From Word to Conviction through Holy Spirit

[S] 1 Thessalonians 1:5 --
5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

[O] The message of the gospel is not just words only but the power and conviction which comes from the Holy Spirit.  Likewise, partaking in God's ministry at church is much more than simply taking part in the activities or programs based on this passage because if the gospel is at the core, then the fruit of the ministry will be filled with people moved by the Holy Spirit's conviction as the fruit of our involvement.

[A] Whenever I am taking part of His ministry, I need to take a moment to make sure achieving sets of goals is not the ultimate purpose but to let the Holy Spirit convict the hearts of the people.  Much more than the words I speak, the Spirit must flow through what I say and do.

[P] Dear Father, please let Your Holy Spirit convict the people's hearts as I take part in Your wonderful ministry.  Let Your Spirit shower down the power to move our hearts closer to You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Whose House Are You Staying At?

[S] Matthew 26:6 --
6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper,

[O] Who I spend time with identifies a portion of my life's purpose.  Jesus stayed at the home of Simon the leper.  I am not clear from this passage whether this was a leper whom Jesus healed already or that he was still a leper but most importantly Jesus was staying at his house.  This challenges me to think about whose house I stay at, or spend time with.

[A] Taking a step forward to participate in the Angel Tree program to deliver some Christmas presents to a family with three children who's parent is incarcerated.  I want my family to model what Jesus did here.

[P] Dear Father, I pray that our step of faith here to reach out to this family will be under Your blessings and guidance.  Please send Your Holy Spirit to these three children's hearts so when we actually get to meet we'd all be wrapped around by the Spirit and be praising You together and as the gospel is presented to them they'd be open and accept Your grace. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Vaccinate from Virus of Grumbling

[S] Matthew 20:11,15 --
11 When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?'

[O] Especially during this season of Thanksgiving this passage highlighted the criticality of how grumbling can steal away the spirit of thanksgiving and replace with jealousy instead.  I recall the whole theme during the time of Moses leading God's people through the wilderness for 40 years.  The grumbling never ceased among them which became the root cause for their wandering and delaying His promises to be fulfilled.

[A] Before I start counting my blessings, I must vaccinate myself from the virus of grumbling because it will so quickly nullify the blessings into the downward spiral of envy and jealousy.  Identify areas my heart is grumbling and surrender them all at Jesus' feet.

[P] Dear God, I want to have my heart filled with thanksgiving leaving no room for grumbling.  Please continue to fill me with Your Spirit so I may be filled with giving thanksgiving for all the blessings showered upon me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Starts with Value of Life

[S] Matthew 14:8 --
8 Having been prompted by her mother, she *said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."

[O] This is the daughter of Herodias who by the wish of her mother requested another man's head (life) without a blink of an eye.  What a scary scene this is, and displays the picture of how critical the environment where a child grow up in.  There can be many factors but that child will either grow up valuing the life God gave starting with his/her own, or will not put any value on the life God provided.  This scene more and more depicts the situation of our world today where we are so far removed from the value of understanding the life God gave in all of us because we're so distracted by all the busy-nesses of this world.

[A] Keep teaching to my children the importance of God's life in all of us as well as in others.  And this is why we must "go" and teach as many people about the value of His life given through Jesus Christ out of His abundant love for us.

[P] Dear Father, please continue to ingrain the value of life in my children as that's where everything begins.  Without that starting point, everything we build is meaningless and in fact can be very dangerous.  Please purify my family members' hearts at all times.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

The Concept of Lordship

[S] Matthew 12:8 --
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. (KJV)

[O] The sabbath day is nevertheless a system that man made to recognize the rest God gave us and was a means to enter into His rest by refraining from other distractions.  However so many times we turn these means into an end as if observing that will please God.  Far from that.  God wants us to recognize who He is and how much He loves us.  He rarely cares whether we observe the system we have created ourselves.

[A] The meaning of the "lordship" is such a simple and yet so easily overlooked concept as Christ-followers probably because we really have not experienced what that means.  I've really never been a slave or a servant under a lordship and so struggle to live a life under a lordship of anyone, especially under Jesus Christ.  I need to make it simple -- just let Him rule over my life in every area.

[P] Dear Jesus, please be the Lord of my life.  I lay it before You.  In Your powerful name.  Amen.

Faith that Rocked Jesus

[S] Matthew 8:10 --
10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.

[O] What a statement from Jesus!  This centurion's faith marveled Jesus not because of his knowledge of the Bible, or how much he gave to the poor, but because he was able to apply the simple truth of authority which he was familiar with.  He wasn't even a Jew (i.e., who knew a lot about God).  He converted his practice of authority to believing in Jesus as the one with the full authority.  He gave Jesus the blank check.

[A] First I felt jealous about the centurion's faith getting the praise from Jesus.  Then I realized how selfish my faith comes down to be.  I really need to learn how to empty my own agenda in order to fully recognize His authority over my life and all that's around me.

[P] Dear Jesus, my faith may not get get such a praise as this centurion but may my faith stay pure, sincerely seeking to bring out Your authority in my life as I ask in Your name.  Amen.

Secret Agent

[S] Matthew 6:4 --
4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

[O] The secrecy here is from other people and the reason is because we ought to give to God (through our hearts first) and no one else needs to know about it.  Or another way to look at it is, if I give in "secret" then God has to be the only audience and that's the type of giving God honors.


[A] Once again, when I give my time and efforts into God's ministry, I must give only to God first.  I should not even think about trying to show off to others how much I am giving.

[P] Dear Father, I want to give You my heart and nothing but that to please You and to receive Your reward mentioned in this passage.  May this life be a secret agent for You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen

There Is Always Another Path

[S] Matthew 2:12  --
And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

[O] There is always another way to handle the situation especially when i am on my own pathway. That new way is God's way. The key question is whether I will recognize God's intervention for me to take that alternate route or not. Most times I am so deeply involved in my own plans and executions I will oversee or simply ignore His small voice calling to make the next turn into His ways.

[A] God's overpowering love for me will outweigh any and all of my mistakes on life because just like how He guided the wisemen to change their courses He would do exactly the same for me. in order for me to recognize this is for me to be I constant communication with Him so that I won't miss His cue.

[P] Dear God may my heart be softened to hear and recognize Your guidance for my life. Even through my mistakes and oversights may this heart be flexible to change the course upon Your commands. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Needed: Spiritual Vaccine for Our Children

[S] 2 Corinthians 11:14 --
14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

[O] This is a clear warning to watch out for deceptions of Satan in this world we live in because it is very real.  One thing after another, the master of deception is eating away the freedom we have in Christ by twisting the truths to make us believe it is harmful to us.  This is very sad and yet as Paul pointed out, something we cannot avoid and we must be awake at all times to separate God's truth from the deceived truths in this world.

[A] It seems every year, the degree of confusion get worse and worse which means our children's generation is going to have a very difficult time distinguishing what is from God vs. from Satan (the disguised angel of light).  Since I cannot possibly immunize my children completely against such virus, I need to totally rely on the Holy Spirit to protect and lead my children so they'll know how to stand up for THE TRUTH in the midst of the storm of confusion.  I need to pray for each of my children daily so that their spirit will be sharpened toward God.

[P] Dear Jesus, would you warp Your Spirit around my children at all times so that they would always be fully aware of Your truth in their hearts?  May their time at home with the family be the equipping ground to recognize Your voice so when they are on their own, they would simply continue to do what they were doing at home to bring glory to Your name.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Whom the Lord Commends

[S] 2 Corinthians 10:18 --
18 For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

[O] Just like in Olympics, no matter how much the athletes themselves may feel like they deserve the gold medal, it is the judges' scores which will determine the winners.  Likewise, it is the Lord who will commend those He deems worthy according to His "scores" and there is no exception.  Many times, I feel like I deserve a bit more recognition for how much I served in His Kingdom, but my feelings do not matter at all.  In the end I must submit to His leadership and the commendations which come from Him alone.

[A] Stay humble in my services in His ministry, especially when things seem to go well.  Let the Lord commend.

[P] Dear Lord, please be the Lord of my services for Your Kingdom.  May it flourish because You are in the center of it all; but let it not go to my head but instead bring me to my knees in prayer more and more.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Carry the Dying of Jesus

[S] 2 Corinthians 4:10 --
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

[O] Initial reaction to this passage is a bit gloomy when I think about carrying the (dead) body of Jesus and it would be if the story ended there.  However, the death which represents the suffering He went through before the crucifixion is a preamble to the resurrection and that life of Jesus can only be present in my life through his death first.  So, unless I carry the death of Jesus in my body, there is no chance for me to have the life of Jesus.

[A] What is the dying of Jesus in my body?  It is humbleness toward others, forgiving those who hurt me, and sacrificing my comfort for the sake of His kingdom. These are heavy loaded concepts and I gotta take a break now just to meditate on how I will have to do this.

[P] Dear Jesus, as Paul stated, may I die to myself so that Your power of life may dwell in me forever.  In Your name I ask. Amen.

Dying Full of Days

[S] Job 42:17 --
17 And Job died, an old man and full of days.

[O] What a blessed life Job has led here on earth.  The key operative here is "full of days."  I want to say that at the end of my life, too -- I lived and died full of days.  Job's life was going pretty well until he was tested and all of his possessions were removed; and then with his un-helpful friends, Job went through some serious time of contemplation but came out of that with the right heart before God who eventually blessed Job materially as well as spiritually so that he would die as an old man, full of days.

[A] Not that it'll matter to me after I die, but I do want to be leaving behind a legacy to my children that living a life full of days in Christ is the most important thing one can live for.

[P] Dear Father, mold my life so that I would live my life full of days according to Your will.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Refresher of the Spirit

[S] 1 Corinthians 16:18 --
18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.

[O] I am jealous to be such a person who may refresh other people's spirit.  On the other hand, I should be grateful for those around me who refresh my spirit.  If we refreshed each other's spirits, how wonderful would it be to witness such a community.

[A] Building up a church community has many aspects but there is none other higher than to be contagiously refreshing each other's spirits and begin to shine the Light of Jesus through that.

[P] Dear Father, thank You for placing those encouragers around me to uplift my spirit whenever I lose my spiritual altitude.  May I also be the one to lift others up for Your name's sake.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Lordship of Jesus Brings Peace and Order

[S] 1 Corinthians 14:33,40 --
33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner. 

[O] These days I am so overwhelmed with activities after activities, at times I am really confused as to where I need to be when.  Even my responsibilities in ministry, I feel the same.  But Paul's writing here about when God is on the move, there is no confusion, and done in properly and orderly manner.  One indicator to look for whether God is in the center or not is the presence of His peace (no confusion), and things competed in orderly fashion.

[A] Whenever I get lost in the sea or confusion or out of order, then I need to take a break and come to the Lord and ask Him to be in the center.

[P] Dear Father, please continue to work through my life in orderly manner so that everyone would know it is You who are at the command central of my life and all of its involvement.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Only for the Common Good

[S] 1 Corinthians 12:7 --
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

[O] The Holy Spirit's presence and manifestation through my life has one purpose -- common good.  This means it's not for my own selfish reasons.  There is nothing I can do on my own for the sake of God's will here on earth, so putting these two together, it's very clear that what I do for God should be for the common good.  There is nothing in God's kingdom that I should leave (engrave) my own name with so I'd better get my mind focused on the right perspective when I do God's ministry.

[A] I desire God's Spirit to reveal in my life, but before asking for that, I should set my heart such that all I do will be for the common good and not just for my own self.

[P] Dear Father, please let Your Spirit manifest in my life and by doing so, may my life give You the glory and then edify the community I belong to.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Slave with a Clear Purpose

[S] 1 Corinthians 9:19 --
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.

[O] Paul realized he was set free by Christ's death on the Cross, but he he made himself a slave to all others by his choice because that would allow him to win more souls for Christ.  This is the mentality of a sold-out Christian and a model worthy to follow after.

[A] I am so busy trying to "get away" from many people that I really had it backwards.  I need to first find a way to serve Christ's purpose in my life and foundationally this is to win more souls.  So if I need to make myself a slave to all to fulfill this purpose, then I shouldn't be afraid to do that.  But I am....

[P] Dear Jesus, may my life first find the purpose and goal that you desire for me to attain, then let me think about pursuing my own plans.  Please use my life to the fullest to win more souls for You. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Evidence of His Kingdom

[S] 1 Corinthians 4:20 --
20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.

[O] As the phrase, "Pictures are worth thousand words," God's power is worth million words to describe the presence of His kingdom.  At the end of the day, more than what I say or write, it's the evidence of God's power which serves as the stamp of approval of His kingdom in the midst of us.  No matter how great things may look, without the evidence of His power working, it'll all end up being man's own power.

[A] Stop trying to explain too much but pray and ask for God's power to show up in my life.

[P] Dear Father, send Your power in my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Even God Waits for the Fullness of the Time

[S] Galatians 4:4 --
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

[O] God's timing is the best timing and He will without mistakes carry out His will according to His perfect timing at all times.  So, waiting for and recognizing His perfect time (or fullness of the time) is one of the pre-requisite to carrying out God's will in my life.  If God had to wait for the fullness of the time before sending His Son to our world to carry out His will for us, there is no exception that I would have to wait for the fullness of His time also.

[A] How I long for things to happen on my own terms and timelines.  I must submit to His timeline and learn to know when the fullness of His time arrives for me to take proper actions.  There are some pending items in my life for which I've been seeking a right timing and based on this passage I am going to see if the fullness of time came for me or not.

[P] Dear Father, You know what are the areas in my life which need patience to wait for the fullness of Your timing.  Please grant my heart to not get anxious or complacent but be on the alert for the fullness of Your time.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Don't Let Agency of Man Get Ahead

[S] Galatians 1:1 --
1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

[O] Paul's introduction is very simple and yet very powerful and significant because he does not associate himself not with earthly organizations but to Jesus Christ and God Himself.  I'm not sure how many times I catch myself associating with the ministry organizations that I am connected with more significantly than to Jesus Christ and God Himself first.

[A] I need to recognize what Jesus had done at the Cross which established the significance of my relationship with Him before anything else takes place.  This way I would have the right attitude like Paul did when he interacts with others, especially other Christians.

[P] Dear Father, allow me to be in Your presence at all times so I may have to right heart and attitude to represent You and not the agency of men that I belong to.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

First, Go!

[S] Mark 16:20 --
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.]
[And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. ]

[O] Remembering from the retreat speaker last weekend, "going" (in this case "went out") is what I was drawn to in this passage.  If they hadn't gone out in the first place, there "won't be any preaching, no where."  Because they went out, the Lord worked with them and displayed signs to encourage their faith.  After going, they also returned and reported all the excitements they witnessed.  And then after that, Jesus Himself moved through them to proclaim the eternal salvation everywhere.  This progression of His working in us simply because they went out is very simple and yet powerful lesson as I take part in His ministry.

[A] I need to spend some quality time with God on where I need to "go" PERIOD.  The rest will be history.

[P] Dear Jesus, please reveal in my heart the direction and the place I need to "go."  I want to be used as Your vehicle to carry the eternally good news to as many people as I can.  In Jesus' name I ask.  Amen.

Everyday vs. Fulfillment of Sripture

[S] Mark 14:49 --
49 Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures."

[O] As Jesus spent every day with the people teaching, mingling, and talking with them, the Jews had ample time to take Jesus away but they came to Gethsemane at night with a squad of soldiers to arrest Him in order to fulfill God's words.  It is not what happens everyday that matters, but what God's fulfillment of His words that matters most and I must focus my mind in seeking for God's fulfillment in my life.

[A] What I do daily -- going to work, raising children, handling tough situations, etc. -- will be just that; how I lead my life in order for God's fulfillment to come through is what will matter in the long run.

[P] Dear Father, may Your promises come true through my life because I would be moved by Your Spirit to obey Your words in the Bible.  May I not be too worried about what's going on around me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

But He Knows the Way I Take

[S] Job 23:10 --
10 "But He knows the way I take;
When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

[O] Job states that he is unable to track where God is working no matter how hard he tries, but he know for certain that he will equip him to come forth as precious and pure as gold to uphold His purposes in this world.  This comes from a man who had just lost everything he treasured for no specific reason and struggled through listening to his friends' blaming him for what he deserved.  He is not going to try to understand everything but to recognize God's purpose for his life and his commitment to live it out.

[A] Not even close to Job's experiences of loss and turmoil, but as I face challenges after another in my life, I should not try to understand everything but to glorify God for equipping me to handle His purpose designed for my life -- and be satisfied with just knowing that.

[P] Dear Father, I'm so grateful for Your preparing my life despite the difficulties I may run into.  May I not focus on the difficult situations but to You O God for doing the wonderful things even if I do not see or understand them.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.