Luke 20 – 21 , Matt 23 (5th November) – Crystal

Luke 20

As we learnt about wisdom in yesterday’s sermon, Luke 20 also teaches us how Jesus used his wisdom from God to drive off those who want to set him up. In Luke 20, Jesus was questioned by the high priest of what authority gave Jesus the power to heal and teach. Jesus answered in an intelligent way. He asked them another question, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me, John's baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?" The priest knew that whichever answer they give will not do them good. In this case, God grant Jesus the wisdom to answer those who wanted to harm him. In the very same way, God wants to grant us wisdom in the things we say and do, in order to protect us and to fight against the opposition forces. God wants to bless everyone with wisdom, especially those who are poor.

The parable of the tenants from Jesus told the high priests off when he preaches it to the crowd. He uses example of the tenants as the high priests, the servants as the people sent by God, the son as himself and the owner as God. Jesus taught the parable not only to drive off the high priests but also to help the people understand that He is the one that God sent as the only son.

Once again the high priests sent spies to trap Jesus in his teachings, to arrest him. This time round, they use Caesar the tax collector. Everyone knows that Caesar is a man of lies and sins. Therefore, some were unhappy to even pay taxes to him. The spies questioned Jesus, wanting to trap him with his words. However, Jesus replied to the people, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." This not only convinced the people to give taxes to which it belongs to but also kept the spies silence not knowing what to do next.

Next the Sadducees who do not believe that there is resurrection came to Jesus and question him about his teaching about resurrection and marriage. Using an example of a woman marrying 7 brothers who died after one another, they question Jesus about who does the woman belongs to after death since she was the wife of all 7 brothers. Once more, Jesus gave an answer that convinced the people and shut the Sadducees from asking anymore questions. Jesus said “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." Indeed, our God is a God of the living and not the dead.

Jesus also warned the people of the false prophets and to always be on guard against those who falsely claim that they are Christ. (further elaboration below)

Luke 21

Jesus used the example of the widow who gave everything that she had to live on as an offering to God to teach the people about a giving heart. After all, what God seeks is not your wealth but a pure heart, a heart that says “I will give up everything for his kingdom” and believing that God will provide us with whatever we need. Will you entrust everything to him?

Luke 21:5-38

Jesus spoke about the signs of the end of age. There were many signs and disasters that will strike on earth and especially the people of God. Jesus made this known to us because he wants to guard our hearts and be always ready for his return. It is said,” and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.” We should always be vigilant and watch our hearts. Stop procrastinating and be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit says to you. The day might not come in the near future, but you never know if you are going to face God before his coming. I believe everyone of us wants to be able to stand in front of God and hear him say, “well done, my servant!” God also promised us, 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By standing firm you will gain life, and he said 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Always hold on to God’s words closely, if ever one day the bible is not available anymore, how are you going to claim his promises? Therefore, start memorizing verses right now.

Matt 23

The seven woes consist of,

- Those who shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces

- Those who travel over land and sea but fail to win a single convert

- Those who swears by God’s name

- Those who neglected justice, mercy and faithfulness.

- Those who are full of greed and self-indulgence

- Those who are full of hypocrisy and wickedness

- Those who proclaim the wrong doings of their ancestors but yet follow their footsteps

I hope all of us will guard our hearts against all these 7 woes mention in order not to harden our hearts and become indifference to what God has called us to do.

Mark 12, Matthew 22 (4th Nov) - Vivien

Matthew 22:1 – 14
The Parable of the Wedding
God is very merciful. Like the king in the parable, He is always inviting. But people ignore His invitation, and some even mistreated and killed His servants who were sent to invite them. And when the final hour come, all will hear of the Gospel and regardless good or bad, as long as they accept the invitation they are allowed into the banquet. And security is tight at the banquet; it is strictly by invitation only. If you’ve missed the invitation, even if you managed to sneak in, you will be found and chased out. Let us be prayerful that our unsaved family and friends will accept the invitation and not refuse, for the consequence is heavy.

Mark 12:1 – 12
The Parable of the Tenants
2 Don’ts in a form of Chinese idioms to serve as a warning: 1) 得寸进尺 2) 忘恩负义
When a task has been entrusted to you, be a good steward. The task ultimately doesn’t belong to you. Act in a responsible manner, because the owner will come after you in the end.

“Brothers, 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. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” 1 Cor 1:26 - 29

Mark 12:13 – 17& Matt 22: 15 -22
Paying Taxes to Caesar
I think this is a very cool passage! It amazed me how wise Jesus is! This passage is a MUST-READ! Short and too simple, that’s why it amazed me!

The key verse is “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

Mark 12: 18 – 27& Matt 22: 23 – 33
Marriage at the Resurrection
This Sadducees was rather imaginative. But he came with a mindset that there is no resurrection. So if resurrection does occur, it would give rise to complications. Never did he realize that there were flaws in his assumptions, and Jesus corrected him. And now we know, there is no marriage in heaven, and like the angels, we belong only to God. So don’t worry too much what happen if I have a complicate family background, it really doesn’t matter when we get to heaven.

Mark 12: 28 – 34 & & Matt 22: 34 – 40
The Greatest Commandment
And the Great Commandment goes to…(drum roll)….

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. And love your neighbour as yourself.

“When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God’ And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.” v34

This reminded me of what Ps Melvyn has said, that God delights in man with wisdom.

Mark 12: 35 – 40 & Matt 22: 41 – 46
Jesus was quite popular, with a large fan club! Many people were delighted listening him. He actually warned about teachers of the law who only wanted to pride themselves with status and luxury. And such people will be punished severely.

Mark 12: 41 – 44
The Widow’s Offering
The weak has a special place in Jesus’ heart. As Jesus commented about the widow’s offering, I believe for a moment the disciples were wondering why would Jesus say that she has put more in the treasury than others when it was only 2 very small copper.

“…They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." v44

Sometime we can be shallow and look at things on the surface or look at the absolute amount. Let us ask for God’s wisdom to look at thing on the deeper level.

Mark 11, John 12 (3rd November) - Benjamin

In Mark 11, it is written that the Lord made a statement “May no one ever eat fruit from you again”. Simple as it may sound, it kind of got me. What if one day someone comes up to me, seeing that I’m not bearing ‘fruits’ (be it in my ministry, my life or my spiritual walk) and commanded that no one will ever eat fruit from me again! It will be something that I do not want to hear since if that’s the case; won’t I become an empty vessel that will not be useful again? Surely, I want to be someone whom God can do His works through me so brothers and sisters, please watch ourselves that we do not become fruitless, but always remaining fruitful in the Lord.

Another 2 very important points for us to learn are:

1) Mark 11:24 - …whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.

It can’t get any clearer about this statement. True test of faith and patience to wait upon the Lord and trust that He will bless us with what we have asked for in prayer but according to His timings.

2) Mark 11:25 - …. If you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Regardless of how we have been treated, betrayed by the people around us, forgive them for the Lord says so.

Will any of you give up something that is of the highest monetary value for someone else? Martha did! Offering perfume to be poured onto Jesus’ feet, and even using her hair to wipe them. Will any of you do this for your spiritual elders/parents? Giving up something that others value highly of and offering you for the goodness of the spiritual elders/parents? I won’t be surprised if most of us will hold dearly onto the items and think of a million and one excuses to reason our ways through as so to safe keep the items. However, if we are able to release everything onto the Lord, the Lord will be pleased with us.

Honor God and God will honor you! Live a life that honors God that every word you speak, every thought you hold, every action you take is a true reflection of how a righteous man/woman of Christ should be.

Luke 18:15 - 19:48 (2nd November) - Sylvia

The Little Children and Jesus

16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

The kingdom of God is only for the poor in spirit, the righteous and the little children. God has a special place in His heart reserved for the little children. That's why for those who don't have a ministry to go to, come join Young Arrows!

I personally grew a lot and God through the kids softened my heart more and more each day. Makes me feel younger everytime i am with them =)

The Rich Ruler

The ruer was reluctant to let go of his riches. Even though he did not commit adultery, murder, steal, give false testimony andhe honoured his parents, he was unable to let go of all that the world had to offer Him, thus he would not be able to enter the kingdom of God.

29"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

Once we are able to surrender to God our issues and trust that He can provide for all our needs, we needn't worry about what tomorrow brings. We know that our treasures shall be stored up in heaven!

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

Jesus speaks about his death and tells His disciples what is going to happen, yet they still do not understand.

A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight

42Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 43Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

The blind man was so determined to see that he kept persisting and asked Jesus to heal Him.
It is always persistence and our own level of faith that determine whether we will get healed.

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

9Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Zacchaeus was eager to know Jesus and he was willing to repent of the wrongdoings he had done. He was wiling to give up his riches to follow Jesus

We can learn from Zacchaeus in his attitude. Withough hesitation, he simply gave

The Parable of the Ten Minas

22"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?

23Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'

24"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'

25" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'

26"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.

What the Lord has entrusted to us, we are to be fruitful with it. Should we be careless with them, God will take it away from s and give it to the most deserving one and we will be judged when we go to heaven.

It like how we take care of our sheep. We are held responsible for every single one.

The Triumphal Entry

38"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!""
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

Jesus was given a glorious welcome by the crowds who had heard about his grace and love and his healing and performing of miracles.

Yet he also spoke of the fall of the temple of Jerusalem when the end times came

Jesus at the temple

46"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be a house of prayer'[a]; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.'[b]"

The temple of God was meant to be a holy place of worship. Instead, it became a place where the people sold their wares and profitted.

Jesus was persecuted by the priests and Pharisees. They tried to find ways to kill him a any opportunity they had. However, because of his popularity with the masses and his unfinished work, Jesus was protected by God as His time had yet to come.

Matthew 20 - 21 (1st November) - Kelvin

These 2 chapters contain really interesting accounts that Jesus had and also the parables that were told to his disciples. Jesus started by telling us the parable of the workers in the vineyard. He showed us a glimpse of how the Kingdom of heaven works. That, God will keep inviting people into it till the eleventh hour and He will treat everyone equally regardless of how early we came into His kingdom. Jesus also highlighted that some of us would feel unfair that though we may have started working much longer than those who came in at the eleventh hour and we are warned not to be having such feelings because God did not say that we would be paid more if we started from the beginning.My understanding here would be God himself did not considered us any better even if we came to know Him much longer than others. Sad to say, maybe some of us think that the number of years that we came to know the Lord determines how close we are with Him. Point to note here, Everyone is equal in God’s Kingdom.

Next, the Zebedee’s sons’ mother came to ask Jesus to let her sons to sit on the left and right of His throne in heaven but Jesus said no because it will be decided by the Father in Heaven. Then He came to the conclusion that struck all His disciples that whoever wants to be first has to be the last and who ever wants to be great must be a servant to someone else. Over here, giving is the clue to being successful. Giving not just in terms of money but efforts, time, care, concern and many more.

Jesus talked about the parable of the two sons and He compared His disciples with tax collectors (despised during their time) and prostitutes. He wanted to demonstrate that saying about what we believe without alignment in the heart to what we actually said is actually useless. Many times all of us say we believe in the Lord but our actions say otherwise of what we believe. Thus, Jesus is trying to tell us that it is better not to believe in God than to say you believe but actually you do not believe in your own heart.

Lastly, Jesus talked about the parable of the tenants where He was referring to the pharisees and priests of His times. Well, it can be applied to us as modern days christians as well. God says that whoever that is not fruitful and not doing the right things consistently would cause him/her to lose ownerships of what were given in the first place. Meaning, whatever God entrusted us would be taken away from us. As in parable, the evil doing tenants were given a couple of chances to redeem themselves but they choose not to do so. Life is all about choosing. God did not put to us a specific path that each of us are going to take but rather He offers us choices to make so that He can know who are the ones that are after His heart and who are after the world. Choose God today because He can never be wrong.

Mark 10, Matthew 19 (31st October) - Weiling

When the Pharisees asked Jesus about divorce, they did it with the intention of testing Him on the rules and laws; the to-dos and not-to-dos. But it was not simply about what is permissible or not. Jesus spoke to them about the heart of the issue, i.e. the issue of the heart; the motive. Moses permitted a man to divorce his wife because the man’s heart was already hardened. God’s plan was for union not separation. Thus, we have the famous line at weddings: if God has joined a couple together, let no one separate them.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." – Matt 19: 14

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." – Matt 19: 21

But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. – Matt 19: 30

… Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. – Mark 10: 43, 44

The teachings of Jesus appear to be topsy-turvy or opposite of worldly wisdom or logic. Often, we clamour to be ahead, to be first. We want to be great, to be powerful, and to be rich. But Jesus told the young man to give up his ALL and to follow Him. Jesus taught us to serve because He Himself came to earth not to be served but to serve. (Mark 10: 45)
He Himself set the divine example.

And Jesus promised a great reward:
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. – Matt 19: 28, 29

Luke 17:11 - 18:14 (30th October) - Andrew

Luke 17:11 - 37
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem when he met ten lepers, crying out to him to heal them. And when they were healed, only one of them, a Samaritan returned to Jesus to thanks him.
“Does only this foreigner return to give glory to God?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has mad you well.”
- verse 18 – 19

When Jesus blessed us, we tend to be excited about it, sometimes even forget to thanks Jesus about it. Do not be like the nine other lepers, who after being healed by Jesus, did not return to thanks him. But be like the one Samaritan who remembers Jesus is the one who healed him.

Always give thanks to God first thing when you are being healed or blessed by Him.
Then Jesus talked about the coming of God’s kingdom.

“When the Son of Man returns, the world will be like the people were in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and flood came to destroyed them all.”
- verse 26 – 27

“And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business – eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building – until the morning Lot left Sodom. The fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
- verse 28 – 29

And Jesus comes again, people will be judged.

Luke 18:1 – 14
“Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?”
- verse 7

Be perseverance in our prayers. When we want something badly, God will surely grant our prayer request, just like how the judge, who was godless, gave in to the persistent widow.
“…For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honoured.”
- verse 14

Let us not be like the proud Pharisee who thanks God that he’s not a sinner and scorned everyone else, especially the tax collector. Instead, be like the tax collector who asked God to forgive him as he admitted his a sinner. God will honour those who admit himself a sinner.

John 11 (29th October) - Andrew

John 11

A small notice I made when I read verse 3.
‘So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, the one you love is very sick.”’
- verse 3
How did the two sisters, Mary and Martha knew that Jesus love Lazarus? Probably because Mary personally experience the love of Christ by pouring the expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiping them with her hair (verse 2).

“… As long as it is light, people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. Only at night is there danger of stumbling because there is no light.”
- verse 9-10
Remember we are the light of the world? Thus we can see and not stumble easily into the sins of this world.

“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish…”
- verse 25 - 26
Thanks God that we believe in Him and have the eternal life that He gave us all, and aren’t we glad to have that precious life. Spend this time to really thanks Him for giving us that.

“Jesus responded, ”Didn’t I tell you that you will see God’s glory if you believe? ”
- verse 40
“Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.”
- verse 45
Do you want to see God’s glory shine through you? Believe in Him. And when the people around us see God’s glory shining through us, many of them will believe in Jesus, like those people with Mary on the day Jesus raised up Lazarus. Just believe in Him.

Luke 16 - Luke 17: 1 - 10 (28th October) - Sky

Luke 16
Why commend someone who was dishonest in this parable?
Jesus is not urging us to cheat. He is encouraging his disciples to be savvy about the use of money and other world matter. Being wise in such matter is essential to make an impact for all eternity.

In the portion of Additional teachings
What Jesus preached did not cancel the Law, He fulfilled it. Through his grace may the Law be fulfilled? The Law paves the way for GOD to show his love for people through Jesus.

In this parable is very interesting, we can learn
1) The righteous and un righteous will go to different places
2) Both are conscious and recall their life on earth
3) The unrighteous suffer torment while the righteous is comforted.

In V31 I ask myself why someone who rose from the dead wouldn’t convince people. Won’t it be easier?
They will ignore the evidence already available for them to respond in faith. Even today, people dodge evidence of Christianity’s truth. They are more interested keeping their way of life than submitting to the truth.

Luke 17:1-10
As Jesus preaches about this, a question came to my mind. How much faith do we need?
I believe like planting a seed, and it grows; use a little faith, and your life will grow too. Perhaps we don’t need to pray to GOD to increase our faith; rather we may need to ask him to help us use the faith we have.

Whatever the case, we need Faith.

Luke 14 - 15 (27th October) - Stephanie

One Sabbath, while visiting the house of a prominent Pharisee, Jesus asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” Everyone remained silent, so Jesus took hold of a man and healed him. Jesus then spoke about the Parable of the Great Banquet.

Through the Parable, we understand that God’s blessings are for all who respond to his gracious invitation (Luke 14:15-17), but even as that is so, the majority do not wish to dine with him, so make up lame excuses (Luke 14:18-20).

Jesus also emphasizes the cost of discipleship (Luke 14:25-35) as strongly as he emphasizes the loving invitation of free grace. Jesus said, “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27)

When Jesus tells the Parable of the prodigal son, we see the story of love, loss and salvation. The father’s love for his prodigal son reminds us of the love of God who will receive us “when we come to our senses”.

Let us also learn from this statement that the father spoke to his elder son, who felt that his father’s love was so lacking in his life: “My son, the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:31-32)

Luke 12 - 13 (26th October) - Vivien

Luke 12:1 - 12

Can't Hide Behind a Religious Mask
Continuing from chapter 11, after rebuking that hypocritical behaviour of the Pharisee, Jesus started to warn his disciples not to be like the Pharisee. Be honest because you can’t hide anything from God in the first place. 纸是包不住火的. So don’t play with fire.

Fear the right person. Don’t do stuff that displease God, because we want to avoid trouble from God. What the bad can do to you is temporary, but dishonouring God can bring about an eternal impact! You are of high worth in God’s eyes. So don’t find your value in man, which leads to compromising to the standard of the world.

When you are put on the spot, believe that the Holy Spirit will come in your defence; this is a promise!

Luke 12:13 – 21

The Parable of the Rich Fool
“Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’” v15

When God bless, He wants us to bless others. Don’t be greedy and accumulate wealth only for your selfish desire. When we die, we can’t bring any of those along to heaven.

Luke 12:22 – 34

Do Not Worry
The Jesus summarized that we don’t have to worry about life. Often we are worry about our significance in this society, which may lead us to sin. Not that we want to sin, but we are pressured. How many times have we compromise our standard due to pressure from friends, boss and colleagues?

Do the right thing, be it giving to the poor, and your riches will be in heaven, one that is eternal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.

Luke 12:35 – 48
Watchfulness

We need to be ready for the coming of Jesus. As the hour of His coming is unknown, we need to be ready 24/7. We can view this in another way; we don’t know when God will call us home. You’ll never know if you will last till tomorrow. The question is “Will you be ready to go?” Are you going to tell God that you are not ready to be called home, can You give me a moment?

Are there things that you have not settled? Maybe somebody that you have not asked for forgiveness from or somebody you have not forgiven. Or have you said “I love you” or expressed your love to your parents and siblings?

Jesus wants to remind us that when more is given to us, more will be expected of us, which is logical. When more is given it proves that you have the capability to handle, so naturally more is expected. This is being a good steward.


Luke 12:49 – 59

“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” v 51

There will be a time where divisions are stirred up, even within a family. When all else fails, who are you depending on? Will you decide to give up being Christian, and think that that is your fate? Or are you going to hold on to the godly principles that you have acquired after so many years of walk with God?

Jesus was criticizing those who were interpreting the Times. They were stating the obvious and deceiving people actually. God warned against such people.

Luke 13:1 - 9

Repent or Perish
Jesus was teaching about the importance of the heart condition. Is any evildoer much worse of a sinner then an unrepentant Christian? Clearly the answer is NO! Actually the Christian should be judged more heavily, because in Chinese we call it 明知故犯 (We know the rules, but we still go otherwise). So nobody can escape from judgement, even Christian. A person who is unrepentant, I would say has not truly known God, and do not belong to God’s Kingdom. So repent or perish.

Luke 13:10 – 17

A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath
Jesus healed a lady who was crippled for 18 years on Sabbath, and as usual the synagogue rulers were grumbling about it. Over here we can see that certain infirmity can be a spiritual attack, and it could last for many years!

When the synagogue rulers were making noise about healing on Sabbath, Jesus retaliated with a simple example that was so relevant to their lives. If they knew how to show mercy to their livestock and untied them so that they can have a drink, then what’s more for a human being who had been tied for 18 years! With that they were defeated flat!

Luke 13:18 – 21

The Parable of the Mustard Seeds and the Yeast
Jesus gave 2 examples of the Kingdom of God. And both are physically small (or tiny) but produce a huge outcome! God never despise the weak. Instead, often He uses the weak to do great and mighty things to humble the proud.

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5b

It is a reminder for us not to look down on the things that are small (be it task, talent and possession), what matters is not the size of the object, but the attitude of the subject. Be humble.
Luke 13:22 – 30

The Narrow Door
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” v 24

Which door is easier or more attractive to enter, the narrow one or the wide one? Many will choose the wide one. Why make life so difficult to choose a narrow one to enter? But that is like the door of Satan. Very attractive and worldly, so that people will fall for it. In this world that we live in, we are always bombarded with temptations.

So the Bible has already warned us to MAKE EVERY EFFORT! It will not be easy to enter a narrow door, but it is definitely worth it! Don’t be locked out to realize how foolish you were to choose the seemingly better way. That reminded me of an email that I’ve read long time ago, where Satan invited a couple to a country club-like hell to entice them. So when the couple compared it with heaven, they decided that hell seems like a better place to stay in. then when they were finally brought to hell again to be locked forever, it was hell, duh! Satan is deceptive in every way! So beware and know the Word of God, so that you will be wise.

Luke 13: 31 –35

Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem
Not all Pharisees are bad. Here are some good ones. They told Jesus to leave Jerusalem because Herod wanted to kill Jesus. But Jesus refused to, because He knew very clear why He was there. And He would continue with His mission knowing the end result would be physical torment and death. When we are clear with our purpose in life, fear will not be overpowering. If we want to live a life to the fullest, we need to have a purpose-driven life with God in the centre of it all.

John 10: 22 - 42, Luke 10 - 11 (25th October) - Ivy

John 10:22-42 The Unbelief of the Jews

The Feast of Dedication commemorated the cleansing of the temple under Judas Maccabeus in 165 B.C. after Antiochus Epiphanes had defiled it by sacrificing a pig on the altar of burnt offering. The feast was celebrated towards the end of December. This is also the present day Feast of Lights called Hanukkah. Solomon’s Colonnade was a roofed walkway supported by large stone columns, just inside the walls of the temple courtyard.

Were the Jews really interested to know if Jesus was Christ? Even after all the miracles that Jesus had performed, they still asked if Jesus was Christ. They were probably hoping that Jesus would say something against the Law or something wrong that they would be able to accuse him. They probably didn’t want to be lead in the way which Jesus has showed them.

Pause for ponder: Do we sometimes asks questions with the right intentions? Do we sometimes query wanting to know the truth? Or do we post questions to our friends or leaders wanting to hear what we want to hear? Are we willing to be lead by Jesus in Jesus’ way or our own way?

Jesus told the Jews that he has already said he is Christ but they do not believe because they are not his sheep. What does this mean? That means we are only able to recognize Jesus’ voice, if we believe in Jesus. By believing in Jesus that He is God and our saviour, he calls us His sheeps and He becomes our shepherd. Being sheeps of Jesus, we know Him, we know His voice, we have eternal life. What a beautiful gift that God has given us when we believe in Him! See also Jesus’ promise that no one can snatch us out of His hands (unless we chose to walk out of His hands).

Pause: Do you know the voice of your heavenly Father Jesus? Do you listen to His voice and follow (obey) Him? Do you have the assurance that you have eternal life and no one can harm you?

When the Jews picked up stones to stone Jesus, Jesus asked them for which of the miracles are they stoning Him for? And the Jews replied they were stoning Him for proclaiming Himself as God and regarded it as blasphemy.

The Jesus replied in verse 37: “Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. 38But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."

Pause: Can we sometimes be like the Jews? Even after experiencing the miracles of Jesus in our lives but we still do not believe? Although this passage is referring to the unbelief of ‘non-believers’ but it can also fall on us! I pray that we would not see miracles in our lives or even in the lives of others but yet remain unbelieving.

The Jews then tried to grab hold of Jesus but He escaped. Jesus then went to the place where John baptized many and during His stay, many were saved. Their hearts were opened because John the Baptist has already told them about the coming of Christ.

Luke 10 - Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-two
Street evangelism!! Woohoo! Jesus gave very specific instructions on how to do street evangelism. We hear this verse so much ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.’ What does it really mean? Does it mean that believers are few? Or does it mean that the ‘willing ones’ are few?

Jesus reminded the seventy-two that He is sending them as lambs amongst wolves. Its also a reminder of the possibility of danger. Jesus reminded them not to take a purse or sandal or greet people along the way. This suggested the urgency of the ‘mission’ that was given.

"When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' 6If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. 7Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Don’t we just love Jesus and his parables? An expert in the law tested Jesus and asked Jesus how he could inherit eternal life. Jesus knew he knew the word of God and asked him what does scripture says? We all know the greatest commandments don’t we?

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[c]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Jesus illustrated how we should love our neighbor by giving us a very practical scenario. First, he illustrated with a priest and second a Levite and third a Samaritan. How does this speak to us? I think Jesus is telling us that, I don’t care what is your position in the society or appointment in church, if we do not love or show mercy, we would not inherit eternal life.

At the Home of Martha and Mary
This is another of my favorite New Testament stories. 2 women, Martha & Mary. Martha is a task oriented person. She is probably the one who loves to serve by cooking (like me) and hosting others. She likes to ensure that her guests are well fed. Mary on the other hand seems to be the lazy one. Not helping her sister with the preparation. Martha complained to Jesus and hope that Jesus will reprimand Mary to help her. Martha probably thought Jesus is male chauvinist and would usher Mary to help. But Jesus did not. Jesus told Martha, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed.[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’

Is Jesus not sympathetic towards Martha for all the preparations? Was Jesus too harsh on Martha? I believe not. I felt that Jesus called Martha in a very intimate way. Jesus called ‘Martha Martha’. Can you sense the closeness and the love Jesus have for Martha? Note that it is not that preparations are not important. But notice what did Jesus said to Martha? "you are worried and upset about many things”. The preparations were necessary but the worrying was not. Martha was so caught up with wanting to do the best preparations and hoped that we could have an extra hand. On the other hand, should could make a simpler preparation and spend less time preparing and more time with Jesus.

How many of us are like Martha? When it comes to studies, work or when organizing a party or event, are we like Martha? Caught up with the preparation and forgot about spending time with Jesus?

When serving the Lord, are we caught up with the preparations and the doing that we forget to draw strength from Jesus?
Are we too caught up with work that we often find ourselves lost in work and neglect our time with Jesus?
Are some of you sometimes ‘worried & upset’ about grades and performance at school that you we neglect Jesus?

Jesus ended the conversation by saying: ‘Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’

I believe Jesus is suggesting. Both are attitudes are good. But what Mary chosen is better. Our studies, career, events etc would be taken away from us but our time spend with the Lord and our relationship with Him will not be taken away from us.

Jesus' Teaching on Prayer
Another beautiful story. Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus’ to teach them how to pray. Without hesitation, Jesus eagerly 2He said to them, "When you pray, say: " 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3Give us each day our daily bread. 4Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

I would summaries the attitude/principles when praying to God as follows:
1) Praise
2) Providence
3) Forgiveness
4) Deliverance

The very first attitude that we should always have is praising God. Regardless of situations we are in, praise God. We win we praise God, we lose, we praise God. We also praise God with a kingdom mindset.

Next, is providence. Some of us may think, is it too selfish if we ask God next for providence? My answer is no. Let’s look at 2Cor9:11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Hey! God wants to provide for you so that you can bless others!

Thirdly, we need to ask God for forgiveness of our own sins and ask God to help us forgive others.

Fourthly, ask God for deliverance from temptations.
I believe all these attitudes/principles needs to go hand in hand and not missing out any.

Lastly, just in case we missed out the purpose of praying. Jesus illustrated to us the purpose of prayer is to ask. What did Jesus promise when we ask?
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Don’t we all love this verse? This is the Lord’s promise and assurance to you and God is not slow in providing. Trust in the Lord’s faithfulness today!

Jesus and Beelzebub
When Jesus drove out a mute demon out from a man and causing the man to have the ability to speak again, some said Jesus’ ability came from another demon, Beelzebub. From verse 17, Jesus is saying: If satan gave power to Jesus, who oppose him in every way, he would be supporting an attack upon himself. In verse 19: Jesus did not say whether the followers of Pharisees actually drove out demons but they claimed to drive out demons by the power of God and Jesus claimed the same. So to accuse jesus of suing satanic power was implicitly to condemn their own followers as well. When demons are driven out by the finger of God, that means the king and savior is with us.

The one who does not support Jesus opposes him, making neutrality impossible.
Verse 25: A place has been cleaned up but left unoccupied. This suggests that a reformed life which lacks the presence of God and power is open to reoccupancy by evil.
Jesus is not denying the blessedness of mother mary but is stressing that it is more blessed to be an obedient follower of Christ.

The Sign of Jonah
On several occasions, the Jews asked Jesus for a sign but was rejected as they did not ask with the right intentions. Jesus speaks of His death and resurrection by comparing with Jonah’s ‘burial’ in the huge fish. Jonah went to the town of Ninevah and asked the people to repent. And they did. Jesus is much greater than Solomon and Jonah! All the more the people should have a turn in hearts!

The Lamp of the Body
The light here refers to the light of the gospel. The truth of the Gospel. How can the light be hidden? The problem with the Jews for asking for a sign is not that there isn’t any signs and wonders. But they could not see. Their hearts have probably been corrupted and therefore not able to see the light. This is so beautiful: Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.
This is suggesting that if our life is pure and holy, the light of the gospel would be shone upon us and revealed to us.

Six Woes
The Pharisees were shocked that Jesus did not clean himself before eating. I would think Jesus did it purposely so that he would start his ‘opening’ talk. Ha! Jesus emphasized the importance of inner cleanliness than the outer cleanliness. Jesus goes on to talk about how the Pharisees seem to be doing the right thing e.g. tithing, and they love their position in the marketplace. But Jesus shamed them that they would not be remembered after their death. The experts of the Law are supposed to ‘liberalize’ the people but they kept the law to themselves. Outwardly, they honour the prophets in the building or rebuilding of memorials but inwardly, they reject the messiah. The people who should have the knowledge to open the minds of others kept the teaching to themselves and left the people in ignorance of the way of salvation.

The Pharisees were of course insulted and planning to trap Jesus.

John 9 - 10 (24th October) - Li Juan

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
There are things which happen to us which we feel so puzzled by and we questioned God “Why?”. Sometimes, these things happen so that the work of God can be displayed in your life through these circumstances.

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
They questioned the healing power and miracles Jesus did. The man who was healed was so full of faith, so certain that Jesus is from God. “If this man was not from God, he could do nothing.”

Spiritual Blindness
Physical blindness is infinitely times far better than spiritual blindness. Once our spiritual eyes are blinded, we can no longer see the truth and would not be guilty of any sin. If you feel spiritually handicapped, ask God to open up your eyes so that you can see, open up your ears so that you can hear, soften your heart so that you will be receptive and teachable once again.

The Shepherd and His Flock
Jesus is like the good shepherd; the good shepherd can lay down his life for the sheep, Jesus died on the cross to cleanse us of our sins and to redeem us. Do we know Jesus like how the sheep recognizes the shepherd’s voice? Take time to tune in to Jesus’ voice, to recognize the Holy Spirit, to identify God’s presence.

John 7 - 8 (23rd October) - Sky

John 7

In this chapter we see a lot of unbelief of Christ among the Jews. Jesus challenged their authority and their way of life. He disregarded their teachings on Sabbath and upset their way of doing things in the temple. Jesus also threatened their status with the occupying Roman authorities. If the people rallied around Jesus Rom would respond with a cruel force.

We can also see a lot of opinions and thoughts in our Jesus in this chapter. Some say he is simply a good man because of his healings and teachings but not God’s son. Other say he is mad, arguing that many unstable people believe themselves as a savior. A few suggest he deliberately deceived people to gain influence and advantage. But we correctly say he is the revealed Messiah, the Son of God and our Lord.

Jesus has many names to us, one day who should try naming all

John 8

An amazing thing happened here and is that the Pharisee brought a woman caught in adultery in front of Jesus wanted to test him and set a trap about the Law. But he rebuked them and said those who without sin shall throw the 1st stone. Jesus stopped the vigilantes’ rush to judgment and made them wait for his surprising answer.

Jesus claimed here that he is not only on a mission from God, but he also claimed to be the unique Son of God who always does what pleases God and who brings the light toe the world. The Pharisees considered this claim preposterous and indeed a person who would make such an amazing statement could only be a liar or the authentic son of God.

V32 then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Freedom is not only in your body but in yr choices, in your mind, in your heart. The truth is his Word. We are to keep his word to continually love God, and actively trust him even if we experience temporary setbacks by not living perfect obedience.

Matthew 18 (22nd October) - Ezra

Matt 18 is actually very easy to understand if you just see it stright forwardly.

In the first part from verse 1 to 14, Jesus is bringing across to everyone that, even the little ones meant a lot to the Father.

It doesn't mean that you can only know Him when you are an adult, but even the little ones can too. They are God's presious ones.
As it is written, God is a Father, if out of 100 sheeps, 1 is missing, He will search everywhere for this 1 sheep till He finds it.

Verse 15-20 talks about how 2 or more coming together to pray for a person. Though the first part talks about telling a brother his faults, and it goes on to say that, if he refuses to listen to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or tax collector.

I believe what we can learn from that is, not to see it in a literial way, but to see it deeper. There isn't right or wrong way to look at it, bible scripture speaks to everyone in many different ways. But for me, this is what I gather- no matter what the brother or sister is or their rebeliousness is, we must pray for them. If they chooses to sin and ask us to join them, that is where we draw back, but still continue to keep them in prayer.

Verse 21-35, as Jesus speaks, He knows that His time will come where He will be cruxified, and cancel our sins/depts. In the same way, what this passage speaks to me is that, as Jesus die on the cross for our sins, He has forgiven us, we as His children must learn to forgive our brothers / sisters if they have wrong us.

Mark 9, Luke 9: 28 - 62, Matthew 17 (21st October) - Vivien

As you read the passages accounted by 3 authors of the Gospel, it will be interesting to know their background which led to their writing style.

We first read from Mark. He was Barnabas’ cousin (Col 4:10). Lifting from my student Bible, he was referred warmly as a son by Apostle Peter (1 Pet 5:13). He accompanied Peter to Rome, where Peter helped him write the Gospel account that bears Mark’s name.
Mark is the shortest Gospel. His emphasis is on what Jesus did, rather than what Jesus said.

Next, Luke was known as a physician and companion of Apostle Paul (Col 4:14). He was highly educated person. He did investigations and conducted interviews with eyewitnesses. Therefore it is one of the more thorough and detailed Gospel. He backdated his account from the birth of John the Baptist!

Finally, Matthew was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples who was the tax collector. According to my Student Bible, the arrangement of the Gospel of Matthew reflected his occupation as a tax collector - systematic, ledger-sheet thinking. He doesn’t tell Jesus’ story chronologically; he groups facts topically. Also, his account included events after the resurrection. [Gospel of John also has an intimate account of events that occurred after the resurrection, as he is one of Jesus’ Twelve]

So we can see that God has arranged it in a way that 4 persons from 2 different time periods and closeness with Jesus would write about the Gospel in different styles for different audiences. Here we see the cooperation of 4 gospels to form a complete Gospel!

Mark 9: 2 – 13; Luke 9:28-36; Matthew 17:1 – 13
The Transfiguration
Jesus took Peter, James and John to a high mountain to pray. Then He transfigured right before their eyes. Moses and Elijah appeared. Jesus has an inner circle of disciples among the twelve, namely the 3 mentioned earlier. When we are so close to God, He will reveal an intimate part of Himself to us. Be part of the inner circle! As written in James 4:8, Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you! =)

Mark 9:14 - 32; Luke 9: 37 – 45; Matthew 17: 14 – 19, 22 – 23
The Healing of a Boy with an Evil Spirit
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matt 17:19-20

Have you ever question God, why can this person can perform such miracle or manifestation, why can’t I? I’ve asked that before, then I would think to myself, oh man…my prayer today got no power… Sometimes we can fall into the trap of self-glorification. Our source of faith must be correct in the first place. I always find that the most powerful prayer that I’ve said is always when I humble myself before God and know that without Him, I am nothing. When our focus is right, with the faith as small as a mustard seed, it can move mountain already!

Matt 17:24 – 27
The Temple Tax
This is unique to Matthew, as he was a tax collector, so he is knowledgeable in this aspect and also money matters.

It doesn’t make sense for Jesus to pay tax, since it was for the temple.
However, as a layman Peter would naturally think that the right thing to do was to pay tax, and Jesus will definitely do the right thing, so he answered on behalf of Jesus.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?"

However, Jesus chose to take the humble route and chose not to offend them. But He still had the aura of God. He got the money from a fish that Peter was told to catch, and He also provided for Peter’s share! Jesus is really the coolest guy on earth!

Mark 9:33 - 40; Luke 9: 46 - 48
Who will be the Greatest?
There are many paradoxes in Christianity. This is one of them. Want to be the greatest? Then be a servant! Humility is the key to been the greatest, because this prevent you from being an arrogant person. It helps us to focus others rather than ourselves.

Mark 9: 38 – 41; Luke 9:49 - 50
Whoever is Not Against Us is For Us
I don’t think this is much of a problem for us in this era. In fact we are happier that more people are doing the right thing in the name of Jesus. But I think we can apply it on other context. Especially when we identify each other in groups and cliques. We shouldn’t allow such exclusivity be a barrier to our relationship with other Christians, because we are but ONE BODY OF CHRIST.

Mark 9: 42 – 50
Causing to Sin
Jesus viewed stumbling blocks very seriously. If any part of our body causes us to sin, cut it off and throw it into hell! Wah… Serious… Be careful that we don’t be a stumbling block to others. Be at peace with each other.

Luke 9:51 – 56
Samaritan Opposition
Jesus and disciples were not welcomed in a Samaritan village, and John and James actually asked Jesus if He wanted them to call fire down! John was known as “Son of Thunder” and we can see why from here. But that also showed the faith that he had! I guess that’s why even though John wasn’t the best-tempered person, but was chosen to be in the in-group of Jesus. Of course, Jesus rebuked them.

Luke 6: 57 – 62
The Cost of Following Jesus
It seems like a high price. Basically it about being obedient towards God and putting Him first in our lives. Dying to oneself. Can you do it? Not easy, but possible. It’s a matter of your heart condition.

Mark 8, Luke 9, Matthew 16 (20th October) - Li Juan

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
Just like how Jesus was able to multiply 2 loaves of bread and 5 fishes to feed the 5000, He too was able to multiply 7 loaves of bread and a few small fishes to feed the 4000. Jesus had compassion on them; the people who had been following Him for the past three days and were hungry. God will provide if you follow Him. It is amazing how God can provide in ways so miraculous and against the logical mind.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
Like how Jesus warned His disciples to guard themselves against the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees, we too need to guard ourselves against any influences of the world; any teachings/acts/social norms which are against the biblical truth. We can be blinded by a seeming ‘truth’ as it is so common in our society nowadays. Yet, it can be unlawful in the sight of God. Today, return to the bible again. Is there anything you are doing which is not pleasing in God’s sight?

Peter’s Confession of Christ and Jesus Predicts His Death
For anyone to say “Yes I believe in Jesus Christ”, he must deny himself; recognize that he belongs to the kingdom of God and not to himself. His body is not his own but God’s, his whole being belongs to God and it is by His grace that we can ever exist in this world with all that we have. He must take up the cross; embracing the truth of the Son being sacrificed on the cross just so that we can live. Come back to the feet of the cross again to remember how we can have eternal life, because of the cross. Follow Jesus; follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit and the laws/principles in the bible. NEVER continue a sinful life because you see how hurt Jesus is, and repent of the sins before it’s too late.

Mark 7, Matthew 15 (19th October) - Vivien

Mark 7: 1 - 23 & Matthew 15:1 - 20
Clean and Unclean
The Pharisees and some teachers caught Jesus’ disciples not washing their hands ceremonially before eating, and accused them of breaking the tradition of the elders. In the Old Testament, washing was mentioned as a symbol of cleansing and innocence.

GOD spoke to Moses: "Make a bronze Washbasin; make it with a bronze base. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar. Put water in it. Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet in it. When they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the Altar to serve there or offer gift offerings to GOD, they are to wash so they will not die. They are to wash their hands and their feet so they will not die. This is the rule forever, for Aaron and his sons down through the generations." Exodus 30:19

And all the elders of that city who are next unto the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley. And they shall answer and say, `Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful, O LORD, unto Thy people Israel, whom Thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto Thy people of Israel's charge.' And the blood shall be forgiven them. So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD. Deuteronomy 21:6-9

This is an outward expression of an inward intention. It is not really the literal washing that made the priests pure and holy, but the knowledge that they are imperfect and needed to be clean by God by confessing their sins, and so the washing served as a symbolic act and a reminder.

Also, washing was mentioned for hygiene purpose.

However the Pharisees have made these symbolic act not symbolic anymore. It became a tradition, a ritual. So that’s why Jesus rebuked them, calling them as hypocrites. Their hearts were not right. They had totally missed the point of ceremonial washing.

Jesus then illustrated that it was not the food that was fed by a dirty hand that cause a person to be unclean. And Jesus stated clearly that nothing outside could make a person unclean by going into him. But what comes out of the man that makes him unclean. And then Jesus actually declared that all foods are clean! Hallelujah! This is why the worst sinner that you can think of can be clean overnight. All it takes is a decision to accept Christ as his Saviour and King.

Vivien Hibbert mentioned this: "In every worship, there should be a change in the people, if not they are just merely singing songs."

Ask yourself these questions; have worshiping during service become a tradition for you? Is there any different emotionally and spiritually every time you worship God with songs?

Don’t let any worship time be a sing-along session for you. If not it will be meaningless.

Mark 7:24 – 30 & Matthew 15: 21 - 28
The Faith of a Syrophoenician Woman
It is advisable to read the 2 accounts for better understanding. It took me quite a while to digest them. I was kind of taken aback why was dog used as an analogy of the woman. But I guess it is a cultural and time difference. But that wasn’t the main point.

Let’s focus on Jesus first. You’ll get a better picture reading Matthew’s version. The first lesson to learn from Jesus is prioritising. Jesus was very focused, and He prioritised that the people of Israel should be first is the line. The second lesson to be learnt is be flexible and merciful. Jesus wasn’t rigid; He made room for those who desperately needed Him.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8

By the way, we are all God’s favourite and priority, and this is only possible for God to do it, because He is God! Why did Jesus need to prioritise then? I believe He is capable to pay equal attention to everybody. But being in human form, He has chosen to limit Himself to the capability of a man to lead by example how man should behave. So don’t think that there is a line for you to queue up, God is always available for us.

Let’s switch our focus to the woman now. 2 lessons to pick up too. First, be desperate. Reading James 4:8 again… “Come near to God and he will come near to you”
Second, be humble. Look at the way she replied to Jesus! She knew that she wasn’t at the top of the priority list, she also knew that Jesus is compassionate and merciful! It was her faith and humility that had saved her daughter. Know who God is, then you will know that there are many blessings that we can ask of God, because He is a God who love us.

Mark 7:31 – 37
The Healing of a Deaf and Mute Man
As Jesus continued His ministry, a group of men brought Jesus a man who was deaf and mute. Jesus brought him away from the crowd and healed him. Then Jesus told him not to tell people about it. But it spread to many people.

Matthew 15: 29 – 39
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
Jesus has did it once again! It is not about how much resource we have. It is about the Source. It doesn’t really matter if we have 5 or 7 loaves, 2 fish or a few fish. The point is that we allow God to be glorified through our limited resources, so that layman can see how amazing God is.

John 6 (18th October) - Li Juan

With just 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish, Jesus was able to feed 5000 people with them. Jesus was able to walk on water, to the boat his disciples were on. These show how miraculous our God is.

Jesus is the Bread of Life, and whoever believes in him will have eternal life. We do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life; and that is to believe in Jesus. For us believers, we can still check our hearts today. Repeating the sinner’s prayer for umpteen times every Sunday, do we truly mean what we say in our hearts? Or were we merely repeating after the pastor? Thank God for Jesus, mean it with all your heart.

Mark 6, Luke 9: 1 - 17, Mathew 14 (17th October) - Sylvia

John the Baptist Beheaded

John's time had come. He was jailed for standing up to his values and not being afraid of it and killed because of a king's pride.

Isn't it a shame when sometimes we sin or go the wrong way simply because we don't want to lose face or due to peer pressure?
Don't be afraid to stick to your values and not go the ways of the world. Set an example for the other younger believers in faith.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Even when Jesus was mourning for the loss of John, He still remembered the needy and had compassion on them to heal the sick. As He spoke to the crowds, it got late and everyone was hungry in an ulu place where shops were closed.

Thank God for the miracle Jesus performed. Feeding the thousands with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Awesome!

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus walks on the water and ended up beig mistaken for a ghost by his own disciples. As He invited Peter to join Him, initially Peter was able to walk on the water. However, facing a distraction, He lost faith and began to sink.

Often, we enter into things with such huge faith but our faith level gradually comes down as we meet with obstacles or distractions etc. Look to the Lord in all that we do such that we do not need to fear anymore.