Tuesday, 25 September 2012
First Month
by: Meg
First and foremost, I want to thank God for allowing me to experience
some of the little but ‘finest moments’ in my life.
Anyway, I just want to share some of the things that caught
my attention last Sunday on Purple Challenge --- Purple Pitstop. It’s a ‘question
and answer event’ regarding the Purple Book. One of the audiences asked… what
is God’s will and how to know it?
According to Ptr. Timothy, there were 2 things to consider;
One is to know the Moral Will of God. When we say moral, it comprises our own
set of moral values, according to Romans 12:2 --- Do not conform to
the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His
good, pleasing and perfect will. Second, is to know the Mission Will of
God. If we’re able to discern and acknowledge the purpose of life, it would be
easier for us to do the second part. To sum up the Moral Will of God and the
Mission Will of God, then we undoubtedly able to discover and understand the ‘Me
Will of God’.
Again, it’s not our good works that saved us from our sin
but by God’s grace. It’s such that we are transformed by God patiently every
single day and doing a good work is a by-product of the Holy Spirit (love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control)
that is dwelling upon us.
Lastly, I’m happy to say that I’m so excited to join the
Malaysian Care. It was an answered prayer! God knows the longings of my heart
and the presence of Ms. Kiah last Sunday was really so inspiring. May the goodness of the Lord continue to flourish
as I speak blessings upon blessings to all and every nation… and from the
bottom of my heart, thank you so much! To
God be the glory, honor, power and praise! =)
Correction
We owe nothing to God EXCEPT our lives and it is only by His grace that we are still alive. =)
Don't Get Snared
Don't Get Snared
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
You are snared by the words of your mouth…
Proverbs 6:2, NKJV.
TODAY’S
WORD
During the 1990’s, Jose Lima was the star pitcher for the Houston Astros. One season, he won 20 games and was considered one of the best pitchers in the league. When the Astros moved from the Astrodome to their new ballpark downtown, the fence in left field was much closer than the fence in the Astrodome. It favored the hitters and made it more difficult on the pitchers. The first time Jose Lima went to the new ballpark, he stood on the mound, looked at the fence, and the first words out of his mouth were, “I’ll never be able to pitch in here. The fence is way too close.” Sure enough, he went from being a 20-game winner to a 16-game loser. It was one of the biggest negative turnarounds in the history of the Astros. What happened? He prophesied his future.
Today, don’t get snared by the words of your mouth. When negative thoughts come, don’t speak them out; instead, speak life. Speak hope. Speak blessing. Speak what you seek! Speak the Word of God so you can move forward in the victory He has prepared for you!
PRAYER
FOR TODAY
Father, today I submit my thoughts, my words, and every
area of my life to You. Help me, by Your Spirit, to speak life according to Your
Word. Help me to stay aligned with You on the path of blessing in Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
***
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)
You cannot make yourself the light of the world. Jesus says you are the light of the world because of your relationship with him. “The God who said, ‘Out of darkness the light shall shine!’ is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6 TEV).
God speaks the light of Jesus into our hearts, and his light shines so powerfully through us that we are like stars in the universe that point the whole human race toward real life (Philippians 2:15-16).
This is a portrait of discipleship. Jesus, who is the light of the world, re-creates us into the light of the world. We are light, not because of anything in ourselves, but because we are in a supernatural union with the light of the world. He calls us to follow after him, and he says, “Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness” (John 8:12b TEV).
Our focus must always be on the light, humbly trusting Jesus to reveal the light through us. Prayerfully remember:
Your influence and visibility is a result of who lives in you, not because of what you do. It is God who puts you in a place of influence and visibility.
You are merely a steward of your influence and visibility, so it is important you get out of the way and let Jesus work through you.
Only God can measure the significance of your influence and visibility. You may influence one person who will then influence the world. Your focus is on following Jesus wherever he leads.
Talk About It
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Monday, 24 September 2012
The Purple Book
by: Meg
Taking the ‘Purple Book’
challenge for a couple of months now is really something that refreshing both
to the mind and soul. The Holy Spirit intervenes to give us more wisdom and understanding
on how to know God in a deepest but simple way.
The last two chapters 11 and
12 gave me a deepest insight to value more Life. It reminds me again that…
God
without man, He is still God
Man
without God, he is nothing
But
a man with God, he has everything!
As
we try to get a closer look on it, God Himself is a generous god. Life itself
is God’s investment in us. The mere fact that He gives us different talents,
skills and abilities, it is up to us to make the most out of it. Do you remember
the Parable of Talents? It truly means that what we do with our life is the
reflection of how we value the gifts that God has given us. Meaning, if God has
the power to entrust those gifts in us, He has also the power to get what He
gives.
For a man to appreciate life, every single breath that he takes --- means a lot. It signifies that God is still continues to invest in us to expand His kingdom with our gifts. To spread the Good News is not only a mission and vision but it gives life a more meaning. Since God is an investor, the moment He tries to get the investment (life in us) including the interest --- it is not the trophies, certificates, awards and academic excellence that we achieved that really matters to Him.
The important is how we value our gifts
in honoring and glorifying Him to our highest potentials in advancing His
kingdom as well.
Let
us be reminded that the reason why God created man --- is for a man to worship
God.
We owe nothing to God EXCEPT our lives and it is only by His grace that we are still alive. =)
We owe nothing to God EXCEPT our lives and it is only by His grace that we are still alive. =)
A Simple Key to a Happy Life
by: Ptr. Osteen
I
have a friend that I used to play basketball with a lot. One day, he started
having problems with his eyes. He was always very strong, healthy and active,
not to mention a good ball player. But his eyes continued to bother him month
after month. Finally he went to the doctor, and after many tests, they
diagnosed him with cancer of the eye. He was advised that after the surgery, he
would probably lose his vision. Of course, he was very distraught when he went
in for the big operation. Since the problem was behind his eyes, the doctors
were able to understand more as they were operating on him. Much to their
surprise, they discovered that it was not cancer after all. It was an unusual fungus that they
were able to completely remove and save his vision. When he woke up from the operation and
heard the good news he said, "That was the greatest day of my
life."
Think
about it. He didn't just win the lottery. He didn't just buy a new house. He
didn't just get a big promotion. He simply got the news that he was
going to be able to continue seeing. He said, "Joel, now
every morning I get up and look at things on purpose. I stare at my children. I
stare at my wife. I'll go out and look up at the trees. I'll
pick up an acorn and just stare at it." Why is that? Because he almost
lost his vision; now the fact that he can see has taken on a totally different
meaning.
Have you ever woken up and thought it was the best day of your
life just because you could see? It's interesting how quickly our perspective changes when we
find out we might not have something that we take for granted.
I want to encourage you today to thank God for the things you've
already been blessed with. If you can see, talk or walk, be
grateful. If you
have friends, family or opportunities, learn to appreciate them. Don't go around complaining
about what's wrong; instead, change your focus. I heard somebody say once, "Instead
of complaining that your hair is turning gray, be grateful that it's not
turning loose!"
Staying grateful is a key to living a happy life. That's why David said in Psalm 34, "I
will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my
mouth." Notice
how long; continually,
all the time. David knew a secret; we
can't praise and complain at the same time. If we're constantly thanking God
for His goodness, meditating on what He has done, thinking about how He
has blessed us, we're headed in the right direction. We're opening the door for
Him to move on our behalf and set us up for victory all the days of our life!
G ratitude
R egarding
A cknowledged
T hankfulness
E xpressing
F eelings
U nconditionally
L eaving
N ew
E motions
S ignificantly
S atisfied =)
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