Luke 24:44

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Today's Thought: Our duty is to glorify and magnify the name of Jesus in our lives.

A veteran Welsh preacher advised the new minister on the preaching about Jesus. He said: Young man, from every town and every village, and every little hamlet in England, wherever it may be, there is a road to London. And so from every text in Scripture, there is a road to the metropolis of the Scriptures, that is Christ. And my dear brother, your business is when you go to a text, to say, ‘Now what is the road to Christ?’ and then preach a sermon, running along the road to the great metropolis—Christ. And I have never yet found a text that has not got a road to Christ in it.

In our lives, we must endeavor to make Christ known. He should have the preeminence in our lives. We should be able to declare the goodness of God in our lives and how He had made a difference. As much as we have seen and tasted the beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ when we receive the gift of salvation, we also live for Him alone.

Paul clearly summarizes everything when he said: For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. We may know all things under the sun but if we don't have the full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, vanity of vanities.

Luke 21:9

But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

Today's Thought: Do not be alarmed of what's happening, be excited of who is coming soon.

Jesus Christ has been telling His disciples not be afraid about the future. He reassured them that everything was going to be fine and there were no problem to worry and think about. Jesus conditioned His disciples on the common of wars, pestilence, troubles and natural disasters. He wanted them to be assured that even amidst of all these, He is still in control.

Rough edges and all, Peter learned the lesson. When Peter was arrested after James had been executed by Herod, Peter was soundly asleep at his prison cell while the church stayed up late praying for him. Even the angels had to wake Peter up for him to get out of prison. Peter was not worried about what happened because he knew God is in control.

Our confidence in the Lord is not lack of fear, but in the knowledge that our God is in control. Faith is knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ is always there for us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Luke 21:8

And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

Today's Thought: Do not be deceived but beware of the warnings of the Lord.

In December 1985, several people in Washington DC received an exciting mail from Flagship International. They were told that they received a free ticket to the upcoming Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals football game. Roughly a hundred people went to Washington Convention Center to watch the game. However, when they arrived at the Center, they were arrested by police officers. The mail notices were actually sent to wanted criminals.

The devil uses deception to keep the children of the Lord from serving God. It is the mastery of the devil since the Garden of Eden. Paul says that "the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

The devil promises all and everything. He done this to Christ and he is still doing among Christians. As Dr. John Rice reminded us that "All Satan’s apples have worms." Yes, he may promise the apple, but only to deceive us.

Luke 24:34-35

“Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.”

Today's Thought: There is power in the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ that transforms lives.


When Dr. Bob Jones, Sr developed Alzheimer's at the twilight of his life, he continued to speak and often lose his message. During those final messages he spoke, he would recall the story of his conversion as an eleven-year-old boy from Alabama. As if all things would be easily be forgotten, but only one thing is left in the memory of Dr. Bob Jones - his salvation. He may have forgotten everything, but he remembered the moment he met Jesus.

People are not reading Bibles but they are reading transformed lives. The world may rebut several things in the life of others, but it cannot debate the testimony of a transformed life. When we tell others what we know and what we heard it is one good thing, but when we tell what we have experienced, it is something more meaningful. Others could speak of other things about Lazarus, but the testimony is the greatest. "But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus."

We have become the eyewitness testimony to the power of the gospel. The salvation that we know from the Bible gives us the opportunity to tell others of the goodness of God. After healing the man who had once thousand demons, Jesus says: Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

Luke 23:18-21

And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.

Today's Thought: Christ willingly accepted the call of crucifixion for you and me.

Charles Spurgeon wrote:

We love everything earthly better than we ought; we soon fix our heart upon a creature, but very seldom on the Creator; and when the heart is given to Jesus, it is prone to wander.” The opposition that Jesus faced and those who cried out for His death was not because they were a particularly evil group of people. They were just like us—sinners—only they had not been touched by God’s grace. Without that grace, we too would be crying “Crucify Him.

The life of Jesus was the perfect demonstration of His message. He had worked several miracles, healed the sik, and gave hope to many. Despite all these, many people did not believe Him. At the end of all, they cried for Jesus's death. They rejected Him and they want Him killed.

We too are the crying for the death of Jesus. It was our sins that sent Him to the cross. Now that we are saved we should give God the glory He deserves. Let us continue hurting our Lord Jesus Christ because of our sins.

Luke 21:1-4

And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

Today's Thought: Creating a big impact through a small gift.

In a church meeting assisted by Dr. George Truett to raise funds for a church that had been struggling financially because the people would not give. After the message, they had only taken commitments less than the half of the money needed. Then two elderly couple stood up to sell their house and give the exact remaining amount needed to be raised. But in less than five minutes, the previously stingy congregation rallied to pledge the entire amount so the couple could keep their home. The sacrifice of that couple motivated them to give.

The poor widow had nothing left, but she was willing to give her money. We could make many excuses and be selfish with our blessings, but the Lord has only one single message for us: all belongs to Him. Wen we acknowledge that all belongs to God, it would be foolish for us not to give. The widow gave and it made the biggest difference.

We should always remember that in giving the Lord should be present. Edmund Burke said: No man ever made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little. Let us not think we could not give because we only have less. We give whatever we have because everything belongs to God.

Hebrews 11:8-10

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

 Today's Thought: Faith is always coupled with the act of obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. 


God called Abraham to leave his homeland and follow Him to a new land. Abraham obeyed the Lord providing a blueprint on what a monumental faith means. He trusted the Lord even though he didn't have any knowledge on what this new place will offer him. He did not went to the promised land but he actually lived there as an alien in a new land. 

There will be times when God will call us to follow Him into unknown territory. We only need to trust God to sustain us the way He did with Abraham. There will be ups and downs of our circumstances. Until the Lord tells us to go home, we will sojourn in this land, but we need to walk with God.

Faith is only exhibited in our obedience to the calling of the Lord. God will be asking us to obey Him even if we don't understand the circumstances we are in. It is the act of faith that tells us to continue trusting and obeying the Lord in our life.

Amos 5:15

Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

Today's Thought: Let us respond with love and compassion to every situation and circumstance we are in.


Throwing a perfect game in baseball is a major accomplishment to only 20 pitchers in the more than a century history of Major League Baseball. Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers could have been the 21st on June 2, 2010 if the umpire did not commit an erroneous call on the field. The video replay showed that the throw was good, the umpire apologized, but what the call could not be changed. Through all this, Galarraga never retaliated but expressed sympathy for the umpire.

The Lord is reminding us that we want the fair treatment of ourselves we will become angry and frustrated. But we start thinking of others' affairs and needs, we will be able to go beyond personal feelings. Oswald Chambers said: Never look for justice, but never cease to give it; and never allow anything you meet with to sour your relationship to men through Jesus Christ.

When we feel unjustly treated by others, we must be Christ. Though it will be hard but let us ask God for His grace to help to continually show justice, fairness and righteousness amidst our perverse generation.

2 Corinthians 5:11

Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Today's Thought: For we know that the judgment of the Lord is sure, we must warn men of the impending doom.


Jonathan Edwards' sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was considered as the most famous sermon preached in the United States of America. When Edwards preached the message in his own church, it accomplished little. But when he preached it in Enfield, Connecticut on July 8, 1741, it made accomplished great for the Lord. Even if Edwards just read his message, it gripped the heart of the hearer and cried out for salvation.

One of the lines that made its mark was:

Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards Hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of Hell, than a spider’s web would have to stop a falling rock.

We must take it seriously the responsibility of the ministry given to us. We are part of the ministry of reconciliation and we must do our part well. It is impossible not to consider the coming judgment that may come to us knowing we had been once there. Let us, therefore, warn people on the doom of hell. And even ourselves of the terror of God's judgment.

Luke 20:25

And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.

Today's Thought: Always give the Lord the first priority in your life.

One of the boldest preachers was Samuel Davies. Prior to the Revolutionary War, Davies went to England and preached before King George III. During the message, the king talked to his wife about what Davies preached. Davies stopped the message and looked at the king and said: When the lion roars, the beasts of the forest tremble; when Jehovah speaks, let the kings of the earth keep silence before him. The king stopped talking and started listening.

Jesus is teaching us in the scripture that we must give to the government what it deserves, but we should give God the honor and glory He deserves. This text does not talk about the clash of government and religion, but on the proper respect and priority we should give to the Lord.

In our lives, we should always be reminded that the Lord is first whatever our state is. Even King George should stop talking when the message is preached. When the Lord speaks, even if others don't approve it, we should listen to the Lord and stop the world.

Luke 20:36

Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

Today's Thought: Death does not have power over us when we have Christ.


In 1899, DL Moody died. Moody just ended his evangelistic campaign in Kansas City. The next day in Massachusetts, Mood was dying. He said: "Earth recedes, Heaven opens before me! It is beautiful. It is like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go.”

The power of death has been defeated in our lives when we received Christ in our hearts. With this thought, we should be always ready to face our Master in heaven. DL Moody said: I’m not discouraged. I want to live as long as I am useful, but when my work is done I want to be up and off. We have something to be done here and when we are not useful anymore we must be up in heaven and off of our work here.

As much as death has no power over us, we must be ready to finish our work here and continue to live in heaven. We are children of God and we must live and act as one for one day we will be with Him. We don't to be ashamed of what we've done when we meet the Lord.

Genesis 19:12-13

And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:

For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.

Today's Thought: The great danger facing our society today is not primarily an absence of warning and truth, but rather the refusal to heed the warnings being received.

When the war between the United Kingdom and Argentina broke out over the sovereignty of Falkland Islands, the British destroyer HMS Sheffield sank after being hit by a Exocet missile fired by an Argentinian warplane. While the radar detected the incoming missile, it failed to spot a warplane therefore no warning was sounded.

But this is not the case with our generation. There are several warning signs that we see around us. The Bible is full of warnings on the doom of man if he rejects the message of salvation. The Bible is full of warnings on the doom of man if he refuses to obey the Word of God after he has read or heard it. The refusal to heed the warning sign leads to the sinking of a person's life for the Lord is not giving an advice but an exact commandment.

We should be reminded that the Bible lists several individuals who heard the warning signs but failed to obey the commandments of the Lord. It is nothing new. But it is a sure dangerous behavior that could destroy a life.

Luke 21:27-28

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Today's Thought: Rejoice for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Dr. Henry Guinness wrote on the Second Coming:

“I heard The Messiah with great delight last evening. Now if a man had asked me after the performance had proceeded a couple of hours how long I thought it would continue, I would have answered, ‘About five minutes.’ ‘But,’ the man might have expostulated, ‘how can that be? It is in full swing, has been going on for two hours, and I see no reason why it should not continue for two hours longer. How do you know it will be over in five minutes?’ Then I should have answered him, ‘Because I have the score.

The Bible is full of promises on the return of Christ. In fact, there are more references to the return of Jesus than of His first appearing. It seems that the world is bleak and there is no chance, but the return of Christ is the surest thing we could ever have. There is something to look forward to.

With the knowledge of His coming, we should rejoice. With the coming of the Lord, we should also be ready to give an account before the Lord. How are we going to face the Lord if we failed Him? Can we get excited of His coming if we are doing His will?

Luke 19: 37

And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;

Today's Thought: Make Jesus Christ the real King in your life.

The prophet Zechariah prophesied the birth of Jesus Christ saying: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." This is what is now called the Triumphal Entry into the city of Jerusalem.

People have different views on who Jesus is. For Jesus is a teacher of non-violence protest. He is a revolutionary leader who wanted to break the power structure of His time. Some considered Jesus as a crazy man who claimed Divinity. But many people failed to realize that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is the King of kings. This failure of man to acknowledge the kingship of Jesus also leads to failure in acknowledging the power and authority of Jesus Christ in their lives.

Jesus Christ is the King. But if He is the King, where is His honor in our lives? Does He receive the reverence He deserves from us? If He is the King, why can't we follow His orders and commands in our lives? Are we giving Him the power over our will and obey His overseeing Will?

John 19:34

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

Today's Thought: The blood of Christ is always enough to quench the wrath of God. 

When Lincoln's body was brought from Washington to Illinois, it passed through Albany and it was carried through the street. They say a black woman stood upon the curb and lifted her little son as far as she could reach above the heads of the crowd and was heard to say to him, "Take a long look, honey. He died for you".

But there's a body that lay dead on the cross who spoke of how He died for you and me. Jesus Christ did not just die for the cause of a nation, but He died to save my poor soul going to hell. It was the shed blood on the cross that gave the ticket to heaven where He prepares a mansion. It was the kind of death that opened life for you and me.

With the thought of Christ death and how He died for you and me, we should ask ourselves: What have we done in return? What have we given back to Him who loved and died for us? Let those questions linger in your mind and let the shed blood on the cross engulf your thoughts.

1 John 5: 13

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Today's Thought: If you want to be assured and grow the salvation you received from the Lord Jesus Christ, you must continue in faith. 


If we want to grow in grace, we must live by faith. But if want to see the maturity of our faith, we must understand where our faith comes from. Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. The know our Lord Jesus Christ more and more or as we meditate on His Word more and more, we can expect our faith to grow. In this process, we will be able to experience the grace of God becoming more evident in our lives. 

Our salvation is coupled with the assurance. The assurance of our faith comes from being faithful and true to the word of the Lord. We should understand how we can have dependence on the person of Jesus Christ. As much as He dwells in us, we must learn how to depend on the power and majesty of Jesus Christ. 

The problem with us is we live as if we don't have faith. And because we live as if don't have faith, we are also not growing in grace. We must be reminded that without faith, it would be impossible to do anything pleasing to the Lord.

Luke 20:19-20

And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them. And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.

Today's Thought: Stop listening to wrong people for you to be able to listen to the Lord.


Missionary Hudson Taylor's grandfather was a big fan of John Wesley. But not for the right reasons. James Taylor would frequently attend the outdoor preaching of Wesley not to listen to the messages from the Lord, but to hurl insults at the preacher and the listeners. Just before James's wedding in 1738, he went to listen Wesley preached again. The Methodist founder preached Joshua 24 with the theme: as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. The message struck James and he became a Christian.

Sometimes we listen to the Word of God, not for the right reasons. Sometimes we listen to the message for us to be able to tell others on how they should live instead of ourselves listening and applying the Word of God according to how the Lord works in our hearts. Sometimes we listen to the message for us to question the Word of God. Sometimes we are tempted to doubt the Word of God.

We should listen to the Word of God and apply them in our lives. It is only through this that we will find meaning on what we hear. It is only through this that the Word of God becomes real in our hearts. It is only through this that the Spirit can work within us. Stop listening to the Word of God wrong reasons.

  



Luke 19:41-42

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

The International Red Cross was born out of what Jean Henri Dunant saw in the battlefield. In 1859 he travelled to Italy to meet Napoleon III concerning a business deal. The French Army was in the field of Italy. When Dunant reached Solferino, he saw forty thousand solders dead or wounded on the field. Without any organized effort to care for the injured, several people died. It was the experience of Dunant that made him abandon his business endeavor and pursued the establishment of Red Cross as well as the codification of the Geneva Conventions to give enough protection to combatants and wounded.

Jesus Christ wept when he saw the city. There was compassion on His heart for the people in the city who had rejected and ignored His message of salvation. He is a God who cares too much and love too great. We should be like Him. We should be moved with compassion with what we see. Lamentations clearly says that what we see affects our hearts.

Dunant did what he could. We should also do what we can do. It is not enough for us to continue sighing on what we had not done. We must work on doing something great for the achievement of the Gospel. It is not a time to waste. It is a time to work and be part of the movement of people doing something for the ministry of the Lord.

John 8:32

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Today's Thought: The Word of the Lord is enough to change lives.

Many tribes in South America, especially those in the Pantanal area, were not accustomed to having American missionaries, or any missionary in general. The early tradition of these tribes were filled of cannibalism, murders, deceit and other evil deeds. But when missionaries endeavored and risked their lives to reach these areas, everything has changed. People can now go to these tribes, though not with a cozy welcome, without being cooked and eaten.

The Bible is more than just a book. It is the Word of the Lord. It is through its letters that men can hear the voice of God. It is the complete expression of God's love for man. It can change the lives of people, if they are just willing to yield to the transformative power of the Spirit of God.

With this truth, we should ask ourselves how much do we give reverence to the Word of God? Do we esteem the Word of God? Or we don't even read it, lest meditate on it.

Luke 19: 31

And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

Today's Thought: Always be ready to listen and do the command of the King.


The Royal Command Performance begun in 1848 when Queen Victoria attended The Merchant of Venice at the Windsor Castle. Since then, the Royal Command Performance has been a tradition wherein a formal performance is held before the head of state. The invitation to perform before the head of state is not actually a request for the schedule of performers, but a command for them to do.

In our lives, God is not asking us to do things according to His will. But He is expecting us to do it for us. He is the great King and we must be ready to obey His command. We are not our own and we don't have the right to refuse what He wants us to do. Paul says: know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

It is our duty to perform what the Lord commands. It is not within our power to bargain and reason with the Lord. It is our responsibility to do it for Him as He expects all the reverence fitting a King.

Luke 23:6-7

When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.

Today's Thought: Take the responsibility and accountability of your actions.


Harry Truman was a senator from Missouri when President Franklin Roosevelt chose him to his running mate for his fourth term in office. While serving the office, Roosevelt died. Truman was the man in charge to run the country. He said to reporters after swearing in: Boys, if you ever pray, pray for me now. I don’t know if you fellas ever had a load of hay fall on you, but when they told me what happened yesterday, I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me.

Often times, we don't accept and take the blame for the things we do, how much more for the things people do under our watch. Decisions have to be made and someone must take the responsibility in making these decisions, whether they be hard or easy. It is important for us to know the real meaning of responsibility.

In the presence of the Lord there is mercy and grace. We can only ask for this mercy and grace to be upon us and equip us for the job ahead of us. Blessings don't come when we don't accept responsibility of what we do.

Luke 22:3

Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

Today's Thought: You are a traitor when you are not engaged in the battle.


King Leonidas of Sparta, with his Greek forces, was ready to face the Persian invasion. The invading Persian were not able to take hold of the narrow pass at Thermopylae. For two days, the Persians tried but they could not hold off the Greeks. Then a local Greek man named Ephialtes went to the Persians and told them how to attack from behind. That day, Leonidas and his men perished and Persians took hold of Sparta and the entire Greek region.

In this war between the devil and the Lord, between light and darkness, the victory has been secured. We have the duty to do our part in this war. However, we often find ourselves fighting not for the Lord, but against the Lord. James 4:4 clearly reminds that our friendship with the world is an act of going against the army of the Lord. There is a war and we must draw the line.

The problem with our churches is not the lack of people, but the lack of loyal soldiers. Many Christians are more willing to fight alongside the devil for a small gain. Are we traitors to the cross of Christ? Or are we loyal subjects to the King of kings?

1 Timothy 1:18-20

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Today's Thought: Be faithful to anything and everything wherein God has called you to do.

At 82 years old, Douglas MacArthur delivered his final major speech before the graduates of West Point. General McArthur was the commanding general of the US troops in major wars including two world wars. He had defended the nation through the years and had challenged men to continue fighting for the same tradition with courage and honor. He finally said: In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield. But in the evening of my memory I come back to West Point. Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country.

The first and foremost war is the one fought against the devil. The Church is in a fight against the prince of darkness. We are all enlisted to be in this war. However, only few are willing to sacrifice and have courage to fight for the Lord. Only few are willing to take on the armor of God for them to be ready in fighting the devil.

It is necessary to hold fast on the faith that we had received. Paul reminded Timothy to continue fighting for the faith which many had already despised. You and I should keep on serving the Lord. Let us not be as like others who had already forgotten about the sacrifice Christ did on the cross.

Habbakuk 2:4

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Today's Thought:  Only those who live by faith can grow in grace. 

Faith and grace always go together. If we want to grow in the grace of the Lord, we must live by faith. It is through faith that we can have access of grace. Romans 5:2 says: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.Without faith, we could not access the riches of the grace of God which He bestowed upon us. 

However, the act of faith is not the contrast of faithlessness. The prophet Habbakuk talked of faith as the contrast of pride. The proud person is going to depend upon his own strength and skills. The humble person seeks the will and grace of God to give Him the strength to go on. The humble person will always grow in grace as he accesses the same through his eye of faith. 

Living in the grace of God needs faith. Without faith, one cannot continue to grow in grace. But faith must come with humility - the act of acknowledging our nothingness and the everything of the Lord. It is an act of surrendering to the will of the Lord and His knowledge of everything in our lives.

Jeremiah 22:5

But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

Today's Thought: Hearing the Word of God and doing the Word of God are two different things.

When the American Civil War exploded, the Confederates needed recognition from established nations of their own sovereignty over states in the South to encourage the international community to pressure the Union to end the war. In September 1862, General Robert Lee crafted a plan to divide his army into three and attack the Union under General McClellan. Lee's plan was in Special Order 191. Mistakenly, one copy was left and was found by a Union soldier. The full details of the Confederates' plan was given to McClellan. However, McClellan did not act on the information immediately. As a result, the Battle of Antietam did not crush the Confederates army when it could have done so. As a result, Lincoln sacked him.

The Lord has given us His Word to help us in our Christian life. But the Bible says we don't want to hear these words. When we fail to act on the Word of God, we always find ourselves in desolation as Jeremiah reminded the people of Israel. While we had been gunning for victory, we would eventually found ourselves in the valley of failure. The Lord has laid out us the plan of the devil for we are not ignorant of the devil's devices. But still we failed to act on the information the Bible tells us.

If we want to have major victories in our lives, we need to believe and act on the Word of God. We cannot just continue hearing it without putting it into practice in our lives. Only those who act on the Word will find blessings and successes as promised by the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:26

Brethren, pray for us. 

Today's Thought: We are all frail and weak; we need prayers from our fellow Christians.

There was a woman who bought a beautiful flower plant from the a garden shop. She was mesmerized by the color the flowers showed. She planted it on her garden and expected it to bloom in the coming days. Two weeks passed by, no flower blossomed, the flower died. The problem: she did not water the flower plant.

In our Christian service, nobody is a superman. We all have our wear and tears, our discouragements and pains. Not because we are Christians we are already immune to all these. No we are not. We are struggling. We have sometimes forsook personal enjoyment in the service of the Lord. We have seen several wounded Christians coming home to church. We have seen millions going to hell one day. All these, and many more, make our hearts tremble.

What we are missing is prayer. We need to intercede for each other. Prayer for others. Let us be blessings of prayers for those who are struggling, discouraged, feeble knees, backsliden, downtrodden, in despair, almost giving up. The Lord hears our prayers; let us just learn to dwell in His presence. 

Philippians 2:8

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Today's Thought: Humility is an act of accepting the will of God in our lives.

King Philip of Spain sent the Spanish Armada to bring Queen Elizabeth to her knees. He was so sure that the Imperial Kingdom of Spain would win against the feeble and upstart England. With only few ships under her command, Elizabeth went to the coast to watch her navy. However, as the Spanish Armada neared the English they found it hard to navigate through its tempestouos waters. England emerged victorious and the Imperial Kingdom of Spain suffered a shameful defeat.

Jesus humbly surrendered Himself to the will of the Father, that our salvation might be secured through His death. He humbled himself, the Bible says, even to the point of death. The result was glorious as man obtained his salvation and the son of God was exalted above all names. The humility of Christ shows us that really humility is surrendering to the will of God in our lives.

Let us draw near unto God and ask for His humility to overcome our sinful and proud nature. Let us surrender to the will of the Father in our lives and be humble to accept His guidance in our directions.

Luke 22:55

And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.

Today's Thought: We become the kind of person the people who sit beside with.


Jesse James was one of the most famous gang leaders in American history. His father was a Baptist preacher who died when Jesse was just three years old. He looked up at his old brother Frank as his father figure. When Frank joined the battle during the Civil War, Jesse also joined. When the war ended, many companions of Jesse formed a criminal gang which robbed banks, trains and many more. This went on until Jesse was killed by one of his men who wanted to get the bounty on his head.

Peter sat beside the very people who were accusing Jesus. It was one of the biggest mistake he had. While he had been warned by Jesus of his denial of Him, he sat beside the very people who would be questioning his relations with Jesus. The people we spend more time with have greater influence on our lives. If we are going to sit with those who people who don't want to worship Jesus, we became like them. While we say that our intentions are good, but we must remember that the power of influence is also a tool to get us out of God's way.

Let us be faithful to our Master. If we want not to be lead toward destruction, let us not stand near the fire. Let us stay away from people who are going to influence us away from the Love of Christ.

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Today's Thought: Let us rest upon the goodness of the Lord for He loves us dearly.


At only six years old, the hymn writer Fanny Crosby lost her sigh because of medical malpractice, so to speak. Crosby recalled that she had heard many times how the doctor did not stop expressing regret over his mistake and he considered it as one of the greatest failures he had. But Crosby added that if she could meet the man she would be thanking him for making her blind. Though it might had been his mistake, but for the Lord nothing is a mistake.

Romans 8:28 is a soft pillow for a tired heart, according to evangelist R.A. Torrey. There are several things that seem so wrong in our lives. But Romans 8:28 says the Lord is in control of everything and out of every pain, sorrow and hardship there is something good the Lord prepares. We need to trust that there is nothing that surprises the Lord and nothing could stop His work in our lives.

The difficulties we are throught are just part of the plan to accomplish our purpose. We need to trust on the one who is molding us according to His purpose and glory. The process may be difficult, but we should never lose sight of the end amidst of all these trials.

Luke 18:14

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

 Today's Thought: The result of self-exaltation and humility always differs greatly.

The instruction of Jesus Christ on humility provides a contrasting inevitable result of self-exaltation and humility. In this particular proclamation, Jesus Christ speaks of a parable warning against self-righteousness and admonishing humility. Jesus Christ speaks on the contrast between the repentant publican and the self-righteous religious.

It is important to note that when the self-righteous man prayed unto the Lord, he is not making a dialogue with Jesus, but he is just making a personal dialogue with himself. The Lord hears only those who are humble enough to accept their weaknesses in His presence. We are not better than others for only the Lord has the perfect understanding to discern our hearts.

We should measure ourselves in the eyes of the Lord and not in comparison with others. God sees the abomination in our hearts. When we come to God, let us be grateful that it is the blood of Jesus that washes away our sins. Let us embrace our nothingness to remind us to stay humble.

Zechariah 4:10

For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Today's Thought: Always be willing to work on small things for they are great in the sight of the Lord.

Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs added a single sentence to their tax collection letters to boost the revenue. Lo and behold, the collection rate reached 86 percent from the dismal 57 percent. What they did was add this sentence: Pay your tax for others are paying too to help the country. The change was a suggestion from a man who wrote the book The Small Big. As a result, over 500 million pounds of delinquent taxes were collected.

People are too focused on big things. We think we cannot do anything for the Lord that matters. We did not see the many little things that we could have done to accomplish more in the future. It was a small sling with a small stone that made Goliath tumbling down. It was the simple pitcher and torch that made the Midianites ran for their life.

There are surely many little things that Christians can do. Let us look for these opportunities of service. Let's do the small things for they will one day make great things to unfold. Let us just be faithful in doing these simple ones and we will see how the Lord does make them great.