Praying thro 2 Corinthians (Jun 10)


God Helps U Prevail In Difficulties
(Prayer Walk thro 2 Cor 6-13)

Backgrounder: 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, thanks for Paul’s letter
which teaches us how to be more
effective in Christian ministry.
Help us to be blameless, sincere,
confident, caring, and willing
to suffer for the sake of Christ.
Lord, as we may face challenges
in life including spiritual battles,
physical ailment & difficult people;
help us use Yr mighty weapons;
help us be Enabled by You; and
help us place our Faith in U. Amen
Continue reading “Praying thro 2 Corinthians (Jun 10)”

Praying thro 2 Corinthians (Jun 9)

Be Ambassadors of Christ
(Prayer Walk thro 2 Cor 1-5)

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

Lord, thanks for Paul’s 2nd letter
to Corinthians which explains the
nature of Christian ministry and
teaches how we should handle it.
Help us to be blameless, sincere,
confident, caring, open & willing
to suffer for the sake of Christ.
Help us to Comfort Others;
Help us to Focus on Eternal &
Help us be Yr Ambassadors. Amen
Continue reading “Praying thro 2 Corinthians (Jun 9)”

Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 8)

Christ’s Light Set You Free

Backgrounder on John 6-8:
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 OT said of Him.
Using Jewish feast days as public
forum, Jesus declares Himself
to be the Bread of Life (6:35),
the Forgiver of Sins (8:11) and
the Light of the World (8:12).

Lord, Your Light Sets Us Free:
Jesus said: I am the Light of
the world. If you Follow me,
you won’t have to walk in darkness
because you will have the Light
that leads to life (Jn 8:12).
To the Jews who had believed
Him, Jesus said: If you Hold
to my teaching, you are really
my disciples. Then you will
know the truth, and the truth will
set you Free (Jn 8:31-32). Amen.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 8)”

Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 7)

Christ our Bread of Life

Backgrounder on John 6-8:
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
to be 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, we’ll Come to You for Help:
Jesus replied: I am the Bread
of Life. No one who comes to
me will ever be hungry again.
Those who believe in me will
never thirst (John 6:35). And the
one who comes to Me, I will by
no means cast out (v37). Amen.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 7)”

Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 6)

God Satisfies Your Deep Longings

Backgrounder on John 3-5:
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 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. Indeed the water
I give them will become in them
a spring of water welling up to
eternal life (John 4:10-14). Amen
The woman left her water jar
beside the wall and 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).
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 6)”

Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 5)

God Gives You Eternal Life

Backgrounder on John 3-5:
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 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. The paralytic
at the pool finds that even 38 years
of lameness is no obstacle to
the miracle-working Son of God.
Jew or Samaritan, religious leader
or religious outcast, Jesus’
compassion knows no bounds.

Lord, we will Respond to Your Love:
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 3:16). 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.
Continue reading “Prayer Thot for the Day (Jun 5)”

Preview on Acts of Apostles (May 5)

We’ve Chronologically covered the
Old Testament, phase by phase:
OT1: Five Books of Laws incl Job.
OT2: Israel History to King David
OT3: United & Divided Kingdoms
OT4: Return from the Exile
We had also meditated on the
synoptic gospels & John gospel.

We now continue with Book of Acts.
Beginning with a frightened band
of disciples in an upper room,
Acts traces the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem
following the ascension of Christ
and the subsequent spread and
growth of Christianity throughout
the Roman Empire. Written by
Luke, Acts records the fulfilment
of Jesus’ Great Commission
as Spirit-transformed disciples
carry the gospel to Jerusalem…
Judea and Samaria and into the
uttermost part of the earth (A1:8).

We will cover Acts of the Apostles
over 2 weekends under 4 divisions:
a) Growth of the Jewish Church
in Jerusalem (Acts 1-7)
b) Expansion of the Church
in Judea & Samaria (Acts 8-12)
c) Paul’s 3 missionary journeys
to Uttermost Part (Acts 13-20)
d) Arrest, Trials & Imprisonment
of Paul the Apostle (Acts 21-28)

Look Out for exposition on Acts
for better understanding on the
work of the Holy Spirit, be more
effective witnesses of Jesus Christ
and increase our faith in God.
Blessings/chris

Preview on Galatians (May 19)

We have been Chronologically
covering the Bible phase by phase.
We start the Gospels, with Mark
focussing on acts of Jesus and
presents Him as the Servant who
came to give His life as a ransom.
Luke focuses on Jesus’ teachings
and presents Him as the perfect
Son of Man whose mission was to
seek and save that which was lost.
Matthew presents Jesus as the
Christ, Israel’s messianic King.
And John presents Jesus as the
Son of God so offered eternal
life to all who believe in Him.
We have also covered Acts of
the Apostles, which chronicles
the Growth of the church.

Next, we continue into apostolic
letters, beginning with Galatians.
Paul doesn’t open with his usual
greeting of praise & prayer for the
saints; for there is an emergency
at hand! The Galatians have
listened to false teachers who
have come into the church teaching
that salvation is a mixture of works
and grace. Paul warns the believers
about the bondage this type of
deception brings and exhorts them
to return to the Freedom that is
theirs in Jesus Christ. He goes
on to show that it is the Spirit,
not the flesh, that the Christian
life is to be successfully lived.

We will cover Galatians in one
weekend under three divisions:
-Authenticity of the gospel (G1-2)
-Superiority of the gospel (G3-4)
-Freedom of the gospel (Gal 5-6)
Lookout for exposition on Galatians
for better understanding on the
Spirit’s call of Christians toward
Faith and Freedom in Christ.
Blessings/chris

Preview on Thessalonians (May 26)

We have been Chronologically
covering the Bible phase by phase.
We start the Gospels, with Mark
presenting Jesus as the Servant
who gave his life for mankind.
Luke presents Him as the perfect
Son of Man saving the lost.
Matthew presents Jesus as the
Christ, Israel’s messianic King.
And John presents Jesus as
Son of God offering eternal life.
We have also covered Acts which
chronicles Growth of the church.
And in Galatians, we see the
Spirit’s call of Christians toward
Faith and Freedom in Christ.

Next, we continue into 1 Thess.
Prosperous, prominent and
thoroughly pagan, the seaport
city of Thessalonica first heard
the gospel on Paul’s second
missionary journey. A dynamic
fellowship developed there,
becoming a continual joy to Paul.
And he writes 1 Thessalonians
to encourage them. They were
being persecuted and he urges
them to persevere. Their city is
full of sensual temptation and
he exhorts them to hold to
Christian standards. Finally he
corrects some misunderstanding
about the return of Christ.

As the believers face growing
persecution, Paul writes 2 Thess
to encourage them that God’s
judgment will eventually bring
about justice. He dispels the
rumour that the Day of the Lord
has already come as some thought.
They had concluded that they
we’re living in the tribulation and
had quit their jobs. Paul exhorts
them to return to work and stop
burdening the body of Christ.
Instead they are to take advantage
of the time they have and be
not weary in well doing before
Christ returns.

We will cover the two letters to
the Thessalonians in one weekend.
Lookout for the exposition and
be strengthened in our faith and
be prepared for the Lord’s Return.
Blessings/chris

Preview on Corinthians (Jun 2)

We have been Chronologically
covering the Bible phase by phase.
We start the Gospels, with Jesus
presented as the Servant in Mark,
the perfect Son of Man in Luke,
Israel’s messianic King in Matthew
and the Son of God in John gospel.
We have also covered Acts which
chronicles Growth of the church.
In Galatians, Paul urges Christians
toward Faith & Freedom in Christ.
In 1&2 Thess, Paul encourages
the church to persevere in midst of
persecution & ahead of 2nd coming

Next,we continue into 1 Corinthians.
In NT times, Corinth was known
as the commercial hub of southern
Greece. But it was also infamous
as a centre of immorality. Despite
that, Paul established a church
there near the end of his second
missionary journey (Acts 18).
Though the church was in Corinth,
Corinth was also in the church,
infecting its fellowship and witness.
Paul recognises the gifts and
strengths of the church, but he also
deals decisively with the problems
plaguing it.His goal is that all things
be done decently & in order (14:40)

After his first letter, Paul’s teaching,
character and motives were
brought under attack by some.
Paul then writes 2 Corinthians
to set forth his credentials and
vindicate his conduct, thanking
those who support him and
appealing to the rebellious minority
The book is autobiographical,
offering glimpses into the life
of Paul found nowhere else
in scripture: his preconversion
background, his visions from God,
his thorn in the flesh and his
persecution for the cause of Christ

We will cover Paul’s two letters to
the Corinthians over 2 weekends.
Lookout for the exposition (and
with personal scripture reading) to
better understand the importance
of unity in the church, the Christian
approach to problem solving & be challenged how to Live For Christ
in a cosmopolitan & corrupt society.
Blessings/chris