Mark 2 (7th October) - Vivien

Mark 2 – 耶酥, 帥呆了 !
Jesus heals a paralytic

A familiar passage to most of us. After Jesus has returned to Capernaum, the people were excited to hear the Word from Him, and so there was a crowd. There were a group of men who also heard of His coming, and brought a paralytic to Jesus. Due to the crowd, they took an alternative route, which was the rooftop! Can you imagine the amount of effort needed to carry a man to the roof and lowering him to Jesus? Jesus was impressed by their faith and determination and so He healed the paralytic. Was there a time when you are not sure if you can pull through a difficult period in your life, but the people around believe in you and were always supporting you, and encouraging you? Take a moment to thank God for such people that exist in your life.

What happened after that was some teachers of the law were very unhappy about Jesus forgiving sin, but Jesus just shut them off by commanding the paralytic to get up and take up his mat to leave, and immediately he did it. 帥呆了 ! haha… everyone there was amazed!

The calling of Levi

Jesus and his disciples went to Levi’s house for dinner with tax collectors and “sinners”. The Pharisees saw them and commented as if eating with the “sinners” was detestable. And what happened?
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” v17b
The first time I read this passage, I was utterly impressed by Jesus respond! Haha… Cool right?!

Jesus questioned about fasting
John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, but Jesus’ didn’t, and some people questioned why. Without knowing the history and culture, it will be kind of difficult to understand Jesus’ respond. Basically, why they were not fasting was because, God in human form was with them, so there is no need to fast to draw close to Him. They would start to fast when Jesus was taken physically away from them.

Do visit this website for a commentary about it: http://bibletools.org//index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/BS/k/740

Lord of the Sabbath
On Sabbath, Jesus went through the grainfields and picked some heads of grain, and the Pharisees were upset, as they have broken the law on Sabbath. Jesus replied using David as reference that the law was made for man, and not the other way around. We are God main subject.

John 2 - 4 (6th Oct) - Weiling

John 2 records the first miracle that Jesus performed. It was the turning of water into wine at a wedding. The wine ran out at the wedding, which was not really a matter of life and death. Jesus also added that “[his] hour has not yet come”. But it shows God cares about even the little things concerning our lives and just the crucial bits. It also shows that Jesus had authority over nature and the natural state of things. What is more, we see that Jesus 很有水准. His wine was not just any average old wine. It was so good that the headwaiter commended the groom for it. So He is not just a utilitarian God who cares only about the bare necessities, who says “enough can already”. Indeed, He is a God of the so much more!

In John 3 we find one of the core verses that every Christian should already know – John 3:16. But the verse that caught my attention in this chapter is verse 17, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him”. Jesus came, not in a position to spot faults and levy punishment. He is not like the inspectors who go around giving “summons” to people who park illegally, nor is he like the driving tester who catches all your mistakes and gives you demerit points. Jesus came in a position seeking to save. He came for the purpose that you and I may be saved. He came in a position of love. He wants to see people saved. Today, ask yourself what your perception of God is. Do you see Him as a loving God who is for you and wants the best for you? Or do you see Him as a forbidding God with a checklist waiting to catch all your mistakes and sins?

An unusual scene unfolds in John 4. A Jew talking to a Samaritan in that time was unheard of. But Jesus did not merely chat with this Samaritan woman. He saw her, for who she is, He knew her past and probably her heart aches. He asked about her husband knowing her dilemma. She had five husbands before (perhaps they passed away) and acknowledged that the man she lived with was not even her husband. And because of that revelation of knowledge from Jesus, (v.29) she believed that Jesus is the Messiah. And because she testified, many Samaritans believed in Jesus too. We see also that when the Samaritans heard for themselves (v. 41, 42), even more of them believed. Therefore, we learn here that we should tell people about the goodness of God in our lives, so that they may hear and believe. But we know that what is even more powerful is when they hear from God themselves and receive a personal touch. We can do this by praying for them, by inviting them to church and also by releasing the word of knowledge or wisdom that God gives you for them!

John 1:15-51, Matt 4, Luke 4-5 ( 5th October) - Crystal

John 1:15-51, Matt 4, Luke 4-5

The first parts of the chapters summarized the event that came after Jesus’ forty days fast. Formed as a man, Jesus was hungry. As satan came and tempt him asking him to turn stones into bread and jumping off the temple, Jesus rebuke satan with the word of God. Whenever we are tempted by satan’s works and voice, be bold to stand up in the name of Jesus. Therefore, we too have to be equipped with the sword of the spirit to be able to withstand and fight off satan.

Through this event, it has also taught us that we should not only be fed with solid food but spiritual food to be able to stay strong. Do not put God into test. Do not worship anything except God alone.

Just like us, Jesus came in human form and was tempted by satan. But he showed himself as an example to all and tells us that we are able to withstand temptation if we choose to walk right with God. Nothing is impossible.

After the fasting period, Jesus took off to his mission to preach the word of God. He went off firstly to be baptized and John recognized him as the messiah, the Son of man. Jesus did not take the chance to show off himself among the crowd but to be baptized just like others.

Jesus went on healing the sick and weak. On his way, he found his disciples, Andrew and Simon (known as Peter). Jesus did a miracle for the fishermen, he bless them with so much fishes that they sink the boats. However, Jesus call on to those who response to him and are willing to give up everything to follow him.

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Are you willing to sacrifice everything in your life now to follow Jesus?

In Luke chapter 5:17-39, there are a few examples that describe the beliefs and the way of lives of the Pharisees. Jesus came to change the way of their thinking and to correct and warn us about how we should live our lives as a true Christians and not the Pharisees. 31Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Therefore, we should make Jesus as our example to be people oriented. Not only to the believers, but more importantly to the pre-believers who require guidance and light in their life. The purpose of us being in earth is to spread the word of God, the good news that has given to us. No point waiting to go heaven alone without accomplishing what God has given you. After all, the only thing we can do on earth and can’t in heaven is to spread the word of God.

Mark 1, Luke 3, Matt 3 (4th Oct) - Benjamin

Responding to the call of John, many came forth to confess their sins and were baptized in the Jordan River. In Matt 3, we see that judgment is upon those who live in denial that they think they are the children of God and can live the way they prefer. (Matt 3:8-10)

Sometimes we may become complacent of our positions in life, our achievements that we have made thus far and live in a way that does not honor what the Lord has blessed us with. However, it is said that if we do not ‘produce good fruit’, we will be cut down and thrown into fire to die. Dying in flames is definitely a painful experience, thus to prevent such a painful punishment to be upon us, we have to live as we are called to.

John was able to recognize that what he was doing of baptizing the people is a duty given to him. But he knew that a greater being (Jesus) will come and he will humble himself before Jesus. When we are placed in areas of responsibilities that capture the attention of many, are we able to humble ourselves and submit to higher authorities when they come? Or will you feel apprehensive and feel bitter that the attention is taken off you? I hope that you choose the former, if not, ask God to give you a humble heart and repent.

Here in Mark 1, we see Jesus gathering his disciples, driving out evil spirits and healing people who came to him. 2 things came to my mind about this chapter.

Firstly, when we are called to serve, do we response immediately? Letting go of how we are used to be living, all the riches we have, and be an obedient child and go forth to serve? Not easy for many, but trust that when you go forth in faith, blessings beyond your carnal mind will be able to decipher will come.

Secondly, when we experience God’s blessings, be it healing, prayers answered etc, do we go out to the world and spread the word and share how mighty is our God? Or do you hide in a corner and just pray and give thanks to God? Worse still, you receive and think nothing of it, not even giving thanks!! I hope your choice is the first option for many will come to know the Lord as they hear of miraculous works and will want to experience it themselves. These will be great testimonies we can use and touch the lives of those who do not know the Lord. So I encourage all of you to share the blessings you have experienced thus far, big or small, to people around you.

Matthew 2, Luke 2: 39 – 52 (3rd October) - Sylvia

Having heard of Jesus’s birth from the angels, the Magi (Wise Men) wanted to go and worship Him, at the same time alerting Herod who became fearful for His position as King thus giving the order for all boys in Bethlehem who were below two years to be killed.

Joseph and Mary had to run to another town to protect Jesus. That’s how they ended up in the town of Nazareth.

Jesus knew at a young age that He was God’s child and He was obedient and eager to learn about the teachings of the word of God. As He grew up, He had favour in the eyes of God and man.

Matthew 1, Luke 2:1 – 38 (2nd October) - Sylvia

The passage gives an overview of Jesus’s family tree.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus Christ – this is indeed a miracle of the Holy Spirit. Thank God for sending angel to speak to Joseph if not he would have divorced Mary.

Imagine all the ridicule and hardship Mary had to go through, a young girl, unwed and pregnant.
Thank God for sending Jesus Christ who would soon be the Messiah of Jerusalem =)

Luke 1 & John 1: 1-14 (1st October) - Kelvin

Before the Lord Jesus came onto this earth, a series of miracles had to happen. One of which was the birth of John the Baptist who would prophesied on the Son of God. The way God works often give His people the element of surprise.

Zechariah did not expect himself to talk to Gabriel the angel of God and for a moment he did not believe what Gabriel said - that Elizabeth and him will bear a newborn even at an old age. On the other hand, Mary was not expecting herself to talk to the angel of God as well and even question on how the Lord is going to make her pregnant as she is a virgin.

As a result, Zechariah was tongue-tied by God and could only display hand signals on what he had encountered to others and his wife. I guess many of us do not expect ourselves to be in such situations like Zechariah and Mary who were definitely stunt by what God was doing in their lives.

But always remember that whenever God wants to do a work in your lives, expect something extreme to happen to you. It may be something that you really do not wish to have or you may be in a circumstance that spells trouble. Nonetheless, God is saying He will transform you with the situation that you are in because God is able to do all things - For example: as long as God wants a newborn, no matter how old a woman is, He will ensure that the child is born through her ( Just look at Sarah and Elizabeth). Thats the extend of boundary that only God can do for us. Therefore, be prepared to see the incredible things in your lives if you want God to work something out of for you.

Malachi 1 - 4 (30th September) - Andrew

Malachi 1
“…’Truly, the Lord’s great power reaches far beyond our borders!’” - Verse 5

How many times have we read from the bible that our God is great in power and He can do the impossible, the things men can’t do, He can do?
If anyone of us feel that we can’t do something, wait… our God whom we depends upon and with His great power, He can turn the things we can’t do to the things we can do.
If anyone of us got some problems, emotionally or physically, let us not focus on how big our problems are, but let us focus on how big our God is because His power “reaches far beyond our borders”.

This part is directly from my bible (NLT version).
“The Lord Almighty says to the priests: “A son honors his father and a servant respects his master. I am your father and master, but where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have despised my name!
“But you ask, ‘How have we ever despised your name?’
“You have despised my name by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.
“Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’
“You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t it wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor and see how pleasing he is!” says the Lord Almighty.
- verse 6 – 8

Scary isn’t it when God talks in this way? God wants us to be clean from inside out and not be like those animals which are either blind or crippled and offered to the Lord. We are a living sacrifices to the Lord, thus let us encourage one another and help each other to be righteous before the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Malachi 2
The Lord warned the priests as their guidance is not from God but it’s by their own strength, thus causing people to stumble into sins. And the Lord made a call to faithfulness.

“For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “It is as cruel as putting on a victim’s bloodstain coat,” says the Lord Almighty. “So guard yourself; always remain loyal to your wife.”
- verse 16

Enough said.

Malachi 3
The coming day of Judgement – In the end, the Lord Almighty will come and judge each one of us according to what we had done, good or bad.

“I am the Lord, and I do not change…”
- verse 6

Wonderful isn’t it? Our God Himself told us he do not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him.”
- verse 16

Let us fear Him. Fearing Him does not mean fearfully fear Him, but rather staying close to Him and His words. Don’t we all want to have our name written on the scroll of remembrance? Then fear God.

Malachi 4
The coming Day of Judgement – God spoke about the coming Day of Judgement.

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”
- verse 2

Oh… don’t we want to be like someone leaping with joy and feeling so free during the Day of Judgement?

Nehemiah 11 - 13, Psalm 126 (29th September) - Andrew

Nehemiah 11
The leaders of the people were living in Jerusalem, together with a tenth of the people from the other towns of Benjamin and Judah.
And then the list of the names of the provincial officials who came to Jerusalem precedes…

Nehemiah 12
The first part of this chapter lists down the name of the priests and Levites who had returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the high priest.
Followed on is the list of the decendents of Jeshua the high priests.
And then comes the dedication of the new wall built in Jerusalem. Nehemiah himself led the leaders of Judah to the top of the wall and organized two large choirs from Jerusalem to give thanks unto the Lord. Some of the priests played trumpets and others played the other instruments. When I was reading this part of the chapter, I can almost paint in my mind the picture of that is going on by the description of it. And its so awesome and marvelous to see them coming together, playing musical instruments and singing praises to God. How beautiful isn’t it?

Nehemiah 13
Eliashib the priests who had been appointed the supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of God and who was the relative of Tobiah, converted a large storage room and gave it to Tobiah. This room had previously been used to store the grain offerings, frankincense, Temple utensils and tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the special portion set aside for the priests – all of these are for the works of the Lord. And when Nehemiah realized what Eliashib had done, he became very upset and threw all of Tobiah’s belongings out of the room and he purified the room and brought all the things that were once in the room back.

Summary: Nehemiah was a faithful man. A man walking very close to God and His words
(For example, He did not let any men work during the Sabbath day and did not let the men of Judah intermarried women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.).

Psalm 126
This psalm is a praise of psalm to the Lord.
“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.”
- verse 5 - 6

Yes. Continue to perservere on the works of the Lord. Continue to serve Him faithfully and by the end of the days, you will be surprised by the blessings you will get from Him.

Nehemiah 8 - 10 (28th September) - Sylvia

Ezra Reads the Law

Background: Ezra was a scribe who was very well versed in the Book of Law from God. Scribes then were very rare as they had to have well -qualifications to be able to read and also teach the word of God - being able to explain to others.

The Book of Law was read for seven days on the seventh month where was great celebration.

The people had to find joy in the Lord - NO one was allowed to grieve as it was a sacred day.

The Israelite Confess Their Sins

There was a day when the Israelites came together to confess their sins and their father's wickedness. They set themselves apart to confess, repent then worshipped the Lord.

It is quite heartening to know that brothers and sisters are able to come together gathered in one place and just cry out to God to seek forgiveness, to confess their sins and no one judges each other for we are all sinners, only saved and made whole by God's grace.

The Agreement of the People

The People agreed together and signed something like a contract, binding them to their promises to which they would be cursed/punished should they break the promise.
It is good that the oath was made in front of everyone thus everyone can support each other and help each other not fall to temptations.

Many things to agree to:
-obedience to commands, regulations, decress of the Lord
-marriage obligations
-Sabbath
-different types of offerings: grain, burnt, sin etc
- tithing - 10% of what you have

**i must emphasise on the importance of tithing. even if you are not working. 10% of pocket money also can. Being in the working world now, i all too understand the "heart pain" of giving 10% of my meagre pay to God - i am left with veri little you know. But because we give willingly, God will bless us with more. He is storing our treasures in heaven =)

Nehemiah 6 - 7 (27th September) - Sky

Nehemiah 6

As Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall, further opposition and false persecution was against him.

Bu in this whole passage he only prayed 4 words.
“Now strengthen my hands.”

Such a simple prayer and yet it’s a prayer of faith. He didn’t plead to GOD for strength. He yearned it! Not today or tomorrow but now. Prayers are not about flowery and bombastic words, or just words of wisdom and encouragement. It takes faith and Spirit.

In the same chapter the wall was completed. Something interesting is that the surrounding nations soon realized that Nehemiah’s work had been done with the help of GOD.

Nehemiah 7

This chapter states the genealogical record of those who first returned.

GOD accomplished several things by bringing these people together:
1) Leadership was shifted from the city rulers to the tradition heads of the family clans.
2) Key leaders were named to popular Jerusalem and restore its credibility as a capital city
3) Impurity in the priesthood was cleaned out
4) A new national identity was established
5) Funds were raised for work

Nehemiah 1 - 5 (26th September) - Junming

The book was written in a time when the Israelites were being driven to exile(scattered to many places)by the Kingdom of Babylon. Nehemiah was a cup bearer for King Artaxerxes of Persia(Neh 1:11) His job involves tasting the King's food and wine before he serves them to the king. As such, this is someone that the king must highly trust, as chapter 2 actually shows. Powerful man.

In chapter 1, as Nehemiah heard stories of what happened to his fellow countrymen and his homeland in Jerusalem, he wept. But not stopping at only that, he sought God, and decided to do something about it. Using his position as the King's cupbearer, he decided to seek help from the Persian King.

Chapter 2. He gives the king a =( face, which prompted the king to ask him what was wrong. This is unusual for a master and slave relationship, but it shows a little of the extent of the favour King Artaxerxes had on Nehemiah. Nehemiah then daringly asked the king(in the presence of the queen as well) to go back to Jerusalem where he would rebuild the city wall.

Such was his faith, he even asked the king for resources to rebuild the wall! In a more modern context, that involves asking your boss for permission to leave the company for a long period of time to start your own company, and at the same time asking your boss for money to start your own company. We could be sacked, Nehemiah could have been executed! But Nehemiah had the faith that God would always provide, and he had the desire to serve and lead his own people. Eventually, with the King's blessings and resources, he went. Upon checking the condition of the wall, he immediately gathered his people and allocated them their job scopes, which is listed in chapter 3.

Chapter 4 and 5 talks about the problems Nehemiah faced. In chapter 4, while rebuilding the wall, he faced external pressure, where enemies threatened to attack while the Israelites were busy with rebuilding their city.

Most of the time this is true of our lives. As we are busy serving God, setbacks happen. Our confidence waver, and we complain and give up(Neh 4:10-12). But Nehemiah stuck close to God. ''Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.''(V14)

He then made the Israelites work while carrying their weapons! Not an easy task to clear rubble, move boulders up a wall and at the same time carry a spear or a bow with a quiver of arrows! But that was what the Israelites did. While giving our best for God, do not lower our guard. Keep your weapons and armour close to you, stay firmly rooted in God's word.

Chapter 5 talks about the internal problems that Israel faced while building the wall. Even while building the wall, the Israelites were struggling to pay taxes in the season of famine. The tax collectors among them were still profiteering from their fellow countrymen. But they were willing to listen to Nehemiah and return all the money and property they collected.

Nehemiah really had the favour of the Lord upon him. God raised him to lead Israel when they needed leadership, God gave him courage and boldness to ask from King Artaxerxes, wisdom to allocate and distribute the task, patience and confidence to deal with the internal and external problems he faced. Indeed God favoured him, but he also chose to be used by God, and he took the first step to volunteer himself. Let it be so for our lives, and we will see God use us in ways we never imagined. Got a wall to overcome in your life? Look to Nehemiah and learn=)

Ezra 7 - 10 (25th September) - Li Juan

Ezra was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, and the king had granted him everything he asked for because the hand of the Lord was upon him. It is written, whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Truly, whatever we are to work at, let us do it with a heart of gladness and with diligent hands, without complains.

For whatever we do, let us work at it with all our heart, as working for God and not for men (Col 3:23).

The gracious hand of our God will be on everyone who looks to Him, but his great anger is against all who forsake Him. Just like Ezra who led the men back to Jerusalem, they fasted and petitioned to God for His protection, and God answered their prayers. God protected them throughout the whole journey.

The people of Israel inter-married others from other tribes, and it was a great sin as it was the corruption and pollution of the holy race. Similarly, we believers should never be together (as in BGR) with people who are not of God as it is seen as a defilement to God. Just like the people of Israel, if you are guilty of this sin today, make a confession before God and separate yourself from him/her (ezra 10:11).

Esther 6 - 10 (24th September) - Li Juan

Esther 6, 7 – Mordecai honored, Haman Hanged

The king wants to give honor and recognition to Mordecai for the deeds he had done, exposing 2 of the king’s officers who had conspired to assassinate the king. Similarly, our Father in heaven will reward us accordingly to what we have done for Him and obeyed Him. Haman suggested a grand royal plan for the man the king delights to honor as he thought it would be himself. Yet, he was commanded to get all these done for Mordecai. During the banquet with Queen Esther, the queen revealed Haman’s adversary to the king, and eventually, he was hung. What is done in the dark will eventually be revealed in the light.

Esther 8, 9 – The King’s Edict in behalf of the Jews, Triumph of the Jews, Purim Celebrated

Mordecai was appointed over all of Haman’s estates after Haman was hung. The king also granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves, to destroy any armed force that might attack them and their families, and to plunder the properties of their enemies. It was a time of gladness and honor for the Jews. They held a joyous celebration to feast and celebrate their happiness. Many people of other nationalities became Jews as there fear that the Jews would seize them. No one could stand against them, and Mordecai became more and more powerful.

There are countries in the world where women are denied the rights to vote, the poor are neglected in the social welfare system, and there is corruption in the government etc. Let us continue to pray for the peace and authority of our Lord to be evident in these countries.
Mordecai wrote to all the Jews in every province to have them celebrate annually on a particular day of a month, as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies. The month was when their sorrow was turned into joy, their mourning into a day of celebration. The days were observed as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

Esther 10 – The Greatness of Mordecai

Mordecai was held in high esteem by his fellow Jews as he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews. We need more Mordecais in the world. In your own marketplace, are you willing to be the Mordecai? Fighting for what is right and just?

Esther 1 - 5 (23rd September) - Vivien

Esther 1
In this chapter, it talks about Queen Vasthi was deposed. As I was reading, I remembered 2 learning points. Why are Queen Vasthi deposed? She refused to obey the command of the king. Yesterday, at Stanley’s and Madeline’s wedding, Pastor Chan gave 2 pieces of advices to the newly wedded, 1) Husband, to be faithful to the wife; 2) Wife, to respect husband.

Pastor Chan, mentioned that as a wife, she need to respect her husband especially when they are seen publicly. Then the husband will have “face” or 面子. From Proverbs 31, a wife of a noble character is someone who the husband can have full confidence in her (v11); who brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life (v12); who adds on to the reason for others to respect him (v23).

So what Queen Vasthi did was deadly to her marriage. She is not just an ordinary woman, but a queen! The king had lost face in front of nobles! Also she could influence the nation’s women. By not obeying the king, it was possible that this value would be passed down to the people. Therefore the wise men advice to depose the queen was the best choice.

The second learning point is our action can influence others. For Queen Vasthi, she was a queen then, so her actions would influence the women of her nation, which is a huge influence! As for us, not matter how much influence we have, we are still capable of influencing others! So we need to always be conscious of our action, so that we don’t stumble others.

Esther 2
In Chapter 2, Esther, who was an orphan, was made queen. The process was tedious. It reminded for those Hong Kong drama series, where girls were put through a long process of training before meeting the king to be appointed as concubines. Esther has found favour with the people that she had contact with, which was one of her secrets to success. Obedience and respect. Of course, God was in control of the whole situation, to save His people.

The second part is about how Mordecai and Esther continued to gain favour from the king, by rescuing him from an assassin. Your authority might not be a Christian, but still assist him/her, unless it is against God’s principles.

Esther 3 – 4
A plot was set up by Haman to destroy all the Jews in the provinces, because of his hatred for Mordecai. That’s how wicked man can be. Doesn’t this seem terrible? An edict was passed out to have a race wiped out. How can such a thing be reversed? Was this the end of the Jews?

How would we react when something terrible in our lives befall, which doesn’t seem reversible?

Esther was the only hope for Mordecai. So he went to her for help. And of course it would be a very stressful moment for Esther, as it concerns her life and conscious. In the end she decided to not go against her conscious and fast and pray to bet on her life. And if she dies, she dies.
Many times, we struggle within ourselves, but usually not life-and-death issue. Should be go against our conscious and just get that temporary benefit? Don’t go against our conscious! If we do, then we will be numb towards things that we used to know that is not right.

Esther 5
In this chapter, Queen Esther went ahead with her plan to rescue her people. She had the favour of the king, and the king was glad to see her, even though he didn’t summon her. And things were going smoothly.

On the hand, Haman was very boastful about his achievements and boasted about the banquet that Queen Esther invited him to. And in his mind, all he wanted was to get rid of Mordecai…

Zechariah 1 - 14 (21st and 22nd September) - Alvin

Zechariah was a prophet in the time of Haggai, the first group of Jews who left Babylon to return to Israel. It is believed that Zechariah is younger than Haggai and it was evident that his prophetic ministry was very different from that of Haggai. Whereas Haggai’s messages seemed to be very direct instructions from God, Zechariah tended to speak in visions. Hence, God is able to use different people to speak to us with different means about the same message, as both Zechariah and Haggai’s messages were directed to the people to encourage them to build the temple of God.

When we read the prophetic books, it is important to read each prophecy separately. As in the case of Zechariah, we recognised the different prophecies through timelines, eg: In the eighth month of the second year of King Darius, through these timelines given, we can separate the different messages that God was speaking to His people, instead of reading the entire chapter or book in one continuous flow, which sometimes may become confusing.
Hence, I’ll look at Zechariah, one prophecy at a time.

Zech 1:1-6
A Call to Repentance
God calls His people to return to Him, and His promise will be that He will return to them. This is the grace of God, God accepts us even when we sinned. However, we need to make the effort to first draw near to God. The confidence we have however, is that as we draw near, He desires to draw near to us too, and this is most clearly demonstrated in the death of Jesus; to make drawing near to God possible.

Zech 1:7-6:15
This whole vision mainly speaks about the promise of God’s blessings, presence and protection for His people (remember, they are a people who just returned to their desolate land and are now working on the temple). In the vision we also hear about the coming Messiah who will come and remove the iniquity of the people in one day. However, all these will happened not by human means, but through God, as it is not by power nor by might but by His Spirit.

Zech 7-8
The people of God questioned Zechariah on fasting and God spoke and said that obedience to His Word is much more important than the outward rituals and fasts that the people do. And because of the disobedience of their forefathers, judgement came to Israel. And God’s Word to His people in chapter 7:8-10 shows the heartbeat of God. He is a God who remembers the forgotten people of the land and He is the one who loves them and will care for them and He wants His people to do the same.

“Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘ Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother.10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.’

Think about it, do we remember these people, “the widow, the fatherless, the alien and the poor” God remembers them. The Word of God though Zechariah however, promises blessings and mercies, as God determines to do good to His people if they will heed His Word. And more than that, He promises a revival in which people will grab a Christian and ask to go along with him/her because they know that God is with him/her!!

Zechariah 9-14
In this long vision, it is very hard to understand or interpret exactly what Zechariah means. We only know that it is a prophecy of the future which speaks about God’s judgement upon Israel’s enemies, against the shepherds who misled the flock and of other things to come. But in the vision, there are many clear pictures of the reign of the Messiah and of His work. There is a picture of the coming King that will ride on a donkey(which was fulfilled in the of Jesus) and of great mourning for the Pierced One, when Jesus died.

Haggai 1 - 2 (20th September) - Alvin

The prophets Haggai and Zechariah were part of the first group of 50,000 Jews, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, to return to Israel after their captivity of Babylon. There were sent back by King Cyrus to rebuilt the Temple of God (the symbol of God’s presence) as prophesied by Isaiah.

The people of God went back with enthusiasm and were provided with the resources for the project by the king. (read Ezra)

However, after reaching Israel and embarking on the rebuilding project, there came disruption and opposition from the people who remained in the land during the exile. This put a stop to the construction works and brought great discouragement to the Jews. They then turned to focus on their own necessities and became disengaged with the work of the Lord and began to care only about their own lives. This went on for a period of almost sixteen years.

It was after sixteen years had passed since work of the temple was stopped, that God raised the prophet Haggai to speak to the people.
And God’s agenda for His people was clear: “Build My House”

There were four prophetic utterances of Haggai. However, the amazing thing about the prophecies of Haggai was that they all took place within a very short span of time, yet they brought about tremendous results and encouragement from and for the Jews.

First Prophetic Utterance:
2 “Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.”’”
3 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple[a]to lie in ruins?” 5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!
6 “ You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the LORD. 9 “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

First a wake-up call from God, telling His people to consider their ways of which their excuse of not building God’s house was because it was not the time yet. And then, to consider their spiritual and physical poverty and dissatisfactions, which were a result of them neglecting the work of God and focusing on their own lives.

Isn’t this very much an image of our own lives at times? We start off excited about the work God wants us to do, but along the way there comes discouragement and opposition. But instead of treating it as a form of trial which in turn trains us to persevere (Read James 1), we quit. And we began to put off God’s work till a later time, a “better” time. And we focus on our own lives, not realising that only causes us to lose God’s blessings. (Matt 6:33)

So God tells them to work again. And commands them to go to the mountains to get wood to build the temple, since they used up the wood for the temple for their own houses. If you think about the work that God wants them to do, it was very difficult. (try climbing a mountain, chop wood, and then transport it down again) However, amazingly the people listened and obeyed God, and in less than a month they started work again!! It was at this point that God spoke through Haggai again and encouraged them (remember, this was a group of discouraged people) that He was with them. What a loving God.

Even in our own lives, it’s the same. The moment we choose to obey God, God’s assurance to us will be that He is with us. And with that we do not need to fear.

Second Prophetic Utterance:
1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple[a] in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? 4 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts. 5 ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’
6 “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations,[b] and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts. 9 ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

This took place sometime after the people had begun working on the temple again. The people got discouraged again as they saw the temple that they were building and realised it cannot be compared at all to its former glory, the temple of Solomon, which was one of the greatest architecture marvels of the ancient world.

God continues to assure the people that He was with them, and they do not need to fear. But rather be strong and continue to work. More importantly He promises them a greater glory of God to fill the temple and peace will reign in the temple.

This prophecy was fulfilled in the time of Jesus. Though the temple could not be compared to Solomon’s temple in its physical appearance, it was the temple where Jesus, God Himself in all His glory visited. And in the temple, the Prince of Peace Himself appeared.

For us, it is a reminder not to let our past glories discourage us from our present work. Do whatever God tells you to, even if it seems that it may not amount to much, because no labour for the Lord will ever be in vain. And when we are working for the Lord, He promises always that He will be with us, so that we can be strong and not fear. The gold and silver is His, God doesn’t look for the magnitude of what you can do for Him, He only looks for obedience from His children.

Third Prophetic Utterance:
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 “If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?”’ Then the priests answered and said, “No.”13 And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”14 Then Haggai answered and said, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the LORD, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.15 ‘And now, carefully consider from this day forward: from before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the LORD— 16 since those days, when one came to a heap of twenty ephahs, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty baths from the press, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me,’ says the LORD. 18 ‘Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid—consider it: 19 Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.’”

God not only desire that we serve Him, but that our service to Him is holy. A corrupted and sinful service to the Lord, caused by evil intents and motivation, or by hidden sins in our lives, robs us from the blessings of God, and worse still, corrupts everything else in our lives. With the illustration that Haggai gives, it is clear that one holy act does not make everything else in our lives holy, but yet one sinful act, causes everything else to be defiled. That is the seriousness of sin.

Are there areas in our lives that we have yet to allow God to deal with? Do not wait for a “better” time, like the message of Haggai, do it now! Know that God can and will forgive us and He wants to bless us. And He will, the moment we come back to Him to offer up to Him our holy services, but more than that, our lives, as holy sacrifices before Him.

Fourth Prophetic Utterance:
20 And again the word of the LORD came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying:
‘ I will shake heaven and earth.
22 I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;
I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.
I will overthrow the chariots
And those who ride in them;
The horses and their riders shall come down,
Every one by the sword of his brother.

23 ‘In that day,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the LORD, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

The last prophecy was about Jesus. In that Christ will come again to judge the earth. And the prophecy was also a special promise for Zerubbabel, because, he became one of Jesus ancestors. When we are obedient to the Lord, the Lord remembers and honours those who honour Him, and He will reward in His time. Therefore lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Matt 6:20).

Ezra 4-6 , Psalm 137 (19th September) - Quanwei

In these chapters, we read about the opposition & discouragement that people of Judah & Jerusalem faced in rebuilding the temple for God. The Jews really had a hard time to rebuild the temple & were facing the threats of man to stop doing the work of God. But the eyes of the Lord were always upon the Jews & thus they were able to carry on doing the works of God. And when the Lord’s favour was really upon His people, everything that was needed to built His temple or the needs of the people building are all provided for! And when finally it was built, the Israelites had a time of celebration with everyone else.

In fact, all it took was God changing the attitude of the King of Assyria in order for God’s work to be completed. And also when the His people chose to be clean & pure before the Lord, they finally saw the goodness of God in their lives.

In our lives, sometimes we’re also like the people of Judah & Jerusalem facing opposition or obstacles in doing God’s work or things we have set out to do. But when we chose to fixed our eyes on God & believe in the works that we’re doing for Him, He will make it happen in His timing regardless how long or short the timing is. But most of all, it’s when we choose to live a life that God wants us to live, He will bless us surely!

Ezra 1 - 3 (18th September) - Ivy

Ezra 1

Cyrus King of Persia has given a decree to build the temple of Lord God. He urged the people to give to God. Silver, gold, livestock and freewill offering. Note that in verse 4 and 6, freewill offering was mentioned. Verse 6: All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.

Ponder: Is there specific offering call freewill or are they actually called to give freely out of their own will? Both of them sounds logical to me though. I would like to think that when we are called to give, we are called to give out of our free will and not out of compulsion. After all, God loves a cheerful giver.

And how the people gave freely to build the temple of God! Are we like this too? Do we dare to put out lives in the hands of God give to God our everything for the building of His kingdom? Do we trust God that as we ‘Seek first His Kingdom and righteous and all others will be added to us as well?)Matt :33)’ Do you dare trust God with your everything?

Ezra 2 – List of returning Exiles

Once again, there are so many names!!!

Here are some of the meanings of the names (Zondervan, 2002):

Parosh – flea (Israelites were often named after insects)
Arah – Wild ox
Pahath – Moab (governor of Moab)
Azgad – Gad is strong
Ater – Left handed
Hanan – God is gracious
Tel Melah – mound of salt

When the exiles arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, they also gave free will offerings!

Ezra 3

Verse 1: When the 7th month came (this is not the lunar 7th month where the woo woo comes out from hell), this period is actually called Tishri (Sept-Oct) and is one of the most sacred months of the Jewish year)

See verse 3: Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening sacrifices.

I am encouraged by this verse. The people sacrificed despite of the fear of ‘people around them’. This also showed that they probably feared God more than they feared the people.
After the foundations was laid, the people of God rejoiced, sang praised and worshipped God.

Verse 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD :
"He is good;
his love to Israel endures forever."

However, in the midst of the thanksgiving, the people of God have mixed feelings.

Vers12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

For those who has seen the glory of the previous temple and compared it with the new, there would be an inevitable feeling of thankfulness that God restored his temple to a greater glory. For those who have not seen such a beautiful temple, rejoiced and marvel at the beauty of it. As for some of us who attended TC and TCT before moving to Expo. Did we also marvel and thank God for our new ‘temple’? After a few years of restructuring, God finally brought us into a new ‘temple’. There may not be beautiful architecture to marvel at. The sound and lights system is just amazing. But most importantly, the pressure of God is awesome in this place!!

I pray that as we exalt God in our church, His glory would be much greater than ever, always!

Shall we give thanks to those who have labour to build the kingdom of God? Shall we give thanks for the privileged to worship is this house of the Lord?

Daniel 10 - 12 (17th September) - Sky

Daniel 10

This vision is not just about the Persia Kingdom, but it actually speak of a spiritual battle between angels and demonic forces. In This vision, the could most possibly is Angel Gabriel, could also be Christ but its unlikely due to (10:13) that Christ wouldn’t need help from the Angel Michael in a spiritual battle.

The vision is perplexed and perhaps only Daniel truly understood the vision as he had experience it with fear and weakness. But through this he stood up strengthened and continues walking in faith.

Daniel 11

In this chapter, all of Daniel prophecies were fulfilled. It strengthens my faith as I see how reliable the bible is.

After three more Persian kings reigned (V2), Xerxes came to the throne and tried unsuccessfully to conquer Greece in 480B.C. Daniel predicted the reign of Alexander the Great (V3) and, after his death, the disputes among his four generals (V4). The predictions of battles, marriages and intrigues came true, down to the last detail.

The next section, its description fits well Caesars of the Roman Empire. These emperors, who claimed divine power and authority, will command worship from all people in the empire.

Daniel 12

Daniel prophecies made it clear that suffering would be followed by justice and GOD’s eternal reign. For the exiles in Babylon, that meant new motivation to stay true to their faith.

An interesting question, what does GOD do to motivate you to stay true? Each and every one of us has their own encouragement, His love, His blessings, and His grace. But we all know its His Son and the Holy Spirit that is the motivator to our faith.

We may not know exactly what the vision meant. But it serves as an encouragement to us all.

Daniel 7 - 9 (16th September) - Benjamin

Here we see Daniel’s dreams of the 4 beasts, where one of which has a horn which had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully. We are reminded that the Lord’s court will never be destroyed despite all circumstances as seen of the kingdom represented by the fourth beast that was slain and destroyed completely.

In Daniel 8, once again we see that man who set themselves up by their own strength will not last through the test of times as the spirit of the Lord will bring down the unrighteous.

Once again, we are reminded that our life has to be righteous in the eyes of the Maker, being humble and not boastful, if not we will be destroyed like the beast.

Some of us might be wondering what exactly is the Seventy ‘Sevens’ that is mentioned in Daniel 9. I managed to do a quick check on the internet and found some interesting results.

It is a prophecy, which Daniel’s prayer in verses 3-19 of the chapter refers to the fulfillment of a specific seventy-year period, the seventy years of the Babylonian captivity. Daniel received the seventy sevens prophecy in response to his prayer. The prophecy foretold a period of seven times seventy yet to come, or seventy seven-year periods. Seventy seven-year periods equals 490 years. According to this prophecy, the Messiah would show up, present Himself as Messiah to the nation and then be “cut off”, “the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.” Within one generation of Christ’s crucifixion Titus razed Jerusalem and destroyed the temple.

Daniel 4 - 6 (15th September) - Stephanie

Daniel 4

King Nebuchadnezzar was very proud of himself. Babylon was one of the greatest nations the world ever had and he was claiming credit for the achievements which God gave to him. (Daniel 4:4 and 4:29 – 30)

James 4:6 says this, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” How quickly did that pride disappear when God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a scary dream which he understood not! Fear flooded his heart. Peace was absent. The fear was probably so evident in his visage that none of his counsel dared to interpret the dream falsely. (Daniel 4:7)

Reflections: What do you think makes a person proud? How do you tackle pride in your life?


Prov. 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

All that we have and all that we are come from God. He alone is God. No man should boast in his presence. (1 Cor. 1:29) Pride damages relationships. A proud man does not view God as God and man as man. His perspective is all wrong. We must be humble. We must be grateful to God and thankful for all the blessings He had given us. We must make time to thank Him and glorify Him even in public.

Some interesting details on the Tree in the King's Dream:

1) V 10-11 He saw a flourishing great tree above every other tree in the midst of the earth. The enormous tree was an apt description of Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. Babylon was above all his neighbours. Trees are often used in scriptures as symbols of kings, nations and empires.

2) V 12 – The tree was not just good for sight but it was also very useful as it provided food for all and shelter. It was a representation of how many other countries also seek shetler under the rule of Babylon. This was truely a great nation that God allowed to flourish.

3) The tree was hewn down at the call of a heavenly ambassador. However the stump was allowed to remain. The cutting down of the tree was a warning and a prophecy against Nebuchadnezzar’s self-exalting attitude. The stump implied that Nebuchadnezzar would not be utterly cast down but that he would rise again after he was humbled.

God in His grace and mercy, gave the king a glimpse into His future if he were to continue in his sin. God also was very patient in holding back His hand of judgment for twelve months, considering the clear, direct instruction for repentence. It was obvious that nothing could humble Nebuchadnezzar, except his temporal downfall as foretold by God through His servant Daniel.

Reflections: What keeps us from repenting even when we are clear about our sin and the consequences? Had the Lord been gracious in His dealing with you? Have you taken His grace for granted?

We are often careless with the truths that God gave us. We are responsible and there can be no excuse. To whom much has been given, much more shall be required. We must turn from our rebellion and pride and come humbly at the feet of Jesus. We must not delay and test the patience of God.

Daniel 5

In the midst of the wild and sinful banquet, a hand appeared and wrote on the wall. It must be a shocking and scary sight! The judgment day for Belshazzar and Babylon was up. The banquet had turned into a courtroom.

What we can learn from Daniel 5 is simply this, we must be humble and learn from the mistakes of others. Belshazzar was even more rebellious and proud compared to Nebuchadnezzar. We have the same tendency to fall harder when we disregard the mistakes of others.

Daniel 6

Daniel was a man of character. His faith and his courage can be clearly seen. He was a man of prayer. Daniel was a responsible man. In fact, he was so faithful that even his enemies could not find any fault in him. Daniel was firm and unwavering when declaring the words and judgment of God.

More than that, Daniel was a man who knows how to work with people in authority. His humble appeal to Melzar (Daniel 1:16), his friendship and loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:19) and now even Darius was angry with himself for getting Daniel into trouble (Daniel 6:14). The king even fasted for Daniel!

These godly qualities of Daniel were the same qualities that displeased Daniel’s enemies. They were ruthless and sought to get rid of Daniel.

Reflections: Are you like Daniel? If you are like Daniel, is it likely that you too will have enemies? What else does it take to be a man like Daniel? Do you relate well with people who are in authority?

Applications: We should all be like Daniel. As he stood firm in his time, we should all stand firm today. As he humbly related to others, so should we. Let’s learn from Daniel as we continue to read through this exciting book.

The Enemies of Daniel, are presidents and princes who spied on him, looking for his weakness. In their estimation, they thought that his undying faithfulness to God was his only weak point. Like a cunning fox, they assembled in the throne room of Darius and proposed that everyone in the city can pray to no one but the king himself.

Notice that they were careful to include Daniel in their petition, even though the man himself is not present in the assembly. (Daniel 6:7 “All the presidents of the kingdom.. have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree...”) However, they were very careful to leave him out in the meeting.

Darius, the man who was lifted up by his subordinates to a pedestal to be prayed to as a god, was humbled by the God of Daniel. Darius saw that God was not like any dead man-made idols. God is the living God! A wonderful declaration was made about the power of God throughout Darius’ kingdom, similar to one that Nebuchadnezzar made in Daniel 4:1-3. God was glorified!

Reflections: How would you respond to false accusations against you? Is there a confidence in God that He will defend you? Is thanksgiving and prayer a part of your life?

Application: God is our Defender and He knows our heart. We can trust Him that He is in control. Our lives are in His hands and He knows what is best for us. Let’s trust God and obey Him for His will is best. God will be glorified!

Daniel 1 - 3 (14th September) - Vivien

Daniel 1
During the times when Israel was besieged by the Babylonia, Nebuchadnezzar ordered take some men of the best of the best in Israel to serve him in his courts. Among those include Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They were young men (probably in their early of mid-teens) without physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every king of learning, well informed, quick to understand and qualified to serve in the king’s palace (v4). The king was rather careful in making sure that the people that served him were really the best. They had to go through 3 years of training and even have their daily intake assigned to them.

However, Daniel and friends did not want to defile themselves with the royal food and wine. As we can see here that although they were very young in terms of age, they were not blinded by the good food. They were thoughtful enough to believe that the royal food were unclean and might have been offered to idols.

How many times have we fallen into temptations and “defiled” ourselves, due to moments of impulse?

The early teens, our society termed it as “rebellious stage”, is it possible that our teens don’t go through that stage? Of course! With proper cultivation of godly principles, it is possible to be wise in our decisions at a young age, like Daniel and friends!

Over here, we also can learn how to maintain our health! In verse 12, in order to convince the guard and officials that they don’t need to eat over-nutritious food to be well-nourished, just by eating vegetables and drinking water they will be as healthy, if not healthier than any other young men who are fed on the royal food. This is where we have our Daniel’s Fast. And because of their faithfulness towards God, God gave the 4 of them favour, knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And God specially singled out Daniel that he was given the ability to understand dreams and visions.

After 3 years of training, Daniel and friends were recognized by the king as the best of the best. With that they entered the king’s service.

Do we have bosses or authorities (be it parents, teacher, etc) who are pre-believers? If yes, I do urge you to do well and be recognized that you are a child of God. This reminded me of our goal to BREAKOUT! Moving from viability to visibility.

Daniel 2
In this chapter it is about a dream that bothered the king and he sought interpretation from his subjects, but none were able to or dare to give the interpretation, because they were aware that they were fake, and cost of lying was too high for them to bear! Well, it didn’t make much difference to the decision of the king. He still wanted them to be executed, dragging Daniel and friends into the picture.

Then Daniel made a difference and saved the lives of the wise men by asking for time to interpret the dream. Thereafter he interpreted the dream to the king and the king fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honour and ordered an offering and incense be presented to him. The king even confessed that God is the God of gods. With that Daniel was placed in a high position to rule over the entire province of Babylon!

Daniel 3
This is one of the famous stories in the book of Daniel, where Daniel’s friends were thrown into the fiery furnace for not worshipping the king’s idol.

V16 - 18: “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’”

When we are challenged of our faith, with our lives at stake, how will be react? Honestly, as much as I want to stand firm and not be afraid of death or worse still tortures, I will never know till I’m put in that situation. All I can do is to make sure that my foundation and relationship with God is strong, like building your house on rock instead of sand, and that Holy Spirit will be give me that extraordinary mental strength to stand firm!

And as we all know the outcome, after they were thrown into the fire, they were unhurt and there was another man who was inside the furnace with them! The king was amazed at that sight and also with them for their total trust in God, he made a decree to the God of Israel be honoured, and promotions came together with it.

Honour God and He will honour you =)

Joel 1 - 3 (13th September) - Stephanie

Book of Joel

The main theme in the book of Joel is the judgment and mercy of the Lord. God punishes those who sin but He also pleads with the sinners and longs to pardon those who genuinely turn away from their evil ways i.e. is truly repentant of their sin. “Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity." (Joel 2:12-13)

Only by turning back to God with a change of heart and a change of life will there be restoration and blessing.

What got the attention of God’s people were natural disasters, like this devastating locust swarm during Joel’s time. They were talked about for generations even after they occurred. Joel compared the locusts to enemy nations that surrounded and invaded his land to signify the divine judgment on Judah’s sins. Judah’s only hope of survival then was to repent and seek God’s mercy.

God knows that disasters get everyone's attention. Drunkards will notice when they get irritated that their wine supply got cut off. God's people will notice, and they will come together to cry out to the Lord. But He also wants us to know that these disasters are to remind us of "the day of the LORD", the ultimate judgement day and ultimate battle on Earth that has been promised and is coming.

We mourn when we suffered a disaster. Remember what Hosea said about crying? “They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail upon their beds. They gather together for grain and new wine but turn away from me” (Hosea 7:14). Now in the book of Joel, God calls His people with broken hearts to mourn, not because they are hurt by lost possessions or lost loves but because they have lost the closeness they have with God. Something will change in our hearts when we choose to fast, weep, and mourn, not because we have been hurt but because we know and understand that our sin hurts God.

Don't miss out on how important it is for God’s people to join together to repent and get right with God. If you know that there is something not right with God in your life, get things right with God TODAY! Don’t hesitate and wait another day – make it right NOW!

In the last part of the book, God promises that “afterward” (see Joel 2:28) there will be:
- Supernatural events (Joel 2:28-32)
- Universal Judgments, where the sins of the nations against God’s people will all be punished. Men cannot persistently sin against the chosen of God and hope to get away with it (Joel 3:1-16)
- National Restoration, where the people shall once again enjoy the peace and prosperity that has for so long been denied from them (Joel 3:16b-21)

God never deals with us as we deserve, He often uses harsh circumstances in life to bring us back to Himself, but it is only to hedge us in with our selfishness, disobedience and resistance, and to show us that we cannot be truly happy unless we put Him absolutely first in our lives.

Ezekiel 46-48 (12th Sept) - Crystal

Ezekiel 46 – 48

Our God is not only a holy and perfect God; He is a God who fills in command so that we will not stray. God is specific on what He has placed in the bible. Just as He has listed down the measurements of the temple, who are to go in and out of the temple, God even designed the kitchen. He commands Every detail is attended to. As God is concern about His temple, He too is concern about us as His children. He knows every detail, every thought that we are going through.

God sets the river to flow from the temple. It signifies how blessing flows from the church body. God anoint first the temple of God to His people and surroundings. If you ever wanted blessing from God, it is available when u ask, especially from the church. It is illustrated that There will be large numbers of fish, it further emphasize on God’s blessings to the people. God did not only bless the prophets but also the fisherman. The fisherman are able to fish many different fishes and of large amount from the river that flows from the temple. The plants that grow near the river not only bear fruits, their leaves are able to use for medication. I believe God intends to bless not only you and the church but people around you too. Make yourself available for God’s kingdom and bless people around you.

After God “refurbished” the land, God divided the land into 12. He did not drive away those who are foreign but He extends His blessings to these people. Just like God, we should also extend our love, care and concern to people who are foreign in this land, people who are of different religions, races or nationalities.

Ezekiel 44 - 45 (11th September) - Joshua

Today's passage reminded me that worship involves the discipline of the whole being. And that discipline changes our lives. As God describes through the garments, lifestyle, haircut, finance and other form of legislations and provisions for the levites, its reveals God's discipline in taking great lengths to describe the blessings and teachings to His followers.


It's no wonder historically the Levites are loyalists in God's kingdom. They are among the first to stay by God's side in times of rebellion. God's discipline in their lives not only teaches but transforms our lives. As we worship and serve, lets not be caught up by the tasks at hand but do them well as worship. Because worship changes our lives.

Ezekiel 42-43 (10th Sept) - Crystal

Ezekiel 42

God is very specific about measurements. Don’t you wonder why God actually take time to keep record of the measurements of the temple in the bible? The whole chapter illustrates the spaces that are to be created to be the rooms for the priests. If God is concern about measurements, what more about the lives that He create? The temple is built on God’s impression. As you read on, you will be able to visualize the majestic presence of the temple. You are His temple too. Will you build your life according to God’s impression, God’s plans for you?

God separate the holy place and the common by a wall. It reveal to me that God is wants us to lead a life which is clearly separate from the common. There should not be any grey areas. Matthew 5:37
Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Ezekiel 43

God’s glory fell and His presence return to the “temple”, to the people who turn away from Him. Ezekiel was to take upon this mission and speak to the Israelites. Though the Israelites sinned against God, God made a way for them to redeem themselves. Not once, not twice but so many a times God provide a U-turn. It might be you or people around you who have turn away from God in one way or another. Yes, our God is a merciful God but do not take His grace for granted. If you ever thought of giving up on your backsliden friends think of what would Jesus do. God did not give up since the day He chooses to deposit this love in them.

Ezekiel 40 - 41 (9th September) - Vivien

There is a transition of the book Ezekiel. Recalling from the beginning of this book, it started with God’s calling for Ezekiel, and God’s preparation for him, then Ezekiel’s warning to the Israelites. After dealing with God’s people, Ezekiel prophesied against Israel’s enemies. Now, in these 2 chapters, God showed Ezekiel the new temple area. Ultimately, God’s desire is still to dwell among His people. So it was God’s initiation to start a fresh in building His relationship with His chosen people. How sweet!

The rest of these 2 chapters are detailed descriptions of what Ezekiel saw. The temple area was seemed very organised. It talked about gates and rooms for different purpose. The he proceeded to the temple itself.

I really wonder how the temple looked like… Just reading the descriptions so far, it seemed majestic and arty, with palm trees and cherubim carved on walls. Of course, that temple would be as glamourous as the one Solomon had built. But it did not matter to God what materials were used to build His temple. At that point of time when Ezekiel saw this vision, the Israelites were already exiled for quite long. The comparison should be relatively. Because Solomon had the resources so it was expected of him more.

When more is given, more is expected. Relative value is more important than absolute value, so don’t despise and compare with others the things that you have accomplished for God.

Ezekiel 38 - 39 (8th September) - Vivien

In this chapter, the Bible talks about a prophecy against Gog. As I read the first time, it was like many other prophecies. Then when I read it a 2nd time, I saw it in another perspective. It seems like God was not just merely warning Gog, but Satan!

From verse 7 to 9, it is said that the enemy (Satan) will invade a land that has recovered from war and are living in safety. That is us. We’ve gone through battles and when we are safe and untouched, Satan will come and attack (verse 14 to 16). However, God still loves us more than anything. The wrath of God will be upon Satan for trying to take us away from God!

So will we begin with the end in mind, that we have the victory for all the battles in our life. Don’t Give Up! Persevere!

In Chapter 39, there are more details about the destruction of Gog.

“I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the LORD am the Holy One in Israel. It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD. This is the day I have spoken of.” Verse 7 – 8

It is coming! It is in present continuous tense!

In verse 9 and 10, it showed the victory Israel would have. 7 years of supply of fuel from the plundering! Then it continues with the cleaning up process. It is not enough just to “kill” the sin, but to get rid of them in the burial ground. Proper disposal needed, to prevent and remains from “infecting” us again.

In verse 21 to 29 was the “big picture” of the sufferings that the Israelites went through. Sometimes we go through hardship for a reason. In this case, it was due to unfaithfulness. So God punished them. But after the punishment comes restoration. The Israelites were restored to their status.

V26: “They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid”

Over here, is like the Father is telling Satan off in front of His children.

Father: “You think you (Satan) have won the battle? Think again! I’m just disciplining my children for misbehaving, and you have been “cooperative” in carrying out my plan for my kids.”
Satan: “…”
Father: “Now that they have learnt their lessons, do you think I’ll not intervene your nonsense? I’ll punish you even more for all the wicked things you have done!”
Children: “Hehe…”

Ezekiel 35 - 37 (7th September) - Sky

Ezekiel 35
Why is the prophecy against Edom when Ezekiel prophesizes facing Mount Seir? Mount Seir is the country of Edom where the descendants of Esau lived.

The grudge they harbored against Israel was when Jacob tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright. This hostility will cause the nation of his downfall and own desolation.

Ezekiel 36
This chapter shows as GOD punishes it always lead to restoration and renewal. Likewise when Christians undergo trials and challenges, GOD promises eventual deliverance and renewed blessing.

As GOD finally break his people of their addiction to idols by putting them through a time of exile in Babylon. GOD reveals the prophets of the Lord are right eventually, those idols of other gods being impotent.

GOD did not only promise to bring the people back but promise a new heart given to them. These hearts were to be spiritually alive and open to Him, to be set apart.

Through difficult circumstances GOD brought Israel to a place of decision while HE did not coerce or force their obedience. He used hardships to help them see the benefits of obeying and obedience to HIM never brings sorrow and hurt to oneself.

Ezekiel 37
The prophecy is an illustration that GOD will breathe new life into the nation Israel.

Dead bones like Israel were spiritually dead having no hope or spark of faith. Even in the midst of this, GOD has the power to renew his people. This assurance can encourage believers to pray for new life and revival in a church, marketplace or home.

Ezekiel 32 - 34 (6th September) - Weiling

Ezekiel 32
Ezek 29-32 are chapters about God’s judgment on Egypt and its Pharaoh.
Egypt was one of the longtime enemy of God’s people. Ezekiel was speaking of a time then when Egypt would be reduced to a place of insignificance. Captivity would come and the glory of Pharaoh would fade.

An important lesson: As the leadership of a nation goes, so goes the nation. Pharaoh’s pride and false confidence in his army led to the desolation of his once mighty Egypt. Thus, do take time to pray for your leaders today.


Ezekiel 33
The Watchman (v.1 – 11)
Like the prophet Ezekiel, all of us have the role and duty to speak forth God’s word. We are God’s mouth-piece. It may be to witness to a pre-believing friend. It may be to discipline a wayward son. It may be to speak to a brother or sister in Christ whom you know is sinning or is in a dangerous position of falling. Who knows if what you say may or may not jolt a sinning brother in his path to repent and return to God? There is the sin of commission – doing the wrong things eg. Stealing. There is also the sin of omission – not doing what God calls us to do. It may not be easy to rebuke someone; you may risk losing a friend. But what would be the loving thing to do? Speak forth in love. The responsibility to respond lies with the person but we carry the responsibility to speak what God calls us to say.

God is a God of the Now (v.12 – 20)
Do not count on your past righteous “deeds” to save you, thinking you can be complacent because you may fall and sin. Do not live in the past. Even if you have led a life of sinning and rebellion, if you repent and turn to God, God is faithful and will show grace to forgive.

Practise what you hear (v. 31 – 33)
If we hear the words of God but do not practice them, we are like people who are just listening to songs. (v.32) Only when we obey God will we truly know Him. Let His Word transform you from inside out.

In James 1: 22-24 it says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”

Ezekiel 34
The word goes out to the shepherds and leaders of God’s people as a reminder of the great privilege and responsibility they carry. The admonishment went out to the shepherds who had been caring only about themselves instead of the sheep that they are supposed to care for. The sheep were sickly, diseased, broken and scattered. And God said that He would take away the privilege from the shepherds of caring for the sheep and that He Himself, the faithful God, will search for His sheep and seek them out (v.11). He will feed them in a good pasture and lead them to rest (v. 11-16). He will bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick. So tender is our God.

Perhaps the responsibilities of a shepherd sound like a very tall order after we have read the passage. Perhaps it made you think twice about taking on the responsibility now. Perhaps it made you feel guilty about the job you are doing as a shepherd. Perhaps it made you think that it is easier if you had never set out to undertake the assignment of being a shepherd. But I just sense that God is saying it is an assignment that God entrusts to those whom He trusts. And it is only when we learn to shepherd will we ourselves know the Shepherd’s heart, that we will know Him from the fellowship of going through similar experiences, of loving His people. It is also an expression of our love for God. Just like in John 21 when Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” and Jesus then asked him to look after His sheep.

Ezekiel 28 - 31 (5th September) - Sky

Ezekiel 28

This prophecy is specifically to the King of Tyre.

Being complacent with wealth, he proclaims himself as god. GOD has judged him to die of the death of the uncircumcised. This death is to die separated form GOD, cut off from eternity. Ironically the King of Tyre may be circumcised so what does this tell us about our GOD?

Prophecy against Sidon
We know we have a holy righteous GOD. He can show himself holy in many ways like punishing sin and even when we experience his blessings for obedience. So how do you know we have a holy GOD?

Ezekiel 29
This prophecy to another great nation, Egypt.

Like a great monster in the banks of Nile (probably a crocodile) The Pharaoh grew confident and complacent, surrounded by water and desert he feels safe from foreign invaders.

Egypt had failed to deliver military aid to Israel. Like a reed when putting weight upon, it breaks. Either poking your skin or wrenching your back, Israel leaned on Egypt, only to regret later.

Ezekiel 30

V11 He and his army the most ruthless of nations will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt

GOD’s will that wrath should be administered without hesitation or compromise thus using the most ruthless of the nations. Sometimes we forgot that our Lord is a GOD who cares about laws, details and conditions. As we know grace through Christ overrode these factors. But it did not change who our GOD truly is. A GOD of law, justice and righteousness.

Ezekiel 31

GOD caused Assyria like a cedar in Lebanon to grow larger and more power than other nations around it.

GOD did not aid Assyria to reward its evil ways but because HE wanted to punish Israel for its sin. Like Babylon, often using nations more wicked than Israel to punish his people when they rejected Him.

Ezekiel 24 - 27 (4th September) - Sky

Ezekiel 24
This chapter perhaps is the saddest among the rest, to me that is

Compare the city to a cooking pot?
The evil leaders of Jerusalem compared themselves to choice meat in a cooking pot and were confident that they would not be charred by the flames of divine judgment. The Lord challenged their false confidence and warned that they would not escape judgment.
The fire under the pot (the Babylonians) would cook the meat and each piece would then be removed (a reference to the exile)

As we know Ezekiel life deciphers GOD’s actions to Israel.
This day, his wife was taken away by the Lord; he was to be silent in morning like what will happen to Israel.

To groan silently, not mourn or weep? Losing the delight of his eyes, Ezekiel perhaps was the strongest man to control himself like that. What’s your delight in your eyes? What if it’s taken away? Will you cry in anguish or sorrow or in silence?

Ezekiel 25
Once again God’s word is for the other nations

As Our Lord describes how HE is going to punish the other nations of what they done? Is this HIS revenge for what they had done?

Think of it as judgment and justice. His holiness requires that he pronounce justice. But even God’s punishment can be considered an expression of his mercy. His OT judgment typically halted the slide into further sin. Left unchecked, sin violates the order God planned for creation and would eventually cause the destruction of the world and humanity.

These nations will learn that our GOD is holy and not tolerate sin. They will learn that his judgment falls on those who violate others, especially God’s own people.

Ezekiel 26

This prophecy is specifically against Tyre.

Once again GOD mentions how he’s using Nebuchadnezzar to destroy a nation. That he will put an end of things by bringing judgment, terror and justice.

Ezekiel 27

As you read this chapter your can tell that Tyre is like Singapore is a large wealthy cosmopolitan center with a significant seaport.

Describing Tyre’s wealth and power enables us to recognize how far it fell and how severely it was judged. As it made other nations wealthy by trade, those who profited because of Tyre will soon feel their vulnerability.

As you see the extent of God’s judgment, being a brilliant general as well HE takes out not just the people, food, hearts and nations but the finances of the nations. Leaving them so crippled that they will know He is LORD.