Scripture:
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Wed, 2 February 2022

Glowing, Growing Church

Observation:

What significant observations can you make about the spiritual growth of the church of the Thessalonians?

Deeper Reflection
HAVING BEEN FORCED TO LEAVE THESSALONICA ABRUPTLY, Paul went south to Berea, then to Athens and to Corinth (Acts 17:10-16; 18:1). And it was at Corinth that Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians. Paul spent 18 months in Corinth “teaching the word of God among them” (Acts 18:11). However, in spite of such long-time good feeding on the Word of God, the Corinthians were still “infants in Christ”, such that Paul could not address them as “spiritual people, but as people of the flesh” (1 Cor 3:1). But in stark contrast, the new and young Thessalonian church – with which Paul spent only a short time, and was “left without leadership and without having received all the instruction they needed (cf. 1 Thess 4:13)”9 – was a glowing, growing church. The church was not flourishing in peaceful and pleasant circumstances, but rather, in the crucible of persecution (1 Thess 2:14). The church’s growth was inwardly intensive: “your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope” (v.3). The church’s growth was also outwardly extensive: they greatly impacted both believers and unbelievers “in Macedonia and in Achaia”, by their exemplary “faith in the Lord” and their proclamation of “the word of the Lord” (vv.6-8). The power of the Holy Spirit in which the Thessalonians received the Word of God (vv.5-6) continued to be actively present in this new and young church, even when apostolic instruction was abruptly discontinued. The work of God is the work of God.
9 Gene L. Green, 51
Application:

How will I want to grow in my spiritual life in terms of being inwardly intensive and outwardly extensive?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for leaders
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for Singapore: To have impactful, growing and glowing churches
  • Pray for self

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Daily Devo
Daily Devotional Journal
Scripture:
Daniel 10: 4-19
Sat, 30 September 2023

Strengthened by the Divine Touch

Observation:

What is the significance of the repetition of the terms “strength” and
“strengthen” in Daniel’s encounter with God (vv.8, 16, 17, 18, 19)?

Deeper Reflection
When God sent His Word to Daniel in a vision, it was he “alone saw” the “great vision” (vv.7-8). It was a special privilege of divine sovereign grace. The vision was also a vision of God’s holiness and glory manifested in the awesome appearance of a heavenly being (vv.5-6). Daniel was so utterly overwhelmed by the divine vision, that “no strength was left in me” (v.8). The description, “no strength”, is emphatically repeated four times in Daniel’s encounter with God (vv.8, 16, 17). We may not experience such an utterly overwhelming encounter with God like Daniel’s, but we do experience “no strength was left in me” in utterly overwhelming adversities like being “afflicted in every way” (2 Cor 1:8; 4:8-9).When we have “no strength”, we need the divine touch. God responded to Daniel’s fourfold “no strength” with a threefold divine touch (vv.10, 16, 18): He “touched me again and strengthened me”. When we are so greatly afflicted, that we feel no strength is left in us, and yet we persevere in faithfulness, it is because we are being “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of great endurance and patience” (Col 1:11). Note the intensity and immensity of this divine power at work in us! This is the divine touch of “the surpassing greatness of power” from God (2 Cor 4:7-9). But we feel the physical and emotional pains more than the Spiritual power. The greater is our suffering, the greater will be the strength from God in us, and the greater will be our steadfastness in God.
Application:

What is my experience of the Word of God and spiritual warfare like in my
discipleship journey?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for Church Board: To know God’s power that is perfected in weaknesses
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

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