[S] 1 Corinthians 16:17-18 --
17 I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part. 18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.
[O] What a refreshing picture of the brotherly love and communion in the Holy Spirit. Being able to refresh one another's spirit is truly a blessing. In this world, so many people are out to do the exact opposite -- cut throat so they can get ahead of others. But these three brothers presence alone edified the people and they infused the energy that wasn't there before.
[A] I would like to be such a person wherever I go I can fulfill the needs as well as refresh people's spirit. One way of doing this is to use my words wisely when speaking to others.
[P] Dear God, please grant me the depth of Your love and joy in my heart so I may share that with others that I come in touch with. May Your Spirit overflow out of my life to others. In Jesus' name. Amen.
From my Life devotional journaling and more (Read Today's Passage)
Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Availability As a Conduit of Miracle
[S] Gideon 6:13-15 --
13 Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian."14 The Lord looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?"15 He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house."
[O] When God called Gideon, we can see that he was aware of what God has done before through His miracles and wondering why He isn't doing anything about their stark situation. Gideon's hope had diminished at this point to nothing ("Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian"). Then God calls him to be the one to deliver His people; that is to say, that "I am here to do just that, however, this time it's going to be through your own life." To this Gideon's response wasn't jumping up and down rejoicing but to say to God, "You sure you got the right person? It just cannot be me." There was a disconnect between his knowledge of knowing God's miraculous power and how that same power can work in his own life.
[A] God is all powerful. Nothing is impossible for Him. If I believe this, then I should also make myself available for Him to use my life to do anything He desires to accomplish His purposes in this world. Without this understanding in my own life, I will not be ready to be used by God.
[P] Dear almighty God, let Your power reign in my own life and may my meager life take part in the amazing plan of Yours for the people on this earth. In Jesus' name. Amen.
13 Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian."14 The Lord looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?"15 He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house."
[O] When God called Gideon, we can see that he was aware of what God has done before through His miracles and wondering why He isn't doing anything about their stark situation. Gideon's hope had diminished at this point to nothing ("Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian"). Then God calls him to be the one to deliver His people; that is to say, that "I am here to do just that, however, this time it's going to be through your own life." To this Gideon's response wasn't jumping up and down rejoicing but to say to God, "You sure you got the right person? It just cannot be me." There was a disconnect between his knowledge of knowing God's miraculous power and how that same power can work in his own life.
[A] God is all powerful. Nothing is impossible for Him. If I believe this, then I should also make myself available for Him to use my life to do anything He desires to accomplish His purposes in this world. Without this understanding in my own life, I will not be ready to be used by God.
[P] Dear almighty God, let Your power reign in my own life and may my meager life take part in the amazing plan of Yours for the people on this earth. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Singing Songs of Victory
[S] Judges 5:1 --
1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
[O] Once again God wonderfully delivered His promise to Deborah and Barak and they praised God through this song of "victory." Recently our Sunday message was on telling God Story to others -- the thing that only God could've achieved in my life because I totally relied on Him and realized this is what Deborah and Barak were doing.
[A] It seems so many times I'm so busy taking care of business I neglect to recognize the God Story in my own life. I really need to sing praises more in my own personal time singing about those instances where He came through in my life, giving me the victories in this world.
[P] Dear Jesus, I want to sing for You, for how great a work You're doing in my life all the time. I'm so caught up in my own world that I just moved on as if I deserved what You are doing for me. I want to take a moment to give You the praise You deserve through my songs for You. In Your name. Amen.
1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
[O] Once again God wonderfully delivered His promise to Deborah and Barak and they praised God through this song of "victory." Recently our Sunday message was on telling God Story to others -- the thing that only God could've achieved in my life because I totally relied on Him and realized this is what Deborah and Barak were doing.
[A] It seems so many times I'm so busy taking care of business I neglect to recognize the God Story in my own life. I really need to sing praises more in my own personal time singing about those instances where He came through in my life, giving me the victories in this world.
[P] Dear Jesus, I want to sing for You, for how great a work You're doing in my life all the time. I'm so caught up in my own world that I just moved on as if I deserved what You are doing for me. I want to take a moment to give You the praise You deserve through my songs for You. In Your name. Amen.
Don't Let the Judge Die
[S] Judges 2:15,19 --
15 Wherever they went, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had spoken and as the Lord had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed.
19 But it came about when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their stubborn ways.
[O] As I read this cyclical statement of how the people went from being at peace following behind what God was doing from corruptness after the judge God had sent died, I'm seeing my own life where I am constantly under the pull of the desire to go my own ways (other gods) and pursue them to the max (i.e., career) and whenever a blip of God's grace fades away from my weak memory I'm so ready to jump on my own doings. Even though God knows so well of how I'm wired to do this over and over, He, nevertheless, answers my distressed call to Him every time also by sending the "judge" to relieve me from the misery I find myself under.
[A] Pray and memorize Scripture so God's presence will not depart from me and keep in on the right path. It's like not having the judges die in my heart.
[P] Dear Father, please protect me and my family to not fall into the trap of forgetting what You did. I am praying for my children such that their lives will be disciplined to dig in the Word so when I'm gone from this world they will continue to carry on that legacy. In Jesus' name. Amen.
15 Wherever they went, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had spoken and as the Lord had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed.
19 But it came about when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their stubborn ways.
[O] As I read this cyclical statement of how the people went from being at peace following behind what God was doing from corruptness after the judge God had sent died, I'm seeing my own life where I am constantly under the pull of the desire to go my own ways (other gods) and pursue them to the max (i.e., career) and whenever a blip of God's grace fades away from my weak memory I'm so ready to jump on my own doings. Even though God knows so well of how I'm wired to do this over and over, He, nevertheless, answers my distressed call to Him every time also by sending the "judge" to relieve me from the misery I find myself under.
[A] Pray and memorize Scripture so God's presence will not depart from me and keep in on the right path. It's like not having the judges die in my heart.
[P] Dear Father, please protect me and my family to not fall into the trap of forgetting what You did. I am praying for my children such that their lives will be disciplined to dig in the Word so when I'm gone from this world they will continue to carry on that legacy. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Cling Not to the Surrounding Nations
[S] Joshua 23:12-13 --
12 "For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know with certainty that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.
[O] This message seems to fit many nations in today's world including the one I'm living in now. How blessed to know how this nation was founded on the principles of God which was led by those who trusted in God and yet over the years, the people's hearts were led away from backbone of the founding fathers' spirit but clung to the values of our own systems. As how we know the types of a fruit tree by its fruits, the fruits of this nation tells us that we had veered away from God as outlined in verse 13 -- other nations will be a snare and trap to us, and a whip on our sides and thors in our eyes until we perish from off this good land. This is scary thought but a reality in God's promises.
[A] Even though trying to change a whole nation is not a simple matter that I can take on, I believe I can tackle on how to let my family stick to God's values because I especially desire my children to be ruling lives which are filled with God Stories of how he fought for them and how great "nations" surrounding them will not be bothering them at all.
[P] Dear Father, please allow time in my mind and schedule to remind and discipline my children to put You very first in their lives no matter what they do. This is where You will guide and guard their lives for them despite their lack of efforts. Please consider my prayer for our family as I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
12 "For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know with certainty that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.
[O] This message seems to fit many nations in today's world including the one I'm living in now. How blessed to know how this nation was founded on the principles of God which was led by those who trusted in God and yet over the years, the people's hearts were led away from backbone of the founding fathers' spirit but clung to the values of our own systems. As how we know the types of a fruit tree by its fruits, the fruits of this nation tells us that we had veered away from God as outlined in verse 13 -- other nations will be a snare and trap to us, and a whip on our sides and thors in our eyes until we perish from off this good land. This is scary thought but a reality in God's promises.
[A] Even though trying to change a whole nation is not a simple matter that I can take on, I believe I can tackle on how to let my family stick to God's values because I especially desire my children to be ruling lives which are filled with God Stories of how he fought for them and how great "nations" surrounding them will not be bothering them at all.
[P] Dear Father, please allow time in my mind and schedule to remind and discipline my children to put You very first in their lives no matter what they do. This is where You will guide and guard their lives for them despite their lack of efforts. Please consider my prayer for our family as I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Bull's Eye Promises
[S] Joshua 21:45 --
45 Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.
[O] This statement coming from Joshua has a special emphasis for me because he was the one who fearfully started to lead the Israelites into the land of Canaan to conquer that land according to the promise came from God. Not only that his clinching on to the promise started 40 years prior and still going strong and then some. His saying of God's delivering on all of his promises is a true and genuine testimony coming from a man after God's own heart. Can I give such a confident testimony about how none of God's promises failed in my household?
[A] Simplifying to the irreducible minimum, my daily life should be about knowing what God's promise for me is and then claiming it to see it come true every time; and compilation of these will become my life's testimony which when I pass from this world will display my aim in life.
[P] Dear Father, may You seal in me the same spirit that drove Joshua to conquer the land that You promised for him to rule over (not without challenges) so my life will fight the challenges ahead and yet claim the lost grounds for You and Your people. In Jesus' name. Amen.
45 Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.
[O] This statement coming from Joshua has a special emphasis for me because he was the one who fearfully started to lead the Israelites into the land of Canaan to conquer that land according to the promise came from God. Not only that his clinching on to the promise started 40 years prior and still going strong and then some. His saying of God's delivering on all of his promises is a true and genuine testimony coming from a man after God's own heart. Can I give such a confident testimony about how none of God's promises failed in my household?
[A] Simplifying to the irreducible minimum, my daily life should be about knowing what God's promise for me is and then claiming it to see it come true every time; and compilation of these will become my life's testimony which when I pass from this world will display my aim in life.
[P] Dear Father, may You seal in me the same spirit that drove Joshua to conquer the land that You promised for him to rule over (not without challenges) so my life will fight the challenges ahead and yet claim the lost grounds for You and Your people. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Circumcision Does Not Matter
[S] 1 Corinthians 7:19 --
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.
[O] Physical obedience is preceded by willingness to obey from the heart. Any signs of outward "circumcision" does not equate to having a heart after God's own heart because we are so vulnerable to the pull of this world and can so easily compromise our covenant with God. As Paul wrote, keeping the commandments of God is the foundation of one's faith in God.
[A] I can easily get wrapped up with the rules and policies of small group ministry. Although we need some level of this to put some order, I need to be careful not to focus too much on this as that is not going to do much for the ministry itself because it's built based on people's willingness to server one another.
[P] Dear Father, please circumcise my heart so I may follow all of your commands and may I not rely on the outward appearances of spiritualism. May You take joy in my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.
[O] Physical obedience is preceded by willingness to obey from the heart. Any signs of outward "circumcision" does not equate to having a heart after God's own heart because we are so vulnerable to the pull of this world and can so easily compromise our covenant with God. As Paul wrote, keeping the commandments of God is the foundation of one's faith in God.
[A] I can easily get wrapped up with the rules and policies of small group ministry. Although we need some level of this to put some order, I need to be careful not to focus too much on this as that is not going to do much for the ministry itself because it's built based on people's willingness to server one another.
[P] Dear Father, please circumcise my heart so I may follow all of your commands and may I not rely on the outward appearances of spiritualism. May You take joy in my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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