We received quite a numbers of prayer requests from people. And going through the list, I started to draw similarities. Here is the grouping based on similarities that I observe: From a concerned parents (usually mothers) for their children and even grandchildren, secondly from a concerned husbands for the well-beings of their wives, and from singles about their health & works.
As I was meditating on Luke 1, the song of Mary and prophecy of Zechariah, I was drawn to this phrase,”God remembers His covenant.”
The date for Tax Return dateline is getting closer. As I’m preparing for my tax return this year, I look at the big spending in this year, and I feel thrilled.
It has been a crazy year. An unprecedented time as many has said. And this year hasn’t come to a close yet. But by God’s grace, we’re able to give more than any years before.
As I was reading the gospel of Luke, I can’t miss the occurrences of Holy Spirit being mentioned at every turns and corners. In these short verses, Holy Spirit was mentioned again and again. Here what I meant:
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (3:16)
And as he [Jesus] was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. (3:21-22)
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. (4:1)
Jesus returned to Galilee in the powerof the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. (4:14)
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me ... (4:18)
As I reflect on Paul’s letter to church in Ephesus, where apparently there was dealing with black magic and sorceries:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor 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 rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:10-12
Hence I can’t helped but to plead with God to fill me with His mighty Spirit. Paul and his companion Luke is fully aware of this. Beginning with the first Adam and the second Adam; Israel, we all would fail in the places that God has placed us.
Unless by the power of His Spirit, we have no chance to stand firm again the spiritual forces; unseen by our human eyes, but the cause of downfall of many man & woman of God. From seemingly trivial issues to big issues of daily life.
Fall fresh on me O Holy Spirit, and fill me with Your Presence, so I might stand firm every day to lift up the name of Jesus. And grant me boldness to speak as I should.
And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, … there was no more breath in her.
1 Kings 10:4-5
The phrase caught my eyes the other day. Never heard or seen it before. But that expression is very profound. The whole story is beautifully crafted to tell us how majestic is the wisdom of Solomon. And this not an ordinary queen came all the way to witness / proof the news that she had heard.
Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died.
~ 2 Kings 13:14a (NIV)
People often mock if a healer can’t heal themselves or their loved ones. Here we have Elisha, one of the big prophets with so many records of miracles performed in Old Testament, could not even heal himself and died from the sickness instead.
Test of authenticity of a prophet isn’t on how good / bad his life is. Something which Paul the Apostle himself used. The fact that his life is like a failure doesn’t disqualify him from being an apostle of Jesus Christ, and the seemingly successful life of his opponents doesn’t make them the true apostle either.
If you’re a true prophet of God and living a “pathetic” life, don’t be discouraged. The proof is in the pudding. The life of true faith, will continue to speak beyond the grave (2 Kings 13:21, 25), beginning with Abel, here Elisha, and fulfilled in Jesus.
As I read Luke’s account on Luke 2:1-7 of the birth of Jesus, I am comforted and strengthened to know that from the macro scheme of the whole world, to the minute details of our personal life, God is involved and watching.
This week is a strange one, despite my best effort, things just don’t go according to what I wish. There are a lot of interruptions. Yesterday, we had a power outage / blackout. It’s good exposure for the girls. They told me it felt like a hotel stay. I worried for the cold and hungry night going to bed. God was merciful, the power returned back before midnight. This morning, my wife informed me that the water is contaminated due to the power outage yesterday. Both of us went to spread the news to friends we know, then cook the water and wait them till cool before pouring to our filter.
My mind is going through many directions too for the sharing tomorrow. With my MIL condition that everyday my SIL had to bring her to hospital, and my wife couldn’t find a catering that tick all the requirements. When my girl said life is difficult as adult, she really meant it.
I pray that may God use my feeble hands and wandering thoughts to bless my friends tomorrow.
Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved
Ephesians 2:3b-5
I thought this morning, I want to meditate and post about the magnitude of God’s love. Over times, it gets cliche and lost its beauty. And I thought it’s good to remind myself how amazing is God’s Unconditional Love.
In comparison, all other human’s boastings and reasons fail. In life & ministry, the reason Paul could do what he did, I suspect is because he is overwhelmed by the love of God again and again.
And I want to pray the same for myself. “May God reminds me again and again the greatness of His love. May the sweetness of that Love, captures my heart over and again.”
Last night I described to my wife what I observed about our girls, their characteristics, their strengths, and their weaknesses. And how I don’t know how to help them. It was one of a fruitful couple nights to talk about our children. At least I learnt or felt validated that my observation is not wrong.
This morning, the sun was bright (I always love this kind weather), and as I’m meditating on God’s Word, it suddenly dawned on me. And here I’m writing it down:
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:13-14 (NIV)
The last few days have been very hard. My eldest told me, this is the hardest anniversary for you. I smiled, she chose her words correctly. It is the hardest day, but it’s not the worst day. The worst day is when God is not in the picture.
I told my girl, that it is okay. Because when we are weak, then we are strong, because God’s power will make us strong (2 Cor 12:9-10).
