The second Sunday of Advent pepares us of the coming Kingdom of God: one that is of peace, justice and righteousness. In God’s Kingdom, there will be no division, no disunity, no hatred.
In our everyday living, God also gives us peace. Though we are living in challenging times, the peace that comes from God shows us that we are not alone. We know He is with us.
We light the first candle which symbolizes Jesus as our Hope
Advent (“adventus” in Latin means “coming” or “arrival”). It is the 4 Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to Christmas.
Advent invites us to reflect on the love of God for us by sending His Son Jesus Christ into this world for us. It is also a time of intentional prayers, reading the Scriptures and waiting for Jesus’ promised return to establish God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.
The four candles of the Advent wreath symbolise: Hope (purple), Peace (purple), Joy (pink) , and Love (purple).
The fifth candle, symbolises Jesus Christ, will be lit on Christmas Day.
May we experience the hope, peace, joy and love of God this Advent season. đđŒ
Gracious God,
You are our help in ages past and our hope for years to come. In the midst of fires, floods, or natural disasters, we trust in Your steadfast love.
Comfort those who have lost homes or loved ones and those who are yet to know the whereabouts of their family members. Fill them with Your peace and comfort their weary hearts with Your gentle presence.
Bless and protect the front liners: the firefighters, the police officers, the search and rescue teams, the medical personnels, the social workers, and the volunteers. Grant them wisdom, courage, and compassion, that through their rescue efforts, Your love and healing grace will be known to the world.
We pray for the leaders and the people of Hong Kong to be resilient as they rebuild the city. May they respond to the cries of the victims with generosity, protect the vulnerable, and show the love of Christ through their words and deeds.
We pray all these in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.
What a beautiful promise that God has engraved (not written, which can be erased) our names on His palm. Just as engraving something means sealing something permanently, God is committed to His people.
This is an assurance that God cares for us, He watches over us, He loves us and He will not forget us.
He knows us by name – He knows us individually. He creates each of us with so much love and care.
Whatever you are going through right now, He cares for you. He is right there with you.
John Wesley had a strong interest in health and wellness. He believed that God is a God who wants to give us inward and outward health. God is the one who heals the body and the soul. In 1747, he wrote a book entitled, âPrimitive Physic: An Easy and Natural Method of Curing Most Diseasesâ to help the poor access healthcare without relying on expensive physicians. Shaped in the 18th century, some of his health advices may not be accurate today, but many of his health principles still offer relevant wisdom for us in the 21st century.
Wesley believed in caring for the whole of the person: body, mind and spirit. For Wesley, health and wellness wasnât just about the absence of illnessâit was about living a life of balance, discipline, purpose, and service in accordance to God’s will. Wellness is a form of holiness, as we care for both the body and the soul which God has entrusted to us.
Wesley paid attention to rest, exercise and diet. Self-discipline is needed to achieve a holistic lifestyle.
Rest:
Wesleyâs understanding of health is a unity of both physical and spiritual aspects. His advice was to go to bed early and rise early by keeping regular sleep habits. We are to work diligently but are to avoid overworking.
Rest and recreation are part of honouring God, and not self-indulgence.
Apart from physical rest, we find true rest in God our Creator. True rest and healing begin in a relationship with Jesus, not in remedies. Finding rest in God means trusting Him in all circumstances and being thankful. Letâs spend time with God and enjoying Him through prayers, worship and reading His Word.
âGive me a calm and thankful heart, From every murmur free; The blessings of Thy grace impart, And make me live to Thee.â (Hymn by Charles Wesley)
Application: Let us find rest in Jesus. Let Jesus restore you from the inside out.
Exercise:
Wesley believed in honouring the body through small, daily actions. He recommended doing daily physical activity, breathing fresh air and drinking clean water. To him, walking is the best exercise with sunlight and fresh air.
âA due degree of exercise is indispensably necessary to health and long life.â â John Wesley
Application: Make one intentional choice today to honour your body.
Diet:
Wesley recommended simple diet for good digestion. Eat moderately and avoid overeating, abstaining from highly seasoned food and excessive drinking. Our physical health enables us to serve God and others more fully and with joy.
Application: Choose to take something nourishing for your body.
Emotional Wellness:
Wesley recognized that anger, bitterness, fear, and anxiety could damage both body and soul. He encouraged believers to seek emotional healing through: Confessing of sins to God and to pray to God, to practise forgiveness to others, and to have accountability with fellow Christians. To find satisfaction in God rather than on materialistic things.
Application: Identify one emotion that you have been carrying. Surrender it honestly to God in prayers.
Preventive:
Our bodies are gifts from God and therefore we ought to take extra care of it. Wesley emphasized that we should take preventive measures through cultivating good habits, rather than doing something about it only when illness strikes. Good habits include taking care of personal hygiene, cleanliness and exercise can help to prevent illnesses.
If our lifestyle is not intentionally managed, it can cause physical illness and also spiritual weakness. Wellness, according to Wesley, is not about living a self-indulgent lifestyle but it is about living with discipline for the glory of God. Wesley cared for his health so that he could care for others. When we are healthy and well, we are more able to love and help others.
â19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?â (1 Corinthians 6:19, NIV).
By taking care of our body, we are honouring God and showing him gratitude for the excellent gift He has blessed us with.
âUse all the means which God has put into your hands for the preservation of your health.â â Wesley, Primitive Physic
Application: Make one change to protect your long-term health (limit sugary foods, take a break from screens).
Wesleyâs vision of health wellness is about faithful stewardship, intentional living, and loving service to others. Through small daily habits, we can cultivate a life that is vibrant, healthy, holy, and God-honouring.
Reference:
John Wesley had strict teachings on the use of money. He pointed out 3 principles: gain all, save all and give all.
1. Gain All You Can
It is a good thing to be able to work. Work is a blessing to God. To Wesley, money should be earned in the right way: honestly, ethically and responsibly. God has entrusted us to be productive and diligent in our work. We are to gain all the money that we can but here is a caution, never at the expense of our health, our soul, or the well-being of others.
2. Save All You Can
Wesley encouraged believers to live simply and avoid unnecessary spending on vanity or personal-comfort. waste money away. Wealth is not to be hoarded for personal comfort or self-indulgence, but to be stewarded wisely.
3. Give All You Can
Money is an excellent gift from God, but it is not meant for selfish pleasure. Wesley taught that the true purpose of wealth is to bless others, to improve the quality of life for others and to help those in need. He urged Methodists to live frugally so we could give generously.
Money is a powerful tool for doing goodâbut only when used with the right heart and pure intention.
John Wesley recognised that money is not evil. As the Bible says, “10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:10).
Money itself is not a bad thing. It is a system of value that people agree to use for exchanging goods and services. We buy goods and services using money.
However, is the desire for the excessive of money, and seeing money as the ultimate source of importance and happiness in life which lead people away from God. The desire for wealth can cause someone to do unethical things which will cause many sorrows, regrets and pains to them and those around them.
John Wesley said,âWhen I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart.â
Of course, he did not mean reckless spending. He meant that money shall have no control over his heart, his life or his ministry.
How shall we invest in the life and the resources God has entrusted to us?
Today is Mid-Autumn Festival. As we marvel at the flourscent moon, and enjoying time with our family and friends, let us also remember to praise the Creator God. In His infinite wisdom, God creates all things visible and invisible.
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authoritiesâall things were created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16, ESV)
He ordains time and seasons.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, ESV)
To God be praised!
“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” â Psalm 9:10 (NIV)
The older we get, the more we seem to recognise that trust is a fragile thing. Weâve all experienced disappointments â promises not kept, friends letting us down, plans falling through, and words that don’t match actions.
But Psalm 9:10 gives us a different perspective. It points us to the One whom we can put our trust â not people, not possessions, not circumstances, but God.
To “know His name” is not just to have head knowledge that He is âGod.â In biblical terms, to know someone’s name means to know their character. It implies that weâve been journeying with someone long enough to truly understand who they are. It is a deep and intimate friendship, built over time and through experience, both joyful and painful moments.
Time and time again, God’s friends have found Him to be a solid anchor in this fragile world. His perfect character does not change. He can be trusted, because He has proven, again and again, that He will never forsake those who seek Him. Those who know God have tasted His faithfulness, goodness, love, and mercy. Because of these experiences, we can trust Him despite wherever circumstances we are in.
God can be trusted because his character doesnât change. He doesnât waver with the seasons of life. He doesnât disappear when things get hard. He is there for us not when we are strong, but He is there especially when we are helpless, hopeless, and weak.
Which area of your life is God inviting you to trust Him in today?
John Wesley once said in a sermon:
“Give me that Book! At any price, give me the Book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri (a man of one book).”
The Book he was referring to is the Bible.
John Wesley believed that the Bible is the final authority from God for faith and practice. It is the Book we use as the standard for daily living. We follow the teachings of the Bible.
Godâs Word lights our path and guides us in holy living, in service, and in love for one another.
However, for many of us, the Bible is not always easy to understand. We need people to teach us Godâs Word so that we can grow in our faith and in our walk with God.
Apart from the Bible, God also uses Christian literatureâspiritual songs, hymns, books, devotionals, and sermonsâto speak to us.
We give thanks for the many Christian writers, poets, hymn and songwriters, journalists, and scholarsâboth past and presentâwho have been nourished by Godâs Word and have taken the time to help others see it more clearly. They are Godâs mouthpieces to us as we navigate through life.
God uses them to speak to us and inspire us in our Christian journey.
There are times when physical mentors are not available to us, but we can still learn from their wisdom through their literary works.
Books written by faithful Christian writers and theologians offer rich insights into Godâs Word and His character.
When I was younger, I found Philip Yanceyâs books especially impactfulâtitles such as Disappointment with God, Where Is God When It Hurts?, The Jesus I Never Knew, and Prayer helped me see different facets of God.
Philip Yancey is one of the authors who inspired me to love Jesus more and to understand His heart.
Christian writers help us discern right from wrong. They guide us toward sound theology and deeper understanding.
There is a wide selection of Christian books available today. Reading them helps us understand our purpose here on earth.
John Piper once said:
âThe reason for reading Christian books is not just to be smarter, but to be more in love with Christ and more useful to His people.â
Mother Teresaâs journal entries have also been an encouragement to me. In her journals, she wrote about experiencing spiritual darknessâeven as she ministered to the dying and the sick in Calcutta.
She described a deep pain that tormented her soul from the beginning of her mission with the poor.
Although she felt as if God wasnât near, she knew she was a âchild of His love.â
She wrote:
âI want to smile even at Jesus and so hide, if possible, the pain and the darkness of my soul even from Him.â
She also said:
âIf I ever become a SaintâI will surely be one of âdarkness.â I will continually be absent from Heavenâto light the light of those in darkness on earth.â
What beautiful writing, and what strong faith! Even in spiritual darkness, she held on to Jesus, knowing she was called to bring light to those in darkness.
Through books, we can access the minds of godly men and women from todayâand from hundreds of years ago.
In todayâs fast-moving world, each of us has limited time to meet in person. It’s rare to sit down with a mentor to ask questions or learn deeply from them.
Even though I have accessible lecturers who are just a text away, reading books allows for deeper, longer reflection on important topicsâfar beyond surface-level conversations.
John Piper said:
âReading gives us access to centuries of godly wisdom. Not reading is cutting ourselves off from the communion of the saints.â
Books give us the opportunity to glean wisdom from different cultures, time periods, and perspectives.
We live in a modern world with easy access to books and resourcesâwhat a gift!
How did I learn about marriage?
I’m not married, but I have preached at weddings and conducted pre-marital counselling.
Iâve learned from my parents, of courseâbut another key source has been Christian books on marriage by authors like Paul Tripp, the late Timothy Keller, and others.
These writers explain biblical teachings on marriage and offer practical steps for daily life with a spouse.
95% of my friends are married. Some of them often complain about being married. Thatâs why I turn to Christian writers for wisdom, so my views on marriage are not distorted by negative opinions.
These books have taught me how to treat a spouse with love and respect, rather than just complain about one another.
When we read books, we are mentored by wise and godly people, shaped by their experiences with God.
I once read The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.
He encouraged his suffering friends by saying:
âHow sweet it is to suffer with God. Great though the sufferings may be.â
Brother Lawrence was a cook, and he spoke to Jesus as if Jesus were physically present with him in the kitchen.
His simplicity and devotion are inspiring.
Just as we need food for our physical bodies, we need nourishment for our souls.
We do that, in part, by reading Christian books.
Just like our bodies need a variety of nutrients, our minds and spirits benefit from reading books from different genres and perspectives.
This helps us grow in our worldview, deepen our understanding of God, and appreciate the beauty of other human beings.
The Bible can never be replaced.
We cannot simply read spiritual books and neglect Godâs Word.
Christian literature does not replace the Bible. Instead, it points us to it, explains it, and offers us practical application.
Christian literature is like stained glassâit helps us see the light of Scripture in color.
Reading spiritual materials nourishes our soul and transforms us from the inside out.
Mother Teresa once said she wanted to bring light to those in darkness.
Through Christian literature, we too can bring light to others.
Think of the influence of:
Godâs Word is a lamp, and we are the lamp-bearers.
Many people in the society are lost, confused, sad, anxious, and hurting.
Are we called to carry the light of the Gospelâthrough word and deed?
Yes, we are. Let us bring God’s Word of hope and love to them. It will be like a light that surrounds them.
Your story, your insight, your testimony may be the light someone else needs.
So share what God has done in your life.
Pass on good books that help you during your difficult moments.
Recommend Christ-centered resources to your friends.
Don’t hide the light but be a blessing to others through the blessing you have received.
Life is not always easy. We go through ups and downs. There are mountaintop moments where everything seems smooth and we enjoy success and fruitfulness. But there are also seasons when we feel discouraged and disheartenedâwalking through valleys, feeling spiritually dry, and wondering if God is far away.
But take heartâwe are not alone.
We are not walking in darkness.
God is with us.
His Word is a lamp to our path and a light to our feet.
Let us delight in knowing more about Godânot only through the Bible, but also through faithful, Christ-centered Christian literature.
Let us read about Him.
Let us grow in Him.
And let us bring His light to the world.