Cut and run

As I did my today’s meditation, I pondered upon Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (JOHN 18:11, NIV), I found out how Peter drew his sword and lopped off an ear after the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. Yet, Jesus immediately told him to put the sword away. Earlier that same night, Jesus had instructed His disciples to sell their cloaks and buy swords and they quickly produced two, without even losing a garment.

In those days, the longing for a liberated Israel ran deep. Peter and the other disciples carried this national hope (Acts 1:6, NIV). Not long after, during the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70, brutality would reach horrific levels, with crucifixions carried out in staggering numbers.

But while Jesus was moving toward the Cross, Peter was reaching for the sword. His misjudgment reflects a struggle we all face. He believed the kingdom could be advanced by force; we often think it can be built through hype, influence, or human effort. Yet the kingdom of God does not come by our striving but it comes by God’s power and purpose alone.

The question is, whose kingdom are we seeking today?

Are you dreaming the wrong dream? Fighting the wrong fight? Seeking the kingdom by self-branding, image-crafting, niche-positioning? What weapons are you wielding? How many ears have you sliced off to secure your place in the pecking order?

As the apostle John said, “Your kingdom is not of this world, but against the rule of Satan. For this purpose was the Son of God manifest, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 JOHN 3:8, NIV). Jesus, forgive me for seeking to build my own kingdom in your name. Deliver me from pride, selfish ambition, and die-hard illusions. As the apostle Mark said, “Give me a pure and holy ambition, not to be served but to serve. Not to be great but to make others great. Not to make a name for myself, but to magnify your name by giving and losing my life for you, for your Gospel, and for others” (MARK 8:35, NIV). And, we readily identify with the risen Christ, yet often shrink from identifying with the rejected Christ – for we desire the crown without the cross.

As the apostle Paul writes, God chooses what is foolish to shame the wise, what is weak to shame the strong, and what is lowly and despised to nullify what is – so that no one may boast before Him. And he declares his longing: to know Christ, the power of His resurrection, and to share in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death (1 Corinthians 1:27–29; Philippians 3:10, NIV).

Indeed, the strength found in weakness leads us on a path of downward surrender – the only way upward in God’s kingdom. Even to be ridiculed or despised for doing what is right becomes a sacred privilege before our Father in heaven.

May we embrace this as our only model of discipleship, ministry, and mission in this present evil age today!

Profile Background:

Jeremy Koh is a graduate with a disability from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (formerly the Spastic Children Association, 1987–1997). He holds certifications in Microsoft Office Skills and completed the HR Administrator program (CHRA) through the Human Capital Singapore–SGEnable Collaboration of Partnership (HCS HR PowerBank, 7th Dec 2021–3rd June 2022). Over the years, Jeremy has taken on various roles, including Project Assistant/Email Marketing Consultant, Connector at ServeHope Pte Ltd, and a member of the GrowthBeans Team at Savior–Asia Consulting Pte Ltd. He also worked as a KeyGuard Specialist at (these)abilites Pte Ltd, overseeing all KeyGuard operations at World United College South East Asia (Tampines Branch) for 10 months. Additionally, Jeremy served as an Executive Assistant at Vision Strategy Storytelling for three months (Aug–Oct 2017). He founded the Project Stories for LIFE initiative (currently suspended), which is affiliated with Youth Corps Singapore, and has previously been involved with the Special Needs Cluster. As a disability advocate, Jeremy continues to actively represent the disabled community in public.

Prayer Response to this featured article:

Jesus, forgive our human folly. Forgive our reluctance to suffer with you. We renounce the spirit of triumphalism. Open our hearts and minds to the folly of the Cross.

(Written by Jeremy Koh, 22nd July 2019)

Together, Praying as the Body of Christ

Ps Jeff Chong: Hi everyone! Welcome to Day 40 of 40.Days · 40.Voices · 40.Prayers. We made it: The final day. What a powerful journey this has been. Across our nation, believers have been praying, seeking God, standing in faith together.

And today is extra special for me because I get to do this with my partner in Christ and in life, my wife Claudia.

Ps Claudia Chong: Indeed, together for His glory. Our story didn’t start with marriage – it started when we were both single. We were serving side by side in the student and young adult ministries, stepping out, pioneering and building His Church.

And along the way, God placed a shared vision within us for Him, for His Church and for the Great Commission. We have come to realise this: Whether you’re single or married, young or not-so-young, the journey of following Jesus is never meant to be a solo act. It’s meant to be lived out, together.

Ps Jeff: Then after we got married, our roles grew. At home, I stepped into spiritual leadership: Guiding, discerning, making decisions together as a family.

And in ministry, while I serve as Senior Pastor, Claudia has been that strong, steady, unwavering partner, serving in multiple roles across our churches, both locally and globally.

But if there’s one thing that has anchored us through every season, it is this: Prayer.

Ps Claudia: Amen. Simple but powerful. No matter the season – busy, stretched, or even uncertain – we always come back to this: Praying together.

Because prayer keeps us aligned with God and deeply connected to each other. In the same way, as the Body of Christ, when we pray together, we stay aligned, we stay united and we stay on mission.

Ps Jeff: John Wesley once said: “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer.” And when you hear his story, you will understand why.

His mother, Susanna Wesley, had 19 children. Every single day, she made room for God. She would sit in her rocking chair, pull her apron over her head, and spend one full hour in prayer. And her kids knew, when the apron goes over her head, do not disturb Mum. That one decision didn’t just impact her life, it shaped generations. One of her sons, John Wesley sparked a revival! Another son, Charles Wesley, wrote over 6,000 hymns. And John Wesley said that it was his mother’s prayers that shaped his life.

Ps Claudia: If we want to see hearts turn back to God, if we want to see young people rise up for Him, if we want to see nations impacted, then we cannot do this in our own strength. We need to pray.

Prayer is the mightiest instrument God has placed in our hands. And here’s the part that really challenges me – prayer isn’t preparation for the greater work. Prayer is the greater work.

Question for Reflections:

Have we been following Jesus all by ourselves?

Will we open up our hearts and lives to live out our faith together with others?

Will we commit to praying together, staying united and aligned?

Prayer Response to this featured article:

We thank Lord, that we can draw near with confidence, assured that when we pray according to God’s will, He hears us (1 John 5:14, ESV). Today, we lift our nation before God. It is God’s heart that many would come to know Christ, so we ask that Your grace reach every corner of Singapore, drawing countless lives to God. Strengthen every church, that faith may grow from generation to generation. We especially pray for the youth – that their hearts awaken to Your love and that they rise boldly to live out Your calling.

Father, help us fulfill the Great Commission: to proclaim the Gospel and build Your Church across the nations (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV). We thank You that we are not alone, but one body moving forward together. May we continue steadfast in prayer, finding ways to unite even beyond this 40-Day Season. Keep the Singapore Church aligned, united, and on mission – to turn Singapore Godward, to win the youth, and to bless the nations. We ask that multitudes come to the saving knowledge of Jesus, both here and across the world.

Brief Profile Background:

Pastor Jeff Chong is the Chairman of LoveSingapore and the Senior Pastor of Hope Singapore. Pastor Claudia Chong is the Executive Pastor of Hope Singapore.

(Reflected devotional written by Ps Jeff Chong & Ps Claudia Chong, 9th August 2026 – National Day)

Caught napping

As I did my today’s meditation, I pondered upon how Jesus said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (MATTHEW 26:40b-41, NIV), I noted how Peter, James, and John fell into a heavy, suffocating sleep. Three times Jesus returned to them, and each time He found them asleep. His disappointment was especially directed at Peter – for Satan was about to sift them all like wheat, and Jesus was counting on Peter to stand firm, keep the faith, and strengthen the others (Luke 22:31–32, NIV).

In contrast, Jesus remains awake and vigilant through the night. He sweats as if drops of blood, wrestling deeply with the will of God (Luke 22:41–44, NIV). With loud cries and tears, He prays and the Father hears Him (Hebrews 5:7, NIV).

“In Why Revival Tarries”, Leonard Ravenhill gives a wake-up call saying, “Solemnly and slowly, with his index finger extended”, and Napoleon Bonaparte outlined a great stretch of country on a map of the world. And, he said, ‘There,’ he growled, ‘is a sleeping giant. Let him sleep! If he wakes, he will shake the world.’ That sleeping giant was China, as he highlighted this point inside the 40 Days (2019) devotional text.

Today, Bonaparte’s words from some 150 years ago seem strikingly relevant. One might imagine Lucifer surveying the Church in a similar way – aware of her immeasurable potential and wary of what could happen if she fully awakens: “Let the Church sleep – for if she rises, she will shake the world.” This leads us to ask: is the Church a sleeping giant today? And so, I pray for the Antioch of Asia to awaken – to discern the times and to rise against spiritual slumber.

Indeed, our flesh is weak and the world is alluring. We face temptation daily, and only God is able to keep us from falling (Jude 24, NIV). This compels me to remain anchored in prayer and in the Word –to guard my heart carefully, not allowing it to be weighed down by indulgence, distractions, or the anxieties of life, lest the day close in on me like a trap. Instead, I choose to stay watchful in prayer, just as the apostle Paul exhorts us: “being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2, NIV).

Indeed, “A pastor’s greatest personal leadership tool is a healthy soul” (PAUL CHAPPELL). Sadly, an overemphasis on skills and strategies has left many souls depleted. Barna research reveals that numerous pastors struggle to find time for their own soul care, a concern also highlighted in the 40 Days (2019) devotional.

I pray that pastors will first keep watch over themselves, so that they may faithfully shepherd their flock (Acts 20:28, NIV), and for God to also provide each of them with a trusted inner circle – or at least one confidant – with whom they can be honest, pray together, and share their deepest struggles and hidden burdens. 

Hence, the apostle Paul also said, “watch and pray so that Satan might not outwit us” (2 CORINTHIANS 2:11, NIV). Indeed, regardless how sincere and willing we are, human nature soon crumbles in the face of evil and complies with it. And, God alone can give us the victory. Our part is to watch and pray.

Let’s be vigilant as harvest season is at wartime!

May we declare that “He’ who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” (PSALM 126:6, NIV).

Profile Background:

Jeremy Koh is a graduate with a disability from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (formerly the Spastic Children Association, 1987–1997). He holds certifications in Microsoft Office Skills and completed the HR Administrator program (CHRA) through the Human Capital Singapore–SGEnable Collaboration of Partnership (HCS HR PowerBank, 7th Dec 2021–3rd June 2022). Over the years, Jeremy has taken on various roles, including Project Assistant/Email Marketing Consultant, Connector at ServeHope Pte Ltd, and a member of the GrowthBeans Team at Savior–Asia Consulting Pte Ltd. He also worked as a KeyGuard Specialist at (these)abilites Pte Ltd, overseeing all KeyGuard operations at World United College South East Asia (Tampines Branch) for 10 months. Additionally, Jeremy served as an Executive Assistant at Vision Strategy Storytelling for three months (Aug–Oct 2017). He founded the Project Stories for LIFE initiative (currently suspended), which is affiliated with Youth Corps Singapore, and has previously been involved with the Special Needs Cluster. As a disability advocate, Jeremy continues to actively represent the disabled community in public.

Prayer Response to this featured article:

Jesus, we pray for the seed sown will not be snatched away but will yield a bountiful crop (MATTHEW 13:18-23, NIV) that prayer-evangelism will continue unabated. We pray for prophetic insight to increase + for strategic intercession to intensify and for a spirit of urgency and desperation to see revival happening in the land and souls being won for the LORD today.

(Written by Jeremy Koh, 21st July 2019)

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