[S] Ezekiel 13:9 --
9"So My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations They will have no place in the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am the Lord GOD.
[O] This passage linked my mind to the video of John Piper's message of "No, Mr. President: John Piper's Response to President Obama on Abortion" because there are so many people (saying prophetic words) based one false visions and deceit. It so happens to be our current government leaders are doing their best to lead this country to preserve her freedom and peace however, they seemed to be locked up in the deceit of this world and so their genuine efforts are nothing other than what God speaks of through Ezekiel in this verse.
[A] Just thinking about this makes me feel real helpless because I'm just one voice and a weak one at best but I will continue to boast about our Lord God in Heaven who is in full control regardless. I will continue to stay as one of His people and pray for the leaders of this country such that they, too, would soon see the glorious God who cares for them to provide the real truth to set them free from their own bondage of intellectual deceit.
I will also continue to pray for my children and their friends in Christ so they would grow up to shake this world upside down as Paul did for the cause of Christ.
[P] Dear God, I praise You for granting Your wisdom and love to have captured my children at early ages. I will continue to encourage them and to raise them to have true visions from You to lead Your people in the right path of freedom away from all the false teachings from this world. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Cool Heart of Cold Heart?
[S] Ezekiel 11:19-20 --
19"And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
20that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.
[O] At first having a heart of stone sounds cool somewhat like having a tough heart. But in contrast to having a heart of warm flesh, it doesn't sounds that cool anymore -- in fact, it sounds real cold! Even after God's warning about how He will utterly destroy His rebellious people He still writes this beautiful statement of His love for His people. He wants to give us the heart of unity which is living and breathing the life He gave us such that we would, from the bottom of our hearts, voluntarily follow His ways and acknowledge the relationship with Him that He is our God. After all the grief His people put on His heart, He still longs for their hearts to turn to Him and call Him their God. That's all He desires! And having such a heart is real cool.
[A] When is the last time I truly called Him my God (and I'm His child)? He put a new spirit and a new heart of flesh in me so I may do just that. I should start off the day by calling Him "My God! I love YOU! Thank You for giving me the heart of the living flesh so I may call You just that."
[P] Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being my Father especially after my earthly dad was called by You about a year ago. Your love portrayed in this passage overwhelms my heart and I want to call You my God every day and want to display actions reflecting Your lovely characters. I am so glad You replaced my heart of stone with the living heart of flesh. In Jesus' name. Amen.
19"And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
20that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.
[O] At first having a heart of stone sounds cool somewhat like having a tough heart. But in contrast to having a heart of warm flesh, it doesn't sounds that cool anymore -- in fact, it sounds real cold! Even after God's warning about how He will utterly destroy His rebellious people He still writes this beautiful statement of His love for His people. He wants to give us the heart of unity which is living and breathing the life He gave us such that we would, from the bottom of our hearts, voluntarily follow His ways and acknowledge the relationship with Him that He is our God. After all the grief His people put on His heart, He still longs for their hearts to turn to Him and call Him their God. That's all He desires! And having such a heart is real cool.
[A] When is the last time I truly called Him my God (and I'm His child)? He put a new spirit and a new heart of flesh in me so I may do just that. I should start off the day by calling Him "My God! I love YOU! Thank You for giving me the heart of the living flesh so I may call You just that."
[P] Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being my Father especially after my earthly dad was called by You about a year ago. Your love portrayed in this passage overwhelms my heart and I want to call You my God every day and want to display actions reflecting Your lovely characters. I am so glad You replaced my heart of stone with the living heart of flesh. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Hearing Before Taking Actions
[S] Revelation 3:22 --
22'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"
[O] Hearing comes first before we can take any action because unless we have the information of what to do, there isn't much we can do. When you learn a new language, the hearing opens up first so that the student will begin to hear what others say in that new language; then that student can repeat what he hears to start working on the pronunciation. I believe same progression is required in learning "God's language." I must first learn to hear His words correctly so I comprehend His information; and then I must replicate what I hear in my own life through right actions (also knowns as obedience). As this verse sates, God wants me to hear what the Spirit says to me; however it also implies I need to have the faith to obey what I hear from Him even though at times it may not make any sense to me. Just today we heard a message based on Jeremiah 38:14-23 titled, "The Danger of Unbelief" where King Zedekiah who was the last King of Israel had the opportunity to act according to God's commands because he had enough faith to want to hear God's words/instructions through Jeremiah but he had too much doubt to obey what he had heard. And because of that he and his whole family were destroyed just as God had told him.
[A] Doing Life Journaling is a very good step to take but I feel I need to focus more on the "A"pplication section because without applying what God tells me will not really make the difference in my life to make any impact. In order to take the right actions it will definitely require steps of faith on my part because God's ways are not my ways and my mind will play tricks on me to justify on not obeying His instructions. I need to pray for discernment and wisdom to avoid such mistakes.
[P] Dear God, do continue to speak into my heart such that I would hear Your Spirit and to follow what I hear. May my life transform by obeying one thing at a time from the daily devotions I have with You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
22'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"
[O] Hearing comes first before we can take any action because unless we have the information of what to do, there isn't much we can do. When you learn a new language, the hearing opens up first so that the student will begin to hear what others say in that new language; then that student can repeat what he hears to start working on the pronunciation. I believe same progression is required in learning "God's language." I must first learn to hear His words correctly so I comprehend His information; and then I must replicate what I hear in my own life through right actions (also knowns as obedience). As this verse sates, God wants me to hear what the Spirit says to me; however it also implies I need to have the faith to obey what I hear from Him even though at times it may not make any sense to me. Just today we heard a message based on Jeremiah 38:14-23 titled, "The Danger of Unbelief" where King Zedekiah who was the last King of Israel had the opportunity to act according to God's commands because he had enough faith to want to hear God's words/instructions through Jeremiah but he had too much doubt to obey what he had heard. And because of that he and his whole family were destroyed just as God had told him.
[A] Doing Life Journaling is a very good step to take but I feel I need to focus more on the "A"pplication section because without applying what God tells me will not really make the difference in my life to make any impact. In order to take the right actions it will definitely require steps of faith on my part because God's ways are not my ways and my mind will play tricks on me to justify on not obeying His instructions. I need to pray for discernment and wisdom to avoid such mistakes.
[P] Dear God, do continue to speak into my heart such that I would hear Your Spirit and to follow what I hear. May my life transform by obeying one thing at a time from the daily devotions I have with You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
First Love, First
[S] Revelations 2:3-4 --
3and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary.
4'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
[O] Perseverance and endurance to serve God and to keep His name holy is all good, but they must originate from the first love of God. Without the love these will only turn into my own efforts of doing God's work without relying on God.
[A] Must re-examine my heart daily as I involve myself into His ministry. Is it based on the first love or based on my own efforts of keeping up with the ministry?
[P] Dear God, please keep my heart warm with Your first love! I want to please You with my first love kindled at all times even before carrying out Your ministry. In Jesus' name. Amen.
3and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary.
4'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
[O] Perseverance and endurance to serve God and to keep His name holy is all good, but they must originate from the first love of God. Without the love these will only turn into my own efforts of doing God's work without relying on God.
[A] Must re-examine my heart daily as I involve myself into His ministry. Is it based on the first love or based on my own efforts of keeping up with the ministry?
[P] Dear God, please keep my heart warm with Your first love! I want to please You with my first love kindled at all times even before carrying out Your ministry. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Friday, August 27, 2010
As Parched Land Thirsts For Rain
[S] Psalm 143:6 --
6I stretch out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah.
[O] This passage reminds me of a story where a seminarian went to his professor and asked: Would you teach me the right way to pray to God? The professor asked the student to follow him down to the swimming pool and he suddenly pushed him into the pool. The surprised student came up and grabbed the side of the pool to get out when the professor grabbed his head and pushed him down under water and kept it there for a few seconds and then let go. The surely-surprised and angry student finally came out of the pool and challenged the professor what was that all about. The professor calmly explained: That's how you should pray to God -- in total desperation just like how you were trying to get some air. I wonder how desperate I am seeking God. Is my soul longing for Him as a parched land? In NLT version it says: I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Many times, I don't realize how parched my soul is and so not desperate for the refreshing rain from God.
[A] Stretch out my hands to God and seek the refreshing rain of His sweet Spirit to quench the thirst of my soul every day. This definitely includes doing the devotions, but also the fact of realizing how dried up my soul is and to request His rain to fall on me.
[P] Dear God, rain on me with Your quenching Spirit today. May my soul be rejuvenated with the refreshing power from You above. In Jesus' name. Amen.
6I stretch out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah.
[O] This passage reminds me of a story where a seminarian went to his professor and asked: Would you teach me the right way to pray to God? The professor asked the student to follow him down to the swimming pool and he suddenly pushed him into the pool. The surprised student came up and grabbed the side of the pool to get out when the professor grabbed his head and pushed him down under water and kept it there for a few seconds and then let go. The surely-surprised and angry student finally came out of the pool and challenged the professor what was that all about. The professor calmly explained: That's how you should pray to God -- in total desperation just like how you were trying to get some air. I wonder how desperate I am seeking God. Is my soul longing for Him as a parched land? In NLT version it says: I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Many times, I don't realize how parched my soul is and so not desperate for the refreshing rain from God.
[A] Stretch out my hands to God and seek the refreshing rain of His sweet Spirit to quench the thirst of my soul every day. This definitely includes doing the devotions, but also the fact of realizing how dried up my soul is and to request His rain to fall on me.
[P] Dear God, rain on me with Your quenching Spirit today. May my soul be rejuvenated with the refreshing power from You above. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Humility Before Teachable Heart
[S] 3 John 1:9 --
9I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.
[O] Diotrephes refused to accept the teachings and leadership of John (the Apostles) because he wanted to be the leader instead. Leadership positions are not born or claimed but needs to be earned through mutual respect. This respect is established when we are humble toward each other and seek to be servant leaders rather than the top-down-dictator-style leaders. And every leader disrespect of his position needs a leader he looks up to for guidance; however, if they all want to be the first among others, then there won't be any unity stirring up pure disorder. Saying it a slightly different way, every leader must have teachable a heart to be an effective leader.
[A] Never catch myself at the top looking down at everyone; rather, be on my knees looking up to everyone I serve. With so many factors in life this is not the easiest to do so need to apply wisdom and practical thoughts in order to be the servant leader with a teachable heart.
[P] Dear God, give me a teachable heart so You and other leaders I go under may mold my heart to become a leader that You desire me to become. I struggle a lot on how to be such a leader at home, work, and in ministry so I ask for Your wisdom to lead me every day. In Jesus' name. Amen.
9I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.
[O] Diotrephes refused to accept the teachings and leadership of John (the Apostles) because he wanted to be the leader instead. Leadership positions are not born or claimed but needs to be earned through mutual respect. This respect is established when we are humble toward each other and seek to be servant leaders rather than the top-down-dictator-style leaders. And every leader disrespect of his position needs a leader he looks up to for guidance; however, if they all want to be the first among others, then there won't be any unity stirring up pure disorder. Saying it a slightly different way, every leader must have teachable a heart to be an effective leader.
[A] Never catch myself at the top looking down at everyone; rather, be on my knees looking up to everyone I serve. With so many factors in life this is not the easiest to do so need to apply wisdom and practical thoughts in order to be the servant leader with a teachable heart.
[P] Dear God, give me a teachable heart so You and other leaders I go under may mold my heart to become a leader that You desire me to become. I struggle a lot on how to be such a leader at home, work, and in ministry so I ask for Your wisdom to lead me every day. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
If You Heard It, Then Follow It
[S] Jeremiah 38:24 --
24Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Let no man know about these words and you will not die.
[O] This statement (scene) is very ironical because it is King Zedekiah who should've been concerned about dying and not Jeremiah. Although it is true that Jeremiah had many people seeking to kill him, Jeremiah was not afraid because he had already surrendered his life to God and trusted Him to protect him; and even if not, he will still be God's presence dead of alive. However, Zedekiah had a much greater choice to make here about whether to trust and follow God or to stay in his own comfort zone of safety (he was deceiving himself). Especially knowing what happens to him later, Zedekiah's ignoring of God's warning to him was a bad mistake, but I also make similar mistakes of ignoring God's advice just like Zedekiah.
[A] If I'm not interested in following what God will advise me, don't even bother listening to Him. Turning that around, if I am going to read or listen to God's word, then listen with the open heart of obeying His words.
[P] Dear God, Your care for me in this world full of so many people really touches me as I meditate on how You personally cared for Zedekiah and Ebed-melech. Zedekiah refused to follow the personal message clearly presented to him while Ebed-melech trusted in God enough to save Jeremiah and You knew where each of them were and provided Your grace accordingly. Thank You for being such a warm and personal God. In Jesus' name. Amen.
24Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Let no man know about these words and you will not die.
[O] This statement (scene) is very ironical because it is King Zedekiah who should've been concerned about dying and not Jeremiah. Although it is true that Jeremiah had many people seeking to kill him, Jeremiah was not afraid because he had already surrendered his life to God and trusted Him to protect him; and even if not, he will still be God's presence dead of alive. However, Zedekiah had a much greater choice to make here about whether to trust and follow God or to stay in his own comfort zone of safety (he was deceiving himself). Especially knowing what happens to him later, Zedekiah's ignoring of God's warning to him was a bad mistake, but I also make similar mistakes of ignoring God's advice just like Zedekiah.
[A] If I'm not interested in following what God will advise me, don't even bother listening to Him. Turning that around, if I am going to read or listen to God's word, then listen with the open heart of obeying His words.
[P] Dear God, Your care for me in this world full of so many people really touches me as I meditate on how You personally cared for Zedekiah and Ebed-melech. Zedekiah refused to follow the personal message clearly presented to him while Ebed-melech trusted in God enough to save Jeremiah and You knew where each of them were and provided Your grace accordingly. Thank You for being such a warm and personal God. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Pro-actively Everlasting Love
[S] Jeremiah 31:3-4 --
3The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying,
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.
4"Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
Again you will take up your tambourines,
And go forth to the dances of the merrymakers.
[O] God's love for me everlasting. I cannot even fathom what that really means because my love is so limited. What does an everlasting love look like? From this passage one of the key element I see is the pro-activeness of the one who loves with an everlasting love. It is by setting an example this everlasting love is propagated. God started this thread and I must also follow His footsteps of taking the pro-active steps to pass on this wonderful and everlasting love to as many people as I can. As it says at the end of verse 3, it is this lovingkindness that will draw people to God. Furthermore, in such environment the joyfulness from the rejuvenation of God permeates by dancing merrily in the Lord.
[A] As the one who received God's pro-actively given everlasting love bringing my life to joyfulness, I also need to be pro-active about passing that same everlasting love to others around me. This is especially important for me in my workplace where I see how much of His love they need in their lives. On the surface they are busy and have the skills to carry out the jobs, etc. but deep in the conversations we carry out there is the constant pull of pursuing something greater and better than others. This is contrary to the message from this passage where the one with the greater joy and love desires to pass that on to others without any reservation.
[P] Dear Jesus, Your going to the Cross to pass on that everlasting love for me is really the start of all this. Unless You displayed this model to us, we would still be living in the ideal world of "what if" we can love others with everlasting love (and yet could never actually achieve that). So I am grateful once again for Your everlasting love for me. May my life be merrily dancing for You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
3The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying,
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.
4"Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
Again you will take up your tambourines,
And go forth to the dances of the merrymakers.
[O] God's love for me everlasting. I cannot even fathom what that really means because my love is so limited. What does an everlasting love look like? From this passage one of the key element I see is the pro-activeness of the one who loves with an everlasting love. It is by setting an example this everlasting love is propagated. God started this thread and I must also follow His footsteps of taking the pro-active steps to pass on this wonderful and everlasting love to as many people as I can. As it says at the end of verse 3, it is this lovingkindness that will draw people to God. Furthermore, in such environment the joyfulness from the rejuvenation of God permeates by dancing merrily in the Lord.
[A] As the one who received God's pro-actively given everlasting love bringing my life to joyfulness, I also need to be pro-active about passing that same everlasting love to others around me. This is especially important for me in my workplace where I see how much of His love they need in their lives. On the surface they are busy and have the skills to carry out the jobs, etc. but deep in the conversations we carry out there is the constant pull of pursuing something greater and better than others. This is contrary to the message from this passage where the one with the greater joy and love desires to pass that on to others without any reservation.
[P] Dear Jesus, Your going to the Cross to pass on that everlasting love for me is really the start of all this. Unless You displayed this model to us, we would still be living in the ideal world of "what if" we can love others with everlasting love (and yet could never actually achieve that). So I am grateful once again for Your everlasting love for me. May my life be merrily dancing for You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Recognized or Not Recognized By The World
[S] 1 John 3:1 --
1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
[O] How would I know whether a piece of an object is metal or not? There are many ways but using a magnet would tell if it's a steel or not by either being pulled by the magnet or not. How would we know if someone has received and accepted the love of God into their lives? By whether we're pulled toward Godly characters or not. If God's calling does not make any difference in life, then it is probably safe to say they do not belong to God but to this world according to this verse. This is a slippery slope as well because the Bible does teach us not to judge others because it belongs to God. So, we shouldn't throw this verse at anyone to label them as a believer or not but to use as a guideline of discernment of people we encounter whether to join forces in doing His ministry or not.
[A] Next time the world does not "know" (recognize, give credit, etc.) me, thank God for considering me his child and as a result the world does not recognize me because it did not know Him.
[P] Dear God, I desire to identify with You and understand the consequence is for this world to ignore me. May I have the discernment to know that it is not a statement about me but about You? How this world does not know You and thus does not know me the follower of You? In Jesus' name. Amen.
1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
[O] How would I know whether a piece of an object is metal or not? There are many ways but using a magnet would tell if it's a steel or not by either being pulled by the magnet or not. How would we know if someone has received and accepted the love of God into their lives? By whether we're pulled toward Godly characters or not. If God's calling does not make any difference in life, then it is probably safe to say they do not belong to God but to this world according to this verse. This is a slippery slope as well because the Bible does teach us not to judge others because it belongs to God. So, we shouldn't throw this verse at anyone to label them as a believer or not but to use as a guideline of discernment of people we encounter whether to join forces in doing His ministry or not.
[A] Next time the world does not "know" (recognize, give credit, etc.) me, thank God for considering me his child and as a result the world does not recognize me because it did not know Him.
[P] Dear God, I desire to identify with You and understand the consequence is for this world to ignore me. May I have the discernment to know that it is not a statement about me but about You? How this world does not know You and thus does not know me the follower of You? In Jesus' name. Amen.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Heart to Heart Communication
[S] Jeremiah 24:7 --
7'I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.
[O] Receiving the heart God gives me means I would know His heart because only a heart from God can understand God's own heart. God did not promise to give more knowledge or more resources to read up on to find out more about God's heart. He wants to implant the receiver that would directly connect to His own heart. I'm so glad He does this for me because all other methods will not guarantee understanding His heart and that means I would miss the goal of following Him wholeheartedly.
[A] I need to think with my (new) heart more than my mind because only through that I may know His heart and purposes for my life to carry out my tasks for God. I need to not go ahead of Him by using my mind too much.
[P] Dear God, thank You for the new heart so I may know You properly. I am so grateful for this perfect communication channel You implanted in my life. May I be more and more sensitive to lean on this wonderful tool You gave me to follow and abide in You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
7'I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.
[O] Receiving the heart God gives me means I would know His heart because only a heart from God can understand God's own heart. God did not promise to give more knowledge or more resources to read up on to find out more about God's heart. He wants to implant the receiver that would directly connect to His own heart. I'm so glad He does this for me because all other methods will not guarantee understanding His heart and that means I would miss the goal of following Him wholeheartedly.
[A] I need to think with my (new) heart more than my mind because only through that I may know His heart and purposes for my life to carry out my tasks for God. I need to not go ahead of Him by using my mind too much.
[P] Dear God, thank You for the new heart so I may know You properly. I am so grateful for this perfect communication channel You implanted in my life. May I be more and more sensitive to lean on this wonderful tool You gave me to follow and abide in You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Carrier of Joyfulness
[S] Psalm 105:43-45 --
43And He brought forth His people with joy,
His chosen ones with a joyful shout.
44He gave them also the lands of the nations,
That they might take possession of the fruit of the peoples' labor,
45So that they might keep His statutes
And observe His laws,
Praise the LORD!
[O] This is describing the land of Canaan that God promised to bring Israelites into out of Egypt. They went through a lot (due to their fault) over 40 years of wondering in the wilderness and finally were brought into Canaan under the new leadership of Joshua. The significant picture I get from verse 43 is the joyfulness. Sure Canaan was special with fertile grounds, etc. but most importantly God brought forth joy in the people as they entered the land and they responded with joyful shout. How joyful am I these days such that I'm shouting with JOY! Until Jesus returns and takes me home to the final Canaan, I believe wherever I bring forth joyful shout is my Canaan on earth.
[A] Don't get bogged down too much with my chores but look up to God and receive the joyfulness He desires for me. And respond with my own joyful shout. Live my life displaying such a joyfulness.
[P] Dear God, no matter what I do please grant me to display Your joyfulness from inside out. I know that's what you desire from me at all times not because of my "good" circumstances but because You are with me in all things I do. I desire to be known as the carrier of Your Joy! In Jesus' name. Amen.
43And He brought forth His people with joy,
His chosen ones with a joyful shout.
44He gave them also the lands of the nations,
That they might take possession of the fruit of the peoples' labor,
45So that they might keep His statutes
And observe His laws,
Praise the LORD!
[O] This is describing the land of Canaan that God promised to bring Israelites into out of Egypt. They went through a lot (due to their fault) over 40 years of wondering in the wilderness and finally were brought into Canaan under the new leadership of Joshua. The significant picture I get from verse 43 is the joyfulness. Sure Canaan was special with fertile grounds, etc. but most importantly God brought forth joy in the people as they entered the land and they responded with joyful shout. How joyful am I these days such that I'm shouting with JOY! Until Jesus returns and takes me home to the final Canaan, I believe wherever I bring forth joyful shout is my Canaan on earth.
[A] Don't get bogged down too much with my chores but look up to God and receive the joyfulness He desires for me. And respond with my own joyful shout. Live my life displaying such a joyfulness.
[P] Dear God, no matter what I do please grant me to display Your joyfulness from inside out. I know that's what you desire from me at all times not because of my "good" circumstances but because You are with me in all things I do. I desire to be known as the carrier of Your Joy! In Jesus' name. Amen.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Got Purpose?
[S] John 20:31 --
31but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
[O] The Book of John starts out with a bold statement of the Word is God and also became flesh (Jesus). He also recorded many signs of Jesus from water turning into the finest wine and raising Lazarus from the tomb. The book is filled with lots of exciting stories and a very personal perspective of all that went on with Jesus as one of the disciples closest to Him. But in the end, John leaves this verse as the ultimate purpose of why he had recorded this book -- that we may believe in God and have life in His name. Many times, when I'm so busy with activities in a project, I may forget the end goal and get lost in the details of the process along the way. Same is true when I'm delve into the ministry at church where there are so many components to juggle and refine, I lost the ultimate focus of why I started it in the first place. As John closes his book here, I, too, must remember and remind myself why I'm doing what I'm doing. Is it for the sake of people drawing closer to God and eventually enjoying the fullness of life in Him?
[A] Each morning when I wake up, recite myself the purpose of my living another day in the Lord's leadership. Remind myself it is not to make a name for myself, or for greatest gain materially, but to be conduit of the Love and Life of Jesus to many others I come in contact with. Remind myself every morning.
[P] Dear God, I want to live purpose-driven day.s every day. Please lead me with Your Spirit such that I may synchronize my heart each morning by reciting my purpose for that day. This way, when I have lived a whole year of 365 days, I would have lived a year with a clear purpose. In Jesus' name. Amen.
31but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
[O] The Book of John starts out with a bold statement of the Word is God and also became flesh (Jesus). He also recorded many signs of Jesus from water turning into the finest wine and raising Lazarus from the tomb. The book is filled with lots of exciting stories and a very personal perspective of all that went on with Jesus as one of the disciples closest to Him. But in the end, John leaves this verse as the ultimate purpose of why he had recorded this book -- that we may believe in God and have life in His name. Many times, when I'm so busy with activities in a project, I may forget the end goal and get lost in the details of the process along the way. Same is true when I'm delve into the ministry at church where there are so many components to juggle and refine, I lost the ultimate focus of why I started it in the first place. As John closes his book here, I, too, must remember and remind myself why I'm doing what I'm doing. Is it for the sake of people drawing closer to God and eventually enjoying the fullness of life in Him?
[A] Each morning when I wake up, recite myself the purpose of my living another day in the Lord's leadership. Remind myself it is not to make a name for myself, or for greatest gain materially, but to be conduit of the Love and Life of Jesus to many others I come in contact with. Remind myself every morning.
[P] Dear God, I want to live purpose-driven day.s every day. Please lead me with Your Spirit such that I may synchronize my heart each morning by reciting my purpose for that day. This way, when I have lived a whole year of 365 days, I would have lived a year with a clear purpose. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Is the Path to Jesus Familiar?
[S] John 18:3,6 --
3Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
6So when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.
[O] What caught my eyes in this familiar scene was the list of things the Roman cohort and officers brought with them to arrest Jesus: lanterns, torches and weapons. We can see from verse 2 that they came to this location often to spend time with Jesus and they certainly did not need to bring lanterns, torches to get here and definitely did not need any weapons there. However, the Roman soldiers who were not familiar with Jesus the "Light" and His whereabouts needed their own "light" to find Him. How ironic it is to see these soldiers confronting Jesus, the one who came to deliver the love of God, as a criminal or an enemy filled with fear -- so fearful even at His saying "I am He" push them a few steps backwards and fall to the ground. Depending on my own perspective, Jesus can be my friend and a loving teacher, or a fearful "monster."
[A] As much as I need not try to light my way with a flash light in broad daylight, I should not try to find my own way when Jesus the Light of this world is in my heart, desiring to guide my every step. What this means for me is to surrender my own will every morning to navigate my day's journey but for Him to light the direction I need to go, not just in "big" decisions of the day also any and all small decisions I need to make each day.
[P] Dear Jesus, I want to trust in Your Light to guide me throughout the day. May I live out the words of Paul: less of me so more of You will be revealed in/through my life. In Your name I ask. Amen.
3Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
6So when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.
[O] What caught my eyes in this familiar scene was the list of things the Roman cohort and officers brought with them to arrest Jesus: lanterns, torches and weapons. We can see from verse 2 that they came to this location often to spend time with Jesus and they certainly did not need to bring lanterns, torches to get here and definitely did not need any weapons there. However, the Roman soldiers who were not familiar with Jesus the "Light" and His whereabouts needed their own "light" to find Him. How ironic it is to see these soldiers confronting Jesus, the one who came to deliver the love of God, as a criminal or an enemy filled with fear -- so fearful even at His saying "I am He" push them a few steps backwards and fall to the ground. Depending on my own perspective, Jesus can be my friend and a loving teacher, or a fearful "monster."
[A] As much as I need not try to light my way with a flash light in broad daylight, I should not try to find my own way when Jesus the Light of this world is in my heart, desiring to guide my every step. What this means for me is to surrender my own will every morning to navigate my day's journey but for Him to light the direction I need to go, not just in "big" decisions of the day also any and all small decisions I need to make each day.
[P] Dear Jesus, I want to trust in Your Light to guide me throughout the day. May I live out the words of Paul: less of me so more of You will be revealed in/through my life. In Your name I ask. Amen.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Please Get Used To My Voice
[S] Jeremiah 11:14 --
14"Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.
[O] What a scary concept of God not listening to my prayers especially when I call out in my distress. In this context His people blatantly worshiped other idols and veered away from following God and that attributed to this result, however, if these people were like me most of them probably got into this point gradually by compromising their spiritual boundaries little bit at a time. My reason for this thinking is that if they had totally turned away from God intentionally why would they even bother to call on God in their own disaster? Deep inside they probably never gave up God but distracted by other idols that seem attractive on the surface.
[A] Just having a wishful thinking of wanting to draw closer to God and follow Him is not going to make me a true and faithful follower of God because more so than what I wish for, I how I align my daily living according to God's principles is what's going to please God's heart and He will answer prayers coming from such people. The question is: will I call on His name every day and fall at His feet instead of calling on many other gods when things are going well and call on God when things are not going well? Practice calling His name daily!
[P] Dear God, I want to not only get to know Your voice daily but I also would like for You to get used to hearing my voice calling Your name. Please hear my prayers every moment I call on Your name. In Jesus' name. Amen.
14"Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.
[O] What a scary concept of God not listening to my prayers especially when I call out in my distress. In this context His people blatantly worshiped other idols and veered away from following God and that attributed to this result, however, if these people were like me most of them probably got into this point gradually by compromising their spiritual boundaries little bit at a time. My reason for this thinking is that if they had totally turned away from God intentionally why would they even bother to call on God in their own disaster? Deep inside they probably never gave up God but distracted by other idols that seem attractive on the surface.
[A] Just having a wishful thinking of wanting to draw closer to God and follow Him is not going to make me a true and faithful follower of God because more so than what I wish for, I how I align my daily living according to God's principles is what's going to please God's heart and He will answer prayers coming from such people. The question is: will I call on His name every day and fall at His feet instead of calling on many other gods when things are going well and call on God when things are not going well? Practice calling His name daily!
[P] Dear God, I want to not only get to know Your voice daily but I also would like for You to get used to hearing my voice calling Your name. Please hear my prayers every moment I call on Your name. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Deceptive Habitual Words
[S] Jeremiah 7:4 --
4"Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'
[O] This verse reminded me some of my prayers where I keep repeating things I want or want to believe -- e.g., bless You, Lord, bless You, Lord, .... If I live a life that will bless God then shouldn't that be sufficient? Doing some psychological analysis of my own brain, I tend to repeat in the areas that I have not been too victorious in or in-confident about. So I ramble on hoping that would "claim" His support in those areas. This passage labels that "deceptive words" and that seems to describe it perfectly. Just because I try to claim it by repeating empty words, it doesn't mean I will have it in the end; in fact, the opposite will happen.
[A] Be careful of what I say in my prayer even though prayer is a casual and open conversation with God, I must articulate my thoughts to Him with accurate and sincere words.
[P] Dear Heavenly Father, continue to teach me how to pray such that what's at the core of my heart is spoken up to You in sincerity. May I not repeat deceptive words just out of my (bad) habit. I love You, and please teach me how to pray as the one in love with You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
4"Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'
[O] This verse reminded me some of my prayers where I keep repeating things I want or want to believe -- e.g., bless You, Lord, bless You, Lord, .... If I live a life that will bless God then shouldn't that be sufficient? Doing some psychological analysis of my own brain, I tend to repeat in the areas that I have not been too victorious in or in-confident about. So I ramble on hoping that would "claim" His support in those areas. This passage labels that "deceptive words" and that seems to describe it perfectly. Just because I try to claim it by repeating empty words, it doesn't mean I will have it in the end; in fact, the opposite will happen.
[A] Be careful of what I say in my prayer even though prayer is a casual and open conversation with God, I must articulate my thoughts to Him with accurate and sincere words.
[P] Dear Heavenly Father, continue to teach me how to pray such that what's at the core of my heart is spoken up to You in sincerity. May I not repeat deceptive words just out of my (bad) habit. I love You, and please teach me how to pray as the one in love with You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The Rejected Silver
[S] Jeremiah 6:30 --
30They call them rejected silver,
Because the LORD has rejected them.
[O] Whether silver is buried in mud or placed in a brightly lit display case, its value does not change as long as it is pure silver. However, the silver that is rejected by God is worthless and in fact God will discard it all together. There are so many "silver" that we hold on to in this world which God had rejected deceiving ourselves to believe we are holding on to valuable things because they look so good on the outside. The lesson here is that I need to see (and believe) that the true values I should gather and cling on to is what God deems valuable no matter how good things may look in my own eyes.
[A] In order to have the same gauge as God on the values of things in and around my life, I need to first learn the standards of value system from God's instructional manual, the Bible. Even if I do not understand everything, I need to soak them up into my mind such that God may use that knowledge to guide my gauging. So keep up my daily Life Journaling of reading the volumes of Bible.
[P] Dear God, thank You for the Bible to teach me how to put right values on the things I treasure in this world. I wouldn't want to hold on to any things You rejected just because they resemble things of true value. Grant me the discernment to know which is Yours and which You rejected. In Jesus' name. Amen.
30They call them rejected silver,
Because the LORD has rejected them.
[O] Whether silver is buried in mud or placed in a brightly lit display case, its value does not change as long as it is pure silver. However, the silver that is rejected by God is worthless and in fact God will discard it all together. There are so many "silver" that we hold on to in this world which God had rejected deceiving ourselves to believe we are holding on to valuable things because they look so good on the outside. The lesson here is that I need to see (and believe) that the true values I should gather and cling on to is what God deems valuable no matter how good things may look in my own eyes.
[A] In order to have the same gauge as God on the values of things in and around my life, I need to first learn the standards of value system from God's instructional manual, the Bible. Even if I do not understand everything, I need to soak them up into my mind such that God may use that knowledge to guide my gauging. So keep up my daily Life Journaling of reading the volumes of Bible.
[P] Dear God, thank You for the Bible to teach me how to put right values on the things I treasure in this world. I wouldn't want to hold on to any things You rejected just because they resemble things of true value. Grant me the discernment to know which is Yours and which You rejected. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Guess Who's Working Real Hard?
[S] John 10:1 --
1"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
[O] This familiar passage about distinguishing the good from the false "hired" shepherd shed a new light for me today. It is obvious for the good shepherd to work hard to keep his sheep protected and cared for, but wouldn't you know it that the false shepherd or the thieves work very hard also? In order to climb up into the sheep pen, they not only have to physically do the climbing but also have to make sure they don't get caught. This reminded me that our spiritual enemy works very hard also to lure us away from following God closely and so I should be complacent about following God because there is a force working real hard to distract me from doing just that.
[A] Don't take following God lightly. It requires discipline and discernment to know the thieves working hard to steal my heart away from God. So, take spiritual inventory frequently to make sure I'm not derailed from being God's pathway.
[P] Dear God, please allow me to see the enemy's schemes well in advance and not fall for its traps. I want to not lose sight of my Good Shepherd's voice so I may stay close to Him. In Jesus' name. Amen.
1"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
[O] This familiar passage about distinguishing the good from the false "hired" shepherd shed a new light for me today. It is obvious for the good shepherd to work hard to keep his sheep protected and cared for, but wouldn't you know it that the false shepherd or the thieves work very hard also? In order to climb up into the sheep pen, they not only have to physically do the climbing but also have to make sure they don't get caught. This reminded me that our spiritual enemy works very hard also to lure us away from following God closely and so I should be complacent about following God because there is a force working real hard to distract me from doing just that.
[A] Don't take following God lightly. It requires discipline and discernment to know the thieves working hard to steal my heart away from God. So, take spiritual inventory frequently to make sure I'm not derailed from being God's pathway.
[P] Dear God, please allow me to see the enemy's schemes well in advance and not fall for its traps. I want to not lose sight of my Good Shepherd's voice so I may stay close to Him. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Keeps On Going Again and Again
[S] John 10:7-8,11 --
7Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."
8The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?"
11This He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep."
[O] If the disciples knew about the danger of going back to Judea, I'd think Jesus was aware of this also. However, He decided to go there again fully knowing the risk and yet he was fully driven by His purpose mentioned in verse 11. Of course that was the practical reason with the ultimate reason of glorifying God through that miracle. Many times I discredit Jesus' actions like these because He was God -- much like how I'd expect the Superman to fly over a building without any problems, I expect Jesus to make this type of a decision because He knows the future and He is above the earthly circumstances. But today, God whispered to me about how He was a full man and how He was fully bound to the earthly limitations too which means, He was fully capable of averting the risks He may be walking into. He did have an edge being the Son of God but in the end His human side had to be led by His spiritual side. This is one way to define ministry: Overcoming the earthly limitations with Heavenly purposes.
[A] How many times, have I weighed the risks of venturing into the "ministry zone" and decided to stay safe within the boundaries of the "safe zone" (or perhaps the "twilight zone")? I find myself doing this whenever I am unclear of God's purpose which increases the fear factor. So, I must ask God to make the purpose of my ministry clear at all times such that I, too, may say, "Let us go to the 'ministry zone' again, and again."
[P] Dear God, please continue to sustain your vision and purpose of doing ministry for You. This is more than simply participating in a ministry program but for my inner heart to be pumping His vision all the time in order to constantly pursue the avenues to reveal God's wonderful presence without caving into the fear of unknowns to leave myself in my own safety zone. Please grant such an assurance in my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
7Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."
8The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?"
11This He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep."
[O] If the disciples knew about the danger of going back to Judea, I'd think Jesus was aware of this also. However, He decided to go there again fully knowing the risk and yet he was fully driven by His purpose mentioned in verse 11. Of course that was the practical reason with the ultimate reason of glorifying God through that miracle. Many times I discredit Jesus' actions like these because He was God -- much like how I'd expect the Superman to fly over a building without any problems, I expect Jesus to make this type of a decision because He knows the future and He is above the earthly circumstances. But today, God whispered to me about how He was a full man and how He was fully bound to the earthly limitations too which means, He was fully capable of averting the risks He may be walking into. He did have an edge being the Son of God but in the end His human side had to be led by His spiritual side. This is one way to define ministry: Overcoming the earthly limitations with Heavenly purposes.
[A] How many times, have I weighed the risks of venturing into the "ministry zone" and decided to stay safe within the boundaries of the "safe zone" (or perhaps the "twilight zone")? I find myself doing this whenever I am unclear of God's purpose which increases the fear factor. So, I must ask God to make the purpose of my ministry clear at all times such that I, too, may say, "Let us go to the 'ministry zone' again, and again."
[P] Dear God, please continue to sustain your vision and purpose of doing ministry for You. This is more than simply participating in a ministry program but for my inner heart to be pumping His vision all the time in order to constantly pursue the avenues to reveal God's wonderful presence without caving into the fear of unknowns to leave myself in my own safety zone. Please grant such an assurance in my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Rubbing Shoulders in Unity
[S] Zephaniah 3:9 --
9"For then I will give to the peoples purified lips,
That all of them may call on the name of the LORD,
To serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
[O] I journaled on this passage five years ago and today as I read it again, it moves my heart again because the picture of God consecrating His people for His works is simply beautiful and so full of hope. God will display His justice because that's who is is with respect to corruption and sin. But to the remnant of His people He will restore the purified lips, ability to call on His name, and to serve shoulder to shoulder with others in unity. In fact, the serving shoulder to shoulder puts an awesome picture of our church coming together rubbing shoulders with other members in order to carry out the ministry charged for our church. In the recently months God's been continuously sending new members seeking to be connected with God and it's just exciting to see these new people but wouldn't it too wonderful to see them settle in and begin to serve God shoulder to should with the rest of us?
[A] Five years ago, I journaled on this passage dreaming of one day serving God shoulder to shoulder with many brothers and sisters in the Lord. Today, God has placed us in this home church and is beginning to gather His people to literally rub shoulder to shoulder in His service. This does not mean things will just click all of a sudden because we still have to work out our differences and discipline ourselves to be aligned with His purposes in humility. But I am so thankful to God for granting the vision to come true thus far and I am so encouraged to move forward in this direction.
[P] Dear Father, it's been an exciting journey thus far and what a privilege to serve You shoulder to shoulder with others in Christ. Lately, though, I've been feeling physically tired and would like to ask for your protection and empowerment to carry on the small group ministry. I also lift up our pastor who is also being swamped with a super high load of responsibilities -- please send Your angels to surround his household and fight off any attacks from the enemy forces. In these challenges I continuously strive to serve in unity and humility in Christ. May Your name be lifted up high at all times. In Jesus' name. Amen.
9"For then I will give to the peoples purified lips,
That all of them may call on the name of the LORD,
To serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
[O] I journaled on this passage five years ago and today as I read it again, it moves my heart again because the picture of God consecrating His people for His works is simply beautiful and so full of hope. God will display His justice because that's who is is with respect to corruption and sin. But to the remnant of His people He will restore the purified lips, ability to call on His name, and to serve shoulder to shoulder with others in unity. In fact, the serving shoulder to shoulder puts an awesome picture of our church coming together rubbing shoulders with other members in order to carry out the ministry charged for our church. In the recently months God's been continuously sending new members seeking to be connected with God and it's just exciting to see these new people but wouldn't it too wonderful to see them settle in and begin to serve God shoulder to should with the rest of us?
[A] Five years ago, I journaled on this passage dreaming of one day serving God shoulder to shoulder with many brothers and sisters in the Lord. Today, God has placed us in this home church and is beginning to gather His people to literally rub shoulder to shoulder in His service. This does not mean things will just click all of a sudden because we still have to work out our differences and discipline ourselves to be aligned with His purposes in humility. But I am so thankful to God for granting the vision to come true thus far and I am so encouraged to move forward in this direction.
[P] Dear Father, it's been an exciting journey thus far and what a privilege to serve You shoulder to shoulder with others in Christ. Lately, though, I've been feeling physically tired and would like to ask for your protection and empowerment to carry on the small group ministry. I also lift up our pastor who is also being swamped with a super high load of responsibilities -- please send Your angels to surround his household and fight off any attacks from the enemy forces. In these challenges I continuously strive to serve in unity and humility in Christ. May Your name be lifted up high at all times. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Though the World May CrumbleDown
[S] Habakkuk 3:17-19 --
17Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
18Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
19The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.
For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.
[O] After going back and forth with God about His judgment towards His people, Habakkuk realizes God's wrath is unavoidable (Habakkuk 3:2 -- In wrath remember mercy). His realization brought him to the foot of Jesus' Cross it seems even though he's an Old Testament character because in the midst of this confession, I see a sense of resurrection and life instead of crumbling down in despair. In verse 18, he will rejoice in the God of his salvation.
[A] Looking around my life, I can so easily lock on to what's not going right and fixate myself there forever feeling so sad for myself. However, Habakkuk taught me that even though everything may fall apart around me, I can still exult in the Lord and rejoice in His salvation because God is my strength making me to walk on my high places. This is the true joy God desires me to latch on to and so I will do just that. There are many things which aren't necessarily going the way I expected but in some sense, that's the way it is while I rejoice in the Lord of my salvation!
[P] Dear Heavenly Father, I will rejoice in Your wonderful salvation no matter what disasters may come my direction. You are indeed my fortress and I want to live my life to reflect that. Please guide me each day and fill me up with Your strengths. In Your precious name. Amen.
17Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
18Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
19The Lord GOD is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.
For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.
[O] After going back and forth with God about His judgment towards His people, Habakkuk realizes God's wrath is unavoidable (Habakkuk 3:2 -- In wrath remember mercy). His realization brought him to the foot of Jesus' Cross it seems even though he's an Old Testament character because in the midst of this confession, I see a sense of resurrection and life instead of crumbling down in despair. In verse 18, he will rejoice in the God of his salvation.
[A] Looking around my life, I can so easily lock on to what's not going right and fixate myself there forever feeling so sad for myself. However, Habakkuk taught me that even though everything may fall apart around me, I can still exult in the Lord and rejoice in His salvation because God is my strength making me to walk on my high places. This is the true joy God desires me to latch on to and so I will do just that. There are many things which aren't necessarily going the way I expected but in some sense, that's the way it is while I rejoice in the Lord of my salvation!
[P] Dear Heavenly Father, I will rejoice in Your wonderful salvation no matter what disasters may come my direction. You are indeed my fortress and I want to live my life to reflect that. Please guide me each day and fill me up with Your strengths. In Your precious name. Amen.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Long but Sweet Years
[S] 2 Chronicles 35:19 --
19In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign this Passover was celebrated.
[O] Eighteen years is a long time and what's amazing is King Josiah persisted those eighteen years to restore the Passover celebration into the lives of Israelites. I'm sure it was a battle fought every day to first cleanse out the old idols both physically as well as mentally from the people, and then establish the respect and worship to the God of Heaven. This un-doing first before establishing a new culture is a process that requires patience and sustained vision because things like this does not happen overnight with some brute forced revolution. I'm so encouraged to read this short but heavy verse describing how King Josiah's desire to glorify God came through in the end.
[A] I am so encouraged by King Josiah's dedication to re-establish God's Kingdom and His culture despite the long years of hard work. It appears doing God's ministry in many ways reflect King Josiah's efforts because it will take time (in earth measures) and demands my persistent pursuing of His dreams put into my heart. I am going to do just that in the small group ministry at my church.
[P] Dear God, may You allow me to be used by You so I may also leave behind such a short but powerful statement of restoring Your culture in the small group ministry as well as in my own family and life. I realize this won't be a walk in the park, but I am going to dedicate my energy for this purpose. In Jesus' name. Amen.
19In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign this Passover was celebrated.
[O] Eighteen years is a long time and what's amazing is King Josiah persisted those eighteen years to restore the Passover celebration into the lives of Israelites. I'm sure it was a battle fought every day to first cleanse out the old idols both physically as well as mentally from the people, and then establish the respect and worship to the God of Heaven. This un-doing first before establishing a new culture is a process that requires patience and sustained vision because things like this does not happen overnight with some brute forced revolution. I'm so encouraged to read this short but heavy verse describing how King Josiah's desire to glorify God came through in the end.
[A] I am so encouraged by King Josiah's dedication to re-establish God's Kingdom and His culture despite the long years of hard work. It appears doing God's ministry in many ways reflect King Josiah's efforts because it will take time (in earth measures) and demands my persistent pursuing of His dreams put into my heart. I am going to do just that in the small group ministry at my church.
[P] Dear God, may You allow me to be used by You so I may also leave behind such a short but powerful statement of restoring Your culture in the small group ministry as well as in my own family and life. I realize this won't be a walk in the park, but I am going to dedicate my energy for this purpose. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Is This Enough, Lord?
[S] John 6:9,12 --
9"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?"
12When they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost."
[O] Andrew's question in verse 9 (highlighted) is very convicting to me because it seems that is the proper posture of a servant of God engaged in His ministry -- what can I add to the vast ministry that God is already working in? The answer is nothing, really, in fleshly sense but once gripped by Him, it can multiply to meet the capacity of the ministry at hand. Contrarily, I must be careful not to have an attitude of saying, "Isn't this good enough God? Look how much I brought to the table to do Your ministry?" This type of an attitude is not only dangerous of pride, but also deplete the Power of God to manifest itself in the ministry I'm involved with. In verse 12, Jesus also ensures me about how none of what little I bring forth into His ministry will be wasted. The leftover fragments may refer to "failures" of ministry on first round which Jesus will gather up to apply in furthering the ministry or to turn them into food for the servants themselves (i.e., me).
[A] Always stay humble when bringing my share of efforts to His ministry by having the posture of Andrew: But what are these for so much need? Humbly submit my efforts into His hands so it may multiply according to His plans. And while it is inevitable to have dips and slumps in ministry, I must not write them off as failures but to gathering them up as my own food for thought and to gain strength from it to further my involvement in the ministry. Make sure no efforts will be lost.
[P] Dear Jesus, what is my life and involvement for so much need in people around me especially at my church? It really is a drop in a bucket but that's why I rely on You 100% so my meager efforts will multiply into meet the needs according to Your desires. I want to experience just that and add the layers of my spiritual growth because I feed myself from Your wonders happening right in my own life. Please continue to gather up my failures to feed me for regaining strength to carry on. In Jesus' name. Amen.
9"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?"
12When they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost."
[O] Andrew's question in verse 9 (highlighted) is very convicting to me because it seems that is the proper posture of a servant of God engaged in His ministry -- what can I add to the vast ministry that God is already working in? The answer is nothing, really, in fleshly sense but once gripped by Him, it can multiply to meet the capacity of the ministry at hand. Contrarily, I must be careful not to have an attitude of saying, "Isn't this good enough God? Look how much I brought to the table to do Your ministry?" This type of an attitude is not only dangerous of pride, but also deplete the Power of God to manifest itself in the ministry I'm involved with. In verse 12, Jesus also ensures me about how none of what little I bring forth into His ministry will be wasted. The leftover fragments may refer to "failures" of ministry on first round which Jesus will gather up to apply in furthering the ministry or to turn them into food for the servants themselves (i.e., me).
[A] Always stay humble when bringing my share of efforts to His ministry by having the posture of Andrew: But what are these for so much need? Humbly submit my efforts into His hands so it may multiply according to His plans. And while it is inevitable to have dips and slumps in ministry, I must not write them off as failures but to gathering them up as my own food for thought and to gain strength from it to further my involvement in the ministry. Make sure no efforts will be lost.
[P] Dear Jesus, what is my life and involvement for so much need in people around me especially at my church? It really is a drop in a bucket but that's why I rely on You 100% so my meager efforts will multiply into meet the needs according to Your desires. I want to experience just that and add the layers of my spiritual growth because I feed myself from Your wonders happening right in my own life. Please continue to gather up my failures to feed me for regaining strength to carry on. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Monitoring God at Work
[S] John 5:17 --
17But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working."
[O] Easily I can say it was easy for Jesus to know His Father was working and for Him to work along side Him. But He was a full human and He He had to focus on what God was up to in order for Him to follow along. Despite how He did that the key point here is the fact that He was aligning what He did with what God the Father was doing. In order to do this, He had to know where God is at work so He may join Him there (as Dr. Henry Blackaby says in His Experiencing God
). At times I'm so busy figuring out what I need to do for God I neglect to find out where He is at work first. It's like re-inventing the wheels all over again. Logically speaking, I am doing God's ministry and that means God is already at work some where and my job is to follow His footsteps.
[A] Spend time of prayer to seek where God is at work around me so I may align the small group ministry at our home church to His workings already begun in the midst of us. Try not to re-invent the ministry He already started.
[P] Dear God, although I glossed over this passage many times, today You revealed to me how important it was for Jesus' ministry to be knowing Your workings first. Needless to say my ministry must also do that by first finding out where you're working. I would really like to know that in many aspects and especially please reveal that to me re: the small group ministry at our church; and then about parenting my beautiful children. I want to follow your footsteps, every step so please show me the way and open the eyes of my heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.
17But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working."
[O] Easily I can say it was easy for Jesus to know His Father was working and for Him to work along side Him. But He was a full human and He He had to focus on what God was up to in order for Him to follow along. Despite how He did that the key point here is the fact that He was aligning what He did with what God the Father was doing. In order to do this, He had to know where God is at work so He may join Him there (as Dr. Henry Blackaby says in His Experiencing God
). At times I'm so busy figuring out what I need to do for God I neglect to find out where He is at work first. It's like re-inventing the wheels all over again. Logically speaking, I am doing God's ministry and that means God is already at work some where and my job is to follow His footsteps. [A] Spend time of prayer to seek where God is at work around me so I may align the small group ministry at our home church to His workings already begun in the midst of us. Try not to re-invent the ministry He already started.
[P] Dear God, although I glossed over this passage many times, today You revealed to me how important it was for Jesus' ministry to be knowing Your workings first. Needless to say my ministry must also do that by first finding out where you're working. I would really like to know that in many aspects and especially please reveal that to me re: the small group ministry at our church; and then about parenting my beautiful children. I want to follow your footsteps, every step so please show me the way and open the eyes of my heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Monday, August 02, 2010
Turning the Spiritual Tide Through Generations
[S] 2 Kings 21:3 --
3For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
[O] When Manasseh became the King of Judah at the age of twelve, he restored all the corruption back in their places against what his father, Hezekiah had destroyed. At such a young age, he was already biased toward worshiping Baal and other idols such that he was determined to turnover the whole nation. I cannot pass judgment on Hezekiah as a father, but without having to dig into the root cause there was a disconnect from Hezekiah's value system to Manasseh's. It wasn't a slight difference but a completely different basis of spiritual foundation. In order to bring this type of an impact, Manasseh must have been influenced strongly in his upbringing by those against the God of Heaven. The point is the value systems we see now in our society were shaped through several generations and did not happen overnight.
[A] Needless to say that I need to do my utmost best to pass on the spiritual values to my children and their generation just like my father had done just that up to his last days on earth. Instead of being like Manasseh who did his best to get rid of Godly presence, I wish and pray that my children will give all they got to restore the presence of God in their lives and generation they will thrive in.
[P] Dear Heavenly Father, please hear my prayer about passing on the Godly spiritual values to my children and allow me the honor to do just that in my lifetime. I pray that the spiritual foundation I lay down for them will become the basis for their layer of the spiritual foundation imparting their own friends and families. In Jesus' name. Amen.
3For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
[O] When Manasseh became the King of Judah at the age of twelve, he restored all the corruption back in their places against what his father, Hezekiah had destroyed. At such a young age, he was already biased toward worshiping Baal and other idols such that he was determined to turnover the whole nation. I cannot pass judgment on Hezekiah as a father, but without having to dig into the root cause there was a disconnect from Hezekiah's value system to Manasseh's. It wasn't a slight difference but a completely different basis of spiritual foundation. In order to bring this type of an impact, Manasseh must have been influenced strongly in his upbringing by those against the God of Heaven. The point is the value systems we see now in our society were shaped through several generations and did not happen overnight.
[A] Needless to say that I need to do my utmost best to pass on the spiritual values to my children and their generation just like my father had done just that up to his last days on earth. Instead of being like Manasseh who did his best to get rid of Godly presence, I wish and pray that my children will give all they got to restore the presence of God in their lives and generation they will thrive in.
[P] Dear Heavenly Father, please hear my prayer about passing on the Godly spiritual values to my children and allow me the honor to do just that in my lifetime. I pray that the spiritual foundation I lay down for them will become the basis for their layer of the spiritual foundation imparting their own friends and families. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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