1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Today's Thought: Beware of the warning signs or you'll be eaten by lions.


When Kenyan runner Bernard Lagat was interviewed during the sidelines of Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 on why their country and other Africa countries were able to produce many great champion runners including Usain Bolt, he simply replied of what motivated them. He continued that their special motivation in running for success is that all runners were trained even as a little child with the warning signs on the road: Beware of Lions.

We are all runners for the Lord. Paul admonished us to run the race and laying all weight that could stop us from running. We know that our adversary the devil is just around and waiting to devour us. This thought should motivate us to run and stay as lose to Christ. If we will stop running and start whining the devil will have us for his meat. We must listen to the warning signs before it is too late.

Jesus Christ will always give warning signs. Peter got one. Luke 22:31 says: And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. Yet we know that Peter failed. The reason: He forsook the Lord Jesu Christ and stop running with Him.

Mark 1:35

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Today's Thought: If we want to see how God can work in us and through us, let us dedicate time and effort.

Simone Biles. This name was made famous by the Rio Olympics in 2016. She was a gymnast who won five medals, four of which are gold. She exhibited technical excellence with her difficult routines. Few years ago, Simone decided to be at the top. She worked hard in the gym for 32 hours per week, 12 hours more than her training schedule. Her Olympic medals proved the worth of her practice.

In Christian service we need to labor and put an effort in our Christian life. When Jesus was with us, He seized His time. he preached and taught; He healed the sick. At the end of the day, for sure Jesus was exhausted. He was human like us who got tired. But in this passage, we find Jesus communing with the Father, praying unto Him, sending His supplications.

Christian service is not just an easy one. It demands time and dedication. It requires effort and determination. Knowing the Lord does not come by doing nothing. You must walk with Him.

2 Timothy 3:1-4

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Today's Thought: Let us listen to the warnings of the Lord of the last days.

The apostle Paul wrote his final epistle two thousand years ago, but the content and spirit of the letter seems truer than ever. The way the apostle describes the society seems to be the one we are living now. People are turning their back from the Lord. The world is devoted in pleasing the one who bewitched her - the devil.

False religions, immoral acts and persecutions are normal occurrences for Christians of old and today. But the Church of the Lord has continued on with the forces of the world not able to destroy her. Even during terrible persecutions, the Church grew. However, in the last days, the spirit of disobedience and selfishness will work double time, not outside the Church, but inside her walls. Christians are starting to fall away from the truth for them to live in a life. It is even hard for Christians to follow simple commandments of the Lord. The devil is on the move creeping on hearts and pews.

We should remember what Christ told the church at Laodicea which had been greatly worldly: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. Let us endeavor to be true to the our Master.

 Deutoronomy 11:28

And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.

Today's Thought: Stop disobeying the commandments of the Lord to reap the joys He could give.


One of the greatest preachers who ever lived was Charles Spurgeon. He had a story of a man who had been a Christian for forty years but still delayed the waters of baptism. Spurgeon wrote:

I felt grieved that he had so long been disobedient to a known duty, and I proposed to him that he should be baptized at once. It was in a village, and he said that there were no conveniences. I offered to go with him to the brook, and baptize him, but he said, ‘No; he that believeth shall not make haste.’ Here was one who had willfully disobeyed his Lord, for as many years as the Israelites in the wilderness, upon a matter so easy of performance; and yet, after confessing his fault he was not willing to amend it, but perverted a passage of Scripture to excuse him in further delay.

The Bible is clear: blessing if we obey and curse if we disobey. There is no middle ground in here. When we choose to go our own way, the penalty of disobedience is readied for us.  The problem is not lack of knowledge, but it is the lack of will to do what is right. Several Christians know of what to do with the Word of God, but they don't have the will to follow what God says. For instance, young Christians know of the admonition not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. They know, but they just don't want to follow.

When we know of something and yet we don't follow, it is deliberate disobedience, it is willful rebellion against Him who commanded us. The military has grave penalties for disobedience. The Lord also has penalty for disobedience.

Luke 24:45

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

Today's Thought: Let us make it a priority to know the will of God in our lives.

Solomon was presented with a blank check from the Lord. He could have anything he wanted to have. But Solomon had his priorities in the right place (at this time). He chose to have wisdom over riches, power and fame. He wanted to have the heart to be able to judge or rule his people well. He knew exactly what was needed at the moment because he was not thinking of himself alone, but how the Lord was going to use for His glory and honor.

We all need the guidance from the Lord for us to walk worthy of our calling. The Lord does not send fire from heaven or visions that we may understand His will in our lives. The Word of God provides us with the wisdom to know the mind of the Lord and what He wants us to be. The Holy Spirit that lives in every believer gives us the guidance and direction to live according as the Lord commands in His Word.

We should not live life without knowing the will of God in our lives. We don't need to rely on our emotions, on signs and wonders for the direction of our lives. We need to have the understanding of the Word of God for in it is the word of life. We often taken for granted the greatest resource of wisdom for our lives - the Word of God.

Zechariah 11:2

 Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.

 Today's Thought: Let us hear the warning of God's judgment.


While the crash of great oak trees could be heard from afar, the poor-quality willow tree was heard speaking: After the axman had  cut all these proud oak trees, I would be the only left beautiful tree in this whole wide forest. Little by little the sound of crashing oak trees came nearer and nearer. The willow tree never expected that after the last oak tree nearby fell, the axman put the blade on his trunk.

Let us reminded today that the fall of one, whether as might as the cedar tree or as humble as the fir tree, is a cry on the end of all. Complacent and passive Christians do nothing in their Christian service even while the judgment of the Lord is forthcoming. We are like birds building our nest on the willow tree, sleeping quietly while the judgment on trees is served. When the cries of those who experienced the judgment of the Lord are heard from afar, let us not wait for us to fall on the same.

Let us always be ready for the coming of our Lord. Be faithful on your work for you don't know when the judgment comes. The days of this life will soon end and we will face the judgment in heaven. Be ware lest you will feel unwelcome. Let us endeavor to be rewarded with the greetings: Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

2 Chronicles 33:10

And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

Today's Thought: When you rebel against God, you can do all you want but you will lose.

Manasseh was another king of Israel who walked with much pride in his heart and rebellion in his mind against the Lord. The Bible says "He did evil in the sight of the Lord." Manasseh was raised by a godly father, King Hezekiah, but he rebelled against the Lord. His rebellion was more shocking than that of Nebuchadnezzar or any other heathen kings for He knew the Lord.

Several Christians are like Manasseh. They know about the Lord, how wonderful and marvelous the love of God is, how gracious and compassionate the Lord is. But they still rebelled against God. They continue in their sins even if they know the Lord is not happy with them. The problem with Manasseh is the same problem Christians do have: being influenced by the godless world, of godless friends, of godless and unbelieving lovers who took their hearts away from God like Solomon, of godless desires.

The Lord spoke but Manasseh refused to listen. When we continue to rebel against the Lord, and not turn away from our wicked ways, the result of resisting the will of the Lord is humiliating and painful. The Lord sent Manasseh the Assyrian army to subdue them. This will so happen to Christians who continue to resist the Lord. 

 Ephesians 5:15-16

 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 

 Today's Thought: Let us be wise in our daily life and walk in the Spirit of God.



Timothy Treadwell was a wildlife lover who spent summers in Alaska's wilds. He loved grizzling bears and even believed to have made special relationship with them. He had ignored warnings from park rangers on the dangers of the wildlife and of grizzly bears. In 2003, he again stayed in the Katmai National Park. Summer just ended and fall came with grizzling bears becoming more dangerous during that season. On October of that years, Treadwell was found killed by a bear. He thought he had made friends with bears but he was awfully wrong.

People, in general, nowadays are unwise in most of their decisions. Even Christians are walking on the path they think is good for them without consulting the Bible. It is awfully wrong to follow one's will when we don't have the insight or foresight of the Lord. It is necessary to depend on the Bible and the Spirit of the Lord for the leading of our lives.

However, it is only possible to walk wisely if we walk by the Spirit of the Lord. If Christians are unwilling to listen to the voice of the Lord within, it is impossible for them to walk wisely. They will continue to walk foolishly even if  it leads to their ruin. 

2 Corinthians 4:3

 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

Today's Thought: Let us do our part in the Great Commission; time comes our work will cease. 


Ebola is a disease of world recognition. But before 2014, Ebola had been a disease that killed several people in Africa. It was only when there was a major outbreak in Sierra Leone and Liberia that international organizations like Doctors without Borders and the World Health Organization came to put emergency centers in these areas. Thousands were rescued until the outbreak was fully controlled.

Like the Ebola virus, sin is a highly fatal disease. It could bring a person to Hell forever. It is a major outbreak that caused damages to mankind. There is a cure - Jesus Christ is. However, several Christians are not willing to become agents of healing for these lost men. While we know the disease is real, we are just sitting doing nothing.

If we are going to continue hiding the gospel, they will not see it. We are exhorted to become the light of the world that they may glorify the Father which is in heaven. Let us become the salt of the world. Let us be part of the movement of people who will tell the world of Jesus Christ.

James 4:16

But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

 Today's Thought: Do not boast of tomorrow for you don't know what tomorrow brings.

In June of 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte launched his Russian invasion. Napoleon was confident to overtake Russia as he had 700,000 strong men. Even before the war began, Napoleon already boasted of his coming victory. One of his officers told him: Remember, Sire, man proposes but God disposes. Confidently Napoleon said he could do both: propose and dispose. Six months after his initial invasion, Napoleon retreated with only 30,000 men as they fought the stinging Russian winter. He proposed, but God sent the piercing weather to show He owns the world and He disposes.

Let us not think that our God is not a God of strength and power. He owns the universe and He charts the course of the winds. Do not boast of what we can do and what we can make. It is always the will of God that keeps us in everything that we do. We are not in charge. It is only the Lord who knows tomorrow. Proverbs 27:1 says: Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

The sin of presumptuous boasting shows a message of self-reliance and self-focus. Let us submit our will to the Lord and let us not boast what we plan tomorrow. We should rest on the knowledge of the Lord that we can trust Him.

2 Corinthians 13:14

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

 Today's Thought: Let us keep the communion with the Holy Spirit for us to have the comfort we need. 

There was once a story of a little boy who was taken to a new Sunday School class by his parents. His mother told him, “They will play some games, sing songs and then you will be introduced to Jesus.” When he came home his father asked him how he got along in Sunday School. His son said, “We played games and sang songs but Jesus wasn’t there. I’m afraid this is true in many Churches today. 

In our worship to the Lord and in our everyday living, let us be certain that the Holy Spirit is with us. It would be miserable to continue serving and worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ without the fellowship of the Holy Spirit because all who come unto Him must do so in spirit and in truth. If we miss the opportunity of fellowship with the Holy Spirit, we will also miss the opportunity of joy and comfort the Holy Spirit brings. 

Let us always make sure we do not grieve nor quench the Holy Spirit. Let us endeavor to feed the spirit within us that we may have a good fellowship with the Holy Spirit of God. 

Psalm 121:1

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

Today's Thought: The Lord is always our help when we seek His help.


There are several self-help books today. You can even have self-help videos in Youtube. It reduces our dependence on the help of others. It makes independent and allows us to be strong on our own. It's as if the world is telling us we can do it on our own. This is the attitude of the world and has create vacuums in our lives.

The truth of the matter is that we need help - and our help must come from God. He is the only real help that we need need. Let us not be mistaken on this one. When we are in trouble, we would be asking other people from helping us, but we forget to come to the Lord for help. David exclaims that when he needed help, he only looked unto the hills of God and His help was there. In our lives, we only need to summon heaven and the Lord is always our present help in the times of need.

Our trust in the Lord is the direct volume of our prayers unto Him. When we trust Him, He is the one we come to when we are in trouble. Let us always look and lift unto the hills of God, for he said that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

1 Samuel 1:27

For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

Today's Thought: The Lord is always near and He will answer prayers.

Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to Zaire, told the following story. "A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded, 'Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won't feel so lonely.' 
That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, 'If God sent that, I'm sure He also sent a doll!' And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child's sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies' group to include both of those specific articles." 

Many times we forget the power of the Lord. We forget the nature of our God - that He is a God who answers prayers. Many times we miss the blessings of God because we forget to ask Him fervently and faithfully. Our God is not a God who is distant and numb to our pleas. He is a God who hears and whose God is merciful to answer our prayers.

The more we pray the more we will know our Lord. When we have tasted the sweetness of answered prayers, we would want not to leave its altar. Prayer is the strongest weapon against our feeble knees and failing heart. Prayer is a weapon for us to continue serving the Lord amidst the difficulties.

Jeremiah 17:7

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

Today's Thought: Trust always in the Lord for everything in your life.

A television program preceding the 1988 Winter Olympics featured blind skiers being trained for slalom skiing, impossible as that sounds. Paired with sighted skiers, the blind skiers were taught on the flats how to make right and left turns. When that was mastered, they were taken to the slalom slope, where their sighted partners skied beside them shouting, "Left!" and "Right!" As they obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depending solely on the sighted skiers' word. It was either complete trust or catastrophe. 

This is a clear picture of the Christian life. We don't know the events tomorrow, but we need to trust in the leading of the Lord. He knows what is ahead and we only need to trust His love for us. It is the everlasting love of the Lord that should keep us on track of everything. There are times when we cannot just see the light ahead, but in the darkness we only need to trust the one who says: I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.

The Lord knows best for us. The promises of the Lord are sure. We need to trust Him for all these. We need to hope for the Lord's answer to our prayers. Let us learn to be blind skiers and just trust Him who sees everything.

Isaiah 42:3

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

Today's Thought: The Lord will not despise our brokenness if we come unto Him.

Here's a story:

One day a beautiful, but very troubled little girl came through the door of my day nursery. The little girl was nonverbal and had very little control. Whenever somebody approached her, she became violent for long periods and ended up in a fetal position on the floor crying out. I found myself praying for her day in and day out. As months rolled on, I began to bond with this child that no one wanted. She and I worked very hard taking one step forward and four steps back. During our rocking time I sang "Jesus Loves Me." She always settled down and became very still at the melody. Though she never spoke, peace seemed to fill her face as she listened to the song. One day after a very long battle I held my special girl to again calm her fears and pain. In silence we rocked back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Then she looked at me with tear-filled eyes and spoke for the first time, "Sing to me about that Man who loves me."

When we are injured and broken, the Lord is a merciful God who will accept and embrace us with His love. What God is asking is a contrite and broken spirit where His Spirit can work in a slow, painful, but loving manner. When there is just a small flicker of light in our life, in our Christian service, the Lord is always willing to light that up and put our lives burning again.

We only need to come to the Lord for healing and lighting. There is an unlimited supply of mercy and grace from the Lord. Let us just open our hearts for the working of the Lord in our lives. Let us ask for the oil that will keep our lamps burning until the day we finally go home.

Psalm 1:6

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Isaiah 40:29

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

 Today's Thought: It is through the strength of the Lord that we can continue serving Him. 


Youthful vigor, sometimes, makes us forget that this strength will soon deplete. It is during this time that man thinks of possessing personal might. Tiredness and weariness are far-fetched ideas during youth. But as years come by, youthfulness fades, and the strength of yesterdays is also lost.  

Isaiah is a prophet who greatly depended on the grace and work of the Lord in his life. This passage of the scripture shows the dependence of Isaiah on the strength of the Lord to keep him on track for what the Lord had in store for him. There is "enabling" of the Lord that empowers a dependent person to find his strength on Him. 

However, this strength and empowerment from the Lord only comes to them to who faithfully wait upon the Lord. On our own, we are frail and weak, but with the Lord we could find new strength to continue serving Him. Let us wait upon the Lord to renew our strength, to give us the vigor and excitement for what He has in store.

Matthew 6:24

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

Today's Thought: You cannot be faithful to the Lord while loving the world.

Harrold Adrian Russell Philby or Kim was a high ranking British intelligence officer who worked as a double agent for Soviet Union. While Philby had been decorated in the United Kingdom as an intelligence officer, he was secretly providing the Soviet Union with crucial information. He eventually got an assylum in the USSR and had a Soviet citizenship thereafter.

In the passage of the scripture, Jesus Christ talks about double agents. They are serving the Lord but having allegiance to the devil and the world. Jesus talks of future actions on the one who serves two masters. While it seems that serving two masters may work at first, it will eventually come into light and that person will choose one.

Let us be diligent in doing the will of the Lord, and not fall into temptation of leading two lives. Let us be aware on how the devil frames his proposal: you can serve me and God at same time. These are proposals that will eventually keep us away from the track of the Lord. It is just impossible to serve God and mammon.

Psalm 38:9

Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

Today's Thought: The Lord is always ready to make your burden of sin light if you come to Him. 

David is the man who had depended on God several times. In almost every situation and circumstance of his life, David had drawn strength from the Lord. When pain and battles were too much for him, David knew that the Lord's hand was ready to defend him. 

In this passage of the scripture David had been defeated by his own sin. He acknowledged that "for mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me." The conviction of sin had been overwhelming that it crushed its weight on his life, on his vitality (he speaks of the loathsome disease), his loss of inner peace, and his wisdom. Because of this, David confessed " for I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin." 

Let us not wait for the flood of sin to drown us, let us always come to the Lord for confession and forgiveness. Only the Lord God has the balm that can heal our iniquities and He is ready to heal us. What we need to do is come and confess.

Psalm 101:1

 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.

In 1924, two climbers were part of an expedition that set out to conquer Mount Everest. As far as is known, they never reached the summit; and they never returned. After the failure of the expedition, the rest of the party returned home. Addressing a meeting in London, one of those who returned described the ill-fated adventure. He then turned to a huge photograph of Mount Everest, mounted on the wall behind him.

"Everest," he cried, "we tried to conquer you once, but you overpowered us. We tried to conquer you a second time, but again you were too much for us. But, Everest, I want you to know that we are going to conquer you, for you can't grow any bigger, and we can!"  

When we are in troubles and it seems dark, let us be more ready and willing to grow our faith in the Lord. Our problems won't grow bigger but our faith can always grow bigger than any problem we are going to face. Let us be reminded of this psalm to sing of the Lord's mercy and judgment amidst the trials we are in. When faith is placed in a dark room, it creates notes on the wall to exclaim the goodness of the Lord like what Paul and Silas did.

There is always victory in Jesus as faith conquers fleshly desires, carnal reasons, and the sea of despair. Faith sings unto the Lord of grace notes and melodies as the storm passes by. We are expected to conquer for faith does.

Ecclesiastes 9:10

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goes

Today's Thought: Do not waste time for you don't know when you'll go.

September 11, 2001. It was a seemingly normal day not until the two Boeing 767 were hijacked and crashed on the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. The attacks caused the deaths of 2,996 people and the injuries of more than 6,000 others. Today is the 16th year of that unfortunate day. And it reminds us that one day, one way or the other, we will all go to our grave. The cemetery is  the greatest repository of talents and potentials, of gifts and skills.

Knowing this truth, let us not allow that we will go our grave bearing the gifts that we got from the Lord, accomplishing nothing. It is our duty to put our hand to use, our mouth to speak, and our knees to bend. The command of the Lord is to have sweat on our face for the bread on our table. We are expected to labor, for things that matter here on earth, and much more for what matter in heaven.

Let us seize the time for one day the night cometh when no man can work. Let us labor till the Master comes knowing that in due season we will reap our rewards. It will never be in vain. 

Job 40:12

Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. 

Today's Thought: Pride is always an ingredient for destruction.

The story is told of two women in Shanghai who were discussing the topic of pride and began to wonder if Hudson Taylor was ever tempted to be prideful because of his many accomplishments. One of the women decided to ask Taylor’s wife, Maria, about it. Maria promised the woman that she would find out. When Mrs. Taylor asked her husband if he was ever tempted to be proud, he was surprised. “Proud about what?” he asked. “About all of the things you have done,” his wife explained. Taylor responded, “I never knew I had done anything.” (Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations, Walter Knight)

In every fall of man, pride is always a sure ingredient present. When one becomes over confident, he becomes complacent. Pride is always there. When one trusts too much on himself, he finds himself not needing others. Pride is always there. Pride is an element that destroys and ruins the person who bears it. It is also an element that kills spiritual growth, stops godly virtues, and destroys goodly appearances.

A sudden and heavy fall is the sure next thing after pride. It brings a person low because pride is a heavy taskmaster. It makes you forget who the Lord is. It makes you think you are greater than the Creator of the Universe, the Saviour of your soul.

Psalm 19:7

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

Today's Thought: The Word of God is the most effective tool to make a person better.


In trusting the Lord, one must trust His word. But how can you trust which you don't know? This is the reason it is very vital for every Christian to read the Word of God to know the precepts and commandments of the Lord as well as the riches of His promises. Through this, one will know how to trust the Word of God and how to put confidence in the Lord.

In this passage of the scripture, David exalts the Word of God. The Word of God is effective in converting the soul of man. It is sufficient in the work of salvation and in spiritual development of man. It also works in making wise the simple as the Word of God is trustworthy in its precepts. Furthermore, David exclaims how the Word of God makes the heart rejoice and how it enlightens the eyes of every man who reads and meditates on it.

The Word of God is paralleled with the grandeur and beauty of the Lord. If one wants to praise the Lord, He must also treat the Word of God with praise. Let us learn to draw near to God by drawing near to His Word.

Daniel 5:27

TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

Today's Thought:  We must be ready to give account of our lives before the Lord. 

Daniel 5 speaks of the doom of Belshazzar. It was an utter devastation of the kingdom and the death of the king himself as well as those who attended his party. The Bible is very clear on the predicate of the destruction and judgment: Belshazzar did not give reverence to the Lord, lest to the sacred vessels used in the temple which he defiled with wines and strong drink during his lavish party. 

We must remember that the Lord is a God of knowledge. He weighs all actions and decisions. That which seemed good and esteemed by men may be abomination in the sight of the Lord. The Lord looks more than appearance as men do. God looks at our hearts and He weights all our actions and decisions based on the intent of our hearts. 

Knowing the terror of the Lord, it is should be our desire that when we are weighed by the Lord, He will not find us wanting, but He will find us enough. Even more, as much as we know that we can never meet the standard of holiness of the Lord, let us seek His grace and dwell in His mercy and compassion. 

Mark 2:4

And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

Today's Thought:  Faith finds ways to reach the presence of God.

The world has seen several inventions and innovations over the years. It is the era of knowledge-economy; the era of technological advancements. It seems that seemingly hard to penetrate barriers are cracking down as bombarded by new thoughts and ideas. Invention is always the child of needs. In the passage, the friends of the palsied man did not allow the barrier to stop them from reaching the Lord.

It is always impossible to please God without faith; and it is always necessary to seek God diligently. We cannot just speak of faith and let our faith alone. There is a need to toil and work on our faith to allow the grace of God to work on our faith and make it grow from the small mustard seed to the one that can move mountains. If we need to break roofs and windows for our faith to perform some great feats, then break we must.

The Lord is always willing to help us do wonderful things we could never imagine, but it needs the eyes and heart of faith. We should not allow any obstacle to stop from reaching the Lord. We must uncover our roofs to bring our needs to Him.

Psalm 36:7

How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

Today's Thought: The lovingkindness of the Lord speaks of His majesty and grace.


From 1929 to 1939, the world saw the greatest economic failure in the history of the world. It started in the United States when the Wall Street crashed and put the lives and futures of millions of investors in a limbo. Banks and companies around the world saw massive bankruptcy which was unparalleled in the history of global economy. Unemployment, rising poverty, famine, and even shortfall of morality swept the United States and the globe.

When there is a bankruptcy in man, there is fullness with God. While the needs of man could hardly be overstated, the provision and resources of God could hardly be understated. There will always be enough. While emptiness and nothingness are words for man, God is always equated with abundance and grace. There is satisfaction in the lovingkindness of the Lord and it will always be enough to meet the needs of every man.

Because of the Lord's overwhelming lovingkindness and grace, let us draw near to Him. Let us put our trust under the shadow of His wings and find safety, protection and provision. Let ts draw near to the fullnes of the Lord's house and enjoy dependence on Him.

Acts 4:10

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

Today's Thought: Stand for Jesus and you will not fail.

I can still remember the first day I preached. Before that very day, I had been anxious and was worried how I would sound before the congregation. And my pastor told me to be the man for God. When the day came, it went well and it passed with tremendous blessing to me and to everybody else giving God the glory.

As we go out to knock on doors and plead people to accept Jesus in their hearts and be at the church, remember that it is not by our power we will go and we will plead. It is by the power of God for He should have the glory of it all.

Routine service and mechanical worship are so common in our churches today. People go to church because they were used to it. People tell others about Jesus because they are in a group. People give offerings and tithes because they are used to give and they don’t want others to see them not giving. This is the most weapon of the devil to deceive people in the church. As Jeremiah preached, our lips are so near to God, but our hearts are very distant from God. This is the kind of service the devil wants. Instead of glorifying the Lord, we insult God’s power and glory.
Christians, think ye well. It is time to depart from the service and worship that do not involve the Lord. It is the best time to worship Him in truth.

Exodus 14:13-14

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Today's Thought: Just trust the Lord for He is still on His throne controlling everything.

Amidst our problem, the prescription of the Lord is to “stand still”. There is no other remedy to the situation we are in, but just to stay where we are. We are not advised to work on things, to find solutions, or to look for people who can help us. God is telling us to stand still.

One day there was a young American boy who visited his friend in a remote village of Zambia. While he was roaming the hot desert of Zambia, he was lost. He got cornered by a big lion. He didn’t know what to do. And he remembered Exodus 14:13. He just stood still and waited for long. The lion did not move, so did the boy. And the lion fled. Should have the boy run, the lion could have torn him into pieces. Like most of us, we try to run out of our problems. And the devil torn us into pieces.

Sometimes the “fear not” of God becomes our doubting phrase. We tend to put God in a can. He can do nothing. Probably, someone else can help us. Perhaps, God cannot stretch His arm anymore to help. We are wrong!

Let us to back to that old trust and faith we had when we trusted our soul to Jesus Christ. And let us remember the “salvation of the Lord”. We can only see this great miracle when we “fear not” and “stand still”. Until then, we will still remain dreaming for big miracles of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:11

For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

Today's Thought: When we don't have anything the glory of anything is of the Lord. 



What is life all about? Why can’t God just give everything that we need? Why He really make things difficult? Is He a sadistic God who takes pleasure in our pain? Does He really care? We often hear these complaints – and I can’t blame you if you do. For question of validity, these questions are valid in every count. Yet, these questions are not right for we don’t have the right to ask God on how He does things. He is… God.

But why am I suffering? Why the child I love most should suffer the terrible pain of cancer? Why my wife of ten years should suffer the loss of a baby? Why God? Why? We all have our “Whys”, but God answers is a thundering: I am God. It should not be about how we feel or what we want, it is about the glory of God. I do not mean to say that God is a distant Father. He knows what I feel, but He knows the best.

I’ll take you to the hospital bed. The physician knows the pain of undergoing chemotherapy for cancer sufferers, but he has to command the patient to undergo such painful process. Why? Simple, the doctor knows that the process helps.

Yet, we should be reminded today that whatever we are suffering from or passing through, it is for the glory of the Lord. That the excellency of the power may of God, and not of us.

1 Corinthians 10:25-26

Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.

Today's Thought: Let us enjoy the abundance of the Lord's creation.

Reading this text reminded of an incident happened almost five years ago. I was visiting a newly-converted family with a young person from the church. When the two of us arrived there, it so happened that it was the birthday of her son. They cooked a simple meal, they killed chickens for the celebration.

Of course, out of hospitality, and I commend her for that Christian virtue, she invited us to eat some. I gladly obliged, but the young person who accompanied me did not eat. The host entreated her to try some, but to no avail. I enjoyed the food. It’s seldom to eat native chickens, you know.

When we arrived at the church, I reprimanded that young person about her act of saying no to the invitation. She reasoned that the innards with all the mess of the chicken were on the ground and it was really impossible to eat with that sight without vomiting.

Our passage this morning reminds me of how God works on whatever we eat to make us satisfied because the earth is His. Even if how lowly the meal is, we should glorify the Lord for that. We can’t choose when to thank the Lord for our meal. As long as it is not offered to idols, we should give God the utmost praise for that.

And of course, don’t forget to say thanks to your host.