Month: September 2020

Witness for the Kingdom (Sep 30)

Seventy disciples are sent out
two-by-two with instructions to
heal the sick & say: The kingdom
of God is come nigh unto you.
Their enthusiastic return prompts
Jesus to rejoice in praise to God.
But confrontation is gathering.
Some attribute His miracles to
Satan; others clamour for more
miracles and Pharisees attack His
seeming disregard for traditions.
Jesus responds by denouncing the
religious leaders for their hypocrisy
and warns disciples to be watchful.

Lord, we will Witness to the Lost:
Then Jesus said: The harvest
is so great but the workers are
so few. Pray to the Lord who
is in charge of the harvest, and
ask him to send out more workers
for his fields. Go now (Lk 10:2-3).
Then the seventy returned with
joy saying: Lord, even the demons
are subject to us in Your name. And
He said: I give you Authority… over
all the power of the enemy & nothing
shall by any means hurt you (v17-19)
A priest… saw the man lying there,
he crossed to the other side of
the road and passed him by… Then
a Samaritan came and saw the man,
he felt compassion for him. Going
over to him, the Samaritan soothed
his wounds… and bandaged them…
Take care of this man. If his bill runs
higher I’ll pay you next time (v31-35)

Lord, raise up and send out
labourers to every tribe and nation,
every people group & unreached.
Raise up missionaries, teachers,
doctors and business people
to share the goodness of Christ
and to bring in a harvest of souls.
Help us Lord to see that the
harvest is right before our eyes.
Pour out Your Spirit to enable Your
people as the harvest waits. Amen

Lord, thank You that there is no
need to fear Satan; for You Jesus
had defeated him at the Cross.
By paying for the sins of the world,
You Lord blocked Satan’s power
to induce guilt and hold Your
people under his accusations.
By rising from the dead, You Lord
broke Satan’s power over death.
We claim Your promise to protect
us and help defeat Satan in our life.
No matter what part of our life
we think Satan has power over,
we trust You God will defeat him
in that area as well. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, we affirm Your commandment
to love our neighbours. And we ask
for a heart of compassion realising
it is so easy to justify lack of love.
Help us to be sensitive for Your
prompting for our neighbour is
anyone regardless of background
who is in need. Help us realise that
love means acting to meet a need.
Help us to be watchful of needy
people and to respond to Your call
to help them. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Care for the Needy & Lost (Sep 29)

Luke introduces the ministry of
Jesus with three preparatory events:
the ministry of His forerunner
John the Baptist, His baptism by
John and His temptation by Satan.
Rejection in His hometown of
Nazareth causes Jesus to shift
to Capernaum where He ministers
for two years. There Christ calls
12 men to be His companions. And
there by the shores of Galilee He
begins to prepare them for ministry
He will soon entrust to them.

Lord, You Care for the Needy:
Jesus said: Now go out where it is
deeper & let down your nets. Simon
answered: Master, we’ve worked
hard all night and haven’t caught
anything. But because you say so,
I will let down the nets. When they
had done so, they caught such
a large number of fish…Then
Jesus said to Simon: From now
on You will catch men (Lk 5:4-10)
Healthy people don’t need a doctor
– sick people do. I have come to
call sinners to turn from their sins,
not to spend my time with those
who think they are already good
enough (Luke 5:31-32). Amen.

Lord, let us learn from Simon Peter
where obedience to Your voice
opens our lives to Your miraculous
work and receive Your blessing.
Open my ears Lord to hear Your
voice in my current circumstance.
Help me learn from the prophet
Samuel and say with him: Speak
for Your servant is listening. Amen.

Lord, we will join You in ministry
to further the kingdom of God.
Help us to befriend sinners,
and give us heart of compassion
for those hurting and lost in sin,
so that we can reach out to them
effectively in time of opening.
Help us readily receive Your Word,
apply it & be obedient to You. Amen

Lord, Thank You for shedding light
to show me that I needed You the
Great Physician to heal my wound.
Thank You Lord for calling me to
repent and come to You and for
Your tender mercies in my life.
Give me Your heart for those who
are hurting, sick & lost in sin, just
as Your heart reaches out to me
in my time of greatest need. Amen.

Believe the Word of God (Sep 28)

Dr Luke – physician, historian
and writer of the longest gospel
account clearly states his purpose
for writing in the opening verses:
That thou might know the certainty
of those things thou has instructed
He begins with details surrounding
the miraculous birth of John the
forerunner and Jesus the Messiah.

Lord, we Will Believe Your Word:
The angel said: Do Not be afraid,
Zacharias, for your prayer is heard;
your wife will bear you a son,
and you shall call his name John…
But behold you will be mute until
the day these things take place
because u did Not Believe my words
which will be fulfilled (Lk 1:13-20)
The angel said: Behold you will
conceive in your womb and bring
forth a Son and shall call His name
Jesus… For with God nothing
will be impossible. Then Mary
said: Let It Be to me According
To Your Word (Luke 1:31-38).
You are Blessed Because You
Believed what the Lord would do
what He said (Luke 1:45). Amen.

Lord, there may be difficulties
in our lives that lingered So Long
that they seem like impossibilities.
But nothing is too difficult for God.
In fact U prefer impossible situation
where Yr power is visibly displayed.
Help us Lord not be discouraged
by the Long unyielding situations.
Help us to endure the long periods
that require faith and patience.
Help us to Wait and Believe for
nothing is impossible with U. Amen.

Lord, even when things does
Not Make Sense, remind me that
Your Word is the ultimate truth.
Even when my faith is weak
and hidden, your promises can
bring it to pass out of hiding.
And I embrace Your promises,
even though they may seem
as impossible because You are
the God who can create new
things out of nothing. Amen.

Lord, help me not to focus on the
problem & be afraid like Zacharias
but instead learn to take courage
like Mary focusing solely on You.
And I embrace Your promises like
Mary and rest the weight of my
circumstance on Your sure word.
For after all You are the God of
the impossible and I rest in You.
And Lord, I look forward to Receive
the Blessing thro Believing. Amen.

Have Faith Not Doubt

The final week of Jesus’ earthly life
occupies more space in the gospels
than any other stage of His ministry.
Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem coincides
with the preparation for Passover.
Though events move quickly, Jesus
is not hurried. There is time to clean
out the temple, watch the widow
contributes her two mites and give
final instructions to the disciples.

Lord, we Pray In Faith & Not Doubt:
Jesus said: Have Faith In God.
For assuredly I say to you, whoever
says to this mountain: Be removed
and does Not Doubt in his heart,
But Believes that those things
he says will be done, he will have
whatever he says. Therefore I say
to you, whatever things you ask
when you pray, Believe that you
receive them & you will have them.
And… if you have anything against
anyone, Forgive him, that your
Father in heaven may also forgive
you your trespasses (Mark 11:22-26)

Lord, I have faith in You, the
Almighty, all loving faithful God.
And I believe that You reward
those who diligently seek You.
Lord, I place this issue before
You In Faith and Without Doubt
and seeking Your face and will.
Your Word says if I ask anything
according to Your will, You hear me
and I can have what I ask of You.
Into Your hand I surrender. Amen.

Lord, I come to You with my need
and desire, asking You In Faith and
claiming the promise in Mark 11:24.
Trust that the need is within Your
will; and implore You to reward
those who diligently seek You.
I know that in Your sovereignty,
You do things Your way & Your time.
But Father God, I plead for Your
mercy for it’s been such a long
time that I have been asking You.
So grant me Your favor and favour
of men as soon as possible. Amen.

Lord, I don’t want Your Presence to
be quenched due to unforgiveness.
I don’t want to hinder Yr forgiveness
because I’ve not forgiven someone.
Instead I want to receive Yr blessing
because I have forgiven someone.
Reveal any place in my heart where
I have not yet forgiven someone.
And create in me a forgiving spirit
that sees others as You do. Amen.

Treasure Lord’s Presence (Sep 27)

In a series of visions, Ezekiel next
foresees the what, why and how
of God’s judgment upon Judah.
The what: total destruction of
Jerusalem and the departure
of God’s glory from the temple.
The why: generations of idolatry,
wickedness & spiritual indifference.
The how: thro the cruel Babylonians,
God’s chosen agents of judgment.
But the harshness of the sentence
is tempered by a tender reminder.
A remnant will survive, receive
sanctuary in a foreign country,
and return to the Land of Promise.

Despite the fact that they were
God’s chosen people, loved and
protected by Him, the Israelites
had turned away from Him. Again
the more they worshipped creation
rather than the creator, oppressed
the poor and turned to violence, the
more they argued none their fault.
Ezekiel’s uncompromising message
was that persistent rebellion against
God would result in judgment.
After judgment comes repentance,
before hope and restoration.
Lord, we Reject Idolatry Absolutely.
Lord, we Treasure Your Presence.
Lord, we Receive Undivided Heart.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray.

Lord, we Reject Idolatry in every way:
God then said: Do u see the terrible
sins of the people of Israel? Their
sins are making my holy temple
unfit as a place to worship Me…
Inside I saw the walls were covered
with pictures of… unclean animals,
as well as with idols… I saw about
25 men… their backs were to the
Lord’s temple and they were bowing
down to the rising sun. God said:
It’s bad enough that the people of
Judah are doing these… things.
But they have also spread violence
& injustice everywhere (Ezek 8:6-17)
Lord, we realise the destruction of
Jerusalem was due to idol worship.
Help us guard against idolatry
and anything that is in danger
of taking God’s place in our life.
Help us never forget You are holy,
demanding our respect & worship.
Give us reverent fear of Yr holiness
and adoration of Yr majesty & glory.
O Holy Lord, make us worship You
alone & reign supreme in us. Amen.

Lord, we Treasure Your Presence:
Now the glory of God then left
its place… inside the temple and
moved to the entrance (Ezek 9:3).
Then… the Lord’s glory move from
the entrance of the temple and Stop
above the winged creatures. They
spread their wings and flew into the
air… They Stopped at the east gate
of the temple, and the Lord’s glory
was above them (Ezek 10:18-19).
And the glory of the Lord went up
from the midst of the city & Stood
on the mountain which is on the
east side of the city (Ezek 11:23).
Lord, many in Jerusalem became
complacent and believed God’s
presence would protect them even if
they remained habitually unfaithful.
But now God’s glory was withdrawing
slowly and with evident reluctance.
Lord,we realise taking God’s blessing
and protection for granted is foolish.
We repent of any sin and invite
Your glory to return and Your Spirit
to fill us afresh. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, we Receive Undivided Heart:
Tell the exiles: Although I have
scattered you in the countries
of the world, I will be a sanctuary
to you during your time in exile…
I will give them an undivided heart
and put a new spirit in them;
I will remove from them their
heart of stone and give them
a heart of flesh (Ezek 11:16-19).
Lord, Thank You that You are
always my home and my refuge.
Fill me with love & keep my heart
from wandering away from You.
Make my heart to be undivided
towards You Lord and take away
any hardheartedness within me.
I invite You to take charge of my
mind and emotions and help me
to give complete control to You.
Light a flame of desire within me
for You that never goes out. Amen

Changed by His Holiness (Sep 26)

While Jeremiah is preaching about
the judgment of God on Judah and
awaiting the final fall of Jerusalem,
Ezekiel is 600 miles away in Babylon
interpreting God’s judgment to
those Jews already in captivity.
Though Ezekiel’s preaching is
similar to Jeremiah’s proclaiming
doom for the disobedient – it also
contains large doses of hope and
instruction. The 70-year exile will
teach God’s people that I am the
Lord (a phrase repeated more than
50 times in the book) thus preparing
them for their day of restoration.

Ezekiel saw a vision that revealed
God’s absolute moral perfection.
God was spiritually and morally
superior to members of Israel’s
corrupt and compromising society.
Because God is perfect, He can
help us live above our tendency
to compromise with this world.
Lord, we will Respond as You Lead.
Lord, we will Look Out for others.
Lord, we will Purpose to Be Faithful.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray.

Lord, we will Respond as You Lead:
Stand up son of man, said the voice.
I want to speak with you. The
Spirit came into me as He spoke,
and He set me on my feet…
I am sending you to say to (the
nation of Israel): This is what the
Sovereign LORD says: And whether
they listen or refuse to listen –
for remember – they are rebels – at
least they will know they have had
a prophet among them (Ezek 2:1-5)
Sovereign Lord, I am standing at
attention to hear You and ready to
move at the sound of Your voice.
I want our encounters to change me
no matter how subtly or radically.
Make plain Your words for us and
fills us who believe with Your Spirit.
Give me words to say, feelings to
portray and thoughts to convey.
Help me to live in sync with You
Lord and Fill me with the heart
of Your Mission. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, we will Look Out for others:
Seven days after I had seen the
brightness of the Lord’s glory,
the Lord said: Ezekiel, son of man,
I have appointed you a watchman
for the people of Israel. So listen to
what I say, then warn them for me.
When I tell wicked people they will
die because of their sins, you must
warn them to turn from sinful ways so
they won’t be punished (Ez 3:16-18)
Lord, a watchman is the ultimate
responsible job, for if the person
doesn’t do it properly people will die.
Judgment is an unpopular topic,
but it is still the consequence of
sin and people need to be warned.
Thank Lord for those who have the
courage to stand & speak the truth.
Help us Lord to rise above our fears,
to speak for You & for gospel. Amen

Lord, we purpose to Be Faithful:
I will leave a remnant of my people
escape destruction; and they will
be scattered among the nations…
Then… they will remember me.
They will recognise how grieved
I am by their unfaithful hearts..that
long for other gods. Then at last
they will hate themselves for all
their wickedness. They will know
that I alone am the Lord & that I was
serious when I predicted that all this
would happen to them(Ezek 6:8-10)
Lord, share Your feelings with me;
and connect me to Your experiences.
I am sorry for the pain that You feel.
I purpose not to be unfaithful to You.
May You not have to grieve over me.
And may Your grieve over others
bind us together and draw them
to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord’s Judgment & Restoration

As the Bible is arranged by genre,
to enhance understanding context
we’re meditating by time sequence.
OT1A: Genesis
OT1B: Poetry Book of Job
OT1C: Life of Moses (Exo to Deut)
OT2A: History to David (Josh-1Chr)
OT2B: Five Books of Psalms
OT2C: 1 Kings & Wisdom Poetry
OT3A: 2 Kings & Prophets
OT3B: 2 Chronicles & Prophets
OT3C: Return From Exile & Prophets

2 Chronicles spans four centuries of
Judah’s history from glory days of
Solomon to end of Babylonian Exile.
Moving to prophets, Isaiah’s ministry
spans reigns of four kings of Judah
(722-681BC) stressing holiness
of God and coming of the Messiah.
Then five minor prophets to Judah
including Obadiah (840BC) and
Joel (830) as well as Micah (735-10)
Zephaniah (630) & Habakkuk (607).
Then Jeremiah written 627 to urge
God’s people to turn from their sins
followed by Lamentations (586 BC).
Next, Ezekiel written about 571 BC.

Ezekiel born as a priest but ministers
as a prophet during the last days
of the decline and fall of Judah.
While Jeremiah stays in Jerusalem
Ezekiel preaches to exiles in Babylon.
Similar to Jeremiah in pronouncing
God’s severe judgment on the
faithless nation, Ezekiel also adds
a blessed note of hope – God’s
promise of a restored nation in
the future. Emphasising the glory
of the Sovereign God, Ezekiel
portrays God’s purpose through
both judgment and blessing “that
all might know that I am the Lord.”

We will meditate Ezekiel over four
weekends over following 8 divisions:
Ezek 1-6: Signs and Sermons
Ezek 7-11: Departing Glory
Ezek 12-19: Parables of Judgment
Ezek 20-23: Pictures of Sin
Ezek 24-32: Judgment if Enemies
Ezek 33-36: New Life for Israel
Ezek 37-39: Revived Bones
Ezek 40-48: Revived Worship
Lord, Your message of judgment
points to Your unchanging holiness;
but You also have messages of
restoration & hope for the people.
Grant us grace Lord to submit
to Your rule in our life. Amen.

Experiencing God thro Obedience

The Gospel of Mark focuses on
what Jesus did and portrays Him
as the perfect servant who came
to serve and to give His life for us.
This week we learn the importance
of faith and various ways to reflect
it, thus positioning ourselves rightly
in order to encounter His presence.
On Monday, we learn from Mark 4
to Wholly Trust the Word of God.
On Tuesday, we learn from Mark 5
to Fear Not, Only Believe & Receive.
On Wednesday, we learn from
Mark 8 to Trust the Bread of Life.
On Thursday, we learn from Mark 9
to Fast and Pray Fervently In Faith.
On Friday, we learn from Mark 11
to Have Faith In God Not Doubt.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.