Reflection: 14 to 20 Feb 2011
Last night we had a very enjoyable evening of food, fellowship and fun at the Foreign Members Gathering. It was indeed a great way outside of service times to get to know each other better and some never known facts were revealed about some of us! 🙂
This gathering also served as a good backdrop for this week’s reflection for me.
We have been reading a lot about Paul’s missionary journeys of how he traveled to unknown places and there he preached the gospel. And something that Locked Garden commented recently that stuck in my mind.
She said that “God keeps on sending workers to strengthen Paul and to help out…”
This never really struck me before and when I went through last week’s chapters… indeed it was so. Paul had Silas, Timothy, Aquila and Priscilla to help him this time.. not counting the nameless individuals who welcomed Paul in each of the cities he visited. Before that, there was Barnabas and John Mark…
In a foreign city, God always made sure that there will be people there to receive Paul and to help him.
For the foreign members who come to Singapore to work or study, indeed, sometimes, although the church is here… they may feel lost and lonely … in need of help and strengthening.
Let us be like all those disciples and followers who selflessly welcomed and assisted the foreign visitors like Paul.
And we do it all because we have one Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ as the centre of all that we do and say.
Indeed in Jesus Christ, we are one family 🙂
7 Comments
depress one
Haha! Indeed, in Jesus we are one family… How coincident that i recognise those people in the video posted on this blog . I think this is taken in Calgary prayer house in Canada. Nicholas from SG Adam is on the far left, Tony sitting next to him is from Taiwan, his family migrated to Vancouver… The red shirt brother i dun really know him but i think he is from Sabah. The guitarist is Pr Tsen,also from Sabah migrated to Canada, and he prick my interest in learning guitar when i was staying 4 months with him. He and his family been to Singapore before for his Preacher training during the 90s… I think those members in Adam church can recognise him too. And lastly, the violinist is Pr Timothy Yeung from HK migrated to Vancouver, I was very close to him as he conducted Student Spiritual Convocation in Vancouver.. He has 3 children, the twins are very cute.
This is a video shows a instrumental/hymnal fellowship in a cozy setting of a member’s house. Man, i miss those days when it is snowing and cold outside but in the house is filled with warm.
biblereadingcompanion
Yes! Thought I recognized Pr Tsen. Thanks for confirming it.
Think “In Jesus Christ We Are One Family” is very much a TJC song all around the world … and hopefully we can all express and manifest the oneness in Jesus that is to be found in the house of our Lord 🙂
We should gather more and sing more 😀
appleofHiseye
Together.
Family.
These were the words that stuck to me after reading the chapters for this week. It’s nice how Paul had so many people to encourage him along his journey in the Lord and throughout his missionaries. It made me think about how things are going in church, whether there is this together-ness when doing divine workers, or is one person or a few people doing all the work? Are we making decisions together as a church or is one person or a few people having to decide things? Are we helping each other out like a family would take care of each one another? After a long week and a Sabbath break, it’s time to make some goals for a new week.
“In Jesus Christ We Are One family”-a nice hymn to sing together with our family in Christ anytime (:
depress one
Did anyone notice how in Act 16 v8 to v10 the writing changes from 3rd person to first person?
Any explanation for this? Sorry if this already discuss before…
” 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
Thanks.
biblereadingcompanion
Hi… well spotted.
It is commonly accepted that the change from the 3rd person to 1st person in the writing reflects the time when Luke joined the missionary band of Paul.
Luke, as you know, wrote the Gospel according to Luke as well as Acts of the Apostles. Some say that Luke, being a physician, joined in to help Paul with his health problems.
Whatever the reason is, God has His wonderful will behind it… because Luke was a well educated man and was also a very good and accurate historian. And that’s the reason why we have a very good record and account of what happened in the early church to serve as a good model for us today.
depress one
Thanks for the explanation. I always thought that it is a print or typo error in newking james version …
PS
i like the weekly reflection section bec it gives me a chance to read the bible passages for the week again slowly.
Acts 15:35 Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Wow, i have not noticed previously that there were many others also teaching and preaching the word of the Lord together with Paul and Barnabas at Antioch.
Besides the work of the Holy Spirit, the reason that the number of believers of the apostolic church multiplied quickly might be bec the believers were willing to share their gospel of salvation with others.
Like Philip and his 4 daughters, they evangelised and prophesied. (Acts 21:8-9)
At times, the church is said to be short in love to truth seekers and new believers. This is a point worthy of our reflection.
If believers are focused on the commission of preaching the word of the Lord like Paul (Acts 9:29), Lydia (Acts 16:40), Timothy (Acts 16:2-3), Luke (Acts 16:12), Jason (Acts 17:6-7), Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:26), Apollos (Acts 18:27-28) and many unnamed believers (Acts 15:35 i.e. unsung heroes of faith), may be the love of Lord Jesus is the first fire to warm the heart of all.
And gradually through working together, His children will slowly knit and join into a family by and in the common love of Lord Jesus (Eph 2:19-22, 4:6).
(This is childish talk. i need time to grow up.)