Advent Devotionals

A New World with Christ Read Revelation 21:1-8. For further reflection, read Revelation 21:1 – 22:21. Christ our Saviour is born today! This is the day that Christians around the world and throughout the last few centuries have chosen to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many Christians and non-Christians will make the effort to attend a church’s…

God’s Word Read Nehemiah 8. For further reflection, read 2 Kings 22. The Israelites were in exile, and they have just returned back to the land. It was not a triumphant return. The land was not in a good condition. The temple needed rebuilding, and they would need a city wall to protect them against their enemies. There were many things that they needed to do to…

Jesus Departs Read Acts 1:1-11. For further reflection, read Luke 24:36-53. There is always a period of uncertainty and anxiety whenever the top leader of any organisation changes. Oftentimes, whenever the CEO of a company changes, the top management who served with the previous CEO usually also leaves shortly after that. There is no greater example than the change of a…

An Ordinary Life Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12. For further reflection, read Acts 11:19-29. There is an increase in self-proclaimed social media influencers in recent years. These “influencers” oftentimes try to leverage their popularity from their followers to get free items from companies. This is usually done under the guise of promotion of said items. Popular social…

Life-Changing Read Colossians 1:3-14. For further reflection, read Romans 8:5-17. Think back over the course of your life. What event or decision would you say was pivotal or life-changing for you? What is it about that event or decision that changed the course of your life? For many people, these events may include the decision to move to another country, get married, or…

A Shoot from Jesse Read Isaiah 11:1-11. For further reflection, read Romans 1:1-6 and 2 Timothy 2:8-9. When the Israelites were invaded by the Assyrians in 722BC and taken into exile by the Babylonians in 597/586BC, they must have thought that it was the end of their kingdom and the Davidic dynasty. They were taken away from their land, the temple has been razed to the…

Love Read Psalm 18. For further reflection, read 1 John 4. “I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes. Love is all around me and so the feeling grows”. Those are lyrics taken from the popular song “Love is All Around”. That song is a great example of how many of us conceive of what love is today – the sentimental, emotional, and universal nature of love. It is almost…

Family History Read Joshua 24:1-27. “Who Do You Think You Are?” is a British genealogy documentary series whereby a celebrity traces their family tree in each episode. Along the way, they often find out about interesting anecdotes and stories about their great-grandparents and how they ended up where they are. They often find out more about themselves as they study their…

New Bodies Read 1 Corinthians 15:35-58. If time permits, read 1 Corinthians 15:1-58. New bodies. The concept of having a new body has been something I’ve been mulling over these past few weeks especially. In the space of about six weeks, my last grandparent has died at the age of 99, two family members close to me have been diagnosed with rare tumours, and I’ve caught…

Last Words In the movie “Saving Private Ryan”, Private Ryan was trapped behind enemy lines. Captain Miller and his company of soldiers were commanded to search and rescue Private Ryan. After battling through numerous shootouts, they managed to find him. However, in the course of the rescue, Captain Miller was fatally shot. His dying words to Private Ryan was, “Earn it.”…