Tribute to Rev Dr Billy Graham

Dear Blogger Friends,

 

We pay tribute to Rev Dr Billy Graham who has been called home by the LORD on 21st February 2018 at 99 years of age in his hometown – Montreat, North Carolina. We remember him as a godly servant leader who brought the gospel to South East Asia back in December 1978, and had many souls been saved for the LORD. He too encouraged the spreading of the gospel in Singapore back then.

 

May his soul rest in peace as he receives his eternal reward from the LORD for his labor in service that has its due to God’s glory today!

 

(Do click onto this link – http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/billy-graham/billy-graham-british-breakthrough.html to read the story of his life, family, integrity, politics, evangelism & ministry)

A Prayer to Keep God First This Lunar New Year

Contributed Source By Jeremy Koh

As this Lunar New Year begins, the very first thing that I would like to do is to thank God for the new year that have arrived. As I mediated upon what has the apostle Paul said "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This prompts me to thank God for making all things new where He has allowed the good along with the hard things as well as the bad ones into my life, reminding me how much I need Jesus and relying on His presence filling me every single day.

  

Jesus, I pray for your Spirit to lead me each step of this Lunar New Year guiding my decisions and turning my heart to deeply desire you above all else. Jesus, I pray that you will open doors needing to be opened and close the ones needing to be shut tight. I pray that you would help me release my grip on the things to which you’ve said “No,” “Not Yet’,” or “Wait.”

 

Jesus, I pray for your help to pursue you first, above every dream and desire you’ve put within my heart. Jesus, I pray for your wisdom, for your strength and power to be constantly present within me. I pray that you would make me strong and courageous for the road ahead. Give me ability beyond what I feel able, letting your gifts flow freely through me, so that you would be honored by my life, and others would be drawn to you.

 

What is your prayer for the new-year as you place God first in your life today?

  

Profile Background Source:

Jeremy Koh is a disabled graduate from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore – formerly known as Spastic Children Association (1987-1997). He graduated with a Diploma Degree from School Of Ministry In’ Tung Ling Bible College (1999) and TCA College (2003) with Certificate Degree in Bible and Ministry.’ Jeremy did a research work for the keyguard at (these)abilites Pte Ltd handling all KeyGuard Operations for 10 months.  Today, Jeremy is an active member, a volunteer & an Inclusion Ambassador in Disabled People Association and YouthCorps Singapore serving in Special Needs Cluster, Friends of Engagement TaskForce and that he does volunteer in multiple places too in the area of disability related contacts.

Glorious God

(Read Luke 7:36-50)

We see the Roman centurion, the widow of Nain, and the sinful woman who see Him for who He really is. These are the people who will enter the kingdom of God, and their common trait is that they all had a need that only Jesus could meet. The kingdom of God is not filled with men and woman who earned their way there but with men and women who realized their need for a Savior. Imagine, Jesus  eating dinner in our house! The Pharisee was given the greatest honour when Jesus accepted his invitation to dinner, but he did not return the same honour back to Jesus. The Pharisee's judgmental heart blocked all the blessings he could have received personally from Jesus, even his own salvation.

 

Let’s really stop being judgmental – from the words we speak to the thoughts in our minds as we come before Jesus and confess we have needs that can only be fulfilled through Christ.

 

Written By Ong Woon Lit

Profile Background Source:
Ong Woon Lit is a friend who does send daily devotionals to encourage his audience of readership with heartening Biblical Scriptures.

Why Jesus Came: He Is Greater than the Ashes

Contributed Source by Jeremy Koh

I consider how ashes have often been the symbol of deep repentance and grief throughout the Bible and ancient practices. I examined several verses that said about ashes as the symbol of deep repentance and grief. In Genesis, it says “for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). In Job, tells how Job was righteous man who loved and honored God. Yet he lost everything. It crumbled around him, all he held dear. And he knew without God, he was nothing. And we find him in the beginning of the book of Job, “he sat in the ashes” (Job 2:8). Daniel also spoke of how he and the people had suffered under captivity, he prayed to God on behalf of his people, that God would have mercy. He repented, and confessed his own sin, his deep need for Him. He knew where true strength and help came from, “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). 2 Samuel 13 shows how Tamar was had trusted and yet was betrayed. David’s own daughter had been taken advantage of, then’ was left on her own, alone, with no hope for her future, to pick up the broken pieces of shattered life. “And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went” (2 Samuel 13:19);

 

During my today’s reading, I meditated upon the verse that says “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:1-3).

 

Truly, Jesus came to bring life, freedom, restoration, redemption, healing, favor, goodness, joy. He came to trade our brokenness and ashes for hope and beauty. He will never waste our pain, but will bring His greater purposes from it all. With all that He is as a sovereign God, I trust Him in all easy and difficult days and know that the ashes on my life will fade away but His beauty shines brightly through me.

 

Is Christ’s Glory beauty shining brightly through you today?

 

Profile Background Source:

Jeremy Koh is a disabled graduate from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore – formerly known as Spastic Children Association (1987-1997). He graduated with a Diploma Degree from School Of Ministry In’ Tung Ling Bible College (1999) and TCA College (2003) with Certificate Degree in Bible and Ministry.’ Jeremy did a research work for the keyguard at (these)abilites Pte Ltd handling all KeyGuard Operations for 10 months.  Today, Jeremy is an active member, a volunteer & an Inclusion Ambassador in Disabled People Association and YouthCorps Singapore serving in Special Needs Cluster, Friends of Engagement TaskForce and that he does volunteer in multiple places too in the area of disability related contacts.