Month: June 2020

Choosing to Obey the Lord (Jun 12)

Moses has come to a solemn and
climatic moment in his 3rd & final
address to the nation – the time for
a recommitment to the covenant.
He reminds the new generation
that the potential for God’s richest
blessing awaits them in the land,
as well as His severest judgment.
It all depends on their response
to the demands of the covenant.
Moses delivers the challenge: I have
set before u life & death; choose life.

Lord, we will Love & Obey You:
If you listen to these commands
of the Lord your God and carefully
obey them, the Lord will make you
the head & not the tail (Deut 28:13)
Return to the Lord… and the Lord
your God will circumcise your heart
to love the Lord your God with all
your heart… I have set before you
life and death, blessings & cursing;
(so) choose life that you…may live;
that u may love the Lord your God,
that you may obey His voice and
that you may cling to Him, for
He is your life (Deut 30:2-6, 19-20)

Father God, You have a good plan
and carved a path for me to follow.
But there’s an enemy who desires
I lose my way and seeks to destroy
the destiny You’ve planned for me.
I purpose to obey Your commands
and look forward to Your blessings.
Thank You Lord for the promise to
make me the head & not the tail.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, You had challenged Israel
to choose obedience and thereby
continue to experience blessings.
Lord, when we stray, cause us to
return to You & change our hearts.
Transform us into people who obey
out of gratitude rather than demand.
And help us to choose to obey You
in our life situation again and again.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, knowing Your Word is not
enough for we need to Obey You.
Help us to keep covenant with You
by obeying Your Word for we love U.
Help us to Commit to Obey to
Avoid Curses but Gain Blessings.
Help us Return to You when we fail
so that we can be transformed.
Grant us the grace as we express
our love by obeying You. Amen.

Wholly Trusting in the LORD

After proclaiming coming judgment
for Judah with hope that the people
have seen the Messiah, Isaiah
proceeds to declare judgment on
the pagan nations. These include
Babylon and Moab (c13-16),
Ethiopia and Egypt (c17-20),
Jerusalem and Tyre (c21-23).
Finally, the prophet proclaims that
judgment will turn to jubilation.

Dear Sovereign Lord, You are Almighty, all Loving and You Care
for the welfare of Your people.
We learn from the passages from
Isaiah on Your judgment on the
nations & Your purposes are good.
Help us Trust Your Sovereign Plan;
Help us Not to Trust in Idols; and
Help us Entrust Our Future In You.
For You are the All Faithful God!!
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we Trust Your Sovereign Plan:
The Lord Almighty has sworn this
oath: It will all happen as I have
planned. It will come about
according to my purposes…
I have a plan for the whole earth,
for my mighty power reaches thro
out the world. The Lord Almighty
has spoken – who can change
His plans? When His hand moves,
who can stop Him (Isa 14:24-27).
Lord, we praise You for Your perfect
wisdom and purposes. In the face
of broken dreams or disappointed
plans, we are grateful for Your Word.
In it we find encouragement that
nothing can thwart Your purposes.
And we know You will accomplish
Your perfect plan for my life. Amen.

Lord, we will Not Trust in Idols:
This message came to (Isaiah)
concerning Damascus: Look the
city of Damascus will disappear!
It will become a heap of ruins…
In that day a man will look to
his Maker and his eyes will have
respect for the Holy One of Israel.
He will not look to the altars,
the work of his hands; he will
not respect what his fingers
have made (Isaiah 17:1, 7-8).
Lord, we note people of Damascus
look to their idols and to their
own strength for all the answers.
Help us not depend on our own
knowledge to save us from ills.
Help us not to place our trust in
human technology for that’s idolatry.
Help us instead to put our trust
wholly in God. In Jesus name. Amen

Lord, we Entrust Our Future in You:
You will keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You. Trust in
the Lord forever, for in Yah the Lord
is everlasting strength (Isa 26:3-4)
Lord, the reason I have peace
about the future is because
my future is found in You.
Even though I don’t know the 
details about what is to come,
I know You know everything,
and my future is in Your hands.
Help me to walk faithfully with You 
each day in Your Word and in prayer
so that I can move into the purposes
that You have for my life. Amen.

Looking to the Prince of Peace

Isaiah’s family becomes a testimony
to the trustworthiness of his
prophecies (8:18). His firstborn son
Maher-shalal-hash-bash acts as
a constant reminder of the Assyrian
threat upon Jerusalem (8:1-4).
But in the face of trouble (8:22),
Isaiah proclaims a note of hope.
The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light (9:2).
There is coming a Child whose very
names instill hope and confidence:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Though shadows of judgment
darken the horizon, the redeemed
ones can sing His praises, for the
ultimate victory is already assured.

Lord, thanks for the book of Isaiah
which not only call the nation of
Judah back to God, but also tell us
of God’s salvation thro the Messiah.
Thanks for message of Isaiah 8-12.
As Isaiah looked at the prophetic
horizon, he saw defeat & destruction
for his nation. Judah would fall
because of her pride & wickedness.
But the war would not be lost! For
Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the
Righteous Branch of Jesse will come
to turn seeming defeat into victory.
Lord, we will Put Our Trust In You;
Lord, we will Call Upon You; and
Lord, we will Lift Our Praise to You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we will Put Trust In You:
The Lord spoke to me…warning me
not to follow the way of this people.
He said: Do not fear what they fear…
The Lord Almighty is the one you
are to regard as holy, He is the one
you are to fear… and He will be
a sanctuary…I will wait for the Lord,
who is hiding His face from the
house of Jacob. I will put my trust
in Him. Here am I and the children
the Lord has given me. We are signs
and wonders in Israel… When men
tell you to consult mediums and
spiritists… should not a people
enquire of their God? (Isa 8:1-20).
Lord, grant us the peace we need
for fear can often cause us to make
bad decisions. Grant us the grace
to remember You are all powerful
and You will be a sanctuary to us.
Help us to put our trust in You
and to wait upon You God. Amen.

Lord, we will Call Upon You:
Unto us a Son is given; And the
govt will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..
He will rule forever with fairness.
The commitment of Lord Almighty
will guarantee this (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Lord, grant my eyes to see You
in every situation of our life for 
I depend on You to rule not
only in my world but also me.
As Wonderful Counsellor, counsel
me clearly and give me wisdom.
As Mighty God, open my eyes
to see Your mighty deeds. 
As Everlasting Father, fill me
with Your power and help me live 
in all characteristics of Your life.
As Prince of Peace, restore the
losses with Your abundance and
shalom to every area of life. Amen

Lord, we will Lift Praise to You:
I will praise You O Lord. Although
You were angry with me, Your anger
has turned away and You have
comforted me. Surely God is my
salvation. I will trust & not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord is my strength
and my song, He has become
my salvation (Isaiah 12:1-2).
Lord, even though I don’t always
do, say or think the right thing;
and I know sin displeases You;
I thank You that You always love
me and will hear my confession.
Give me the discernment to hide
myself in You when I see temptation
coming. You are my Saviour and
my Deliverer; and I lift up praise
to You Lord whenever I sense the
enemy trying to draw me away from
Your path. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Leviticus To Deuteronomy

During this week we learn several
lessons to position ourselves in
order to encounter His presence.
On Monday, we learn from the Day
of Atonement Experience in Lev 16
to be Grateful for God’s Grace to us.
On Tuesday, we learn from Num 14
to Remember His Miraculous Signs
and Choose Faith instead of Doubt.
On Wednesday, we learn from the
1st sermon of Moses in Deut 4 to
Pray in order to Draw Close to God.
On Thursday, we learn from the
2nd sermon of Moses in Deut 6 to
Follow God’s Word Wholeheartedly.
On Friday, we learn from the
3rd sermon of Moses in Deut 30
to Choose to Obey the Lord. Amen.

Choosing to Obey the Lord

Moses has come to a solemn and
climatic moment in his 3rd & final
address to the nation – the time for
a recommitment to the covenant.
He reminds the new generation
that the potential for God’s richest
blessing awaits them in the land,
as well as His severest judgment.
It all depends on their response
to the demands of the covenant.
Moses delivers the challenge: I have
set before u life & death; choose life.

Lord, we will Love & Obey You:
If you listen to these commands
of the Lord your God and carefully
obey them, the Lord will make you
the head & not the tail (Deut 28:13)
Return to the Lord… and the Lord
your God will circumcise your heart
to love the Lord your God with all
your heart… I have set before you
life and death, blessings & cursing;
(so) choose life that you…may live;
that u may love the Lord your God,
that you may obey His voice and
that you may cling to Him, for
He is your life (Deut 30:2-6, 19-20)

Father God, You have a good plan
and carved a path for me to follow.
But there’s an enemy who desires
I lose my way and seeks to destroy
the destiny You’ve planned for me.
I purpose to obey Your commands
and look forward to Your blessings.
Thank You Lord for the promise to
make me the head & not the tail.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, You had challenged Israel
to choose obedience and thereby
continue to experience blessings.
Lord, when we stray, cause us to
return to You & change our hearts.
Transform us into people who obey
out of gratitude rather than demand.
And help us to choose to obey You
in our life situation again and again.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, knowing Your Word is not
enough for we need to Obey You.
Help us to keep covenant with You
by obeying Your Word for we love U.
Help us to Commit to Obey to
Avoid Curses but Gain Blessings.
Help us Return to You when we fail
so that we can be transformed.
Grant us the grace as we express
our love by obeying You. Amen.

Be Wholeheartedly Committed

Moses’ second sermon opens with
a Repetition of Ten Commandments
(hence the name Deuteronomy
– second law). It exhorts the people
to obey the Lord from a heart of love
to teach their children obedience &
to be careful Not to Forget the Lord
in times of prosperity. Victory over
the pagan occupants of Canaan
is assured as long as the people
faithfully obey God’s commands.

Lord, we will Follow Your Word:
You must be careful to obey all
the commands of the Lord your
God, following His instructions
in every detail… that it may be
well with you (Deut 5:32-33).
You must love the Lord your God
with all your heart, all your soul
and all your strength. And you must
commit yourselves Wholeheartedly
to these commands that I am giving
you today. Repeat them Again and
Again to your children (Deut 6:5-7).

Lord, Your Word is the absolute
truth and our anchor in this world.
Help us not to treat Your Word
casually but follow it from our heart.
And we resolve to persevere and
not to lose heart, no matter what
obstacles stand in the way or
what fears to hold us back. And
please reward us clearly enough
and often enough to keep us 
coming to Your throne boldly. Amen

Lord, help me to love You with
all my heart, soul and strength.
For I have not yet been whole-
heartedly committed to Your
commands or made them a
consistent part of my life. Lord,
loosen my tongue to speak about
my need for Your grace and the
confidence that You’ll supply
both to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, we want to love You with
our whole heart; for this is Your
greatest desire for us and for
that is the reason we were made.
But You know how easily we can
be distracted by lesser things,
how forgetful we be and how
weak our love can be. Remind us
of Your great love; and help our
heart respond to You and love
You more wholeheartedly. Amen.

Entering His Presence In Prayer

God has led his people out of
Egypt and across the great desert.
Now they stand ready to enter
the promised land. But before the
Israelites go into the land, Moses
has impt advice to them which he
delivers in 3 parts. In the 1st part,
Moses reviews the history of
Israel with the crucial lesson: that
obedience brings blessing while
disobedience results in judgment.

Lord, we’ll Pray to Draw Close to U:
Observe the laws carefully, for this
will show yr wisdom to the nations,
who will say: “Surely this great
nation is a wise and understanding
people.” What other nation is so
great as to have their god near
them the way the Lord is Near us
whenever we Pray to Him (D4:6-7)
The Lord Spoke to you from the
heart of the fire. You Heard the
sound of His words but Didn’t See
His form; there was Only A Voice.
So He declared to you His covenant
which He commanded u to perform
the Ten Commandments (v12-13).

Lord, we thank You for being Close
to us when we pray; and thank You
that You hear and will answer us.
Grateful that in Your presence there
will be transformation for my life.
I Draw Close to You and ask for an
increasing sense of Your presence.
I ask that You will help me to pray
more each day and grant me faith
to believe for the answers. Amen.

Lord, in our relationship, there will
be a constant interplay between
the hidden and the revealed.
You don’t compel our faith;
and we always have to choose
to see what You are revealing.
So even as I hear Your voice but
don’t see Your form, enable me to
accept as much of what You reveal.
Help me accept Your revelation and
trust what I can’t see beyond it.Amen

Lord, You want Your people to 
place holiness as a way of life and
be obedient to You in every action.
Help us always to Hallow Your laws,
to Draw Close to You and to pray.
Help us to purpose in our heart
Not be Afraid but Trust You God
by remembering Your mighty acts. 
Help us Accept Your revelation and
Trust what see don’t see yet. Amen.

Remember the Miraculous Signs

Following the Lord’s instructions,
Moses selects one rep from each
of 12 tribes to form a scouting party.
Their assignment: to spy out the
defenses of the land and bring
back a sample of the produce.
The 12 return with a divided report!
Ten see only the obstacles while
two see opportunities. The nation
disheartened & faithless, threatens
to stone Moses and return to Egypt
rather than face what lies ahead.
As a result, God condemns that
unbelieving generation to forty
years wandering the wilderness.

Lord,we’ll Choose Faith Not Doubt:
Two of men who had explored the
land, Joshua and Caleb, said to
the community of Israel: The land
we explored is a wonderful land!
The Lord will bring us safely into
that land and give it to us…Do not
rebel against the Lord and don’t
be afraid of the people of the land…
The Lord is with us (Num 14:6-9).
The Lord said to Moses: How long
will these people treat me with
contempt? Will they never believe
Me, even after all the miraculous
signs I’ve done among them (v11).
I have forgiven them as you asked.
Because these men who have seen
My glory and the signs I did in
Egypt and in the wilderness and
have put Me to the test 10 times
and have not heeded My voice,
they shall not see the land which
I swore to their fathers (v19-23).

Lord, open my spiritual eyes to
see those exceedingly good things
in my path. Forgive me for focusing
on the problems around me.
As I keep my eyes on You and
the purpose You’ve put before me,
may I go forth in faith, not in fear,
so that I don’t miss the beauty
and blessings each day. Amen.

Lord, it is so easy to let our
hearts be affected by negativity.
And I confess that I tend to live
by sight and not by faith. Please
help me reverse that tendency.
I purpose to hang on to Your truth,
even when it may contradict
the visible world and circumstance.
For I want to be a believer in
every way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, just as U delivered Your pple
out of Egypt, and You forgave them
and provided what they needed
every step of the way, I turn to You
for deliverance & forgiveness & ask
that You will provide for my needs.
Help me to never doubt that
You will always give me the
light I need for each step I take.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Day of Atonement Experience(Jun8)

The great Day of Atonement
observed each year was Israel’s
most significant act of worship.
On that day, the nation gathered
to watch in expectation as the high
priest entered the Holy of Holies
with the blood Atonement which
would cover the sins of the entire
nation for another year. Because
blood was the central ingredient
in Israel’s national and personal
forgiveness, God prohibited the
use of blood for any purpose
other than sacrifice to Him.

Lord, we’re grateful for Your Grace:
Aaron shall take the two goats and
present them before the Lord… Then
he shall cast lots for the two goats:
Aaron shall bring the goat on which
the Lord’s lot fell & offer it as a sin
offering. But the goat on which the
lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be
presented alive…to make atonement
upon it and to let it go as the scape-
goat into the wilderness (Lev 16:7-10)
In the seventh month on the tenth
day of the month, you shall… do
no work at all… For on that day, the
priest shall make atonement for you
to cleanse you, that you may be
clean from all your sins (v29-30).
Come now & let us reason together…
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
they shall be as wool (Isa 1:18) Amen

Lord Jesus, Thank You for paying
the price for my sins so that I don’t
have to. Because of You I have been
reconciled to God, and I will never
be separated from Him again.
Help me to extend to others the
love and forgiveness You have
given to me. Teach me ways I can
show my gratitude to You for all
that You have done for me. Amen.

Lord, Thank You that You do not
see my sins, rather You see me
righteous because of the work of
Your precious son, Jesus Christ.
Thanks for Your lovingkindness and
for Your grace of forgiveness of sins.
Help me reason with You & really
appreciate Your love and mercy.
Help me follow the Holy Spirit
so that I will remain obedient.
Help me have deep gratitude to
You for Jesus Paid It All. Amen.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow. Amen.

Following Cloud Experience (Jun 5)

The book of Exodus closes with
the record of how the tabernacle
& priestly garments are completed
exactly as God had instructed.
The people donated the materials,
chosen artisans do the work, Moses
inspects finished product and Aaron
with sons are anointed for service.
Finally God declares His satisfaction
by filling the tent with His glory.
And for the next 480 years the
tabernacle will remain the focal
point of the nation’s worship.

Lord, we purpose to Follow You:
Moses proceeded to do everything
as the Lord had commanded(40:16)
Then the cloud covered Tabernacle
and the glory of the Lord filled
the Tabernacle… Whenever the
cloud lifted from the Tabernacle,
the people of Israel would set
out on their journey, following it.
But if the cloud did not rise,
they remained where they were
until it lifted (Exo 40:34-37).

Lord, we note when the Israelites
were following God in wilderness,
they waited until the cloud rose
and led them; sometimes long
beyond their own comfort level.
That isn’t easy to do, but it’s an
exercise of faith and listening.
God You want us to ask & wait; and
wait some more until we’ve heard.
Lord, grant us the grace of faith
to wait upon You so that You will
renew our strength. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, tell me everything that
I need to know so that I can get
to Your work & eternal perspective.
Reveal destructive tendencies to
enable informed decision making.
Reveal the assignments so that
I can plan engagement strategy.
I am eager to understand the facts
and ensuing wisdom that will enable
me honour You with my life. Amen.

Lord, I submit my every step
to You; the one who is in controI.
I invite You to direct my path
with or without my awareness of it.
Give me Lord understanding
when I need it; and give me
trust when I don’t understand.
Lead me into the land of promise
which You have designed for me.
In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.