Tuesday 31 December 2013
The Journey of Preparation
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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9, NKJV. TODAY'S WORD: Oftentimes, God will use our experiences in life as stepping stones to prepare us for what He has in store next. Scripture tells us that He’ll even take the things the enemy tries to bring against us and turn them around and use them for our good. He is always leading us on a journey of preparation. That’s why it’s so important to keep our eyes focused on Him. We have to trust that when we are submitted to Him—even if we don’t understand—He is ordering our steps. If something is not happening on your timetable, remind yourself, “God knows what He is doing. He has my best interest at heart. God is preparing me.” While you’re waiting, don’t make the mistake of trying to figure everything out. If you’re constantly trying to figure things out, that will only frustrate you. Turn it over to God. Declare, “God, my times are in Your hands. I’m not going to worry because I trust that You are leading me on a journey of preparation for all the wonderful blessings You have in store for me.” PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness in my life. I trust that You are leading and guiding me. I trust that You are preparing me for all the wonderful blessings You have in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen. PS... |
“In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3b-4 (NIV)
Each one of us needs other people to watch out for us — to defend us, protect us, and help us stay on track. In the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul tells us that we should look out for each other’s interests, not just our own. What a counterculture verse! In America today, it’s all about me — my needs, my interests, my wants, and my ambitions. But Paul teaches us to look out for others, too.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, Americans have been much more vigilant for each other as we are on the lookout for more terrorist attacks. But did you know you have an enemy far more destructive than terrorists? You have a personal enemy who wants to defeat you. His name is Satan. He wants to bring problems into your life, ruin your relationships, and hurt you as badly as he can.
Why does he want to hurt you? Because he wants to hurt God, but he can’t, so he goes after God’s children. On your own, you will never win against Satan. But when you have other people to watch out for you and help you, you can be victorious.
Here’s good advice from Ecclesiastes 4:12: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves” (NIV).
Does anyone have your back? Is anyone defending you and watching out for your spiritual welfare? You need a community of people who are saying to you: “We’ll be with you when you’re going through the tough times. We’re not going to let you get discouraged or depressed.”
Community is God’s answer to defeat. Ecclesiastes 4:10 says, “If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
Remember: You can try, but you can’t live life well on your own. We all need other people to walk with us, work with us, and watch out for us.
Talk It Over
- Who are the people you would say have your back or are looking out for you?
- How do those people show concern for your spiritual development and safety? How can you show the same concern for other believers?
- In what ways have you seen the power of community defeat the attacks of Satan?
Monday 30 December 2013
The Suitcase
(Thanks to Shirley Loh for sharing me this wonderful article on my email tonight).
=)
The Suitcase
A man died, when he realized it, he saw God coming closer with a suitcase in his hand.God said: Alright, son it's time to go.Surprised the man responded: Now? So soon? I had a lot of plans...
God: I'm sorry but its time to go.
What do you have in that suitcase? the man asked.God answered: Your belongings.
My belongings? you mean my things, my clothes, my money?God answered: Those things were not yours they belonged to the earth.Is it my memories? the man asked.God answered: those never belonged to you they belonged to TimeIs it my talents?
God answered: those were never yours they belonged to the circumstances.Is it my friends and family?God answered: I'm sorry they were never yours they belonged to the past.
Is it my wife and son?God answered: They were never yours they belonged to your heart.Is it my body?
God answered: that was never yours it belonged to the dust.Is it my soul?
God answered: No that is mine.
Full of fear, the man took the suitcase from God and opened it just to find out the suitcase was empty.
With a tear coming down his cheek the man said: I never had anything???
God answered: that is correct, every moment you lived were only yours. Life is just a moment, a moment that belongs to you. For this reason enjoy this time while you have it. Don't let anything that you think you own stop you from doing so.
Live Now
Live your life
Don't forget to be happy, that is the only thing that matters.Material things and everything else that you fought for stay here.We cannot take anything
Share this reflection with anyone you know or appreciate. Enjoy every second you live.HAPPY NEW YEAR! =)
A Person of Understanding
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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. Proverbs 20:5, NIV. TODAY'S WORD: Did you know that right now you are equipped with everything you need to fulfill your passion and purpose in this life? Everything you need is on the inside of you—like deep waters. God leads you and draws those things out of you when you stay open and humble before Him. You draw those things out when you are submitted to His Word. You draw them out by declaring His truth over your life. That’s what makes you a person of understanding—because you understand and apply God’s principles! Proverbs also tells us that a person of understanding delights in wisdom. A person of understanding is even-tempered. A person of understanding is not easily led astray and maintains peace and order. (Prov. 10:23; 15:21; 17:27; 28:2) Don’t just live on the surface of life today. Be a person of understanding and draw from the resources that God has placed on the inside of you. As you keep your heart open by obeying the Word of God, His purposes will become clearer, and you will live in the abundant life God has in store for you! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Heavenly Father, thank You for equipping me with everything I need to be a success in life. I choose to humbly submit my life to You and obey Your Word. Thank You for revealing Your plans and purposes for me today in Jesus’ name. Amen.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 (NIV)
Each of us has a life message that God wants us to share with the world. Sharing the message is part of our life’s mission. When we share that message with other people, it’s called witnessing.
There is great power in group witness. Just like a soldier is never sent out by himself, God never meant for us to do our mission alone. He says we should go out together to witness.
In fact, God says that we witness best to people who don’t know God when we love others who are already in God’s family. In John 13, Jesus tells us that our love for each other proves to the world that we are his disciples. People are impressed when Christians genuinely love each other. It proves to the world that they are in the family of God.
In 2 Timothy 1:7, we’re told how we are supposed to witness to people: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (NIV).
Have you been timid and fearful in your witness? God’s answer to fear is community — having other Christians stand alongside you in witness.
Seriously consider this question: Is anybody going to be in Heaven because of you? If you work together to witness alongside other Christians, you’ll be able to say, “Yes! Somebody’s in Heaven because of me.”
Philippians 1:27 says, “I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.”
Do you witness with other Christians in one spirit — when you’re so unified that it’s almost like you’re one person? This is the kind of relationship God wants us to have with our fellow Christians. We all need each other. God wants to use us to witness for him, but he wants us to do it together!
Talk It Over
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Sunday 29 December 2013
Nothing Can Hold You Back
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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree… Psalm 92:12, NKJ. TODAY'S WORD: Have you ever seen a palm tree in the midst of a great storm? That tree may be bent so far over that it’s almost touching the ground, but when the wind finally stops, that palm tree bounces right back up. What’s interesting is that while that palm tree is hunched over under the pressure of the storm, it is actually growing stronger? The reason God said we’d flourish like a palm tree is because He knew there would be difficult times. He knew things would come against us to try to steal our joy and victory. God said, “You’re going to be like a palm tree because when the storms of life blow, you are going to come right back up stronger than before.” Nothing can hold you back! No weapon formed against you will prosper. As you reflect on the events over the last year, remember, the storms you have encountered have only made you stronger. You are wiser, you are more alive, and you are headed for victory. You’re brightest days are right out in front of you! Always remember that with God on your side, nothing can hold you back! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father in heaven, thank You for making me strong in You. I trust that You are working in my life, even in the midst of the storms. I know You will bring me out stronger, wiser and better off than ever before in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
PS...
“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8 (NIV)
As a pastor, I see situations daily that nobody should ever have to go through alone. Nobody should ever have to wait in the hospital while a loved one is in life-or-death surgery. No woman should ever have to wait alone for the lab report on a problem pregnancy. Nobody should ever have to wait for news from a battlefield alone. Nobody should ever have to stand at the edge of an open grave alone. Nobody should ever have to spend the first night alone when his or her spouse has just walked out.
Life’s tough times and tragedies are inevitable; each of us will face them. But we don’t need to go through them alone. We need God’s safety net to help hold us up through these difficult times.
What is God’s safety net? It is a group of other believers — a handful of people who are really committed to you. We call this kind of group a community. Here’s God’s plan for community: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26a). Community is God’s answer to despair.
Romans 12:15 expresses a similar idea: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”
The first part of that verse is easy. When something good happens to someone, it’s often easy to join in on the party.
But when someone is having a tough time, it can seem more difficult. But, really, it’s simple. When you’re going through a crisis, you don’t want advice; you just want somebody to be there to sit with you, hold your hand, put an arm around your shoulder, or cry with you.
As Paul tells us, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11a). Encouraging someone else doesn’t always mean giving a pep talk or words of wisdom. Sometimes the best kind of encouragement is just sitting in silence, waiting and weeping with a friend.
Do you have a safety net — a group of fellow Christians you know you can count on in life’s toughest times? If not, go out today and begin building those friendships. The hard times in life are inevitable, and only a fool would go into them unprepared.
Talk It Over
- Who is a part of your safety net? How do you build community with people and reach that level of commitment?
- What are the practical ways you can provide someone with a safety net?
- What is the difference in being part of a Bible study and being part of a community?
Saturday 28 December 2013
Perfect toward Him
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Perfect toward Him
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:
…I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.Psalm 101:2, NKJV.
TODAY'S WORD:
This time of year, people often take time to reflect and set goals for the New Year. But have you ever set “perfection” as a goal on your list?Now, that may seem a little strange or unobtainable to many; but really, in God’s eyes, perfection isn’t about performance. In fact, it isn’t about behavior at all. What God is looking for is a heart that is perfect toward Him. Scripture says that man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart. That means He is more pleased with someone who has a heart toward Him who may mess up than He is with someone doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons. The condition of your heart is extremely important to God. When you have a right heart, you are humble before Him. You seek His ways. You get up each day with a desire to please Him. You submit every area of your life to Him, and you are willing to make adjustments and receive correction so you can grow and come up higher. As you prepare for the coming year, make knowing Him your number one priority. Yield yourself to Him and let Him shape your character. Serve Him with all your might and let your heat be perfect toward Him!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father in heaven, thank You for all of Your blessings in my life. I declare today that You are good and thank You for Your mercy. I set my heart and mind on You and ask that You have Your way in me. Help me to love You perfectly and keep me close to You in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
God put us on Earth to do a certain work that only we can do. Ephesians says that God made us to do good works and that he planned in advance what we would spend our lives doing. However, he didn’t plan for us to do that work alone. We need people to work with us.
You know the feeling you get when you do too much work on your own. You get exhausted and burned out. Why? Because you’re trying to do your work alone, while God never meant for it to be that way.
God tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:9 that “two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together” (NCV). When you work as a team, you get so much more done. Plus, having good teammates alongside you is a whole lot more fun and less tiring!
Picture this: Each of us is like a snowflake. On our own, we can’t make a big difference. However, when one fragile snowflake sticks with a lot of other snowflakes, they can stop traffic. Like snowflakes, we can make a big difference if we work together, each one of us doing only our small part.
Did you know that when we work together here on Earth, we’re actually practicing for eternity? In Heaven, we will all have to work, but each of us will have just a small piece of work, so we’ll never get overloaded or tired. Though no one will carry a heavy burden as each one of us does our small part, all the work will still get done.
As you walk through life, remember that you’re not supposed to do everything on your own. You need other people to walk alongside you, but you also need other people to work alongside you. As you share the burden of your work with fellow Christians, you’ll find that you actually accomplish more for the glory of God.
Talk It Over
- Have you been trying to accomplish too much work on your own? What has been the effect?
- How does/should the Church exemplify working together to accomplish more for the glory of God?
- How can you get people to help you in the work God wants you to do? Who can you help?
Friday 27 December 2013
Couples & Co.
Monday, 23 December 2013
“My wife got sick. She was constantly nervous because of problems at work, personal life, her failures and problems with children.
She has lost 30 pounds and weighed about 90 pounds in her 35 years. She got very skinny, and was constantly crying. She was not a happy woman. She had suffered from continuing headaches, heart pain and jammed nerves in her back and ribs.
She did not sleep well, falling asleep only in the morning and got tired very quickly during the day. Our relationship was on the verge of break up.
Her beauty was leaving her somewhere, she had bags under her eyes, she was poking her head, and stopped taking care of herself. She refused to shoot the films and rejected any role.
I lost hope and thought that we’ll get divorced soon…But then I decided to act on it.
After all I’ve got the most beautiful woman on the earth.
She is the idol of more than half of men and women on earth, and I was the one allowed to fall asleep next to her and to hug her shoulders.
I began to pamper her with flowers, kisses and compliments. I surprised her and pleased her every minute. I gave her lots of gifts and lived just for her. I spoke in public only about her. I incorporated all themes in her direction. I praised her in front of her own and our mutual friends.
You won’t believe it, but she blossomed. She became even better than before. She gained weight, was no longer nervous and she loved me even more than ever. I had no clue that she CAN love that much. And then I realized one thing: The woman is the reflection of her man. If you love her to the point of madness, she will become it.“
- Brad Pitt
PS...Ephesians 5:25
He Leads You by Peace
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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6, NKJV. TODAY'S WORD: The Bible calls Jesus the Prince of Peace. That means He is the ruler of peace. He is the ultimate peace. Having His peace is not like having the peace the world has. His peace is permanent. It never changes and can never be taken away. It’s interesting that the word “peace” literally means “to set at one again.” In other words, when we are one with the Father, when we line up our thoughts, our words and our actions with Him through the blood of Jesus Christ, we will experience His peace in our lives. Anytime you find that you don’t have peace about something on the inside of your heart, when you feel an uneasiness, that’s a sign that you should stop and pray and make sure you are in line with God’s direction. Remember, His plans are always for your good. He leads you by peace and fills you with His joy. When you choose His ways, you become one with Him and experience His peace and blessing all the days of your life! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father in heaven, thank You for filling me with Your Peace and joy. Have Your way in my heart and remove anything that displeases You. Help me to clearly hear Your voice so I can walk in all of Your ways in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.” Colossians 2:6 (NLT)
The Bible often compares life to a walk, because life is a journey; we’re not sitting still. Throughout the New Testament, we are told to walk in wisdom, love, light, and obedience. We’re told to walk as Jesus walked. We’re also told to walk alongside other people. Here are three reasons we need to walk with other people:
- It’s safer. Have you ever walked alone at night through a dark alley or down a lonely country road? It’s a little scary. But if you have another person with you, you feel safer.
- It’s supportive. Life is not a 50-yard dash; it’s a marathon. Walking with other people gives you the energy to keep on going until the end.
- It’s smarter. You learn more by walking with others than by walking alone. If you’re walking alone in the wrong direction, you may never realize it. But if you have a friend beside you, one of you is likely to recognize you’ve veered off the path and need to find the right direction.
We also learn some important lessons when we walk alongside other people. We learn how to get along and cooperate with others.
We also learn how to love. Genesis 2:18 tells us, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (NIV). God hates loneliness, and community is God’s answer to loneliness. When we walk alongside other people, we find a community where we learn how to love.
Walking alongside other people also teaches us hospitality. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:9, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” What’s your grumble? What’s your excuse for not opening your home to friends?
Maybe you’ve said, “My home is dirty!”
Well, clean it up!
Or perhaps your excuse is, “My home isn’t big enough.”
Can you put three people in it? Jesus says, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20).
Everybody has a longing for belonging, because God made us for relationships. When we walk alongside other Christians in community, we find that longing satisfied.
Talk It Over
- How has your life been enriched by the people who have faithfully walked alongside you?
- What excuses have you used to avoid practicing hospitality? What do you need to change about your attitude?
- Who are the people in your life alongside whom you can walk? With whom can you learn to walk like Jesus?
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