Month: September 2019

Believe, Receive & Testify 

Through both His words and works,
Christ proclaims His true identity
to the disciples and the multitudes.
At first even His companions are
perplexed by His power & authority,
wondering: What manner of man is
this, that even the wind and the sea
obey Him. But patiently – through
miracles of Exorcism, Healing and
even Raising the dead the Master
Servant convinces His followers of
the nature of His person & mission.

Lord, we will Place Faith In You:
When Jesus got to the boat, the man
who had been demon possessed
begged to go too. But Jesus said:
No, Go home to your friends and
Tell Them what wonderful things the
Lord has done for you (Mark 5:18-19)
Now a woman had a flow of blood
for 12 yrs. When she heard about
Jesus,she came from behind Him in
the crowd and touched His garment.
For she said: If Only I may touch
His clothes, I Shall be made well.
Immediately her blood was dried up.
…And Jesus said to her: Your Faith
has made you well (Mark 5:21-34).
While He was still speaking, some
came from the ruler of synagogue
said: Your daughter is dead. As
soon as Jesus heard the message,
He said to the ruler of synagogue:
Do Not Be Afraid, Only Believe.
Then He came to the house, took
the child and said: Little girl, I say
to you, arise. Immediately the girl
arose and walked (Mark 5:35-43)

Lord, I have benchmarks in my life
where I can see that U rescued me.
Sometimes I avoid those places
for they hold painful memories.
Let me see my past hurts as
opportunities to share so that
my story gives hope to someone.
For neither difficult situations nor
bad memories can silence how You
showed mercy & rescued me. Amen.

Lord, like the woman with issue
of blood, I have desperate needs
that only You can meet them.
Some people might be appalled at
my boldness but I am shamelessly
asking You to give me what I need.
For I know Your generous heart;
and I’m trusting in You, still waiting
on You and risking everything on it.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, the same power that raised
Jairus’ daughter from the dead
and raised Jesus from the dead
is available to us through the Spirit.
Just as U turned dry bones into alive
in times of Ezekiel 37, You can also
turn dead things to life these days.
So, Open the eyes of my heart to
believe the working of Your power.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ONoRZW73FUE

Trust God’s Word Wholeheartedly

Through both His words and works,
Christ proclaims His true identity
to the disciples and the multitudes.
At 1st even His closest companions
are perplexed by His power and
authority, wondering: What manner
of man is this, that even the wind
and the sea obey Him (4:41). But
patiently -through the miracles of
exorcism, healing and even raising
the dead the Master Servant works
to convince His followers of the
nature of His person and mission.

Lord, we’ll Wholly Trust Your Word:
Listen, a sower went out to sow…
The one sown among thorns; they
are the ones who hear the word
and the cares of this world, and
the desires for other things Choke
the word and it becomes unfruitful.
But the ones sown on good ground,
those who hear the word, Accept
It and bear fruit (Mark 4: 1-20).
Jesus said to his disciples: LET US
Cross to the east side… Suddenly
a storm struck the lake. Waves
started splashing into the boat
and it was about to sink. Jesus
was in the back of the boat asleep.
His disciples woke him and said:
Teacher don’t You care that we’re
about to drown? Jesus got up and
ordered the wind and waves to
be quiet. The wind stopped and
everything was calm. Jesus asked
his disciples: Why are u So Fearful?
How is it u have No Faith? (v35-40).

Lord, worldly worries and desire
for things can affect us, especially
when our routine is overcrowded.
And it’s easy for material pursuits
to deafen us to God’s Word. So,
Help us Lord to stay free so that
we can hear God when You speak.
Help us not to have divided heart
but instead be wholehearted to You.
And mould our hearts to see things
from Your perspective so that we
will be ready to produce fruit. Amen

Lord, help us to remember clearly
Your instructions like what You
told the disciples: “Let Us Cross.”
Remind us to Rely On Your Word
and Not Focus on situation we’re in.
Remind us Your Presence and
help us to say focussed on You.
Remind us no storm can take us
off course, for You can do all things
and Your plan cannot be thwarted.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, thank you for Mark gospel,
which captures two purposes of
Christ coming to earth: to minister
& give his life a random for many.
Grant us the grace to be like Jesus
in having a servant mindset. And
grant us the grace to Love God’s
Word, to Respond to God’s Word,
& to Accept & Trust Fully His Word.
Lord, we’ll Live By Your Word. Amen.

Seeking God’s Purpose & Will

Mark begins his gospel without
genealogy, birth narrative or any
prologue. He begins with the
ministry of John the Baptist, the
forerunner who would prepare
the way for Jesus’ ministry of
Servanthood. Mark’s emphasis
throughout is on Christ’s works
rather than His words, as befitting
a Servant. Numerous miracles
of healing and exorcism precede
the personal calls of five disciples
– Andrew, Peter, James, John
and Matthew – and His choosing
of the seven other disciples.

Lord, we aspire to Seek Your Will:
This messenger was John Baptist.
He was preaching that people
should be baptised to show that
they had turned from their sins
and turned to God (Mark 1:4).
Then Jesus said: Follow Me & I will
make you become fishers of men.
They immediately left their nets
and Followed Him (v17-18).
After sunset the whole town
gathered at the door and Jesus
healed many of various diseases.
He also drive out many demons.
Very early in the morning, while
it was still dark, Jesus went
off to a solitary place to Pray.
Simon and his companions went
to look for him and when they
found him they said: Everyone
is looking for you! Jesus replied:
Let Us Go to the next towns that
I May Preach there also (v32-38).

Lord, thank You for the ministry
You have entrusted to me.
Help me remember my key purpose
should be that Your gospel is
proclaimed and You are exalted.
In everything I do, make me
be a stepping stone instead of
a stumbling block so that others
may come to know You as
their Saviour and Lord. Amen.

Lord, I carry a lot of things
around with me – responsibilities,
attachments, and to-do lists.
You alone know all the issues. But
I hold them loosely as I come to You.
Grant me the willingness to be prepared to Let Go & Follow You.
And as You increase in importance,
let other things decrease. Amen.

Lord, we note You know exactly
what to do after a very successful
ministry time. Help us to follow
your example to seek the Father’s
Will and do it rather than rely
purely on common sense. For
I’m constantly thinking of things
I have to do. Help me set aside time
with You, help me focus and reward
my solitude with Yr company. Amen.

Lord Jesus, You did not come
as a conquering king but as a
Servant. May Your example cause
us be willing to serve God & others.
Lord, we note worthy examples
in Mark 1 to be God Seeking.
Grant us the grace like John the
Baptist to Seek solely Your Purpose.
Grant us the readiness and
willingness to Follow after You. And
Grant us the grace to learn from
You to Seek the Father’s Will. Amen

Doing God’s Work In God’s Way

The ark of covenant features
prominently in 1 Chronicles, being
mentioned more than 40 times. And
the events surrounding the journey
of the ark to Jerusalem taking three
months consume three full chapters.
The lesson is clear: The right action
must be done with the right motives
and carried out in the right way.
When the ark is at last installed
in Jerusalem, David leads the
people in national celebration.

David becomes king over all Israel
and captures the city of Jerusalem.
David given a green light from the
Lord to bring the ark to Jerusalem,
was leading a joyous procession.
Suddenly the merriment was cut
short by God’s displeasure. David
overlooked God’s clear Instructions
regarding how to transport the ark.
We’ll Do God’s Work in God’s Way. We’ll Inquire and Hear from You.
We’ll Praise You for all U have done.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we will take care Your Ways:
When they arrived at the threshing
floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled
& Uzzah put out his hand to steady
the Ark. Then the Lord’s anger
blazed out against Uzzah and he
struck him dead because he had
laid his hand on the Ark… So David
moved the Ark instead to the home
of Obed-edom & remained there…
for 3 mths and the Lord blessed him
& his entire household (1C13:9-14).
Lord, we realise the Ark was holy
because it was totally associated
with U God. Instead of being borne
reverently on the shoulders of the
priests, the Ark was bumped along
on an ox-cart and manhandled
and hence the judgment on Uzzah.
But great blessings come to those
who obey the Lord’s commands.
Remind us Lord not to treat God’s
holiness lightly. Guard our attitudes
against unguarded words & actions.
Help us that in everything we do or
say be done in name of Jesus, Amen.

Lord, we’ll Inquire & Hear from You:
The Philistines arrived in Rephaim
and raided it. So David ASKED God:
Should I… fight the Philistines?…
The Lord replied: Yes, go ahead.
I will give you the victory… But after
a while, the Philistines returned and
raided the valley again. And once
again David ASKED God what to do.
Do not attack them straight on,
God replied. Instead, circle around
behind them and attack them near
the balsam trees (1 Chron 14:9-14).
Lord, pray that I will always inquire
of You first before taking action.
Because I don’t want to mistakenly
think I have the answers when only
You have all the answers for my life.
I need to learn to seek Your wisdom
and not to run ahead of Your plan.
You’re the one who know everything:
Questions of what, how and when.
And teach me to ask You questions
that begin with: Should l…? Amen.

Lord, thanks for what U have done:
So they brought the ark of God
and set it in the midst of the
tabernacle that David had erected..
Then they offered burnt offerings
and peace offerings before God…
David first delivered this psalm:
Oh give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name; make known
His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him!…
Remember His marvellous works
which He has done (1Chr 16:1-12)
Let the heavens rejoice and
let the Earth be glad; and
let them say among the nations:
The Lord reigns (1 Chr 16:31).
Lord God, You are the one who
created me to enjoy You. I want
to live a more joyous life on a more
regular basis, for all the things that
You have done. Remind me that
You are in control of all the details
of my life; that everything is going
to be all right; and that I’m to praise
You in all things. In His name, Amen

Grafted Into God’s Plan & Purposes

Chronicles gives a priestly account
on the history of God’s people,
a sort of divine commentary on
the kingdom period. It carefully
weds the nation’s history with the
active hand of God in Israel’s affairs.
Chronicles centres on the southern
kingdom of Judah. First Chronicles
opens with a lengthy series of
genealogies tracing the line of
David all the way back to Adam.
The genealogies provide evidence
of God at work throughout history,
by selecting a people for Himself
and then protecting a family within
that people to provide leadership.

The long list of genealogies from
Adam to Abraham, Boaz to David
not only show us the historical basis
of our faith but also outworking of
God’s plan & purposes in the world.
As God’s promises are revealed
in the Bible, we can know God more
and trust Him to keep His Word.
Like Israel, we should aspire to
serve God and to worship Him.
Lord, Grateful to be In Your Family;
we Entrust to You Our Family; and
we Boldly Seek Your Blessing. Amen

Lord, grateful to be in Your Family:
The descendants of Adam were
Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel,
Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech
and Noah. The sons of Noah were
Shem, Ham & Japheth (1Chr 1:1-4).
Lord, You have drawn us to Yourself
by grace. You have made us Your
own by adoption as Your children.
You are at work in us, giving us
the family resemblance as You
transform us into Yr glorious image.
Give my family Lord a deep sense
of belonging and a deep sense of
gratitude for being brought into
Your family. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, we Entrust You Our Family:
The descendants of Solomon
were Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa,
Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah,
Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham,
Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon
and Josiah (1 Chron 3:10-14).
Lord, we can see from the history
of Your people Israel that good
parents have had the great joy of
rearing children who have walked
in Your ways, as well as the great
sorrow of seeing their children
walk away from faith in You. Lord,
how we long for our families to love
You and live for You. Keep us from
despair and from pride. And keep
us trusting wholly in You. Amen.

Lord, we Boldly Seek Your Blessing:
Now Jabez was more honourable
than his brothers, and his mother
called his name Jabez, saying:
“Because I bore him in pain.” And
Jabez called on the God of Israel
saying: “Oh, that You would bless
me indeed & enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me &
that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!” So God
granted his request (1 Chron 4:9-10)
Lord, I thank You for all that You
have given me. I pray for Your
continued blessings, provision
and protection. I pray that Your
presence will always be with me
wherever I go and no matter
what happens. Thank You that
You are pleased to share Yourself
and Your kingdom with me. And
Enable me to give back to You by
helping and blessing others. Amen.

Preview On 1 Chronicles (Sep 7)
Whilst the Bible is arranged by
types of writings, we meditate it
chronologically to get better flow:
Genesis on God’s Plan for creation;
Job on Sovereignty of God; and
Exodus, Leviticus, Num-Deut on
Deliverance, Holiness & Obedience.
Then Joshua on Obedient Faith,
Judges on God Restoring Repentant;
Ruth on Faithfulness/Redemption;
1 Sam on Rule of God in our heart
and 2 Sam on Consequences of sin.

Continuing, the books of 1 & 2 Chron
describe the same period of Jewish
history as 2 Samuel through 2 Kings,
but from a priestly perspective.
After tracing King David’s royal line
back to the beginning, 1 Chronicles
outlines the spiritual significance
of David’s righteous reign, showing
how the nation prospers when
its leaders honour and obey God.
The emphasis is on proper worship
of the one true God – a worship
that David’s life exemplifies.

We will cover 1 Chronicles over two
weekends in following four divisions:
1Chr 1-9: Genealogies of David
1Chr10-16:David Brings Ark to Jeru
1Chr17-21: God’s Covenant w David
1Chr22-29: David Arranges Temple
Let’s meditate through 1 Chronicles,
and be inspired that genuine worship
will be the center of our lives. Amen.

Doing Christ’s Assignment For Us 

Herod’s temple captured the
attention of all who passed by.
Commenting on its splendour, the
disciples set the stage for Jesus’
Olivet Discourse. His followers
are urged to watchful expectation
coupled with faithful service; for
despite signs of coming, the return
of Christ will be unannounced.
His coming will bring judgment on
nations & rewards for His followers.

Lord, we’ll Do God’s Assignment:
The master replied: You wicked
and lazy servant!… you should
At Least have put my money
into the bank so I could have
some interest (Mt 25:26-27).
When the Son of Man comes,
He Will Separate the people…
Then the king will say to those
on his right: Take your Inheritance…
For I was sick & you looked after me,
I was in prison & u came to visit me..
Whatever you did for one of the
least of these brothers and sisters,
you did it for me (Matt 25:31-40).
Go and make disciples… teaching
them to obey everything I have
commanded u (Mt 28:19-20). Amen

Lord, it’s easy to look at others and
think that I have Nothing to offer.
But You have blessed me with gifts
and talents that the world needs.
Help me to plant my talents and
look for opportunities to sow seeds
of kindness. Thank You for helping
those seeds to grow and flourish.
And thank You for reaping a good
harvest. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, Your holy word has shown
us what Really Matters to You:
caring for the sick, visiting immates
and doing these things in Your name.
Help us feed daily on Your Word
and then go to live our life of faith.
Grant us the grace to do so for
it is the Spirit of Christ in us
that touches the disadvantaged
and that reveals the truth. Amen.

Lord, there is no doubt about
the task You had left for us to do.
We will rise up to Your challenge
to Share the good news and
Make Disciples for your kingdom.
Help us step out of comfort zone
to find people who need to know U.
Help us witness to the people You
hv placed in our sphere of influence.
Help us to be concerned for the lost
in attitudes, words and deeds. And
we expect great things from You as
we attempt great things for U. Amen

Be Humble, Forgiving & Merciful

Matthew records many crucial
incidents from Jesus’ life in Mt 16-19.
Though Christ takes time to heal
an epileptic boy, pay His temple tax
and confront hostile Pharisees, His
primary concern is for His disciples,
who will continue the work He began
Healings and discourses, miracles
and parables, all focus on Jesus’
faithful followers to prepare them
for the difficult days just ahead.

Lord, we aspire Humility & Grace
The disciples asked Jesus:
Who then is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven? Jesus said:
Whoever takes the Lowly position of
this child is the greatest (Mt 18:1-4)
Then Peter asked: Lord, how many
times shall I forgive my brother when
he sins against me? Up to 7 times?
Jesus answered: I tell you, not seven
times, but 70 times seven (v21-22).
When king heard about it, he said to
the man whose debt he had forgiven:
Shouldn’t you Have Mercy on your
servant just as I had on you (v32-33)

Lord, You promise that those who
are humble will be the greatest
in Your kingdom. Help us to be
gentle & lowly in heart as You are.
Help us to be humble like a child
with a sincere and trusting heart
as well as depend wholly on You.
And I pray that my humble faith
and service to You will accomplish
great things for Your kingdom. Amen

Lord, You’ve forgiven me so many
times out of Your tender mercies.
Each time I falter, You lift me up &
put me in right standing with You.
So Lord, when I Owe Forgiveness,
remind me of the times You have
forgiven me. Help me be gracious
to each person who wrongs or
offends me. And help me walk
in Forgiveness daily because
daily You readily forgive me. Amen.

Lord, grateful for Your Mercy for
couldn’t have been saved otherwise.
For You saved us not because
of righteous things we had done
but totally because of Your Mercy.
And because You God Is Merciful,
we too really need to Be Merciful.
Help me extend mercy to others,
even when they don’t deserve it.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Reveals Kingdom Secrets 

A turning point in Matthew’s gospel
occurs in chap 12 where mounting
antagonism by the Jewish religious
leaders erupts into open denunciatn
of Jesus. Because of their hard-
hearted rejection, Jesus begins
to speak to them in parables and
explained only to the disciples.
After a rude reception in His home
town of Nazareth, Jesus withdraws
across the Sea of Galilee to the
regions of Tyre and Sidon in order
to escape growing opposition.

Lord, we’ll Respond to Your Word:
(Jesus said): You are permitted
to understand the secrets of
the Kingdom of Heaven, but
others are not (Matthew 13:11).
That is why I use these parables,
for they look, but they don’t really
see. They hear, but they don’t
really listen or understand (v13).
The hearts of these people are
hardened & their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes –
so their eyes cannot see, and
their ears cannot hear, and
their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me and
let me heal them (Matt 13:15).

Lord, help me to be a true seeker
to hear from the personal God.
Help me to have an open mind,
ever ready to listen to You and
to believe Your Word of truth.
Give me the heart that can hear
Your mysteries, understand them
and internalise Your eternal truths.
And Help me root out any attitude
that might block my hearing. Amen.

Lord, help me not to have attitude
of a skeptic that tries to find fault
and thus don’t have ears to hear.
Lord, You don’t want me to turn off
my brain. But neither do You want
me to reject any word from You
that doesn’t fit my logic of things.
I give You Lord the permission
to blow my mind with the things
You want to tell me. Amen & amen.

Lord, where my heart hardened at
times, tell me I have turned You out.
It’s difficult to recognise hardness
in myself, and so I need to know.
Soften me up, where there’s any
areas of insensitivity in my life.
Draw me close; get my attention
and hold it. Heighten my spiritual
senses Lord to pick up even the
slightest whisper from You. Amen.

Don’t Worry for God Provides

Jesus claimed to be the Messiah,
the king of the Jews. And Matthew
5 to 7 traditionally called the
Sermon on the Mount, essentially
presents His statement of heaven.
Relationship to God (rather than
adherence to ritual) and inward
attitude (not outward action)
become the focus of His message.

Lord, we Lift Up Our Needs to You:
Do not worry saying: What shall
we eat…or What shall we wear?
For the pagans run after these
things and Your Heavenly Father
Knows that You Need them. But
Seek First the Kingdom of God and
His righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.
Therefore Do Not Worry about
tomorrow (Matt 6:31-34). Amen

Lord, You are all-knowing and
therefore You Know all our needs.
Praise You for Knowing everything
about us and every detail of our
situation; for nothing surprises U.
For Your Word says You Know
Our Needs and Will Provide them.
And so we can live peacefully and
cheerfully each day when we keep
Your kingdom as key concern. Amen

Lord, Thanks for caring so much
and being so good to us. Help us
to always Seek You First, trust
Your gracious promise and keep
from worrying about the future.
Give me Lord the right perspective
and not worry over issues beyond
my control. Help me to see the
difference between needs & wants.
And do transform my life. Amen.

Lord, You promise and advise us
Not To Worry about basic needs
for You will provide them. Grateful
I don’t have to be consumed with
worry; but I can be consumed with
You and Your kingdom. For No need
enters my life for which You have
already provided. I choose to Keep
Anxiety from cluttering my heart and
instead let it be filled with You. Amen

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hFEtdYGF-Os