EPIPHANY • 12

Who is the Giver of Life and what is a blessed life?

This week’s reading invites us to look to Jesus and trust in Him for a blessed life.

reading for: 9 Feb

Luke 6:17-26

Jesus the Giver of Life

  • READ

Before we jump excitedly to what Jesus says about the blessed way of life, lets focus on Him for a while. The Giver of life.

First, he descends from the mountain and stands on level ground with the crowd. This is important because it shows us what kind of person He is. Here Luke wants us to see His humility (Philippians 2:6-8). That He gave up His privileges and came down to us. Coming to our level.

Second, Jesus heals not just Israelites, but everyone. Even those who came from far away Sidon and Tyre (v. 17). He comes for all humanity, not just Jew but also Gentiles. He heals everyone who comes to Him.

Having healed all who had come, he now turns to the disciples. Teaching them about what the blessed life looks like.

Contrary to the worldly thinking:

It's the poor who are blessed for theirs is the kingdom of God.

It's the hungry who are blessed for they will be satisfied.

And those who weep are blessed because they will soon laugh.

Why? Because blessings await those who follow Jesus. And one day the tide will change. Just like the prophets of old.

In fact, sorrow awaits the rich, for their happiness is temporary.

Sorrow awaits the fat and prosperous now, for hunger will soon strike.

And those who are laughing, will soon mourn.

Crowd pleasers will experience sorrow just like the false prophets of old.

This is the way of life with Jesus as King, the Giver of Life. He has come to bring healing to those who are sick (Luke 5). And all who are poor, hungry and mourning, will not remain so forever. 

  • REFLECT

    How do we interpret the things that happen to us on a daily basis? Do we see and trust in the Lord who will deliver us? And are we willing to wait for His timing?

    In the healing, some of whom must be poor, Jesus is giving them a taste of the liberty in God's kingdom.

    To those who are hungry, He is filling them with satisfaction.

    We do not know how long those who were sick had waited. But in healing them, the good news has truly arrived to poor (Luke 4:18). They have tasted the freedom and love of being part of God's kingdom and rule.

    Some of us are going through a trying time now, and we are feeling down and discouraged. Take heart for those who follow and put their trust in Jesus will see a turn around soon. Its only a matter of time.  

reading for: 10 Feb

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Choose Life Together (Grow Together)

  • READ

    Would you prefer to be a stunted shrub in the desert with no hope for the future? Or would you prefer to be a tree planted by the river un-bothered by the heat or long months of drought?

    It's pretty obvious what all of us would choose. But the less obvious choice we need to make comes from the verses before.

    Will we choose to put our trust in humans and turn our hearts away from the Lord? Or will we choose to trust in the Lord and have him as our hope and confidence?

    Here's the thing, our hearts are deceitful. And we might think we're choosing to trust in the Lord when actually we are choosing to rely on human strength and wisdom.

    That's why, only the Lord can search our hearts and examine our secret motives. Because left on our own, we would continue in darkness.

  • REFLECT

    There will be many critical decisions we'll have to make this year - who to spend time with, what to spend our time in. Just as there will be opportunities, there will also be challenges. But how will we choose to trust in the Lord each time? How will we discern His ways and His voice?

    There are 2 ways the Lord uses:

    1. Through His living Word that will teach us what is true and realise what is wrong (2 Tim 3:16) and

    2. His Body, the church. Because His Spirit dwells in His body (John 16:13 and Eph 4:16)

    Practically it means hearing His word each week as His body gathers in our Sunday services.

    It means digesting, reflecting and hearing Him as we wake up strong each day.

    And sharing it with your LG, seeking for His word to be deepened.

    As we enter into Feb, would you recommit to one another in your LG so that as a LG we can be a forest of trees planted by the river? That even when months of drought or testing come all of you can remain strong?

reading for: 11 Feb

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

The Resurrected Jesus Confirms Our Future Life

  • READ

    Do we believe that Jesus is the first and great harvest of all who have died (v. 20)? What that means is that He is both our promise and our hope. The Resurrected Jesus shows us what our future is when we are raised together with him.

    The Corinthian church were having a dispute as some believed that there would be no resurrection of the dead (v. 12). Basically some believed we would just die and that would be the end.

    But Paul reminds them that if they believed that to be true, it meant they also believed that Jesus didn't rise from the grave. And if that were true, everything they had placed their hope in, everything they believed in, would be useless.

    This is critical because following Jesus is absolutely radical. We would make choices that the world will deem as foolish. We might have to experience being poor and hungry. And this would only make sense if Jesus did rise from the grave and confirm for us our future. 

  • REFLECT

    Do you know what is our hope and promise in Christ? Do you know what it means that Jesus is our first fruit of the future?

    Read and do a study on Romans 8:18-30 and ask that the Lord will show you the life He has promised and given in Jesus.

reading for: 12 Feb

Psalm 1

The Way of Life

  • READ

    “Come to the place, where every breath is praise,

    And God is breathing through each passing breeze.

    Be planted by the waterside and raise

     

    Your arms with Christ beneath these rooted trees,

    Who lift their breathing leaves up to the skies.

    Be rooted too, as still and strong as these,

     

    Open alike to sun and rain. Arise

    From meditation by these waters. Bear

    The fruits of that deep rootedness. Be wise

     

    In the trees’ long wisdom. Learn to share

    The secret of their patience. Pass the day

    In their green fastness and their quiet air.

     

    Slowly discern a life, a truth, a way,

    Where simple being flowers in delight.

    Then let the chaff of life just blow away.”

    By Malcom Guite

  • REFLECT

    Read aloud Psalm 1 and the above poem several times. Close your eyes and mediate on the pictures that come to your mind.

    As you read and mediate, ask that the Lord will give you the patience to discern His way of life, to sift through what is true and false and to have the strength to choose His ways.

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