NT30 - The Third Day

The Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36)

The 3rd day into NT30. Reading from Matt 24 to 28 and Acts 1 to 4

Jesus came with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane. (Matt 26:36). He dismissed His disciples and entered into the garden to pray. All alone.

There is a Gethsemane for every believer. In that garden, no one enters with you but you alone. It is a place of tension, pain and brokenness. Yet this is a necessary place for every disciple and no one is exempted from it. This is a place of preparation, a place of recharging, a place of connection, a place of intense prayers. It demands much dependance on the Father. It calls for the self to die and the Spirit to arise.

Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane with a heavy heart. He poured His heart out to the Father, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me..." (v39). Jesus' sorrow was beyond words. The task ahead to the road of Calvary is intense, immeasurable painful and hard to endure. "If it is possible....let it pass." Jesus said.

Many times, I said the same prayer in my Garden of Gethsemane. "Father, if this is possible, let it pass." I find myself left with little strength, courage and little faith to endure. I am afraid, vulnerable and helpless.

Yet, Jesus never stopped from that statement. There is a continuality to that statement. "...nevertheless, not as I will but as You will' (v39)

This is the call for every disciple of Christ - His will to be done, not mine. If this is expected of Jesus, how then we expect this to be exempted from our walk with Him. Haven't we understood enough, "I am here to do the will of God."

Yes, easier said than done. But not impossible. Jesus is the greatest example. It is comforting to know that Jesus had entered His Garden of Gethsemane and walked the same path. Being there before gives me great comfort to know and embrace a Saviour that identifies and understands all that I am going through and facing. His presence is all sufficient.

Jesus poured His heart out before the Father. Knowing that the task before Him is great, He needed that power, prayers and silence before His Father. I faced simialr situations many times. The greater and more intense is the battle and ministry demands, I needed more silence before the Father. And especially, that is 'my Gethsemane' and none could enter.

Nevertheless, there is a Saviour that had onced entered that Gethsemane. And because He did, He enables and empowers me to do the same. That gives me strength, confidence and faith to do the same. The same Saviour that says. "not my will Father, but Yours be done." allow me to uttered the same with humble boldness.

Jesus walked out from the garden of Gethsemane, filled with the Spirit, clothed with courage and confidence. All ready to face the tasks ahead, including all the trials, mocking, torture, humilation and His crucifixation. Not a moment of defeat and losing courage that we see in Jesus.

I yearned for the same. I am in my garden of Gethsemane. My heart is burden and heavy. I am lacking of strength and courage. And I am alone, yet not alone, cos My Jesus is with me.

When we think of life and ministry hardest battles, we cannot use the 'leftovers'. I must continue to be clear with the Word of God, true to the will of God and faithful and pressing on in regards to the work of God.

In preparation for the long haul, I need to commit to the Lord afresh each day.

In my Garden of Gethsemane, I met Him there. And I can say as He said, "Let Your will be done."

All glory to Jesus, my Saviour King.

NT30 - The Second Day

Into the 2nd Day of NT30, reading from Matt 13:1 to 23:39

Focusing on Chapter 16:15 where Jesus asked Peter, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter reply was one that was filled with faith, worship, awe and devotion for Jesus as he proclaimed, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (16:16)

The next moment, Peter was rebuking Jesus and trying to persuade Him to change His mind about His mission. Jesus had to make a stern statement to him, "Get behind Me Satan. You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God but the things of men." (16:23)

The same scenario goes to the transfiguration event. It is so easily to be caught with something else and replaced by something of lesser worth than Jesus alone. And believers and disciples of Jesus are not spared. This happened to Peter, it can also happened to me at anything.

I supposed that is why Jesus had to highlight this important verse 24, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me."

One of the thing I am praying for myself this year, is to have the mind of Christ and His kingdom increasingly more. That I will be more mindful of the things of God and not the things of men.

To gain that, Christ must increase and I must decrease. It goes back to verse 24.
To be on guard, as anything can replace that worship to Jesus, even if it means for just a while. And it can come packaging in a very 'noble way'. (just like what Peter had tried persuading Jesus)

What would my answer be if Jesus would ask the same question, " Who do you say I am?"

My answer would be directly linked to knowing Jesus and more each day.

NT30 - The First Day

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)

NT30 starts today with reading Matt 1:1 to Matt 12:50. I was taken by surprised by the time I finished. It was a journey of recharging, renewal, rediscovering the Word of God.

Reading in one sitting, I re-discovered so much refreshing truths:

* There were 14 generations from Abraham to David; another 14 generations from David until Babylonian's captivity; and from captivity until Christ is another 14 generations. (Matt 1:17)

* The wise men were secretly called by Herod to search for baby Jesus but they divinely warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod.

* The Sermon on the Mount and the Lord's Prayers were both recorded in Book of Matthew

* Chapter 8 and 9 recorded Jesus' ministry to the sick, needy, poor and the broken. 'Faith' is the key word in both chapters and Jesus was looking for faith.

* Matthew the tax-collector converted to one of the 12 disiciples recorded his own account when he first met Jesus and followed Him. A life-changing encounter for him. What would have fasten him in his ministry when he meditate and ponder on these words, "Follow me." (9:8) and 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." (9:13) Matthew being the tax collector (unlike the fishermen), he probably would understand it deeply what it means to be a 'sinner'.

* A tree was known by its fruit was mentioned twice in the first 12 chapters - Matt 7:12 and Matt 12:33

* The same prophet John the Baptist who proclaimed the coming of the Messiah and baptised Him bears a moment of doubt when he send his men to ask Jesus if He is the Coming One.

So many more truths and discovery and rediscovery just devouring the Word.

What caught me in just that one reading is this verse in Matt 9:37
"The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of harvest to send out labourers into the Harvest."

I ended by spending time praying this verse into Agape and the chinese ministry particularly. Praying Big Prayers and in Big Faith.

I remembered I was encouraging one of the China Nationals lady who soon be returning back to her country, to take the spirit of Happy Thursday back to her hometown and to start 'Happy Thursday." She was alittle taken by surprised, but soon thrilled when she asked me this, "Can I? I had a many neighbours staying around me who are senior citizens"

Of course, the answer is Yes! And take what she had learned from Happy Thursday to impart. Share Christ beyond her family members.

Suddenly, God by His grace, allowed me to see a glimpse of the reality of this Big Dream being fulfilled. I envisioned myself visiting them in China to bring them encouragement and challenge. (looks like apostle Paul indeed.) Do what I can do and allow Him to do the rest!

Another very encouraging moment for me is to see Matthew picking up the bible and plough through the bible before he sleeps, and wake up 30min earlier the next day to 'eat the book'. It would be a breakthrough for both of us to start and complete the NT30 together as a couple.

On top of that, we threw a challenge to ourselves. If we are able to complete the daily reading plan, we will put S$10 aside (individually) as a deposit. In any case we did not fulfill the day plan, we will put aside S$5. Achieving two purposes at one time.

Wow, it's really an adventure for me. I find my spiritual appetites graving for more.