Month: October 2020

Be Light of the World (Oct 9)

Early in His ministry, Christ issues
a challenge: Search the scriptures
for they testify of me (Jn 5:39).
Now His public declarations and
miraculous demonstrations serve
to confirm what the Old Testament
said would be true of Him. Using
the Jewish feast days as public
forum, Jesus declares Himself
as the Bread of Life (6:35),
the Sent One of God (7:28),
the Forgiver of Sins (8:11) and
the Light of the World (8:12).

Lord, You are our Light of Life:
Jesus said: Woman where are
those accusers of yours? Has
no one condemned you? She said:
No one Lord. And Jesus said:
Neither do I condemn you; Go and
sin no more. Then Jesus spoke to
the people: I am the Light of the
World. He who follows Me shall
not walk in darkness, but have
the light of life (John 8:10-12).
The Father has not left Me alone,
for I always do those things
that pleases Him (John 8:29).
To the Jews who had believed him,
Jesus said: If you hold on to my
teaching, u are really my disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and
the truth will set You free… So if
the Son sets you free, you will be
free indeed (Jn 8:31-36) Amen.

Father God, thanks for sending
Your light in Jesus to us, for
lighting up our own dark places
& every difficult situation we face.
Though God has not promised
joy without sorrow or peace
without pain; He has promised
strength for the day, rest for
the labour and light for the day.
Grant that we will Be Bearers
of Your light and so bring hope
and encouragement to someone
who needs You this day. Amen.

Lord, help me learn of You to always
do those things that please Father.
Help me no longer be motivated by
personal ambition; but rather learn
a purer motive to please My Father.
Help me train to approach every
situation and decision with the
question: How can I please Father.
And in times of frustration, help me
maintain an attitude that is pleasing
to my loving Father in heaven. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for the promise
that we can be released from
sin’s terrible penalty and power.
For You Christ came to set us free
from condemnation, shame and
trapped in destructive lifestyle.
And it is an amazing truth that
You have set me free to obey You.
Teach me to believe the paradox
that I am most free when I am living
as Your servant. Help me to better
understand Your grace. Amen.

Watch & Follow Father God  (Oct 8)

Jesus’ ministry is not confined at
any time & in all places He is ready
with a word and a healing touch.
Nicodemus comes by night seeking
answers and finds the miracle of
the second birth. The Samaritan
woman comes seeking water
at the well and leaves to tell
her city about a source of living
water that will never run dry.
Jew or Samaritan, religious leader
or religious outcast, Jesus’
compassion knows no bounds.

Lord, we will Follow the Father:
The Jews persecuted Jesus and
sought to kill Him because He had
done these things on the Sabbath.
But Jesus answered them, My
Father has been working until now
and I have been working (Jn 5:16-17)
Jesus explained: I tell you the truth,
the Son can do nothing by himself.
He does only what he sees the
Father doing. Whatever the Father
does, the Son also does. For the
Father loves the Son & shows him
everything he’s doing (Jn 5:19-20)
I can of Myself do nothing… I do
not seek My own will but the will
of the Father who sent Me (v30).

Lord, Your obedience to God’s
instruction is an inspiration to us.
Imitating You Jesus to watch what
Father is doing and then join Him
Is also perhaps the sincerest
form of worship I can offer You.
Heighten my spiritual senses to
recognise Your footprint every-
where You go, so that I can aspire
to do what You are doing. Amen.

Lord, I turn my gaze from earthly
circumstances over to You.
Let me see the things of earth
through Your eyes and align
myself with Your work around me.
And as I will be tempted by sinful
pleasures and godless living,
help me to keep focus on devotion
to You God in order to maintain self
control and right conduct. Amen.

Lord Jesus, Your life on earth was characterised by submission to
Father God. I need to learn of You
and to honour You in my choices.
Help me know the right things to
do in every situation and give me
the courage to do it. Help me to
grow spiritually and to serve You by
building Your kingdom so that I will
be ready for Your return. Amen.

Nourished by Obedience (Oct 7)

Jesus’ ministry is not confined at
any time & in all places He is ready
with a word and a healing touch.
Nicodemus comes by night seeking
answers and finds the miracle of
the second birth. The Samaritan
woman comes seeking water
at the well and leaves to tell
her city about a source of living
water that will never run dry.
Jew or Samaritan, religious leader
or religious outcast, Jesus’
compassion knows no bounds.

Lord, You Satisfy our Longings:
Jesus said to her: If you knew who
it is who says to u: Give Me a drink,
you would have asked Him and He
would have given you living water…
Whoever drinks of this water will
thirst again, but whoever drinks
of the water that I shall give them
will Never Thirst (John 4:10-14).
The woman went back to the village
and told everyone: Come and meet
a man who told me everything
I ever did! Can this be the Messiah?
So the people came streaming from
the village to see him (v28-30).
The disciples said to one another:
Has anyone brought Him anything
to eat? Jesus said to them: My food
is to do the will of Him who sent Me
and to finish His work (v34). Amen.

Lord, You are the only one who
can satisfy the longings of my soul.
Remind me that nothing in this
temporal world can bring lasting
fulfilment to an immortal soul.
The life that You give is my internal
source of continual refreshment.
Teach me Lord the discipline of
looking to You alone for whatever
my soul may need each day.
And make me Lord a source
of encouragement and help to
those who are spiritually dry. Amen

Lord, forgive me when excitement
over knowing You has waned.
Grateful for what You had done,
I want others to know You Lord and
experience Your work in their lives.
Use me to spread the Good News,
to be Your disciple & make disciples.
Let me be so amazed by what You
reveal to me that I won’t hesitate
to share the hope with others;
notably those yet to know U. Amen.

Lord, from John gospel I realise empowerment follows obedience.
Now I can understand why when
doing Your work I don’t seem to be hungry until the work is completed.
Although I need nourishment and
rest for the physical body, following
the will of God is refreshing too.
It is amazing how physical energy
flows from supernatural wellspring
when doing what God called. Amen

Believe to Have Life (Oct 6)

Jesus’ ministry is not reserved for
the temple or synagogue. At any
time and in all places He is ready
with a word and a healing touch.
Nicodemus comes by night seeking
answers and finds second birth.
Samaritan woman comes seeking
water at the well and leaves to
tell her city about a source of
living water that will never run dry.
The paralytic at the pool finds even
38 years of lameness is no problem
to miracle-working Son of God.
Jew or Samaritan, religious leader
or religious outcast, Christ Jesus’
compassion knows no bounds.

Lord, we’ll Respond to Your Love:
And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lifted up; that
whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that
He gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life
(John 3:14-16). Whoever believes
in the Son has eternal life, but
whoever rejects the Son will
not see life for God’s wrath
remains on them (v36). Amen.

Father, Thank You for loving me
even beyond what I could imagine.
It amazes me that You would love
me even when I didn’t love You.
It amazes me that You sent Your
Son to pay the ultimate price
so that I could have eternal life.
Grant Your love to flow thro me
so that even more people may
sense Your boundless love. Amen.

Lord, thank you for your grace
and the promise of eternal life:
the abundant life that begins now
here on earth. And I look forward
to being With U forever in heaven;
a much better place, of eternal
joy and where there’s no tears.
And be reunited to loved ones,
and friends who had gone before.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Jesus, it is hard to comprehend
love so great as Yours. You laid
down Your life so that I can live
forever with You. My response
to Your first loving me is to love
You Wholeheartedly in return.
Help me to lay down my life fully
for You in serving Your purpose
here on earth and thereby also
fulfilling my prepared destiny. Amen

Receive Lord’s Revelation (Oct 5)

Matthew, Mark and Luke are called
synoptic gospels because they
contain much of the same material.
By contrast John, the supplemental
gospel provides a fourth dimension
of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry.
Fully 92% of John’s material is not
found in any other gospel account.
John writes to convince his readers
who Jesus is (the Son of God)
and how new life can be found
in Him. He begins in eternity past,
showing how the Word who was
one with God became flesh to take
His message of life to mankind.

Lord, we Receive & Believe You:
Yet to all who did receive Him,
to those who believed in His name,
He gave the right to become
children of God (John 1:12).
The Word became flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father, full of grace and truth…
And of His fullness we have received
and grace for grace (v14-16).
No one has ever seen God.
But his only Son, who is himself
God is near to the Father’s heart;
He has told us about Him (v18).

Lord Jesus, I do believe in You
and I have already accepted You
as my Saviour and Master. Thank
You for revealing Yourself to me
and thank You for saving me.
Because of Your grace & my faith
in You, I’m not just a forgiven sinner
but also a child of the living God.
Help me keep on believing in You,
accepting Your Lordship and living
out my true identity. And I praise
You for such a privilege. Amen.

Lord, You became flesh, lived among
us & giving us fullness of salvation.
Open my eyes and heart to behold
and experience Your immense love.
Make me complete with the fullness
of life & power that comes from You.
Fill me with Yourself and Your truth
so that I will have the wisdom I need.
Be the Word in me so that You don’t
just speak to me but speak thru me
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Father God, praise You for revealing
Yourself through Your Son Jesus.
Help me see You more accurately
and love You more deeply each day.
Thank you for Your Word, which
reveals Your love & purpose for me.
And Thank You for Jesus, who has
made it possible for me to have
clearer vision to see You. Amen.

Join Christ to Seek the Lost

It is now in the final week of Jesus’
earthly life. In the city of Jerusalem,
there’s excitement of the feast days
– some preparing to welcome a King,
while others preparing for execution.
Jesus draws battle lines by driving
the money-changers fr the temple.
From then on, the religious leaders
double their efforts to trap Him.
Though His hour of anguish draws
near, Jesus continues the activities
that have characterised His ministry:
teaching, healing and affirming.

Lord, we will also Seek the Lost:
Then Zacchaeus said to the Lord:
Look, I give half of my goods to
the poor; and if I’ve taken any thing
from anyone by false accusation,
I restore fourfold. Jesus responded:
Salvation has come to this home…
And I have come to Seek and save
those…who are Lost (Luke 19:8-10)
A certain man planted a vineyard,
leased it & went away… I’ll send my
son…When the farmers saw his son,
they said: Let’s kill him and get the
estate. So they murdered him… The
owner will destroy those farmers and
give the vineyard to others(20:9-16)
And there will be signs in the sun,
in the moon & on the earth distress…
Then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with…great glory.
Take heed… lest your hearts be
weighed down… Watch Out and
keep praying…and the Son of Man
will be pleased with u (Lk 21:25-36)

Lord, U reached out to Zacchaeus
even when others despised him.
Thank You for Seeking and saving
those who are Lost. Open our eyes
to even the despised that we might
see them and reach out. Help us
to look beneath the surface to the
person within, created in Your image.
Help us have Burden for the lost &
Befriend those seeking You. Amen.

Father, I won’t forget what Your Son
Jesus has done for me. You sent
Him to earth & He was dishonoured.
But I purpose to honour Him & not
take for granted His sacrificial love.
Father, thanks for not giving up on
me; even when I fail to listen, You
draw me back to You. In gratitude,
I purpose to Further Your Kingdom
and grant me grace to do so. Amen

Lord, Help us remain Watchful of
Your second coming, not to fall into
careless living; or allow anxieties
to burden us; but instead remain
focussed on the assignments that
God has prepared for each of us.
Open our eyes to those seeking You;
and sow seeds of kindness to earn
the goodwill to share the gospel.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Indulging Sinful Ways Hurt (Oct 4)

Turning from the present state of
wayward Judah, Ezekiel examines
her past and catalogs her history
of sinfulness: idol worship, dishonor
of parents, extortion, mistreatment
of the defenders, profaning Sabbath,
uncleanness, adultery, dishonest
biz dealings, even child sacrifice.
Through it all, God has patiently
held back His anger. But no more:
I… have drawn forth my sword…

The testimony of the prophets
point to the time-proven principle:
Sin hurts. Looking back over the
sinful history of Judah in today’s
passages, is it any wonder that
God’s patience at last ran out
toward people who simply wouldn’t
learn, people who continually hurt
themselves and damaged each
other by indulging in sinful ways?
How many times this year have
you been stung by the same sin?
Perhaps it’s a bad habit you can’t
seem to break; or an unhealthy
attitude you haven’t dealt with;
or a strained relationship you have yet to mend. Ask God to guide you.
Lord, Free us from Burden of sin.
Lord, Free us from Social Injustice.
Lord, Free us from Child Abuse.Amen

Lord, Free us from Burden of sin:
I gather you out of the countries
where you have been scattered…
Then you shall know that I am the
Lord.. There u will remember your
conduct and all the actions by
which you have defiled yourselves.
Then you shall know that I am
the Lord (who) dealt with you for
My name’s sake, not according to
your wicked ways (Ezek 20:41-44)
Lord, I don’t want to look back
over my life and feel bad about
myself because of the things
I have done wrong. Help me to
quickly recognise & confess sin.
Enable me to live in such a way
that I don’t have regret over
my words, thoughts or actions.
Help me Lord to fully repent
so that You will fully lift the
burden of sin from me. Amen.

Lord, Free us from Social Injustice:
Your priests have violated my laws…
To them there is no difference
between what is holy and what
is not… Even common people
oppress the poor, rob the needy
and deprive foreigners of justice…
I looked for a man… who would
build up the wall & stand before Me
in the gap on behalf of the land
so I would not have to destroy it,
but I found none. So now I will pour
out my fury on them (Ezek 22:26-31)
Almighty God, we lift up S’pore to U
with all its sin; and ask that You will
have mercy upon us and help us
not reap the full consequences of
what we have sown. We stand in
the gap to invoke Your power on
our behalf. Do not judge us as we
deserve, but rather pour out Your
Spirit over this land and bring
thousands of people to You. Amen.

Lord, Free us from Child Abuse:
The Lord said… You must accuse
Oholah and Oholibah of all their
detestable sins.They have commited
adultery by worshiping idols and
murder by burning as sacrifices
the children they bore to me…
They have defiled my Temple…
On the very day that they sacrificed
their children to the idols, they
boldly came into my Temple to
worship! They came in and defiled
My house (Ezekiel 23:36-39).
I will put an end to lewdness
and idolatry in the land; and my
judgment will be a warning not to
follow their wicked example (v48).
Lord, we confess that we may have
treated our children with contempt
abusing or neglecting their needs.
Help us Lord to treat our children
as the precious gifts from God for
that’s what they truly are. Amen.

Parables of Judgment (Oct 3)

Ezekiel illustrates his messages
with dramatized parables. He
packs his bags and exits the city
through a hole dug in the wall to
symbolise Judah’s upcoming exile.
He then attacks the sins that
have led Judah to this sorry end:
prophets who have whitewashed
wrongs instead of preaching
repentance, and elders who
have led the nation into idolatry.
Judah has become fruitless,
fit only for judgment.

Although these passages deal with
the punishment of God’s rebellious
people, there is an overriding
impression of God’s longing for
His beloved people to turn to Him
in repentance. But false prophets
had risen with a people-pleasing
message of peace. God in His
righteous anger punished them
and exposed their lies; a false sense
of security would deny the hearers
the chance to repent and enter his
blessing. Ezekiel faithfully preached
his unpopular message of judgment
which was fulfilled as spoken.
Lord, we pray against rebelliousness.
Lord, we ask for deliverance fr idols.
Lord, we seek a Fresh Start. Amen.

Lord, we pray against rebelliousness:
The Lord said: Ezekiel… you are
living among rebellious people…
They have ears but refuse to listen…
Pack a few things as though you
were going to be taken away as a
prisoner… The leader of Jerusalem
will be led away to city of Babylon…
His troops will scatter… The Lord
will force the rest of the people in
Jerusalem to live in foreign nations..
Some of them will survive… That
way they will be able to tell… that
it was the Lord who punished them
in this way (Ezekiel 12:1-3, 11-16).
Lord, we note Your warning against
spiritual rebellion for it can lead
us unable to hear things clearly.
You are sovereign & Help me to
acknowledge Your lordship in my life.
Use me Lord to point people to You,
let my life reflect Your presence and
may my words echo Your teaching.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, deliver us from idols:
Tell the leaders of Israel: This is
what the Sovereign Lord says:
The people of Israel have set up
idols in their hearts and fallen
into sin, and then they go to
a prophet asking for a message.
So I the Lord will give them the
kind of answer their great idolatry
deserves (Ezekiel 14:4, 9)
Lord, we confess having wandering
hearts and we each have some
inclinations towards idols at times.
We confess having the tendency
to hear only what we want to hear.
So deliver us from evil Lord and
guide us into Your truth; whatever
Your truth entails for my life. Amen.

Lord, You Promise Fresh Start:
Rid yourselves of all the offences
you have committed, and get
a new heart and a new spirit.
Why will you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death
of one who dies, says the Lord God.
So turn and live (Ezek 18:31-32).
Lord, take away everything in my
heart that is not right before You.
Help me to get rid of bad attitudes
and wrong thinking. Show me
anything that has taken root in
my heart that should not be there
so that I can free myself of it before
there is a serious price to pay.
Help me clear the slate and
begin again with a new heart
and a right spirit. Amen.

Experiencing God thro Obedience

Luke is a very humanitarian gospel
focusing on what Jesus teaches
and portrays Him as the perfect man
who came to seek and save the lost.
This week we learn the importance
of compassion & the ways to reflect
it, thus positioning ourselves rightly
in order to encounter His presence.
On Monday, we learn from Luke 1
to wholly Believe the Word of God.
On Tuesday, we learn from Luke 5
to Care for the Needy and the Lost.
On Wednesday, we learn from
Luke 10 to Witness for the Kingdom.
On Thursday, we learn from Luke 14
to Have Compassion for People.
On Friday, we learn from Luke 19-21
to Join Christ to Seek the Lost.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

Join Christ to Seek the Lost (Oct 2)

It is now in the final week of Jesus’
earthly life. In the city of Jerusalem,
there’s excitement of the feast days
– some preparing to welcome a King,
while others preparing for execution.
Jesus draws battle lines by driving
the money-changers fr the temple.
From then on, the religious leaders
double their efforts to trap Him.
Though His hour of anguish draws
near, Jesus continues the activities
that have characterised His ministry:
teaching, healing and affirming.

Lord, we will also Seek the Lost:
Then Zacchaeus said to the Lord:
Look, I give half of my goods to
the poor; and if I’ve taken any thing
from anyone by false accusation,
I restore fourfold. Jesus responded:
Salvation has come to this home…
And I have come to Seek and save
those…who are Lost (Luke 19:8-10)
    A certain man planted a vineyard,
leased it & went away… I’ll send my
son…When the farmers saw his son,
they said: Let’s kill him and get the
estate. So they murdered him… The
owner will destroy those farmers &
give the vineyard to others(20:9-16)
And there will be signs in the sun,
in the moon & on the earth distress…
Then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with…great glory.
Take heed… lest your hearts be
weighed down… Watch Out and
keep praying…and the Son of Man
will be pleased with u (Lk 21:25-36)

Lord, U reached out to Zacchaeus
even when others despised him.
Thank You for Seeking and saving
those who are Lost. Open our eyes
to even the despised that we might
see them and reach out. Help us
to look beneath the surface to the
person within, created in Your image.
Help us have Burden for the lost &
Befriend those seeking You. Amen.

Father, I won’t forget what Your Son
Jesus has done for me. You sent
Him to earth & He was dishonoured.
But I purpose to honour Him & not
take for granted His sacrificial love.
Father, thanks for not giving up on
me; even when I fail to listen, You
draw me back to You. In gratitude,
I purpose to Further Your Kingdom
and grant me grace to do so. Amen

Lord, Help us remain Watchful of
Your second coming, not to fall into
careless living; or allow anxieties
to burden us; but instead remain
focussed on the assignments that
God has prepared for each of us.
Open our eyes to those seeking You;
and sow seeds of kindness to earn
the goodwill to share the gospel.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.