Hello!

Our Youth Ministry is being led by:
Youth Worker: Ps. Fui
President: Kendra Ang,
Vice-President: Jolene Tan,
with a group of Senior Leaders: Clement Eng, Doreen Soon, Chia Xin Pei, Suzanne Tan, David Soon, Teoh Ling Hui and Ding Ming Hui



led by Gabrielle See (Secretary) & Wong Xin Hui (Treasurer)




Led by Woo Hui Qi



Led by Doretta Soon


Led by Jessie Ma and Jonathan Lim



Led by Shannon Low



Led by Rachel Ma



Led by Chia Xin Hui and Kendrick Teo

The Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter Sunday
The Hope & Power of the Resurrection

Mark 16: 1-8

The Resurrection

¹When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. ²Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb ³and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

⁴But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. ⁵As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

⁶"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' "

⁸Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

On the first Easter morning, three women came to visit the tomb of their beloved teacher and friend. He had filled their lives with love and hope, made them think and feel as they had never done before. He had also promised them that He would rise from the dead. Did they come, then, to check whether this promise had been fulfilled? Did they come to see the empty tomb, perhaps to see the risen Christ? No, they came out of devotion to their dear dead friend.

The first words, by an angel, about the Lord at the resurrection were, “He has rise”. The angel was instructed to tell the disciples that Jesus who was going ahead of them into Galilee, the place where the action was when our Lord was alive. That was where most of those who believed in Him would be.

What is worth noting is that our Lord said He would be ‘going ahead’ of them. Indeed the resurrection is about our Lord ‘going ahead’ of and for us. He has ‘gone ahead’ to prepare a place for each one of us in the Father’s house (Jn 14:2). This is the resurrection hope! He has also ‘gone ahead’ of us to meet us in each situation and circumstance in life. He wants to empower us for our preservation unto eternity. He accompanies us and carries our burden so that we may faithfully complete our pilgrimage on earth. He is there up on the mountain of disappointments and loneliness and down in the valley of suffering and pain. He is there even before we are. Our Lord is alive and He is moving among us!

Every time we celebrate Easter, we must proclaim to the world and also to ourselves the Hope and Power of the resurrection: indeed He has ‘gone ahead’ of and for us. What a hope! What a comfort! What an assurance!
Commitment:
Christians are people of Hope and Victory because of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us focus on the Hope (of eternal life) that we may be focused in our earthly life.

Prayer:
O Lord, help us to remember that you are alive and that you dwell among us so that we too may be alive and be among others as your witnesses. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

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So this is the end of the Lent period. Hope you all had a wonderful time reading all these devotionals and learnt alot as well!
- Doreen

Labels: Lent

Holy Saturday
The Silence before Victory

John 19:38-42

The Burial of Jesus

³⁸Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. ³⁹He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. ⁴⁰Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. ⁴¹At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴²Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Their hopes were dashed, their faith shaken; their Lord Jesus Christ lay dead. A spear that pierced through His side had ensured that He could not be revived. The fact that their beloved master was really dead was finally sinking in, as the two men held His bloodied and lifeless body in their hands.

Three years of knowing Jesus had given Joseph and Nicodemus hope that the Messiah had come. Observing Him from afar, speaking to Him in secret, the two men had grown courageous as they became more and more convinced that Jesus was the Son of God. Though aware that following Jesus would result in their being ostracized from their community, the two men decided to be His disciples, albeit secretly.

Now the Hope of Israel was dead. God seemed strangely silent in the fact of His Son’s tortured death. Though broken and defeated, Joseph and Nicodemus did what they could to honour their lifeless master.

But God was not silent. Beneath the stillness of death, unseen by the human eye, God had torn down the fates of hell, and plundered Satan’s domain. Christ’s victory over death and hell would only become obvious the next day. For Saturday, there was just the stillness of death.

There are seasons in our lives when we are faced with God’s silence in the midst of the enemy’s attacks. The devil and the opponents of all that is good appear to have won. We may have dutifully followed Christ; we may even have made sacrifices for the sake of Christ; but the devil seems to have had the upper hand.

In such times, we are called to continue to honour our Lord Jesus Christ. And believe in our hearts of hearts that in the apparent silence of God, Christ is working our another mighty victory.
Commitment:
As you face opposition while following Christ, determine to honour Him still. Continue in the hope that even as God appears silent, He is working out a mighty victory for us.

Prayer:
Father, help me to continue to honour you even when things do not go the way I wish them to. Help me to trust you and believe that your mighty works of salvation are often disguised as your defeat. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Good Friday
The Heart of the Giver

Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12

The Suffering and Glory of the Servant

¹³ See, my servant will act wisely ;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

¹⁴ Just as there were many who were appalled at him —
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and his form marred beyond human likeness—

¹⁵ so will he sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Isaiah 53

¹ Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

³ He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

¹¹ After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied ;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.

¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

When we give gifts to our loved ones, our giving is often tainted by mixed motives. On the one hand, we give to bring delight to the person receiving our gifts. On the other, we hope to impress the receiver as well as onlookers. We secretly draw attention to ourselves, hoping that our generosity, our creativity, or our stature will be noticed by all. Our desire to bless another is often tainted by a self-seeking motive to be recognized, admired, and applauded.
When God gave us His Son Jesus Christ, He gave out of the purity of His love. His giving was not tainted by mixed motives. The gift was given exclusively for our sakes. He gave us Christ he Saviour simply because we needed a saviour. In fact, the gift was so nondescript that the prophet Isaiah exclaimed concerning him, “Who has believed our message, to whom has the arm of the Lord been reveled?” The power and majesty of God was not apparent in His servant Jesus Christ. Isaiah went on to describe the gift thus:

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not.

God gave us His most previous gift, not to elicit our admiration, but to save us from our sin. He had no other motivation for giving us His only Son, except that He loved us absolutely.

God’s gift to us seemed unattractive and marred, not because God did not give us His best, but because He placed His best gift at our complete disposal. Jesus was disfigured, afflicted, pierced, and oppressed because He carried upon Himself our disfigurement our iniquities, our punishment, and our wounds. In Christ, God was saying to us, “Here’s my most previous Son. He will take in all the abuse, all the wounds, all the rejection and contempt, and all the punishment that is needed to make you whole.” In Christ, God held nothing back from us.

Have you doubted that God would give you good gifts, gifts that you really need? Have you felt that you are not worthy to be blessed by God, and that you need to do better to earn God’s blessings? If so, you do not know how God feels towards you. if God would allow His most precious Son to suffer abuse and rejection and death just because this suffering was the only way He could life us out of the mess that we are in, how can we imagine that God would withhold any good thing from us? The problem is no that God doesn’t love us enough; the problem is that we have not taken the effort to observe and understand God’s love for us.
Commitment:
We are so blind to the fact that God loves us unreservedly, deeply. Lord I want to be still and allow You to pour Your love into my heart.

Prayer:
You gave me your best without withholding anything from me. Draw me close to yourself today, and let me understand with my mind and my heart your love for me. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Thursday of Holy Week

Proclaim the Lord’s Death

1 Corinthians 11:23-26
²³For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." ²⁵In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." ²⁶For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

There was a time when what you believed about the Lord’s Supper was a matter of life and death.

From 1555 to 1558, two hundred and eighty-eight English Protestant Reformers were burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Queen Mary. They were burned alive over what they believed was the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. Was the Lord’s body literally and physically present in the Bread and Wine? Martyrs like Nicholas Ridley, Hugh Latimer, and Thomas Cranmer all thought this was a matter worth dying for.

Today, some take a more lackadaisical attitude towards the Lord’s Supper. Some aren’t even sure what it stands for. 1 Corinthians 11 reminds us that the Holy Communion itself proclaims the Gospel – the eternal life-giving and sin-cleansing Life and Resurrection of Jesus.

Whenever we take Holy Communion, we eat at Jesus’ table. He is there with us in fellowship. We remember what Jesus had to go through in order that we might have the privilege of sharing bread and wine with Him today. The memories of Jesus should fill us at His table, and lead us to feed spiritually on Him, drawing from Him all that we need to sustain us.

Today is called Maundy Thursday, from the Latin Mandatum, or ‘command’ (“a new command I give you … - John 13:32).

Let us this day remember our Lord’s command to love each other as He loves us. Let us also determine to remember what Holy Communion means, and how we can proclaim the Gospel, the good news of what God offers.

After all, for Jesus it was a matter worth dying for.
Commitment:
Think of Jesus’ sacrifice, and surrender your timidity in proclaiming His Gospel. Give up all the anger, bitterness and grudges you may barbbour against others, and choose to live and love as Jesus did!

Prayer:
Jesus, I thank you again for all that you had to suffer through so that I might live. Help me to remember this whenever I take Holy Communion, and give me strength to love as your love. Amen.




All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Wednesday of Holy Week

Run Your Race to the Finish

Hebrews 12:1-3

God Disciplines His Sons

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

For some Christians, life in Christ is a stroll in the park. We have believed in God, but it has made little difference in our lives: no difference in the way we spend money, no difference in life’s goals, no difference in the way we treat our maids. We continue merrily on our own way, stopping by once a week in church.

For others, it was a short jog. We did a few laps energetically and enthusiastically, but now we are tired and we have slowed down. We are still in the race, but we leave the running to the more passionate or younger people – we had our turn.

The letter to the Hebrews was written to a church that was slowing down; it was getting tired and no longer running. This passage is not only a reminder that the Christian journey is a long race, it is also an encouragement to persevere, to endure, to be strong, to carry our cross, and to keep running.

Millions of other Christians have gone on before us and finished their race by faith. Just beyond the finishing line, they are cheering us on. But our greatest encouragement is the example of Jesus. It is Jesus who will perfect our faith and make us triumph. If He could do it, if the other Christians before us could do it, we can also!

So run the race set before you! Don’t stroll, don’t slow down! Lay aside all that slows you down in your Christian journey, especially sin which clings closely. Don’t give up! Run your race to the Finish!

Commitment:
I strip off from me all bad habits and sins that keep me from following closely after Jesus, and I hold to the promise that those who hope in the Lord will run and not be weary (Is 40:31).

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, keep my eyes focused on you and the race you have laid out before me. Help me to run my race in faith that I, too, may be a witness and source of encouragement to others. Amen.




All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Tuesday of Holy Week
Wisdom from Foolishness

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

¹⁸For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

²⁰Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²²Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

²⁶Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

About 200 years after Paul wrote these words, a pagan stood before a wall in Rome to draw some graffiti. He scratched the sentence, “Alexamenos worships his god,” and illustrated it with a picture. On the left of the picture was Alexamenos standing with his hand raised to hail his god. What he faced as he performed this act of worship could be seen on the right: a figure stretched out on a cross. But the most striking thing about the drawing was that the human figure stretched out on the cross had the head of a donkey.

With that blasphemous drawing, the graffiti artist showed what he though of Christianity. You might as well worship as donkey! Unwittingly, he illustrated the truth Paul had expounded in this passage. The gospel of Christ crucified is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of wisdom of God.

Paul makes it clear that the gospel is not a refinement of worldly wisdom. It is not the progression of religious instinct into a more advanced development. It could not be that, for the gospel originated from the mind of God, and it stands in utter contrast to all the best that the human spirit has achieved or deemed noble. The contrast is so vast that God’s gospel wisdom is foolishness from a human perspective. Paul is not alone in perceiving that contrast. The ministry of Jesus dramatized that contrast, as depicted by the opposition of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and underscored it with every drop of blood that fell from His wounded flesh. Jesus’ opponents preferred killing Him to hearing His heavenly wisdom.

That puts us on our knees in gratitude for being favoured with the gospel and with faith to receive it. Here we are, men and woman who know that the gospel of Jesus Christ and nothing else is the wisdom of God – the One Thing Needful. More than that: we are men and women who have been called to serve as ministers of the gospel. Woe to us if the One Thing Needful does not receive its due from us!
Commitment:
I surrender my human wisdom in exchange for God’s foolishness

Prayer:
Lord, make me a fool for Christ so that I can be blessed with your divine wisdom to speak your oracles to the world. Help me, Lord, not to despise the cross for it was where your Son disarmed the principalities and powers, and reconciled me to you. Thank you for the cross. In Christ’s name, Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Monday of Holy Week
Jesus spells Freedom

Isaiah 42: 1-9

The Servant of the Lord

¹ "Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.

² He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.

³ A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

⁴ he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope."

⁵ This is what God the LORD says—
he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:

⁶ "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,

⁷ to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

⁸ "I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.

⁹ See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you."

The middle section of Isaiah, chapters 40 – 55, was set in the period when the Jews were permitted to return home from their exile in Babylon. The pagan Cyrus of Persia had overthrown the Babylonians and ordered the release of the Jewish captives. Isaiah sees this in a cosmic context, and, in 41:1 though 42:9, he describes two “trials” in the court of heaven that vindicate the sovereignty of Israel’s Lord. Cyrus is described as the Lord’s instrument in His plan to free the Jews. The second trial ends with today’s passage, the selection of the Lord’s servant, and the assignment of a mission to the servant.

The servant was probably a figure for the people of Israel, or for a faithful remnant within the people. Later, the early church saw the aspects of Jesus’ own life and mission foreshadowed in the Servant Songs.

The Lord chooses the servant, upholds him, is pleased with him and gives the servant His spirit. The servant’s role to establish justice on he earth (v1, 4), open the eyes of the blind, release prisoners and those in darkness (v7). He does so in gentleness and patience [not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard, not breaking the bruised reed or quenching the smouldering wick (v2-3)]. However the servant’s mission is not confined to Israel only but extends to the rest of the nations as well (v6).

Jesus has come to offer liberty to all who are sin-bound. The invitation is open to all and each on who accepts Him will experience newness of life (v9). In essence, Jesus spells FREEDOM to the oppressed and downtrodden. In Him, there is deliverance and fullness of joy.
Commitment:
I surrender unwholesome habits that I cannot be freed from and will ultimately ruin my walk with God unless I bring them to Jesus. He will break the fetters and chains of these habits, and release me to His will.

Prayer:
Lord, the good I want to do, I don’t do but the evil I don’t want to do, I find myself doing. Cleanse me from my sin, set me free from the wretched man that I am I desire to walk free in your righteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday)
Truly this Man was the Son of God!

Mark 15:1-39
Jesus Before Pilate
1Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.
2"Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate.
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
3The chief priests accused him of many things. 4So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of."
5But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
6Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
9"Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, 10knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
12"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.
13"Crucify him!" they shouted.
14"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
15Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
16The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" 19Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
21A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 22They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 23Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
25It was the third hour when they crucified him. 26The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. 29Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30come down from the cross and save yourself!"
31In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! 32Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The Death of Jesus
33At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
35When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."
36One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.
37With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

It started on such a high note. Nothing could hold back the crowd in Jerusalem. The people were jubilant – waving their palm branches, shouting hosannas and they were welcoming Jesus as their King into the very city of God! The air was indeed thick with hope.

But who would have thought that in less than a week, the adulations would turn into ridicule and hatred as the crowd turned against Jesus. They had asked for Him to be put through the cruelest form of punishment and their request was granted. In crucifying Jesus on the cross, the world was witnessing one of the darkest moments in the history of humankind. Not only was a sinless person sentenced to die on the cross. It was God Himself who hung on that cross. He was supposed to be the Saviour – the One who had come to save the world and bring deliverance to all who placed their hope in Him. But now, on that cross, He seemed so helpless and forsaken. The darkness that fell over the land only served to confirm the sense of doom.

Just when everything appeared to be lost and hopeless, a declaration was made by, of all people, the centurion who had witnessed all that had taken place. His words like a beam of glorious light seemed to penetrate the darkness of the gloom that hung in the air. “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Somehow, through all that had happened, he was able to see that this was what Jesus had earlier described Himself to be. Though he might not have fully anticipated what was to follow, the centurion spoke for all who believed and would believe: “It was Friday and my Jesus was dead on the cross. But that was Friday and Sunday’s coming!”
Commitment:
I surrender my sense of hopelessness and despair, as well as the inability to see beyond my Fridays into the coming Sundays.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to be able to always declare, “Truly, you are the Son of God!” Help me to believe that you are always present in the midst of all that we go through and especially in situations of extreme difficulties and daunting challenges. Amen.




All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Saturday of the Fifth Week in Lent
Blessed is the One who Comes

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say:
"His love endures forever."
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, save us;
O LORD, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you.
27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

Why do we humans find it hard to comprehend God’s faithfulness; to believe that His love for us is so strong that it is unconditional? Many think that God’s faithfulness means life should never have problems and pain, and that it should always be comfortable and serene. May our meditation on Psalm 118 help us to truly know God, and in every discovery of His goodness and faithfulness, be provoked to trust and praise Him!

Psalm 118 is a celebration of a victory worthy of a great king. It expresses the king’s personal experience in relation to the faithfulness of God. He was rejected by his countrymen, experienced many ordeals and painful struggles, and was discarded like one of those stones that the builders deemed unfit for the building. But God heard his cry for help, answered him, rescued and restored him, and gave him a position of prominence. In the name of the Lord, the king routed all his adversaries and rose to the throne. And now, the Psalmist describes, in the first person, his burst of praise as he enters the temple to fulfill his vows, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His steadfast love endures forever! ... You have become my salvation… Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

The New Testament identifies Jesus Christ as “the One who comes in the name of the Lord.” The eternal purpose of God for Israel and for us finds its fulfillment in the single-handed work of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. In His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus is the “rejected stone that has becomes the chief cornerstone.”

Some stumble because they reject Him or refuse to believe that He is who He says He is – the royal, the victorious, the almighty Saviour in whose hands our souls are safe! Concerning this rejection, there is nothing in His character, nothing about Him that would give men cause for doubt and anger, except that Jesus unmasks the pride of the heart, and exposes the hypocrisy and sins of human beings. But for those who accept Him as He is, “to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”

This exalted Christ, this precious Cornerstone is present in the world, binding God and people together in eternity. His Gospel triumphs over all opposition! Let us then renew our confession of faith that “The Lord is God”. Let us open our eyes to see that all of life bears the imprint of God’s wisdom and His marvelous love towards the human race. Let us with joyful hearts, sing and confidently cry out to Him, “Save them all! Save them now!”
Commitment:
I surrender the darkness of life threatens to engulf the light. Speak Lord, for your servants heareth.

Prayer:
Forgive us O Lord for our faltering steps at times . Show us more clearly the Way. Shine anew the light of your presence into our lives so strongly that a new love for You will be kindled. Speak Lord, for Your servants. Amen.




All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Friday of the Fifth Week in Lent
In a place of Desolation, God will bring Gladness

Jeremiah 33:10-16

10 "This is what the LORD says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without men or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying,
"Give thanks to the LORD Almighty,
for the LORD is good;
his love endures forever."
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD.
12 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In this place, desolate and without men or animals—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. 13 In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,' says the LORD.
14 " 'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
15 " 'In those days and at that time
I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line;
he will do what is just and right in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it will be called:
The LORD Our Righteousness.'

Praise is a sacrifice. It is not always going to be easy or convenient to praise God. In fact, the most important time to praise the Lord is when you least feel like praising Him! When you are facing a trial, your sacrifice of praise prepares the way for God’s supernatural intervention. In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat and his people were challenged by an invading coalition of three armies: the Moabites, the Ammonites, and their followers. Now, Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was greatly outnumbered and appeared doomed to be defeated. However, the king got his army to do what was inconvenient – sing and praise the Lord! As they did, God sent ambushes against the enemies and they were totally defeated! Something supernatural always happens when we offer a sacrifice of praise to God. Paul and Silas were thrown into prison for the sake of the gospel. It was probably one of the darkest hours and the lowest point of their lives and ministry. They could have easily gotten angry with God and slipped into self pity and depression. Instead, they purposed in their hearts to offer up the sacrifice of praise!

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God… Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose” (Acts 16:25-26).

No matter what terrible trials we may be facing or what hopeless situations we may be in, when we offer the sacrifice of praise, God will show us His salvation (Ps 50:23). For this reason , the writer of Hebrews commanded us to “ continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Heb 13:15).
Commitment:
Lord, I purpose in my heart to offer you the sacrifice of praise at all times.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me not to focus on the problems but to focus on you, and to praise you at all times. You are my salvation and strength. Amen.




All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Thursday of the Fifth Week in Lent
Death on a Cross

Philippians 2:1-11
Imitating Christ's Humility
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

In this passage, we see how Jesus completely humbled Himself. Although He was God, He didn’t demand His rights and privileges as God. Instead He became a bondservant. A bondservant is someone who belongs fully to his master. He goes only where his master wants him to go and does only what his master wants him to do. A bondservant serves even when there is no recognition.

The founder of the Navigators was the great Dawson Trotman. At his funeral in 1965, people from all around the world were asked what they remembered of Mr. Trotman. A pastor from Taiwan stood up and spoke of a time when he was serving together with Mr. Trotman in Taiwan.

They went on a hike one day and the ground was very muddy. They came back that evening extremely tired and fell into bed immediately. The next morning when the Taiwanese pastor woke up, he found that his shoes had been washed and shined. Mr. Trotman had gotten up early, cleaned his shoes and tidied the room. Mr. Trotman understood the value of serving people even when there was no applause or praise. He served with a pure motive, simply because he loved God and he loved people. Jesus said, “ Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.” (Mt 20:26)

Servanthood is the key to promotion. This is the attitude and mindset of Christ. The Apostle Paul encourages us to change our attitude to be more like Christ – serving people even if no one appreciates us publicly. Before the glorious resurrection, there has to be the humble death on the cross.
Commitment:
Lord, I am willing to be your servant for all and for life.

Prayer:
Jesus, help me to have the same attitude as you have, to love people through serving them. Amen.






All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Lent
God Promises Future Blessings

Haggai 2:1-9, 20-23

The Promised Glory of the New House
1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 2 "Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. 5 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'
6 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. 8 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 9 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty."

Zerubbabel the LORD's Signet Ring
20 The word of the LORD came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 "Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
23 " 'On that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the LORD Almighty."

The returned exiles saw a temple which was in ruins. Haggai had the unenviable task of encouraging them to rebuild it. The Lord’s message was that “ I am with you” (Hag 1:13). In our passage, Haggai goes on to proclaim the coming glory of the temple. The word “glory” comes from the Hebrew root kobed which means weight. “I will fill this house with glory” is what Haggai now says, the promise of a temple more weighty than before. The glory of the temple is to be more than that of silver and gold, for all that already belongs to the Lord of hosts.

Solomon’s temple was indeed filled with silver and gold.

Today the temple of the Lord is our body (“Do you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” asks Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:19). God can indeed fill our temples with a greater glory because it is God’s Spirit who will fill it, not just silver and gold. It is God’s Spirit which will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land, so that all the treasures of all nations will come into His temple. Today we know that the temple was never rebuilt to its former glory; what was rebuilt was furthermore destroyed by the Romans. However, you and I are able to receive of the Holy Spirit that which is needful to build God’s temple in our very bodies. Even though our bodies will turn back into dust, the Holy Spirit will raise them from the dead, in the same way that the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor 15:20). Praise God for His promises!
Commitment:
I surrender myself and my body to be the promised temple of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:
Lord God of Hosts, build your temple in me by the infilling of the Holy Spirit into every aspect of my life and body. Amen.




All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Lent
The Holy Spirit as Resurrection Power

Acts 2:14-24

Peter Addresses the Crowd
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17" 'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
22"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Jews from many countries gathered annually at the feast of weeks fifty days (pente-) after the sabbath of the Passover, to present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord (Num 23:16). Little did they know that on this Pentecost two thousand years ago, they were to experience God offering them instead a gift – the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came upon those gathered so that they spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. To their asking each other what this all meant, Peter proclaimed that this was the fulfillment of the prophecy given in Joel 2:28-32, that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all flesh, the same Holy Spirit who had raised Jesus from the dead. Today it is that same Spirit who gives utterance to those who preach the gospel, knowledge to those who translate the scriptures to many languages, courage to those who live out their faith in their homes and business, vision to the young who execute tasks, and dreams to the elderly to inspire others. Today many seek power, but if such power is not from God, it will perish with those who exercise it. Resurrection power is no respecter of persons for anyone can receive it.

Resurrection power is limitless for it is by the Holy Spirit, as Peter proclaimed, that Jesus was raised from the dead. Come Holy Spirit, come and give us the power to make all things new.

Resurrection power is from generation to generation, for it is from Jesus who is alive today, and seated on the right hand of God. Let us ask Jesus today for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Commitment:
Lord, I surrender what power I may have: grant me the power which is in your resurrected body.

Prayer:
Risen Christ, help me to recognize how weak I always am, and in great need of your resurrection power. Amen.




All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Monday of the Fifth Week in Lent
God's Glory in Christ

2 Corinthians 3:4-11

⁴Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. ⁵Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. ⁶He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The Glory of the New Covenant

⁷Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, ⁸will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! ¹⁰For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

What exactly do we mean when we say something is glorious or has its own glory? J.I. Parker, the famed theologian, calls God’s glory “His splendour on display.” I believe God’s glory means the fullness of who He is. Nothing we do or don’t do will ever add to or subtract from God’s glory. Thus when we say that God’s glory was in Christ, it means that the full expression of all that God is was found in Christ.

Moses, the one whom God chose to be the Lawgiver, had a glory that was reflected and temporal, unlike our Lord’s intrinsic glory. The old covenant given through Moses through the Law offered no inner transformation, but the new covenant administered by the Holy Spirit brings about the total transformation of both the inner and outer man. The greatest privilege of a Christian is to be transformed into that glory day by day – a metamorphosis made possible by God’s indwelling Spirit and this glory, instead of fading away day by day, will glow brighter and greater with each passing day.

Today, we do not need to veil our faces as in Moses’ days. For God’s Spirit who fills our lives will reveal His glory in and through us for all men to see. We, however, need constantly to yield our lives to Him for cleansing and sanctification.


Commitment:
Lord, I want to repent of everything that does not reflect your true glory to the world around me.
Lord, I want to repent in the following areas of my life so that the fullness of your glory might be found in me:_______.

Prayer:
Lord, may your glory shine through me as I conform more and more to the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Fifth Sunday in Lent
Life through Death

John 12:20-33

Jesus Predicts His Death

²⁰Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. ²¹They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." ²²Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

²³Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

²⁷"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name!"

Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." ²⁹The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

³⁰Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. ³¹Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. ³²But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." ³³He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

Jesus taught a principle from nature that would resonate with people regardless of whether they were from a farming community or not. The principle was about losing one’s life and in the process gaining it.

In the above passage, Jesus was predicting His own death, a death which would bring about a new life – eternal life. Most of the time, when a sacrifice is made, it is for the sake of the living. Likewise, when our Lord Jesus died on the cross as the one holy and perfect sacrifice, He meant that through His death would come life. If His love for us would bring forth fruit, He must come down to earth and die. There was no other way to save a humanity lost in sin except through death, and our Saviour willingly went to the cross for our sake. His death does not just benefit one individual, but people from every tribe, tongue and nation who would put their faith in Him. Those who follow the Saviour and desire to live for Him must, die before they can truly experience life.

The greatest evidence of being alive is fruitfulness. As Christians let us ask ourselves if we are bearing fruit – whether the fruit of worship from our lips (Heb 13:15), fruit of character (Gal 5:22,23), fruit of righteousness (Phil 1:11), fruit of good work (Col 1:10) or the fruit of winning souls for the Kingdom (Prov 11:30)?

May we be inspired by George Mueller who once said:” There was a day when I died – died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame of my brethren or friends; and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God”.

Commitment:
Lord, I want to die to self and live for Christ. I want to yield every area of my life to your Lordship.

Prayer:
My Saviour and Lord, help me to experience life that is truly life indeed – a life that is abundant, meaningful and fruitful. Amen.





All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Saturday of the Fourth Week in Lent
God will save the anointed

Habakkuk 3:2-13
2 LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD.
Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
Selah [a]
His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.
4 His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.
5 Plague went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled
and the age-old hills collapsed.
His ways are eternal.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
the dwellings of Midian in anguish.
8 Were you angry with the rivers, O LORD ?
Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea
when you rode with your horses
and your victorious chariots?
9 You uncovered your bow,
you called for many arrows.
Selah
You split the earth with rivers;
10 the mountains saw you and writhed.
Torrents of water swept by;
the deep roared
and lifted its waves on high.
11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens
at the glint of your flying arrows,
at the lightning of your flashing spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the earth
and in anger you threshed the nations.
13 You came out to deliver your people,
to save your anointed one.
You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness,
you stripped him from head to foot.
Selah

With the eye of a prophet, Habakkuk sees a battle of life and death unfolding. His verbs are powerful, full of movements; his adjectives dramatic and vivid. This description of God striding out against evil needs a vocabulary larger than everyday words.

God’s glory covered the heavens and His praise filled the earth. His splendor was like sunrise, with rays flashing from His hands. His coming shook the earth, causing the mountains and hills to collapse, making the nation tremble. This great poetry with its dramatic effect sounds like something out of the latest science-fiction movie. In indignation and anger, God, the royal and holy One, strides through the earth, marching as to war against the armies of evil. He comes bringing salvation and deliverance to His people.

These dramatic verses can be read on several different levels. There are references to creation when God made the heavens and the earth and set order in place. There are references of God coming to rescue His people from bondage in Egypt, leading them into freedom.

The reference to “your anointed one” (v13) reaches ahead to Jesus who came from the heart of God; He entered into the sinfulness of human existence and defeated the principalities and power that held us all in bondage. Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we are still sinners, Christ died for us.” In Christ, death itself has been conquered by the One who offered Himself up in death, thus setting us free. Jesus describes His own mission by quoting Isaiah,” The spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:18-19)
Commitment:
In all turmoil and uncertainty of life today, I commit my life again to Jesus the One who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8).

Prayer:
Dear Lord, from creation until today, I see your hand upon our world and my life. Thank You for your saving grace through Jesus, the anointed redeemer. With the prophet I pray, “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in you awe of deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known” (Hab 3:2). Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent
Through suffering , Christ saves

Hebrews 5:5-10
5 So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father." 6 And he says in another place,
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."
7 During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

To describe Jesus as the Great High Priest, a priest who lives forever, seems incongruous with the idea of suffering and tears. Ought not someone holding such a ‘high’ office be above normal human experience and emotions? Those in senior church leadership today would want to quickly respond with a resounding “no”. Not only do such people remain as ‘human’ as you or I, regardless of the office they hold, but sometimes the office itself can be place upon them a greater level of suffering and human emotions.

Verse 7 is the pivotal verse in this 14 verse chapter and it is here that the writer takes us to the heart of the priesthood of Jesus. It says;” in the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.” Clearly, the writhe has in mind as Jesus wrestle in prayer with the father, Hutchison Gabriel, in his hymn,’ I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene”, expresses in poetry that moment in the garden which led Jesus to the Cross;



The sublime nature of the Priesthood of Jesus found, not in a parade of His greatness, but in the actions of humility and submission to the will of the father. And through such obedience, ”He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (v9).
Commitment:
Praise God today that through the obedience of Jesus, the burden and suffering of sin has been lifted from us as he went to the Cross.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, “What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest Friend, For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end? O make me Thine for Ever! And should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never, Outlive my love to Thee.” Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Thursday of the Fourth Week in Lent
A New Covenant Written On The Heart

Jeremiah 31:31-34

³¹ "The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.

³² It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,"
declares the LORD.

³³ "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.

³⁴ No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"
declares the LORD.
"For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."

A covenant relationship is a special relationship between two parties. It is an agreement of promise and commitment, like the one made between a husband and a wife. For a covenant relationship to blossom, both parties must adhere to the requirements of the covenant.
In this passage, we see God announcing through His prophet his intention to make a new covenant with His people. He has seen how easily His people in the past violated the relationship with Him when they failed to keep their commitment.

But instead of abandoning His people as a punishment for their infidelity and way ward tendencies, God offered them a new covenant, not because they deserve it but because He loved them.

Thankfully, our God is a God of grace and mercy. One who forgives sins and chooses not to remember the sins he has forgiven. In the new covenant relationship, He will inscribe His law in our heart for it to take a more central role in the transforming of our inner being, in forming our character and in governing the way we think and the way we live. It is a covenant relationship where to know God personally is to know Him both with our head and our heart.
Commitment:
Those selfish desires form the centre of my heart to make way for Christ and the inscription of God’s law.

Prayer:
O Lord who loves us and who has inscribe Your law in our heart, teach us to know You, and love You as we ought, with our head and our heart to remain faithful in covenantal relationship with You.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Lent
God is Our Light

Isaiah 60:15-22
15 "Although you have been forsaken and hated,
with no one traveling through,
I will make you the everlasting pride
and the joy of all generations.
16 You will drink the milk of nations
and be nursed at royal breasts.
Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior,
your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,
and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace your governor
and righteousness your ruler.
18 No longer will violence be heard in your land,
nor ruin or destruction within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation
and your gates Praise.
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow will end.
21 Then will all your people be righteous
and they will possess the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,
the work of my hands,
for the display of my splendor.
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.
I am the LORD;
in its time I will do this swiftly."

This world is in terrible mess: wars, indiscriminate terrorist bombings, religious tensions, ethnic conflicts, global warming, HIV/AIDS pandemic, starvation and widespread poverty. As I write this fueled human greed and acquisitive spirit, has been described by Alan Greenspan, the former chairperson of the American Federal Reserve as a “once-in-a-century credit tsunami”. In face of such calamities, it is easy to think that we are trapped in a quagmire which is so deep that we cannot extricate ourselves. The future seems so bleak.

Yet in spite of the overwhelming problems sometimes caused by natural disasters but often brought about by human sinfulness (Is 59:2-15a), God in His grace has promised a bright future for those who know Him and seek to follow His way of righteousness. It is a future when a battered world of stubborn darkness will give way to the new world of God’s penetrating and transforming light. It is a new world with a future which is available to those who trust in Him and not those who put their trust in the false promises of a sin-inflicted world.
Commitment:
My foolish inclination to be attracted to and blinded by the distractive light of the world instead of following the true Light.

Prayer:
Help us, O Lord, not to contribute to, or be caught up with, the sinful ways of the world. Use us, instead, to be the light that will point people to your way of salvation. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Lent
God is Faithful

1 Corinthians 10:6-13
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry. 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

The lesson of history is that man doesn’t’ learn from history. The recent financial turmoil is a sad reminder of this. The world was drunk, so to speak, when impressive and easy gains were offered. People played the securities markets even though they are known to be of un-sustainable foundations. It is not unlike the self-created and idolatrous belief in the power of the Golden Calf to lead and provide.

Millions of seemingly innocent people have suffered unimaginable loss. Were they innocently enticed by marketing schemes promising attractive and easy gains instead of contentment with the stable returns in cautious savings? It is difficult to admit to it was no less than greed succumbing to the temptation of financial promises.

The wilderness wanderings of the Israelites were written for our instruction. God’s people should listen and take heed. It is scary to witness the collapse of the most august institutions whose names were synonymous with the creation and growth of the modern financial systems.

Would people ever learn from history? While regulations may be necessary, they are not of more value if underlying issue is not recognized and addressed. We must ask for grace to have the courage, humility and honesty to name the true underlying cause of the crisis.

We are exhorted to ask the Lord of wisdom. The Lord does not tempt but man tempts himself in his own weakness and greed (Jas1:5, 12-15). Indeed, the Lord is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond your own ability. He has kept faith by first sending His only Son to live on earth by walk resolutely against temptations. The “way of escape” is not the absence of temptations by the power of the Cross. Paul declares that we are more than conquerors because of God’s unconditional love (Rom 8:31-39).Our confidence and ability to endure surely comes from this wisdom and this alone!
Commitment:
Lord I surrender my wisdom and human confidence in standing up to temptation through Your faithful provision of “the way of escape”, the Cross of Christ

Prayer:
Lord grant me the peace, wisdom, humility and courage not only to the name the real temptation in life but also to embrace the real “way of escape” in the power of the Cross. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

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