This love that Christ has for you is just like the love that He had for the people of Jerusalem. If you look at Luke 19:44 you will notice how He referred to them. He called them ‘children.’ Doesn’t this reveal the fatherly care and compassion that He had for them? Psalm 103:13 says, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him.”

Now we can see that the tears that Jesus shed on His way to Jerusalem were not just tears of grief over their lack of peace, and over their sins of unbelief. They were also tears of unbounded love for His people. Just two days after the Triumphal Entry when Jesus uttered another lamentation over Jerusalem, He expressed His love for her people much more extensively. This is found in Matthew 23:37-39: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Can you see here how tenderly Jesus loved His people? He longed to gather them like a mother hen under His wings – so that they will find rest in Him (“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28) and life in Him (“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – .John 10:10). And not only did He want to gather them together under His wings, He says that He had wanted to do it often – He had sought not just once, but again and again to bring them under His wings, but each time He did this, they would not respond.

The tears that Jesus shed for Jerusalem truly reveal His great unbounded love for His own, a love that never ceases to seek earnestly after their welfare and salvation. Dearly beloved, this same Jesus who wept tears of love at that time, weeps also out of love for you now. Have you been like Jerusalem, in a backslidden condition, unwilling to listen to His many calls to you, His calls to obey Him and to renew your first love for Him? Have you grown cold toward Him, refusing to respond to the many tender appeals and warnings He has been giving to you again and again through His Word? If you have been like this, you must respond to His love. Let it draw you back to the Lord. Let His love bind you with a new commitment and resolve to walk with Him each day, and to live for Him each day.

And when you have seen how greatly the Lord Jesus loves you, please do not forget how much He loves others too. Let us do all that we can to make His love known and to bring the lost to Him, so that by the time when Christ will come riding triumphantly from heaven to earth to receive His own and to gather them under His wings, many would have already received Him.
(REV CHARLES SEET)

IMPORTANCE NOTICE DURING CMCO PERIOD
In compliance with the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) directive from the government, the following will be observed by the Church:
1. The church building is closed until further notice.
2. The church office will be opened during this period.
If you need assistance, kindly call or whatsapp any one of them:
Pastor Gaurri @ 012-5594537
Chee Kai @ 012-2360457
Taeko @ 012-2360458
Pelita Chuah @ 016-6256188
Jane @ 017-6227226
Cheng It @ 012-9153640

NEXT WEEKEND SERVICES
Speaker : Rev Gaurri Maniam
Dates : Sat & Sun, March 27 & 28, 2021
Sermon Title: The One Who Comes
Scripture Text: Mark 11: 1-11

21-DAY PRAYER MEETING
MARCH 14-31, 2021
Time : 7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m.
Please take note that the prayer meetings are via zoom.
ZOOM MEETING ID: 868 7905 5124 PASSCODE: 763853

FREEDOM IN CHRIST (FIC)
DISCIPLESHIP COURSE
Date : Saturday, March 27, 2021
Time : 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

2ND OFFERING
The 2nd Offering for March goes to Methodist Educational Fund. You may give your donations during the entire month of March via Online to Wesley Methodist Church Klang Bank Account No: UOB 171-315-561-1

INTERCESSORY PRAYER MEETING
(FOCUS ON PRAYING FOR THE NATION)
On Mondays @ 2pm to 4pm
Person-in-Charge: Sister Su Fing
Those who are interested to join, please request for the zoom link from Sister Su Fing @ 016-6852792.

SACRED HOUR: VIRTUAL STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Date : Saturday, March 27, 2021
Time : 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
For enquiries: icm@trac.org.my
Register by Tuesday, March 23: https://tinyurl.com/y3fg3uzf
Join via zoom.

CONDOLENCES
Our deepest condolences to the family of the late Mr Yeoh Oon Guan who was called home to the Lord on March 14, 2021. He was baptized by Rev Ashok in December 2020.

APPRECIATION
Mr & Mrs Lee Bing Huat & family would like to thank Wesley Klang for the wreaths, prayers & support extended to the family during the recent bereavement of Bing Huat’s sister, Mdm Lee Swee Ai on March 11, 2021.

ONLINE BANKING
While we acknowledge that many people are affected by the current MCO situation, we encourage you to continue giving your tithes/offering during this time through online banking, The details are below:

Pledge Payment can be done via Online to Wesley Methodist Church Klang Bank Account No: UOB 171-315-561-1

Sunday, (Mar 21) – Thank God that Jesus weeps out of love for us. Pray that we will spend time to examine our hearts: whether they have grown cold toward Him, and if we have resisted the Holy Spirit, and are living in disobedience to His Word. Pray for repentant hearts, that we will make a choice to respond to Jesus’ love and renew our first love for Him again. Pray that His love will bind us with a new commitment and resolve to walk with Him each day, and to live for Him each day. Pray that God will birth in us His kind of compassion that causes Him to weep, so that we will also weep for the lost, and do all that we can to make His love known and to bring the lost to Him.

Monday, (Mar 22) – Pray for an increased desire among our people in Klang Wesley of coming together to pray as a church. As we continue on with our 21 Days of Prayer, pray that through these prayer meetings, our people are able to come together corporately to pray. A church that prays together, stays together and so, pray for a greater sense of unity among our people. Pray that in all that we do, we will consider others first before us. Pray that we will consciously be on the look-out for brothers and sister in Christ.

Tuesday, (Mar 23) – Pray for the various ministries in our church. Pray that more people will avail themselves to serve in the different ministries of Klang Wesley. Most importantly, pray that people will serve God with love, and out of love, because God has loved us first. Pray also for the seniors in our church, for God’s constant protection to be upon them. Pray against falls and injuries as they go in and out of their homes. Pray that God will watch over those who are living alone by themselves and keep them safe. Pray that they will be sensitive to the presence of God and know that He is always with them.

Wednesday, (Mar 24) – Praise God that the daily number of Covid cases are decreasing and pray for a continual decrease of the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Pray that the implementation of the Vaccination Programme will continue to run smoothly. Pray that God will remove any fears or hesitancy among people regarding the vaccination and for accurate information to be disseminated regarding the vaccine. Pray for all SOPs to be adhered strictly by the rakyat and that the SOPs are clearly understood by both the public and the enforcers. Pray that the authorities will periodically evaluate the enforcement measures to ensure the curbing of the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Thursday, (Mar 25) – Pray for the World: Pray for the safety of civilians in the escalating violence in Myanmar, that God will shield and protect the innocent from harm. Pray that the United Nations will take the right steps to put an end to the coup. Pray that God will protect those in custody against all harm. Pray that the Myanmar Church will stand united, and be sensitive to God’s Spirit as He empowers them to pray against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the atmosphere. Pray that God will grant His Church insight as His people prays for an end to the bloodshed, inhuman acts against innocent people and injustice.

Friday, (Mar 26) – Pray for TRAC: As our nation progresses and recovers from the COVID-19 Pandemic, pray for wisdom to be upon all TRAC Churches that they will make wise decisions regarding resumption of in-person worship services. As churches are located in different locations throughout the country, the processes of resuming the in-person services varies from church to church. Pray for all leadership of TRAC churches, that they may be able to make wise and accurate decisions based on their locality.

Saturday, (Mar 27) – Pray for the Nation: March 18, 2021 was the first anniversary of the MCO, which began on March 18, 2020. Praise God for His power and faithfulness for having taken the nation safely through this pandemic. As the COVID-19 situation is improving in the nation, pray that the government will continue to focus on putting an end to the pandemic and rebuilding the economy, and that the various political parties will not resort to politicking and bickering again. Pray that the political situation in the nation will be resolved.

God’s purpose of consequences and punishment for sinful rebellion IS ALWAYS to lead His people BACK TO HIMSELF through repentance. So when the people confessed to Moses: “We have sinned… Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us… The LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a snake and put it on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.’ So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.” (Numbers 21:7-9)

Now, of course it wasn’t the bronze snake on the pole – but God – who healed them. The bronze snake was merely a symbol – a FOCAL POINT for the sinful people to look away from everything else, to the one place of healing and life which God had established.

In John 3:14-15, when Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, Jesus POINTED Nicodemus to the FOCAL POINT for sinful people to LOOK AWAY FROM EVERYTHING ELSE, to the ONE PLACE of healing and life. Jesus told Nicodemus: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15)

Isn’t it ironic? The bronze serpent on the pole in the wilderness looked like the source of death – but God made it the “cure” for physical life! Jesus’ suffering and dying on the cross looked like the source of defeat, the end of our Savior Jesus, but God made it the only “cure” / the only “means” of eternal life for all people! Looking up to Jesus, His cross and resurrection, gives eternal life to “everyone who believes.”

But “looking up to the cross” is much more than MERELY looking at the symbol of the cross; wearing the cross as jewelry. We read in 2 Kings 18, (500 years after “Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness”), that Israel had been “burning incense” to the bronze snake! King Hezekiah put an end to such “superstitious foolishness.” He “broke the bronze snake into pieces”! It was NOT the bronze snake, it is NOT the cross, to which we are to look up to for life!

Have you heard about or seen the 19-story cross located in Texas? Steve Thomas and his wife, Bobby, wanted to do something to express their devotion to Jesus Christ, so, sparing no expense, they built this huge Cross. It stands 190 feet (19 stories) in the air. It took 100 welders 8 months to construct. It weighs 1,250 tons and is encircled by 14 bronze statues depicting the Stations of the Cross. They say, on a clear day, you can see it from 20 miles away.

Will seeing this Cross and being impressed by its sheer size and scope lead to lives that reflect the presence of the living Christ, or will most people simply stop, take pictures and go on as they often do when they see other monuments like the Washington monument or the statue of Abraham Lincoln?

Anyone can build a statue or hang a picture of Jesus. Jesus Christ is no bronze serpent on a pole. He’s the crucified and risen Lord, and He calls us to live in relationship with Him day by day. To lift high the Cross of Jesus is to walk with Him, serve others in His name, and glorify Him as Lord of all creation.
(PASTOR DAN MYERS)