The heavens declare the glory of God

 The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1

Abide in Christ

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7

I think it is easy to just focus on the second half of the verse.  But the words of Jesus clearly state that the condition for receiving whatever we ask of Him, is abiding in Him and His Word abiding in us.

What does abiding in Christ mean?

It means to fill our hearts, our minds and our will with, and according to His Word.  This can only happen if we have a very close and personal relationship with Christ.  When we are filled completely with His Word and with the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us, we most assuredly know what His will is for us!

Therefore, as we come before Him and ask for things from Him, we naturally won't be asking for things that will not align with what He desires from us!  Because what we ask for, is what He wants for us, what we ask for will be done for us!  Now isn't that a wonderful thing for the believer?

The questions we need to ask ourselves now are whether or not we are filling our hearts, minds with the Lord's Word; whether or not the direction of our will is going the way the Lord wants of us; whether or not we are diligently studying and immersing ourselves with His Word?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, discipline us so we delight in your Word.  Empower us with your Holy Spirit daily so that we may yield our needs and desires to your will for us.  Forgive us when we allow our selfish desires to lead us astray.  Help us to abide in you and your Word to abide in us.  In your name, we pray.  Amen.

This is the day that the Lord has made

 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!” Psalm 122:1

When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty.  Jeremiah 15:16

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Heavenly Father, thank you for today.  Thank you that today is the day that you have made.  Help us to honor you daily in our lives, not just one day of the week.  May we always  be filled with joy and delight as we feed on your word through our personal study and as we listen to your word being preached. Help us also, to not only listen to your word, but to do what it says.  In Jesus' most precious name. Amen.

Jesus, the Living Water

 But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:14

Who doesn't want to drink the kind of water where after drinking it, we will never be thirsty again?

That was what the Samaritan woman, from whom Jesus asked for a drink, probably thought when Jesus told her that the water that he gave would never make her thirsty again!  She also probably thought if she had that water, she would never have to draw water from that well anymore as she would never ever be thirsty again!

Of course that wasn't the water Jesus was referring to.  The water that Jesus was referring to was of a spiritual nature.  Jesus knew the Samaritan woman's  background even without her telling him a thing.  She had been married many times, and she wasn't even married to the man she was living with at the time.  Jesus recognized the spiritual need that the woman had, which seemed she was trying to satisfy with the relationships in her life (John 4:17-18).

That's who Jesus is.  He is the living water, the water that can fully and satisfactorily quench our thirst.  Only He can satisfy our deepest desires and longings.  It has been said that we each have a God-shaped vacuum in our life. Nothing in our temporal world can fill that vacuum with any satisfaction.

When we submit and surrender our lives to Jesus, we learn to align our desires and longings according to His will.  We no longer desire the things that we once chased after, the things that only provided temporary satisfaction.  We now seek to please God, to do His will.

So how do we show that we have drunk the living water?

• Live a transformed life that is no longer following the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2).
• We demonstrate love in our dealings with others, the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
• We are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:6)
• We live a life of hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Let's pray:

Lord Jesus, thank you for satisfying our soul with your living water. Help us to yield ourselves to you daily, so our lives reflect the transformed lives you have given us.  Amen.

Do Not Be Deceived

 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8

In otherer words, we are not only fooling ourselves but also living a lie if we claim we do not have sin.  In another place, the Bible talks about no one being righteous, not even one (Romans 3:1)

So what kind of righteousness does a believer in Christ have?  Aren't our sins forgiven, our past, present and future sins?

Our sins are indeed forgiven the moment we believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as our Lord and Savior (John 5:24)  At the same time we are made righteous by the grace of God (Titus 3:7-9).

However, having our sins, past, present and future, forgiven and having been made righteous by God's grace, do not mean we are not going to stop committing sin!  The righteousness that we receive in Christ, is one of position.  In God's eyes we are no longer condemned for our sins.  Jesus has already paid the price and the punishment for our sins by His death on the cross.

So how then should be live?

• We should no longer live a life that is filled with guilt.  Our sins have indeed been forgiven through Jesus Christ whose blood was shed on the cross for us (Romans 8:1).
• We ought to believe that our old self has been crucified with Christ, and that we are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:6).
• We should confess our sins to one another, so that we may receive healing, physically and spiritually, and our prayers may be acceptable to God (James 5:16).
• We need to recognize that there is a constant struggle in our body - the good that we should do, we don't do, but the evil we shouldn't do, we keep on doing!  Therefore, we need to submit ourselves daily to God, so that we can resist the devil and that he will flee from us (James 4:7).
• We need to believe that God's grace is sufficient for us - sufficient for us to overcome the desire to commit sin because His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we recognize that in our sinful nature we continue to sin against you.  But you in your great love for us, are ever ready to forgive our sins when we confess them to you.  Continue to be merciful to us, forgiving us, and when we go astray, call us back for we know you are always waiting for us to return to you.  Thank you for making us righteous before your eyes, through the blood of your Son, even though there is no righteousness in us.  Renew our spirit each day so we might not sin against you.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

No Other Name

 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must saved.  Acts 4:12

According to this verse, there is no other name except the name of Jesus Christ that has the power for salvation.  There are many people who refuse to accept this fact.  They say there is more than one way to God.  And sadly, there are those who call themselves Christian who also believe that there is more than one way to God.

But the Bible is clear.  Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  No one can can get to God other than through Jesus.  He does not only show us the way to the Father.  He is THE way to the Father. (John 14:6)

To those who think that their efforts, or their acts of righteousness can get them to heaven, they will be sorely disappointed.  To God our good deeds are like dirty rags (Isaiah 64:6).  Only faith in Jesus can bring us salvation.

Whether you acknowledge it or not, there'll come a time when "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:11-12)

Do you know if you will get to heaven?  Have you believed in Jesus Christ?  Do you think that your good deeds are sufficient to get you to heaven?

Don't wait.  Believe in the name of Jesus, the only name by which you can be saved.

"And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:11-12)

Prayer:

Thank you, Father God, for giving us your Son Jesus Christ, through whom we can have salvation.  Thank you that you give new life to anyone who accepts and believes in Jesus Christ.  Draw those who are still seeking to yourself, so they too can experience salvation and new life that can only be found in your son, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem

 Jerusalem, we pray that you will have peace, and that all will go well for those who love you.  Psalm 122:6   Contemporary English Version

When this psalm was written, Jerusalem was where the throne of David was, and also where the dwelling place of the Lord was.  It was a city where God himself referred to as His City (Isaiah 45:).  So naturally, King David would want his city to be at peace so that the people could continue to come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord God without any hindrance.  And the peace, that was spoken of here was not just where there was an absence of conflict or stability but also one where the people, who loved the city of Jerusalem, where the house of God was located, themselves would experience the blessings of God.

What then is the motivation for us to continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem?  As far as we can tell in today's context, any peace that has existed in Jerusalem, and Israel as a whole, has only been temporary and fragile.  Moreover, Luke 21:24 says that “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”  That statement alone says that there will never be any lasting peace in Jerusalem until Jesus returns.  God's will will always be done, and may His will be done.

So instead of asking why we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we should ask how we should pray for Jerusalem.  Jerusalem still has an important role in God's scheme of things, especially in events yet to come. Also, the promise in Psalm 122:6, is that all will go well for those who love Jerusalem.

Therefore, we can pray:

• that the Holy Spirit touch the hearts of everyone who has not experienced the real peace that only God can give, and surrender their lives to Jesus who is the savior of their souls.
• for the leaders, political and religious, to repent and seek God's forgiveness that they may walk in righteousness.
• for peace between the different groups of people with differing interests and ideologies, that they may not resort to violence to settle their differences.
• that God may cause confusion among those who desire to destroy the city and its inhabitants, thereby thwarting their evil plans.
• for the Day of the Lord to come quickly so that the new Jerusalem can be established, where the Prince of Peace himself will dwell amongst those he has redeemed.

Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus!

All Scripture is inspired by God

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living. 2 Timothy 3:16 GNT

Let's unpack the verse - 

Firstly, it says all Scripture, not just some Scripture, is inspired by God.

Secondly, it is useful. Useful for

• teaching the truth
• rebuking error
• correcting faults
• giving instructions for right living

So since all scripture is inspired by God, how should we as believers respond to that fact?

There is only one possible response that can be had.  We accept all the teachings in the Bible because God is the one who inspired the words written in it.  That means we cannot pick and choose what we like, what seems acceptable to us in this day and age, and discard the rest that makes us uncomfortable or what appears to be incompatible with today's standard of morality.  Neither can we twist and re-interpret God's word to suit our needs and make it palatable to our personal sense of justice and fairness.

God's truth is eternal and does not change nor does it adjust to society's ever evolving standards of morality.  God himself does not change, therefore neither does his Word.

In today's world where what used to be called good is no longer accepted as good, and truth is something whatever anyone believes to be true, the Bible is that guide, that lamp that will show us how to live a life set apart from the world - a life that is holy because God is holy, a life that shines before others and whose good works are seen by others to the glory of God our Father who is in heaven.

Let us be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves (James 1:22).  Let us hide God's word in our hearts so that we might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:19).

Father God, help us to love your word and learn to hide it in our hearts.  Holy Spirit, inspire us and guide us so we may know the way we should go and to avoid falling into the traps of our sinful nature.  Help us not to rationalize and justify acts that we know we should avoid, and help us to keep our minds focus on whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, and on anything that is excellent and praiseworthy.  Forgive us whenever we fall short in living the life of purity that you have called us to.  In Jesus' beautiful name we pray.  Amen.

Do Not Be Anxious

 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

There are a few things to highlight in these two verses -

1. We are not to be anxious about anything.
2. We are to bring everything to God in prayer.
3. We are to have a thankful heart as we make these prayer requests to God.
4. God's peace which is beyond understanding will be upon us.
5. This peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

I don't know about you, but I am quite the worrywart.  It is something that I struggle with and many a times I have been kept sleepless due to the anxiety.  I know intellectually that I should surrender my worries and anxiety to God.  I have even memorized Scripture verses related to this.  But somehow even after I have brought these worries and anxious thoughts before Jesus' feet, I cannot stop myself from feeling anxious and worried.

So, what do I do?  It is not enough to believe in my head the promise of peace that comes with surrendering all my anxiety and worries to God.  I need to believe, truly believe in my heart, and claim the promise of peace that is beyond understanding, will be mine if only I truly let go of my worries and anxiety and lay them down before Jesus' feet.

So how do I truly let go of my worries and anxiety?

Firstly, I need to confess and acknowledge that my anxiety is really about control.  I am afraid of not being in control of certain areas of my life, and the people in my life.

Secondly, in order for me to put into practice the surrendering of my worries and anxiety, there will be many instances that will come before me where I need to truly let go and let God deal with the situations.  I need to acknowledge and face these situations and believe that God has allowed them for my good and for the building of my character and my faith.

Thirdly, I need to daily surrender - intentionally surrender - all that is making me anxious to God.

Fourthly, claim the peace that is beyond understanding is mine even as I surrender everything to God, and that in the process my heart and mind are being guarded in Christ Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your promise of peace, that is beyond my ability to understand, every time I place my burdens on you.  Help me to truly let go and let you take control over every area of my life.  Thank you for my Savior Jesus, upon whom I can rest.  Amen.

Be tenderhearted

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.  Ephesians 4:32

I especially like the Bible translation quoted here due to the word "tenderhearted". Elsewhere, the words used are compassionate and gentle.  For me, "tenderhearted" evokes the feelings of gentleness and tenderness that are born out of love - a feeling that translates into attitudes and actions towards a person, much like the feelings of two people in love.

Kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness are feelings and attitudes that are usually absent when there are friction, ill-feelings, anger and unforgiveness in the heart.  That's stating the obvious, isn't it?

So how do we put into practice kindness, tenderheartedness and forgiveness towards one another? Obviously, these are attitudes that do not come naturally to most of us, especially when we think we have been wronged.

Now that brings us to the second part of the verse - as God in Christ forgave you.  The motivation for us is always Jesus; Jesus who has set an example for us.  We were dead in our sins but Jesus loved us anyway, and he forgave us our sins and gave us new life in Him.  Likewise, as obedient children of God, we ought to forgive one another and be kind, and tenderhearted.  These are not something we wait to practice when we have calmed down from our anger or indignation or self-righteousness.  These are actions we choose to act out on because Jesus has shown us that that is what we ought to do.

Is there someone we can do some acts of kindness to today? Let's do it.  Has someone offended or wronged you recently and you are still thinking about it?  Let's forgive that person today.  Do you owe an apology to someone for some unkind deed or word that you have done or said?  Let's apologize to that someone today. Do our parents, siblings, spouse, children or colleagues need to hear some encouraging and uplifting words from us today?  Let's do that.

Father God, we confess it is never easy to forgive others especially when we feel we have been wronged, nor is it easy to be kind and tenderhearted to those we feel are not deserving of those acts.  But you Lord, have forgiven us even when we do not deserve to be forgiven.  Deal with us, O Lord, so we might repent of our self-righteousness, our unkindness and our unforgiveness.  Have mercy on us, and help us to examine our hearts daily so that our attitudes toward others will become more in line with what you desire of us.  In Jesus' most loving and merciful name, we pray.  Amen.

By Faith in Jesus' Name

 And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. Acts 3:16

The context of the verse is where Peter healed the man who was lame from birth and when the people saw the lame man walking and leaping, they were filled with wonder and amazement.  The people knew who the lame man was, and how he had to be brought to the Beautiful Gate by others so he could sit there and ask for alms.

There must have been all kinds of thoughts that came across the people's mind that day, and probably most of them thought and wondered about the kind of power Peter must have possessed that enabled a man lame from birth to walk.

Peter was quick to disabuse them of such notions. He did not have that kind of power, he said, nor did his piety enable him to heal the lame man.  It was his faith in the power and the authority of Jesus' name, that had made the lame man whole.

How does our faith in the power and authority of Jesus' name apply to us today?  Can we still, if we call upon the power of Jesus' name heal a lame man, a blind man, or a person of his cancer?  If not, is it because we do not have enough faith to perform the miracles that the apostles did?

I believe in the power of Jesus' name.  I believe that in Jesus' name people do receive healing.  But what about those who did not receive healing?

God in his infinite plan and purpose deals with each one of us differently.  The power of Jesus' name does not change.  Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8).  As to the plans and purposes of God, who can fathom?  His thoughts are not my thoughts, his ways are not my ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

One thing I hold fast to, is that God Almighty, does not change (Malachi 3:6).  He loves me with an everlasting love, and has shown me unfailing kindness (Jeremiah 31:3).  I need to focus on who God is, the God who is worthy of my worship and praise, the God who has called me out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

Lord Jesus, your name is powerful, and higher than any other name in heaven and on earth.  Help me, dear Lord, to always praise your holy name no matter the circumstances I am in.  Amen.