Troubling Greeting

Matthew 1:29 - Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

When God calls us to be used in his plans it usually comes with a smart of "troubling" because his purposes are not without burdens.

How would I even get to hear such a burdensome calling if I don't spend any time listening to what he says to me. Then the next question I need to ask myself is: when's the last time I heard a burdening getting from the Lord?

Dear God, speak to me so that I may hear and carry your burdens in this world. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Fruitfulness 24x7

[S] Jeremiah 17:8 --
8 "For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.

[O] This tree will yield its fruit at all time despite the environment changes (fertile or drought).  The reason is because its roots are firmly planted into the stream.  It is not fearful about the harsh conditions it faces, either -- unshakable.

[A] Life has many challenges and they always come at the worst times, so it seems.  The wisdom in life for a Christ follower is not to wish for a trouble-free life but to be prepared for those challenges I must face and in order to do that, I must lay my spiritual roots deeply into God's word where I not only draw the strengths, but also to anchor my life into the bedrock of God's unshakable foundation.  The sure sign of such a person is the 24x7 fruitfulness despite the challenges that come in life.

[P] Dear Father, forgive me for not taking Your word seriously as the foundation of my life.  May I work on laying my roots deeply into Your truth on daily basis.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

When God is Late to Our Appointment

[S] 1 Samuel 13:8-10 --
8 Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, "Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. 

[O] Saul did wait until the promised time expired and then he took his own actions.  So his original intention wasn't to defy God or to disregard Samuel, but his actions resulted in disobedience because he did not hold on to his faith to wait until Samuel (or God) showed up.  Also notice how Samuel just showed up as soon as Saul committed his act of disobedience.  Why couldn't he have shown up a little sooner?

[A] Since I am generous I may give some lenient amount of time after our "appointed" time of meeting, so if God does not show up until some generous amount of time, I am no different than Saul because since I won't know how much longer to wait I would have to take the Plan B option.  But when God makes an appointment with me, I need to realize that He may "seem" late in my own timetable but He is never late in His timing because His timing is all about increasing my faith in Him.  So I must not take matters into my own hands but to keep my hands open in surrender, until He shows up.

[P] Dear Father, You have been teaching and molding me lately (as You always had been doing) especially through some situations where I feel like You are late to our appointments and leaving me hanging.  I pray that I won't be like Saul but to wait it out with the faith You have allowed me to have in my heart.  In Jesus' name I ask.  Amen.

Serving Free For a Clear Cause

[S] 1 Corinthians 9:19 (ESV) --

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.


[O] Paul was clear on his objectives -- to win more souls for Christ.  He was willing to serve for free and become the servant to all if he was able to achieve this end-goal for Christ's sake.  This statement displays the complete transformation of Paul from before and after he had met Christ and his life turned around.

[A] As I claim that my life had turned around after meeting Christ, I am not as clear or bold as Paul is and this is one area God has been building me up.  I need to continue working in this area of winning more (or as many as I could) souls for Christ.

[P] Dear Jesus, forgive me for lacking in this area.  As we enter the Passion Week, I want to approach a family to come to East Service with us this Sunday.  Please allow me to serve them and invite them.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Floating Higher by the Spirit

[S] Galatians 5:18 --
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

[O] Just like a plane when it loses its thrust by default will fall to the ground, unless I am led by the Spirit, I will by default be led by the Law.  There is no in-between and I must figure out what my spiritual thrust is so that I will continue to "fly" by the Spirit.

[A] Recently, God's been leading me through His Spirit through my personal prayer times.  I need to balance this with my continued meditation and study of the Book of Genesis through BSF so that not only through my chatting time with God but He will uplift me as I gain the strength from His word.

[P] Dear Father, I want to defy the gravity of this world's law which is nothing more than trying to live on my own will power.  Please continue to shower down Your blessings as I spend my personal times with you.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Revelation Beyond Intellectual

[S] Galatians 1:12 --
For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

[O] Paul describes that the gospel that was preached to him was from God Himself because the revelation came from Jesus Christ directly (through the Holy Spirit).  It is not a teaching of another man even though God may have used others to send him the message, the actual revelation came from Jesus Christ.

[A] It is important the note here that the intellectual teaching itself is not enough to know the heart of our Father because it has to be revealed by Jesus Christ for me to fully understand the meaning which in turn should bring transformation causing a greater commitment toward God's vision.  As I study God's word I must not forget to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth and the heart of my Father to convict me.

[P] Dear Father, please continue to surround my heart with Your Spirit so that Your vision, purpose, and heart may be revealed in my heart to follow You each day without missing any mark.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Look Back and See Who's Got Your Back

[S] Deuteronomy 6:10-12 -- (boldface and font color added)
10 "Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, 12 then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 

[O] The key operand here is "I don't deserve" what God blesses me with because none of them are what I earn for but instead are provided for me simply because I commit my heart set apart to follow God by remembering His message of love for me.  All these blessings are what this society is pursuing after (umm, including myself) on our own efforts, stomping each other to get ahead.  This passage is followed by the Ten Commandments.

[A] I took a moment of silence after reading this passage as I meditated on how awesomely great my God is for me.  I've been learning about "surrendering" who/what I am in order to be "lifted up" in His timing and ways and this passage hit home about how He's got my back for good.  I must continue to surrender areas of my life so that I will only reflect His image without smearing it with my own.  Just like how God warned His people not to forget (in pink color), I must not forget His awesomeness.

[P] Dear Father, I want to learn to let go of the things I hold on to so I would decrease and You would increase.  Thank You for providing all I need as I surrender these things while remembering what You did for Your people throughout history.  May my faith increase such that I would rise above the culture of pride and selfishness for Your sake.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Good or Bad, Name Lasts Forever

[S] Numbers 25:14-15 --
14 Now the name of the slain man of Israel who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father's household among the Simeonites. 15 The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was head of the people of a father's household in Midian.

[O] I am wondering why God recorded the names of these two people when they clearly died from their sin against God.  One thing I noticed was that their fathers were in leadership roles in respective nations and yet they both got wrapped up in Baal of Peor worshiping and eventually Cozbi became the reason for God's judgment of Medianites.

[A] For me, this passage speaks to me about how important it is to raise up my own children in the upright way to fear God and Him alone especially when I am in leadership roles in my social and spiritual community because my children intentionally or not learns how to influence others.  So it is very crucial for them to influence others with the right motives and faith.

[P] Dear Father, as I ponder on my own ways of influencing my children, I realize more and more how I must lean on You every moment so I don't attempt to teach my children my own ways or experiences but what You instruct me to pass on to them on daily basis.  Please continue to overflow my heart with Your love and grace.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Scriptures Can Be All Greek To You

[S] Mark 4:11-12 (NLT) --

11He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, 12so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:
‘When they see what I do,
they will learn nothing.
When they hear what I say,
they will not understand.
Otherwise, they will turn to me
and be forgiven.’”


[O] God permits us to understand the truth of His word so we will turn to Him and receive forgiveness. It does not come by our efforts alone as if studying harder makes one smarter or more knowledgeable.  Unless God permits my mind to comprehend the wondrous truth, it'll all be "Greek" (or parables) to me.

[A] Seek His permissions before reading His word so that He would allow my mind to comprehend the truth directly from His Spirit.

[P] Dear Father, please grant Your truth to settle deep down in my heart.  May my life then reflect that truth to many people.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Recognition of Jesus In Every Moment

[S] Mark 3:11 --
Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, "You are the Son of God!"

[O] Here we are trying to learn the ways of the "clean" (Holy) Spirit and yet we unrecognize Jesus in our midst and yet the unclean spirits never missed a beat of recognizing Jesus and submitted under His authority.  As a follower of Jesus shouldn't we be falling down before Him and praise Him whenever we encounter Him?

[A] Every moment, take my eyes off what I am so involved with and recognize Jesus at work and then submit under His authority with praising.  I am not doing this enough throughout the day.

[P] Dear Jesus, I want to recognize You and worship You every moment of the hour in each day.  Please let me be in Your presence at all time as I ask in Your name.  Amen.

Bearing in the Winderness

[S] Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. (Numbers 9:22 ESV)

[O] As simple as this looks knowing when to go or stop in sync with God is not trivial because not only I have to be alert every moment but also have to constantly look at Him for signs to know when He is on the move. On the other hand doing this will relieve me from constantly trying to figure our if I got right timing or not about when to move on or stop. This is how God led His people in the wilderness for forty years before entering into the Promised Land.

[A] There is something more than daily reading of His word to sync up with His moves. My application is to spend a chunk of time in prayer and fasting to seek out what this means for my walk with God.

[P] Dear Lord, I desperately need Your Spirit's guidance now to know where You are moving toward, or should I say where I need to move toward. I've been dealing many factors in the last year and it all seems to have whirled up in the whirlwind and feel lost in the midst. Just like how You led the Israelites in the wilderness (except for the long detour) would you guide me with affirmation through this very challenging moment in life. I nevertheless praise You God for being mindful of me despite how I feel now and for working in and around me in the "meanwhile." In Your name I pray. Amen.

God of Meanwhile

[S] Genesis 26:26 --
Meanwhile, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces.

[O] The word "meanwhile" in this verse refers to the period of Isaac under pressure from the neighboring nations to push him out because God bless his community to be rich and significant in size.  He had to keep moving to different wells until the herdsmen of Gerar did not challenge them anymore.  While these events were taking place -- i.e., Isaac going through some difficult times -- Abimelech was on his way to meet Isaac because (v.28) they saw clearly that the Lord was with Isaac.  It's a wonder how God works in people hearts in His timing.

[A] Whenever I am going through some challenging times (not because of my wrong doings), I feel like God has abandoned me and yet just like this passage, He works in some mysterious ways in other people's hearts and He will raise up those He recognizes to be faithful to Him.  I needed this reminder and a reset of my attitude such that I must continue to honor the God of this universe who in the "meanwhile" works in and around me.

[P] Dear Father, thank You for this wonderful passage to touch my heart to encourage me.  Please let my heart be rejoicing for who You are and what You are doing even though I do not see everything clearly.  I put my trust in You who's got my back!  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Don't Just Pass the Buck

[S] Acts 25:9 --
9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?"

[O] Like his predecessor, Felix, Festus also wanted to please the crowd and went through gestures to put Paul on trial when in actuality he believed Paul to be innocent.  So, when he came to a dead end, he simply passed the buck to the next level up.  It was much easier to do this than to step up to the plate and do his duty to the fullest.

[A] I am also put into some tough situations to step up to the plate and handle it myself but my mind is no different than Festus -- pass the buck and take the easy way out.  This coward attitude must go and I need to step forward not trusting in my own abilities but in God's promise of standing by me all the time.

[P] Dear Father, please allow me to be bold in You when I face these challenging situations.  I am by no means a master at these situations so I need to rely on You all the time.  Please continue to teach me Your ways.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Hearing Leads to Doing

[S] Acts 24:24,27 --
24But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.
27But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.

[O] Felix listened to the gospel many times and yet when the time came for his actions, he still chose to carry our his own desires.  Listening for the sake of just listening is the culture these days.  In fact, we're in the information overload phase with so much being poured into our minds through the Internet and social media apps.  It is leaving very little time to process and impact how we actually live our lives daily.

[A] When I listen to God's word and His guidance (spoken directly into my heart), I need to make sure my actions are affected to bring out more of Him and not my own will.

[P] Dear Father,  as I am currently going through some challenging moments which is really an opportunity from God for me to make adjustments in the way I think and act, I pray that I would have the right bearing to live it out in obedience of His teachings.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Clear the Old to Make Room for the New

[S] Leviticus 26:9-10 --
9 So I will turn toward you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will confirm My covenant with you. 10 You will eat the old supply and clear out the old because of the new.

[O] When I obey God, His plan for my life is to bless with fruitfulness and multiplication based on His covenant with me despite my failures to meet His laws 100%.  That is very assuring.  However verse 10 is a bit perplexing at first because why do I even bother with the old supply when He is about to multiply with new blessings?  Taking a simple view, unless I clear out the old stuff there is no room for God's new stuff in my life so I need to clear them out first as a preparation.

[A] I am still praying for clarity but there is a message for me in verse 10.  There is the old supply I must clear out to make room for His new blessings.  Take a new fresh view ahead and do some house cleaning now.

[P] Dear Father, please make it clear in my life so I may identify the old things to clear out of my life so I may have plenty of room to receive the new blessings You plan to fill my life with.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Preservation While I Wait

[S] Psalm 25:21 --
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.

[O] Starting with 25:10, the writer describes a moment of struggle in his life where he had to rely on nothing other than God's providence itself and to know that God will provide the best in His time.  In the end verse 21 puts the icing on the cake by concluding that it is none other but his own integrity and uprightness which will preserve him while he is waiting.

[A] I am proclaiming that my integrity and uprightness be the soul source of strength and courage during my waiting period.

[P] Dear Father, please preserve me as I seem to be walking through the lonely and dark period because without Your promise I really have nothing else to hand on to.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Question of the Day

[A] Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah. (Psalms 24:8, 10 NASB)

[O] This question is a very important one to ask every day or moment because without having the right bearing, I can so easily displace the position of my Lord Jesus in my life. He is: strong, mighty, mighty in battle, and Lord of hosts.

[A] Just this week one of the event resulted in a surprisingly opposite way than expected and caught me by surprise. This passage reminded me to ask this question despite the circumstance and my answering that He is indeed The Lord of hosts granted my heart to still look to Him and join this psalmist's praise.

[P] Dear Jesus, forgive me for relying too much on my circumstance more than on Your awesome strength. Please continue to be my solid rock in my life that never shakes. In Your name. Amen.

Bound by the Spirit

[S] Acts 20:22-23--
22 And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. 

[O] How does it feel to be bound by the Spirit?  How do I know that I am bound by the Spirit?  One thing for sure is that Paul was "audibly" clear to realize that he was bound by the Spirit in his heart.  Even though that clear message was not so good news, his already-committed heart was ready to follow the leadership of the Spirit.

[A] In the end, it's about hearing God's message clearly and good or bad, my heart desiring to follow His guidance.  Many times, I am so engulfed in my own way of "serving" God that I may not follow His ways.  As I am currently facing a tough situation, I need not try to come up with my own solutions but to listen to His small yet clear voice to guide me.

[P] Dear God, teach me to hear Your voice leading me through this circumstance I am going through.  Teach me not to take things into my own hands but to lean on You to hear Your guidance and wait upon Your coming through.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Be Known by the Devil

[S] Acts 19:15 --
And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"

[O] Even the devil recognizes Jesus and His followers; in fact, the devil clearly knows who is not on his side because those are his major threat.  So as they say it's a blessing in disguise for the devil to recognize me as one of Jesus' followers and even attacks me.  It will be sad to be asked by the devil, "who are you?"

[A] Put on the marks of Jesus in my life so that not only the devil will recognize which school I am with but His love overflows into other people in the community I live in.  This can only happen when I digest His word daily and pray to Him from the bottom of my heart daily.

[P] Dear Father, please remove all dirty stains in my life so Your handy works in my life will shine through.  I cannot do that by myself but I need Your word to wash me through and through.  In Jesus' name I ask.  Amen.

Bonded Community

[S] Acts 18:9-10 --
9 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city." 

[O] Jesus comforts and strengthen Paul to continue on with his mission from God without hesitation.  He notifies Paul that there are many people in this city to help him (or those with like-minded mission). The key operand here is "many" people.  It wasn't just one partner but many to rely on and from such a bonded community comes the strength to carry on.

[A] Once again, God's way of working in our midst is through a strong bonded community of believers sharing the same vision.  I am praying to seek who these "many" people I am to work with in expanding God's ministry here in my geo.

[P] Dear Jesus, would you please also allow me Your confirmation to know that there are many people to share the vision of expanding Your Kingdom right here in this Area?  Many times I feel I am pretty much alone and would like to know that there are others to build this community with.  I ask in Your name.  Amen.

Restart from Ground Zero

[S] Leviticus 14:45 --
He shall therefore tear down the house, its stones, and its timbers, and all the plaster of the house, and he shall take them outside the city to an unclean place.

[O] If the initial complete cleansing of the house from leprosy fails, then that house is to be torn down and discarded outside the city to an unclean place.  And I'm assuming a new house will be built up in place.  This is how I need to look at my own life and my community's healthiness.  When sin or wrong-teachings creep in, try the overall cleansing but if that does not work, then be ready to tear down everything and start from scratch.

[A] I need to fearfully examine my life for any spiritual leprosy and abhor it to the point of starting fresh from ground zero.  I should not try to layer over the leprosy thinking it will just go away.  I am currently toiling over a situation where I really need God's wisdom to manage it to bring out His glory.  I feel as though we need to do a deep cleansing but I desperately need His wisdom to handle it properly.

[P] Dear Jesus, please intervene in my heart through Your Spirit to speak to me for clear way of managing this circumstance so that Your will is brought forth from it and not of my own credits. Please continue to guard my heart with Your love.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Strong Faith Grows

[S] Acts 16:5 --
So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.

[O] This seems so simple and yet profound -- strong-faith churches grow (in numbers) consistently.

[A] I must prioritize to strengthen my faith first so that my life will consistently grow.  I could try to do many other things to grow, but unless my foundational faith is strong, they will just be scratching the surface only.

[P] Dear Father, please increase my faith daily so that my life will mature with power and strength to grow and to be edifying others along the way.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Communicate Encouragment

[S] Acts 15:30-31 --
30 So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

[O] These days we have so many channels of communication -- email, Facebook, sms, twitter.com, blog, etc. -- in fact, it's an overload of communication.  As they say quantity does NOT equal quality and I am wondering how much of our overloaded communication encourage others such as this letter read to the congregation in Antioch church did.  I can just see how they were rejoicing after hearing the letter, clapping hands and hugging each other.

[A] As I communicate with others via many means I should carefully choose the words to encourage them and to report what God is doing so that when they read it, they will be uplifted rather than weighing down such as so much of what's in the news these days.

[P] Dear God, You are the message of hope and as I soak up more and more of Your hope, may it overflow to many others I come in touch with.  What I write on Facebook, email, or blog, may it carry the light of Your hope.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Fresh Spirit of Prayer and Fasting

[S] Acts 14:23,27 --
23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 27 When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

[O] There is something beautiful about this scene where the apostles are in the beginning stages of establishing the churches with the new opened door (in their mind) to the Gentiles.  Their sincere desire to rely on God through fasting prayer and gathering the churches to report how God is breaking new grounds.  Exciting!

[A] In my observation and involvement in God's ministry, I can honestly say that the key foundation of bringing ministry co-workers together to carry out God's great plan is by prayer -- and furthermore, fasting and prayer.  I am humbly bowing down before God in repentance for lacking such a fervent prayer life to lay the foundation of the ministries I am part of.

[P] Dear God, would you forgive my calloused heart in doing Your ministry and replace it with the heart of flesh that pumps living and fresh blood in my life ultimately to minister to others?  I ask this in Jesus' precious name.  Amen.

Offering Up My Life

[S] Leviticus 3:5 --
Then Aaron's sons shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire; it is an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord. 

[O] I can't help but to think about BBQing at home when I read this because even though I BBQ at home to ultimately eat the meat, the aroma of BBQ is always very pleasant.  Such is the picture I see of the priests offering up the smoke of the burnt offerings.  The meat they burnt was not to be eaten but to be offered up to God as the soothing aroma.

[A] How is my life being burnt up as soothing aroma to my God?  In order to do that I must surrender what I am to be offered up to God and if I were to apply "burning" up to my life, it is about releasing what I am made of through the fire of this world.

[P] Dear God, as I go through the trials and challenges of this world, may my life be offered up to You as sweet aroma.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Power of Praying Church

[S] Acts 12:5 --
So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

[O] I see the power of a praying church right here because as they fervently prayed, Peter was taken out of the prison miraculously.  God takes joy when the church clings on to Him desperately like this.

[A] Not that we need to add more programs at what is already a busy schedule, integrating this type of praying community is a must in order to experience God's miraculous power and a church leadership must intentionally integrate place, time, and method fit for their congregation to come together in prayer.

[P] Dear Father, wherever I go, may I be a catalyst to promote such a fervently praying community to move God-sized tasks.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Jump of Faith

[S] Acts 11:20-21 --
20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 

[O] These minority group of people who were scattered due to persecution took an extra step of faith of preaching the Lord Jesus by speaking to the Greeks also.  I also noticed that they preached Lord Jesus and not just the message of Lord Jesus.  One of the potential reasons for these boldness may come from the person who literally carried the cross for Jesus up to Calvary -- Simon from Cyrene.  I wondered what had happened to him after such an impacting experience and my mind is just playing out to see if he was one of the leaders of this group.

[A] Am I willing to carry the cross for Jesus when I had no reason to do that? Am I willing to carry my own cross as Jesus did for me?  Am I constantly willing to take my faith to a new level and not be held back by my comfort of status quo?  Then I will not experience the hand of the Lord working in my life.

[P] Dear Jesus, may I carry Your cross and then realize that carrying Your cross isn't just a chore but a time of entering into Your deep and strong presence such that I may take another new step of faith to preach about You.  May Your hand be with me at all times, especially during this time of seeking Your guidance from where I stand now.  I look up to You as I ask in Your name.  Amen.

God's Bias Toward Fear of Him

[S] Acts 10:34-35 --

34 Opening his mouth, Peter said:
"I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.

[O] God's only bias is toward those who fear Him.  However for all those who fear Him, He treats them all the same -- as His own children.

[A] Is my day beginning and ending while my heart fears the Lord?  How can I live my day when I am not doing this because that only means I am doing things all on my own without reliance on God.  So, I must begin my day with the prayer of surrendering my life in fear of Him.

[P] Dear Father, I fear Your presence in my life and I want to order my life by placing You at the core and that I would obey Your words.  May You, just like how you created this world out of chaos through Your word, create order in my own life to glorify You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Chain Reaction of Intimacy with God

[S] Exodus 33:11 --
Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

[O] Just imagining how it would feel to be considered as God's friend who would meet me face to face to talk with me.  Awesome!  But it does not stop there because as noted in this passage, Joshua whom Moses was mentoring observed and desired to be just like Moses also.  Moses' intimacy with God was extended to those he was raising up as a leader.

[A] Chain reaction is what comes to my mind as I meditate on this verse:  God > Moses > Joshua > followers.  I find that I can be in any of the followers of God in this chain but the critical part is that wherever I am I need to link the two other ends together as a bridge which requires a concerted effort on my part.  In other words, this just won't happen organically but needs some methodical framework around it.  So, I must always view my position as a bridge from pursuing the above as well as grooming someone who is following me.

[P] Dear Father, I would like to be like Moses where he is like a friend to God who enjoyed such an intimate relationship and also raising up the next leader like Joshua.  Please allow me the wisdom and a clear plan of actions to be an effective bridge of raising up powerful leaders for Your Kingdom.  Amen.

God's Deeper Plan Beyond the Surface Circumstances

[S] Acts 8:4 --
Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.

[O] Unfortunate persecution taking place dispersed believers but God had a deeper meaning than the situation on the surface -- He wanted to scatter the believers for His word to be preached out covering wider scope.

[A] Whenever I run into unfortunate situation I should take a moment and bring the situation to the Lord to discern God's deeper meaning for His greater purpose rather than simply judging based on my own perspective.

[P] Dear Father, as You dispersed the believers so Your word will reach the wider areas, please include me in Your greater plan so my life will reach wider areas with Your word and good news.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Endowed with the Spirit of Wisdom

[S] Exodus 28:3 --
You shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me.

[O] All of the intricate designs and details of God's temple was not built up by a few people but a mass was involved and in today's passage addresses the skillful workers God endowed to consecrate the high priest, Aaron. For a while before God expanded my perspective through passages in the Bible like these I segregated my skill sets (i.e., what God gifted me to be good at) from spiritual gifts and did not expect the skill sets can directly impact my spiritual growth.  As God endows with the spirit of wisdom, even the "secular" skills can be used to minister to God.

[A] At each layer of ministry (home, workplace, church, etc.) God desires to endow many people with the spirit of wisdom to worship and build His temple and so I want to surrender my skills to be used for such a purpose.

[P] Dear Father, I realize You desire to bring Your people together to carry out God-sized plans.  May I be filled with Your spirit of wisdom so I won't miss any cues from You to manifest Your wonderful plans in and through my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Meeting Place with God

[S] Exodus 25:21-22 --
21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. 22 There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.

[O] While all the intricate details of the tabernacle is provided for the Israelites to follow in establishing God's temple, the mercy seat at the core must not be ignored or less emphasized because that is where God says He will meet with us.  If I do not meet God, all the busy-ness of ministry is missing the whole point.

[A] Is my heart at the mercy seat of my temple of God?  I need to make sure through my personal prayer time that my heart is placed no where else but in the mercy seat as I am involved with all aspects of ministry.

[P] Dear Father, may my heart not move away from where You promised to meet with me at the mercy seat.  There is no other but Your mercy that brings me to meet with You and I don't want to lose focus of that.  Please guard my heart.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Worthy to Suffer Shame

[S] Acts 5:41 --
So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. 

[O] The apostles were arrested, warned, and then flogged before released and yet they rejoiced because they knew the suffering was due to their loyalty to Jesus and the commitment to spread His word despite the oppositions from the Jewish leaders.  To see how suffering shame for His name's sake is very difficult to relate to because I had not gone through such an experience but I, nevertheless, need to keep this in my mind because as I continue to follow His footsteps here on earth, I will have to face oppositions from the world and yet I must still commit to Jesus' name.

[A] The Holy Spirit's convicting me the criticality of training more disciples in the Lord who will take the shame and suffering coming from this world for the sake of His name.  This year, I would like to pray and proceed on starting up a disciple-making community.

[P] Dear Father, forgive my life for staying in my own comfort zone and not branching out to preach Your word into this world which is fading away.  I've been too comfortable among the believers and I would like to reach out to the lost souls more actively even if it means shame and suffering.  I am scared as I pray this to You but I want to trust You completely as I ask in Jesus' name.  Amen.

No-nonsense Dreams

[S] Luke 24:10-11 --
10 Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. 11 But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. 

[O] The point of nonsense originates from their own inability to think beyond physical death of Jesus Christ whom they witnessed to be crucified. This brought them to the end of their dreams and no nonsense reports from these women were going to change that.

This displays the danger of losing dreams in our lives because we severely limit the potential God has for my life.  Dream, by definition, expands beyond my own limitations and when God-factor is mixed into it, then my life is bound to break the barriers of this world.

[A] When I focus too much on the practical aspects of my life and ministry, I find reasoning myself out of God's amazing plans for me and discounting what I hear about what God is doing around me.  I should never cease to dream big for God.

[P] Dear Jesus, just like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus please walk along side of me whenever I wonder off being discouraged so that I may feel the warmth of Your love and care for me to return to Your big dream for my life until You return.  In Your name.  Amen.

Louder Than the Voice of the Crowd

[S] Luke 23:23 --
But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. 

[O] The Pilate had good intentions and reasonable resolution in his mind, but such conviction did not materialize because the voice of the crowd prevailed.

[A] The voices of the crowd can persuade my mind to do almost anything and so it is so crucial for me not to listen to the crowd too much but to lean my ears toward God's wisdom and godly counsels' words for me.  In order to make that happen, I need to invest in surrounding myself around these godly people.

[P] Dear Father, please make Your voice "loud" in my head at all times, louder than all other noise from the crowd so that I will know clearly where You want me to be within Your wonderful plan for my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Look at God First

[S] Exodus 3:4 --
When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."

[O] God called to Moses after he turned aside to look at what God was doing.  Moses could've easily pass by that scene (ignoring it) but God waited until he took that time to look and pointed his attention.

[A] Do I have time to "smell the roses" these days?  Or just simply too busy to notice what God is doing around me?  God is waiting for me to take that time to turn to what He is working around me and then will invite me into His plans.  Don't get too wrapped up in what I am working on.  Take time to look around for God's revelations for me.

[P] Dear Father, as I commit to build more margins around my daily routine so that I will have time to notice what you're up to around my life, please continue to pour out Your wonderful Spirit into my heart so that I would pursue the things above and through it my tasks here on earth will be blessed accordingly, to bless those around me as well.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

The Hidden Message

[S] Luke 18:34 --
But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

[O] At one point, Jesus' disciples were clueless of what is to come which translates into they were following Jesus for three years without really knowing the ultimate purpose; and that means they were following under their own subjective impressions.  Fast forward from here, I also know that these same clueless bunch of people turned this world upside down with God's message of love.

[A] Especially when partaking in God's ministry, the worst enemy is my own perspective of thinking I know what I am doing because in comparison to these twelve disciples who practically lived with Jesus 24x7 and yet missed the boat I will be worse than the disciples of being on board at all times with God's  purposes in the ministry I take part in.  I need to seek His grace with humility because the moment I think I know something is the when I will know the least because my eyes may be blinded.

[P] Dear Father, just as You have opened the eyes of the disciples despite their inability to comprehend the message of Your love and saving grace, please shower upon this clueless servant the same love and grace which I may pass on to many others in humility.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

When Nowhere Becomes Somewhere

[S] Genesis 28:11,16,17 --

He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place.
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it."
He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."


[O] As Jacob is fleeing from his home to save his life from his angry brother, he came to a certain place and probably spent the lonely night with many thoughts bouncing around in his head.  However, later he claims that place to be filled with His presence and yet he did not know it.  That bare place turned from nowhere to somewhere very significant when he realized God's with him.

[A] I need to look around more carefully to witness God's presence surrounding me because when I am not aware of His presence then my heart becomes barren and dry but when I see God then my heart will transform to warm, fertile ground filled with His potential and dream to live for.

[P] Dear Father, teach me daily to see that You are with me regardless of circumstance I'm in.  May my heart be filled with Your word and through it be filled with Your wonderful dreams for my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen

What to Rejoice First

[S] Luke 10:20 --
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."

[O] Jesus empowered his disciples to carry out supernatural miracles on their mission trips.  What an amazing sight it must have been for sure.  However, Jesus charges them not to rejoice (and trust) in these supernatural powers but foremost rejoice knowing that we are considered as God's children.

[A] As I take part in God's ministry, I desire to see God's unparalleled power in our midst and when God graciously invites me to witness Him in action, that is pure awesomeness.  However, I must be careful not to lean on that too much forgetting what really matters -- being in God's family in the first place.  This is the gospel message and I need to be renewed in it daily to remind myself and rejoice that God saved me from this dying world.

[P] Dear Jesus, may Your commands to these disciples be a lesson for me to follow daily -- to rejoice in Your saving grace before anything else.  Thank You for what You have done for me at the Cross.  In Your name.  Amen.

When My Heart Just Cries

[S] Genesis 21:17 (NIV) --
God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there

[O] This little boy was literally crying (not crying out, per se) without knowing what is going but simply out of hunger and thurst but God heard even such a cry and visited him intimately and personally and comforted them not to be afraid.

[A] My life is full of challenges and at times my heart simply cries more out of confusion and mere pain.  There isn't even any room  to God and simply cry. Even then God knows where I am and visits me.  This is a true comfort to me to carry on with my life because no matter how low I will be, God will be there with me.

[P] Dear Father, thank You for hearing every cry of my heart.  May I be strengthened by being Your child.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

In My Loneliest Moment

[S] Genesis 15:1 --
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great."

[O] After rescuing his nephew Lot and having dealt with the king of Sodom's "generous" offer, God affirms Abram's commitment to God alone in a vision that God will be a shield to him and He got Abram's back.

[A] Lovely picture of how God personally visits us when we commit our hearts for Him alone because at these moments is when we feel the loneliest because even though God is bigger than everything in this world, in our own little world, we still feel like we only have God and released everything else.  It's comforting to know that God draws near to us when we are in this situation.

[P] Dear God, thank You for encouraging us with Your love at all times and to be my shield especially when I'm most in need.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

But I Will Do as You Say

[S] Luke 5:4-5 --
4When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 5Simon answered and said, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets." 

[O] The professional fisherman, Peter, who just returned empty-handed from an all-night operation obeys Jesus even though it did not make much sense to him then.  The result was phenominal and then he left everything and followed Jesus (as His disciple).

[A] I feel like I've been working real hard but not that fruitful in what I've been doing.  I am afraid I may have written off what Jesus told me to do because it did not make sense to me.  I need to listen more careful for what Jesus says for me to do and fully obey because out of that He is willing to fulfill my original purpose (fishing, in this passage).

[P] Dear Jesus, I pray that my own "professional" knowledge will not get in the way of hearing You to obey them because without such a heart I will never experience Your wonderful power working in me. I ask in Your precious name.  Amen.

Go Straight to Bethlehem

[S] Luke 2:15 --
When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

[O] Immediately following their experience of the angels speaking to them about the Savior being born, they went straight to Bethlehem to witness the baby Jesus.  Why the lowliest-class shepherds were chosen to be the witness of our coming King?  I don't have a definitive answer, but may be the angels spoke to some others but they were probably very busy with their schedules they were unable to "go straight" leaving behind their chores.  However, these shepherds responded right away to be part of the once-in-a-universe moment.

[A] I wonder if God is shouting at me right now and yet I am so involved with my own things I cannot hear Him or act right away to meet Him and to experience His great and awesome plans.

[P] Dear Father, please continue to speak to me even though at times I'm totally sucked into my own self and cannot hear You or to go straight to where You're at work.  I want to learn the simple act of "going straight to Bethlehem" immediately to meet You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Teaching the Law Clearly

[S] Genesis 2:15-17 --
15Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 16The Lord God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

[O] This command of not eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil was given to Adam before Eve existed, so it was Adam's responsibility to teach the exact command of God to her.  When the serpent tempted Eve about eating this fruit, her response wasn't quite convicting and while I am not alluding to this as Adam's fault, I do see the significance of teaching (or passing down) the exact command of God to my family members.  If I don't do this well, then the unclear understanding of God's laws will lead to sinning against God.

[A] I need to take a clear and strong stance for my family to study God's word together so that every member of this family will develop clear understandings of God's heart so as they face challenges in life, they will ultimately grasp onto the the truth clearly as possible to not fall to the side.

[P] Dear God, as I face the whole new year of 2013, I am committing my heart to be a "good" leader for my family by teaching them Your laws and ways clearly from the Bible.  I realize this the best legacy I can leave with my children so I ask Your wisdom and leadership in my life through this year so that I will be prompted and motivated by the Holy Spirit every day.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.