Blessed Beyond Measure

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests,
but also to the interests of others.
- Philippians 2:3-4 -

We are blessed beyond measure.

Some of us are blessed with riches, power, and fame.

Some of us are blessed with sons and daughters.

Some of us are blessed with opportunities and privileges.

Each of us has our gifts, our calling and our personal endeavor.

Let us not forget to focus on the needs and interests of others.

Let us develop this biblical attitude of love, humility and selflessness.

Media Lies

Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of me. (Matthew 5:11)

Unchecked disinformation through the media etc against a target group often happened.

Those targeted are robbed of their good reputation and the right to answer the accusations made against them.

If disinformation is disseminated long enough, it may ignite a chain reaction of bad events.

Let us work for truth and quash all attempts at disinformation against Christians everywhere.

Let us pray for brethren suffering from lies and untruths.

Enduring Persecution

Acts 9:16
“I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

These are the words of Jesus to Ananias when Saul of Tarsus had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.
Though Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, resorted to flight several times in his missionary work, he did not try to avoid persecution as a life style practice.
In 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, Paul outlines and describes the repeated persecution he had endured for Christ.

The Bible and history are replete with examples of those who in the will of God refused to flee but stayed and endured the persecution to the point of self-sacrifice and even martyrdom.

Fleeing is not the only option when persecution strikes.
There are times when God’s will is for us to stay and face the music!

Let us stay in tune with God’s Spirit
so that we will know what responses He wants us to make.

Help me Lord to be aware of Your purposes
in the events and challenges of my life.

Spiritual Boldness

Psalm 84:2

My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.

Christian believers confess Jesus as Lord of their lives
and receive the Holy Spirit.

They then talk about their new relationship with God,
with their family, relatives, and friends.

The Holy Spirit gave them words and power to speak.

Some ultimately receive Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.

Unless we are filled with the Holy Spirit,
we will have great difficulties
fighting the spiritual warfare.

Only with the Holy Spirit’s help can we be bold.

Let us pray that we may be bold in our faith.

Let us rely on the Holy Spirit to make us bold in our witness.

Oh Lord,
my soul, my heart, my flesh,
cry out to You
for the filling and power of Your Holy Spirit.

Forgiveness

Matthew 6:14-15

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men their sins,
your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful actions
that Christians can perform.

The world doesn’t understand the ability or reasons to do this because it is most unnatural in the world.

Besides, there is pain to be overcome because behind every act of forgiveness lies the wound of betrayal.

But there is far more pain,
emotional, social, and physical damage done
when we do not forgive.

What separates Christianity from other religions?
One of the first things is forgiveness!

Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive a brother who sinned against him. He thought he was magnanimous when he suggested seven times! Jesus replied, “…not seven times, but seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:22).

Jesus then shared a parable about a man who, after much pleading for mercy, was forgiven for much and yet would not forgive another person who owed him little. In the parable, the master threw the man into jail to be tortured until he paid back his large debt. Then came the conclusion: “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35).

Let us forgive others who hurt us
because God has commanded it and
because our own forgiveness depends on it.

Oh Lord,
give me a spirit of forgiveness toward others who hurt me,
just as You have forgiven me.

Fill Me Up Lord

Psalm 42:1

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.

God can use persecution to draw people closer to Himself.

In great suffering you discover a different Jesus than you do in normal life.

Pain and suffering bring up to the surface all the weak points of your personality.

You are too weak to mount your usual defenses; you just have to gaze at what you are really like.

You come face-to-face with how awful you really are.

You see all the horrible things you have done; all the horrible things you are.

You keep seeing yourself again and again.

But just as you are about to collapse into complete despair and self-loathing, and probably die, an incredible realization will burst into you.

It is this: Jesus loves you even right then, weak, helpless and broken, empty and sinful.

Even in that state, He loves you, and Christ rushes in and fills you, and the filling is so great because you are so empty.

Thank You Lord that You fill us when we are truly empty.

Oh Lord,
Help me not to hide my real condition
from myself and before You.