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Worship in spirit and truth: devotion

Dr. Andrew C S Koh

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John 4: 19-29

Setting

Jesus ministered to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. He offered her living water and told her to bring her husband. When she said she had no husband, Jesus exposed her life of sin. She had previous 5 husbands  and was now living with a man out of wedlock. She was shocked by this revelation. Here was a man who knew everything about her. 

19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father. 22 You worship that which you don’t know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah comes, he who is called Christ. When he has come, he will declare to us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who speaks to you.” 27 At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What are you looking for?” or, “Why do you speak with her?” 28 So the woman left her water pot, went away into the city, and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Christ?”

John 4:19-29

Reflection

The woman called Jesus a prophet. The Samaritans worshiped God on Mount Gerizim while the Jews worship God on Mount Zion. She wanted to know where was the right place to worship God. Jesus replied, it was not the where but the who. God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. The Samaritans got it wrong. Their theology was wrong. Their Samaritans Bible was incomplete, inaccurate, and adulterated. They only accept the first 5 books of the Bible and they changed the words extensively. Salvation was for the Jews first and then only to the Gentiles, Romans 1:16.

God is spirit and truth. A true worshiper worship God in spirit and truth, with correct doctrine and theology. Jesus revealed His Messianic identity to her i.e. I AM. When the disciples came back, they were shocked to see Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman.

She left the bucket at the well with the joy of living water (Holy Spirit) bubbling within her.  She went to town with her testimony.  She invited them to come and see Jesus who knew everything about her. Could this be the Messiah?, she asked. The town people followed her back to the well.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek

Romans 1:16,

 

I AM who I AM

Exodus 3:4

Application

Jesus knows everything about you and me. You cannot hide anything from His omnicient power. If you sinned, you must confess, repent, and come clean, 1 John 1:9.  

Have you ever told anyone what the Lord has done for you in your life? Share out your testimony. Your testimony is very powerful and life saving. No one can dispute your testimony. 

God is spirit and truth. You must worship God in spirit and truth. Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. Speaking of Himself as truth, Jesus said that you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. Jesus is I AM, YHWH, the pre-existing, self-existing, eternal, and only true God. 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness

1 John 1:9

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray that You will open our hearts to hear, feel, touch, and understand what You are saying to us. We asked for the presence of the Holy Spirit to teach, guide, comfort, convict, rebuke, and train us in righteousness. You came to seek and save the lost, the weak, the poor, the rejected, and the marginalized. May we never walk away from You unchanged after every encounter with You, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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Woman, water, well: devotion

Dr. Andrew C S Koh

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Prayer

Heavenly Father, we commit to You our daily devotion. Holy Spirit we pray that You will explain, teach, reveal, and give us spiritual insight and understanding, in Jesus’ name, Amen

Setting

Jesus took the shortest route from Judea to Galilee by traveling directly northward stopping in Samaria. This was not the usual route. The Jews bypass Samaria by going through Perea, eastward, northward, and westward into Galilee. Jesus took the road less travelled. 

Jesus arrived at Jacob’s well in Sychar at noon, tired, hungry, and thirsty from the long walk,. The disciples went into the city to buy food. Jesus, who was fully man and fully God felt tired, thirsty, and hungry. A Samaritan woman came to draw water. This was most unusual. Woman came to the well in the morning or evening to draw water, socialise, and gossip. This woman came at 12 noon knowing that no other women would be there. 

John 4:7-18

7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

9 The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his children and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered, “I have no husband.”Jesus said to her, “You said well, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.”

John 4:7-18

Reflection

Jesus had a divine appointment to seek and save this unnamed Samaritan woman. When Jesus asked her for a drink, she was shocked because Jews and Samaritans were sworn enemies. In the first-century world, a woman was not allowed to talk with a man in public. This was forbidden, unacceptable, and even scandalous. Jesus broke the social, cultural, and gender divide in His opening gambit! Jesus, the gift of God, spoke to her! If only she knew! Here was a spiritually thirsty woman who looked for satisfaction in the well of relationship with other men but could not find it. Jesus’ brilliant ice breaker was to ask for water and He was ready to give her the living water of the Holy Spirit, John 7:37-39.

The woman was shocked. Here was a Jewish rabbi asking her for a drink!  Jesus spoke spiritually but she thought physically. She blurted out a rhetorical question, are you greater than Jacob?  Jesus responded that drinking water from this well would not satisfy her spiritual thirst. 

The woman was caught, hook, line, and sinker!. She wanted the living water! When Jesus told her to go home and bring her husband, she could not answer. With omniscient power, Jesus exposed her sin revealing that she had 5 previous husbands and the present man in her life was not her husband. Jesus exposed her sin to convict her to repentance. 

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them’. By this, he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified 

John 7: 37-39,

Application

Here is evangelism 101 masterclass. How do you talk with a stranger? How do you break the ice? Ask a simple question. Jesus was thirsty and the woman came to draw water with a bucket. It was very natural to ask for water. Use this approach. Start a small talk by asking a question with eye contact to build a bridge. Be sincere, friendly, and genuine. You are trying to break into a stranger’s world and he/she may be going through some hard times. Break down social, racial, political, gender, or religious divide. Jesus did it and so must you and me. 

Drinking water will only quench the thirst temporarily. What she, and everyone need is Jesus Christ, the living water of eternal life. Only Jesus can satisfy the thirst of relationship with the God of creation. Physicist Blaise Pascal said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ”. 

What wells are you drinking from? Are you drinking from the material wells of the world? None of these wells can satisfy the longings of your heart. Only the well of Jesus Christ can give you true inner and lasting satisfaction. Will you turn to Him?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, the waters of worldly pursuit makes us thirst for more. We need a drink from You to satisfy us for eternity. Fill us with Living Water, Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth, and Spirit of Life. You came to seek and save those that are lost. You went out of Your way to save to a lowly, unnamed, despised, and immoral woman of Samaria. Thank You for Your grace, mercy, loving-kindness, and faithfulness, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel of Mark: devotion

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us hungry hearts and thirsty souls to seek after You. Thank You for the privilege to study Your word. Thank You Holy Spirit for teaching, convicting, correcting, transforming, and training us in righteousness, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Setting

The 4 gospels presented 4 perspectives into the life of Jesus Christ. Matthew presented Jesus as King of the Jews for a Jewish audience, emphasizing what Jesus said. Mark presented Jesus as a Suffering Servant for a Roman audience, emphasizing what Jesus did. Luke presented Jesus as the Perfect Man for a Greek audience, emphasizing what Jesus felt. John presented Jesus as the Son of God for all people, emphasizing who Jesus was. 

The Gospel of Mark is a fast-moving narrative.  Mark used three words, ‘and’, ‘now’, and ‘immediately’ as he moved from one scene to the next. Mark could be referring to himself in Mark 14: 51. Mark was not an eye-witness. Mark relied heavily on the teachings of Peter, his spiritual god-father and mentor, 1 Peter 5:13. Mark was a cousin of Barnabas, Acts 12:12 and Colossians 4:10. He traveled with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, but abandoned them at Perga, Acts 13:13. Eventually Paul reconciled with Mark, 2 Timothy 4:11. 

Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you: Malachi 3:1, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’” Isaiah 40:3. John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”

Commentary

The Greek word for good news is ‘’evangelion’’ which means Gospel. The Gospel of Mark begins with the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Gospel of Mark did not begin with a genealogy of Christ. Mark presented Christ as the Suffering Servant. In the first-century world, a servant’s genealogy was not important.at all. Malachi prophesied John the Baptist’s arrival as a forerunner of Jesus 400 years before Christ. Isaiah prophesied John the Baptist’s arrival as a forerunner of Jesus, 740 years before Christ.

John was a hairy man who wore a camel hair jacket and a leather belt. He looked like Elijah. John the Baptist was a Nazarite, from birth Luke 1:15. He ate locusts and wild honey. Locusts are carob pods from the carob tree, also called the locust bean or St. John’s bread. He ate wild honey from the dates palm. John the Baptist said, he was not worthy even to be Jesus’ slave. He baptize with a water baptism of repentance but Jesus will baptize with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Malachi 3:1. “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!” says Yahweh of Armies.

Isaiah 40:3, ‘’A voice of one calling in the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’’ 

Luke 1:15, For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

Application

Jesus Christ’s appearance in Jordan broke the 400 years of prophetic silence between the book of Malachi and the gospel of Mark. God finally spoke in the voice of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, Hebrews 1:1-2. 

Malachi and Isaiah prophesied the coming of John the Baptist as the forerunner of Jesus Christ hundreds of years before the event. The statistical chance for this fulfillment is 1 in 10 to the power of 17. Jesus Christ fulfilled 381 Old Testament prophecies. This proves beyond any doubt that the Bible is the Word of God, 2 Timothy 3:16.

2000 years ago, Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, and died a cruel death on a Roman cross for our sins. John the Baptist was the messenger and way-maker; Jesus Christ was the Message, and the Way.

Hebrews 1:1-2, God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.

2 Timothy 3:16, Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the Good News of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Thank You for breaking the 400 years of prophetic silence. Thank You that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. Thank You for salvation, redemption, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, and eternal life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dr Andrew C S Koh

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Joy to the world: devotion

Dr. Andrew C S Koh

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray for divine insight, understanding, and a clear mind to read, study, understand, and apply scripture. We pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit and divine enablement, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Context

The nativity story is unique to Luke. Seemingly out of the blue, Caesar Augustus issued a decree to take a population census of the entire Roman world because he wanted to tax the people. To comply with this decree, the Jewish people had to travel back to their place of birth. Joseph and Mary had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for this population census because they were descendants of Dovid. Mary in the late stage of her pregnancy made this 70 miles journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. This must have been a very difficult journey for Mary. This was to fulfil the prophecy of Micah 5:2, that Christ shall be born in Bethlehem. 

Passage, Luke 2: 6-17

6 While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field and keeping watch by night over their flock. 9 Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. 11 For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.” 13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” 15 When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 They came with haste and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough. 17 When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child (Read the rest of Luke 2 on your own).

Luke 2: 6-17

Reflection

When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, they could not find any accommodation anywhere. Mary delivered baby Jesus, wrapped Him up in swaddling clothes, and placed Him into a manger, an animal feeding trough made out of stone. An angel of God appeared to some shepherds in Bethlehem in a field at night. The glory of God manifested in dazzling majestic lights and frightened the shepherds. 

After calming down the shepherds, the angel announced to them that Christ was born in Bethlehem, the city of David. They shall find Him wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. Immediately, angels sang, worshiped, and praised God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests”. God announced the birth of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, the Good Shepherd, the Shepherd of souls, to some poor lowly shepherds in Bethlehem. 

After the angels left, the shepherds went to Bethlehem to look for baby Jesus. They found Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, according to the angel’s announcement. After witnessing this, they went away and testified to all the people about this, and all who heard it were amazed. The shepherds returned to Bethlehem glorifying and praising God. 

Imagine the creator of the universe chose to be born in a feeding trough in an insignificant town called Bethlehem, witnessed by poor and lowly shepherds without any fanfare! As the King of the universe, He could have been born in a grand palace with great fanfare, and witnessed by royalty but He chose not to. 

Micah 5:2, But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

Application

Micah prophesied the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem 800 years before He was born! This astonishing prophecy proved beyond any doubt that God is the God of the Bible. This is not the only Old Testament prophecy that Jesus fulfilled. Jesus fulfilled 351 Old Testament prophesies and these are recorded in the Bible. The statistical chance of fulfilling all these prophesies is 1 in 10 to the power of 17. This is a mathematical impossibility.  Based on this, there is absolutely no doubt that the God of the Bible is the God of the universe. 

Today, if you go to Bethlehem in Israel, you visit the church of Nativity, and see for yourself the place where this event took place. The Bible is about real events, real people, and real places. Bible is God’s word to us. Acronym for BIBLE is Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

When Joseph and Mary (with Jesus in her womb) arrived in Bethlehem, there was no room for them in the city. Even today, there is no room for Jesus in many people’s hearts because of unbelief. Do you have room for Jesus in your heart this Christmas? Open your heart to Jesus. Invite Him into your life. Believe, and you will see the glory of God. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, let us open our hearts to receive Jesus Christ into our lives as our Lord and Saviour this Christmas. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ into the world to be the perfect Christmas gift to all mankind. Thank You for the grace and truth that Jesus brought to us. Thank You for the forgiveness of sin. Thank You for salvation by grace,  justification by faith in Christ, sanctification by the Holy Spirit, and the promise of eternal life. Thank You for Immanuel, God with us, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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Birth of Christ: devotion

Dr. Andrew C S Koh

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Introduction

The Gospel of Matthew opened with a genealogy of 42 generations, from Abraham to David (14), from David to the Babylonian exile (14), and from the Babylonian exile to Jesus Christ (14). This proved that Jesus was from the lineage of Abraham and David. 

The genealogy included 5 women, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary, who gave birth to Jesus. Joseph was named the husband of Mary. Joseph was Jesus Christ’s legal father but not His biological father because Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Passage

Matthew 1:18-21

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly. 20 But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She shall give birth to a son. You shall name him Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”

Reflection

Mary was engaged to Joseph. She and a virgin who miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit. Joesph was a righteous man. When He found out that Mary was pregnant, he wanted to send her away quietly, so as not to shame her. God sent the angel Gabriel to Joseph in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife because she was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Gabriel pronounced that Mary shall give birth to a son and His name shall be called Jesus. The Greek word for Jesus is Joshua, which means, God saves. Jesus saves us from our sins. Immanuel means God with us. Joseph took Mary as his wife and did not consummate the marriage until after Jesus was born.  Jesus’ virgin birth fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, prophesied 700 years before Christ. 

Immanuel.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name

Isaiah 7:14

Application

The genealogy of Jesus proved beyond any doubt that He was a descendant of Abraham and David. Anyone who claimed to be Christ (Messiah) must prove that He is a descendant of Abraham and David. God preserved the genealogy of Jesus to prove that He is Christ. Isaiah prophesied the virgin birth of Jesus Christ 700 years before He was even born! The accuracy of Bible prophecy was simply minded boggling! No one can give a prediction 700 years before it happens and fulfill it 700 years later. Only God can do this. Jesus fulfilled 581 Old Testament prophesies! The mathematical probability for this to happen by random chance is 1 in 10 to the power of 17! 

Jesus Christ is Immanuel, which means God with us. If you are a Christian, God lives in you as the third person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for preserving the genealogical record of Jesus Christ to prove that He is Christ (Messiah). Thank You for that we have a written record of the life story of Jesus Christ through the eyewitness account of the apostle Matthew. Help us to encounter Christ through the pages of Your infallible, inspired, and inerrant words. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ into the world 2000 years ago to save us from our sins. Thank You that You are Immanuel, God with us, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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Immanuel, God with us: devotion

DR. Andrew C S Koh

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The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel

Prayer

Heavenly Father, please direct our thoughts to connect with You and speak to us from Your word. You are pleased when we talk to You. Help us to pray without ceasing. Nourish us spiritually through the living Bread of Life. Revive our hearts, renew our spirits, restore our faith, ignite our souls, and transform our minds in service and obedience, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Passage

Luke 1: 26-35

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. 34 Then Mary said to the angel,’’ How can this be since I do not know a man?”35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He, therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God

(Read the rest of Luke 1 and Matthew 1)

Luke 1:26-35

Reflection

In the 6th month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to visit a teenage Jewish girl, Mary of Nazareth, who was a virgin. Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, had miraculously conceived even though she was barren and advanced in years. Gabriel pronounced a blessing on Mary saying that she was highly favoured by God. Mary was shocked by the unexpected angelic visitation. Gabriel announced to Mary that she shall conceive and give birth to a son and shall call Him Jesus.  Jesus, Son of the Most High God shall reign over the throne of His father David. At this time, the throne of David did not exist! 1000 years before Christ, God covenanted with David that his house, kingdom, and throne, shall be established forever.  One of his descendants shall reign on this throne as Messiah. Jesus fulfilled this Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7:16. House of Jacob refers to the nation of Israel. Jesus, the Messiah shall reign over the nation of Israel and His kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom. 

Mary was shocked because she was a virgin. The angel Gabriel proclaimed that nothing was impossible with God. The power of the Holy Spirit shall come upon her and make her conceive miraculously. This shall be a sign to her from the Lord, Isaiah 7:14.  He shall be called Immanuel, Holy One, and Son of God. Mary willingly submitted to the will of God and called herself maidservant of the Lord. Immanuel, in Greek, means God with us. Jesus is God with us in the flesh, through His incarnation. Incarnation, which means embodied in flesh. 

Joseph was Jesus’ legal father but not his biological father. because Mary was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary was a descendant of the tribe of Judah and a descendant of David. 

Your house and your kingdom will be made sure forever before you. Your throne will be established forever

2 Samuel 7:16

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel

Isaiah 7:14

Application

Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born by the virgin Mary. Isaiah prophesied this 700 years before Christ was born. No one can make a prediction 700 years earlier and make it come to pass 700 years later. Only God can do this because He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.  This was only one of 351 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Christ. The statistical chance for all these prophecies to be fulfilled by random chance is 1 in 10 to the power of 17. This is mathematically impossible, but with God all things are possible. This proves beyond any doubt that the Bible is truly the word of God. 

Jesus is God in the flesh. 2000 years ago, God step out from eternity and entered the time-space continuum to become a human being through the virgin birth of Mary. He lived a perfect life and died a cruel death on a Roman cross to pay the payment of your sins for us. All we have to do is believe in Jesus and weour shall be saved. This is the good news of the gospel. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for speaking to us today. Strengthen us in the faith for personal life enrichment. Engage us with Your word daily. Feed our weary souls and quench our spiritual thirst. Develop in us, a desire to know You more. Let Your word dwell richly in us. Thank You for including us in Your plan of salvation for the world. Thank You for the hope that we have in You. Even as we read about the birth of Your Son, we are humbled by His humble beginnings. We pray that You help us understand what we read today, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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What must I do to be saved?: devotion

Dr. Andrew C S Koh

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The Jew’s favorite question to Jesus was what they must do to inherit eternal life. The rich, young ruler man was no different. Luke 18:23 described him as very rich. Matthew 19:20 described him as young. Luke 18:1 described him as a ruler. Mark 10:17 said he ran to Jesus and knelt down to worship Him. He was very sincere and desperately wanted eternal life. 

Passage

Luke 18:18-24

.

18 A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one: God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ ‘Don’t murder,’ ‘Don’t steal,’ ‘Don’t give false testimony,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”, Exodus 20:12-16, Deuteronomy 5:16-29. 21 He said, “I have observed all these things from my youth up.” 22 When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom! (read the rest of Luke 18 on your own)

Luke 18:18-24

Reflection

The rich young ruler asked Jesus what he must do to possess eternal life. He addressed Jesus respectfully as a Good Teacher. Jesus asked why he called Him good. Was he implying that Jesus was God?  Jesus quoted the last 5 of the 10 commandments. The man happily ticked all the boxes. ‘I passed’ or so he thought! But Jesus gave him one more box to tick. Liquidate all his assets, donate all the proceeds to charity, follow Jesus, and inherit eternal life. He could not tick this box. He walked away from the deal with great sorrow because he was very rich. 

What went wrong? Jesus diagnosed his spiritual condition as covetousness. Here was a man who loved possessions more than God. The radical surgery for this condition is to take away possessions. He chose to walk away from Jesus. He was very close to inheriting eternal life (salvation) but missed it. Sincerity will not do it. Keeping a set of laws will not do it. Only a radical change of heart will do it. Salvation required a spiritual heart transplant. He must be born again, John 3:3.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”

John 3:3, NKJV

Here was a sinner who thought he was righteous (self-righteous). Did he pass the test of law-keeping? No way! Jesus exposed his true spiritual condition and gave him a chance to confess his sin. When asked to liquidate and donate to charity, the rich young ruler walked away from Jesus. It is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. This is a hyperbole, an exaggerated figure of speech. The eye of a needle is a tiny little aperture. The camel is the biggest animal in Israel. But God can make this happen. Zaccheaus was a very rich man but he was saved, Luke 19:1-10.

The disciples left everything to follow Jesus and they will inherit eternal life, Luke 18:29-30.

He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left houses, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for God’s Kingdom’s sake, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the world to come, eternal life.”

Luke 18:29-30

Application

Jesus’ injunction to liquidate and donate to charity is a specific injunction to the man in this story. This is not a universal call to poverty as a prerequisite to salvation. His love for money prevented him from following Jesus. Instead of possessing money, money possessed him. 

The challenge to you and me today is to hold lightly to the things of the world. Prioritize your lives and put Jesus first before everything else. You can serve only one master. Will you serve Jesus or money?  

Follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Do not let anything stand in the way. 

So, what must you do to inherit eternal life?

It is not what you do. It is what Jesus had already done for you on the cross 2000 years ago. Jesus paid the price of your sin for you on the cross. All you need to do is to believe Him. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ and not by work. Ephesians 2:8-9.

for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the timeless lesson on the rich, young ruler. Help us not to covet. Help us to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Help us to surrender our lives to You and make You the center of our lives. Help us to love You vertically and help others horizontally. Thank You for salvation by grace through faith in Christ,  in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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The Lost son: devotion

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Dr. Andrew C Koh

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Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your divine appointment with us. Thank You for meeting us through the pages of scripture. Speak to us through the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of eternal life, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Have you lost anything? It is very frustrating to have lost something. You will turn the whole house upside down until you find it. 

Luke 15 is a chapter concerning the lost and the found. Here is a triplet of three parables, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. The tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus to hear Him teach. The Pharisees and scribes were incensed because Jesus was so friendly with the social outcasts whom they considered to be sinners. Jesus responded to this attack by telling these three parables. 

Luke 15:11-24

11 He said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them. 13 Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. 14 When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. 19 I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 “He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet.23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat, and celebrate; 24 for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate ( read the rest of Luke 15 on your own)

Luke 15:11-24

Reflection

Here is the famous parable of the lost or prodigal son. A man had two sons. The younger son demanded his share of his father’s estate when his father was still alive! In Jewish custom, the elder son will get 2/3 and the younger son gets 1/3 of the estate but only when the father dies. After cashing out the money, the younger son ran away to a Gentile country and wasted everything on irresponsible living. Very soon, he was bankrupt and destitute. To make matters worse, a severe recession hit the land. The only job he could get was to look after the pigs for a Gentile businessman. Here is the shocking part.  He had to feed the pig!  For a Jew to feed the pigs was terribly insulting as pigs are unclean animals. He was so hungry that he even wanted to eat the pig’s food! 

When the prodigal son hits rock bottom, he came back to his senses. He was dying of hunger. He decided to return to his father or he will be dead. He acknowledged that he had made a terrible mistake. He was willing to apologize to his father and become his servant. He made a 180 degrees U-turn to go home, rehearsing his repentance speech along the way. 

When he was still a long way off, his father spotted him from a distance. The father felt sorry for the son. He had been looking out for him ever since he left. He ran and kissed the son’s neck even though he was dirty and smelly all over. In those days, for a rich man to run was considered very shameful. Before the son could even complete his repentance speech, the father interrupted him. 

The father covered the son with the best robe, put a signet ring on his hand, shoes on his feet, slaughtered the fattened calf, and hosted a feast to celebrate the return of his lost son. 

Interpretation

A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. In a parable, every character represents something. The father represents God. The prodigal son represents the tax collectors and sinners. The best robe represents Christ’s robe of righteousness. The signet ring and shoes represent restoration to sonship. The signet ring is a stamp for authorizing family transactions. In those days, servants went around barefooted but sons wear shoes. 

The prodigal son also represents people. People have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. People are like lost sheep who have turned to their own way. God waits patiently for people to repent and comes back to HIm. He will forgive people who come to him in repentance. He will cover them with Christ’s robe of righteousness and restore them to sonship. 

The prodigal son also represents Christians who have back-slided in the faith. God is waiting for them to repent and turn back to him. To repent is to make a 180 degrees U-turn and return to God in repentance. God waits patiently for back-slided Christians to return to Him. 

The father had to celebrate because his son was lost and found. He was given up for dead but came home alive. The elder brother in the parable represents the self-righteous, judgmental, and hypocritical Pharisees and scribes, who scoffed at the tax collectors and sinners.  They too needed to repent and come back to God but they would not. 

Application

People are like lost sheep who had gone astray. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for them on the cross to pay the penalty of their sins for them. There will be great joy in heaven when one sinner repents and turn back to God. 

The prodigal son came back to his senses, returned home, confessed his sin, and repented. The four steps to salvation are acknowledgment of sin, return to God, confession, and repentance. God is waiting for sinners to return to Him. 

Have you walked away from God? You can return to him right now, right where you are. In a simple prayer, confess your sin, and surrender your life to God. He is waiting for you.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful and memorable parable of the prodigal son. Thank You for looking for us to bring us home to You through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Thank you for the wonderful gift of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. If we have walked away from You, help us to return back to You. Help us to recommit our lives to You to serve You in the kingdom of God, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Who is my neighbour?: devotion

Dr. Andrew C S Koh

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Luke 10:30-36

 30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” (read the rest of Luke 10).

Oxymoron

To the Jews, Good Samaritan is an oxymoron because to them, no Samaritan is good. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The parable of the Good Samaritan is unique to the Gospel of Luke. Jesus told this parable in response to a scribe’s question  “who is my neighbour?”  

Commentary

A Jew was robbed and attacked by thieves when he was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They robbed, injured, stripped, and abandoned him by the roadside in critical condition. A priest coming down from Jerusalem passed him by but was afraid to even touch him. He turned a blind eye to the man and walked by on the other side as though he was transparent. A Levite passed him by and did exactly the same. These two pious religious Jews turned a blind eye to another Jew even though he needed assistance so desperately. They were hypocrites who did not do what they preached. They did not love their neighbour as stipulated in the Mosiac law. 

 A Samaritan man passed him by, stopped, rendered first aid, took him to an inn, and looked after him. The next day, he paid the inner keeper with a promise to reimburse all subsequent expenses. 

The irony of the parable is that the most hated person in the parable is the hero. The most unlikely person to help stopped to help. The most unloved person showed love to someone who hated him. The good Samaritan man took care of the wounded man and saved his life.

Jesus answered the scribe’s question with another question. Which of these three men qualifies to be a neighbour to the man?  This is the punch line of the parable. The scribe could not even pronounce Samaritan! All he could say was, ‘’he who showed mercy’’. 

Jews hated the Samaritans and vice versa. Jews considered Samaritans as half-breeds, unclean, pariahs, outcasts, and marginalised them. 

Application

The priest and Levite showed no compassion to another Jew even though he was in dire strait. Here is the shocking part. A Samaritan man showed love and compassion to a Jew. He saw a wounded man and not a Jew. 

Will you show love and compassion to those who need your help? Will you turn a blind eye or stop to help?

Do you love your neighbour as yourself?

Your neighbour is someone who needs your help and whom you are in a position to help.

Your neighbour may not be someone you like. 

Your neigbout=r may even be your enemy.

If you want to know who your neighbour is, go and look out for the needy, the sick, the poor, the destitute, and the marginalised. There are plenty of needy people in your neighbourhood whom you are in a position to help.

Will you be a good Samaritan to someone today?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for telling us this timeless parable. Help us to reach out to those who are in need of help. Help us to see suffering people through Your eyes of love, compassion, mercy, and grace. Help us to be good Good Samaritans who will reach out to the marginalised and needy. Do not let us turn a blind eye to anyone in need. Help us cultivate the spirit of the good Samaritans, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Word became flesh: devotion

by Dr. Andrew C S Koh

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John 1:14

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come before You with reverence and awe. We pray for quiet, soft, receptive, and teachable hearts. Speak to us as we listen to You, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

The Word became flesh

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth

John 1:14

Commentary

I will dissect this verse into 5 parts.

The Word became flesh

The Word is Jesus Christ. The Word became flesh means incarnation. Incarnate means embodied in flesh. Jesus is the embodiment of God in human flesh. Jesus of Nazareth stepped out from eternity into our time-space continuum and became a man 2000 years ago. This explains why the calendar is divided into BC and AD.

In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

John 1:1

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched, this we proclaim concerning the Word of life

1 John 1:1

made His dwelling among us

The Greek word for “dwelling” is “tabernacle”. God dwelled among the Israelites in the tabernacle and later, the temple.  The tabernacle or temple was a foreshadow of Jesus Christ. Today, Jesus tabernacled among us. The body of a Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit. When someone is born again, the Holy Spirit tabernacled in his/her body. During the inauguration of the first temple, Solomon asked whether God would really dwell in the temple that he built, 1 Kings 8:27. God answered this question 1000 years later when Jesus came to earth and dwelled among us!

But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!

1 Kings 8:27

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

1 Corinthians 6:10

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our dwelling place with him

John 14:23, amplified Bible

we have seen His glory

The Greek word for glory is “doxa” which means splendour. “We” is a plural pronoun. John and the apostles had seen, heard, and touched Jesus. They saw the glory, grace, and truth of the Son of God. John was not only an eyewitness of Jesus but also a reliable one. John was a cousin of Jesus because his mother Salome and Jesus’ mother Mary were cousins. As children, they would have played together as a family. This was how close they were. 

the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father

The Greek word for one and only is “monogenes’’ which means the only unique or the only begotten. Jesus Christ, the unique Son of God, came from the Father as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.

He was in the beginning with God

John 1:2

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known

John 1:18

full of Grace and Truth

Grace is to get something that we do not deserve. Truth is something that is authentic. The Hebrew words for grace and truth are “hesed” and “emet”, which means unfailing love and faithfulness. Hesed and emet in the Old Testament correspond to Grace and Truth in the New Testament. Salvation is by the Grace of God through faith in Christ, who is Truth. 

So, the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness

John 1:14 (a), NLT

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

Ephesians 2:8

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me

John 14:6

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

John 8:32

Application

Jesus Christ stepped out from eternity into our time-space domain to become a human being. Jesus Christ is God in a human body. He is not just a good man, wise teacher, or prophet. He is fully God and fully man. He is God whom you can know, see, hear, love, and relate to. He is the message, the Word of God. 

Do you know Jesus? Do you want to know  Him? You can know Him right now, right where you are.

If you want to know Jesus say this prayer with me:

Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner. Please forgive me. I believe You died on the cross to pay the punishment of my sin for me. I surrender my life to You, in Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

If you prayed this prayer you are born again as a child of God. This is the first step. Find a Bible-believing church near you, inform the church pastor about your decision, and join in the fellowship of believers to grow and mature in the faith.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to step out of eternity into our time-space domain to live among us. Thank You for showing us Your Glory, Unfailing Love, Faithfulness, Grace, and Truth. Thank You for the gift of salvation and eternal life by grace through faith in Christ, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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