Author Archives: James Chuang

The Holy Spirit, the Church, and Christ

By Devotionals: The Gift of the Holy Spirit

“The unity of the church roots in the fellowship with Christ, and comes up out of it.” Herman Bavinck Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14 The bond of unity that the Holy Spirit creates among Christians is essentially a bond that has its source in Christ. We have seen repeatedly how the Spirit comes to us as the Spirit of Christ. He constantly points away from himself to the Lord Jesus and is the means whereby we share in the life of Christ. And he does this not just to and for us individually, but as a body – as the church […]

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Praying for the World

By Devotionals: 1 Timothy

“I urge that supplications, prayers… be made for all people…” (1 Timothy 2:1) Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-15 In our last devotional, we noted the priority the apostle Paul put on prayer in the life the church. It is to be the first work of the church. Or, as John Stott puts it, the church is to be essentially a “worshipping, praying community” in the midst of a world that doesn’t know God. But Paul was not only concerned that the church should pray. He was also vitally concerned about the scope of its prayers. It was to be worldwide […]

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Making Shipwreck the Faith

By Devotionals: 1 Timothy

“By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith…” (1 Timothy 1:19) Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-20 Our first point of focus in these studies in 1 Timothy is on truth or doctrine. We have seen so far that truth matters and have considered two tests that allow us to distinguish truth from error. Next, we look at the possibility of falling from the truth. Can men and women who have embraced the gospel later abandon it or at least so seriously compromise it that they effectively fall from the faith? Indeed, they can. This is what had happened […]

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Keeping on Track

By Devotionals: Mark

“’Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’”  (Mk 1:38) Bible Reading: Mark 1:35-39 After a long evening healing sicknesses and driving out demons, Jesus could have been excused for sleeping in the next morning. But not so. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark,” he got up, left the house, and “went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). Rising somewhat later, Simon and his companions noticed his absence and came looking for him. By that time, it seems that […]

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The Way to the Father

By Devotionals: John

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Bible Reading: John 14:4-6 Jesus had revealed to his disciples that he was leaving them in order to go to his Father’s house. Had they really known him, they would have understood that he was talking about leaving this world and going back to heaven – that he had “come from God and was returning to God” (John 13:1, 3). Furthermore, they would have understood what he meant when he added, “You know the way to the place I am going” […]

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A Temporary Separation

By Devotionals: John

“Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” (John 13:36) Bible Reading: John 13:36-38 Jesus is about to leave his disciples and he is burdened to prepare them for the great change that will involve. He has mentioned his approaching glorification and the fact that they would look for him and not be able to find him. Where he was going, they could not follow for now (John 13:31-33). Not surprisingly, this news provokes Peter to ask, “Lord, where are you going?” (v. 36). But rather than give him a direct answer, Jesus merely repeats what he had […]

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