Romans 5:6

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Today's Thought: The greatness of God's love is demonstrated in the sacrifice of Christ.

In Great Expectations, a book of Charles Dickens, there was a woman named Miss Havisham. She was wealthy and she was courted by a scoundrel who only wanted her money. On their wedding day, he did not show up and sent a message declaring his true intentions. Miss Havisham stopped all clocks in the house. It reminded her of the betrayal and pain. She never moved on from that pain.

But no pain could ever be comparable to the impact of sin on the heart of God. Adam failed the Lord. Sin came into the world and it brought with it death. Yet in that situation, a rescue mission was laid out to bring in the sinful man, to give him the chance to be with the Lord.

It was the perfect demonstration of God's love. If one cannot be convinced of God's goodness, Calvary says it all. God was willing to do everything to reach out and provide sinners with a way out even when they hated Him. It is the greatest gift God has given us and it is the grandest expression of love.

2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. Greet one another with an holy kiss. All the saints salute you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen

Today's Thought: Dedication and unity are keys to successful Christian life.

Sports organization have a simple rule - to win. It is important for professional athletes to have the support that they need for them to win. Coaches, trainers and staff must have the same goal of winning. With the massive organization, dedication and unity of all people is difficult but achievable.

Divisions are hindrances to what God's people could achieve. While we must stand on our convictions and on doctrinal standards, but we must be the one looking for divisions. Paul asked us to of the same mind with him as he is with Christ. Whie there are several opinions and ideas abounding within, the primacy of Christ must be first of all.

The early church was in one accord in one place. This is the aspiration that we should have. While it is impossible to be in unison and uniform, let us endeavor to be united.

Philippians 3:8

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

Today's Thought: Everything else is worthless when compared to the greatness of Christ.

Perhaps the greatest denial of self, next to Christ, was Paul. Though he was a lawyer, he took no offense in abasing himself for him to exalt the greatness of Christ. Paul knew that all he'd learned before were nothing compared to the knowledge of Christ.

We see the our will and our heart are everything. True religion is only the religion of the heart "for out of it are the issues of life." Only the spirit of prayer, or the longing desire of the heart after Christ, God and heaven, breaks our bondage and lifts us out of the thoughts of this present world.

We must learn to forget our selves, to be nothing like John the Baptist. We should make prayer our life, our state, the principle of our lives.

James 4:3

 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Today's Thought: Ask wisely and the Lord will answer your prayer.

With the rise of online ordering, people can easily buy things without the need to physically visit the store. However, there are instances when the ordered item does not meet the expectation of the buyer. Some online stores would allow the return of these items with the option of substituting it with a better one.

When we pray to God, we must be tell Him to take our weak prayers and answer them according to His will. We do not see our prayers answered because they are selfish and only focuses on what we want. Instead, let make it a motive of our hearts and trust Him who knows the best to give us.

The Lord is a God of power and might and He will surely send us something far better than what we are asking Him. Let us trust the Lord to give us the best and let us hope that our prayers our answered accordingly.

Luke 24:46

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

Today's Thought: The sacrifice of Jesus is an important ingredient of our salvation.

When one substitutes one thing for the original, it may work. For instannce, when one does not like to use egg in baking, a little applesauce and baking power will still yield the sam result. Whether you travel by plane or by land, one still reaches his destination. There are several things in life that could make use of substitute.

However, when it comes to salvation, there is no substitute. When it comes to redemption, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ do not have any substitute. This is a fundamental part of our faith and there is no substitute to the same as Paul declared: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."

There are no alternatives for the atonement of sin and for our reconciliation with God. No man could die for Jesus, nor angels could. It was the unrelentless pursuit of God that led Him to the cross to save us poor sinners. In return, we ought to serve Him with all our hearts, mind and strength.