Introduction to Pentecost Season

The Season of Pentecost, deeply rooted in Jewish tradition, marks a pivotal moment for Christians worldwide. Pentecost, originally a Jewish feast known as Shavuot, celebrated the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. It occurs fifty days after Passover, symbolizing the completion of the seven-week counting period between Passover and Shavuot, which highlights both agricultural and spiritual harvests in Jewish life.

Just as God gave the Law at Sinai to His ancient Israelite people at Pentecost back then, after Christ’s ascension, God poured out His Holy Spirit to empower a new people of God, to obey the Law of Christ, and to continue His work in the world. Hence, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the apostles (Acts 2), not only fulfilled Jesus' promise to send a helper and comforter after His ascension, it also signified the birth of the Church and the beginning of its mission to spread the Gospel. The Presence and Power of Christ through the baptism and the filling of Holy Spirit empowered the apostles to preach the message of Jesus Christ with boldness, crossing language and cultural barriers, and uniting diverse peoples (both Jews and non-Jews) under the lordship of Christ.

Particularly for the members of the Centre of New Life, as we enter the Season of Pentecost, we enter a new season with a call to “Grow Stronger”, to live out the Gospel in our daily lives, exercising the gifts He has given us, as members of Christ's mystical Body, the Church, and particularly within our Kampongs and Life Groups. It is a time to embrace the Holy Spirit's power, continue the mission of the early Church, and embody the teachings of Christ in our interactions and service to Him, at home, work and play. This Pentecost season, let us step-up to be active participants in God's ongoing work in the world, so that as God’s serving sons and daughters, we might grow in friendship and together, we continue to spread His love, grace, and truth in all that we do.

reading for: Tuesday Night, 28 May

mark 2:23-3:6

• READ

  Scripture Reading: Mark 2:23-3:6

  23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” 1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

  Commentary

  The reading for today ties together two separate encounters which probably happened in succession but is tie together by the theme of Sabbath. Sabbath was a weekly occurrence for the Jews in which once a week from Friday evening to Saturday evening when they ceased from all labours.

  On one Sabbath, Jesus was going through the grainfields and as they made their way, the disciples began to pluck heads of grain. Presumably, they were hungry. They were stopped by the Pharisees who told them that what they did was not lawful on the Sabbath.  Jesus replied to the Pharisees that king David (who was Jesus’ ancestor) when he was in need and was hungry, entered the house of God and ate the bread of the presence which only the priests could eat (1 Samuel 21:1-6). In an earlier incident, King David himself once wore a linen ephod, a priest’s garment that only a priest could wear when carrying out his priestly duties. (2 Sam 6:14). This suggests that David was not only king of Israel, but was also of priestly lineage. But if David was of the tribe of Judah and not Levi, how could he have been of priestly lineage? David’s (and therefore Jesus’) priesthood was not from the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood but they were both priest-kings after the order of Melchizedek the priest-king, to whom Abram paid a tithe (Genesis 14:18-20)! In Psalm 110:4, King David prophesied of his descendent Jesus,  

  “The Lord has sworn
      and will not change his mind,
  “You are a priest forever
      after the order of Melchizedek.”

  The clue that both David and Jesus were priests after the ‘order of Melchizedek’ entitled them to work and eat on the Sabbath, along with all other Levitical priests under the Mosaic Law (Numbers 28:9-10, Leviticus 24:8, 1 Chronicles 9:32.)

  But what about Jesus’ disciples? What gave them the right to eat on the Sabbath? In the passage Jesus cited (1 Samuel 21:1-6), David’s men were ritually ‘pure’ because they had not had any sexual relations with women and therefore allowed to eat of the Bread of Presence. (Exodus 19:14-15 and Leviticus 15:16-18). 

  Jesus then made it clear that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

  Jesus is not a law breaker, but Jesus is telling his hearers the true meaning of the Sabbath is for people to find rest in God. The disciples were hungry and in need, they could not rest in God’s presence. If what they needed to rest in God’s presence was for their hunger to be satisfied, then Jesus, the Son of David, Son of God, allowed them to eat.

  Jesus then entered the synagogue and there a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees watched Jesus to see if he would heal on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. Jesus knew that they were going to accuse him of violating the Sabbath just as they stopped Jesus and his disciples earlier for the disciples were plucking heads of grain.  Yet, Jesus still proceeded to ask the man with the withered hand to come and proceeded to heal him.  Before Jesus healed the man, Jesus queried the Pharisees on whether on the sabbath it was lawful to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill? Jesus’s actions showed his answer that on the Sabbath it was lawful to do good and to save life. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, and his actions define what the Sabbath is. The man would not have had a good Sabbath if Jesus had not healed him but because Jesus healed him, he now could enjoy rest in God’s presence.

  Jesus allowing his disciples to eat on the Sabbath, and he healed the man on the Sabbath makes clear that he is bringing out the meaning of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath, and Jesus was Lord of the Sabbath. It was made so man could rest and enjoy the presence of God. If the disciples needed to eat or the man needed to be healed so that they can rest in God’s presence, Jesus was going to do that.

• REFLECT

Reflect on the following questions:

1.    Do we rest in God’s presence? Do we spend time with God regularly?

2.    Are we coming to Church on Sunday and finding rest in the presence of God together with the body of Christ so that we can rest in God’s presence together?

3.    Rules are good because they help us to rest in God’s presence. But have we elevated the means above the end. Have we taken the good rules and turned it into an idol. Let us remember that God and his presence is paramount and the most important and that rules and guidelines to the extent that they bring about that should be observed.

reading for: Wednesday Night, 29 may

1 Samuel 3:1-20

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Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-20

1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.

6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.”

19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord.

Commentary

This evening, we reflect on the beautiful yet poignant story of God calling Samuel, found in 1 Samuel 3:1-20. This passage reveals how intimately God knows us and how He draws near to those who seek Him.

"The boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision" (1 Samuel 3:1). Despite the silence that pervaded the land, Samuel's heart yearned for God. His faithful service in the temple, even resting "where the ark of God was" (v. 3), demonstrated his deep desire to be near the divine presence.

In contrast, Eli, the priest, struggled to recognize God’s voice. It took three calls for Eli to realize that it was the Lord speaking to Samuel (vv. 4-8). This delay is striking; Eli's spiritual dullness was a shameful reflection of his failing leadership.

When Samuel finally understood it was God calling him, he responded with humility and readiness: "Speak, for your servant hears" (v. 10). God shared a difficult message with Samuel about Eli's house, a consequence of Eli’s failure to curb the sinful behaviors of his sons. The next morning, Eli's reaction further revealed his detachment: he did not seek God directly but instead waited passively for Samuel’s report (vv. 15-17).

Eli’s response to the devastating news was neither remorseful nor repentant. "It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him" (v. 18) lacks the heartfelt repentance that one might expect. In this moment, the mantle of prophecy and leadership transitioned to Samuel, who would grow to be a faithful prophet for the nation, speaking on behalf of God.

Samuel’s story encourages us to seek God earnestly, to listen for His voice, and to respond faithfully. His example shows that God values a heart devoted to Him, ready to serve and listen.

• REFLECT

  As we meditate on this passage, let us consider these questions:

  1.     How can we cultivate a heart that yearns for God’s presence like Samuel’s?

  2.     In what ways might we be failing to recognize God’s voice in our lives?

  3.     What steps can we take to ensure we respond to God with readiness and obedience? 

reading for: THURSDAY Night, 30 may

2 Corinthians 4:5-12

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  Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12

  5“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.”

  Commentary

  Tonight’s passage begins with a reminder that the message we have been entrusted to proclaim to all who would hear is, Jesus is Lord. There is no room for any self-promotion. We are not here to glorify ourselves but to exalt Christ and Him alone. And we want to testify that Jesus is Lord because God himself has opened our eyes to see it, our minds to comprehend it and our hearts to know it.

  Moreover, God chose to put his Spirit in fragile, vulnerable and easily broken earthenware like us in order to remove all doubt that He is the One at work in our lives. In this life, we will face troubles, trials and tribulations. We will be oppressed and puzzled and mistreated and abused. However, despite all the evil and suffering and death we face on earth, our momentary affliction is nothing compared to what awaits us in eternity. And we will prevail if we stay the course and remain faithful to the very end, even unto death.

  Therefore, every day of our lives is an opportunity to share in the death of Christ. And the death we get to share in Christ each day becomes the means by which the life of Christ is made manifest in us. It is baffling and perplexing but that is the economy of God.

• REFLECT

  Death is painful and we don’t want to trivialise it. Nonetheless, the truth is all of us are wasting away with each passing day. No matter how hard we cling on to life and attempt to prolong it, we can’t outrun death. However, the good news is in Christ, death is life. Though we may die, we shall live. We need not be driven to despair because we have a hope that goes beyond the grave. Death is not the end but the beginning.

  Hence, the small deaths we experience each day until the big death, is an opportunity for Christ to be made known as Lord. And while we may be jars of clay, we have a treasure – the very presence of Jesus that inhabits our hearts through the Spirit – that is worthy of giving our lives to keep. Do you cherish this treasure? Is your heart a dwelling place for God? Will you carry the death of Jesus in your body so that life may be given to those around you?

reading for: FRIDAY Night,31 may

PSALM 139

• READ

  Scripture Reading: Psalm 139

  1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

  2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.

  3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.

  4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

  5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

  6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

  7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

  8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

  9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

  10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

  11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”

  12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

  13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

  14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

  15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

  16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

  17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

  18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

  19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!

  20 They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain.

  21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?

  22 I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.

  23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!

  24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

  Commentary

  In dark and challenging times, when doubts and fear surround and overwhelm you - Do you know that you are loved by your Heavenly Father? Do you know that He is with you and knows your every thought and move?

  Psalm 139 is often considered as an intimate Psalm that reveals God our Father’s love and intimacy with us. But did you know that this deep knowledge and experience of His love is actually in the midst of desperate and trying circumstances?

  The wicked and the murderous have surrounded the Psalmist and from verses 19-22 we see David speaking against his enemies. His enemies are taking God’s name in vain, they are speaking against the Almighty God. David is filled with complete hatred against his enemies. (V.22). Yet in that absolute deep hatred for his enemies, he allow God His Father to check and search his heart. Should he not hate them? Should he not loathe them? (V.21) David allows not just his ways, his attitude but his heart and soul to be searched and checked by God (v.23-24).

  This showcases a beautiful picture of humility. Humility that comes through prayer and a deep relationship with God His Father. For in the moment of absolute hatred, he is soft and humble enough to allow the Almighty God, his Heavenly Father check and search his heart and ways.

  It's in this desperate and crazy circumstances that David proclaims that there is nowhere that he can run from the Spirit of God. There is nowhere that God’s beautiful and wonderful presence isn't found (v.7).

  Even when he feels there is absolute darkness, there is no darkness in the presence of God who is Light (V 8-10). Every darkness is made bright because God is there (v. 11-12).

  No wonder David is able to be raptured into the wonder of God’s love and delight over him.

  ”Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.” (V.6).

  Praise arises from his heart even as he thinks about God’s involvement even before his consciousness in his mother’s womb (v. 14-15).

• REFLECT

  How do you combat discouragement, despair and fear? David, shows us how we can do that as God’s own son. He himself wrestled with his own fears in the midst of his enemies and learnt to meet with God his Father. And Psalm 139 shows us that focusing on God, who He is and how intimately involved He is with us can help us.

  Rather than mediating and allowing the darkness and enemies overwhelm him, he finds rest, refuge and renewal in God His Father. Will you also learn from him?

  A song by Jonathan and Melissa Hesler, “I am Your Beloved” brings it out beautifully.

   

  “I've heard the accusation

  And I've heard the propaganda

  I've heard the lies they whispered to my soul

  That I have been forsaken

  And I'll always be forgotten

  No matter what I do it's not enough

   

  And then I heard a voice

  As it opened up the heavens

  Reminding me of who I've always been

  I am Your beloved, You have bought me with Your blood

  And on Your hand You've written out my name

   

  I am Your beloved, one the Father loves

  Mercy has defeated all my shame

  There's no accusation, or any condemnation

  When I look into my Father's eyes

  They don't see my sin, they only see redemption

  This is how my heart has been defined”