Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+40&version=ESV
Dec 2
Isaiah 40:1-11 (ESV)
Comfort for God’s People
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
The Word of God Stands Forever
6 A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
The Greatness of God
9 Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;[e]
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;[f]
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!” 10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him. 11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
Meditation:
List all the ways, in this passage, you see comfort for the people.
What does this passage show you about the character of God?
Which of these promises of God’s comfort do you need in your life today? Ask God to comfort you with that promise.
Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+9&version=ESV
Dec 1
Isaiah 9:1-7 (ESV)
For to Us a Child Is Born
1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Meditation:
What are the promises given by God in this passage?
What is the role of the “child” in bringing these promises to pass?
Take some time to remember who Jesus was. Pray for the world and for yourself with confidence in His ultimate reign, even in the midst of darkness.
Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+31&version=ESV
Nov 30
Jeremiah 31:27-40 (ESV)
27 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. 28 And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the Lord. 29 In those days they shall no longer say:
“‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
30 But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.
The New Covenant
31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
35 Thus says the Lord,
who gives the sun for light by day
and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
the Lord of hosts is his name: 36 “If this fixed order departs
from before me, declares the Lord,
then shall the offspring of Israel cease
from being a nation before me forever.”
37 Thus says the Lord:
“If the heavens above can be measured,
and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,
then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel
for all that they have done,
declares the Lord.”
38 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when the city shall be rebuilt for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”
Meditation:
What are the elements of the future covenant God will make with his people?
What are the implications of this new covenant for the people of God?
How does this passage help you understand being in a covenant relationship with God?
Thank God for His restoring love. Pray for areas in your life where you feel broken and need his restoration. Pray for damaged relationships which need to be restored by the touch of God.
Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalms+130&version=ESV
Advent Week 1: Prophecy & Longing – the Old Testament Story
Nov 29
Psalm 130 (ESV)
My Soul Waits for the Lord
A Song of Ascents.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
Meditation:
Imagine yourself as a watchman (guard) assigned to keep watch all night. What do you see and how do you feel?
What is the relationship between hope and waiting?
How will you obey the command to put your hope in the LORD?
Read this psalm slowly and meditatively as your prayer to the Lord today.
Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7&version=ESV
Nov 28
Sermon of the Mount – Christian Dedication
Matt 7：21-29 （ESV）
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Build Your House on the Rock
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
The Authority of Jesus
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Meditation：
The Sermon on the Mount makes us aware of a fundamental choice: Jesus repeatedly asks His children to be different than other people. Our righteousness should be deep rooted in our heart, our love should be wide enough to bear with our enemies. We are facing two kinds of treasures, two masters, two aspirations, two disciples and two paths. Now is the time for our decision. Are we going to follow the crowd or follow our heavenly father? Are we going to follow the wandering opinion of the majority, or follow the will and revelation of our heavenly father? In the last section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ main purpose is to remind us that we are facing an unavoidable decision.
Read Matt 7:21-29. Looking superficially, what are the things we can praise about the people described in the passage (v21-23)? Why did Jesus not care about their good declaration and actions but announced their sins instead?
It is difficult for us to distinguish between true or fake Christians. However, a storm will reveal things that are hidden. What are the storms you are facing? How do these storms reveal the characters of your life?
Which teaching in the Sermon on the Mount gives you the greatest challenge?
Pray that God will help you to submit to His authority especially on those things that you don’t want to submit or things you are doing hypocritically?
Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+6&version=ESV
Nov 25
Sermon on the Mount – Christian Aspiration
Matt 6：19-34 （ESV）
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Do Not Be Anxious
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Meditation：
Every person has dream about being famous or successful in their career. When we were children, we usually dreamed to be an athlete, astronaut or movie star. Adults have their more focused dream of begin rich, famous or powerful. However, what should be the aspiration of a Christian? In this passage, Jesus help us to make the wise choice by pointing out the stupidity of choosing the wrong way and the wisdom of choosing the right way. We can make the decision ourselves knowing the comparison.
Read Matt 6:19-34, the Bible tells us to lay up treasures in heaven and not worry about worldly matters (v19-21). How will you lay up treasures in heaven?
Jesus said that no one can serve two masters – God or money (v24). Did you put your faith on God or on money?
What is the difference between aspiration of Christians and non-Christians? Why? (v32-34) Pray to God to encourage you to reflect your goal and aspiration.
Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+6&version=ESV
Nov 24
Sermon on the Mount – Christian Prayer
Matt 6：7-15 （ESV）
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Meditation:
The basic difference among different type of prayers lies in our different understanding of God. The Lord’s Prayer was a format of prayer taught by Jesus to His disciples. According to Matt 6:9 “Pray then like this,” the Lord’s Prayer is also an example for people to follow. According to Lk 11:2, “When you pray, say,” the Lord’s Prayer are the words we should use when we pray. However, they are not mutually exclusive and we could use both. We could use the Lord’s Prayer as our prayer, or use it as a format of our prayer. Jesus not only teaches us how to pray, He also show us a deeper understanding when we call “Our Father in heaven.”
Today do you make the mistake of “unintentional prayer” and “meaningless prayer”?
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (v9). In the culture of self-inflation, our heart is occupied by our reputation, career and will. How can we overcome this inclination?
What is the relationship between the God’s forgiveness for us and our forgiveness for others (v12, 14-15)?
In what area your prayer should be closer to the example of the Lord’s Prayer? Pray according to the format of the Lord’s Prayer now.
Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5&version=ESV
Nov 23
Sermon on the Mount – Love Our Enemies
Matt 5：38-48 （ESV）
Retaliation
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Meditation:
This passage brings us to the climax of the Sermon on the Mount. This teaching of Jesus receives the most praises and censures. Jesus taught us to love those who are evil (v39) and our enemies (v44). No other teaching has such a big challenge. This reflects the obvious difference between Christian culture and other culture. The need for the power of the Holy Spirit in this case is also more demanding that in other cases (Love is the first in the fruit of the spiritual).
If you have a friend who keeps borrowing things from you and not returning them or returning with damages. There is no point to argue with him. What are you going to do? 1. Will you ask him to pay for the damages? 2. Refuse to lend him anymore, or 3. Continue to lend him things he asks? What is your principle?
Read Matt 5:39-42. What do you think is the natural response when we face this situation? How is it different from what Jesus expects us to do?
How do you apply this command of Jesus to your situation today? How should we follow Jesus’ teaching to treat our enemies?
Is there someone you know that you have grievance with? Pray to God for strength to love them.
Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5&version=ESV
Introduction
Sermon on the Mount seems to be the most popular among the teaching of Jesus but it is also the least understood, not to mention about doing it. Sermon on the Mount was Jesus’ instruction to His followers, teaching them what type of people they should be and what they should do. In the next few days, we will reflect our spiritual life through the Sermon on the Mount, preparing ourselves for the Advent and celebrating the birth of Jesus.
Sermon on the Mount – Christian Character
Matt 5：1-12 (ESV）
1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Meditation:
If you heard about Jesus and understand His teachings, you will be familiar with the Beatitudes. The eight blessings are simple but meaningful, and attracts Christians and people of every generation. If we dig down the meaning, we will find its deep meanings. The Beatitudes is a treasure we could never exhausted. Study the Beatitudes, even though we may not reach the deep level of understanding, we will be closer to God’s Kingdom.
The Beatitudes reveal a balanced while diversified Christian character. It is not that there are eight different types of disciples – some are meek, merciful or called to be persecuted. In fact, all these characters could belong to the same group of people. They are meek, merciful, poor in spirit and pure in heart.
People with these character may not belong to upper class in society, nor spiritual elite above normal Christians. In contrast, the Beatitudes is the standard Jesus set for every Christian. Every Christian should have these characters as they are the standard for the ideal children of God.
Read Matt 5:1-12. Try to compare the people we regard as blessed or fortunate to what Jesus described. What are the differences?
Bonhoeffer was killed by German Nazi because of his Christian faith. He once said, “Every teaching of the Beatitudes widened the gap between a disciple and the world.” How do the promises in the Beatitudes encourage you to be a person different than others?
As you read the Sermon on the Mount, pray that God will help you to attain once of the blessings in the Beatitudes.
Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philemon+1&version=ESV
PHILEMON
Introducing Philemon
The little book of Philemon is the only surviving letter of Paul to an individual friend and convert about a private matter. In it we learn that Onesimus, one of Philemon’s slaves, had stolen from his master and run away to Rome. In that great city he met Paul and became a Christian. Under Roman law, Philemon had the right to brand a returned slave and even kill him.
Paul applies what he wrote in Colossians: “Here there is no Greek or Jew . . . slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Col 3:11). Philemon and Onesimus are given the chance to participate in a revolutionary new process for reconciliation.
Before you begin today’s reading and reflection, take a few minutes to create or find a “sacred space”. If you’re in your room, make yourself a small space with as few distractions as possible. Put aside any books, music, magazines; turn off your phone; get away from your email/facebook; turn off your music; etc.
Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”
(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)
8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment.11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
REFLECTION
Paul asked Philemon to stop seeing Onesimus as a runaway slave, and to begin seeing him as a dear brother. The gospel makes the same request of each of us. We’re to see everyone as individuals of infinite worth and value, for whom Christ died. And we are to see Christians as dear brothers/sisters and to love them as members of our family.
Are there one or more Christians that you have a hard time accepting as brother or sister in Christ? Why is it hard to think of this Christian this way? Is it the background, ethnicity, behavior, cultural or theological difference, or something else? What would need to change in you in order to accept this person as a Christian brother or sister?
Talk to God about your struggle of accepting others. Thank God that He accepts your and sees you and other believers as no less than His very own children. Ask God to help you see others with the same eyes.
As you encounter people this week who are different from you, remind yourself that God sees them with the label “my children” – and that means you
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.
If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions,words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.
Proverbs for Today 25:11-14
11 A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. 12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold
is a wise reprover to a listening ear. 13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
is a faithful messenger to those who send him;
he refreshes the soul of his masters. 14 Like clouds and wind without rain
is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.