Prepare To Celebrate!
BRD REFLECTIONS:
(Philip Oh, BRD Core Team)
READ:
John 6 (NIV)
John was written to help everyone who wants to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Chapter 6 is a record of some of the miracles of Jesus feeding five thousand, Jesus walking on water, Jesus as the Bread of Life and even about some disciples deserting Jesus.
OBSERVE:
Jesus performed many miracles, recorded in John and other gospels. For me, the familiarity and repeated reading of these miracles sometimes make it feel less special.
I gravitated to these two verses which are simple, straightforward and comforting to me:
V 37 – “…whoever comes to me, I will never drive away”
V 41 – “…I am the bread that came down from heaven”
APPLY:
I was drawn to the above verses because as I write this reflection, it is 1st December, the beginning of the Advent season. During Advent, we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Jesus came down from Heaven to save me from my sins. Jesus came down from Heaven to save everyone who would call upon His Name. These words remind me to reflect on the deep meaning of Christmas when God sent His only begotten Son down to earth to die on the Cross for the sins of this world. What magnificent love! What unfathomable love.
As Jesus is the Bread of Life, described in John 9 and many other parts of the Bible, all I need to do is to accept Him as my Lord and Savior. I am assured and comforted by verse 37, that Jesus will never drive me away.
DO:
- I will prepare myself to celebrate the birth of Jesus by praying, worshipping and reflecting on the song “How Great is our God”
- I will share the true meaning of Christmas with my relatives and friends.
- I pray that God will grant me divine appointments to share the gospel at CCIS (Celebrate Christmas in Singapore) in Orchard Road.
PRAY:
Lord thank You for this season of Advent during which we can prepare for the celebration of Your love for the world through Your son Jesus Christ. Grant us opportunities to speak to others about the true meaning of Christmas, even as You prepare hearts to be receptive to the message of Your saving grace. Amen.
