Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 51

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Family Day 2018

 Thank God for a blessed Family Day on 25 December at the Amara Sanctuary Resort Hotel in Sentosa. The Lord gave us good weather and safety on that day for all participants. All praise and glory to God.

The theme of our messages “… And There Jesus Prayed” was taken from Mark 1:35 “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

It is a spiritual exercise each time God’s people wrestle against often great odds to be able to gather together to study His Word and pray. This is where we can make progress in our spiritual life when we take time to meditate upon the Scriptures and pray.

Our Lord took time to be alone so that He can commune with the Father in heaven. Jesus sets for us the example. Therein, we find strength for life.

We looked at the 4 “P”s for a thriving devotional life.

  • Priority
  • Purpose
  • Perseverance
  • Power

Indeed, we take time to read the Scriptures and fill our thoughts with the Word of God that our hearts may be attuned to commune with Him. The Holy Spirit uses the Word to minister to our hearts. In life as in spiritual life, we wrestle distinguishing the urgent from the important. The urgent is not the important and the important may not be urgent. When we are encumbered with the urgent, we lose sight of the important. There is a proper priority for life with God.

It was a spiritual discipline, a habit of dependence upon God for success in life that Jesus demonstrated. First of all, it was deliberate. He would rise up a great while before day. Before there is the breaking of light, He was awake and He was getting ready and He had to travel so that He will find for Himself a place where He can be alone. Away from distractions.

Andrew Murray said well, “Why is it that we so seldom experience life-giving power of the true knowledge of God? Because we do not give God time enough to reveal Himself to us. When we pray, we think we know exactly how to speak to God. Yet we forget that one of the very first things in prayer is to be silent before God. It is then that He will reveal Himself. To know God in the personal experience of His presence and love is life indeed.”

Murray further observed well, “Just as the sun rising each morning is the pledge of light throughout the day, so the quiet time of waiting upon God will be the pledge of His presence and His power resting on us all day. Learn this great lesson that the sun proclaims each day: As the sun on a cold day shines on us and imparts its warmth, believe that the living God will work in you with His love and His Almighty power. God will reveal Himself as life and light and joy and strength to the soul that waits upon Him.”

Preparation for Spiritual Conflict at Hand

The spiritual conflict at hand requires God’s power to overcome. And prayer is power. Power with God and power with men. Power over temptation and strength to overcome trials. As a child of God, we are engaged in spiritual warfare, for our souls and the souls of our family members. This is the place where we prepare for the conflict of the day. We prepare for warfare. We prepare to do the Father’s will. We are not trudging along in life.

Finding Peace and Quiet with God

The acknowledgement of God and His presence in our lives are stabilizing spiritual exercises for the seeker to find peace with God and strength for the new day. Jesus took timeto pray. He gave time so that He can be quiet before the Father.

We are closing the year. How have you fared spiritually speaking? Do you think you have drawn closer to God in this year of grace 2018?  We are encouraged to persevere on.

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee