Month: October 2018

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Gospel Truth in Mark 10 (Oct 22)

Trust God & Pray In Faith

Sayings of the Servant (Mk 8-10):
As opposition to Jesus’ ministry
increases, it is no longer safe
to move openly in Galilee. So
Jesus traverses the regions of
Decapolis, Caesarea & Perea,
thereby avoiding the crowds and
deadly plots of religious leaders.
In the concluding days of His
earthly ministry, Jesus begins
to prepare His disciples for the
faithful journey to Jerusalem
that will mark the end of His life
and the beginning of their role
as bearers of the glad tidings.

Lord, we will Pray In Faith:
Looking at the man, Jesus felt
genuine love for him. He told him:
give money to the poor & you will
have treasure in heaven. Then
come, Follow Me (Mark 10:21).
Jesus looked at them and said:
With man this is impossible,
but not with God; all things are
Possible With God (Mark 10:27).
What do you want me to do?
Jesus asked. Teacher, the
blind man said: I want to see!
And Jesus said to him: Go your
way, Your Faith has healed you.
And instantly the blind man
could see (Mark 10:51-52) Amen.
Continue reading “Gospel Truth in Mark 10 (Oct 22)”

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Gospel Truth in Mark 9 (Oct 21)

Don’t Doubt but Pray In Faith

Sayings of the Servant (Mk 8-10):
As opposition to Jesus’ ministry
increases, it is no longer safe
to move openly in Galilee. So
Jesus traverses the regions of
Decapolis, Caesarea & Perea,
thereby avoiding the crowds and
deadly plots of religious leaders.
In the concluding days of His
earthly ministry, Jesus begins
to prepare His disciples for the
faithful journey to Jerusalem
that will mark the end of His life
and the beginning of their role
as bearers of the glad tidings.

Lord, we’ll not doubt but Believe:
Teacher, my son has a mute spirit.
I spoke to Your disciples that
they should cast it out but they
could not… The evil spirit often
makes him fall into the fire or
into the water, trying to kill him.
Have mercy on us and help us.
Do something if you can. “What
do you mean: If I can?”Jesus asked
Anything is possible if a person
believes. The father instantly
replied: I do believe, but help
me not to doubt (Mk9:22-24).
His disciples asked Him privately:
Why could we not cast it out?
So He said to them: This kind can
come out by nothing but prayer
and fasting (Mark 9:29). Amen.
Continue reading “Gospel Truth in Mark 9 (Oct 21)”

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Gospel Truth in Mark 8 (Oct 20)

Follow Christ Who Meets Needs

Sayings of the Servant (Mk 8-10):
As opposition to Jesus’ ministry
increases, it is no longer safe
to move openly in Galilee. So
Jesus traverses the regions of
Decapolis, Caesarea & Perea,
thereby avoiding the crowds and
deadly plots of religious leaders.
In the concluding days of His
earthly ministry, Jesus begins
to prepare His disciples for the
faithful journey to Jerusalem
that will mark the end of His life
and the beginning of their role
as bearers of the glad tidings.

Lord, thank you for Mark gospel,
which proclaims Christ thro His
ministry of power and authority
and yet with a servant mindset.
Lord, thanks for Meeting Needs;
help us Lord to Share Your Story;
help us to Sense Your Presence;
and help us to Follow You. Amen.
Continue reading “Gospel Truth in Mark 8 (Oct 20)”

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Gospel Truth in Mark 7 (Oct 19)

Be Inwardly Sincere & Humble

Through both His words and works,
Christ proclaims His true identity
to the disciples and the multitudes.
At first even His companions are
perplexed by His power & authority,
wondering: What manner of man
is this, that even the wind and
the sea obey Him. But patiently –
through the miracles of exorcism,
healing and even raising the dead
the Master Servant works to
convince His followers of the
nature of His person and mission.

Lord, thank you for Mark gospel,
which proclaims Christ thro His
ministry of power and authority
and yet with a servant mindset.
Lord, help us to Share Your Story;
help us to be Sincere & Honest;
help us to Guard our Inner Life &
help us to be Humble. Amen.
Continue reading “Gospel Truth in Mark 7 (Oct 19)”

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Gospel Truth in Mark 6 (Oct 18)

Be Caring & Compassionate

Through both His words and works,
Christ proclaims His true identity
to the disciples and the multitudes.
At first even His companions are
perplexed by His power & authority,
wondering: What manner of man
is this, that even the wind and
the sea obey Him. But patiently –
through the miracles of exorcism,
healing and even raising the dead
the Master Servant works to
convince His followers of the
nature of His person and mission.

Lord, we will be Compassionate:
(Jesus) said to them: Come with
me by yourself to a quiet place
and get some rest. There were
many coming & going and they did
not even have time to eat (Mk6:31)
When Jesus landed and saw a
large crowd, He had compassion
on them, because they were
like sheep without a Shepherd.
So he began teaching them
many things (Mark 6:34).
By this time it was late in the day,
so his disciples said: Send the pple
away so that they can buy food to
eat. But Jesus answered: You give
them something to eat. (v35-36)
Continue reading “Gospel Truth in Mark 6 (Oct 18)”

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Preview on Gospel Truths (Oct 13)

Friends, we have completed four
topical devotion series on Praying
through God’s Promises, Knowing,
Thanking & Praising God as well as
a two-year chronological coverage
of the Bible. Before starting an
expanded three year exposition
on the Bible in January, today
we launch the fifth topical series
on Praying through the Gospels.

The Gospel is the good news that
God in Jesus Christ has fulfilled
His promises to Israel, and that a
way of salvation has been opened
to all. But the Gospel is not just
about salvation in terms of eternal
and abundant life, it also about
the power of God and much more.
We will learn more of what the
Gospel offers and what it entails
to live out the Gospel as we
mediate on the four gospels.

Dear Almighty & All-Loving God,
I pray even as Yr People meditate
on the holy and precious Gospel
that Your Spirit minister to their
soul and Will Energise them;
that they Will Experience
the blessings of a praying life;
that their Faith Will Arise and
they Will Trust & Obey You more
each day. In His name, Amen.

The Gospels present a four-
dimensional glimpse of Jesus
the Christ. Matthew, a Jew, aims
his words at a Jewish audience,
showing from the Old Testament
prophecies that Jesus is their
promised King and Messiah.
Mark seeks to reach a Roman
audience with the Good News
of Jesus the Perfect Servant,
come to minister to the spiritual
and physical needs of mankind.
Luke the physician portrays
Jesus as the Perfect Man
who seeks and saves the lost.
John beams his message to
all mankind, showing from Jesus’
miracles and messages that
He is clearly the Son of God.

We start with the Gospel of Mark
for it’s agreed by most biblical
scholars as the first gospel to be
written; of which Matthew & Luke
partly referred to in their account.
Mark’s gospel captures the two-
fold purpose of Christ’s coming
to earth: to minister and to give
His life a ransom for many (10:45).
Mark describes Jesus as the
Perfect Servant, emphasising
more the actions of Jesus & gives
briefer treatment to His teachings.
Jewish customs are explained as
story moves briskly to completion
of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry.

We will cover Mark Gospel in
two weeks over five divisions:-
M1-3: Servants of the Servant
M4-7: Service of the Servant
M8-10: Sayings of the Servant
M11-13: Sermons of the Servant
M14-16: Suffering of the Servant
May Jesus’ example cause us
to be willing to serve God and
others. And we’ll do God’s work
because we love Him, remembering
all He had done for us. Amen.

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Preview on Revelations (Sep 22)

We have been Chronologically
covering the Bible phase by phase.
We start the Gospels, with Jesus
presented as the Perfect Servant,
Savior of the world, Messianic King
and the Son of God, before Acts
chronicles Growth of the Church.
Then Paul urges the Galatians to
live by Faith alone, Thessalonians
to Serve ahead of Second Coming,
to Corinthians to Live Rightly,
to Romans Justification by Faith,
to Eph Living as Body of Christ,
to Colossians Doctrinal Purity and
to Philippians Unity of the Spirit;
before Paul’s pastoral letters and
then pursing Maturity in Hebrews,
Practical Christianity in James,
Maturing thro tough times in 1/2Pet
Walking in Love in the 3 letters of
John & Keeping the Faith in Jude.

And finally we reach Revelation.
Just as the first book of the Bible
– Genesis – provides the opening
chapter of God’s redemptive
program, so the last book supplies
the conclusions as it describes
the return of Jesus Christ and
the creation of a new heaven
and earth. Revelation portrays
Jesus Christ as the victorious
King and coming Judge. Writing
from exile on the Island of Patmos,
John uses a dramatic series of
symbolic word pictures to capture
the awesome holiness of the
Lamb of God coming to defeat
Satan’s forces and judge the
world in perfect righteousness.

We will cover Revelations over
two weekends in four divisions:-
R1-3: God’s Word to 7 Churches
R4-7: Worship God & 7 Seals
R8-16: 7 Trumpets & 7 Plagues
R17-22: Final Victory & All New
Lookout for them to understand
the holiness and hope in Christ.
Blessings/chris

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Gospel Truth in Mark 5 (Oct 17)

Don’t Be Afraid; Only Believe!!

Through both His words and works,
Christ proclaims His true identity
to the disciples and the multitudes.
At first even His companions are
perplexed by His power & authority,
wondering: What manner of man
is this, that even the wind and
the sea obey Him. But patiently –
through the miracles of exorcism,
healing and even raising the dead
the Master Servant works to
convince His followers of the
nature of His person and mission.

Lord, thank you for Mark gospel,
which proclaims Christ thro His
ministry of power and authority
and yet with a servant mindset.
Lord, help us to Share Your Story;
Help us Place our Faith in You; &
Help us Not Fear, Only Believe.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
Continue reading “Gospel Truth in Mark 5 (Oct 17)”

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Gospel Truth in Mark 4 (Oct 16)

Be Wholehearted & Trusting 

Through both His words (parables)
and works (miracles), Christ
proclaims His true identity to
the disciples and the multitudes.
At first even His closest
companions are perplexed by
His power & authority, wondering:
What manner of man is this,
that even the wind and the sea
obey Him (4:41). But patiently –
through the miracles of exorcism,
healing and even raising the dead
the Master Servant works to
convince His followers of the
nature of His person and mission.

Lord, thank you for Mark gospel,
which captures two purposes of
Christ coming to earth: to minister
& give his life a ransom for many.
Grant us grace to be like Jesus,
to have a servant mindset,
to have ready heart for His Word &
to Trust Fully His Word. Amen.
Continue reading “Gospel Truth in Mark 4 (Oct 16)”

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Gospel Truth in Mark 3 (Oct 15)

Put the Lord In Top Priority

Mark begins his gospel without
genealogy, birth narrative or any
prologue. He begins with the
ministry of John the Baptist, the
forerunner who would prepare
the way for Jesus’ ministry of
Servanthood. Mark’s emphasis
throughout is on Christ’s works
rather than His words, as befitting
a Servant. Numerous miracles
of healing and exorcism precede
the personal calls of five disciples
– Andrew, Peter, James, John
and Matthew – and His choosing
of the seven other disciples.

Lord Jesus, You did not come
as a conquering king but as a
Servant. May Your example cause
us be willing to serve God & others.
Lord, we note worthy examples
in Mark 3 to be God Seeking
and putting you first & foremost.
Help us Prioritise Helping People.
Help us Prioritise Time With You.
Help us Prioritise You over others.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Continue reading “Gospel Truth in Mark 3 (Oct 15)”