May Devotional Journal 2019 by Covenant EFC

MAY

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ISAIAH 53:5 (NIV)

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DEVOTIONA L JOUR NA L M AY 2 0 1 9

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ISAIAH 53:5 (NIV)

Also available at www.cefc.org.sg and “Covenant EFC” mobile app.

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VERSES 2019

JANUARY

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? ISAIAH 53:1 (NIV)

FEBRUARY He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. ISAIAH 53:2 (NIV)

MARCH He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. ISAIAH 53:3 (NIV)

APRIL Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. ISAIAH 53:4 (NIV)

M AY

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ISAIAH 53:5 (NIV)

JUNE We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ISAIAH 53:6 (NIV) 4 // ÂŠ 2 0 1 9 C O V E N A N T E V A N G E L I C A L F R E E C H U R C H

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J U LY He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ISAIAH 53:7 (NIV)

AUGUST By oppression and judgement he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. ISAIAH 53:8 (NIV)

SEPTEMBER He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. ISAIAH 53:9 (NIV)

OCTOBER Yet it was the LORDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. ISAIAH 53:10 (NIV)

NOVEMBER After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. ISAIAH 53:11 (NIV)

DECEMBER Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. ISAIAH 53:12 (NIV) ÂŠ 2 0 1 9 C O V E N A N T E V A N G E L I C A L F R E E C H U R C H // 5

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// B Y S E N I O R P A S T O R S //

2019 is the Year of Proclamation – That None Should Perish!

elebration of Hope (COH) which runs from 17 to 19 May is not mass evangelism on a large scale, but personal evangelism on a massive scale. In other words, unless we pray and sow the Gospel into as many people as possible on a personal basis, we will not see a massive conversion of souls. If we expect 2019 to be a year of harvest for our family and friends, then we have to prepare for it. When we were praying on the mountain during our annual Listening Retreat in July 2018, these verses from the book of Acts convicted us: Acts 8:8 “And there was much joy in that city” The context was the revival in Samaria under Philip’s ministry. Imagine the joy in Singapore when, under the preaching of the Gospel and the power of God, many people are healed of various sicknesses and delivered from spiritual oppression! Acts 13:44 “The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.” Back then in Pisidian Antioch, huge crowds came to listen to Paul’s preaching. Imagine large multitudes turning up at the Sports Hub at each COH rally to hear the Gospel! Acts 13:47 (cf. Isa 49:6) “For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”

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“Isaiah” means “The LORD is Salvation”. Preaching through the book of Isaiah in 2019 will challenge us to fulfil our calling to be a light to the nations! During that same retreat, we received news about a crisis in Northern Thailand. On 23 June last year, 12 teenage boys and their soccer coach were trapped 2.5 miles inside the Tham Luang cave complex after heavy rains flooded it and cut off their exit route. On 2 July, they were found by two British expert cave divers. A rescue operation was carefully planned. There were 1,800 rescue personnel from 18 countries. In the midst of the rescue preparation, a tragedy happened. Mr Kunan, a volunteer and former Thai Navy SEAL diver, died while transporting air tanks into the tunnels. Although it was an extremely difficult rescue mission, all 13 survivors were eventually rescued from the cave on 10 July. Many people did their part to rescue them. And one man even gave his life to save them.

So, dear brothers and sisters, let us use this 2019 Devotional Journal to spend daily, dedicated time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer ...

The Scripture verses and the cave rescue were a confirmation of 2019 as the Year of Proclamation. Here was a fresh picture of how the Saviour died on the Cross so that people everywhere can be saved from eternal judgement. Our Lord Jesus has given us the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. So, dear brothers and sisters, let us use this 2019 Devotional Journal to spend daily, dedicated time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer, so that we can know Him more, and be led and empowered by His Spirit to be faithful witnesses for a fruitful harvest in 2019! In Christ, Rev Tony Yeo and Rev Tan Kay Kiong

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TO USING

THIS DEVOTIONAL JOURNAL

Step One

Prepare your heart in God’s presence // Select a fixed time (preferably in the morning before you begin your day) and a quiet place where you can be alone and undisturbed. // Observe a moment of silence as you acknowledge God’s presence. Centre down. // Begin with a song of worship. Meditate on the lyrics even if you are unfamiliar with the tune. (Refer to the list of worship songs provided.) // Ask God to open your heart to hear Him.

SOMETHING TO PONDER ... Examining your life is essential in your faith journey. Your redeemed life as a disciple of Christ deserves careful examining. May you take root and bear fruit in Him!

The English Standard Version (ESV) is the default Bible version translation unless otherwise specified.

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Step Two

Allow God to S.O.A.P. you with His Word and Spirit // Scripture – Take your time to meditate on the Scripture passage for the day. Pause and mull over words and phrases that stand out to you. // Observation – Jot down significant insights and reflections from the passage you have read. You may use the guiding questions provided. The “Deeper Reflection” section is to aid your contemplation of the Scripture. It is not to replace your own observation, for the Holy Spirit illuminates the Scripture to you as you seek Him earnestly. // Application – Note down a specific and practical commitment to God’s Word for you. Is there a command to obey, a sin to avoid, an example to follow, or a principle to live out? Where appropriate, share your devotional entry with someone. // Prayer – Bring your heartfelt response to God in prayer.

P R AY E R P O I N T E R S F O R 2 0 1 9 Prayer pointers for Pastors and Staff are included every Tuesday. Every Thursday, a prayer pointer is included for Outreach/Missions/New Life Leaders. On each Friday, there is a prayer pointer for SGI Leaders (e.g. Zone Mentors, CG Leaders and Assistant CG Leaders). A prayer pointer for Church Board Members is included every Saturday. Please pray for each group as well as any specific individuals whom God may bring to your mind.

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M AY- J U N E

GREAT IN POWER Verse 1 Praise Him you heavens And all that’s above Praise Him you angels And heavenly hosts Let the whole earth praise Him Verse 2 Praise Him the sun, moon and Bright shining stars Praise Him you heavens And waters and skies Let the whole earth praise Him Chorus Great in power Great in glory Great in mercy King of heaven Great in battle Great in wonder Great in Zion King over all the earth Russell Fragar © 1998 Hillsong Music Publishing CCLI Song # 2582339 CCLI License # 324618

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GOD OF AGES Verse 1 God of ages bringing glory here You are good, You are good Son of righteousness You are all I seek with all my heart Pre-chorus Giver of life Hope for the lost is in You All of the earth shines with Your light Your glory Chorus You are the God who lives You are the God who heals You are my hope my everything You brought salvation to us Offered Your peace to the world You are my Lord my everything Verse 2 In Your promise and Your faithfulness I will trust all my days King forever Reign in majesty be glorified Bridge I’ll trust in You, I’ll trust in You I’ll trust in You With all my heart Ben Fielding © 2007 Hillsong Music Publishing For use solely with the SongSelect Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI Song # 4869933 CCLI License # 324618

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BUILD MY LIFE Verse 1 Worthy of every song we could ever sing Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe We live for You Verse 2 Jesus, the name above every other name Jesus, the only one who could ever save Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe We live for You Oh, We live for You Chorus Holy, there is no one like You There is none besides You Open up my eyes in wonder Show me who You are and fill me With Your heart and lead me In Your love to those around me Bridge I will build my life upon Your love It is a firm foundation I will put my trust in You alone And I will not be shaken Brett Younker | Karl Martin | Kirby Elizabeth Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett © 2016 Martin, Karl Andrew (Admin. by Arkyard Music Services Limited) Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) Housefires Sounds (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) Said And Done Music (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) sixsteps Music (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) Thankyou Music (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) Bethel Music Publishing (Admin. by SHOUT! Music Publishing) Kaple Music (Admin. by SHOUT! Music Publishing) For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI Song # 7070345 CCLI License # 324618

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HERE I BOW Verse 1 Where would I run But to the throne of mercy Where would I kneel But at this cross of grace How great the love How strong the hand that holds us Beautiful, so beautiful Chorus So here I bow to lift You high Jesus be glorified In all things, for all my life I am Yours, forever Yours Verse 2 There is a King Who bore the scars of healing There is a Son who came in grace and truth How great the love That carries us to kindness Wonderful, You’re wonderful Bridge God here and now, be lifted high Right here and now, be glorified God of Heaven and Earth God who brought me back to life I am Yours, forever Yours Brian Johnson | Jason Ingram | Jenn Johnson | Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman © 2016 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) Said And Done Music (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) sixsteps Music (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) Son of the Lion (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) Thankyou Music (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) Fellow Ships Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) So Essential Tunes (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Bethel Music Publishing (Admin. by SHOUT! Music Publishing) For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI Song # 7069335 CCLI License # 324618

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HOW GREAT THOU ART Verse 1 O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder Consider all the works Thy hand hath made I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder Thy power throughout the universe displayed Chorus Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art! Verse 2 When through the woods, and forest glades I wander And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze Verse 3 And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing He bled and died to take away my sin Verse 4 When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart Then shall I bow, in humble adoration And there proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!” Stuart Wesley Keene Hine © 1949 and 1953 Stuart K. Hine Trust (Admin. by Crossroad Distributors Pty. Ltd.) For use solely with the SongSelect Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI Song # 14181 CCLI License # 324618

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SANCTUARY Lord prepare me To be a sanctuary Pure and holy Tried and true With thanksgiving I’ll be a living Sanctuary for You John W. Thompson | Randy Scruggs © 1982 Full Armor Publishing Company (Admin. by Peermusic III, Ltd.) Whole Armor Publishing Company (Admin. by Peermusic III, Ltd.) For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI Song # 24140 CCLI Licence # 324618

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REFINER’S FIRE Verse 1 Purify my heart Let me be as gold And precious silver Purify my heart Let me be as gold Pure gold Chorus Refiner’s fire My heart’s one desire Is to be holy Set apart for You, Lord I choose to be holy Set apart for You, my Master Ready to do Your will Verse 2 Purify my heart Change me from within And make me holy Purify my heart Cleanse me from my sin Deep within Brian Doerksen © 1990 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by K I Publishing); Vineyard Songs Canada (Admin. by K I Publishing) CCLI Song # 426298 CCLI License # 324618

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GIVE US CLEAN HANDS Verse We bow our hearts, we bend our knees O Spirit come make us humble We turn our eyes from evil things O Lord we cast down our idols Chorus Give us clean hands Give us pure hearts Let us not lift our souls to another Bridge O God let us be a generation that seeks That seeks Your face O God of Jacob (Repeat) Charlie Hall © 2000 sixsteps Music (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI Song # 2060208 CCLI Licence # 324618

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PURIFY MY HEART Verse Teach me Your ways O Lord my God And I will walk in Your truth Give me a totally undivided heart That I may fear Your name Chorus Purify my heart Cleanse me Lord I pray Remove from me all that is Standing in the way Purify my heart Cleanse me Lord I pray Remove from me all that is Standing in the way Of Your love Eugene Greco © 1990 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music (Admin. by CopyCare Asia Ltd (Singapore Branch)) For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI Song # 289569 CCLI License # 324618

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A PURE HEART Verse 1 A pure heart that’s what I long for A heart that follows hard after Thee (Repeat) Chorus A heart that hides Your Word So that sin will not come in A heart that’s undivided But one You rule and reign A heart that beats compassion That pleases You my Lord A sweet aroma of worship That rises to Your throne Rusty Nelson © 1992 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music (Admin. by Crossroad Distributors Pty. Ltd.) CCLI Song # 452695 CCLI License # 324618

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《恩典之路》 EN DIAN ZHI LU THE PATH OF GRACE Verse 你是我的主，引我走正义路。

Ni shi wo di zhu yin wo zou zheng yi lu Lord, You are my guide, the shepherd of my life 高山或低谷，都是你在保护。

Gao shan huo di gu dou shi ni zai bao hu Through the hills and valleys, You’re always by my side 万人中唯独，你爱我认识我，

Wan ren zhong wei du ni ai wo ren shi wo Calling me by name, You’ve chosen me with love 永远不变的应许，这一生都是祝福。

Yong yuan bu bian di ying xu zhe yi sheng dou shi zhu fu Blessing me abundantly, Your promise will never change Chorus 一步又一步，这是恩典之路，

Yi bu you yi bu zhe shi en dian zhi lu Every step we take, You lead us with Your grace 你爱、你手，将我紧紧抓住。

Ni ai ni shou jiang wo jin jin zhua zhu Your love, Your hand will hold us close to You 一步又一步，这是盼望之路，

Yi bu you yi bu zhe shi pan wang zhi lu Every step we take, You lead us with Your grace 你爱、你手，牵引我走这人生路。

Ni ai ni shou qian yin wo zou zhe ren sheng lu Your love, Your hand will guide us through the path of grace (Repeat verse and chorus) 你爱、你手，牵引我走这人生路。

Ni ai ni shou qian yin wo zou zhe ren sheng lu Your love, Your hand will guide us through the path of grace 20 // © 2 0 1 9 C O V E N A N T E V A N G E L I C A L F R E E C H U R C H

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NOTES

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WEDNESDAY // 01 MAY 2019

Displacing Fear S CRIPTURE

Mark 4:35-40; Acts 18:5-11

O B S E RVAT I O N Why did Jesus ask His disciples, “Why are you so afraid?” (v.40), when the boat was obviously filling with water?

DEEPER REFLECTION

esus expected His disciples to be afraid in the crisis situation. Notice that He didn’t ask them, “Why are you afraid?”, but rather, “Why are you so afraid?” Fear arises naturally in us when we face lifethreatening situations. It is normal and expected. But Jesus seemed to expect His disciples not to have such a great degree of fear since He was right there in the boat with them. They did not fully understand Jesus’ identity. If they did, they would have taken great comfort in the fact that Jesus was present with them in the boat. They would have felt secure and calm, not terrified and panicky. In Acts 18, when Paul faced opposition and persecution in the course of preaching the Gospel, he felt intimidated and fearful. Consequently, the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you…” (Acts 18:9-10) When we feel afraid during personal crises, God’s presence reassures us that He will help and deliver us. If we know that God is with us, then our fears should not overwhelm us. We can take comfort that God is watching over us and that He is in full control of our situation. As the Psalmist wrote, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” (Psa 46:1-3)

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A P P L I CAT I O N How can I experience God’s presence that displaces fear in my life?

P R AY E R Lord Jesus, thank You that

Prayer Pointers

when I am afraid You are with me and watching over me.

// Give thanks:

Thank You for Your assurance: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen

// Pray for leaders:

you and I will help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”1 Help me set You always before me; because

// Pray for significant people:

You are at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.2 Amen.

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

1 2

Isaiah 41:10. Psalm 16:8.

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THURSDAY // 02 MAY 2019

Struggling Faith S CRIPTURE

Mark 4:37-40; Colossians 1:15-20

O B S E RVAT I O N Why did Jesus ask the disciples, “Have you still no faith?” (v.40)

DEEPER REFLECTION

he disciples had witnessed Jesus’ authority over sicknesses and demons (e.g. Mk 1:21-42; 2:1-12; 3:7-12). Hence, it seemed surprising that the disciples still had no faith in Jesus. He asked them, “Have you still no faith?” It probably isn’t that they had no faith whatsoever in Jesus (otherwise they wouldn’t be following Him!). Rather, it was that they didn’t have the faith to believe in all that Jesus is – that He is the Son of God with supreme authority over all of creation, including the forces of nature. The apostle Paul wrote with a mature faith this sublime description of Jesus Christ: “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see − such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.” (Col 1:15-17 New Living Translation) Our Lord Jesus is the eternal one, the awesome Creator of the universe and the glorious King above all kings! Surely He can do all things! When we don’t see who Jesus is, we can’t see our problems in the proper perspective. That’s why we struggle in our faith! When we face difficult challenges in life, what’s our view of Jesus? If our view of Jesus is small, then our problems seem big; but if our view of Jesus is big, then our problems seem small.

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A P P L I CAT I O N How do I see my Lord Jesus in relation to my problems?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for Outreach/Missions/ New Life leaders: To fully depend on the Lord Jesus for their needed resources and desired fruitfulness

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

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FRIDAY // 03 MAY 2019

Prevailing Faith S CRIPTURE

Mark 4:37-39; Acts 27:13-26

O B S E RVAT I O N What is the significance of Jesus saying to the sea, “Peace! Be Still!” (v.39)?

DEEPER REFLECTION

he windstorm was great. The boat was filling with water. The disciples were panicking, overwhelmed by their fears of drowning in the event that the boat sinks or capsizes. When they woke Jesus up, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea “Peace! Be Still!” And immediately the wind ceased and there was “a great calm”. God is all-powerful and in absolute control. Even the raging sea is subdued at His command. Certainly, no storms are too great for God. The Psalmist says, “He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed” (Psa 107:29). In the book of Acts, we read about how the apostle Paul journeyed through a violent storm on his way to Rome (Acts 27:13-26). Paul was certain of the Lord’s mission for him in Rome because the Lord had told him so (Acts 23:11). However, in the midst of the terrifying storm, Paul was afraid and needed to be reassured by a message carried by an angel of God (Acts 27:23-24). Once Paul received that word from the Lord, His faith was strengthened such that he could urge all the men on board to take heart for none of their lives would be lost (Acts 27:25-26). Prevailing faith is about continually trusting in God that He will calm the storms in our life or somehow enable us to safely reach the shore. Our God is all-powerful and faithful to deliver us from life’s inevitable storms. Do we really believe that?

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A P P L I CAT I O N Why is it sometimes hard for me to believe that God cares and will deliver me from dangers in the journey He leads me on?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for SGI leaders: To continually trust that God will lead, protect and mature them through lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey // Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

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SATURDAY // 04 MAY 2019

Replacing Fear S CRIPTURE

Mark 4:39-41; Matthew 16:13-17

O B S E RVAT I O N Why were the disciples filled with great fear even after the storm was stilled?

DEEPER REFLECTION

hen the disciples saw that the boat was in real danger of sinking or capsizing, they were terrified. But after Jesus stopped the wind and calmed the sea, they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?” (v.41). Why were they still in great fear? Earlier, the cause of their fear was the life-threatening storm. But later when they witnessed Jesus’ authority over the forces of nature, the cause of their great fear was the awesome power and authority of Jesus. When the prophet Jonah was fleeing by ship from the LORD’s presence, the LORD sent a mighty windstorm on the sea (Jon 1:1-4). On Jonah’s advice, the pagan sailors threw him into the raging sea and the sea became calm (Jon 1:11-16). The result was that the men “feared the LORD exceedingly” (Jon 1:16). In the case of Jesus’ disciples in the boat, they feared Jesus because they now recognised that surely Jesus was more than a mere man, for even the wind and sea obey Him. This kind of power and authority was only possessed by God! God was in the boat with them! In Matthew 16:13-17, Jesus asked His disciples “Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?” They told Him that people variously said John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. When Jesus asked Peter, “But who do you say that I am?”, Peter got it right: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Reverent awe and worship are due the Lord Jesus Christ!

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A P P L I CAT I O N How does my life evidence a reverent awe of the Lord Jesus Christ?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for church board: To always fear and obey Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

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SUNDAY // 05 MAY 2019

Sunday Journal

S CRIPTURE

O B S E RVAT I O N

A P P L I CAT I O N

P R AY E R

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THE PAST WEEK Review What was my high point and my low point for the week?

What gave me life and what drained me?

How was the Spirit of God at work?

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THE PAST WEEK Reflect What is one key thing that God said to me this week in light of what has happened?

Respond What is one thing I need to do in light of what God is saying? Commit in prayer.

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FAMILY DEVOTIONAL

MAY 2019 WEEK 1

WHY DO WE SHOW GOD RESPECT?* Show God respect because He’s in charge of everything. Scripture: Matthew 8:5-13 ACTIVITY BITE Conduct the upside down glass of water experiment. Fill a glass with water to its brim. Place a thick piece of paper on top of the glass. Placing your hand on the piece of paper, flip the glass over. Remove your hand slowly. The piece of paper will stay in place and the water won’t spill out. CHAT TIME Q1: If the piece of paper represents God, what does it tell you about God’s presence in your life? Q2: In Matthew 8:5-13, how did the centurion show Jesus respect? Q3: If God is in charge of everything, how will you show Him your respect? LEARNING POINT A Roman centurion was in charge of his men, who did whatever he told them to do. Yet, when his servant became seriously ill, he could not heal him. The centurion knew about Jesus’ healing power and came to Him for help. His servant was eventually healed by Jesus. Even with the high level of authority that the centurion held, he respected Jesus’ authority to heal − something which he was powerless to do. Our respect begins and ends with how we respond to the all-powerful creator of the universe. Our respect for others flows from how we understand God’s power over the world. ACTION POINT Have each of your family members share the ways they want to show God respect. Get everyone in your family to hold each other accountable on this matter. FAMILY PRAYER POINTS Thank God for His faithfulness. He deserves our praise and respect. Pray for a willing heart to accept God as the centre of our lives. *Adapted from 252Basics, Aug 2017. www.ThinkOrange.com

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Mother’s Day WEEK

6–11 MAY CALLED TO DISCIPLESHIP

We must sacrifice to embrace true discipleship ... 34 // © 2 0 1 9 C O V E N A N T E V A N G E L I C A L F R E E C H U R C H

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SINCE WE ARE CELEBRATING MOTHER’S DAY ON 12 May, this week’s devotions have a special focus for mothers under the subheading “A Note to Mothers”. However, the questions under the Observation, Deeper Reflection and Application sections of each devotion are applicable to everyone, both single and married, men and women. The focus of this week’s devotions is Mark 8:34-38 – one of the most important New Testament passages about discipleship. The six devotions have the following themes pertaining to our calling as disciples of Christ: Day 1 – We are all called to follow Christ. Day 2 – We are called to choose to deny self and follow Christ. Day 3 – We are called to deny our pursuit of personal ambitions. Day 4 – We are called to deny our compulsion towards financial security. Day 5 – We are called to deny our desire for worldly success. Day 6 – We are called to keep the Gospel central. Regardless of whether we are mothers, fathers, sons or daughters, our discipleship begins with choosing Christ alone. This passage helps us to concretise what we must sacrifice to embrace true discipleship.

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MONDAY // 06 MAY 2019 // MOTHER’S DAY WEEK

Called to Follow Christ S CRIPTURE Mark 8:34-38

O B S E RVAT I O N Who was Jesus addressing? How does this shape your understanding of what it means to follow Jesus?

DEEPER REFLECTION

esus was addressing both the crowd and His disciples. He intentionally summoned the crowd and spoke to them together with His disciples, in order to make an important point. Those who want to follow Him must deny themselves and take up their cross. There are no exceptions to this requirement and there is no distinction between different Christians. The call to follow Christ and make Him central in our lives is given to all. Our human tendency is to view “serious” discipleship as only for “serious” Christians – typically, missionaries, pastors and church leaders. Yet in this passage, there is clearly no dichotomy. The call does not distinguish between more or less “serious” disciples. The call to follow Christ is an absolute call. It is a call which requires from all who truly seek to follow Christ a sacred submission to the absolute Lordship of Christ. In what areas of our lives are we still unsurrendered to the Lord, not giving Him full control but grasping tightly to our own control? A NOTE TO MOTHERS

As mothers, our children are placed in our lives for a season on earth to steward them towards heaven through a relationship with God. The call to follow Christ is not distinguished by the age or maturity of people, it is given to all. Let us help our children to understand, even from a young age, what following Christ truly means. 36 // © 2 0 1 9 C O V E N A N T E V A N G E L I C A L F R E E C H U R C H

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A P P L I CAT I O N What is my perspective on what it means to follow Christ?

P R AY E R Heavenly Father, please help

Prayer Pointers

me understand what it means to follow Your Son Jesus

// Give thanks:

Christ. Renew my mind, so that I can see clearly that submitting to Jesus as Lord over all of life is a call for all

// Pray for leaders:

Christians. It is difficult to deny my own will and take up my cross. Help me to follow Jesus in all areas of my life, instead

// Pray for significant people:

of pursuing my own ways. In Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; name, I pray. Amen.

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

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TUESDAY // 07 MAY 2019 // MOTHER’S DAY WEEK

Choose to Deny Self and Follow Christ S CRIPTURE Mark 8:34-38

O B S E RVAT I O N What is the significance of Jesus beginning His call to follow Him with the conjunction “if ” (v.34)?

DEEPER REFLECTION

esus began His call to the crowd and disciples with the conditional conjunction “if ”. He did not assume that everyone would want to follow Him. The way Jesus phrased it – “If anyone would come after me…” – requires a volitional commitment should one accept His invitation. In addition, the word “would” means that a choice of the will is involved. We all have a choice whether to follow Christ or not. If we choose the path of following Christ, it will entail a necessary journey of learning to choose the will of Christ over our own will. His will takes precedence over our own. To choose His will over our own is what it means to deny self and take up one’s cross. In practical terms, we are to make choices in daily life that are submitted to and aligned with His will. Such choices are the daily expressions of a commitment to follow Christ. Every choice to put Christ first is both a one-time choice and a continual choice, with our daily choices adding up to a lifetime of following Christ. A NOTE TO MOTHERS

The daily choices we make for our children are expressions of our desires for them. What do these choices reveal about what we truly desire for our children? As mothers, we need to keep trusting the Lord that His will for our children’s lives are loving, good and sovereign. Until we truly come to a place of trust, we will default to ordering their lives to follow our will rather than the Lord’s. 38 // © 2 0 1 9 C O V E N A N T E V A N G E L I C A L F R E E C H U R C H

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A P P L I CAT I O N How do my daily choices reveal my desire to follow Christ?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for pastors and staff: To have a deep desire to follow Christ that is expressed in their daily choices

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

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WEDNESDAY // 08 MAY 2019 // MOTHER’S DAY WEEK

Deny Our Pursuit of Personal Ambition S CRIPTURE

Mark 8:34-38; Philippians 3:7-8

O B S E RVAT I O N What did Jesus ask those who wanted to be His disciples to do?

DEEPER REFLECTION

n this passage, Jesus overturns every common assumption in relation to our aspirations in life. According to Him, saving our lives would require giving up our tenuous hold on success, possessions, health, relationships and more. Taking up our cross daily is a vivid picture of a condemned man carrying his cross as he makes his way to his certain death. For each follower of Christ, this death of one’s self has to be played out in the reality of one’s life. God calls us to relinquish what is dear to our hearts so that we can embrace the greater treasure of knowing Him. This grand reversal of values is also seen in Philippians 3:7-8 where Paul counts every gain he had as loss compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ. To Paul, every accolade he had previously received he now considers as “rubbish” (the Greek word used could possibly mean dung) in comparison to having Christ in his life. A NOTE TO MOTHERS

Many of us as mothers may play out our own lost ambitions through our children. We want the best for our children and sometimes the “best” that we perceive could be what we missed out in life ourselves. Prayerfully consider whether this is true in your case. Is the Lord prompting you to instead choose His will to be played out in your child or children’s lives? 40 // © 2 0 1 9 C O V E N A N T E V A N G E L I C A L F R E E C H U R C H

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A P P L I CAT I O N Are the goals of my life what God is calling me to pursue? Am I driven by personal ambition? Or a need to fulfil other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expectations of me?

P R AY E R Lord Jesus, please help me to

Prayer Pointers

hear from You about Your will for my life. Help me to choose

// Give thanks:

to glorify You rather than pursue my own selfish gain. Let my one ambition be to pursue knowing, loving and serving You with all my heart. Amen.

// Pray for leaders:

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

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THURSDAY // 09 MAY 2019 // MOTHER’S DAY WEEK

Deny Our Compulsion Towards Financial Security S CRIPTURE

Mark 8:34-38; Matthew 6:26-34

O B S E RVAT I O N What did Jesus say about anxiety in Matthew 6:26-34? How does that address our tendency to save our lives (v.35)?

DEEPER REFLECTION

any of us struggle to make ends meet. It is said that Singaporeans work the longest hours in the world, with 70% of professionals working longer than their contractual hours. This probably stems in most part from people’s desire for financial security. In Matthew 6:26-34, Jesus pointed out that our heavenly Father knows that we all need material necessities. Jesus used three examples – the birds of the air, the lilies and the grass of the field – to show that God cares and provides for each work of His creation. God values us more, and will certainly care and provide for our needs. Therefore, we can stop being anxious and focus on seeking first God’s Kingdom and righteousness. The key to financial security is not to have more money but to trust God more. At the root of our struggle for financial security is our need to feel in control of our future. Our inner compulsion towards anxiety and worry needs to be replaced with an inner composure and restedness that is rooted in the conviction that God knows our needs and will provide for us. A NOTE TO MOTHERS

Our inner anxieties can subconsciously be transmitted to our children. As mothers, we often try to plan for the future and make sure we have enough for our children. But aren’t we prioritising financial security over the security of knowing God intimately? A great gift that we can give our children is the deep conviction and confidence that God cares for them and will provide for their every material need. 42 // © 2 0 1 9 C O V E N A N T E V A N G E L I C A L F R E E C H U R C H

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A P P L I CAT I O N Examine yourself: Do you have anxieties regarding your material needs or that of your family? If so, pray and surrender these anxieties to God and ask Him to help you trust Him to provide for you.

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for Outreach/Missions/ New Life leaders: To trust in God to provide for their every material need

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

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FRIDAY // 10 MAY 2019 // MOTHER’S DAY WEEK

Deny Our Desire for Worldly Success S CRIPTURE

Mark 8:34-38; Proverbs 3:1-4

O B S E RVAT I O N What is the way to achieve success in life, according to the writer of Proverbs 3:1-4? How does that relate to what Jesus taught about the cost of pursuing worldly success (v.36)?

DEEPER REFLECTION

ur identity and significance are often measured by how successful we are. It begins when we are children with the pursuit of academic success. Later it is replaced by career success and perhaps the kind of lifestyle that one would consider fitting of a successful person. Jesus sternly cautioned His disciples with the sharp reminder that the wholehearted pursuit of worldly success will ultimately result in the loss of the soul, which is eternal and of infinitely more value. Proverbs 3:1-4 reminds us that the key to true success is the wholehearted pursuit of God’s Word and obedience to His commands. There is a need for God’s steadfast love, goodness and kindness (transliterated as checed from Hebrew), as well as faithfulness and truth (transliterated as emeth from Hebrew), to be at the core of our lives. Success is when others clearly see the love of God and His truth in and through our lives. A NOTE TO MOTHERS

What do we teach our children about success in life and how to achieve it? Is our emphasis on academic success congruent with God’s call for our children to pursue Him with all their hearts? Do our children show steadfast love and faithfulness in their interactions with others? 44 // © 2 0 1 9 C O V E N A N T E V A N G E L I C A L F R E E C H U R C H

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A P P L I CAT I O N How do I view true success? How can I increasingly measure success by Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s yardstick rather than by the values of the world?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for SGI leaders: To love God above the things of this world and choose to invest in the eternal souls of people

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

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SATURDAY // 11 MAY 2019 // MOTHER’S DAY WEEK

Called to Keep the Gospel Central

S CRIPTURE Mark 8:27-35

O B S E RVAT I O N What did Jesus say that His followers should lose their lives for and what does that involve?

DEEPER REFLECTION

n the same breath that Jesus taught about His followers needing to lose their lives for His sake, he also included the Gospel’s sake. Following Jesus Christ cannot be divorced from proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. While on earth, Jesus’ mission was to preach the Gospel to all. After Jesus’ ascension into heaven, His Church is to continue His mission on His behalf and for His sake. In verses 27 to 33, Jesus was revealed as the Messiah and He made known to His disciples His journey towards suffering, death and resurrection. This was unthinkable from a Jewish perspective because their view of the Messiah was that of a victorious king who would gloriously deliver the Jews out of Roman rule and oppression. But Jesus upended their views on the Messiah’s mission and what it means to follow Him. Jesus does not call us to do what He has not already done. He gave His life completely for the proclamation of God’s message of salvation to humankind. Just as the Gospel was central to Jesus’ purpose on earth, so it must be central to our lives – absolutely worthy of being our goal and purpose in life on this side of eternity! A NOTE TO MOTHERS

As mothers, let us disciple our children, by consistent words and actions, to keep Jesus and His Gospel central in our lives. Sometimes all it takes is a simple reorientation of the questions that we ask them every day, switching from “How was your day?” to “How did you bless someone today?” in order to keep their focus on reaching the lost. 46 // © 2 0 1 9 C O V E N A N T E V A N G E L I C A L F R E E C H U R C H

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A P P L I CAT I O N Who are the people whom God is directing my attention towards in order to B.L.E.S.S.?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for church board: To keep the Gospel central in their lives and ministries // Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

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SUNDAY // 12 MAY 2019

Sunday Journal

S CRIPTURE

O B S E RVAT I O N

A P P L I CAT I O N

P R AY E R

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THE PAST WEEK Review What was my high point and my low point for the week?

What gave me life and what drained me?

How was the Spirit of God at work?

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THE PAST WEEK Reflect What is one key thing that God said to me this week in light of what has happened?

Respond What is one thing I need to do in light of what God is saying? Commit in prayer.

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FAMILY DEVOTIONAL

MAY 2019 WEEK 2

WHY MUST WE RESPECT OTHERS?* You respect God when you respect the people He created. Scripture: James 2:1-4, 8-9 ACTIVITY BITE Give each of your family members a piece of paper. Ask them to draw or write about a time when they felt disrespected. Get them to share their feelings and thoughts about it. CHAT TIME Q1: Do you find it difficult to like someone who is nasty towards you? Why or why not? Q2: How does God want you to respect others? (Refer to the Scripture for answers.) Q3: How will you show respect to people around you today? LEARNING POINT We often find it difficult to respect people whom we don’t like. God reminds us that it doesn’t matter how people look like on the outside. We must learn to see others the way God sees them. All people are created in God’s image and deserve our respect. We respect them not because of what they do or have, but because of who they are. When we respect people, we are actually respecting God who created them. ACTION POINT Write down on a piece of paper the name of someone whom you may not like. Share with your family members what you will do to show respect to him or her. Pray for God’s support to overcome our fear or pride on this matter. FAMILY PRAYER POINTS Thank God for loving us unconditionally even though we are imperfect. Seek God’s forgiveness if we have treated anyone unfairly. Pray that God will give us a loving heart that treats everyone the way we want to be treated.

*Adapted from 252Basics, Aug 2017. www.ThinkOrange.com

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MONDAY // 13 MAY 2019

Glory of the Divine Devastator S CRIPTURE Isaiah 24:1-23

O B S E RVAT I O N What characterises the judgement of God on the world?

DEEPER REFLECTION

saiah 24 is a prophetic vision of the “earth”3 “completely laid waste and completely despoiled” (vv.3, 19). Significantly, the vision starts with “Behold, the LORD” (v.1) – the Divine Devastator behind the total universal devastation. Status – religious, social and economic – becomes valueless and useless (v.2). All the “wonderful” things in life will “mourn”, “decay”, “sigh”, “cease” and become “bitter”, and “all joy turns to gloom, the gaiety of the earth is banished” (vv.7-12). And there is no escape for anyone (vv.17-18), except a small righteous remnant (v.13). The cause? Humankind’s rebellion against God and violation of His laws (vv.6, 20). Isaiah 24 is a theological paradigm in generic terms of God’s judgements that would occur from Isaiah’s time onward, at different times, in different places, on different people and in different forms, until the climactic “day of the Lord” (2 Pet 3:10-12). Do we see this in our present time? This vision of judgement also confronts the individual “inhabitant of the earth” personally (vv.17-18). In these inevitable divine judgements, we are called to see “the majesty of the LORD” and “glorify” Him who acts as “the Righteous One” (vv.14-16). The “reign” of God with His people will come fully in “glory” (v.23), while at present He restrains His power from fully destroying all evil.

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A P P L I CAT I O N How do I view the prevailing evil in the world that seems to be uncontrollable and unstoppable?

P R AY E R Great and marvellous are

Prayer Pointers

Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true

// Give thanks:

are Your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship

// Pray for leaders:

before You, for Your righteous deeds have been revealed.4 Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever

// Pray for significant people:

and ever!

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

3 4

The word “earth” translated from two Hebrew words occurs 18 times in Isaiah 24. Revelation 15:3-4

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TUESDAY // 14 MAY 2019

Exalting God in Our Distress S CRIPTURE Isaiah 25:1-5

O B S E RVAT I O N What made Isaiah exalt God with thanksgiving?

DEEPER REFLECTION

hat would you do if you are “helpless” and “needy in distress”, suffering the “storm” and “heat” of the oppression of “ruthless” people”? Isaiah’s prayer of thanksgiving (vv.1-5) shows us the way. When we are disorientated by disorder and chaos, we must theologically reorientate ourselves to see order in disorder and control in chaos. That order and control is God’s “plans formed long ago”, before creation, for the universe (v.1). God’s “plans” consist of “wonderful things” that He will work out. God’s “plans” include His destruction of the “ruthless” (vv.2, 5), and His defence and deliverance of the “helpless” and “needy in distress” (v.4). The “ruthless” in the world, as in Isaiah’s time, are the powerful and arrogant wealthy people, devoted to making money by exploiting and abusing the vulnerable and resourceless with callous indifference.5 But, there is a redemptive intent in the divine destruction: “the ruthless nations” will “glorify” and “revere” God! (v.3) God’s “plans” may not be realised sooner than we wish. But, we are greatly assured that God’s “plans” were formed “with perfect faithfulness” (v.1) – literally, “faithful faithfulness”. God will surely carry them out. Thus, as we wait upon God, we can say, “I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name” (v.1).

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A P P L I CAT I O N What does it mean for me to know that God has “plans formed long ago” for my life and the world when things turn chaotic?

P R AY E R Prayer Pointers

Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation

// Give thanks:

on and application of the Scriptures.

// Pray for pastors and staff: That God will fulfil His plans in their lives

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 1-39 (Westminster John Knox Press, 1998), 197

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WEDNESDAY // 15 MAY 2019

Waiting for the Lord’s Salvation S CRIPTURE Isaiah 25:1-12

O B S E RVAT I O N What observations can you make about the thrice repeated phrase “on this mountain” (vv.6, 7, 10) in the context of verses 6 to 12?

DEEPER REFLECTION

saiah’s thanksgiving to God (vv.1-5) continued, but in the third person, in verses 6 to 12, which bespeak the full coming of God’s rule, the very Kingdom of God.6 God’s people were humiliated before the “ruthless” (vv.3-5) scoffing nations where they were scattered for their rebellion and unfaithfulness.7 But for every life situation of ours, God has given us the eschatological redemptive hope “on this mountain” (repeated thrice in vv.6, 7, 10) – “Mount Zion” − where in His presence with His people God reigns (Isa 24:23). “On this mountain” will be deliverance from affliction. God will “prepare” for us “a lavish banquet” (v.6), which points ultimately to “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev 19:9). But meanwhile, the Lord dines with us in the communion of the Word and prayer (Rev 3:20). Then we will receive the ultimate well-being of no more “death”, “tears” and “disgrace” (vv.7-8; Rev 21:4). With God’s “hand” resting “on this mountain,” there will be demolishment of arrogance, represented by “Moab” (vv.10-12). And we wait for God for His “salvation” (v.9), which may come only at Christ’s Second Coming (1 Pet 1:5). The double mention of “waited” emphasises the waiting. And we wait with assurance and perseverance in God’s Word, “for the LORD has spoken” (v.8).

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A P P L I CAT I O N What challenges do I face in waiting for God in difficult times and how do I respond to them?

P R AY E R You know, O Lord, the

Prayer Pointers

afflictions of Your servant, which do not escape Your

// Give thanks:

notice, not even for a moment. But, Lord, for what do I wait? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know, but my hope is in You. I trust in You, O

// Pray for leaders:

Lord my God. My times are in Your hand. Make Your face to shine upon Your servant and save me in Your steadfast love.

// Pray for significant people:

Strengthen and sustain me by Your all-sufficient grace.

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

6 7

Walter Brueggemann, 198 John Goldingay, Isaiah, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Baker, 2001), 143

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THURSDAY // 16 MAY 2019

Trusting in the Lord Forever S CRIPTURE Isaiah 26:1-6

O B S E RVAT I O N What observations can you make about God and His people in verses 1 to 6?

DEEPER REFLECTION

ike Judah, as God’s people, we can sing in confidence about our future from God “in that day”: “We have a strong city” (v.1) – Jerusalem − which points to the ultimate “new Jerusalem,” “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (Rev 21:2, 9-11) and the “righteous” people of God (v.2a) redeemed by Jesus’ blood (Rev 1:5). Before God’s people becomes a “strong city” (future), they are “the afflicted” and “the helpless” (v.6) who are oppressed by “the arrogant city” (present), which God will eventually destroy (v.5). Before becoming “a strong city” (future), we are weak and vulnerable before “the arrogant city” (present). But, we are to fix our thoughts on God and remain faithful to Him with steadfast trust in Him (vv.2-3). To trust in God means to unwaveringly stay with God and continue to rely on Him with dogged determination, without respect to circumstance.8 The grounds of our trust is none other than God Himself: “in You” (v.3), “in the LORD” and “in the LORD, the LORD Himself ” (v.4, NIV). Our trust in God is to be “forever” (v.4b), that is, “in all circumstances, through thick and thin and in every ominous future”9. Our trust can be “forever” because God is “an everlasting Rock”, who keeps us in “complete peace” (v.3), free from insecurity and anxiety (cf. Phil 4:6-7).

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A P P L I CAT I O N What changes do I need to make regarding trusting in God?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for Outreach/Missions/ New Life leaders: To be steadfast in trusting God

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

8 9

Walter Brueggemann, 202 Walter Brueggemann, 203

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FRIDAY // 17 MAY 2019

Anchoring in the Upright One S CRIPTURE Isaiah 26:7-21

O B S E RVAT I O N How should God’s people respond when they suffer “unjustly” at the hands of “the wicked” who are God’s “enemies”?

DEEPER REFLECTION

saiah 24 to 27 depicts the people of God being dominated and oppressed by ruthless tyrants, in Isaiah’s days, Assyria and Babylon.10 Isaiah 24 to 25 are triumphant prophecies of God’s ultimate victory over all tyrants who oppress God’s people in this world. But Isaiah 26 calls us to celebrate right now, even while still being oppressed by God’s “enemies” (v.11), before the ultimate victory comes. We continue to walk in “the way of the righteous” with “the Upright One” (v.7). Whatever evil we suffer, however evil the evil is, we keep anchoring in the righteousness of “the Upright One”. And in this theological anchor, we wait for Him eagerly (v.8a). Let God’s memorial name be “the desire of our souls” (v.8b), that is, we live for His name’s sake (Rom 8:35-36). And we can say to God, “Other lords besides You have ruled over us, but Your name alone do we honour” (v.13, NIV). And in the “night”, we “yearn” for God and “earnestly seek” Him (v.9a, RSV), when seeking Him in our “distress” under His “discipline” we “could barely whisper a prayer” (v.16, NIV). And we wait with perseverance, for “the LORD is about to come out from His place” in the eschatological “a little while” (vv.20-21; cf. 1 Pet 1:6; 5:10).

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A P P L I CAT I O N How will I celebrate right now the certain ultimate victory of God even when I suffer, directly or indirectly, from the evil deeds of wicked people in the world?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for SGI leaders: To live in the light of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultimate victory

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

Andrew M. Davis, Exalting Jesus in Isaiah, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Holman, 2017), 148

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SATURDAY // 18 MAY 2019

God’s People Under God’s Wrath S CRIPTURE

Isaiah 27:1-13; 5:1-7

O B S E RVAT I O N What contrasts can you observe concerning the vineyard of the Lord in verses 2 to 6 and Isaiah 5:1-7?

DEEPER REFLECTION

saiah 27 presents three portraits of God against the backdrop of God’s people being dominated and oppressed by ruthless tyrants (Isaiah 24-27) represented by “Leviathan” (v.1; see Psa 74:13-14 about Egypt). This serpent-dragon also personifies Satan and the forces of evil in the world (Rev 12:9). God the Almighty Warrior will fully and finally overcome (“kill”) “Leviathan” which He does not yet fully govern until “that day”. While God’s people are punished through “Leviathan” for their rebellion and unfaithfulness, God is their Faithful Vinekeeper who “waters” His vineyard “every moment” and “guards it night and day” (vv.2-3). This vineyard will be abundantly fruitful (v.6) and no more the disappointing vineyard it was (Isa 5:1-7). Why so? Because God “has no more wrath” against His people (v.4), but offers “peace with Me” instead (v.5). It is not because God’s people are faithful, but rather that God is the faithful covenant-keeping God, who is also the Gracious Redeemer. God punishes His people in His wrath and yet it is “through this” that their “iniquity will be forgiven” (vv.7-9). When we sin against God, there is always the hope in God for forgiveness that leads to fruitfulness. Only that we are not stubborn or feel ashamed to humbly return to this God.

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A P P L I CAT I O N What will I do when I feel that my life is a disappointing vineyard of God?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for church board: To walk with assurance of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s redemptive grace // Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

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SUNDAY // 19 MAY 2019

Sunday Journal

S CRIPTURE

O B S E RVAT I O N

A P P L I CAT I O N

P R AY E R

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THE PAST WEEK Review What was my high point and my low point for the week?

What gave me life and what drained me?

How was the Spirit of God at work?

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THE PAST WEEK Reflect What is one key thing that God said to me this week in light of what has happened?

Respond What is one thing I need to do in light of what God is saying? Commit in prayer.

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FAMILY DEVOTIONAL

MAY 2019 WEEK 3

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RESPECT YOUR PARENTS?* You respect God when you respect your parents. Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-3 ACTIVITY BITE Get everyone in your family to put their favourite snack on the table. Discuss what would please your parents the most − giving them the delicious snacks or obeying their instructions? CHAT TIME Q1: What does it mean to honour and respect your parents? Q2: Why does God see obedience to our parents as being respectful to Him? Q3: What is one thing that you can do for your parents to show that you respect them? LEARNING POINT In Ephesians 6:1-3, Paul wrote about God’s clear instruction to honour our parents. They have taken care of us since we were born. Parents make lots of sacrifices so that we can have a good home because we are important to them. And if our parents are important to us, then we should love and respect them. God placed them in our lives to love and care for us. So, when we respect our parents, we are respecting God who gave them to us. ACTION POINT Get your family members to write thank-you notes – children can write to their parents, while parents can write to their children. Ask everyone to read their notes out loud. FAMILY PRAYER POINTS Thank God for our parents. Pray that God will teach us to respect them through our service and obedience.

*Adapted from 252Basics, Aug 2017. www.ThinkOrange.com

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MONDAY // 20 MAY 2019

The Proud Crown of the Drunkards S CRIPTURE Isaiah 28:1-8

O B S E RVAT I O N What has gone wrong with the people of God (vv.1, 7-8)?

DEEPER REFLECTION

saiah 28 to 33 consists of six prophetic words of God’s judgement, each beginning with “Woe”11 (v.1; Isa 29:1; 29:15; 30:1; 31:1; 33:1). The prophetic word of God’s judgement moves progressively from focusing on Judah (Isaiah 1-12) to the nations (Isaiah 13-23) to the earth (Isaiah 24-27), and then returns to Judah in Isaiah 28 to 33. Much of Isaiah 28 to 33 relates to the reign of King Hezekiah and the period where he sought help from Egypt in asserting freedom from Assyrian domination from 705 to 701 B.C.12 God judges His people for the deceptive pride in “their self-importance (“proud crown”) and their self-indulgence in excessive pleasure (“drunkards”, “overcome with wine”, v.1). Samaria, the capital of Ephraim (Israel), sat on a hilltop with a commanding view of miles of rich “fertility” in the “valley” (vv.1, 4).13 Prosperity and security can easily lead to pride. But pride is deceptive. We see and seek the “flower” with “glorious beauty”, not knowing that it is actually “fading” (vv.1, 4). Indulging in excessive pleasure will distort our view of reality, even when we hear or read the Word of God. Like the drunkard “prophet” and “priest”, we will err in our vision of God and “stumble in judgement” (v.7) and walk the wrong way. “Bodily indulgence saps spiritual perception.”14

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A P P L I CAT I O N How will I deal with the sense of self-importance and self-indulgence in my life?

P R AY E R Take away from our hearts,

Prayer Pointers

O Christ, all overconfidence and boasting, all high and vain

// Give thanks:

thoughts, all desire to excuse ourselves for our sins, or to compare ourselves proudly with others, and grant us rather

// Pray for leaders:

to take as Master and King, You who chose to be crowned with thorns and to die in shame for us all, Jesus our Lord.15

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

11 12 13 14 15

Isaiah 28:1, NLT: “What sorrows await…” John Goldingay, 151 John Goldingay, 153 J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Volume 20 (IVP, 1999), 209 Charles Vaughan (1816-1897). Source: The Book of a Thousand Prayers, compiled by Angela Ashwin (Zondervan, 1996, 2002), 55 © 2 0 1 9 C O V E N A N T E V A N G E L I C A L F R E E C H U R C H // 69

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TUESDAY // 21 MAY 2019

A Beautiful Crown, a Glorious Diadem S CRIPTURE Isaiah 28:1-8

O B S E RVAT I O N How does Isaiah point to the centrality of God in the deceptive pride and excessive pleasure of His people?

DEEPER REFLECTION

e must see the centrality of God in the deceptive pride and excessive pleasure of His people (v.1) and the world: “Behold, the Lord” (v.2) and “In that day, the LORD of hosts” (v.5). God will respond and act. God will bring about a total destruction of the people of self-importance and self-indulgence. Divine judgement will come as forcefully as “a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction”, “a storm of mighty overflowing waters” (v.2), and “as instantaneously as swallowing a ripe fig”16 (v.4). Isaiah stresses God’s sovereignty in the total destruction: “Behold, the Lord” (v.2), who “has a strong and mighty agent”, Assyria, to execute His judgement. Isaiah is concerned with theological principles behind the events, not the events themselves.17 Then, comes a surprise. No sooner has God’s people been submerged (v.2) and swallowed (v.4), a “day” of radical transformation is envisaged (vv.5-6). Paramount in this transformation is what God is to us: “a beautiful crown and a glorious diadem” (v.5). Isaiah uses the same three words that described Ephraim to describe God: “crown”, “glorious” and “beauty” (vv.1, 4). Biblical discipleship begins with who God is and what God is to us. What is your crown of glorious beauty? Is it yourself, the things of the world or God?

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A P P L I CAT I O N What does it mean for me to have God as my crown of glorious beauty?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for pastors and staff: To live with God as their glory

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

16 17

J. Alec Motyer, 208 J. Alec Motyer, 208

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WEDNESDAY // 22 MAY 2019

Just Take God at His Word S CRIPTURE Isaiah 28:9-13

O B S E RVAT I O N What was the attitude of God’s people towards His Word and how did God respond to them?

DEEPER REFLECTION

od does let us go through very difficult times when we are so overwhelmed and cannot find a way out; when we wonder, not when, but if, they will end; when we have only one option to take: Consider the Word of God and just take God at His Word, regardless of the circumstances. The people of God in Isaiah’s days were under tremendous pressure from the Assyrian threat, so much so that they became “weary” (v.12a). God spoke to them through Isaiah to trust in Him and He will “give rest to the weary” (v.12a). But they “would not listen” (v.12b). They found the Word of God too simplistic, despising it as “childish”18 and “stupid-sounding.”19 They mocked the Word of God as “meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there” (v.10, NET20) and questioned God, “Who does the LORD think we are? Why does He speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned?” (v.9, NLT). They found the Word of God too simplistic to be realistic and relevant. For refusing the plain Word of God, God will in judgement “speak to His people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language” (v.11, NLT), returning them their mockery (v.13). It so easy for us to walk by sight rather than by faith, just taking God at His Word.

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A P P L I CAT I O N What situation(s) in my life do I need to learn to just take God at His Word?

P R AY E R God, when I walk in darkness

Prayer Pointers

and have no light, there is only one thing, and nothing else, that I can do â&#x2C6;&#x2019; Trust in

// Give thanks:

You and Your Word. For God, You are Light, and the Word that You have spoken and written in Scripture is the

// Pray for leaders:

only light to my feet and my path. Grant me the faith and patience to just take You at Your Word, for You are true

// Pray for significant people:

and trustworthy.

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

18 19 20

J. Alec Motyer, 209 John Goldingay, 155 The NET Bible, New English Translation

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THURSDAY // 23 MAY 2019

Seeking and Finding Security in Falsehood? S CRIPTURE Isaiah 28:14-19

O B S E RVAT I O N What did Isaiah say about God and His people regarding security against the Assyrian “overwhelming scourge”?

DEEPER REFLECTION

od was confronting the “scoffers” (v.14) who, having mockingly rejected His Word (Isa 28:9-13), sought security in falsehood. Will anyone choose and make “falsehood” their “refuge” and “deception” their “shelter” (v.15)? Rationally, no. But in reality, yes, but blind to that reality. This happened to God’s people in Isaiah’s days and it can also happen to us. They made some politically wise-looking moves to build security against the Assyrian threat. They “made a covenant” with Egypt,21 supposedly guaranteeing that the Assyrian “overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by” (v.15). But they had actually “entered into a suicide pact”22 – “a covenant with death”. They did not know that they had deceived themselves and entrusted themselves to something that will deceive them by not producing the security they needed23 (vv.17-19). How foolish and tragic! But God calls us to stand on the foundation of stability: “a foundation stone” that God has laid, which is “firm and tested” and “safe to build on” (v.16, NLT). This “foundation stone” is the Lord Himself who dwells with us, His people (“Zion”), and His promises He invites us to trust in and build our lives on,24 and we will be “unshakable” (v.16, HCSB25) and “not panic” (NET) to “act hastily” (NKJV).

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A P P L I CAT I O N What does it mean to me to make God Himself and His promises the foundation stone of my life?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for Outreach/Missions/ New Life leaders: To anchor firmly in God Himself and His promises

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

21 22 23 24 25

J. Alec Motyer, 210 John Goldingay, 155 John Goldingay, 155 J. Alec Motyer, 211 Holman Christian Standard Bible

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FRIDAY // 24 MAY 2019

“Do Not Carry on as Scoffers” S CRIPTURE Isaiah 28:17-22

O B S E RVAT I O N How did God deal with His people who formed an alliance with Egypt (“a covenant with death”) for security against the Assyrian “overwhelming scourge”?

DEEPER REFLECTION

y forming an alliance with Egypt, “a covenant with death” (Isa 28:15), God’s people had created for themselves a useless human security. They were confident that the Assyrian “overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by” (Isa 28:15). But it turned out instead “again and again that flood will come, morning after morning, day and night, until you are carried away” (v.19, NLT). And they discovered that their security “bed” and “blanket” were “too short” and “too small” for protection (v.20). Added to this was the tragic divine reversal of “Perazim” and “Gibeon” (v.21a). God gave David victory over the Philistines at Perazim (2 Sam 5:17-20) and Gibeon (2 Sam 5:22-25). The then “Perazim and Gibeon” of God is for us has now become the “Perazim and Gibeon” of God is against us. The enemy of God then was the Philistines, but now it is His own people. But this is a “strange” and “alien” work to God (v.21b). It does not fit naturally with the nature of God and His covenant commitment to His people. But God will act that way if necessary.26 God’s last word to His rebellious people is His gracious second chance: “Do not carry on as scoffers” (v.22). “The only way to flee from God is to flee to Him.”27

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A P P L I CAT I O N How do I relate to the two-sided theological reality of “God is for us” and “God is against us” in my discipleship journey?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for SGI leaders: To make God their true security in life

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

26 27

John Goldingay, 156-157 J. Alec Motyer, 212

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SATURDAY // 25 MAY 2019

The Parable of the Farmer S CRIPTURE Isaiah 28:23-29

O B S E RVAT I O N What is God saying to His people under His judgement (Isa 28:1-22) through the parable of the farmer in verses 23 to 29?

DEEPER REFLECTION

he first of the six “Woe” prophecies (Isaiah 28-33) concludes with a parable of a farmer who observes the proper agricultural processes and practices (vv.23-29). The farmer knows when to stop plowing and start planting; he doesn’t go on plowing forever (v.24). And he plants the seeds of the different crops “each in its proper way, and each in its proper place” (v.25, NLT). And in harvesting the crops, he uses the right tool and appropriate method for the respective kinds of crops (v.27). And in threshing “he does not continue to thresh it forever” so as to “damage” his harvested crops (v.28). He knows when to stop threshing the grain and to start grinding to make bread. “The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding” (v.26, NLT). The theological point is: In His dealings with His people, the God of “wonderful counsel” and “magnificent wisdom” (v.29) knows what He is doing. He has a time to judge and chastise, and a time to deliver and restore, and He uses moderation even with the roughest processes.28 Can we trust in God’s “wonderful counsel” and “magnificent wisdom” for His “strange” and “alien” ways in dealing with us (cf. Isa 28:21)?

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A P P L I CAT I O N What does it mean for me to trust in God’s “wonderful counsel” and “magnificent wisdom” for His “strange” and “alien” ways in dealing with me?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for church board: To see the glory of God’s magnificent wisdom // Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

John Goldingay, 158

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SUNDAY // 26 MAY 2019

Sunday Journal

S CRIPTURE

O B S E RVAT I O N

A P P L I CAT I O N

P R AY E R

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THE PAST WEEK Review What was my high point and my low point for the week?

What gave me life and what drained me?

How was the Spirit of God at work?

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THE PAST WEEK Reflect What is one key thing that God said to me this week in light of what has happened?

Respond What is one thing I need to do in light of what God is saying? Commit in prayer.

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FAMILY DEVOTIONAL

MAY 2019 WEEK 4

HOW DO WE SHOW OUR LEADERS RESPECT?* You respect God when you respect the people He has put in charge. Scripture: 1 Samuel 24 ACTIVITY BITE Choose someone to be the “leader” among your family members. Blindfold the remaining family members and ask the “leader” to guide them across the room by giving clear and easy-tounderstand commands. Discuss how it feels to be a leader or to be led by the leader. CHAT TIME Q1: Why didn’t David kill King Saul when he had the chance? Q2: What will you do if you have a school teacher who is unkind to you? Q3: Why does God place leaders - both good and bad - above us? LEARNING POINT Leaders have heavy responsibilities to lead the people whom they are charged with. One way to show them our respect is to follow their lead even though you may not always agree with them. Another is to thank them. It makes them feel that what they do matters and is important. It was hard for David to show respect to King Saul who tried to kill him. However, David respected the position that God gave to Saul. When we respect our leaders, we are respecting God who gives them their authority. ACTION POINT Think of a classmate, teacher or church leader who may have been or is unkind to you. Discuss with your family how you can show respect to them and find an opportunity to show it. FAMILY PRAYER POINTS Pray that we will learn to love and be led by leaders, even those whom we may not always agree with. Pray for our leaders too, that they will always follow Jesus.

*Adapted from 252Basics, Aug 2017. www.ThinkOrange.com

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MONDAY // 27 MAY 2019

There’s Always the Redemptive Hope S CRIPTURE Isaiah 29:1-8

O B S E RVAT I O N What is the contrast between verses 1 to 4 and verses 5 to 8?

DEEPER REFLECTION

he second (Isa 29:1-14) of the six “Woe” prophecies (Isaiah 28-33) begins with divine sarcasm: “Keep observing your annual rituals, celebrate your festivals on schedule” (v.1b, NET). Then, God exposes the inner reality behind the outer rituals: “Ariel [Jerusalem] is as good as dead” (v.1a, NET). God’s wrath is coming on His people (vv.2-3) as they routinely worship Him. Worship and wrath? It looks incongruent, but it is true. We need a reality check. God’s people will be “reduced to nothing in status and strength”29, such that they “will barely be able to whisper a prayer”30 (v.4). But what follows immediately is a divine extraordinary somersault. The moment when everything seems lost (vv.1-4) is the moment of reversal (vv.5-8). The Great Enemy of God’s people changes sides and becomes their Great Defender against “the multitude of the ruthless ones” – God’s instrument of judgement, who “wage war against” them. The reversal “will happen instantly, suddenly” (v.5). We see here a divine “double necessity”31. God must “show Himself holy in righteousness” (Isa 5:16) in both judging and chastising His people, and defending and delivering them in keeping His covenant commitment to them. God will not remove from us His redemptive hope for us.

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A P P L I CAT I O N In what areas of my life do I need to anchor in Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s redemptive hope for me?

P R AY E R O Lord, do not rebuke me in

Prayer Pointers

Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath. Your arrows have

// Give thanks:

pierced me, and Your hand has come down on me. I am feeble and utterly crushed, I groan in anguish of heart. I confess

// Pray for leaders:

my iniquity, I am troubled by my sin. Lord, do not forsake me, do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help

// Pray for significant people:

me, my Lord and my Saviour.32

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

29 30 31 32

J. Alec Motyer, 214 Andrew M. Davis, 164 John Goldingay, 160 Psalm 38:1, 2, 8, 18, 21, 22

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TUESDAY // 28 MAY 2019

The Anatomy of Spiritual Blindness S CRIPTURE Isaiah 29:9-14

O B S E RVAT I O N What does Isaiah say about spiritual blindness?

DEEPER REFLECTION

hen we delay and hesitate to respond to God in spiritual indecisiveness (v.9a),33 it could be that we are choosing for ourselves spiritual blindness – “Blind yourselves and be blind” (v.9b). Wilful blindness to the things of God causes us to be “drunk” and “stagger” spiritually, not being able to think clearly or find the right way (v.9cd).34 Self-chosen spiritual blindness is also God’s judgement upon the choice made: “The LORD has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep” (v.10a). When King Ahab determined to embrace falsehood, divine judgement visited him with false prophets (1 Kin 22:22). Divine judicial spiritual deprivation also means removal of spiritual enlightenment – “prophets” and “seers” whom God raised to receive and communicate His Word (v.10b). Along with this is spiritual laziness, which sees the Word of God as “a sealed book”: “The person who can read cannot be bothered to open the book; the person who cannot read is unconcerned to find someone who can” (vv.11-12).35 We become spiritually blind when our worship to God is merely lip service, with our hearts far away from Him (v.13a). Let us be careful not to replace God’s Word with human ways and wisdom when we act and speak in God’s name (v.13b), which Jesus sees as hypocrisy (Matt 15:7-9).

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A P P L I CAT I O N How will I keep myself from having spiritual blindness?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for pastors and staff: To be kept from spiritual blindness // Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

33 34 35

J. Alec Motyer, 215 J. Alec Motyer, 215 J. Alec Motyer, 215

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WEDNESDAY // 29 MAY 2019

A Tale of Two Reversals S CRIPTURE Isaiah 29:15-24

O B S E RVAT I O N What observations can you make about the two reversals in verses 15 to 16 and 16 to 24?

DEEPER REFLECTION

his third “Woe” prophecy consists of two reversals. Our arrogant reversal (vv.15-16): We exalt the human and exclude the divine. We live life as if God does not see and know (v.15), as though the potter-God is clay to be shaped according to our will (v. 16a).36 And we think that we understand things better than God (v.16b). Then, we see an abrupt transition to God’s redemptive reversal, which shows God bringing sudden transformation by decisive intervention (vv.17-24). “Devastated Lebanon”37 will “be turned into a fertile field,” which will be made into “a wooded (uninhabited) forest” (v.17).38 God will “act sovereignly to renovate and reshape the circumstances of all of life”39. The spiritually “blind” and “deaf ” will “see” and “hear words of a book” – the Word of God. What a gracious reversal of Isaiah 29:9-12! The marginalised, disabled people who suffer in a wrongly ordered society – “the afflicted” and “the needy” – will “rejoice” in God (v.19), who will eliminate tyrants, scoffers, evildoers, (v.20) and injustice (v.21). God’s people shamed by divine judgement “shall not now be ashamed”, because God faithfully keeps His covenant with “Abraham” (v.22; cf. Gen 12:1-3), and God in all His holiness will dwell among His people (v.23).40 How worse can your life condition be, such that it is beyond God’s redemptive reversal?

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A P P L I CAT I O N What does Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s redemptive reversal mean to me in my discipleship journey?

P R AY E R From the depths of my

Prayer Pointers

despair I call You, O Lord, hear my voice. I look for You, my God, my soul waits for

// Give thanks:

You and in Your Word is all my trust. My soul waits for You more than those who watch for the morning. I trust in You,

// Pray for leaders:

for with You is steadfast love and perfect faithfulness, and great is Your power to save and redeem.41

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

36 37 38 39 40 41

Walter Brueggemann, 236 Walter Brueggemann, 237 Walter Brueggemann, 237 Walter Brueggemann, 237 J. Alec Motyer, 217 Psalm 130:1-2, 5-7

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THURSDAY // 30 MAY 2019

A Stupidity We Must Avoid S CRIPTURE Isaiah 30:1-14

O B S E RVAT I O N What observations can you make about the matter of what we trust in?

DEEPER REFLECTION

an we be so stupid as to rely on the unreliable, and not the reliable? “Yes!”, the fourth “Woe” prophecy in Isaiah 30 tells us. Judah formed an alliance with Egypt to counter the fearsome Assyrian invasion. Likewise, we often try to control our circumstances by making plans for self-salvation – our “Egypt”. We see and trust in “Egypt” as a reliable “safety” and “shelter” “to take refuge in” (v.2), believing that “Egypt” is worth our investment, as Judah did with their “riches” and “treasures” (v.6). We invest our whole lives in “Egypt”. Isaiah calls us to see “Egypt” as God sees. In reality, “Egypt” “cannot profit” and is “not for help or profit” (v.5, 6), and “whose help is vain and empty” (v.7). “Egypt” is not what we think, believe and see it to be. Relying on “Egypt” only results in our “shame”, “humiliation” and “disgrace” (vv.3, 5). When we are hit by a crisis, is “What does the Scripture say?” (Rom 4:3) our first response? That wasn’t Judah’s. They did not consult God and executed a plan that was not God’s (vv.1-2a). They “refused to listen to” and “rejected” both the written and spoken Word of God (vv.9, 11, 12). But, when they wanted to hear God’s Word, they wanted to hear only what they wanted to hear (v.10). Such stupidity ends in a sudden, instant and total collapse of our lives (v.13-14).

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A P P L I CAT I O N What are the “Egypts” in my life that I need to get rid of?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for Outreach/Missions/ New Life leaders: To live by the dictum, “What does the Scripture say?”

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

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FRIDAY // 31 MAY 2019

God of Wrath and Grace S CRIPTURE Isaiah 30:15-26

O B S E RVAT I O N How does God show Himself as a God of wrath and a God of grace?

DEEPER REFLECTION

od is “a God of justice” (v.18b). This “God of justice” is also a God of wrath. God called His people to “repentance” for His salvation, but they were “unwilling” (v.15). They preferred to “flee on horses” to save themselves, which God made sure would fail (vv.16-17). Furthermore, God will give them “the bread of deprivation and the water of oppression” (v.20). We would think that this is justice: “Sin deserves wrath. Period.” No. Because this “God of justice” is also a God of grace. Immediately after God’s wrath (vv.15-17) is “the LORD longs to be gracious to you…He waits on high to have compassion on you” (v.18a). Unthinkable! Unbelievable! But it’s true. Why? “For the LORD is a God of justice”! (v.18b) Note the divine emphasis: “He will surely be gracious to you” (v.19). The theology here is: It is impossible to escape God’s wrath by any other means other than God’s grace.42 How does God show His grace? His people “will weep no longer” after suffering His judgement, and He will hear and answer the sound of their cry to Him (v.19). God “no longer hides Himself ”, but their “eyes will behold” Him (v.20). God “binds up the fracture of His people and heals the bruise He has afflicted” (v.26). The God of grace hurts us in order to heal us.

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A P P L I CAT I O N In what ways does the grace of God hurt me in order to heal me in my discipleship journey?

P R AY E R Write a prayer to God as your

Prayer Pointers

response from your meditation on and application of

// Give thanks:

the Scriptures.

// Pray for SGI leaders: To know Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hurting healing grace

// Pray for significant people:

// Pray for those in need:

// Pray for self:

Andrew M. Davis, 170

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NOTES

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