EASTER • 4

Are we obeying the commandment of our Lord, Jesus Christ?

linktr.ee/cnlsgplaylist

The worship engagement team has compiled our CNL playlists in a single linktree page. These are songs you can listen to that are connected to our season and for us to Pause in our Day to Pray:

reading for: Tuesday Night, 10 May

John 13:31-35

  • READ

    This passage is set in the final days of Jesus' ministry on earth, just before he would ascend the cross. The foot washing of the disciples by Jesus has just taken place. In the story of the foot washing, Jesus has shown his disciples what it means to serve each other. He exhorts his disciples to do likewise.

    John 13:31-35

You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.

Not long after the foot washing on the same night when Judas had left the room, Jesus taught his disciples.

John 13:31-32

When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.

It is likely the case that when Jesus speaks of himself and the Father being glorified, it refers to the coming ascension of the cross by Jesus. 

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Jesus commands his disciples to love one another just as he has loved them. This is how people will know that they are disciples of Jesus. The passage today and the preceding story of the foot-washing contains the words of Jesus to his disciples that because he goes to ascend the cross and return to his Father, the disciples are to love and serve one another. They are to follow in Jesus's footsteps to love and serve others.

  • REFLECT

    The message of Jesus to his disciples is clear, he exhorts us to serve and love one another. These words hold true not just for the disciples in the first century who heard Jesus speak these words but to all his disciples across time.

    As disciples of Jesus, let us reflect on how can we love and serve one another, starting with those around us, in our families and workplaces.

reading for: Wednesday Night, 11 May

Acts 11:1-18

  • READ

     Acts 11:1-18 contains the report of Peter's experience of the first time the Gospel is preached to Gentiles. For a complete account of Peter's experience from initial reluctance to obeying God in preaching to the Gentiles resulting in a mighty move of the Spirit on the Gentiles there, refer to Acts 10.

    Acts 11:1 starts with the apostles and brothers throughout Judea hearing that the Gentiles had received the Gospel. When Peter went up to Jerusalem, some criticized him as he had fellowship and ate with people who were non-Jews and uncircumcised. (V1-4) How did Peter respond and explain himself? Peter responded by recounting the vision that the Lord gave to him. In the vision, the Lord commanded Peter to kill and eat animals, beasts of prey, reptiles and birds of the air. Peter responded with reluctance as it was against Jewish law to eat unclean animals. (V5-8)

    Acts 11:9

    But the voice answered a second time from heaven, 'What God has made clean, do not call common.'

    The next verse speaks about this happening three times and then the vision ended. (V10) Repeating the same message three times shows that this message was important to the Lord, and he wanted Peter to get it. At that very moment, three men from Caesarea arrived in the house Peter was staying in. Upon hearing the Spirit's voice, Peter obeyed the Lord and went with the three men into Cornelius' house. Cornelius recounted how he had seen an angel who told him to send to Joppa and bring Peter to his house to preach the Gospel. (V11-14) As Peter preached the Gospel, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he fell on the Jews. (V15)

    Acts 11:16-18

    And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."

    Peter's words at the end of the account are essential. "Who was I that I could stand in God's way?" By then, Peter understood that God wanted to touch the Gentiles. He had seen so many miraculous words to reach the point that he could preach to them the Gospel and baptized them. Peter knew that he was not to be selfish and to preach the Gospel to all people, including Gentiles. He was commanded to love the Gentiles by preaching to them the most important message that they would need to hear, the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the message that brings life.

  • REFLECT

    Peter was a fisherman before he met Christ. In the three years he walked closely with Jesus, his life was radically transformed. This changed-life came from an eternal relationship with Christ and provided the foundation for the rest of his life. The ‘doing FOR Christ’ came out of the ‘being WITH Christ’. His response to his opponents came from his obedience to God and a deep understanding of how God works.

    In our lives, let us put being with Christ before doing for Christ. So that when it is time to do and speak, like Peter, we have a strong foundation and we are not held back by inertia or reluctance, but are able to confidently share the Gospel with them.

    Like Peter, let is preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which brings life to those around us. If we are reluctant, let us pray and bring our reluctance before the Lord and ask him to help us love others by being willing and confident to preach the message that matters above all else to them.

reading for: Thursday Night, 12 May

Revelation 21:1-6

  • READ

    Today's passage is from the last chapter of the entire Bible, in the book of Revelation. Do we wonder how the Bible ends in the last chapter? Today we get to examine how the Bible starts the final chapter. What is the message that it is trying to say to us?

    Revelation 21 starts with John seeing a new heaven and a new earth. It is new because the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea, which represents chaos in the world, was no more. (V1) John subsequently saw the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. This is the city which John writes, "…prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." (V2)

    Revelation 21:3-8 contains words spoken by the one who sits on the throne. Let us examine what does this voice from the throne say?

    Revelation 21:3-4

    And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

    Firstly, the voice makes clear that the dwelling place of God is with man and that he is not far away from us but that he dwells with us. He will be our God, and we will be his people. Secondly, being in his presence will be where there will be no more sadness, mourning, pain, and death. It will be a place where there will be fullness of joy. (V3-4)

    Revelation 21:5-8

    And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

    God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is the one that will give the thirsty water to drink that brings life. He is the one that gives sonship to the one who conquers. Yet, he is the God that brings judgment to the ungodly, declaring that their judgment will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur.

    This is how the final chapter of the Bible starts. It paints a picture of the end where the people of God will be dwelling with God, where God will be our Father, and we will be his Sons and Daughters. This is the heritage that we have if we remain faithful to Christ and have conquered the world through Christ. This is the privilege that we have to be the bride prepared for our husband, Christ.

  • REFLECT

    This passage paints a picture of our life with him at the end. This is when we will be dwelling with God, full of joy in his presence. While we look forward with hope to what awaits us if we conquer and remain faithful to him, we can dwell with him even now on this earth by the power of the Spirit. We can let the Spirit prepare us to be a bride adorned for our husband, Christ. We can obey the commandment of our Lord and husband Jesus to love others, not by our own strength but by the power of the Spirit.

    Revelation 21 - And God Shall Wipe Away All Tears | Ouachita Hills College (Official Video)

reading for: Friday Night, 13 May

Psalm 148

  • READ

    Psalm 148 is a psalm of praise to the Lord. It starts and ends with the words, "Praise the Lord", and the entire psalm never stops praising the Lord.

    The psalmist speaks about praising the Lord from the heavens and in the heights. It speaks about all the angels, hosts, sun and moon praising him. They are to praise the Lord because he commanded, and they were created. They were established forever, not by their own strength but by the decree of the Lord.

    The psalmist speaks about praising God from the earth. Whether you are a great sea creature, fire, hail, snow or mist, the necessity to praise the Lord is constant. It does not matter whether you are a king or not, young or old. All are to praise the Lord, for his name alone is exalted and worthy to be praised.            

  • REFLECT

    Sing praises to the Lord, for he is worthy to be praised. The Lord is the one that alone is exalted, his majesty is above earth and heaven. Let us spend some time this day to praise him for who he is and what he has done.

SET PRAYER (Closing Prayer for LG gathering) (Based on Revelation 21:1-8)

Heavenly Father, help us see Your new heaven and a new earth and that the first heaven and the first earth are passing away, and You are preparing us, the Church as a bride adorned for her husband. Your longing and desire is to dwell with us, to be our God and for us to be Your people. We look forward to the fullness of your presence with us because you will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Indeed, through your Son and your Spirit, you have already begun to make all things new.

You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. We rejoice that You give from the spring of the water of life without payment and you promise that those who conquer will have this heritage. We pray for your mercy on the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, because their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. May they repent and turn back to you. All these things we ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Season of EasterCNL