Tag Archive for 'bible'

great gain..

Published
by
David
on March 9, 2005
in General
. 4 Comments

1 Timothy 6:6
Godliness with contentment is great gain
Godliness

Matthew 6:33
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you as well.

Contentment

Philippians 4:11-13
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. 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 everything through Him who gives me strength.

I’m just dwelling upon the Word that was preached last Sunday, by Ps. Stanley during service. I always like his sermons, because it’s always very applicable, and it challenges your train of thought.

Two things that we should never worry about, food and clothing. It’s kinda clear where it’s mentioned in Matthew 6:25,”Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important that food, and the body more important than clothes?” Then it ends at Matthew 6:33, which was quoted above.

This puts a whole new perspective of God’s providence. Of course, contentment doesn’t mean that we shun promotions, monetary gifts [ angpau, hehe! ], or only desire to live minimally just because we got the meaning of contentment wrong. Being blessed with wealth and living comfortable isn’t wrong in itself. But desiring wealth, love of money makes it wrong.

1 Timothy 6:7-10
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinda of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs

So, seeking wealth, and desiring to live a luxurious, carefree life is wrong. I like what my Life Application Bible says of how to keep away from the love of money.

  1. Realize that one day riches will be gone
  2. Be content with what you have
  3. Monitor what you are willing to do to get more money
  4. Love people more than money
  5. Love God’s work more than money
  6. Freely share what you have with others

I really like it because to a certain extend, I’m already working towards that without me knowing it. Well, it could be that I am a bit carefree with money [ negative point.. ].. hmm..!

But really, I realize that I need to be truly content. I still find myself WANTING more stuff. And.. well, even though it’s still thoughts of more stuff.. but we all know the train of thought. Once you don’t stop it, it’ll choo-choo all the way to action! [ hmm... pun intended!] I’m still being held at bay by two things. One is that I still don’t have an income. Secondly, it’s…

1 Corinthian 10:23-24
“Everything is permissible”- but not everything is beneficial.”Everything is permissible”- but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

Yeah. Oh… another one. The thought of whether it is a want, or a need? Well, when I mentioned that I still want a lot of things… it kinda helps when you weigh it on the “Want Or Need” scale. Hehe. The Bible then mentioned in Philippians 4:19 that “And my God will meet all your needs, according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Of course, God never mentioned that He shall supply/meet all our wants, but of course, He did mention that we should delight ourselves in Him, and He shall give us the desires of our hearts. Psalms 37:4. Ehe.

Man, my God is awesome.

David[woohoo!]

sunrise..

Published
by
David
on March 6, 2005
in General
. 0 Comments

hosea 6:3
This is a picture of the sunrise I took from my apartments, this morning.
David[woohoo!]

the steadfast love…

Published
by
David
on February 28, 2005
in Faith
. 7 Comments

The steadfast love of the Lord
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to an end
They are new, every morning
New, every morningGreat is Thy faithfulness O Lord
Great is Thy faithfulness

Have been having this song in my head for a couple of days now. You know how a song comes into your mind, and lingers there? I think it was the morning I sent out a short message with the passage from Lamentations 3:22-26.

David[woohoo!]

devotion..

Published
by
David
on February 2, 2005
in Faith
. 6 Comments

Psalms 119:11
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.

That was yesterday’s Word. Knowing God’s Word really keeps me from sin. At times when there are moments just before sinning that the Holy Spirit convicts. If there’s no Word in our lives, what does the Holy Spirit have to convict us with? Yes, we may hear voices in our head saying that the thing that we are about to do might be wrong… but why is it wrong? That’s why we have to hide God’s word in our hearts.

Romans 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

This is today’s Word. It’s sad how some Christians don’t see the need to go to church. They think that staying at home, and reading the Bible is sufficient in their walk in Christ. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God!! Reality check! Hearing can come in many forms:

1. Pastor’s sermon on Sunday - Yes, we only listen, but we must question further and ponder upon what God wants to reveal to us through His Word that is preached through the pastor.
2. Bible study groups - In depth studies of the Bible with a group of people, where people share their knowledge about the Word of God
3. Cell Group - the Word is put forth during Word time. Listening to other people’s experience of the Word of God
4. Reading of the Word during personal quiet time with the Lord - I remember reading out loud, 1 Peter 5:1-10 out loud in my room, and then proceeded to reading it out loud to my housemate, sharing with her! I can tell you that it did something to my faith. My soul was kinda downcast before that, and I opened up my Bible. I was reminded of the verse that says,”Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” and I looked it up. Lo and behold, the whole passage just spoke to me and I was .. set free! Felt so different after reading the Word aloud. It makes a difference, hearing the Word of God compared to .. thinking the Word of God.

So start hearing the Word of God!

David[woohoo!]

thy Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit…

Published
by
David
on January 26, 2005
in Faith
. 2 Comments

1 Peter 5:1-10
To Elders and Young Men
1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers–not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 5Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.” 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8Be selfcontrolled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Today, the word of God inspired me. I was just wallowing in… my own minute suffering when the verse “Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” came to my mind. It was of great comfort to me, so I looked it up in the Bible and found that the whole of verse 1 till verse 10 was speaking to me. Especially the part of being an overseer. And being the sheperd of God’s flock. And the .. aiyah.. all the verses I listed above spoke to me. I love it when the Holy Spirit reveals the Word of God to me. It’s so personal. Thank You, Holy Spirit.

David[hmm...]

PS: Very tired. Would love to go on… but… I don’t think I can.

anger…

Published
by
David
on January 20, 2005
in Faith
. 0 Comments

Matthew 5:23-24
23“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

David[woohoo!]

year of obedience

Published
by
David
on January 17, 2005
in Faith
. 1 Comment

Year of Obedience

Deuteronomy 28:1-14
1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.

2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

3″Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

4″Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

5″Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

6″Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

7″The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

8″The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

9″The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.

10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you.

11 And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.

12 The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.

13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

14 So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

With that being the vision of Glad Tidings PJ this year, it sure hasn’t been easy. There are many things to be obedient in, and of course, there’s the One to be obedient to. Some of the areas that God has been challenging me to be obedient in ..

1. my walk with Him. To seek His face every morning, before I start my day. I normally do it at the end of the day, but somehow that feels as though He’s the last thing that I seek on a day… and that’s not where I wanna place Him in my life.

2. my relationship with certain individuals. It’s obedience in this matter, to God in the second thing closest to my heart, after God. The other individual is a mentor. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find a mentor to be accountable to, this year. Really desire to grow in the area of worship and relationship!

3. my time management. I’ve got heaps of free time this semester, but somehow thus far I haven’t been able to .. manage my time the best I can. It has been effective, for certain areas, but definitely not in my studies. Hahaha.

4. my service to the Lord. I was just reading Phillipians, and the verse that reads…

Phillipians 2:14-18
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

… really speaks to me about being poured out like a drink offering. Two weeks into the new year, and I have felt as though I have been emptied a couple times! Paul exhorts us [ me ] to rejoice and be glad in verse 18. *deep breaths

David[*fuh]