1
As we age, we go through life seasons. It is a natural part of life. God will take each of us through a series of events that will test our true devotion. We can be doing all the 'right' things, such as attending church, reading the bible and praying. The deeper question is, do we long for things more than God Himself? Jesus said, "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" (Matthew 16:26). I confessed I let significant relationships mean more to me than I should. These were important people. They meant no harm. God had to teach me—and He is still teaching me—that no one and nothing else will fill the void in my heart but Him. He has to take the throne of my heart. As God said to Abram, "I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1) - not riches or things or marriage or success or children but God Himself; He is saying it to me. May you also view God as your greatest reward.
2
When Jesus visited Martha and Mary in Bethany, Martha “was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made” (Luke 10:40). Jesus called Martha by her name, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (vv. 41—42). Martha, for all her good intentions of serving Jesus, was worried and upset. There was no peace in her heart. Jesus rebuked her for worrying about her activities, not the activity itself.
When we are in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing as far as the Lord is concerned, there will be peace and serenity inside of us. (Jill Briscoe)
3
When we engage in 'doing' a work, an assignment or a project of any kind, we build in a desire for significance and satisfaction. However, 'being' is much deeper. It relates to character, who we are, and how we make a life – these are things that make little sense from a worldly perspective. From a kingdom perspective though, they breed life. The focus of the Christian life should not be deeds and actions, but a relationship; it is NOT centered on a product, but on a Person. It is a matter of abiding in Christ Jesus (John 15:1-10) rather than fulfilling tangible goals determined by achievements and accomplishments.
4
In the pages of the bible, we know that 'doing' is part of our Christian walk, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1: 22). Twice in Colossians 3 we read, "Whatever you do . . . whatever you do . . ." (vv. 17, 23). It makes no difference what the task is, wherever you work at it. We need to pay attention to the 'being' part that follows: being thankful, being considerate, being obedient, being sincere, being diligent.
"Both being and doing are scriptural and interrelated but the biblical order is critical: what we do should flow out of who we are, not the other way around." (Reconciled World)
5
Over His years, Jesus "kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and people. (Luke 2:52). Notice the “ing” in Jesus’ growth. He was, is, and will mature, increase, and grow. Jesus exhibits an active posture of continual growth. Jesus is God, and God knows all things. How could Jesus learn if He was God? In Philippians 2, we learn that when Jesus Christ came in the flesh, He gave up, He willingly surrendered. He emptied himself, "but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7), of some of what it means to be God. He did not ever become less than God. He was always fully God. But when He came in the flesh, He wanted to fully understand what it was like to be human, and so He had to give up certain aspects that would interfere with being human. One of these was His omniscience—His knowledge of all things.
6
Growth is significant in the lives of all believers. Just as Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and people; Christians are called to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). We can look to Jesus, as our path to growing like Him, ultimately becoming the people God has called us to be in Him. What is the beginning of wisdom? Proverbs 4:7, "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom." Think of all the things you could get in this world. God's word could not be any clearer to you and me right now. Whatever else we could get today, we should ask for wisdom.
7
What’s the difference between being smart and being wise? Someone who is smart most likely knows a lot! They probably have a lot of answers when questions are asked. A person who is wise knows what to do with what they know. Wisdom is spiritual, it begins with the fear of the Lord, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom...' (Proverbs 9:10). Wisdom comes through understanding and obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit. If we want to become wise we must see the Bible as our manual for living.
8
Our process of growth is exemplified by the ways that Jesus grew: in wisdom, in stature, in favour with God and others. The word stature has a literal and physical meanings – Jesus grew up! But it also refers to someone’s reputation or character. Jesus grew in stature allowing Him to engage with the world around Him meaningfully. Peter has implemented this growth plan for us in 2Peter 1:5-11, "make every effort...in increasing measure..." Our goal is to attain maturity, "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).
9
Jesus wasn't born as a man in a babe's body, He actually grew up and matured. Jesus grew in favour with God. The best definition of the word favor is “demonstrated pleasure.” The favour of God can be described as “tangible evidence that a person has the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life" (Strongs). When Jesus came out of the water after His baptism, "And behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I was well pleased"" (Matthew 3:17).
God shows favour to the ones who delight in, connect with, and give honour to Him. Isaiah 66:2 says, “These are the ones I look on with favour: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who [reverently] trembles at My word and honours My commands.” Let us seek God's favour more than we seek the favour of anyone else, even ourselves.
10
We cannot simply talk about being a Christian, we must live it out in our everyday lives. 1Peter 2:12, "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." The world is watching as we are not isolated. We see them and they see how we live. Peter noted that those in the world will accuse Christians of doing wrong things. Jesus had told Peter and the other disciples that the world would hate them because, in part, they weren't belong to the world (John 15: 18-25). We should not be surprised, then, when we are falsely accused by unbelievers. However, we do have a powerful defence: we can focus on leading good lives, making good choices. Jesus 'grew in favour with man' by being a friend who touches lives for good! We are called to follow Jesus, though we may suffer, in His footsteps (1 Peter 2:21).
11
Is following Christ all about following a whole bunch of rules? This is what it sounds like, "Since I have been reconciled to God and my sins are forgiven, what I should do now is to live by a set of dos and don'ts in Christianity." After a while, adherence to the list becomes our lifestyles dangerously making us to believe that this is how to make us holy. When we come to Christ, we are also given the Holy Spirit. And Paul tells us that we all should "live by the Spirit..." (Ephesians 5:16). Live by the Spirit means letting the Holy Spirit sets our priorities. Paul goes further in Romans 8 that it is the Holy Spirit Himself who "testify with our spirit that we are God's children..." (v. 14). Our job is: willing to be led, willing to obey in humility, for what the Holy Spirit coaches us to do.
12
At salvation Jesus invited us to come to Him, but after that He invites us to remain with Him, "Abide in Me and I will abide in you" (John 15:2). We nurture this abiding relationship not by outward performance of tasks, but by taking time for communion and conversation with Him, meditating on His Word, listening to His Spirit, worshiping Him in our hearts through praises and hymns. Jesus affirmed the importance of this aspect of our Christian life by His words to Mary, "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 12:42). What was the thing that will not be taken away from Mary? It is the blessedness of the personal presence of Christ. Let us respond to Jesus' invitation today!
13
Apostle Paul prays "“that Christ may dwell in (our) hearts...” (Ephesians 3:17). We cannot get anything closer than to have it in our hearts. The heart is the best room in the house. As long as Jesus is in our hearts, we'd have no choice but to be all in for Him. In the same verse, we know that this relationship cannot be in existence except by faith , "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." Faith must be strong or love will not be fervent. So we need to pray that we will always trust Christ in order that we may always love Him.
14
One thing we can trust God is this: God is good, just, and kind. These are character traits of our eternal God. Nothing that happens to us ever changes these attributes. Someone had said, “Never judge God by your circumstances, but judge your circumstances according to the character of God.” The Love of God is more than the human mind can comprehend and it Knows No Bounds! The Power of God is inexhaustible, and it CAN NOT BE MATCHED! How can we not trust him?
15
The Bible is clear that God communicates with those who belong to Him through any and every means possible. Isaiah 55:3, "Incline your ear, and come to me; hear..." God loves to speak. He isn’t silent. He isn’t distant. As a good Father, he longs to engage with us in continual conversation. He longs for us to live with the knowledge of his love and perfect will. The question isn’t whether God speaks. The question is, will we listen?
Father God, thank you for initiating this relationship that I can have with you in Jesus Christ. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, I believe I can hear You 24/7. Please help me to recognize and respond to Your voice attentively. Teach me to trust in Your guidance and grow in my relationship with You until I see You face to face. In Jesus' wonderful Name I pray. Amen.
16
Jesus said we would be known for our love for one another. 1Corinthians 13, also known as “The Love Chapter”, has been used in nearly every Christian wedding, hung on the walls of our homes and quoted to people in Love about how they should love their spouse. The truth is that it has nothing to do with loving our spouse. It’s about loving people with God’s love that’s in us in order to point them to Him. We can do all sorts of things for people that bring us glory, but if we don’t love them in a way that points to Him, it’s pointless.
17
The Bible tells us that God has a specific plan for each one of us. The question therefore becomes, “How do I know God’s plan?” The answer is that we do not know God’s foreordained plan for the details of our life, at least we don’t get to know it in advance. The apostle Paul tells us that “the righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17), not by knowing what God’s plan is. But when we look back, out the rearview mirror we can often discern much of God’s plan – although probably not as much or as clearly as we think – but out the windshield in the front, it is all faith!
18
God loves us and He has a wonderful plan for those who love Him. We usually want to know God’s plan because we have decisions to make, for the here and now. But from God's perspective, He is aiming for His glory and ours as well through the refining of our faith and the conforming of our life to Jesus Christ.
When you seek God's direction in your life, are you seeking for success and comfort and temporal happiness? For Apostle Paul, He considered "that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8: 18). We should be grateful that God is not going to set aside His plans for the sake of ours.
19
Many people want to know God's plan for their lives, but they overlook the fact that 98% of His Will is already spoken carefully through His Word. Rick Phillips writes: When the Bible speaks of God’s plan, it relates it to the sphere of his sovereignty and not to the sphere of our responsibility. We do, however, have quite a bit of knowledge about God’s will, not in terms of the details of our lives but in terms of what obedience to him demands. Paul says this explicitly in 1Thessalonians 4:3: “It is God’s will that (we) should be sanctified.”
20
Peter identified Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah who would rescue the Jews. When Jesus felt too crowded on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, Peter willingly took Jesus onto his boat. They cast off from shore so people could better hear Christ's teaching. If Peter were here today, we would see Peter being right there giving his all for Jesus' sake.
When Jesus told Peter to launch out into the deep waters and let down their nets for a catch of fish, Peter must have smiled inwardly. He was a well-weathered fisherman who knew that, that was not the time of day when fish would be netted. But what happened next caused him and the others to be utterly astonished by the huge quantities of fish that were caught. This was how Peter responded, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8). Rather than departing from Peter, Jesus overwhelmed him in His grace. Rather than departure, a fellowship began between the Lord and His people. It is that kind of fellowship that Jesus is seeking to have it with you and me.
21
Our heavenly Father took the punishment of all our sins and put it on His Son, Jesus, who perfectly bore all that pain as our substitute. Yet He allows suffering into our lives. All too often when times are “good,” it is easy for us to forget about God. Our prayer lives can be reduced to mumbles at mealtimes. But suddenly when bad things happen, we open up the bible searching for comfort and purpose in the pages of Scripture. We can ignore pleasure, but pain cannot be ignored. As Christians, we want to be imitators of Jesus out of thanks for His grace, but becoming more like Jesus can be painful. 1Peter 1:6-7, "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6-7)
22
Most of us, if not all, appreciate benefits in life, especially when they are up close and personal. Listen to Psalm 103: 1-5, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." God comes with these divine benefits package deal because He is a good God. But it is so easy for us to separate these benefits from God and love these benefits more than we love God. What’s more, there are people who decide to follow God for the sake of those benefits. Remeber what Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things (benefits) will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).
23
God is omnipotent, which means God is "all-powerful". God's power is limitless as Jeremiah expressed in Jeremiah 32:17, "Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." In God's limitless power, He has established rhythm and order to His creation that ultimately points to His character. This is the key to understand our all-powerful God, that God can do anything that is consistent with His character. Nothing is impossible for Him!
24
God is omniscience, which means God is "all-knowing". When we think of this attribute of God, we often associate it with His knowledge of the big, eternal picture. Yet He also knows the very deepest corners of our hearts. However, at some stage in the Bible, it seems that God doesn’t know everything – in the Old Testament story of Abraham, for example, and his son Isaac. Why would an all-knowing God need to “test” people if He has foreknowledge of their responses, thoughts, and hearts? God already knew of Abraham’s faithfulness. After all, in His sovereignty, God already had a ram in waiting to be sacrificed (Genesis 23:13). Could it be that, the tests are not meant to prove anything to Heaven as much as they are meant to prove the potential of greatness of Abraham to Abraham himself? This is not about God gaining new knowledge, but it marks a moment where Abraham’s actions confirm his faith outwardly, though God already knew his heart.
1
This world worships and praises those of high influence and status. But Isaiah asked, "Why hold them in esteem?" The reason is because, they "have but a breath in their nostrils." (Isaiah 2:22). Nevertheless, It is easy to look to people for strength and help, rather than trusting the Lord for His help. The palmist in Psalm 121 realized when he lifted his eyes to the mountain that his help comes not from the mountains, the creation; but from God, the creator.
2
This morning I camped on this little phrase from the Book of Lamentation, "...His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning..." In all the changes we experienced in our life time, even day to day or moment by moment for some, we all can bank on this one certainty that God's mercy is always there for our disposal. Nothing about life is designed to stay steady. But each change and every new challenge has been sovereignly ordained by our unchanging God who is good. Our struggles will change and we will probably fail several times along the way, but remember God's mercies are new and extended to us every morning.
3
God has a perfect track record. He has always been faithful. Asaph in Psalm 77, took some practical steps to demolish his doubts. “But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works" (Psalm 77: 11-12). In a sense, Asaph is moving his gaze from his present circumstance and looking back at God’s track record. He can’t make sense of who God is and what he’s doing simply by looking at what’s happening to him now. But he knows that God has proved Himself to be faithful throughout history. We can hold on to Jesus because He has never failed and He's not about to start now.
4
Jesus gave us this promise of irrevocable joy in John 16:22, “…No one will take your joy from you.” Andrew and I have been married for 38 years to this date. Looking back, we were young and adventurous, believed that somehow everything will turn out the way we wanted. We don’t need God to dream big, but we sure need God when we have to let go of our control. For 38 years, we held on to God’s promises for our life and our future. I realized that the goal in our marriage is not about making ourselves known. The goal in our marriage is about making Christ known. As we surrendered ourselves to God through many trials, we found lasting love, joy and peace. We are just as joyful as ever, even to this day.
5
The disciples were heading into an uncertain future when they learned that Jesus was about to be betrayed and that He was going somewhere they could not follow. We can certainly feel the anxiety that these disciples would naturally be feeling at that moment in time. All of them gave up their livelihood to follow Jesus, despite of what people might have said of them. Our trouble and anxiety obviously are not the same as theirs and of each other, but what Jesus said to the disciples is also for all of us at all time. Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me” (John 14:1). In fact, Jesus displayed the ultimate trust, as He went to lay down His own life on a cross because He had full assurance that the Father was going to be there for Him. Jesus Himself modelled the very trust that He was asking from His disciples, and us.
6
One of God's last promises in the Bible is that He is going to make all things new, "And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Our God is a God of new beginnings and He likes doing new things; it is all over creation specially with breathtaking beauty in every spring! And yet, whenever God begins doing new things in our lives, we resist it. Why is that? I think it is because we are tempted to hold on to the life we know where everything is familiar to us. Many bible accounts demonstrate to us that God’s new plans in many people's lives are exceedingly and abundantly better than anything anyone can ever imagine. So next time when changes appear in our life, embrace it!
7
We sometimes hear that Jesus is “old fashioned” and out-of-date. I'm glad I found this quote, "The ways of Christ are not old-fashioned for the past, but God-fashioned for eternity". As more and more people want to become their own god, our society drifts further and further away from the moral and spiritual values we once enjoyed. Instead, many people no longer live according to the way God has given us in His Word, the Bible, in this modern world. This is how God fashioned it for eternity, "Jesus answered, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). The choice is ours, and the time is now. I pray that you choose Jesus this day, and stick with Him.
8
We want the God who can do all things to fix our problems, so that we can move on to our life we say. When the problems persist, we start to doubt God’s love for us or His ability to fix it. I remembered when I was younger, I wondered if I’d ever get married one day. This verse settled my perplexing mind, “The LORD will perfect that which concerns me” (Psalm 138:8, NKJV). The psalmist uses the word “perfect” as a verb here not as an adjective, like an artist working to perfect a masterpiece or a musician working to perfect a performance. In the same way, God is working in our lives to perfect the things which concern us. If something is concerning or upsetting to you right now, know that God will take care of it.
9
We read about a man who was born blind in John 9. He was identified by his affliction, “a man blind from birth,” without a name. But the powerful truth is that our affliction does not need to be our identity. In fact, we are all created to reflect the image and the glory of God and the good news is that Jesus gives us a new identity in Him. Yes, we know that in this fallen world we don’t reflect God’s image perfectly. Jesus alone was the perfect image of God. As followers of Christ, we are called to reflect Jesus’ example by “…not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
10
There was a man who boasted about tomorrow in the Bible in Luke Chapter 12. We are all in danger of putting our faith in ourselves. We live a pretty good life. We’re here in America, living a blessed life, working hard, raising families, and even going to church. We know how to speak the Christian language. We look really nice on the outside. It took Howard Rutledge locked up in solitary confinement as a Prisoner of War to realize how empty life was without God. In his memoir he stated, "I had completely neglected the spiritual dimension of my life...Now I wanted to know about that part of me that will never die." Let us stop trying to be good enough for God and humbly ask Jesus to live in us.
11
Jesus is the manifestation of what God is like. Just as God formed man from the dust of the ground in Genesis 2:7, Jesus did the very same thing in the life of the man born blind. John 9:6-7 tells us, “[Jesus] spat on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. Everything that Jesus did was intentional, with a purpose. There is a reason behind what God is doing because there is a work that only He can do in our life. After Jesus put the mud on the man's eyes, He said to him, "Go... wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means ‘Sent’). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing” (John 9: 7). When God's way is different than our way, we can trust this truth: so that the work of God might be displayed (John 9:3).
12
"For we live by faith..." (2Corinthians 5:7). What does it mean to live by faith? Before we were born again, we did nothing from faith. After we are born again, we live by faith in Jesus as our Redeemer, faith in God as our Father-provider, faith in the Holy Spirit as the power that enables us to do things. We lean on the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit to do their work in regard to our life. How do we live our life by faith, as opposed to not living by faith? Paul gives us an example in Abraham's life, “[Abraham] grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God" (Romans 4:20). When we walk in faith, we focus on giving our attention to the glory of God’s grace and power in our life, in all that we do.
13
When Jesus began His public ministry, Apostle John described to us this way, Christ “manifested His glory” (John 2:11). God was manifested in the flesh; truly God, not God humanized, but God as God. One theologian, Graham Cole, puts it like this. He says, “Jesus is the window into the heart of God. To hear Jesus is to hear the Word of God; to see Jesus is to see the character of God; to watch Jesus is to see God in action.” When by faith, we believe how much God wants to make Himself known to us on a personal level will satisifies, corrects, comforts, leads, and empowers us. Everything flows from His presence. To have Jesus is to have it all!
14
It doesn't matter how much we look after the flowers placed in a vase, all we can do is prolonging their life by a few days. In the end it is futile, because they have been cut off from their source of life. Jesus paints a similar picture in John 15, when He talks about Himself as the grapevine and His followers as the branches. If we remain in Him, we will flourish and bear much fruit, but apart from Him we can do nothing. It isn’t that we could do no activity without Jesus. We can still be active without Him, as were the enemies of Jesus and many others. Yet we could do nothing of real, eternal value without Jesus.
15
I've set goals many times but failed to accomplish them just as many. Every time I have good intentions of reaching those goals, but quit before reaching them. When I reflect on it, I realize that I wasn't clear on what l wanted, so I let hindrance sets in.
In our Christian walk with Jesus, there are many hindrances. However, Hebrew 12:1 lays it out for us on the get go, "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles..." And what is the goal? Standing in God's throne room and to receive our full inheritance prepared for us with all the like-minded saints in glory. For that goal I am still on it. I hope you are too.
16
Knowledge is always shown to be from God in the scriptures, "Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments" (Psalm 119:66). The increase in knowledge would be an increase in understanding of God and his Word. We would need to search and study the scriptures diligently like a student studying for the final exam. Seeking God is a personal endeavour that we will all be individually held responsible for. As we draw closer to God and get into His presence, we become changed into more of the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
17
As followers of Christ, we need to align our desires with God's rather than expecting God to conform to our desires. We live in a world full of choices, we can virtually customize everything to satisfy how we want it. But be careful we don't carry the same mentality into our spiritual lives. When things do not turn out to the way we see fit, we can easily let go of God altogether and just follow our own inclinations. God is very clear about this, Isaiah 55: 8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD..." There's no need for a struggle here, all we need to do is to ask God to transform our thoughts according to His.
18
Have you had times that when you felt sadness overwhelmed you? I love the account of Jesus’ appearing on the road to Emmaus to these bewildered believers as they struggled to comprehend the events of the previous few days. In the midst of their sadness, unanswered questions, doubt and despair, “Jesus himself approached and began to accompany them” (Luke 24: 15). What comfort this is for us to know that in our trials and sorrows, in the times we cannot understand what God is doing, when all hope seems lost, Jesus walks with us. Whatever you are facing, God sees and knows and cares. Jesus opened the scriptures and reminded these two believers what was written in it, and their hearts once again were burning within them. We have the same assurance of the presence of our powerful, compassionate Savior walking with us, listening to our doubts and fears, speaking peace to our troubled hearts, and pointing us to the promises in His Word. Thank you, Jesus!
19
It seems impractical for a shepherd to leave his entire flock in order to save one sheep, and even harder to imagine that a shepherd would sacrifice his own life to save his sheep, but Jesus was not speaking about just any ordinary shepherd. He was speaking about Himself (John 10:11). Is it practical then, for Jesus to die for sinners?
It is not that Jesus did die for us, but that He would die for us, and there is a difference. We might say that we would die for our children or spouse, but would we say it to someone who opposed us or robbed us? Probably not, but Jesus would. “Lord Jesus, Your love never ceases to astound me. May it be so forever!"
20
The most valuable and most precious thing in the life is neither riches nor our achievements. It is our eternal life that is received in Jesus Christ. Paul says in Philippians that we should "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). So many Christians fall into legalism because they misunderstood this passage. They think that after they received Jesus Christ into their hearts, they need to do more in order to have the assurance that they are saved. In NLT translation, it actually brings us more clarity, "Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear." What it means is that we are to bear the fruit of our salvation when we have a healthy fear of the Lord and the desire to obey Him above all else.
21
God loves to give good gifts to us, and we want to be the receivers of His good gifts. That's why we should bring all our requests to Him, big or small. But there's a caveat we tend to overlook sometimes, and it is found in James 5:14, "...that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Sure, we ask God for our requests, but what is our true motivation? Is it for our own gain or is it to bring glory to God in all we do? So let us go before our Heavenly Father for all our needs. Ask Him to grant our desires — if they are in His will —But if it is not, be willing to align our will and desires with His. Our greatest desire should be bringing Him glory, for He hears us.
22
It’s a struggle to understand the ways of God sometimes. In one moment Peter, James and John saw Jesus' divine glory on the mountain; in another moment Jesus confirmed to them that He must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again. Not only for the disciples, but for us as well, how can we fit these two together? C.H. Spurgeon put them together this way: The cross must be carried before the crown can be worn. We must follow our Lord in his humiliation, or we shall never rest with him in glory. Indeed, the three disciples who witnessed Christ’s glory would follow in His footsteps. What does all this mean for you and for me today?
23
Our Shepherd leads us through the valleys. Valleys are the low points in life. Jesus didn’t want us to be surprised by difficult times, so just before He died on the cross, He warned us, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33b, NLT). It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when. But be encouraged that valleys are temporary. Our Shepherd will get us to the other side, where we ‘will dwell in the house of the Lord forever’” (Psalm 23)
24
One of the reasons why Christianity is not appealing is that people want power to do away with their weaknesses so that they can have a comfortable life. On the other hand for Christians, we have power in weakness, “The power of Christ is made perfect in weakness” (2Corinthians 12:9), not for us to escape our affliction but to make it livable. God’s power will give us the strength to live and endure and often even to thrive in the midst of many weaknesses. Let us learn from Paul then, be content with our weaknesses, for Christ sake (2Corinthians 12:10).
25
We like to think of freedom as we can do whatever we want, but that's not true freedom according to Jesus. True freedom, defined by Jesus, is about being liberated from the chains that only bind us - the bondage of sin. Just like a bird was meant to soar in the sky, we were created to live in fellowship with God. When sin enters our lives, it's like clipping that bird's wings - we lose our ability to fulfill our true purpose. God's truth isn't meant to constrain us but to set us free to become who we were created to be.
26
Do you know that God wants His people to enjoy a good life? He has spoken in Isaiah1:19, "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land..." Our spiritual freedom is directly correlated to our physical quality of life as well. What Isaiah teaches us is that when we are obedient, we ultimately gain. We are better off listening to God’s Word instead of our own impulsive feelings. True freedom comes in our obedience to God.
27
Here is the paradox: our freedom in Christ is tied directly to our obedience. Those who aren't obedient to Christ think that they’re free, but really, they’re in bondage to sin. Those who obey Christ may at times feel constrained, but they’re in freedom, no longer enslaved to the impulses of a sinful nature. The greater our obedience, the greater our freedom. As we walk in obedience to God’s law, we will discover true freedom that revives our soul, bringing unending joy and unimaginable blessing along the way.
“If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
28
I struggled with the concept of sanctification for a long time. Is it a work of God that's done through His power or is it something that we must be doing? Is it a process by which we can legitimize our faith? The Bible clearly presented to us that it's not Abraham's work that 'saved' him, it's by his faith that he made it to heaven with God. I come to understand that our sanctification is not our work, nor do we work with God in this process. What is required of us, and the only requirement, it is for us to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. That's it!
29
Putting our faith in Jesus means we surrender our life to Him. When we choose to love the Lord first, the things of the world will not seem as important. Jesus Himself told His disciples to leave anything that had mastery over them. Jesus asks us to do the same thing today. He does not want us to teeter-totter on the fence. We cannot be halfway in or even 99% in. We have to make sure the only Master in our life is God.
30
The Greek word translated “despise” is kataphroneō (Strong’s #2706 καταφρονέω), and it has a range of meaning that encompasses looking down on someone or something with contempt or aversion; considering something not important and thus disregarding it; and not caring about, or ignoring, someone or something. However in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, the much more well-known use of “despise” is this: strong dislike to loathing.
Hebrews 12:2 says, "Looking to Jesus, ... who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame," It was indeed a shameful thing to be crucified, but Jesus did not “hate” it, he ignored it. In doing that he set a wonderful example for us to follow. Many times we will find that if we are to be true followers of Jesus, we will have to ignore the things that will impoverish us in our relationship with Him. Ignoring all the other things, even if the things we end up ignoring are important or things we enjoy doing. Last but not the least, we will have to ignore the shame and mistreatment, and endure. God bless!
31
How do I describe my life in Christ? Jesus used the metaphor of a tiny bird, sparrows, to encourage the disciples. I think it is the best way for us as well. Jesus said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care (without the knowledge of your Father) ... So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (Matthew 10: 28-31). Unlike the colourful ones like Cardinals, Goldfinches, Blue Jays, Red-Winged Black Birds, and Baltimore Orioles, sparrows are considered tiny with only plain brown and tan flecked feathers. And yet, sparrows were and still are a symbol of confident trust in God’s care. Jesus reminded His disciples, and us, to focus on eternity and not on the temporary. We can be bold, like the sparrows fly thousands of kilometres; and take shelter in Jesus in the storms. We don't need to be afraid about what was going to happen, because God is in control of eternity and our life would not end even beyond the grave. His eyes is on the sparrow.
Just like this hymn:
Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely
And long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
1
Our life is a gift from God. We don't have to search for its meaning, like King Solomon. He tried the care-free life, enjoying wine and being lazy. He tried a successful life of wealth. He gained greater wisdom and knowledge than any other king, but he realized that none of it mattered. Why? Because we are made for more, "He has planted eternity in the human heart..." (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Our spirit within us knows we are made for eternity in the Kingdom of God. This short time we have on earth is only a part of that bigger future. It doesn’t matter if people notice or not. It doesn’t matter where you are in the process. Set your heart on the day when your Father in Heaven say to you, "‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!"
2
We can see, YES, but there’s something wrong with our spiritual capacities to discern the beauty and value of what we see so that we always wind up preferring other things over God. “Seeing they do not see,” Jesus said (Matthew 13:13). We want to be all seeing, rather than living in the light of the One who sees all (Spirit in The Desert). Maybe we need to have some mud thrown into our eyes, so we can no longer see things in the light of our own beliefs and value, and begin to see things “In light of Christ…”. Along with the blind man, we can declare, “One thing I do know, that though I was blinded by my own vision, now I see in the light of Christ.”
3
'Circumstance' and 'circumference' lead us to understand that circumstances are the objective facts surrounding us. Happiness depends on circumstantial facts. This comes naturally, whether you are a Christian or not!
But what about when our happiness is threatened by painful circumstances? Jesus prayed in Gethsemane with a bitter cup sat in His circumference. Why pursue this torturous path? It is for “the joy that was set before him” (Heb. 12: 2). While happiness depends on happenings, joy depends on Jesus, and the hope we have in Him. That's supernatural!
4
The Bible speaks of two kinds of peace. The first type is peace with God, where it is a legal relationship into which we have been brought and nothing will separate us from God. Paul tells us, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5:1-2).
The second type is peace of God, which is a subjective day by day experience. Paul describes it in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The peace of God is not something that we can attain, but something we cultivate day by day, moment by moment. As we present our situations to God in prayer, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds no matter what happen out there.
5
By the end of King David's life, he had wealth beyond measure. But David is not best remembered for his net worth. Instead, he is remembered as the “man after God’s own heart.” Yes, God created the world and everything that fills it – even you and me, completely. Any wealth, power, or strength we have originated with God. Any gift or talent we have – the same is true. Even our ability to give generously comes from our selfless God. Everything we have, and everything else that exists, is all His. And yet he shares it with us, sacrificing not only his ownership rights but also sacrificing Himself.
God owns us nothing, but He gives us everything.
6
The lack of prayer in any Christian’s life is not healthy. Prayer is where we become intimate with God, and He with us. Not just faith and prayer, it also requires obedience and action. God calls us to follow His calling wherever He leads.
7
We tend to think a blessed life is about physical comforts and material possessions. While those can be part of God’s blessings, there are people who don’t have those things. Are they going to see themselves as being less blessed? The Bible points to something far greater—who we are and what we have in Jesus, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ." Do you value these spiritual blessings as much as what He’s given to you in a physical form?
8
It’s easy to think God desires what we desire: a lovely house, a reliable car, a good education and a successful career. Are those things God desires for us? Jesus assures us that our heavenly Father is actively meeting our physical needs, and we’re not to concern ourselves with those things (Matthew 6: 25-33). So what does God desires for us? Philippians 2:13 says, “It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” The Greek word translated as “at work” is energon, meaning “energize.” It is God who is energizing us, giving us the power and desire to accomplish His purpose in us.
9
"Faith" does not mean if you believe hard enough that God will do something, then that something will happen. When we believe that God is only faithful to us when we receive what we define as good things, we are relating to Him as a prosperity God. Faith is believing God, not just believing in God. 'Believing in God' is an affirmation of faith. 'Believing God' is faith itself. There are many people who 'believe in God' and yet whose hearts have turned away from the living God. 'Believe in God' can be an evidence of nothing more than a mere intellectual assent. When we believe God, we are saying that He is right about everything. This is where God wants to be. This is where we hand control of everything to Him. This is where He is no longer just a god in our lives, but our God.
10
Prayer is not meant for us to escape from trouble. Ephesians 6:18 tells us to “…pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Pray when everything works IN our favor; and pray just the same when nothing works OUT in our favor! We are to pray on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers, and all kinds of requests, because prayer is our LIFESTYLE, not our LIFELINE!
11
"The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made" (Psalm 145: 9). The Bible is full of stories about people who received God’s grace and steadfast love, despite committing 'big' sins. King David for one, although God confronted his sin through Prophet Nathan, God did not turn away from him. The Lord convicts us of sin so that we can see it, acknowledge it, and then turn from it. That is the process of repentance. While King David would experience the consequences of his sin, the Lord stayed close and continued to work in his life. What an awesome demonstration of God’s grace, steadfast love, and redemption!
12
When we study early church history, we see that to follow Christ is to embrace suffering, "...to this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly” (1 Corinthians 4:9-13). It was full of risk, full of danger, and yet, full of adventure. All this changed when Emperor Constantine passed the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., which state-sanctioned the church and provided protection for Christians. We enjoy the freedom of Christianity since then, in the same token we also lost the true meaning of being the followers of Jesus Christ.
13
Even though we have a 'safe' place called home, trusting in the Lord is the only secure place we have in this world. The psalmist tells us this is how we should live our days, "Trust in the Lord,…Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness” (Psalm 37: 3). What is the land God has given us? It’s being in relationship with Him. When we dwell in the land God has given us, we consider God and His way of life our home, and we’re not always looking around at society to see if the grass is greener.
14
It is so easy for us to take someone for granted. That means we fail to acknowledge the source of our blessings and to show them our gratefulness they deserve. But when someone takes us for granted, we notice it right away. Many people take God for granted for the many things that He has given them because they have become too familiar with Him, His blessings, and all the things He has done for them. We can be so used to what He does for us or the blessings we enjoy from Him that we assume that these are our rights. We feel that we deserve them. We are so used to them that we behave as if they are normal things we should have. The bible reminds us that all the good things are meant for us to “...remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth..." (Deut 8: 18-20).
15
On this Father's Day, let us don't take our Father in heaven for granted.
F Forgiveness is part of our relationship with God, our Father in Heaven
A Our Father in Heaven is always available for us
T Our Father in Heaven is trustworthy
H Our Father in heaven sent us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us as our helper
E Our Father in Heaven loves us with everlasting love
R Our Father in Heaven is "righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face." (Psalm 11: 7)
16
There are for sure many things we don't know. Undoubtedly, life is unpredictable and far different from what we anticipate. In the hymn 'For I Know Whom I Have Believed', Daniel W. Whittle wrote about what he didn't know. The four main ideas in the hymn: 1. He does not know why God’s wondrous grace was made known to him. 2. How this saving faith was imparted to him. 3. How the Spirit moves. 4. When the Lord will return. However, he does know this, 'But I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.'
17
One thing Paul was very confident of, "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns" (Philippians 1:6). His confidence was not based on the strength of the faith of these members of the church in Philippi. Paul’s certainty rested on the relationship he had with God. This verse highlighted that Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, is a worker. God begins the supernatural work of regeneration in us when we first come to faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will also indwell in us, which causes us to increase in Christ-likeness and maturity over time as we consistently trust and obey and learn to walk with God, abide in Christ. He continues to transform us internally for the rest of our lives until Jesus returns.
18
We can be sure that Jesus takes notice of our obedience. He took notice of the poor widow, whom Jesus said she gave out of her poverty. Obedience means personal involvement. If we are in love with our Lord, we must let the cost be paid.
19
Have you experienced difficulties in life, more than what you think you can handle? God does say He won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and that He always provides a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). But that’s not the same as God not giving us more than we can handle. He allows things to happen, and He sometimes will allow more and more trials. The Apostle Paul wrote: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure..." What we need to know is that God doesn’t expect us to “handle” everything we’re facing. He wants us to hand it over to Him, "...But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9).
20
Have you ever felt alone and unsupported? Even though you are by yourself, you can approach God in your spirit with confidence, through our High Priest. God’s throne is a throne of grace, where you will find your identity, your worth, His understanding, His words for comfort and strength in your time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). God’s grace is given based on your need at that moment. The supply of God’s grace you have in Christ will not run out tomorrow—or ever!
21
It seems to us that we can do a lot of things in our own strength. Then it begs me the question of what do we need Jesus for in our everyday life. It energized me when I read about God's power overshadowed the young virgin Mary and allowed her to carry Jesus. Scripture leaves no doubt that our God is a God of great power. God’s divine power is available to us. It is available to you and me, right now, through the knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ, that we find everything we need to live a godly life against this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil.
Peter tells us know that godliness in the midst of great darkness is possible. Because of Jesus, we can escape “the corruption that is in the world” (2 Peter 1:4, ESV) with God’s power.
22
It is not enough to know that Jesus died for us; we must also understand that we died with Him. “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God,” explains the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:3.
What does that mean? It means we are in Christ, and we are in God; nothing can reach us unless it comes through God and through Christ. We are here in the flesh, but our lives are not in this visible world. We may go through many difficulties and pressures in these clay vessels, but we have a life that is eternal, incorruptible, and indestructible. No matter what comes, when we are in Christ we are in the secret place of the Most High, protected from all harm and all danger (see Psalm 91:1–2). And the door to the secret place is the cross. Our Christian life is not about Jesus Christ; it is Jesus Christ.
23
When children played hide and seek in a big field, finding a place to hide was proved to be the more challenging part of the game. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he wrote about another way to hide, and it seems much simpler and more secure than the hide and seek game. Paul tells us our lives are hidden with Christ in God. Hide ourselves in Christ means His righteousness becomes our righteousness. An exchanged has been made. We then learn to seek the things of God and think the thoughts of God. Don’t let the things of this world and its corrupt powers distract you. Instead, seek the glory of God in Christ and be captivated by him. The more you seek Him, think His thoughts, and focus on His glory, the more you are transformed to resemble that glory, the more you reflect His righteousness in your life. Blessings!
24
When we surrender our lives to Christ, we will experience the goodness - grace, mercy, benevolence, and providence - of God in our lives in the present, and embrace a real and lasting hope for eternity. A relationship with Jesus cannot be defined, described or measured from the outside, "The proof is in the pudding".
25
It takes courage to follow Jesus. Jesus walked hard roads, denying his own flesh. Jesus stepped down out of heaven. He emptied Himself of His divine glory and power in order to become a human being. Everything He endured was hard. Everything He suffered was real. Judas’ betrayal hurt. Peter’s denial broke His heart. Every lash of the whip caused Him unbelievable pain. His trial and condemnation before those He came to save wounded Him deeply. I cannot fathom the pain He felt as He hung on the cross. It took an unbelievable amount of courage for Jesus to face His death, to die for me. I would never want to forget that!
26
Jesus laid His life down for me is more than I can ever ask for or imagine. All I can do is fall on my knees before His throne. Love Him back all that I am, follow Him with courage, all that I have to use for His purposes in the world, and all that He has prepared me to do in eternity.
27
Courage is defined by the absence of fear in the presence of things that would normally produce uncertainty. Peter had a lot of self-confidence, and that got him out of the boat. But that self-confidence could not get him where he needed to be, to Jesus. Jesus caught Peter when he was about to lose his footing and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Yes, Peter’s little faith was directed toward the wrong object too. He was trusting in his own power to do what Jesus told him to do. True courage comes from putting our faith in Jesus, not ourselves. When Peter reached out his hands to Jesus, he had a lot of faith on Jesus and no longer self-confidence on himself. He then was saved!
28
What does it look like to truly live? Having enough financial prosperity to live the rest of our days in comfort and ease? Living in a democratic society with the freedom to do what we want without being controlled? Is it loving relationships (with spouse, family, and friends)?
The Apostle Paul is very clear on this subject matter, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). We can find secrets to Christian living that transcends worry, fear, death and loss in this verse. This Christian life is personal. It is “to me,” and involves an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. It is practical, “to live”, the more Christ is revealed through us, the more reasons we have for living. It is resourceful, “is Christ”, who is the source of all things. And finally, it is eternal, “to die is gain”. We move on to greater things that we cannot begin to know in this life. Amen!
29
We don’t have to beg for an experience with God. The psalmist 16:11 paints this heavenly scene for us, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore,” that we can enjoy here and now. All that we have to do is quiet our hearts, align ourselves with the truth that He is here and available to us, and receive Him.
30
“Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God” (1 Chronicles 22:19). We do not seek God because He is lost. Nevertheless, He is often hidden. Veiled. The verb means "to seek with care, with diligence." Here in the context of this passage in the First Chronicles, it seems also to have the sense of "worship." This verse also gives us the clue of when to seek the Lord - it is 'now'. Now is the only time worth having, because indeed it is the only time we ever have. It is a word which comprehends the whole calendar, every day in the week, good or bad, all the year round. May we live a life of worship to our God from now into eternity.
1
The Bible is God's living word for all of us. “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.” -Charles Spurgeon
When we open our heart and mind to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will encounter God right where we are. God’s Word provides wisdom for decision-making, comfort in times of distress, and hope for the future. Just like our muscles grow and get stronger only after a workout, when they’re rested and recovered; the trials in our life tear us apart, our faith grows stronger when we find rest and rejuvenation in God’s Word.
Whoever believes and follows His Words is blessed.
2
If we are not hungry at dinner table, it is probably because we have indulged ourselves with other things already. "If you’re not hungry for God, you’re probably full of yourself." After we come to Christ for salvation, we still have choices to make everyday. We can choose to dine in God's Word or let the world steal away our appetite. We fool ourselves thinking that the things we see, we touch, we feel and we hold should take the higher priority. As we grow closer to the Lord, the more we desire to sit at His table of righteousness. This is because Jesus is the source of all life on this earth. Nothing in this world can ever satisfy like Jesus. Those who receive from Jesus will become channels of the Holy Spirit to bless and refresh others.
3
You might think that a blessed life is a pain-free life. Apostle Paul would see it differently. Paul lived through all kinds of tribulations of this world, yet he persevered. How? Because he's blessed!
A blessed life is a life with inner strength. Christ was everything to Paul, and it was the Spirit of Christ that defined Paul, led and empowered Paul, and comforted Paul.
A blessed life is a life with opportunities to witness for Christ. Paul seized every opportunity to tell others about Jesus, even when he was locked up in prison.
God can bring the greatest blessings through the toughest times.
4
The Bible is God's Word, but we have to understand God did not physically write it. Does this somehow diminish the Bible’s authority? Not for a second! Every word of the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" ( 2 Peter 1:20-21).
Apostle Paul often opened a letter stating that, "This letter is from Paul" rather than "This letter is from God". So Paul is not merely a worker for Jesus but a messenger from Jesus. We do not live our lives merey for God, we live our life with God. We do not work for Jesus, we work through Jesus. Our life and our message are one in the same.
5
Jesus could not have been more clear: treasures in heaven are more worthy of our time and pursuit than treasures of earth. Everyday we face decisions that require us to determine our priorities and what we value the most. “The kingdom of heaven [that is, the kingdom of God] is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44)
In this parable the man sells everything he has so that he can have the kingdom. In Philippians 3:8, Paul suffers the loss of all things that he may gain Christ. Those are virtually identical realities.
6
Jesus valued you and me enough that He paid it all on the cross to have us for His own. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).
If you had nothing else but the Lord, would He be enough for you?
If you had to give up all your possessions, relationships with people in your life and even your dreams, would you still be content?
When we prize Him above all, everything else pales in comparison.The meaningless things of the world lose their grip on us. "And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority" (Colossians 2: 10).
7
The word 'treasure' brings to mind as silver and gold, heirloom and jewelry. These are earthly riches. But perhaps an even more valuable treasure is knowing the all-powerful God of the universe is working even when we don't see. "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves...” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Most often, it’s in the darkest moment that we discover God is there all along.
8
Once we become a Christian, our life is not our own...it belongs to Christ. In our spiritual journey, perseverance is crucial. God definitely can change circumstances as He chooses to when we pray, but God always uses difficult circumstances in our lives. You may ask, why is that? Let Joseph's answer inspires us today, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering” (Genesis 41:52). God can surely use the pain, if we cooperate, to grow some of the fruit of the spirit in us – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. These are the fruit we can present to God one day.
9
Apostle Paul admonishes us in Colossians 3:16 this way, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly..." The Word of God:
Refreshes the soul
Makes the simple wise
Brings joy to our hearts
Enlightens our eyes
Is pure and enduring
Can be trusted
Is more valuable than fine gold
Adds sweetness to our hearts
Warns us of danger
Bestows a special reward
Reveals error in our lives
Keeps us from presumption
Guards us from becoming enslaved by sin.
Sets our spirit free
(Psalm 19:7-13)
"Dear God, what will you show me about You in Your Word today?"
10
God has spoken! He was not silent. God communicates. He means to connect with us. We actually have the words of God. The Word , the Bible, is His voice! It’s His love letter to mankind—the greatest love letter ever written. If we're going to know anything about God, we'll learn it from what He has revealed in the Bible. God speaks through His Word and through it He invites us to come find Him. And in finding Him, our knowledge about Him grows and our minds are gradually transformed—often in a quiet way—from glory to glory. "God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you" (Psalm 61: 11)
11
God’s purpose for every relationship we have, including motherhood, and every circumstance of our lives, is to bring us further up to God and further in to Himself. We can be wrapped up so tightly in the expectations of seeing the good results from our hard work. Remember, our temporary roles and relationships on this earth don’t define who we are. Only one relationship defines us: our relationship with God. For example, if we focus on godly motherhood, instead of God Himself, our wells will run dry. If we keep our focus on knowing God better through the circumstances He presents to us in motherhood, godly motherhood is the natural outflow of the sanctification that occurs in our hearts through growing closer to God and knowing Him intimately.
12
I heard many times when people adviced me that I should let go. I should let go when I have done all that I can in those situations. I should let go when my influence is no longer effective. It was hard for me to let go because i didn't know what I should let go of. Then I realized what I should let go of is my own agendas, whatever it is.
There was a time, in Luke 8: 19-21, when Jesus did not accept His family's agenda; of which those near him accepted. It amazed me that Jesus did not change direction in what He was doing and make their priority His priority. Jesus made His choice. He let go of one, and valued His spiritual family first. God had to widen the lens for me, to see His larger purpose. We can only pick up God's agenda when we choose to lay down our own. God is always at work and is looking for us to partner with Him.
13
Majesty, worship God's majesty. Singing praises to God is our way to express God's greatness. Proverbs 25:2 tells us "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter." There are many things God has concealed...for a time, and this is one expression of His glory. It is one of God’s ways to say, “You are amazed by what you see; yet what you don’t see, what I have concealed, is even greater.” Think about Jesus and His statement that much of what He said would be in parables, so that seeing they would not see and hearing they would not hear. The Bible is filled with truth that we cannot see or understand with human wisdom...until God reveals them to us.
14
Our journey with God is one that of seeking and knowing Him. This was Apostle Paul's expression when he understood one small point of God, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen" (Romans 11: 33-36). I can imagine Paul fell on HIs knees at this point! We too, can humbly go to the God of heaven and seek wisdom and understanding from Him. He will not let us down.
15
"But the glory of kings is to search things out" (Proverbs 25:2). If you accepted Jesus into your life, you are a child of God. You are a member of the royal family: a family of prophets, priests, and kings. God in His grace has shown us many things, through nature, through our inner conscience, and through His God-breathed Word, but there still remains many secret things that are hidden beneath the surface.
It is the joy of kings - truth seekers, to go through the Word diligently, to look for gems and gain knowledge. In that process we not only gain wisdom and understanding, but also grow in grace. It is a glorious pursuit.
16
'Christ in you' is not about some ooky-spooky New Age concept where Christ is in everyone and everyone is Christ! It is something far greater and far more rewarding than just 'trying your best for Jesus!' God wants the riches of His mystery revealed which is: Christ in us.The central message of the Apostle Paul and the New Testament is 'not I but Christ', 'It is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me.' Jesus Christ has given us Himself because we do not have what it takes to live the Christian life. Admitting that we cannot even live for Christ on our own, we'd be so grateful for Jesus. It is not a mental exercise, it is empowering the Holy Spirit to mold us to becoming more Christ-like.
17
The word 'hope' sounds like elusive, not real or it's something only existed in our head. But "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) is not about wishes and dreams; it is a promise. The glory that Jesus promises is not based on our own effort. It’s based on His accomplishment. Living in our hearts, Jesus is eager to show us His glory. Through the gift of His Spirit, He is at work every day, seeking to make that glory so clear to us that we would be willing to devote our lives to it. He'll never leave us, all the way into His eternal glory. The fullness has yet to come. That's our hope in Christ Jesus our Lord.
18
Jesus said to His disciples that "it is to your advantage that I go away." This statement was not only difficult for the disciples to understand, but to us also. Like the disciples, if Jesus were here, we would constantly depend on Him to direct us, or to answer our questions. Our own thoughts and conscience would perpetually be pushed aside, in favour of asking Jesus for His judgment. But Jesus explained, " for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7). Jesus' ascension was not the end of the story, but part of God’s bigger story extended to all of us. Everyone who repents of their sin and puts their faith in Jesus Christ receives the Holy Spirit. The ministry that Jesus once did in Galilee and Jerusalem and elsewhere, He now does by the Holy Spirit who is with us. Let us join God in His pursuits.
19
It’s human nature to worry about the future. Those two words “what if” have a way of sending us spiralling down a black hole of anxiety. A long time ago, the Israelites grappled with this similar challenge. God sent the prophet Isaiah to speak these comforting words of truth to them and to us, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland’” (Isaiah 43: 18-19). May we filter our future through this truth and face the days ahead with a hope that gives us peace and strength.
20
How do we overcome our circumstances? We rise above them. David in Psalm 69 found himself sinking, "Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire..." Can you relate to that kind of suffering? David got through that situation by waiting on his God. (Psalm 69: 1-3)
David's God is our living God, "who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist" (Romans 4: 17), sets us up to rise above our storms. Instead of looking at the situation with our physical eyes, we speak life and truth over it. Our God reigns, blessing and honour, glory and power, unto our God forever and ever!
21
Jesus taught His disciples about the Kingdom of God, and they also did life together for three and a half years. The disciples walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, ate with Jesus – they did everything with Jesus. In this process, the disciples were able to ‘catch’ what Jesus was trying to show them. This is why it’s so important that our actions match our words as Christians. Faith is caught, by what is observed than what is heard.
22
When we seek God, we have to be ready to surrender our life for Him. When we truly understand what happened at salvation, "We were dead in trespasses and sins", it will lead us to see this new life we are living is no longer ours. Understanding the depth of this will enable us to seek God with our whole heart, in order to be transformed into the image of Christ. One day we shall see our Lord Jesus as He is in us.
23
Even though Jesus is God, He is also a person. Knowing Jesus is about entering a relationship with Him. There were people in Jesus day who thought it was good enough for them to know about His teaching, applauded the miracles and fascinated in some of the things He said. Today there are thousands who know about Jesus—that is, they know some facts about Him, they might commit some Bible verses to memory, and perhaps they even attend church. But they have never allowed the facts to become their personal reality. We can appreciate the facts of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but until we have made Him our Lord, the facts do us no good.
24
Time is a gift entrusted to us by God, and we all received it equally. It is a finite gift here on this earth, meant to be used intentionally and wisely. Time is the one thing that once it's gone, we can never get back or recycle. Recognizing that every moment is a precious opportunity to glorify God helps us approach time with a sense of gratitude and responsibility. Ephesians 5: 16, "Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days." We are not to live for this age and its desires, but for doing the will of God as we look forward to the age to come.
25
The purpose of our Christian living is not about doing our best for God. We live in a world where what we do tends to define us. However, to pursue God’s ways is to be people of being over people of doing. Doing is tied in closely with activity, accomplishments, and tangible things. Being, on the other hand, has more to do with intangibles, the kind of people we become down inside, much of which can't be measured by objective yardsticks and impressive awards.
'What we want to do is not nearly as important as what we want to be.' - Charles Swindoll
26
Love without faith loses its power. The kind of love that God requires from us comes only from one thing in our lives – and that is faith. Some people tend to exalt love at the expense of faith. Their attitude is, "The only thing that matters is love. Don’t talk to me too much about faith." For when we encounter challenges, it is faith that will sustain us. At the times we don’t feel love, our faith will point us back to the truth. The truth of His love for us, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them...But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful (Luke 6: 32-35). There’s no other way to reproduce God’s love, but by faith in God.
27
Every day we are faced with many choices, in a positive or negative manner. "So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives," Paul in Galatians 5:16 gives us his counsel. God will show us the choice to make, but it is still up to us to act on that choice. We make our choices, and our choices will make us.
28
The inner person, who is the real us, sees and knows things that are not identical with what the eyes of the body can see. We can impress others all we want, but something looks good and beautiful does not mean it is. Just because something looks less impressive does not mean that lying below the surface there are not depths of beauty and goodness. Real beauty and strength and wisdom and integrity and leadership is not found upon the surface but far deeper where no eye can see or camera can photograph. "Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed" (Psalm 34:5)
29
To this world, time is money. In God's economy, time is life. Spending time with God will shape our spiritual life into His image. In fact, God wants to spend time with you and me so badly that He paid in order to get it. He sent Jesus to remove every barrier, tear down every wall and unlock every door so we could have a personal relationship with Him. Not only that, He gave us His Word so we could hear from Him constantly and consistently. Spending time with God in His Word should be our top priority everyday. So today … set aside time to spend with the One who is above all time. It will be time well spent.
30
Our kingdom must go if we want to inherit the Kingdom of God. God’s Kingdom presents a challenge to how our flesh and this world tell us to live because it is “not of this world”. This world is preoccupied with the visible, the carnal, materialistic, the temporal, outward show and achievements, earthly power and status. The kingdom of God emphasizes that which is invisible, spiritual, eternal, inner reality, what is of the heart, the development of the inner man and relying on the spiritual power. Paul is exhorting us to focus on the realities in the spiritual realm that are eternal and unseen, rather than on the things in the physical realm that are visible and temporal and will pass away. As we seek to serve God faithfully, let us not be discouraged by the trials and difficulties that may appear to be adverse from the temporal perspective. Instead, let us learn to view life from the eternal perspective of God's kingdom and rejoice in the development of our inner man and in the enduring fruit of a faithful journey. (2 Corinthians 4: 16-18)
31
A major area of truth revealed in the Scriptures is that we are living in a fallen world, which is under the influence and power of the evil one. This is a universal problem; everyone is included in it. Ephesians 2:2 puts it this way, “in which you once walked, following the course of this world…”. The “course of this world” in this verse refers to the trends, values, ways and perspective of this world. Do you know that this world, the lust of it all, is passing away, as were told in 1 John 2:17? It will ultimately perish, and we must not be preoccupied with it. “…But the one who does the will of God lives forever” (! John 2:17)
1
This short phrase from Colossians 3 stood out today, "When Christ, who is your life..." Jesus doesn’t simply give Christians life through His atonement on the cross and resurrection. The Word declares that Jesus is our life. If we’ve been raised with Christ, we should “seek the things that are above”, where Christ is, seated at God's right hand. This plainly refers to heavenly things. Our reward for believing in Christ doesn’t consist in earthly treasures that one day perish and fade away. Our reward, rather, consists in heavenly treasures that we will enjoy for all eternity. Try to picture this, when Christ appears, "...we will appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:4). Everything else pales in comparison!
2
Do you want to have more of Jesus? I know I do. After all these years, after all strives; only Jesus can satisfy, only He can fill. "I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good"—and I want more! How can I get more of Jesus? Here is how, "We will have to give more of ourselves," like King David. This is what God testified about David, "...he will do everything I want him to do" (Acts 13:22).
3
From a human perspective, we are attracted to something that shows results. We often hear this question, "Does that work?" But that's not the way of God. We don’t show Jesus we love Him by doing things that we think work. We show Him we love Him through our obedience. Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” (John 14: 21). Jesus told us in His Word that if we keep His commands He will show Himself to us. What an amazing truth. The results then, are up to God and God alone!
4
Understanding the depth of who we were before Jesus came into our life will enable us to seek God with the new life we've been given. "You were dead in your transgressions and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). In other words, as far as God is concerned, we had no life before Jesus came in.
This world tells us to go after the tangible things in this world; but if we know how this life was given to us, we'll seek God daily and truly live.
5
This thought just blew me away. We are a finite being with our days numbered, yet God takes great care of each one of us. He is infinite, He cannot be tempted with evil and He is trustworthy. Psalm 91:10 tells us that, "no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent." Does it mean that we are promised safety then? Why is it that we are still faced with the reality of human suffering? Does the Bible give us the formula to stay out of harm’s way, in a world where mankind takes it upon themselves to step outside of God’s perfect will; where people decided to do whatever they like, based on their own inclinations? May we take heart with this truth: The security of our soul is worth far more than the safety of our lives.
6
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The most common understanding of this verse, including myself, as falling short of God’s righteous standard. But not only that, we see in Romans 4:20, that Abraham gave God glory. The Gentiles glorifying God in Chapter 15:9, and the final doxology of the letter in Chapter 16:27 where glory was given to God. So,"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" may also mean we have failed 'to give God the glory He deserves'.
7
How much was God's Word to King David? He wrote this in Psalm 119:2, "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies (laws, statues), who seek Him with their whole heart". What is it in the Word of God, that caused David to treasure it and love it? David saw God in the laws of God.
Now in the New Testament, we see that Christ is the Word of God (John 1:1, Rev. 19:13).
Lord, open our eyes to see You in Your Word today!
8
God is omniscient, all knowing. He sees us in secret. We are living in a world where people work on appearing acceptable to others, to our community. This desire to look good to others and to impress people doesn't impress God. "...Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Jesus turns this upside down and warns that if the opinion of other people is the only motive, God will not reward such actions. God is the only audience that matters.
"Lord, I come as needy as I am, thank you for making my heart your home."
9
We can learn this faith lesson in 2Kings 6: 16-17 from Elisha's servant. He couldn't see what Elisha saw, and he was afraid. I can certainly relate to that feeling. "Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:16-17, NIV). What and how we see makes all the difference in the world. Wouldn’t it be nice to see with our natural eyes all the ways God is working behind the scenes? But through the eyes of faith, we can have the same certainty.
Be encouraged: There’s more to life than what we can see!
10
When our dog Penny pants, we know water would help calm her down. "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God." Here is a true picture of our relationship with God, that we cannot survive apart from Him. We might pretend we can still continue on, but only for a little while. In our pursuit of God, we discover that more than meeting our needs, He delights in revealing Himself to us. As we draw near to God, he draws near to us, filling our hearts with love, joy and peace.
11
“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last” (Mark 15:37). Let us not forget that scene as Jesus took the judgement that you and I deserve in our sin. All that Jesus went through, in the four Gospels, was for us. He paid the price so that we can press on to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. For the longest time I didn't know what prize was Paul talking about in Philippians 3:14. But there's a prize "through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith...I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11). That prize was not only for Paul, Paul said, "but to all who crave His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8)
12
This word 'resurrection' from Philippians 3:11, in Greek it only appeared once in the New Testament. It is the Greek word 'exanastasis', a special, distinct or out of the ordinary kind of resurrection. It is not the general kind of resurrection for all believers. This 'exanastasis' qualifies that this person would rule and reign with Christ in the Millennium. This is a promise that every believer is entitled to, but not every believer will get it. Paul knew at the end of his journey that he is going to receive this 'exanastasis' as he wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4: 7-8, "...From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing."
Let us be faithful to our Lord Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, we may disqualify ourselves.
13
Our wants and our needs are sometimes not the same. For example: The Israel wanted her King to come, but what they really needed was a Saviour. During passion week, we hear the echo, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” as the people of Christ’s day recognized Jesus as the long-awaited One.
In His mercy, God gave the crowds not what they wanted, so shallow and frivolous, but what they—and we—needed most.
14
On the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem on a donkey, this is how it was recorded, "And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9). It was a celebration, a moment of profound joy and expectation. Jesus was in the centre of it all. The people recognized Jesus not just as a teacher or miracle worker but as the promised Messiah, the Son of David. How poignant it is that as Jesus entered the city, He was heralded as King by those who had longed for liberation, unaware that His kingdom was not of this world and that His ultimate calling was one of spiritual salvation.
15
The term translated “blessed is” comes from the Hebrew word barukh (literally “to bless”) and is most often used of God. But in Psalm 118:26 it speaks of the king figure who comes in God’s authority. Faithlife Study Bible explains that barukh “describes bestowing someone with special power or declaring Yahweh to be the source of special power. In that regard, it means praising Yahweh for who He is” (Barry, J. D., et al, entry for Psalm 103:1, Lexham Press, 2012, 2016).
Are we ready to accept Jesus' kingship over our lives? Apprehending Him as King means laying down our own plans and expectations. It requires us to relinquish control over our lives, accepting His perfect will instead of pursuing our own agendas.
16
Pilate's question, “What is truth?” is one of the most important questions one can ask. As a Roman governor, perhaps the only truth that mattered to Pilate was power. If you are able to kill or spare anyone you want, what does ‘truth’ really mean? In order to keep imperial order Pilate had to play politics to manage local tensions. He wanted to avoid being embroiled in religious disputes but he also needed to manage the Jewish leaders, and the volatile crowd.
Like politicians, we often want to protect ourselves and our reputations, and provide our own ‘spin’ on events that we are involved in.
17
Barabbas was a dangerous man, notoriously known throughout the land as an insurgent. Jesus on the other hand, healed their sick, touched those people no one else would touch, associated with sinners and befriended the outcasts. Yet, to Pilate’s amazement, the crowd called for Barabbas to be released. As for Jesus, they yelled, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” (Matthew 27:22). Have you wondered why was there such a disturbing response to Jesus? Perhaps that's the only way "not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). They thought the Kingdom of God would appear immediately. This Jesus was not what they expected. So what would we do when Jesus didn't appear to our liking? That choice is with us!
18
God formed Adam and breathed His Spirit of life into him. He then offered a choice to Adam and Eve, by planting two trees that represent these life-or-death options. Adam and Eve probably never intended to leave the garden, but they didn’t take God’s words seriously and trusted the wisdom of a sneaky deceiver instead of God. We know that they had to leave the Garden where God resides. Outside the garden, the world still has beauty, goodness, and life, but it also has expiration dates.
We too, often decide to choose life as defined by our own wisdom, embracing our own self-ruin. Often these choices seem as innocent as eating tasty, good-looking fruit. But when those choices oppose God’s intended purposes for us, they corrupt life and bring death.
19
In Genesis 2:17, we read that God gave this command to Adam, "...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Adam and Eve both ate from that tree, and they both died. Is death the end? If this were the end of the story, it would be the ultimate tragedy, as it seems like God is cutting ties with humanity altogether.
Rather, God, in the persson of Jesus Christ, joins us in the dust, showing us that true life is about unity with God and that our death is a temporary tragedy, not our ultimate end.
20
"But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). You might not think this is a big deal, but it is! Jesus' 3 1/2 years ministry on earth only attracted a handful of people. He suffered the most excruciating pain , the sinner's death, when He died. All of these is pointing us that no pain in this world He couldn't understand. Most of all, God has engineered a kind of death that does not ultimately destroy the human. It’s a death that overcomes death, "He is not here, for He is risen!" (Matthew 28:6)
21
Have you ever wondered: if Jesus died, and He did not come back to life? There are still people who deny Jesus's resurrection to this day, for they also deny the possibility of afterlife altogether.
In 1Corinthians 15, Paul gave us 5 implications that which would be true if Jesus is dead.
1. Our faith is empty (15:14).
2. We'd be all lying about God(15:15).
3. We are still in our sin (15:17).
4. Death would have dominion (15:18)
5. "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." (15:19)
But, in fact, "Christ has been raised from the dead..." (15:20) Turn vv. 14-19 around, to see what is true since the resurrection really happened. Be blessed!
22
There are reasons to reject the resurrection account, but they all come to a dead end. But there’s a reason to believe it apart from fact, and it’s this:
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live...
and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11: 25-26) Choose life!
23
What does a life without Jesus is like? You might say, "No different than yours!" Let us look at how Ecclesiastes 6 describes it for us. In verse 1, it tells us that a man can have wealth, possessions, and honor, and he lacks nothing of all that he desires. Though he has all these things, yet in verse 2 says that God does not enable him to enjoy them. "He might live a thousand years twice over...but fail to enjoy his prosperity. And since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use?" (6:6)
Life without reference to God, life that doesn’t center around God; is not a full, abundant life. On the contrary, it is meaningless at the end.
24
Why does a life with Jesus worth living? Because we are called to live a life worthy of the Lord, "so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way...being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might" (Colossians 1: 10-11). As we put our trust and faith in Jesus, we are joined in His resurrection. He alone can give us the value that we're looking for - a part of a greater story to come. Amen!
25
Jesus' resurrection is not an after the fact event, rather it is a fulfillment of prophecy according to the Scriptures. In the Bible, the term “Scriptures” always refers to the Old Testament. We can locate one such Old Testament reference in Psalm 16, "You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful (or holy) one see decay” (16:10). King David spoke here, perhaps not knowing what he was speaking of, that the Messiah would not see decay in the grave and that he would rise from the dead.
26
'Jesus is the only way to God' sounds arrogant, intolerant; and often gets pushback throughout history. Actually the real question is not, “Why is Jesus the only way?” but “Why is there any way at all?” Believing in Jesus is not a matter of religion or belief system, it is a matter of our soul and our eternity. Jesus Christ has reconciled us to God, “...justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). It is only by God’s mercy and grace that He has made a way for us to be right with Him, and that act of mercy is found in Jesus alone.
27
“Nothing is lost in the sight of God” was a grandmother’s favourite sayings. We may have misplaced our car keys or our glasses sometimes, but how comforting it is to know that we are never lost in God's sight. Even when our eyes wander away to our own thoughts, or our own versions of what life is about; His eyes are on us. Did you take a step back? He never leaves! God never loses sight on you and me.
28
Many people find it difficult to put their trust in God because they can't see Him. Just think about when we're in an airplane, we don't feel like it's moving at all when there is no turbulence. Feelings are not good detectors of what's actually happen now. Only God knows what He is doing and what He will do. By faith, we trust that He is moving by His power and working in our lives.
Take heart to Jesus' word in John 13:7, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” We might not feel God is working, but He is!
29
"Let us press on...", even when we lose hope. Hosea was reminding the Jews and us, "Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” For many of us, our faith waxes and wanes. How easy would it be to worship a God when life goes so smooth. We might even just put Him on the shelf. But how much more of a testimony could we be to others when we are found faithful despite the hardships He allows?
30
God is all knowing. He knows more about me than I know about myself. No matter what path I walk down, God is one step ahead. The Lord is always going before me and preparing me for what is to come. He is known for caring and perfecting so many people for their tomorrows. He walks ahead to fight the battles they fear they can't win. He calms the seas they're convinced they can't beat. He softens the blows they worry will take them down. He knows our road. He knows how to lead us through it. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).
1
Proverbs 25:2, "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out." God is infinite in His wisdom and understanding, and His ways are past finding out. When we accepted Jesus into our lives, He has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father, after the order of Melchizedek. We are instructed to search out the truth as we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the whole counsel of God so that we may grow in grace, mature in the faith, and discover the hidden things of God.
2
When we follow Jesus, we still live our life, we still go about our life day in and day out. The world around us does not change, but what is different now is that we have been changed, we have been transformed on the inside.
This way of living led me to the scene where Jesus was transfigured on the mountain just before He was led to crucifixion. Jesus’ transfiguration made his face shine like the sun. Peter, James, and John got to witness the glory of God in Jesus. This is what he will look like when we are in heaven. The real miracle here wasn’t that Jesus shined like the sun, but that He could contain this glory every day without it coming out. In the same way, we are also being transformed from the inside out that we keep our old self inside and live out the new life we found in Jesus.
3
Salvation is free for anyone who believes, "For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." This gift of salvation certainly brings eternal rejoicing. But there's much more, for we were justified and made righteous, sanctified, and glorified. We were adopted as sons of God and predestined to become exactly like the Lord Jesus. As sons, we were given an eternal inheritance and made joint-heirs with Christ in His heavenly kingdom. Jesus, as God's Son, showed us how to stay faithful to the very end in order to keep His inheritance, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:3). This verse tells us that while salvation is free, to keep the inheritance is not. We have to stay faithful as sons of God, like Christ. Let us take exhortation from the next verse from the same passage, Hebrews 12:4, "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
4
How big is God? God is not made of “stuff”; therefore, He has no dimensions, and spatial descriptions do not apply to Him. God is not “made” at all but is preexistent, eternal, with no beginning and no end (Revelation 22:13). He is existence, and without Him nothing else can exist. God exists outside of and independent of His creation. He is “big” enough to make the universe and “small” enough to know and love us.
5
Selah is a Hebrew word which means "pause and think about this". I want to pause and think about this verse, "Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah" (Psalm 24:10). In our world, there are many kings, those who call themselves kings, and also those who would be kings. I am exhilarated because our Jesus is not only King, He is the King of Glory. And so let us stop and think about it. We take a break in His presence. We stand in His glory that is unmatched, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness”. Nothing is going to change that!
6
Helpless, weak, no strength, powerless, aren't these words describing someone who is paralyzed? Many of us do not realize we are spiritually paralyzed. You see, God’s plan for all of us is that we be holy, but we don’t have the strength to be holy. We don't have what it takes to live a holy life. "While we were still helpless [powerless to provide for our salvation], at the right time Christ died [as a substitute] for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). In His strength; we can now live a holy life, "not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God” (verses 3–5).
7
Jesus responded to simple faith. How about that! The four friends had this kind of simple faith when they carried their paralytic friend onto and through a roof to see Jesus.They didn't get Jesus' attention through the complex religious system of that day, or years of theological training. “Jesus saw their faith,” says Mark, and responded to their need. Jesus put first thing first, first healing the man's relationship with God, then their friend's physical ailment. Does Jesus see our simple faith by our action?
8
We don't want to see wars, any kind of wars between two parties. But there's a war going on inside of us that we cannot ignore. Galatians 5:17 explains to us this inner war, "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." Between the flesh and the spirit, how are we to fight it? Paul does not say we won't have the fleshly desires; he is saying, when we walk in the spirit, we will not gratify them.
9
Our life doesn't have to be perfect to make it count. We all experience hardships and trouble in this life. No one is immune from it. More important than a perfect life is the fact that we let God to fulfill His purpose for us.
Jesus knew His time on earth was to do His Father's will, even though it was difficult, "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Such an example before us, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter for our faith.
10
When each one of us accepts Jesus' free gift of salvation, and willing to establish a relationship with Him. Guess what, we have access to His heart. Psalm 25: 14, "The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning." Secrets are waiting to be revealed, so that we may know the truth. The secrets of the Lord are beyond our human comprehension, our human calculation or our human expectation. The best is yet to come!
11
Trust plays a crucial role in relationship. It is built on vulnerability, emotional security, and connection (Johnson 2008). God in His word, tells us over and over again, that He wants our trust to be in Him, and not in people like this one in Jeremiah 17:5, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD.’”
As soon as we put our trust in people, our hearts turn away from the Lord and make earthly flesh our strength, whether you admit it or not.
12
Proverbs 9:10, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." This verse is telling us that the fear of God is the foundational requirement to wisdom. The very first example of the fear of the Lord in the Bible is Exodus 9:20, where we found the officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field and they died from the plague of hails. This truth is not only relevant to God's people or Christians only, it is to all people. And it leads to life.
13
Jesus told us in Matthew 5:20 this, “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” We know that Jesus is not about earning our way into heaven. In the same token, we are not to treat God's law lightly, because how we view God’s law indicates how we view God Himself (Romans 2:12-16). Was Jesus telling us to try harder and do better? No! Jesus is calling us to the 'kind' of righteousness - His righteousness rather than the degree of it, like the Pharisees.
14
Our hearts show what we really value in life. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love Him with all our heart...above all else. That means no personal desires should be attached to that love. When we put Jesus first, Matthew 6:33 tells us that "... and all these things will be provided to you."
Jesus is worthy of it all. If we have Him, we have it all!
15
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...” We also learned from John 10 that Jesus and the Father are ONE. We see God in connection with Christ. We see God through Christ, we see God in Christ. How God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as God, I do not know. This is a mystery! But this I do know, the God of Jesus Christ, the Father of Jesus Christ, is my God, my Father, too. How will I not bless Him?
16
Faith is the avenue God uses to bring people to Himself. Faith comes from God in the form of a gift (Ephesians 2:9). But how do we utilize this gift so that it can accomplish it's end goal? Romans 1: 17, "The righteous shall live by faith."
What does it mean for us today? Faith is to admit that we don't have all the answers to our questions and we don't need to have all the answers. Faith is pleasing God in every thing and in every way.
17
What is eternal life? I was surprised to find that the meaning of eternal life is not eternal existence going on and on infinitely. The answer is actually very clear given by Jesus. It is found in John 17: 3, "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." The Greek word ginosko, translated using 3 English words: know, perceive, and understand, appears 223 times in the New Testament. Jesus obviously used the word often since it appears 71 times in the Olivet discourse alone, when Jesus spoke about the end times on the Mount of Olives (Matt. 24:1–25:46). Knowing God gives us the quality of life that transcends what this world offers. So, let us make it our goal to get to know God better by the end of each day, because that is what we will be doing for eternity.
18
Asking questions is one way to grow in wisdom. So today's question is: What has less value than knowing Christ? Another way to look at this question is: What are we holding on to so tightly that it prevents us from experiencing a fuller, richer, knowledge of Christ? If we want to know Christ as He desires to be known, we must count all other things as loss.
19
"God wants me to be happy, and so I should get out of the situations that does not make me happy." Have you encountered feelings along this line? God does indeed desire each one of us to live a life filled with love and happiness, but it's not the kind of love and pleasure the world esteems. While our Heavenly Father is actively meeting all our needs, He wants us to centre our life on Him. We cannot live the life God desires for us apart from filling our minds and hearts with His Word. The bottom line is this: apart from God's Word, we may be going after a god of our own making.
20
God’s Word gives us proper perspective. The entirety of God’s Word is active, alive, inspired, and for our good. But some of the things are hard pills to swallow like this one, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).
We all struggle. Maybe it’s with our mental health, failing bodies, losing loved ones, or being wounded by people in our inner circles. Nothing on this list feels light or momentary. If anything, it feels hopeless.
It is a comfort to know that Paul’s life was no walk in the park. It is clear that Paul is not minimizing suffering here. He’s telling us that even the worst imaginable suffering on earth will be nothing compared to the “far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Through Paul, God is whispering in our ears, "Persevere, my child. I’m here. Something better is coming."
21
The moment we put our trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit begin residing in us. He provides us with the desire and the power to do what God desires. And yet the truth is that even as believers we do not always live in the fullness of God’s Spirit. It remains possible for us to be more influenced by something other than Him. Paul tells us how to live this new life in Galatians 5:16-17, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."
22
God does not force His will upon us — rather, He seeks our willing obedience. That is why whenever Jesus talked about discipleship, He prefaced it with an “If,” meaning, “You do not need to do this unless you desire to do so.” Jesus does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself. "Lord Jesus, may I obey You out of a oneness of Spirit with You!"
23
God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are ONE and operate in unity with each other. This means that it is not possible to fully separate God or Jesus from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who takes everything God has given us in Christ Jesus and makes them a reality in our lives today!
We have the same power Jesus had when He was tempted to sin by Satan and didn’t succumb. We have the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. We have the same supernatural power of God inside us today. Amen!
24
When I'm told to wait, I feel a sense of helplessness, having no control over what's going on. Waiting seems passive. Wait!
Until I learned how God waits. He is patient with us. God's patience is done with perfect knowledge that He knows the wait is worth it. It is not about speed, but for His will be done. In waiting, He does not sit idly by. He actively involves in each of our lives to bring about transformation. With God, waiting isn’t about the end, but about the beginning.
25
The truth is like light. It illuminates and exposes what is real. While we’re an informed generation, linked together by technology, aware of many of the answers our culture provides, our instinctive hunger for truth continues. There is only one source of truth, and that is the Word of God. Let us open the Word of God daily.
26
We don't need to hope and wonder if God will take care of us. Paul tells us this in Philippians 4:19, "I am convinced that my God will fully satisfy every need you have, for I have seen the abundant riches of glory revealed to me through Jesus Christ!" (The Passion Translation).
It is a matter of His heart and nature, not because He is being forced to; even if our need feels relatively “small” to us. Be blessed!
27
We know that whenever the bible talks about the heart, it’s not simply the physical organ that pumps our blood. The heart actually means our mind, our will, the 'inner man'. The heart drives our actions and influences our thinking and behaviour. It’s critical that we are aware of what we say and do, because over time, our thoughts and actions will shape and mold our hearts—often without us even realizing it.
28
Life is lived from the heart. It is the command centre where we make decisions. Not only we should guard our heart, Proverbs 4: 23 says , "Guard your heart with all vigilance..." or "Guard your heart above all else..." Notice, this is an imperative; it’s a command. It implies that keeping the heart is not an easy task. It is not something that comes naturally. It calls for effort, perseverance, persistence, constancy, and industry—diligence. It’s a struggle! Why is it so important? The answer is in the next part of the verse, "...For out of it spring the issues of life." or "...for it determines the course of (our) life."
29
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8, NIV). We are talking about an undivided heart here. A heart so focused and unadulterated that it clarifies our vision. You see, we can’t see God rightly with a heart that is pulled every which way. God wants us to know Him, and to see Him. But we can't really see Him if our hearts are not in pursuit of Him.
30
We typically get away from storms if we can help it. But one time when Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, Jesus' intention was to use the storm to protect the disciples. Seriously? Yes, the disciples needed to be protected from being pulled into the diversion, from the crowd, of making Jesus king at the wrong time. Jesus knew the ambition in their hearts, and this could have destroyed them 'spiritually'.
31
The Bible tells us that, the eyes of the Lord, "run to and fro throughout the whole earth..." He is actively searching, and we were told He has found a man after His own heart in 1Samuel 13:14. And to this day, God is looking for men or women with a heart for God. What does that heart looks like? We can see that in Jesus as God's beloved Son. In His pain, He prayed, "Not my will, but Thine will be done." God is looking,"...in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him" (2Chronicles 16:9).
1
"Keep on seeking, and you will find" (Matthew 7:7)
The word “seek” in the Greek means “to pursue, to run after.” As we seek the Lord, He “sends righteousness on [us] like the rain” (Hosea 10:12). These times refresh and renew us, making us grow. Just thinking of time with God in these terms can cause us to desire to meet with Him.
2
Jesus shared this story in Luke 16:19-26 to teach that there are good things in this life we cannot carry into the next life. The all-important thing is that we live this life with the value of eternity—our relationship with God, in mind.
"But for me it is good to be near God..." (Psalm 73:28)
3
The word “Christian” means “being like Christ”. This was the nickname given to the disciples by other people who looked on at them. The first time is in Acts 11:26: “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” The last time we see “Christian” mentioned is in 1 Peter 4:16, “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” But in our world today 'Christian' is anyone who go to church and live a good life. Although Jesus never taught us what it means to be a Christian, He did tell us what it means to be a disciple.
4
When I look at the cross, I think of Jesus as my Substitute, who satisfies the just wrath of God, and I am united with Him in His death by His resurrection. This, however, was not what Jesus’s disciples would have understood at that time. Although Jesus was telling them that He would go to the cross, they did not believe Him. When Jesus said to them, “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27), what was Jesus trying to tell them? Living under Roman authority, it was not uncommon to see a man go down the road carrying his cross. This person was going to die. Jesus used the cross to tell the disciples in a very practical term what does it mean to follow Jesus.
I think for us today, unless we take up our cross and align ourselves with Jesus, no matter what it costs or where it takes us—even if it means the death of ourselves—we cannot be His disciples.
5
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened…” —Matthew 11:28
When we study the original Greek words 'weary and burdened' and how this sentence is structured, the literal translation of the verse is, “Come to Me, those who have overburdened themselves.” In other words, Jesus is calling those who are wearied by their own choices. Many of us can relate to being burdened by the worries of life. But mind you, even good things can become burdens to us. Jesus’s invitation to all of us that are overburdened, with good things or bad things, is to come to Him and find rest . Our story is still being written. (Isaiah 41:10)
6
Those who seek God, who get close with God not only pleases God like Enoch did; but they themselves will enjoy the greatest pleasure of all, God Himself!
Hebrews 11:6, "...For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."
7
I always wondered what is Jesus' yoke when He called us to take His yoke as we read in Matthew 11: 29, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Today I learned the answered is actually lies in the previous verse. The yoke of Jesus is the relationship that He has with the Father. Jesus is offering to us—a relationship with God.
8
In all honesty, we can be a Christian, yet still live with our mind on earthly things. The Greek word for “repentance” is metanoeo that combines the word meta, meaning “to change,” and noeo, meaning “the mind.”
Philippians 4:8 lists out 8 things we should always think about, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”, even when the going is tough.
9
I am attracted to this picture of outing, taking a stroll in the sunshine through a beautiful rose garden by a babbling brook and then arriving on warm summit uplands. I can see myself telling God that He can take a 'coffee' break while I am on it. That's exactly why God likes to take His people through desert roads, to keep us dependent and humble before Him, until we reach to our wonderful and glorious destination.
10
"God created us so that He could love us." What a powerful statement! Despite Jobs' suffering, he acknowledged, "You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit." That's God's love. God longs to satisfy all our needs so that we simply find rest in Him.
11
We all have this desire of wanting to be fully known, and fully loved. We give our heart, devote ourselves to earn affections from others, whether it be close friends or strangers. We mold and reshape ourselves, even change our image or personality, to some extend. We project who we think we should be instead of who we really are.
And yet, when Adam was fully seen, Genesis 3:10 told us that he was afraid. Sin destroyed that relationship, and brought separation and destruction instead. God made a covering for them. He met them in their weakness and provided for them. In the same way, God has clothed us with the perfect, righteous nature of Christ. Our lives are perfectly hidden in his while He is working in us. How glorious that day will be when on that day, we shall see God face to face with full acceptance, without any work from our part.
12
What are we called to do? Are we called to make a name for ourselves? We live in a world that celebrates people who seem to stand above the rest. We look up to those who has the ability to communicate, educate or make donations. I believe Jesus calls us to something even higher, that is to fix our eyes on His incarnate love and allow the Holy Spirit to mold us into His image.
13
God's love is unconditional, but it has boundary. How about that! 1Corinthians 13:6, "Love does not delight in evil, it rejoices in the truth." Truth is a reflection of God. This was how the Berean Jews approach to this subject matter, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). They searched the Scriptures—probing, not just skimming.
14
God wants us to succeed, of course, so let us continue to work hard in these areas:
1. Humility (James 4:10)
2. Spiritual fruitfulness (Galatians 5:22-23)
3. Obedience (1Samuel 15:22)
4. Our complete dependence on Him (Psalm 55:22)
5. Our faith (Hebrews 11:6)
6. To be like Christ (Romans 8:29)
7. Walk in newness of life (1Peter 1:3)
8. To be servants of God (John 13: 14-16)
9. To fulfill our calling (1Thessalonians 5:18)
10.To be close to Him (Psalm 73:26)
15
What does it mean to love Jesus? Matthew 10:37, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” We picture love in such a way as to love more or less than another. But love is not experienced as a quantity, it is a source from which we draw from. There is a deep part of our lives that can only be met by God; a love that can only be experienced in relationship with God. When we love God above all other relationships, He becomes the source from which we can properly love our parents, our spouse, our children and even ourselves.
16
"How great are God's riches! How deep are his wisdom and knowledge!" (Romans 11:33) I can camp in tihs verse all day long. This is my God, and our God. He understands us even better than we know ourselves.
While we see from a limited viewpoint, God is able to see the big picture.
17
Will Christians be judged? The answer is definitely Yes, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2Corinthians 5:10) It is this future judgment that should motivate us to live a holy life. It is knowing that the condemnation we have deserved will not be inflicted on us that gives us gratitude to please Him. Let us make it our goal to please our Father in Heaven.
18
'Disciple' is the root word for 'discipline'. Disciplined is one of the characteristics, Paul says, of an overseer who manages God's business. We found this in Titus 1: 7-8. So following Jesus is not just believing the correct doctrine, but rather a goal of serving Him in actions.
Being a disciple of Jesus is to ‘live’ what we preached - not in words only but in ‘deeds’.
19
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," Jesus said. We can easily find purity in a newborn baby, but not so much as we continue to gain experiences in this world. This was one of Paul's concern for the Christians in Corinth that they should keep "a sincere and pure devotion to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3). So I asked, how can I stay pure in my heart for Jesus in this complicated world? Another translation gives me some light for direction, "keep the simplicity that is in Christ."
20
We often heard this statement: "Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship; it is living with a Person". How rightly so! When we misplaced this focus, we get grumpy and begin to bite and devour those closest to us. We become weary and heavy laden again, seeking rest for our souls but never really finding it because Jesus is the only One who can give us rest. That is the simplicity that is in Christ. The danger that we constantly face is that we get involved in the things about Christ and fail to live in a relationship with Christ.
21
When we have much money, we feel secured. When we don't have much, we feel that we are under the mercy of others. But the problem with money is: All the riches we can have in this world does not compare to the riches that we have in Jesus Christ. This was what Jesus told His disciples, and is still relevant for us today, “…store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20-21).
22
What a wonderful news this is that God has given each Christian a job to do and gifts to do it well. But can it be true? Yes! Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Understanding this can set us on a course of spiritual adventure to discover what it is that God has prepared for us to do. What God asked of us is simply to be faithful as best as we understand it, and to leave the results to Him. We cannot produce spiritual fruit in the lives of others. Only God can do that.
23
God is faithful, and he will not let you (and me) be tempted (be tested) beyond your (and my) ability (1Corinthians 10:13). What a comfort to know that this truth will never be changed. There is no unsupervised trials in your life and in my life. The same gospel of Jesus Christ "has given us everything we need for life and godliness...so that through them we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Peter 1:3-4).
24
"I don't deserve this problem that I am facing!" Have you ever been tempted to feel this way, as I did? It is actually a form of idolizing oneself. Consider what Paul Washer has warned us about this, “Most who claim a genuine love for God know very little about His attributes and works as they are revealed in Scripture. Therefore, the “god” they have made is nothing more than a figment of their imagination. They have a “god” made in their own image.”
The Bible tells us to flee from all kinds of idol worship, including the idol of self, and worship God only. (Luke 4:8).
25
"Set your mind on things above..." (Colossians 3:2). What are these things?
God invites us to think like he thinks. To think his thoughts.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9).
We purify our thoughts by letting them be cleansed by constant attention to the word of God with a whole heart and a willing mind, which is a way to think God's thoughts after him.
26
What we have is entrusted to us by God, as a testament of His goodness and faithfulness. Living with the perspective that everything given to us is something “entrusted to us” by God will change the way we live. It will remove pride and entitlement from our hearts. We will also be called to trust God even when we have just a little in our hands. God was faithful then and He is still faithful now.
27
We often hear people say, "Don't give up, Don't you ever give up!" But Jesus said this in Luke 14: 33, "...those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be My disciples.” Like the boy who gave up his five loaves and two fish to Jesus, not only he was full but also at least 5,000 more. I too, need to give up all the little that I have in order to experience all the sufficiency in Christ Jesus.
28
We don’t know a lot more than we do know. But one thing I do know, God has blessed me more than I can count. Imagine if I know everything before hand, it would provide me with a feeling of self-sufficiency and control that would be detrimental to my relationship with God. God is not glorified by my own strength. In 2 Corinthians12:9, "And He said to me (that's Paul), “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. "
I guess we should ask ourselves this question: What kind of relationship do we want to have with God?
16
God calls us to follow him so that we can rest in Him. God doesn't want us to stress out as if His work is dependent on us.
17
When I feel perplexed, I think of Paul. He too, was perplexed (2 Corinthians 4:8) by what God is up to in his life. Perplexed simply means 'stuck'. Yet, Paul was not driven to despair. Why not? Because our trouble does not have the final say!
18
Jesus’ birth changed history forever, along with the lives of countless people around the world, including mine. Jesus transformed my mind (Romans 12: 2); He transformed my desire (Psalm 37: 3-4); He transformed my purpose (1Peter 2: 9).
We are no longer just working to make ends meet, we are called to be a part of something bigger. We are called to bear fruit that will last.
19
What is the goal of the gospel and God’s intent and desire for us?
It is not for us to be more determined and disciplined than before, but our hearts to become soft and pliable, allowing room for the Holy Spirit to work within us.
20
If we don't have troubles in life, how do we experience God's grace? "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
It’s grace! It’s grace! God will take you where you haven’t chosen to go in order to produce in you what you could not achieve on your own. That’s glorious grace.
—PAUL DAVID TRIPP
21
What am I carrying? Hm, I carry the burden of trying to keep everyone happy. Like Apostle Paul said in 1Corinthians 10:33, “I try to please everyone in everything I do” But before we completely throw ourselves into people-pleasing, the same apostle also says, “Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). What did he mean? Isn’t this the same man who said he strives to please (same word) not just man, but every man, and in everything? Evidently, the difference is subtle but crucial: to please people may be even more dangerous than we suspected.
"So, according to Paul, we must persistently strive to please people, and we must passionately avoid striving to please people. As with so many issues in the Christian life, wisdom and holiness come through our seeing, by the Spirit, how a sentence like that is not a contradiction." (Marshall Segal)
22
When we try to please others, they become the measure of our feelings and worth. What happens when pleasing God is the road we take? There's also fine print there to tell us that we need to try harder. May we understand that anything that draws our focus away from God—even our own efforts to please Him—is sin.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God…” Hebrews 11:6
23
Just try to imagine the excitement of being able to see, no longer living in the dark. Yes, we may not have physical blindness, but we cannot 'see' things from God. We can only see physical things with our physical eyes, but we have another set of eyes. God has given us the eyes of the hearts so that we can 'see' the unseen world of spiritual reality. But, sin infects our heart and causes our spiritual blindness. What the eyes of our hearts need to see they cannot see.
"Lord, I want to see, what is real but unseen by my physical eyesight!"
24
Should we be concerned when we don't understanding the way of God in our lives? There were at least 3 things God told Jeremiah not to participate without giving him any explanation. In the New Testament, Jesus told His disciples, as He washed their feet, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (John 13:7). There are things now that we do not know or understand, but there will come a day when we will understand them.
25
I dreaded suffering even though it is a part of life. Paul in Philippians 3 :10 tells us that he wants, "to know. Christ...and participate in His sufferings..." In Chapter one of the same book, Paul says this, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him” (Philippians 1:29). He goes even further, "...but we also glory in our suffering..." I don't know how do you feel so far, but I feel that suffering is not as frightful now. Paul explains what God wants to accomplish in us in our suffering, "...because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4)
We can go into suffering, with a confidence in God to work out His purposes, because suffering produces all kinds of qualities that we would never develop when things are going well.
26
I read about someone who suffered from Legionnaires’ disease, where all the muscles of his body became increasingly incapacitated until eventually, he was unable to swallow and breathe. He was going through a process where his body was becoming less and less able. He wrote, “I have not found Christ to be my healer, but I have found Christ to be my sustainer.” There are times when Christ is our healer and we rejoice in those occasions, but our confidence in every occasion is that He is our sustainer.
27
The Word of God is food to our spiritual life. The very first passage Jesus used to fend off satan is found in Matthew 4:4, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of God’s mouth."
I can let a day easily go by without spending time in God's word, and before I know it, I am spiritually malnourished. What's worse? I am capable of convincing myself that it's no big deal. I'll have to be feeling really really 'hungry' to dive back into the word of God.
God's words nourish and strengthen our spirit, our inner man, just as natural food strengthens our natural man. Why do we want a strong healthy spirit? Jesus said, “the flesh profits nothing.” He also said, “the spirit gives life.” (John 6:63)
28
The 12 apostles of Jesus were not the wise and educated, but the humble and the obedient. They were ordinary folks like us whom God made extraordinary by His Spirit at work within them. God is the One who brought the “extra” to their ordinariness.
29
Every Christian is engaged in a battle on three fronts. Firstly, there is the flesh, which is our sinful nature, desiring what is contrary to the Spirit. Secondly, there are the overwhelming influences of the secular world we live in. Thirdly, there is Satan, who will do what he can to turn us away from God. This is the nature of human nature, that prompt many into turning their backs on God in order to gain what they want out of life. But Paul tells us that we are “...transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
"Dear Jesus, I pray for your strength to uphold me and keep me focused on You as my Lord."
30
The late Francis Schaeffer, a well-known theologian, once said, “The greatest loss for Christian witness is when we win the argument and lose the person.” We cannot lay down our lives for people if we will not lay down our own opinions.
There is one thing that we are called to do in every communication we have with one another and that is to simply listen, wholesomely speak and, in everything, sacrificially love—this is our highest calling. Not to defend our convictions or give the right answers, but to love sacrificially. 1 John 3:16 reminds us, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
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"Justice is getting what we deserve
Mercy is not getting what we deserve
Grace is getting what we don't deserve"
We think we sin when we do things like lose our temper or steal. Yes, those are sin. But we also can sin when we miss God's promptings. We can sin when we operate according to our own understanding. The fact is, we need God’s grace every day. Just as surely as we need God’s daily provision, we need His daily forgiveness as well. That’s where grace comes in.
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