Passage: Isaiah 12:2-3 (NIV)

Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.”
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.

Comment

This past Sunday (5 Nov) Ps. Dale continued the Advent series called ‘Preparing for Christmas again’ and spoke on Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 3:2-18 and Philippians 1:6-11. He spoke about John the Baptist, Jesus – the Anointed One and how God, who began a good work through us, will finish it for His glory.

In this coming week, Ian O’Connell from Shanghai West International Fellowship (SWIF) will continue with the Advent series and he’ll speak on preparing for the day we will sing a new song as seen in Isaiah 12:2-6. He’ll expand on having such an eternal perspective by explaining how we should prepare for the day when Jesus comes again and how we will sing a new song filled with the greatest joy ever. He’ll conclude his sermon by illustrating how we can partake in this eternal preparation by expressing the joy of our salvation today to those around us.

As we reflect on one of the aspects of this past Sunday’s sermon and how John the Baptist preached a message of repentance, prayerfully contemplate which area/s in your life needs genuine repentance? Repentance is defined as responding to God’s love by being transformed in your convictions and actions. It means turning towards God and away from whatever dishonors Him. Biblical repentance is not about your emotions, your sin, your efforts, or your resolve. It’s about your surrender. What do you need to surrender to God today and trust that He who started a good work within you will finish it for His glory?