fellowship meeting. It was a church service organised out of a request by the youths. It was on that particular day that I heard the preaching of the Gospel. At that very moment, there was a strong conviction of the Holy Spirit which made me understand that I am a sinner, condemned and guilty, and a hopeless person without Christ.

I turned away from my sins and repented, trusting in Christ and His finished work. There was a transformation in my life. I saw that God enabled me to leave my old life. I started staying away from my friends whom I was close to all along. I used to love dancing to the DJ’s beats, but after God saved me on the 12th of August 2018, all of those old desires and habits died. On 15th August 2018, there were several DJs performing at nearby Ward’s Lake, and though I went there (still with some intention of enjoying and dancing), all of the music played became bland to me. There was no love for such things anymore. 

I started reading the Bible and started to love going to church. There was also a desire to grow in the Word of God. When I look back at my life and the years which have passed, I see the mercy of God. If it was not for His mercy, I would have died in my sins and would be damned for eternity. I realise that God has sought and found me, even if I had run away from Him. God, by His grace, saved a sinner like me, and I have hope in God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

In Thanksgiving Commemoration of 34th Anniversary of GBPC

Dear brethren, today we worship the LORD with hearts full of gratitude and praise for our salvation and our fellowship in the church, which He has graciously bestowed upon us. God’s gracious guidance and blessings have enabled Gethsemane to grow strong and stay united hitherto, for the work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Singapore and in several other countries. Let us “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4).

An appropriate response that would reflect our sincere appreciation for His salvation and strengthening to serve Him would be to dedicate ourselves to do His will concerning us in the days ahead. We particularly want to recall and meditate on His plan for His people revealed in His desire concerning His children in Philippians 2:15 – “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”

Herein is God’s expectation of how His children ought to be in this world of sin and violence. There must be a marked difference in their conduct from that of the unregenerate people of this world. Christians ought to shine as lights in this dark world. That would be possible if and only if they are what the Spirit of God urges them to be in today’s text.

First and foremost, as sons of God, Christians ought to be “blameless”. The original Greek word for “blameless” (amemptoi) carries the idea of “above reproach”. All God’s children must know that it is our Father’s will that we live a life that is not marred by accusations of misconduct. We must not allow any occasion to be charged with wrongdoing. This is not to say that we will not be falsely accused of wrongdoing. But rather we must not be insincere professors of our Christian faith. We Christians must be like Paul, who said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1).

Secondly, as sons of God, Christians are encouraged to be “harmless”. The original Greek word for “harmless” (akéraios) appears only one more time in the New Testament, in Matthew 10:16 – “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” The idea denoted by the word seems to be “without guile”. Christians are exhorted here to bear an untainted testimony.

A person who is truly justified by faith will surely pursue a sanctified life. The evidence of a sanctified life is expected in all God’s children. How could those who live unsanctified lives be truly said to be “sons of God”? Those who have become the sons of God by faith will have a desire to live a holy life, and will constantly seek to lay aside every sin that does easily beset them. God’s children will not become sinless immediately, but they, being guided by His Spirit and truth, will endeavour to please their Father by walking in holiness and bearing a good testimony.

A commitment to live a holy life is necessary, for all children of God are exhorted to be “without rebuke”. To be “without rebuke” is to live without giving any cause for complaints against oneself. Oh, how careful every child of God ought to be in this world, which is full of temptations and provocations! So, be watchful and be prayerful to bear a good testimony at all times.

Therefore, Christians are not to merge with the world in such a way that nothing about their faith and commitment is discernible to others. Such an idea of the Christian life is totally unbiblical. In fact, genuine Christians, being committed to a “blameless and harmless” life, will find themselves at odds with the rest of the society that is lost in their sins and unbelief.

According to the Scriptures, the world is “crooked and perverse”. Moses had used similar words to describe Israel who had gone astray - “They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation” (Deuteronomy 32:5). The Scriptural description of the world we live in is grim and sobering. It cautions Christians that the world’s sentiments and aspirations are perverted in the sight of God.

Hence, Christians cannot be an unobtrusive or harmonious part of the world by being similar in appearance or behaviour. To blend in with the world, in God’s sight, is to be dark as the world. He expects us to be quite the opposite. He exhorts us to shine as lights in this dark world.

In the Bible, “light” symbolises the Gospel of salvation, truth, holiness, wisdom, joy, and everything pleasant and bright in the sight of God. So, Christians are appointed by God as lights to declare and demonstrate to the world His character and purposes by all that they say and do. This has been underscored by the Lord Jesus. He said to all who followed Him, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

When we shine as lights in this dark world, we don’t become isolationists. The Bible does not teach us to live a hermit’s life by moving out of society. Rather, we are instructed to engage with others, not by following after their ways, but by showing them the light of Christ and His truths via our words and deeds. The designated place for light is the darkness where it is needed. Let us live in our societies as God’s luminaries to guide those who grope in sin’s darkness unto His salvation, joy, wisdom and peace.