29/9/12
S: Philippians 3:12-14 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
O: We are caught in between the now and the not yet. Jesus calls us to perfection, but we are not there yet.
A: Instead of giving this up as an impossible goal, we should be motivated to continue improving. One of the wonderful things that Christ has won for us on the cross is forgiveness of sins. Hence, we can repent and get back up when we fall, and resume the journey to the image of Christ that God is calling us to.
It's so easy to become complacent in our walk with Christ. I struggle with this myself. But let us be encouraged and daily take up our cross and follow Jesus.
P: Father, sometimes I get discouraged by my sinful tendencies. Thank you for reminding me that even when I'm not faithful, You are faithful, and will carry us on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Are you afraid of death?
22/9/12
S: Philippians 1:20-24 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honour to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.
O: If you have put your trust in Jesus for your salvation, you no longer need to fear death. Of course, your faith in Christ should be evidenced by your life, for, as Jesus' brother James tells us, "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”" (James 2:17-18)
But generally speaking, if you are walking with Jesus, you should not have any reason to fear physical death, for physical death is only the door to eternal life with God.
This is the reason that believers through the centuries have stood up to persecutors and tyrants who demand that they recant their faith on pain of death, and even today, our brothers and sisters in Christ who live under anti-Christian conditions in many countries face the same thing. People are still being martyred today -- just look at the frequent reports from sources like Mission Network News, International Christian Concern, Voice of the Martyrs, Persecution Times, Christian Persecution Info, and Compass Direct. In fact, many sources report that more Christians have been martyred in the last century than in all previous centuries. This is partly due to the fact that there are more Christians today than ever before.
A: When I see what our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world have stood up to and continue to stand up to for their faith, and coupled with the assurance that if we die in Christ, we would live forever with Him, I am dismayed at how timid I am to stand up for Jesus.
I know, I've seed Christians who have been obnoxious in the way they try to share the Gospel, and we must bear in mind that we must be winsome in the way we share Christ's love. But how much of my timidity is because of fear of people instead of fear of God rather than tactfulness and sensitivity?
P: Father, let me see the world through Your eyes. Help me to recognise the opportunities to share the love of Christ and to take those opportunities and not let them slip away.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
S: Philippians 1:20-24 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honour to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.
O: If you have put your trust in Jesus for your salvation, you no longer need to fear death. Of course, your faith in Christ should be evidenced by your life, for, as Jesus' brother James tells us, "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”" (James 2:17-18)
But generally speaking, if you are walking with Jesus, you should not have any reason to fear physical death, for physical death is only the door to eternal life with God.
This is the reason that believers through the centuries have stood up to persecutors and tyrants who demand that they recant their faith on pain of death, and even today, our brothers and sisters in Christ who live under anti-Christian conditions in many countries face the same thing. People are still being martyred today -- just look at the frequent reports from sources like Mission Network News, International Christian Concern, Voice of the Martyrs, Persecution Times, Christian Persecution Info, and Compass Direct. In fact, many sources report that more Christians have been martyred in the last century than in all previous centuries. This is partly due to the fact that there are more Christians today than ever before.
A: When I see what our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world have stood up to and continue to stand up to for their faith, and coupled with the assurance that if we die in Christ, we would live forever with Him, I am dismayed at how timid I am to stand up for Jesus.
I know, I've seed Christians who have been obnoxious in the way they try to share the Gospel, and we must bear in mind that we must be winsome in the way we share Christ's love. But how much of my timidity is because of fear of people instead of fear of God rather than tactfulness and sensitivity?
P: Father, let me see the world through Your eyes. Help me to recognise the opportunities to share the love of Christ and to take those opportunities and not let them slip away.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Flexibility
13/9/12
S: Romans 14:1-23 Welcome all the Lord's followers, even those whose faith is weak. Don't criticize them for having beliefs that are different from yours. Some think it is all right to eat anything, while those whose faith is weak will eat only vegetables. But you should not criticize others for eating or for not eating. After all, God welcomes everyone. What right do you have to criticize someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right, and the Lord will make sure that they do right. Some of the Lord's followers think one day is more important than another. Others think all days are the same. But each of you should make up your own mind. Any followers who count one day more important than another day do it to honour their Lord. And any followers who eat meat give thanks to God, just like the ones who don't eat meat. Whether we live or die, it must be for God, rather than for ourselves. Whether we live or die, it must be for the Lord. Alive or dead, we still belong to the Lord. This is because Christ died and rose to life, so that he would be the Lord of the dead and of the living. Why do you criticize other followers of the Lord? Why do you look down on them? The day is coming when God will judge all of us. In the Scriptures God says, “I swear by my very life that everyone will kneel down and praise my name!” And so, each of us must give an account to God for what we do. We must stop judging others. We must also make up our minds not to upset anyone's faith. The Lord Jesus has made it clear to me that God considers all foods fit to eat. But if you think some foods are unfit to eat, then for you they are not fit. If you are hurting others by the foods you eat, you are not guided by love. Don't let your appetite destroy someone Christ died for. Don't let your right to eat bring shame to Christ. God's kingdom isn't about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ in this way, you will please God and be respected by people. We should try to live at peace and help each other have a strong faith. Don't let your appetite destroy what God has done. All foods are fit to eat, but it is wrong to cause problems for others by what you eat. It is best not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that causes problems for other followers of the Lord. What you believe about these things should be kept between you and God. You are fortunate, if your actions don't make you have doubts. But if you do have doubts about what you eat, you are going against your beliefs. And you know that is wrong, because anything you do against your beliefs is sin.
O: In Galatians 4:10-11, Paul tells us that there really no special days, yet here he tells the Romans “Some of the Lord's followers think one day is more important than another. Others think all days are the same. But each of you should make up your own mind. Any followers who count one day more important than another day do it to honour their Lord.” So what's the deal with that?
A: There truly are some things which are right and wrong, but being right or wrong about these secondary matters is not as important as being flexible and being able to keep fellowship in spite of the disagreements.
We are all imperfect, and our understanding of scripture, God and the world is imperfect. So we must leave room for other believers to disagree with us about secondary matters, even while recognizing that someone might be factually wrong.
I used to be an anti-Charismatic Bible-literalist Evangelical who held all kinds of prejudices against Pentecostals, Catholics, Calvinists and various other kinds of Christians. But God brought me into contact with many Pentecostals, Catholics, Calvinists and various other kinds of Christians who demonstrated a true faithfulness to Jesus and a genuine desire to follow Him. Over the years, I have had to drop these prejudices and recognize them as my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.
I have more in common with people committed to following Jesus from other denominations than with people in my own denomination who are just "Sunday Christians".
One pastor I have had in the past like to say, "We can agree to disagree agreeably". That's a good thing to keep in mind!
P: Father, Jesus prayed that we Christians may be one even as You and Jesus are one. I echo that prayer. In Jesus' name, amen.
This old Indonesian Christian song to the tune of "Red River Valley" exemplifies this sentiment:
Translation of the lyrics:
I don't care what church you're from
As long as you stand upon His Word
When your heart is like my heart
You're my brother and my sister
Here's a nice rendition of the same song in Bahasa Batak:
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
S: Romans 14:1-23 Welcome all the Lord's followers, even those whose faith is weak. Don't criticize them for having beliefs that are different from yours. Some think it is all right to eat anything, while those whose faith is weak will eat only vegetables. But you should not criticize others for eating or for not eating. After all, God welcomes everyone. What right do you have to criticize someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right, and the Lord will make sure that they do right. Some of the Lord's followers think one day is more important than another. Others think all days are the same. But each of you should make up your own mind. Any followers who count one day more important than another day do it to honour their Lord. And any followers who eat meat give thanks to God, just like the ones who don't eat meat. Whether we live or die, it must be for God, rather than for ourselves. Whether we live or die, it must be for the Lord. Alive or dead, we still belong to the Lord. This is because Christ died and rose to life, so that he would be the Lord of the dead and of the living. Why do you criticize other followers of the Lord? Why do you look down on them? The day is coming when God will judge all of us. In the Scriptures God says, “I swear by my very life that everyone will kneel down and praise my name!” And so, each of us must give an account to God for what we do. We must stop judging others. We must also make up our minds not to upset anyone's faith. The Lord Jesus has made it clear to me that God considers all foods fit to eat. But if you think some foods are unfit to eat, then for you they are not fit. If you are hurting others by the foods you eat, you are not guided by love. Don't let your appetite destroy someone Christ died for. Don't let your right to eat bring shame to Christ. God's kingdom isn't about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ in this way, you will please God and be respected by people. We should try to live at peace and help each other have a strong faith. Don't let your appetite destroy what God has done. All foods are fit to eat, but it is wrong to cause problems for others by what you eat. It is best not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that causes problems for other followers of the Lord. What you believe about these things should be kept between you and God. You are fortunate, if your actions don't make you have doubts. But if you do have doubts about what you eat, you are going against your beliefs. And you know that is wrong, because anything you do against your beliefs is sin.
O: In Galatians 4:10-11, Paul tells us that there really no special days, yet here he tells the Romans “Some of the Lord's followers think one day is more important than another. Others think all days are the same. But each of you should make up your own mind. Any followers who count one day more important than another day do it to honour their Lord.” So what's the deal with that?
A: There truly are some things which are right and wrong, but being right or wrong about these secondary matters is not as important as being flexible and being able to keep fellowship in spite of the disagreements.
We are all imperfect, and our understanding of scripture, God and the world is imperfect. So we must leave room for other believers to disagree with us about secondary matters, even while recognizing that someone might be factually wrong.
I used to be an anti-Charismatic Bible-literalist Evangelical who held all kinds of prejudices against Pentecostals, Catholics, Calvinists and various other kinds of Christians. But God brought me into contact with many Pentecostals, Catholics, Calvinists and various other kinds of Christians who demonstrated a true faithfulness to Jesus and a genuine desire to follow Him. Over the years, I have had to drop these prejudices and recognize them as my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.
I have more in common with people committed to following Jesus from other denominations than with people in my own denomination who are just "Sunday Christians".
One pastor I have had in the past like to say, "We can agree to disagree agreeably". That's a good thing to keep in mind!
P: Father, Jesus prayed that we Christians may be one even as You and Jesus are one. I echo that prayer. In Jesus' name, amen.
This old Indonesian Christian song to the tune of "Red River Valley" exemplifies this sentiment:
Translation of the lyrics:
I don't care what church you're from
As long as you stand upon His Word
When your heart is like my heart
You're my brother and my sister
Here's a nice rendition of the same song in Bahasa Batak:
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Democracy and God's establishment of authorities
9/2/12
S: Romans 13:1-7 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honour you. The authorities are God's servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God's servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honour to those who are in authority.
O: This passage is one of those which caused faithful Christians to unquestioningly support the ruling king of their day even though the kings were evil. An example of such a Christian was Thomas Moore (1476-1535), who served under the evil king of England, Henry VIII, who, for totally selfish reasons of his own, declared the Church of England independent of the Catholic Church.
Moore was the Chancellor of England under King Henry (something like Prime Minister, but since Henry was an absolute monarch rather than a constitutional monarch, he had to obey whatever Henry decided, and he was appointed by Henry and not democratically elected.
However, he could not with clear conscience abide by King Henry's claim to be the head of the Church of England instead of the Pope. King Henry also kept murdering his wives so that he could marry other women, which Moore could not approve of.
Thus, Moore was faced with a dilemma: he believed that the King was divinely appointed and as a good Christian, he had to be subject to him. On the other hand, the king commanded him to do something which is against God! So how could he resolve this?
He tried to come to some kind of accommodation -- he tried to resign as chancellor, to retire from politics, etc. However, eventually, he had to recognise what Peter and John had recognised way back in Acts 4:9: "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God."
As a result of his principled stand due to his faith, he was convicted of treason and executed.
Even though I am not a Roman Catholic and do not have allegiance to the pope in Rome, Thomas Moore is nonetheless one of my heroes of the faith as a result of his principled stance according to his conscience even unto the point of martyrdom as best as he understood what it meant to follow Christ.
A: Romans 13:3-5 clearly states that a God-established authority is supposed to punish evildoers and commend people who do good. When a government ceases to do that, it no longer has the divine right to rule.
In a real democracy, we the people have the responsibility to choose the government. Therefore, as Christian voters, we must vote for those who will do what is right. We must not continue to support evildoers just because we will personally benefit even to the detriment of the country at large.
Therefore, as believers, we cannot support a corrupt and evil government.
P: Father, as we face the upcoming elections in Malaysia, we pray for people who will do what is right to be elected, and for the corrupt and evil to be brought down. We pray against the vote rigging and cheating that the ruling BN always does, that in spite of their total control of the TV, radio and newspapers, enough people will realise what is going on and vote for a change anyway, in big enough numbers that we can overcome the cheating. 55 years is too long for any one party to control the country. We pray for our brothers and sisters who are being oppressed, and pray that we may have the courage to take action to bring about a more just government in our country. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
S: Romans 13:1-7 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honour you. The authorities are God's servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God's servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honour to those who are in authority.
O: This passage is one of those which caused faithful Christians to unquestioningly support the ruling king of their day even though the kings were evil. An example of such a Christian was Thomas Moore (1476-1535), who served under the evil king of England, Henry VIII, who, for totally selfish reasons of his own, declared the Church of England independent of the Catholic Church.
Moore was the Chancellor of England under King Henry (something like Prime Minister, but since Henry was an absolute monarch rather than a constitutional monarch, he had to obey whatever Henry decided, and he was appointed by Henry and not democratically elected.
However, he could not with clear conscience abide by King Henry's claim to be the head of the Church of England instead of the Pope. King Henry also kept murdering his wives so that he could marry other women, which Moore could not approve of.
Thus, Moore was faced with a dilemma: he believed that the King was divinely appointed and as a good Christian, he had to be subject to him. On the other hand, the king commanded him to do something which is against God! So how could he resolve this?
He tried to come to some kind of accommodation -- he tried to resign as chancellor, to retire from politics, etc. However, eventually, he had to recognise what Peter and John had recognised way back in Acts 4:9: "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God."
As a result of his principled stand due to his faith, he was convicted of treason and executed.
Even though I am not a Roman Catholic and do not have allegiance to the pope in Rome, Thomas Moore is nonetheless one of my heroes of the faith as a result of his principled stance according to his conscience even unto the point of martyrdom as best as he understood what it meant to follow Christ.
A: Romans 13:3-5 clearly states that a God-established authority is supposed to punish evildoers and commend people who do good. When a government ceases to do that, it no longer has the divine right to rule.
In a real democracy, we the people have the responsibility to choose the government. Therefore, as Christian voters, we must vote for those who will do what is right. We must not continue to support evildoers just because we will personally benefit even to the detriment of the country at large.
Therefore, as believers, we cannot support a corrupt and evil government.
P: Father, as we face the upcoming elections in Malaysia, we pray for people who will do what is right to be elected, and for the corrupt and evil to be brought down. We pray against the vote rigging and cheating that the ruling BN always does, that in spite of their total control of the TV, radio and newspapers, enough people will realise what is going on and vote for a change anyway, in big enough numbers that we can overcome the cheating. 55 years is too long for any one party to control the country. We pray for our brothers and sisters who are being oppressed, and pray that we may have the courage to take action to bring about a more just government in our country. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Saturday, August 25, 2012
The Big Picture
25/8/12
S: Matthew 16:21-28 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.2 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
O: God sees the big picture, while we don't. It didn't make sense to Peter for God to allow Jesus to be killed. After all, wasn't He the Messiah God sent to save the Jews? Surely the Son of David would throw out the Romans and restore the Davidic Kingdom?
But God's plans were bigger than that. He wasn't just interested in political salvation for the Jews -- He was interested in eternal salvation for all peoples!
A: Sometimes as we are trying to serve God, things seem to go wrong. But we need to recognise that we don't know the big picture, and keep trusting Him.
P: Father, to keep on trusting You in adverse circumstances is difficult. When I'm faced with such a situation, remind me that You are in control! In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
S: Matthew 16:21-28 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.2 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
O: God sees the big picture, while we don't. It didn't make sense to Peter for God to allow Jesus to be killed. After all, wasn't He the Messiah God sent to save the Jews? Surely the Son of David would throw out the Romans and restore the Davidic Kingdom?
But God's plans were bigger than that. He wasn't just interested in political salvation for the Jews -- He was interested in eternal salvation for all peoples!
A: Sometimes as we are trying to serve God, things seem to go wrong. But we need to recognise that we don't know the big picture, and keep trusting Him.
P: Father, to keep on trusting You in adverse circumstances is difficult. When I'm faced with such a situation, remind me that You are in control! In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!
18/8/12
Mark 9:23-24 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Matthew 17:19-20 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
O: These two passages appear to be describing the same incident.
In this year's 40-day fast leading up to Malaysia Day, the NECF (National Evangelical Christian Fellowship) in Malaysia has chosen the theme of Jubilee because it will be the 50th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia from Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.
On 16 August, the passage for our prayer & consideration was Matt 17:20.
I have been suffering from a pinched nerve which causes shoulder pain for a few weeks, and during the student fellowship's TGIF Friday prayers, I shared about this and student leader Michelle Foong prayed for my healing. Since I haven't yet been healed, she has been messaging me encouragement and also continuing to pray for me in following TGIF prayers.
This is in line with 14 August's NECF meditation "In Luke 24:49 the Lord asks us to tarry until there we are clothed with power from on high. Nothing happens when there is no power from on high. The secret to powerful and effective prayer is tarrying with God in prayer until…. . This is what we call tarrying prayers. In tarrying prayers, God sets the time needed to wait upon Him. We do not know how long it will take but if we tarry, God will show His agenda and prepare us for what is about to come. Then at His set time we will experience a great influx of His power and authority and will have the ability to speak to mountains to be cast into the sea because we have received the authority to do so."
Honestly, while I still intellectually believed that God can heal, over the years my faith has faltered. So God used this young lady Michelle to encourage me! I told her father this, and I would be proud to have my daughters grow up to be like Michelle.
A: God knows that our faith is not much sometimes. God nonetheless honoured the faith of that father who told Jesus, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" He had that little mustard seed of faith that God could use.
So, even when our faith is weak, trust God!
P: Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Mark 9:23-24 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Matthew 17:19-20 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
O: These two passages appear to be describing the same incident.
In this year's 40-day fast leading up to Malaysia Day, the NECF (National Evangelical Christian Fellowship) in Malaysia has chosen the theme of Jubilee because it will be the 50th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia from Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.
On 16 August, the passage for our prayer & consideration was Matt 17:20.
I have been suffering from a pinched nerve which causes shoulder pain for a few weeks, and during the student fellowship's TGIF Friday prayers, I shared about this and student leader Michelle Foong prayed for my healing. Since I haven't yet been healed, she has been messaging me encouragement and also continuing to pray for me in following TGIF prayers.
This is in line with 14 August's NECF meditation "In Luke 24:49 the Lord asks us to tarry until there we are clothed with power from on high. Nothing happens when there is no power from on high. The secret to powerful and effective prayer is tarrying with God in prayer until…. . This is what we call tarrying prayers. In tarrying prayers, God sets the time needed to wait upon Him. We do not know how long it will take but if we tarry, God will show His agenda and prepare us for what is about to come. Then at His set time we will experience a great influx of His power and authority and will have the ability to speak to mountains to be cast into the sea because we have received the authority to do so."
Honestly, while I still intellectually believed that God can heal, over the years my faith has faltered. So God used this young lady Michelle to encourage me! I told her father this, and I would be proud to have my daughters grow up to be like Michelle.
A: God knows that our faith is not much sometimes. God nonetheless honoured the faith of that father who told Jesus, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" He had that little mustard seed of faith that God could use.
So, even when our faith is weak, trust God!
P: Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Trusting God through years of suffering
11/8/12
S: Genesis 45:3-8 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realise that Joseph was standing there in front of them. “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither ploughing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.”
O: He may have been a bit too brash in his younger days, but all the evidence points to Joseph having been a faithful follower of God throughout his years from his youth.
And yet, terrible things happened to him. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers, then he was falsely accused of attempted rape and spent more than 2 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit.
During all that time, there was no indication that God told him, "Don't worry! I've got a plan for all this -- you'll one day be Prime Minister of Egypt and save everyone from starvation in a famine!" Joseph just had to trust God and remain faithful through year after year of hardship.
Even then, Joseph could be considered one of the more privileged saints -- at least he got to know in this life what his suffering was for. Hebrews 11:35-40 gives examples of other saints who died in their suffering, never to see on this earth the purpose for their suffering. These had to just trust that only in the resurrection will they see God's purpose.
A: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
As Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7)
P: Father, in times of trouble, teach me to keep trusting You and to take one day at a time. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
S: Genesis 45:3-8 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realise that Joseph was standing there in front of them. “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither ploughing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.”
O: He may have been a bit too brash in his younger days, but all the evidence points to Joseph having been a faithful follower of God throughout his years from his youth.
And yet, terrible things happened to him. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers, then he was falsely accused of attempted rape and spent more than 2 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit.
During all that time, there was no indication that God told him, "Don't worry! I've got a plan for all this -- you'll one day be Prime Minister of Egypt and save everyone from starvation in a famine!" Joseph just had to trust God and remain faithful through year after year of hardship.
Even then, Joseph could be considered one of the more privileged saints -- at least he got to know in this life what his suffering was for. Hebrews 11:35-40 gives examples of other saints who died in their suffering, never to see on this earth the purpose for their suffering. These had to just trust that only in the resurrection will they see God's purpose.
A: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
As Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7)
P: Father, in times of trouble, teach me to keep trusting You and to take one day at a time. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
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