Month: November 2020

Submit to Christ’s Kingship(Nov15)

A turning point occurs in Matthew
12 where mounting antagonism
by Jewish religious leaders erupts
into open denunciation of Jesus.
They demand yet another sign
to substantiate Jesus’ messianic
claims. Because of their hardhearted
rejection, Jesus begins speaking
in parables. After a rude reception
in His home town of Nazareth, Jesus
withdraws across the Sea of Galilee
to the regions of Tyre and Sidon in
order to escape growing opposition.

Jesus was the Messiah, the one for
whom the Jews waited to deliver
them from Roman oppression. Yet
tragically they didn’t recognise Him
because His kingship was not what
they expected. The true purpose of
God’s anointed deliverer was to die
for all people to free them from sin.
Because Jesus was sent by God,
we can trust Him with our lives.
And it is worth everything we have
to acknowledge Christ Jesus & give
ourselves to Him because He came
also to be our Messiah, our Saviour.
Lord, help us Reach Out to Needy;
Lord, help us Share the Gospel and
Lord, help us Seek Your Direction.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray.

Lord, we will Reach Out to Needy:
Jesus withdrew from that place.
Many followed him and he healed
all their sick, warning them not
to tell who He was. This is to
fulfil what was spoken through
the prophet Isaiah: Here is My
Servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and He will proclaim justice to
the nations… A bruised reed
he will not break and smouldering
wick he will not snuff out.
In his name the nations will
put their hope (Matt 12:15-21).
Lord, we learn from the example
of Jesus of being a servant and
having a gentle spirit, that brings
hope to the nations. In particular,
help us Lord to reach out to
the less fortunate who are very
much in Your heartbeat. Amen.

Lord, we will Share the Gospel:
The Kingdom of Heaven is like
a treasure that a man discovered
hidden in a field. He sold
everything he owned to get
enough money to buy the field…
That is the way it will be at the
end of the world. The angels
will come and separate the
wicked people from the righteous
throwing the wicked into the
fiery furnace (Matt 13:44-50).
Lord, we realise the kingdom of
Heaven is more valuable than
anything else we could have, and
a person must be willing to give
up everything to obtain it. And
nothing is more important than to
share the gospel to others. Amen

Lord, we will Seek Your Direction:
So John was beheaded in prison.
As soon as Jesus heard the news
he went off by Himself in a boat
to a remote area to be alone…
About 5000 men had eaten
from those five loaves. After this,
Jesus made His disciples get
back into the boat & cross to the
other side of the lake while He
sent the people home. Afterwards
He went up into the hills by Himself
to pray (Matt 14:10-13, 21-23).
Dear Lord, help me to find the time I
need each day to be alone with You.
Escaping from all the diversions,
disappointments and ministry
seems to be a constant struggle.
Grant me Lord the ability to shut
out everything and find solitude
with You in silence and prayer so
that I can hear Your voice. Amen.

Join Mission of Kingdom (Nov 14)

Backgrounder: Jesus came
to earth to begin his kingdom.
Matthew focuses on 10 miracles
in c8&9 that demonstrate Jesus’
power over disease, the forces
of nature and the spirit world.
Christ then bestows that same
power & authority on His chosen
apostles and sends them out
as ambassadors of the kingdom.
He first instructs them how to
act, then warns them of the
dangers they will face, as He calls
them to committed discipleship.

Dear Father God, You sent Christ
Jesus not only to be our Saviour
but also to be our Master and King.
Lord Jesus, You have called us to
committed discipleship and to be
Your ambassadors of the kingdom.
Lord with Your help, we purpose
to fulfil the Mission of the kingdom.
Lord, help us Trust Your Word.
Lord, help us Be Compassionate.
Lord, help us Respond to Your Call.
Lord, help us Cast Burdens on You.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray.

Lord, help us Trust Your Word:
When Jesus saw the crowd…
He gave orders to Cross to the
Other Side of the lake… Jesus
got into the boat with His disciples.
Suddenly, a terrible storm came up,
with wave breaking into the boat.
But Jesus was sleeping. The
disciples went to Him and woke Him
up, shouting Lord, Save us! We’re
going to drown! And Jesus answered:
Why are you afraid? You have
So Little Faith (Matt 8:18-26).
Lord, we can forget that it’s You who
told us to go to the other side, and
You rule over the storms in our lives.
Increase our faith so that in the
midst of turbulence we’ll not panic
but will Trust You to Care for us.
Let our spirits be able to rest for
Your presence is greater than any
circumstance we will face. Amen.

Lord, help us Respond to Your Call:
Wherever Jesus went, He healed
people of every sort of illness.
He felt great compassion for the
crowds that came because their
problems were so great and they
didn’t know where to go for help.
They were like sheep without a
shepherd. He said to His disciples:
The harvest is so great but the
workers are so few. So ask pray
to the Lord and ask Him to send
out more workers (Matt 9:35-38).
Lord, we pray that You will send
labourers who will bring Your
transforming power to the lives
of people who don’t know You.
Let us not be self-centred but be
compassionate enough to be open
to join U in the harvest fields. Amen

Lord, help us Cast Burdens on You:
Then Jesus said: Come to Me,
all of you who are weary and
carry heavy burdens, and I’ll give
you rest. Take My yoke upon you.
Let Me teach you and you will
find rest for your souls. For My
yoke fits perfectly and the burden
I give you is light (Matt 11:28-30).
Lord, thank You for Your offer to
carry my burdens for me. I give
them all to You and gladly receive
Your rest! Teach me Your wisdom
and help me to walk in the ways
You set before me. Thank You
for inviting me to live my life
resting and trusting in You. Amen.

Experiencing God thro Obedience

The purpose of 2 Corinthians
is to affirm Paul’s ministry as an
apostle and refute false teachings.
This week we understand the
importance of right belief thus
positioning rightly to encounter Him.
On Monday we learn from 2Cor 1
to Hold Firm to God’s Promises.
On Tuesday, we learn from 2Cor 4
to Press On through Trials of Life.
On Wed, we learn from 2Cor 5
to Be Ambassadors for Christ.
On Thursday, we learn from 2Cor10
to Access Resources of God.
On Friday, we learn from 2Cor 12
to Trust God for Strength.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

Trust God for Strength (Nov13)

Paul defended his ministry by
showing how individuals can be
reconciled to a loving God. And he
pleads with the Corinthian church
to be reconciled to him as their
spiritual father. In his final words,
Paul draws upon his authority as
an apostle to exhort the rebellious
to repent so that his approaching
visit can be a time of rejoicing.

Lord, we’ll be Strengthened by You:
Three different times I begged
the Lord to take (my thorn in the
flesh) away. Each time He said:
My grace is all you need.
My power works best in weakness.
So now I am glad to boast about
my weaknesses, so that the power
of Christ can work through me.
That’s why I take pleasure in
my weaknesses, hardships and
troubles that I suffer for Christ.
For when I am weak, then I am
strong (2 Cor 12:8-10). Amen.

Lord, I have plenty of weaknesses
to give You. And You know all
my frailties that keep me feeling
insufficient. But You Lord are
my sufficiency and my strength.
I depend on You; and I surrender
my frailties to You. And please
step into my gaps & weaknesses
with Yourself and Your help. Amen

Lord, teach me the art of looking
to You God instead of being
just immersed at my problems.
Remind me Lord that anything
of lasting value in my life is
really because of You, not me;
for success come from You.
And give me eyes of faith that
I may press on even when I feel
being totally overwhelmed. Amen.

Lord, You promise in Your Word
that Your power works best in
my weaknesses. So Lord work in
and through all my weaknesses.
I am thankful and grateful that
I don’t have to be perfect so
that I can be useful to You. And
help me to trust in Your strength.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Access God’s Resources (Nov 12)

Paul defended his ministry by
showing how individuals can be
reconciled to a loving God. And
he pleads with the Corinthian
church to be reconciled to
him as their spiritual father.
In his final words, Paul draws upon
his authority as an apostle to exhort
the rebellious to repent so that 
his approaching visit can be a time
of rejoicing rather than rebuke.

Lord, we’ll use Your mighty weapons:
 We are humans but we don’t wage
war with human plans & methods.
We use God’s mighty weapons, not
mere worldly weapons, to knock
down the Devil’s strongholds.
With these weapons we break
down every proud argument that
keeps people from knowing God.
With these weapons we conquer
their rebellious ideas & teach them
to obey Christ (2Cor 10:3-6) Amen.

Lord, thanks for providing resources
including Word of God and Prayer
which are “God’s mighty weapons.”
And thank You that our arsenal are
more powerful than Satan’s & open
the way for God’s spirit to work.
Help us use these spiritual weapons
effectively as we trust in Your power.
Remove the mountains in our lives &
make the impossible possible. Amen

Lord, praise You for the power
of Your Word. For it can penetrate
hearts in ways no amount of
human reasoning and philosophy
can Trust that Your Word will speak
to the hearts of even the most
atheistic people for You have
promised that Your Word will
achieve its purpose of telling
the world the truth. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for Your weapons
of warfare, which are mighty and
supernatural. Teach me to wield
them as I stand against the enemy.
Strengthen me even as I Intercede 
for others. Lord, I pray that You 
will demolish the devil’s dark
strongholds and establish Your
kingdom of truth and light. Amen.

Be Ambassador for Christ (Nov 11)

Paul opens his 2nd epistle to the
Corinthians by establishing his
authority & source of his revelation.
He then praises God for what
He has done. In contrast to the
old covenant which condemned,
the glorious new covenant sealed
by Jesus’ own blood, makes
God’s ministers effective
in calling people to repentance.

Lord, we will be Your Ambassadors:
For we must all appear before the
judgment seat of God that each one
may receive… according to what he
has done, whether good or bad…
(so)…we persuade men(2Cor5:10-11)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ
he is a new creation; old things
have passed away; behold all things
have become new (2 Cor 5:17).
God… has given us the ministry of
reconciliation. God was reconciling
the world to Himself in Christ, not
counting people’s sins against them.
And He has committed to us the
message of reconciliation. We are
therefore Christ’s ambassadors,
as though God were making His
appeal through us (2Cor 5:18-20).

Lord Jesus, Thank You for being
a perfect and wise judge and You
reign over the affairs of this world. God, what a sobering thought that nothing is hidden from Your sight.
Forgive me for the times I have
foolishly acted as though You were
oblivious to my lifestyle choices.
Grant me the grace to walk faithfully
and to trust that whatever injustice
I experience here and now will be made right there and then. Amen.

Lord, Thank You for giving me new
life – a rich life that will never end.
I am not the person I was, for the
old me is gone. Praise be to Father
that I do not have to keep living
the way I used to live. For because
of You Lord, I have become a brand
new person; and I have the capacity
to change and grow into the image
of Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Father God, through Christ You
forgive sins and bring sinners back
into relationship with Yourself.
Thank You Lord for drawing me to
Yourself and saving me eternally.
You have given the gospel to me
so that I might share it to others.
I am sorry Lord for the times that
I have been tight-lipped about
my faith. Make me Lord to be bolder
and more engaging to those who
don’t yet know You. In Jesus’ name.

Press On through Trials (Nov 10)

Paul opens his 2nd epistle to the
Corinthians by establishing his
authority & source of his revelation.
He then praises God for what
He has done. In contrast to the
old covenant which condemned,
the glorious new covenant sealed
by Jesus’ own blood, makes
God’s ministers bold & effective
in calling people to repentance.

Lord, we will Tap to Your Power:
We have this treasure in earthen
vessels, that the excellence of
the power may be of God and not
our own. We are hard-pressed on
every side by troubles but we are
not broken. We are perplexed but
we don’t give up and quit… God
never abandons us (2Cor 4:7-9).
All this is for your benefit….
Therefore we do not lose heart.
Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being
renewed day by day (v15-16).
Our present troubles won’t last
very long. Yet they produce for us
an immeasurably great glory that
will last forever! So we don’t look at
the troubles we can see right now;
rather we look forward to what we
have not yet seen. For the troubles
will soon be over; but the joys to
come will last forever (17-18) Amen

Lord, Thank You for designing me
to be a clay jar with an amazing
treasure inside. Although the
circumstances may press me
down, You never abandon me.
May others see Your power and
light through my life. And may
You be glorified in my weakness in
this earthen vessel that I am.Amen

Lord, I really need Your help to keep
from focussing on current troubles.
For they loom so large and appear
so relentless that I feel like giving up.
Help me fix my gaze on You and
the realities that I cannot see
right now with my physical eyes.
Help me not to lose heart but
instead renew me with Your
encouragement day by day.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, Help me focus my eyes
clearly on the eternal, for that
will put my present troubles into
a proper perspective. Help me
to see You as You are, to perceive
You with my spirit & not just with
my mind. And help me to realise
that You are in me and I am in You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Hold Firm to God’s Promises (Nov9)

Paul opens his second epistle
to the Corinthians the same way
he began his first by establishing
his authority and documenting the
source of his revelation. He then
praises God for what He has done
for Timothy & him. In contrast to
the old covenant which condemned,
the glorious new covenant sealed
in Jesus’ own blood, makes
God’s ministers bold and effective
in calling people to repentance.

Lord, Your Promises are Yes & Amen: 
All Praise to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… He comforts
us in all our troubles so that
we can comfort others. When
others are troubled, we will be able
to give them the same comfort
God has given us (2 Cor 1:3-4).
We should not trust in ourselves
but in God… who delivered us from so great a death and… we trust
that He will still deliver us (v9-10).
As God is faithful, our word to
you was not Yes and No… For
all the promises of God In (Christ)
are Yes and in Him Amen (v18-20).

Lord, Thank You for the times
You have comforted me. I know
that You have comforted me so
that I can do the same for others.
This world is full of people who
are hurting. Make me sensitive
to those I meet who need Your
touch of comfort. Keep me an
open vessel through which Your
love and comfort can flow. Amen.

Lord, we realise that Your way of
teaching us to rely on You God
more fully will likely mean that we
will be reduced to having only You
to rely on. And that sounds terribly
uncomfortable for us all. For most of
us have been taught since young to
be more self-reliant. But we still ask
You to teach us what it means to rely
more fully on U instead of ourselves.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray.

Lord, Thank You for Your great
and precious promises! Thank You
for reminding us that Jesus is the
“Divine Yes”, the affirmation of all
Your promises. Help me to sense
and experience Your love behind
every promise even as I trust in You.
And help me to pray with confidence
because I know that not one of Your
promises will ever fail. Amen & amen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsMAXhc0QTs

Pursue Love for one another

Paul’s letter so far has dealt with
problems of a personal nature.
But now he addresses public issues
in the Corinthian church: the veiling
of women, the importance of the
Lord’s Supper & the use of spiritual
gifts. Worship must be characterised
by propriety and orderliness. And
spiritual gifts must be Exercised
In Love, for the building up of the
whole body of Christ. Only then
is the church of God properly
worshipping the God of the church.

Lord, we’ll Choose Way of Love:
Love is patient and kind…
It does not demand its own way…
Love never gives up, never loses
faith, is always hopeful & endures
through every circumstance.
Love never fails (1Cor13:4-8).
And now these three remains:
faith, hope and love. But the
greatest of these is love (v13).
Pursue love and desire spiritual
gifts, especially that you may
prophesy… Helping others…
encouraging them (1 Cor 14:1-3)

Lord, Thank You for loving me,
being with me and for me; and
I purpose to love You more.
Help me Lord to love others,
even when it is difficult to do so.
Help me to be other-centred.
Enable me to express Your self-
giving love to those You have
put in my world. And show me
ways to love unreservedly. Amen.

Lord, I can be tempted to despair;
Increase my faith; grant me the
steadfastness to persevere in faith.
I have bitterness toward situations
and people; Increase my love;
grant me concern and compassion
for others to persevere in love.
At times I feel fear and faint hearted;
Increase my hope; grant me the
solid assurance of the future
to rise above fear. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, help me to rest in Your love
and so be able to give love freely
to those in my life and influence.
Help me to give love without
condition and without judgment.
Help me not to presume that
ministry sacrifices are substitutes
for really loving people. Show me
where I have not been loving in
recent busy days. And show me
where I could act more lovingly in
the days ahead. In His name. Amen.

Adopt Kingdom Mindset (Nov 8)

All candidates for public office
must present a platform upon
which to base their campaign.
Jesus claimed to be the Messiah,
the King of the Jews and presented
His platform, traditionally called
the Sermon on the Mount – His statement of heaven. Relationship
to God (not simply adherence to
ritual) and inward attitude (not
merely outward action) become
the focus of Christ’s message to
live a lifestyle of righteousness.

Father God, even as we purpose
to live a Kingdom Lifestyle; help
us Adopt Kingdom Perspectives
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
to live our lives as salt of the earth
and let our Light Shine for Jesus.
Help us O Lord Not to Worry needlessly but seek first Your
Kingdom, knowing You care for us.
Help us Obey Your Instruction;
as well as persevere in faith
even when we feel like giving up.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, we Adopt Kingdom Values:
God blesses those who are poor
and realise their need for him, for
the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs…
God blesses those who work
for peace for they will be called
the children of God (Matt 5:3,9).
You are the Salt of the earth.
But if the salt loses its saltiness,
how can it be made salty again?…
You are the Light of the world.
A city on a hill cannot be hidden…
let your light shine before men, that they may seed your good deeds and
praise your Father in heaven (v13-16)
Lord, help us to see life’s trials and
difficulties from Your perspective.
Enable us O Lord for Your
standards require God’s power,
faith in Christ and change
brought about by the Holy Spirit.
And help us Lord in the way
we live our lives as preservers
of biblical values and letting
our light shine for Jesus. Amen.

Lord, we Seek Your Kingdom:
Do not worry about your life…
Look at the birds of the air, for
they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Mt 6:25-26)
Do not worry saying: What shall
we eat? For the pagans run after
these things and your heavenly
Father knows that you need them.
But seek first His kingdom and
His righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you (v31-33)
Lord, remind us worrying about
our needs accomplishes nothing
and that it is also unnecessary.
Help us choose to keep anxiety
from cluttering our hearts and
instead let it be filled with You.
Help us to seek first Your kingdom
knowing You care for us. Amen.

Lord, we Obey Your Instruction:
Not everyone who says to me,
Lord Lord, will enter the kingdom
of heaven, but only the one who
does the will of my Father who is
in heaven… Therefore everyone
who hears these words of mine
and puts them into practice is like
a wise man who built his house
on the rock (Matthew 7:21, 24).
Lord, help me build my life on
the solid rock of Your Word.
Help me not only to hear Your
teaching but also listen and obey.
But all believers are not the same; and You God gives us room for
a range of choices in some areas.
Lord give me discernment so that
I will not condemn others in areas
where You have allowed for freedom.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.