Holy Trinity Bukit Bintang
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Lent Devotion

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"At the Foot of the Cross" is an annual Lenten devotion written by clergy and lay leaders in the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia. This devotion has been faithfully produced since 1992 and this year's theme is on 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Join us as we journey together towards the foot of the cross.

 
 

20 March - Grace, Peace, and Thanksgiving

 

“Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.”

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4

 

1. God’s love and faithfulness: Our God always ministers his love and faithfulness to us as our Heavenly Father (vv.1-2). It is steadfast and perpetual, no matter how ‘big’ or ‘small’ our personal circumstances might be, how young or old we are as Christians, nor how overwhelming our sufferings we might be. We need to be more resilient and adept in discerning God’s fatherly love and faithfulness towards us at all times and in all circumstances.

2. The central work of Jesus Christ: Our faith, our spiritual life and all Christian work is based on the foundation of the unique and supreme work of our Lord Jesus Christ (vv.1-2). It then follows that the Christian faith, life and work exist and operate for the purpose of perpetuating and accentuating this foundation. This was inevitably true in the unique circumstances of the Thessalonian Church, and this will hold true in our unique circumstances and that of our respective churches.

3. God’s grace and peace: Our lives operate and develop by God’s grace, which is abundantly and sufficiently available for us. As we experience and enjoy God’s grace, we should minister to others, encourage others to discern and discover God’s grace at work, as what Paul, Timothy and Silas did for the Thessalonian Church. As Christians, we also live, operate and work in peace with God, and relate to one another with this peace. This peace comes to us from God through the work of Jesus Christ, who is the giver of God’s peace (John 14:27), and it is the ‘peace which passes all understanding’ (Philippians 4:7).

4. The importance of thanksgiving: As Christians, whether we realize it or not, God’s presence, power and work is continually in our midst. We must learn to see and sense his hand and his work upon our lives, and give praise and thanks to him. Our irrepressible praise and thanksgiving to God will in itself thwart our enemy’s attempts to impede and derail us. We also need to give thanks to God for his same presence, power and work that we might see and sense in the lives of other Christians. This would greatly encourage these other Christians, as Paul, Silas and Timothy did for the Thessalonian Christians (v.3 cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 2:13, 3:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:13).

5. Giving Christian testimony: Whenever we discern or experience God’s good and gracious work in our lives, it is important and necessary for us to testify to others. We also need to give testimony when we see or hear the same happening in the lives of other Christians. Testimonies about God’s gracious and significant work in our midst bring glory to God and edification to fellow-Christians. It also presents a good witness, and brings encouragement, to non-Christians.

PONDER

Our Christian faith and convictions cannot be “trusted” if it is not “tested”. Let us consider and reflect on the constraints and challenges we face as Christians, and our responses to it, in the light of the above passage.

PROMISE

When we can respond favourably and spiritually to the above considerations, as Paul, Silas and Timothy did with the Thessalonian Church, our Christian lives will blossom, our Christian fellowship will be enriched and our churches will flourish!

PRAYER

Almighty God, inspire and guide us to be ministering and encouraging servants and instruments of yours. Enable us to edify one another, and contribute to the growth of our respective churches and the advancement of your Kingdom on earth, through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Article by the Reverend Tom Cherian, Vicar of St John’s Anglican Church, Ipoh, Perak.

HTBB