Prayer Pointers – 17 June 2021
”If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” – James 1:5, ESV
We have a perfect Father in Heaven who creates, knows, and grants us the best for our lives so that we can bring glory to Him. As we are beset by a world still grappling from multiple waves of Covid-19, O Lord, bestow upon us Your wisdom and guidance to live wisely and serve faithfully to glorify You.
All things are for Him and through Him
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” – Colossians 1:16-17
Christ was present during creation, as part of the Holy Trinity. This verse adds that not only was Christ there but all things are created through and for him. Paul’s reason for making these claims is to demonstrate Christ’s power and love. To convince his readers to glorify God, as in Romans 11:36 “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
If all things are through Christ and for Christ, we must remember to give glory to Him no matter the circumstance. Reality is the result of God’s plans for us, and though we may not understand due to our limited sinful human understanding of things, we know that he loves us.
“Now, I’m ready to go home and bear fruit.”
(Left) Mr Tan Eng Kwang, EAST Admissions Officer. (Right) Mr Vitou Ngeth, 2021 graduate, Master of Divinity in Christian Ministry.
Ngeth Vitou (Cambodia), MDiv Christian Ministry
“First we clean the land and let the cows soften the soil; then we let the land rest and heal, add in fertilizers and plant rice.”
Vitou, 33, speaks like a pro because from the young age of seven, he was already helping his parents on their three-hectre rice fields.
First, we clean the land
Vitou’s spiritual growth path started at 21 at a Bible School in Sihanoukville (western Cambodia), four hours from his hometown in Takeo. “I wasn’t a believer then,” he says. “I enrolled at the school only because it was free.”
The fifth child of a family of six children confesses that he grew up very angry about being poor. “I dreamed of finding a better life for my family; my father died early and my mother lived a hard life,” says Vitou. “But when I accepted Jesus in my first year at the college, my dreams changed to helping others find eternal life.”
Prayer Pointers – 10 June 2021
“And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” – Ezra 3:11a, ESV
We have much to thank God for: He has blessed us with EAST Mission Hub (EMH) and moved hearts of ministry partners in envisioning with us to “develop Christlike servant leaders for the Great Commission in Asia and around the world” at the recent online EMH Thanksgiving & Envisioning 2021. All glory to our mighty God!
Things will work out
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28, ESV
On the surface, Romans 8:28 seems a simple verse to understand. Love God, and things will work out well for you. However, this is not the case as “good” does not translate to our human and earthly understanding of the word. When we think “good” we understand it as going well or comfortable. The following verse, Romans 8:29, elaborates “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”
“Good” here means that we will draw closer to parity with the image of Jesus the more we love God and obey him. Our takeaway is that love and obedience to God may not materialise goodness in the way we imagine, but instead draw us ever closer to him.
EAST Library Catalogue
EAST Populi
National Library Board eResources
The Digital Theological Library
