Scripture:
1 Peter 2:9-10; 1 John 1:1-4
Thu, 4 November 2021

Making Known God’s Truth

Observation:

What is a common theme in these passages of Peter and John’s respective letters?

Deeper Reflection

VERSES 9 TO 10 TELL US that all believers in Christ have been chosen by God’s grace to be His holy people (“a chosen race”, “a holy nation”), who are to serve God as His priests (“a royal priesthood”) and prophets (“that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”). Every disciple is to be a spokesperson for God. God’s servants − His redeemed people − are to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others, so that they too can receive God’s mercy, have eternal life, share in God’s community and become part of Christ’s Kingdom of light. A faithful walk in the Lord (our mandate) results in testifying and proclaiming “that which we have seen and heard” (1 Jn 1:3) – through our words, deeds and evangelism (our mission). Gospel proclamation by God’s people must take place in the marketplace. As George MacLeod wrote: “I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the centre of the market place as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town garbage heap; at a crossroad so cosmopolitan that they had to write his title in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek…at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where he died. And that is what he died about. And that is where churchmen should be and what churchmen should be about.”2


2 George F. MacLeod, Only One Way Left (Wild Goose Publications, 2000), 38.

Application:

What can I do to faithfully support fellow-disciples and personally develop myself in boldly proclaiming the Gospel in the marketplace?

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 Outreach/Missions/New Life leaders: To boldly
    proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ whenever and wherever God gives them the opportunities
  • Pray for significant people:
  • Pray for those in need:
  • Pray for self:

Download this Building Fund QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

Download this General Fund for East QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

Download this General Fund for WDL QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

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

Download this New Life Fund QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

Download this General Fund for BPJ QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.