Reflection on 1&2 Kings (Mar 30)Hearing God thru His Word

The central purpose of First Kings
is contrast the lives of those who
live for God and those who refuse
to do so through the history of
the kings of Israel and Judah;
whilst that of Second Kings
is to demonstrate the fate
that awaits all who refuse
to make God their true leader.

On Monday, we learn from 1Kgs 3
that God Gives Us Wisdom.
On Tuesday, we learn from 1Kgs 8
that God Declares & Fulfils His Plan
On Wed, we learn from 1Kgs 19
that God Speaks In Varied Voice.
On Thursday, we learn from 2Kgs 4
that Music Facilitates Hearing God.
On Friday, we learn from 2Kgs 6
to Pray for Divine Vision & Strength.
On Sat, we learn from 2Kgs 17
to Seek & Worship the Lord.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Hear You:
For God Gives Us Wisdom and
that Music Facilitates Hearing Him;
For God Speaks In Varied Voice
and thay You Delare & Fulfil Plan;
And we Pray for Divine Vision
and Strength as well as Seek
and Worship the Lord. Amen.

Hearing God In 2 Kings 17 (Mar 29)Seek & Worship the Lord

Time is running out for the nation
of Israel. Though God’s patience
with His wayward people is deep,
His hand of judgment is poised
and will not be stayed much longer.
Following the death of Elisha,
Israel’s downward spiral accelerates.
Despite the able rule of Jeroboam ll,
the kings who succeeds him lead
the people ever deeper into idolatry
and immorality. Not a single one
of the last nine monarchs looks to
God for direction. At last Assyria
captures and disperses God’s
disobedient people and brought
the northern kingdom to an end.

Lord, we pledge to Worship You:
In the ninth year of King Hosea’s
reign, Samaria fell and the people
of Israel were exiled to Assyria.
The disaster came upon the nation
of Israel because the people
worshipped other gods, sinning
agst the Lord their God (2K17:6-7)
Then they… sold themselves
to do evil in the sight of the Lord,
provoking Him. So the Lord was
very angry with Israel (v17-18).
They feared the Lord, yet they
served their own gods, according
to the rituals of the nations from
among whom they were carried away… They do not fear the Lord,
nor do they follow the law…
which the Lord had commanded
the children of Jacob (v33-34).

Lord, we learnt from 2 Kings 13-17
that whilst You’re patient & merciful,
ever wanting your people to repent;
You are also holy, just & sovereign.
Help us not be concern of outward
radiance; but be watchful of moral
corruption and spiritual bankruptcy.
Help us to remain faithful to You;
help us to pledge worship only You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Dear Loving Lord, I pray You will
keep me fr having a divided heart.
I don’t want to weaken allegiance
to U God by showing any allegiance
to the false gods of this world.
Help me Lord to stay in close touch
with You through regular meditation
of Your holy word & constant prayer.
And unite my heart with Yours Lord
so that it won’t stray fr You. Amen

Lord, we know a day is coming
when You will pour out Your anger
on those who live for themselves,
who refuse to obey the truth
and instead lead wicked lives.
But we also know that You poured
out Your anger on Christ so that
all who find refuge in Him will not
be swept away from Your presence
but will be brought home to You.
Draw our friends & loved ones into
Your fold; and we purpose to have
no other gods before You. Amen.

Hearing God In 2 Kings 6 (Mar 28)Pray for Divine Vision & Strength

Backgrounder on 2 King 4-8:
Elisha, the great miracle worker
of God performs eight miracles
in these 5 chapters, including
providing an oil well for a widow,
giving new life for a deaf boy,
multiplying bread for hungry crowd,
curing a leprous army captain and
enabling a servant to see angels.
In each case, God’s power at work
shows His readiness to do the same
in the nation He has called His own.

Lord, Grant us Eyes of Faith:
When the king of Syria was at war
with Israel, he would confer with
his officers: We will mobilize our
forces at such and such a place.
But immediately Elisha, the man of
God, would warn the king of Israel:
Do not go near that place, for the
Syrians are planning to mobilise
their troops there (2 Kings 6:8-9).
When the servant of the man of God
got up early the next morning, there
were troops & chariots everywhere.
What will we do now? Elisha’s
servant cried out to Elisha (v15).
Don’t be afraid ! Elisha told him.
For there are more on our side
than on theirs! Then Elisha prayed:
O Lord, open his eyes and let him
see! The Lord opened his servant’s
eyes and when he looked up,
he saw that the hillside around
Elisha was filled with horses and
chariots of fire (2Kings 6:16-17).

Lord, grant me the light to see
in the unseen realm how Your
strength is greater than any foe.
Remind me of Your awesome
power and unlimited resources.
Open my eyes Lord, let me
look through the eyes of Faith
and show me Your resources.
And let me take courage because
You are fighting for me. Amen.

Almighty God, open my eyes to
see the truth about my situation.
Give me clear understanding,
especially when I am facing
challenges, of all You are doing
in the midst of my situation.
Enable me to see things from
Your perspective so that I can
stand strong and courageous.
Help me Lord to trust Your hand of
protection. In Jesus’ mighty name.

Lord, In difficult circumstance,
I purpose not to fear for You are
my God and You are with me.
You will Strengthen me, You will
help me and You will uphold me
with Your righteous right hand.
For You God has not given me
a spirit of fear, but of Power.
And I can do all things through
Christ who Strengthens me. Amen

Adoring God in Ezek 18-20 (Jul 31)Holy God Gives Hope & Restores

Backgrounder: While Jeremiah
was prophesying in Jerusalem
that the city would soon fall to
the Babylonians, Ezekiel was giving
the same message to the captives
who were already in Babylon.
Like those in Jerusalem, the
captives stubbornly believed that
Jerusalem would not fall. Ezekiel
warned them that punishment was
certain because of their sins and
that God was purifying his people.
He also brings a message of hope;
for a remnant will survive and
return to the Land of Promise.

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).
Profane My holy name no more…
For on My holy mountain… there all
the house of Israel… shall serve Me;
there I’ll accept them (Ez20:39-40)
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, take away everything in my
heart that is not right before You.
And help me Lord 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’s a serious price to pay.
Help me Lord to clear the slate and
begin again with a new heart and
a right spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, praise be Your holy name;
and forgive me for the times when
I profane it carelessly or willfully.
Fill me with Your love and help me
to keep my heart from wandering
away from You. Make my heart
to be undivided and take away
any hardheartedness within me.
Take charge of my mind and
emotions; and help me to give
complete control to You. Amen.

Lord, I don’t want to look back
over my life and feel bad because
of the things I have done wrong.
Help me Lord to quickly recognise,
confess the sin and to repent of it.
Enable me to live in such a way
that I don’t have regret over
my words, thoughts or actions.
Help me to fully repent so that
I will reflect You appropriately. Amen

Adoring God In Matt 14 (Feb 8)

Jesus’ Love Lifted & Saved Me

The gospel song Love Lifted Me
was written in 1912 Connecticut.
James Rowe wrote the lyrics and
Howard Smith wrote the melody.
According to Rowe’s daughter:
I can see my father striding up and
down humming a bar or two, and
Howard playing it & jotting it down.
Rowe and Smith wrote the hymn
based on the passage Peter
walking on the water, becoming
afraid, and crying out to the Lord
to save him as he was sinking.                          The song celebrates the power
of God’s love, offering hope
and salvation to all who believe.
Its lyrics serve as a reminder that
no matter how far we have fallen,
God’s love has the power to lift
us up and restore us to wholeness.

Lord Jesus, Your Love Lifted Me:
Peter said: Lord,if it’s You, command
me to come to You on the water.
So He said: Come. And when Peter
came out of the boat and walked on
the water to go to Jesus. But when
he saw the wind was boisterous,
he was afraid and, beginning to
sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’
Immediately Jesus reached out
His hand and caught him. ‘You
of little faith,’ He said, ‘why did
you doubt? (Matthew 14:28-31).

Lord, remember singing this
hymn in my late teens and young
adult years. And when going
through the challenges in life,
the hymnal song returns to
rise from the deep of my heart.
Only Your love Lord gives lasting
peace and reigns in our heart.
For You God remains in control,
even in the storms of life. Amen.

Lord God commanded His love
towards us that while we were
still sinners Jesus died for us.
That’s the love that lifted us.
Love especially the final verse:
Souls in danger look above
Jesus completely saves –
What hope and assurance!!
Love lifted me, Love lifted me
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me! Thank U Lord. Amen

Lord, All my heart to You I give,
ever to You I’ll cling
In Your blessèd presence live,
ever Your praises sing,
Love so mighty and so true,
merits my soul’s best songs,
Faithful, loving service too,
to You belongs.
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me! Amen.

Adoring God in Matt 11 (Feb 7)

Softly & Tenderly Jesus Is Calling

Will Thomson regularly went to New
York City to sell the secular songs
he had written. He made so much
money from his compositions that
he was called millionaire songwriter.
But Thomson began to concentrate
on hymn writing and set up his
own firm for publishing hymnals.
And two million copies of his
gospel quartet books were sold.
Around 1880, when Thompson
was 33 years old, he wrote this
invitational hymn: Softly & Tenderly.

Lord, we will Come to You:
Then Jesus said: Come to me, all
of you who are weary & carry heavy
burdens, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you. Let Me
teach you, because I am humble
and gentle at heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. For My yoke
is easy to bear, and the burden
I give you is light (Matt 11:28-30).

Lord, this hymn prompt us to come
back to You after wandering around.
You are so merciful Lord to receive
us back as Your children. It doesn’t
matter what our sins may be, You
always wants us back. And You will
cleanse us & make us white as snow.
And when we walk back to You,
You will welcome us with open arms.
No matter how far we go, You
tenderly tell us we’ve not gone
too far to come back home. Amen.

Lord, thank You for loving us so
much and desires all man will come
to You; for it is You who will truly
give us Rest from our weariness.
Jesus is never tired of waiting
and watching out for us, telling
us: Come home and find Peace.
You Lord has led me many times
in singing, “Softly and Tenderly.”
For I can always come to You
and recieve Your abundant mercy.
And no matter what my life holds,
I can say Jesus is calling. Amen.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals
He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me…
Refrain: Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!!
Why should we tarry
when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger
and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Trusting God In Titus 2 (Nov 17)God Desires Holy Living

Titus lived on Crete, and worked
among a people who had one of
the worst reputations in the world.
Paul had left Titus to oversee the
church & now writes to encourage
him in that difficult task.To promote
sound teaching and offset false
doctrines, Titus is told to appoint
& train spiritual leaders as elders.
Paul’s short letter is a summary of
Christian doctrine that emphasises
holy living and encourages all
to live worthy of the gospel.

Lord, we’ll aspire Godly Lifestyle:
Teach the older men to exercise
self-control, to be worthy of
respect, and to live wisely…and
be filled with love and patience…
Teach the older women to live
in a way that is appropriate
for someone serving the Lord.
They must not go around
speaking evil of others (Tit2:2-5).
The grace of God has appeared
that offers salvation to all people.
It teaches us to Say “No” to
Ungodliness & worldly passions,
and to live self-controlled, upright
and godly lives (v11-12). Amen.

Lord, I want to be a person who
with strong faith, love & patience
helps others to live godly lives.
Since I can do nothing apart
from You Lord, I ask for the power
of Your Holy Spirit to enable
me to be a shining example.
Help me Lord to mentor others
in living a life that truly honours
and glorifies You. Amen.

Lord, help me to Say “No” to
ungodliness and worldly passions.
Help me know the right thing
to do in every situation, and
give me the courage to do it; for
I want to honour You in my choices.
Help me to serve You, to build Your
kingdom and to grow spiritually so
that I’ll be ready for Your return.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, thank You for teaching us
from Titus that Christians are to
be self-disciplined and orderly.
Help us Lord to live upright lives,
control our speech & live peacefully
with others so that we can be
living examples of our faith in You.
Help us Lead a Godly Lifestyle;
help us Say “No” to Ungodliness &
help us Live Worthily of You. Amen

Trusting God In 2 Timothy 3 God Gives Word of Life (Nov 15)

Paul writes his 2nd letter to Tim
from prison with imminent death.
And yet the focus of Paul’s letter
is not on his own problems and
needs but on the problems and
needs of young Timothy who is
pastor of the church at Ephesus.
Paul, who has stood faithfully for
the Lord through his life, passes
on that same challenge to Timothy.
There’s no need to fear when
You serve the Lord of the universe
and endure hardship for His sake.

Lord, we Receive Your Word of Life:
All who desire to live godly in Christ
Jesus will suffer persecution…
But you must continue in the
things which you have learned
and been assured of (2Tim 3:12-14)
All Scripture is inspired by God
and is useful to teach us what
is true and to make us realise
what is wrong in our lives.
It straightens us out and
teaches us to do what is right.
It is God’s way of preparing us
in every way, fully equipped for
every good thing God wants us
to do (2Tim 3:16-17). Amen.

Father God, You have shown us
in the Old Testament the need of
Man for redemption. Through the
gospels, You reveal the way to
salvation thro faith in Your Son.
And You have given us letters that
reveal Your heart & guide our lives.
Thank you for your inspired Word
which is more precious than
silver or gold. In His name, Amen.

Lord, thank You for not leaving us
to walk in darkness & for giving us 
the light of Your Word to guide us.
Help us to cherish the wonderful
gift in Your holy Scriptures and
also to receive its teaching
and instructions for our lives.
Spur us to desire to lead godly
lives and be prepared to withstand
testing of our faith in Christ. Amen.

Lord, thank You for revealing
Yourself through the Bible.
Your Word is truly a trustworthy
and invaluable guide for our lives.
It teaches and corrects us
as well as Prepare us spiritually
for whatever the future holds.
And we claim that Your Word
is alive and active and will be
our resource when in trouble.
Thank You Lord for giving us
Your Wonderful Word of Life. Amen.

Meditating Revelation 1-3 (Sep 18) God’s Word for the Churches

After greeting the seven churches
in Asia Minor, John describes
how he received his orders to write.
Each church needs a particular
message, and John is commanded
to tailor his exhortation to fit each
scriptural need. Each message
begins with the expression: I know
thy works; each contains a promise
“to him that overcometh”; each
concludes with the warning:
He that hath ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches.
In short, John sends words of
reproof and reassurance from
Jesus Christ, the Alphs & Omega
to each of the seven churches.

Lord, thank You for the lessons
from the letter to seven churches.
We willingly receive Your charge
to constantly fight against the
temptation to become loveless,
immoral, lenient, compromising,
lifeless or casual about our faith.
Thank You for loving us so much
and wanting relationship with us.
We Purpose to Free From Sin.
We Will Come Back to First Love.
We Want to Draw Near to You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we will Free From Sin:
All praise to Him who love us
and has freed us from sins by
shedding His blood for us; and
has made us kings and priests
to His God and Father (Rev 1:5-6).
Lord, just the thought of the
sacrifice of You fills me with
thanksgiving and praise of You.
Make my life one that brings
Glory to You and make u smile.
Show me Lord how to live as
a priest and as a king. Help me
speak Your will and live it out
in every situation I see. Amen.

Lord, we come back to first love:
I know all about the things you do.
I have seen your hard work and
your patient endurance… But
I have this complaint against you.
You don’t love me or each other
as you did at first! Look how far
you have fallen from your first love!
Turn back to me again (Rev 2:2-5)
Lord, I confess that I have been
working for You and doing a lot
but have somewhat ease the
simple devotion of loving You.
Thank You that You are ever calling
me back to intimacy with You.
Thank You for your arms that
are open wide to receive me.
Help me to once again abandon
myself to You, to experience Your
unfailing love for me, and to live in
pure devotion to Your heart. Amen.

Lord, we will Draw Near to You:
As many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten. Therefore be zealous
and repent. Behold I stand at
the door and knock. If anyone
Hears My voice and opens the door
I will come in to him and dine with
him and he with Me (Rev 3:19-20)
Lord, You are always near and
always desirous of my attention.
Forgive me for the times I ignore
or push You to the edges of my life.
For You deserve the central place.
Whenever I hear You calling and
knocking, help me to open myself
to You Lord so that I can enjoy
rich intimacy together. Amen.

Preview Non Pauline Epistles (Jul 31) Heb, James, Jude, 1/2 Peter, 1-3 John

We start the Gospels, with
Matthew who presents Jesus as
the Christ, Israel’s messianic King.
Mark presents Jesus as the Servant
who gave his life for mankind.
Luke presents Him as the perfect
Son of Man saving the lost.
And John presents Jesus as
Son of God offering eternal life.
In essence, Mark records what
Jesus did, Matthew and Luke
records what Jesus said while John
shares Who Jesus was. And Acts
chronicles Growth of the church.

Turning to the Pauline epistles:
In Romans, Paul gives a sample of his
message before he arrives in Rome.
And First and Second Corinthians,
Living for Christ in corrupt society.
In Galatians, Paul calls Christians
to faith and freedom in Christ.
In Eph,Paul strengthens believers by
explaining the purpose of the church.
In Philippians, Paul shows true joy
comes from Jesus Christ alone.
In Colossians, Paul shows believers
have everything they need in Christ.
In Thess, Paul encourages the church to persevere in midst of trials.
Paul’s two letters to Timothy give
advice for building strong leadership
and offer principles for discipleship.
In Titus, Paul gives pointers on
church supervision; while in Philemon, he urges forgiveness
and acceptance of erring brother.
Next, non Pauline epistles: Hebrews,
James, 1&2 Peter, 1-3 John & Jude.

Hebrews: Many Jewish believers
were tempted to renounce their
newfound faith and return to
Judaism to escape persecution.
The anonymous writer of Hebrews
appeals to them to pursue maturity
based on Christ’s superiority
to the Jewish religious system.
More is to be gained by suffering
for Christ than by reverting
to a system He came to fulfill.

James: In this epistle to Jewish
believers, the apostle James shows
how faith integrates with everyday
practical experience by stressing
that true faith produces doers
of the Word. For James, a faith
that produces no change in a
person’s life is really no faith at all.
True faith will bear fruit in deeds.
It endures trials, obeys the Word,
controls the tongue, separates
from the world and resists the devil.

In 1 Peter, Apostle Paul offers
encouragement to suffering
Christians. He begins by stressing
the riches of their salvation and
their need for holy lives. Then
he encourages them to develop
an attitude of submission and
humble dependence on God.
And in 2 Peter, Paul warns
Christians about false teachers
and to exhort them to grow in their
faith in and knowledge of Christ

In 1 John, the apostle writes to
help his spiritual brothers in their
walk with the God who is light,
love and life. He is a God of light
and believers must walk in integrity.
He is a God of love and believers
must manifest love for one another.
And He is a God of life and believers
are assured of eternal life in Christ.
In 2 John, the apostle emphasises
the basics of following Christ,
namely truth and love as well as
warns them against false teachers.
And in 3 John, the apostle commends Gaius for hospitality & encourages
him in his Christian life.

Jude: Alarmed by the presence
of false teachers in the church,
Jude is compelled to unmask
their deadly ways and to exhort
believers to stand firm for truth.
Jude who was the brother of James,
ends this short but powerful epistle
with a series of urgent commands:
Remember Christ’s words,
remain in God’s love and seek
to remove erring brothers from
the fiery danger of their ways.