Agape Devotions

Read: 1 Pet 4.12-5.14 Verses chosen for reflection 1 Peter 5:1-5 "So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Reflection There are tons of Christian leadership books and resources in this world. Many speaks of the ways and methods of leadership but very few talks about Gospel leadership.  Here, the Apostle Peter summarised it for us: To be an effective leader in Chr...

READ : 1 Pet.3:8 to 4:11 REFLECT/RELATE : Live long enough, you’ll bleed.  Perhaps the saddest thing about our pursuit of comfort is the fact that we never actually catch it.  Life is full of suffering; no one gets out of here alive. C.S. Lewis—the brilliant mind behind the   Narnia   series—once wrote that “crises reveal character.”  Sometimes suffering says more about our hearts than it does our circumstances.  Very often suffering reveals our idols—reveals where we look for comfort and security.  When our idols are threatened, we become bitter, angry, resentful. Suffering also says a lot about our religious commitments.  If I am a deeply religious person, my tendency is to make an idol out of my religious performance.  I may be a pillar in my community, a well-respected member of my Church.  But when suffering comes, I don’t know how to handle it.  Wasn’t I good enough?  Is God angry with me?  I may become bitter, guilt...

READ : 1 Peter 2:11-3:7 Verses chosen for meditation: 1 Peter 2:18-20 18  Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.  19  For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.  20  For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. REFLECT This letter was written likely during an outbreak of persecution under emperor Nero. Questions were stirring up within the Christian community. Should they escape or resist? Should they tone down or hide their outward signs of faith? Peter’s readers needed clear guidance on how to respond, with their lives in danger. They also needed some explanation of the meaning of suffering. Why does God allow it? Does God care? Peter’s response in chapter 1 did not focus on the “w...

Read 1 Peter 1.13-2.10 Verses chosen for devotion: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The First Letter of Peter, was addressed to the persecuted or oppressed Christians living in five regions of Asia Minor. They might have gone through trials and tests and the message was to encourage them to stay steadfast in their faith. In the chosen passage Peter reminded Christians that they are a chosen race, special to God, set apart for Him to be testimonies to others for they have tasted the goodness of God, and they who were once living in the dark had been called into the light, in full knowledge of the truth of Jesus Christ, and received the mercy of salvation.  What does...

Read 1 Peter 1: 1-12 Verses chosen for meditation: I Peter 1:3 - 4, 6 - 8 ESV: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,  Reflect Is faith of any value if it is not tested? What is a living hope? How is hope different from faith and how are they related? Relate It's interesting t...

  TEXT TO REFLECT ON Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.  JAMES 4:13 – 16 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. JAMES 5:17 – 18 REFLECT This is one of life’s greatest paradoxes: that we are as insignificant and ephemeral as a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes, yet having such an audience with God that God would alter the course of nature in response to our prayers. This reality is so extreme that fe...

Read: James 3:1-4:12 No devotional (Sunday)

Read: James 1:19-2:26 Verses selected for reflection: James 2:1-7 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”  4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonoured the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? Reflect The Apostle James was writing...

READ : James 1:1-18 REFLECT/RELATE : The epistle of James is of unique and peculiar significance to us because it comes from the one who knew more about the Lord Jesus than any other human being -- at least as far as the record that is passed on to us is concerned. James, the brother of our Lord, was raised in the same home in Nazareth, grew up with the Lord Jesus, saw him through all those silent years of which we have no record, and joined with his three other brothers -- Joseph, Simon, and Judas -- in opposition to the Lord Jesus during the early days of his ministry. James was finally converted by the resurrection of the Lord; and the Apostle Paul tells us that after the resurrection, the Lord appeared to James (1 Corinthians. 15:7). Many of us would give a lot to know what happened during that time when James had looked upon Jesus as nothing more than his brother. He was one who had grave doubts that Jesus was indeed the Son of God as he claimed; once he had regarded him as a madm...

You can use today to catch up on the readings of previous days, or watch this video for an overview of the book of James:  https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/james/

READ : Hebrews 13. Verses chosen for meditation: Hebrews 13: 4-5. 4  Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.  5  Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   REFLECT The writer of the Book of Hebrews elevated Jesus as superior above angels, all animal sacrifices and prophets including Moses. In such declaration, the writer is aiming to exhort believers in Jesus to live lives pleasing to God. So, when we submit that our Lord Jesus is superior above all, do we not see Him as our perfect example for holy living in every aspect of our lives? Following on the call in verse 1,” let brotherly love continue”, the author continues the call to honour marital love in light of Jesus’ highest moral standard. The call is that marriage must be honoured by all. For s...

Read Hebrews 12 Verses chosen for meditation: Hebrews 12:1-3, 5-11, 22-24 ESV: 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  5. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you ar...