Adoring God In Col 3 (Oct 26)

God Gives Power For New Life;                       Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Helen Lemmel was already a noted
Christian singer on a day in 1918
when a missionary friend handed
her a tract called “Focused”. It said:
“Turn your eyes upon Him,
look full into His face & you will
find that the things of earth will
acquire a strange new dimness.”
Suddenly, she said later, I was
singing in my soul the chorus,
putting word to word to make
rhyme and note to note to make
melody. Later that year, the hymn,
which was also inspired by Col 3,
was published in London and
became a favourite at Keswick
Convention around the world.
Yes, Turn our eyes upon Jesus,
for He will empower our lives!

Lord, we’ll Seek Things Above:
Since you have been raised
to new life with Christ, set your
sights on the realities of heaven,
where Christ sits in the place
of honour at God’s right hand.
Think about the things of heaven,
not the things of earth. For you
died to this life and your real life is
hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:1-3)
Put on the new man who is renewed.
Put on tender mercies, kindness,
humility, meekness, longsuffering;
bearing with one another, and
forgiving one another… But above
all these things, put on love (v10-14)
Let the message about Christ in all
its richness, fill your lives. Counsel
each other with all the wisdom
He gives. Sing spiritual songs
to God with thankful hearts (v16).

Father, help me seek things which
are above and not things on earth.
Help me trust in the realities of Your
kingdom and see with eyes of faith.
Lord Jesus, fill my mind with eternal
thoughts and help me live effectively
as an influencer in Your kingdom.
And Holy Spirit, make me new for
only You can empower the life I am
meant to live. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Lord, grant me the grace to put
to death vices like anger & critical
language and put on Your virtues.
Help me Lord to be tender hearted,
merciful & forbearing towards others
Help me to love and be forgiving
just as You have loved & forgive me.
Help me to recognise and discern
what is worthy of confrontation
and correction; and what I should
just graciously let it go. Amen.

Lord, we want to be filled with truth
of Christ & to live purposeful lives. 
We can be confused as the world
is full of lies and unholy agendas. 
Help us Lord to know You more
as we fill our hearts and minds
with Your words & spiritual songs.  
And may our hearts and spirits
be more sensitive to Your Voice
and Your Will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

O soul, are you weary & troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free…
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth
will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory & grace…
His word shall not fail He promised
Believe Him, and all will be well;
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell. Amen.

Adoring God In Col 1&2 (Oct 25)

God Made Us Complete In Christ

All is not well in Colosse.
A heresy that Jesus Christ is
neither central nor supreme
is undermining the church.
Paul’s response to these
false teachings is two-fold.
First, he upholds Christ as the
preeminent Head of the church
Next, he speaks out against the
rituals and man-made regulations
which typify worship at Colosse.

Lord Jesus, were Complete In You:
We…(ask) God to fill you with the
Knowledge of His Will through all
spiritual wisdom & understanding
that u may walk worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing Him, being fruitful
in every good work and increasing
in the knowledge of God(Col1:9-10)
Everything was created through
Him and for Him. He existed
before anything else & He holds
all creation together. And He is
the head of the body, the church..
that in all things He may have
the preeminence (Col 1:16-18).
In Christ the fullness of God lives
in a human body, and you are
Complete through your union
with Christ, who is the head of all
principality & powers(Eph 2:9-10)

Lord, I pray for the people You’ve
put in my life and on my heart.
Fill them with wisdom and under-
standing and the knowledge of
Your Will so that they will stay
on the path You have for them.
I pray they will learn to hear Your
voice and come to know You
better, so that they can have
a closer walk with You. Amen.

Lord, You created me for Your
divine purpose; so help me be all that You created me to be and to do.
Dear Jesus, I adore You not only
for Your sacrificial love, but also condescending to live in & thru me.
Help me Lord to live in such a way
that I let You have the preeminence
in all things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord Jesus, You are so completely
great and awesome! How can it be
that You have chosen to live in me?
And yet You have. Help me to
fully trust You, knowing that You
are in control of all situations;
for power & victory is in Your hand.
And that You are using everything
that happens in my life to show me
that I am Complete In You. Amen.

Adoring God In Phil 4 (Oct 24)

God Supplies All Your Needs;                        What A Friend We Have In Jesus

PJoseph Scriven was a man who had
experienced friendship of Jesus thru
a life filled with personal tragedy.
When Scriven was a young man
in Ireland, his fiancée drowned
the evening before their wedding.
Soon after he set sail for Canada;
seemingly destined to live alone
with Jesus as his only close friend.
Scriven never intended to publish
“What A Friend we have in Jesus.”
He wrote the words of the hymn,
which was inspired by Philippians 3,
to accompany a letter to his mother,
who was ill in Ireland. He had no
material resources to send her –
only a reminder the most perfect of
friends, Jesus Himself was nearby;
and God will supply all our needs.

Lord, You Will Provide Our Needs:
Be anxious for nothing but in every
-thing 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 minds (Phil 4:6-7).
I have learned the secret of being
Content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do all this through Him
who Gives me Strength (v12-13).
This same God who takes care of me Will Supply all your Needs from
His glorious riches, which have been given to us In Christ Jesus (v19).

Lord, Enable me to lift up in praise
& worship of whatever facing me.
Help me Lord not to be anxious or
worry about anything but instead
to release them in prayer to You.
Help me to refuse to think of
negative and what-if thoughts.
Help me to bring every concern
before You and leave it at Your feet.
Fill me with Your peace that passes
all understanding so that my heart
and mind will be protected. Amen.

Loving Lord, we praise You for You
are good and deeply care for us.
Grant me the grace to live joyfully
whether I have much or little.
And grant me Lord the grace to
Be Content in all circumstances.
Thank You Lord for promising
that You will give me the strength
I need to follow Your will and join
You in Your work. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, You’re Caring & Thank You for
the promise to Supply all our needs.
This amazing pledge & assurance
makes us feel secure as well as
contented in our journey thru life.
We don’t have to struggle on our
own for the Creator of the universe
covers us. And we’re given access
to You because of what Christ
had done on the cross. Thank You
Jesus for being such a friend, Amen

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!…
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer. Amen.

Adoring God In Phil 3 (Oct 23)

God Helps In Pressing On to Call          Inspiring ‘All to Jesus I Surrender’

Van De Venter (1855-1939) was
a teacher by profession and artist
at heart. After evangelistic meetings,
friends saw his gift in counselling &
urged him to become an evangelist.
For five years he wavered between
his love for art and God’s calling
to evangelistic ministry. He later
recalled: “I surrendered all. I became
an evangelist and discovered deep
in my soul a talent unknown to me.”
A few years later, Van De Venter
remembering that decisive moment
and wrote the hymn ‘I Surrender All’
inspired largely by Philippians 3:7-9.

Lord, we will Focus on the Call: 
But what things were gain to me,
these I’ve counted loss for Christ.
Everything else is worthless when 
compared with the infinite value
 of Knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…
yes to know the power of His
resurrection and participation
in His suffering (Phil 3:7-10).
I am focusing all my energies on
this One Thing: Forgetting the past
and Looking Forward to what lies
ahead, I press toward the goal;
for the prize of the upward Call
of God in Christ Jesus (v13-14).
For our citizenship is In Heaven,
from which we eagerly wait for
the Saviour… who will transform
our lowly body that it be conformed
to His glorious body (v20-21).

Dear Jesus, You are Lord of my life
and I purpose to hold nothing back.
I surrender to You the promises
I’ve kept & those I’ve failed to keep.
I surrender my entire life to You;
the past, present and the future.
I surrender my emotions, fears
and insecurities for I belong to You.
Receive my will and all that I have;
for I purpose to Surrender All.
Grant me Your grace, for apart
from You I can do nothing. Amen.

Lord, help me to Keep my Eye On
the Goal, where You’re beckoning
me upward and onward to Jesus.
Keep me from being distracted by
the past; wrong choices & sins that
hv been washed in blood of Christ.
Grant me grace and strength not to
turn back, knowing You’re in control
and promise to meet my needs.
And help me keep my eyes fixed
on the eternal prize – unending life
in Your glorious presence. Amen.

Lord, I praise and Thank You for
giving me eternal life & listing me
among the residents of Heaven.
Though this current life is filled
with trouble and challenges,
I know I am only passing through.
Help me to Seek You First and
stop worrying about tomorrow.
Grant me an Eternity Mindset
so that I can endure the temporal
difficulties that come my way.Amen

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live…
I surrender all, I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all…
All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me…Amen.

Adoring God In Phil 2 (Oct 22)

God Gives Power to Obey 

Philippians is a joyful letter,
written by Paul from a prison cell
in Rome to the church he founded
on his second missionary journey.
Despite adverse circumstances,
Philippians is an encouraging letter
in the midst of persecution. There
is much for Paul to rejoice about
especially the church’s steadfast
testimony for the gospel.

Lord, we’ll work out sanctification:
If there is any (encouragement) from
being united w Christ, if any comfort
from His love, if any fellowship of
the Spirit, if any affection & mercy,
fulfill my joy by being likeminded,
having the same love, being of
one accord, of one mind (Phil 2:1-2)
Don’t be selfish. Be humble, think
of others as better than yourself.
Don’t think only about your own
affairs, but be interested in others
too…Your attitude should be the
same that Christ Jesus had (v3-5).
Continue to work out your
salvation with fear and trembling,
for it is God Who Works in you
to Will and to Act in order to fulfill
His good purpose (Phil 2:12-13).

Lord of grace and wisdom, I want
to make the Father truly happy.
Help me to live in harmony with
my Christian brothers and sisters,
by loving them, and by working
together with one mind & purpose
to bring more people to Christ.
Grant me success in this important
endeavour. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, work in me the desire
to please You rather than to
impress others. Forgive me for
my selfishness and for focussing
on my life, my needs & problems.
Help me Lord to care more about
others as well as their needs too.
And help me to have a servant’s
heart so that You can truly do
Your work through me. Amen,

Lord, grateful You are at work
within me to fulfil Your purpose.
Help me to do what is right
and to obey with reverence.
Help me to hold on in faith, and
new power to live as I should.
Wean me from the excuse that
“I am too tired”, “I am too weak”
For Your strength is sufficient
to fulfill Your good purpose. Amen

Adoring God In Phil 1 (Oct 21)

God Completes Good Work

Philippians is a joyful letter, written
by Paul from a prison cell in Rome
to one of the churches he founded
on his second missionary journey.
Despite Paul’s adverse situation,
Philippians is an encouraging
letter in the midst of persecution.
There is much for Paul to rejoice
about: the Philippians’ repeated
financial assistance, the hope of
visiting the Philippian believers soon,
and the church’s steadfast
testimony for the gospel.

Lord, You’ll Complete Good Work:
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy because of
your partnership in the gospel…
Being confident of this, that He
who Began a good work in you
Will Carry it on to Completion until
the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:4-6).
That you may be able to discern
what is best and may be opure and
blameless until the day of Christ,
filled with fruit of righteousness
that comes through Christ (v9-11)

Lord, I am eternally linked to You
by grace through faith & I am part
of Your body for You are the head.
Thank You Lord that my needs
are fully met in You. Forgive me
for the times when I think and act
as though You are not enough.
For You will bring to completion
the good work that You began.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, I praise You for Your great
salvation; for You not only took
away sin, but also gave me a new
nature that longs to please You.
Continue Lord Your work in me;
for there’s still much rough edges
and glad You do not give up on me.
Look forward Lord to the day when
Your work in me will be complete &
I’ll be blameless for Your glory. Amen

Lord, please help us to grow
spiritually as well as understand
what that really matters in life.
Help us not chase after things that
doesn’t matter. But instead we’ll
focus on our relationship with You
and on growing to be more like You.
Grant us the faith and the strength
so that You’ll realize in us the ideals
You have taught us to cherish. Amen

Thought for the Week: Eph 4

God Grants Gifts for Unity;                              Blest Be the Tie That Binds

Blest Be the Tie That Binds
John Fawcett was ordained as a
Baptist minister and began ministry
at a poor church in Wingate England.
The small congregation could only
afford to pay him a minimal salary.
After seven years of ministry,
Fawcett received offer from affluent
Carter’s Lane Church in London.
As he was saying his farewells
and saw the tears on the faces
of his people, he decided to stay.
Inspired by Eph 4, Fawcett wrote
this hymn for the congregation at
Wingate. He recognised the bond
of love he knew there was worth
more than any material wealth. For
being united with Christ means we
are to treat one another as family.

Lord, Unite & Bind us together:
Live a life worthy of the calling you
have received. Be humble & gentle…
Be patient with each other, making
allowance for each other’s faults
because of Your love (Eph 4:1-2).
Make every effort to keep
yourselves united in the Spirit,
binding yourselves together
with peace. For there is one body
and one Spirit, just as you have
been called to one glorious hope
for the future. There is one Lord,
one faith, one baptism, and
one God and Father (v3-6).
To each of us grace was given…
And He gave some to be apostles,
some prophets, some evangelists
and some pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints
for the work of ministry, for the
edifying of body of Christ (v7-12).

Lord God, help me accept human
imperfection in others and myself;
for we are all sinners in Your sight.
Help us to be more patient with
each other making allowance for
each other’s faults & weaknesses.
Help us to develop a right view
of others despite their annoying
faults and non-saintlike conduct.
Help us pray for serenity to accept
things we could not change. Amen.

Lord, Help us keep unity of Spirit
in lowliness of heart and gentleness.
Let differences in our backgrounds,
experiences and personalities,
not divide us but instead enrich us.
Help us make every effort to keep
the unity of the Spirit and protect it.
Bind us Lord together in love for
You made us one body & one spirit.
Teach us to appreciate and love one
another and live together in peace.
Lord blest the tie that binds! Amen.

Father, You have appointed
for me apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors and teachers
to prepare me for works of service.
They are Your gift to the church to
build me up towards unity of faith
with all the saints, in the knowledge
of Christ Jesus, so that I may
become mature and attain the full
measure of Christ in my life. Amen.

Lord, Blest be the tie that binds
Our heart in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above…
Before our Father’s throne
We pour our ardent prayers; Our
fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
Our comforts and our cares…
We share each other’s woes,
Our mutual burdens bear,
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear. Amen.

Reflection on Ephesians (Oct 20)

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of the epistle to
the Ephesians is to strengthen
the believers in Ephesus in their
Christian faith by explaining the
nature and purpose of the church,
which is the body of Christ.
The Ephesians had unlimited
spiritual wealth at their disposal,
yet they lived as spiritual paupers.
And Paul wrote to encourage them
to claim their Spiritual Blessings.

On Monday, we learn from Eph 1
that God Grants Spiritual Blessings.
On Tue, we learn from Eph 2 that
Christ Releases Amazing Grace.
On Wed, we learn from Eph 3
that God Loves & Empowers Us.
On Thursday, we learn from Eph 4
that God Grants Gifts for Unity.
On Friday, we learn fr Eph 5 that
God Enables Walking with Spirit.
On Saturday, we learn from Eph 6
that God Provides Spiritual Armour.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You are worthy of our Praise
as God Releases Amazing Grace
as well as Loves & Empowers Us.
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as God Grants Spiritual Blessings
as well as Spiritual Gifts for Unity.
For You Enable Walking with Spirit
as well as Provide Spiritual Armour.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Adoring God In Eph 6 (Oct 19)

God Provides Spiritual Armour;                  Stand Up & Stand Firm for Jesus

In 1858, churches in Philadelphia
united in a citywide evangelistic
effort. Dudley Tyng, a 29 year old
preacher spoke to 5,000 men and
1,000 responded to the gospel.
Four days later, however Tyng
was fatally injured in an accident.
As he lay dying, Tyng was still
thinking about the men who had
made decisions for Christ & said:
Tell them to stand up for Jesus.
Presbyterian minister George
Duffield preached next Sunday
on the text: “Stand Therefore”
and in conclusion read a poem
entitled Stand Up for Jesus. A
church member sent the poem to
a newspaper and was published.

Walk Worthy of your calling…You
are rich in Christ, so live that way!
The Christian’s conduct should
be consistent with his calling.
You are rich in Christ, endowed
with spiritual blessings; so learn
to walk in the light of that wealth.
A spiritual war rages & those who
use the armour of God will be able
to stand agst Satan’s wily attacks.

Lord, we will Put On Your Armour:
Put On the full Armour of God
so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh
and blood, but against the… powers
of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil (Eph 6:11-12).
Take Up the Shield of Faith, with
which you can extinguish all the
flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God (v16-17).
And Pray in the Spirit on all
occasions with all kinds of prayers…
be alert and always keep on
praying for all the saints (v18).

Lord, I recognise because I have
aligned myself with You, the
enemy will wage war against me.
Help me Lord Put On the full spiritual
Armour that You have provided.
Help me understand the depth of
truth, righteousness, faith, solid
walk with Christ, salvation, prayer
& the sword of the Spirit Your Word.
Teach me how to use the armour
& perseverance practising it. Amen.

Lord, thank You for the Shield of
Faith to deflect Satan’s fiery arrows
and provide necessary protection.
Grant that assurance of salvation
will guard my mind amid difficulties
and doubts attempt to creep in.
Enlighten my mind Oh Spirit
to understand Your Word and
how it applies to my life. And
help me draw the sword when
Satan attacks with a lie. Amen.

Lord, enable us to know the
presence of Your Spirit within us
& walk in constant awareness of it.
May You freely live Your life in us,
express Your heartbeat to us
and Pray Your will through us.
We know Lord we simply can’t do
any of these on our own efforts,
but with You, nothing is impossible.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift up His royal banner,
It must not suffer loss:
From vict’ry unto vict’ry
His army shall He lead
Till every foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed…
Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
Stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you;
Ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armour;
Each piece put on with prayer.
Where duty calls, or danger,
Be never wanting there. Amen.

Adoring God In Eph 5 (Oct 18)

God Enables Walking with Spirit;                         O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee

Washington Gladden believed that
Christians should be involved in the
world’s problems. As a clergyman,
he crusaded against injustice. And
he often preached social gospel,
rousing his congregation to social
problems engulfing the country.
When Gladden wrote this hymn,
(inspired by Eph 5) in 1979, he said
the poem was an honest cry of the
need for divine companionship. And
if our friendship with Jesus doesn’t
lead to concern for our fellowmen,
then we better check how closely
we are walking with the Master.
For God Enables Spirit Filled Life &
we’re to Walk Worthy of our calling.

Lord, we purpose to Live Wisely:
Be imitators of God as dear
children. And Walk In Love,
as Christ also has loved us and
given Himself for us (Eph 5:1-2).
Once you were full of darkness,
but now you have light from the
Lord. So live as people of light.
Find out what is acceptable to
the Lord… Awake you who sleep…
and Christ will give you light (v8-14)
Be careful how you live. Don’t
live like fools, but like those who
are Wise, redeeming the time,
because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be unwise, but
understand what the will of God is.
Let the Holy Spirit Fill and Control
you. Then you will sing hymns
and spiritual songs to the Lord.
And you will always Give Thanks
for everything to God (v15-20).

Father God, may Your Spirit help us
to imitate You to walk in love and
in the light of Your countenance.
Fill our hearts with the sense of
Your nearness and loving fellowship.
Order our steps Lord in Your way
and then walk with us, for in You
Lord there is no darkness at all.
Help us walk in Your light for
we are people of the light. Amen.

Lord, we purpose to Live Wisely
and make good use of our time.
Help us to sense Your presence
& purpose in every circumstance.
Help us see what You are doing
and what You want to do thru us.
Help us reflect each day to sense
what You are doing in our life
and where You are leading us.
Help us develop a heart of deep
gratitude in all situations. Amen.

Holy Spirit, we welcome You to Fill
us and have full control of our life.
We welcome You personality fully,
Your character and Your attitudes.
Thank You for Your empowering,
Your gifts, Your blessings and
all that You have done in our life.
O Lord God, fill our hearts with
gratitude, thanksgiving and praise;
& Lord let me walk with Thee.Amen.

O Master, let me walk with Thee
In lowly paths of service free
Tell me Thy secret, help me bear
The strain of toil, the fret of care.
Teach me Thy patience still w Thee
In closer, dearer company
In work tt keeps faith sweet & strong
In truth that triumphs over wrong.
O Master, let me walk with Thee
In closer, dearer company
O Master, let me walk with Thee
O let me walk with Thee.
In hope that sends a shining ray
Far down t future’s broadening way
In peace that only Thou canst give
With Thee, O Master, let me live.