DO YOU BELIEVE THAT GOD HEARS YOU?
31 July 2020
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all PEOPLE, for KINGS and all who are in HIGH POSITIONS, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
— 1 Timothy 2:1-2
Maybe some of us are facing challenges in different areas of our life and we are:
· Pessimistic about how our government and the direction of our education system is heading.
· At our wits end about our kids behavioural issues.
· Frustrated and burnout about work project deadlines or conflicts with upper management.
· Tense Spousal situations
When we pray for our children, our spouses, management and government, we rely on Jesus as a mediator to go forth and make changes instead of us relying on our limited words, thoughts and actions.
You may say, “Prayer? Come on, I thought you meant a method or a program that would really make a difference.”
People stop praying because they stop believing that they are being heard. Truth is, we need to believe in faith that prayer makes a tremendous difference and our sovereign God will respond to the prayers of His people. For us children of God, prayer is not an afterthought, but a necessity! Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly father, We thank you for having heard us and for always hearing us. Lord, we ask that you increase our faith all that we learn to develop a personal relationship by communicating with you. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection
1) How often do we pray especially when facing hiccups in life?
2) What is your main obstacle to praying and how to overcome it?
Eddie Lee
THE FAVOUR OF GOD NOT MEN MAKES FOR A FRUITFUL LIFE
30 July 2020
“Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
— Proverbs 3:3-4
Steadfast means unwavering and faithfulness means commitment. We are called to put on these 2 virtues of love upon waking up, going to work, coming home basically all the time. But, this love for others has to be lived genuinely from the inside out instead of it being just a façade. We all fall far short of constant and genuine love and truth because of our inherent human nature.
That’s where Jesus comes in. Jesus loves us for us not because of our intelligence, looks or achievements and because of Christ work at the cross, God now looks at us and sees Christ loving faithfulness in us As such, we now have access to an unwavering source of loving faithfulness in Jesus Christ to draw from.
Just like Joseph carrying Jesus's faithful love, we can continually find favour and success in our family, people we work with and community. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heaven Father, we thank you for loving us and saving us so that now we can approach your throne of grace without judgement. Lord, please give us a spirit of humility so that we can come to know you deeper and closer leaning on your grace for everything. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) What can we change in our character or life in order to respond to this passage?
2) Were there times or moments in our lives that we obtained favour and wondered how did it happen?
Eddie Lee
BEING PLEASANT MAKES OUR LIFE PLEASANT
29 July 2020
“Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.
— Proverbs 13:10
Pride is often the main contributor of fights as it is the fuel that initiates, sustains, and escalates arguments. Self examination is key when we feel anger swelling up and we can choose to be wise or prideful in handling conflicts.
· A wise person is:
· Humble to hear opinions aiming at the end result of peace.
· Slow to speak with the aim to build and encourage rather then tear down
· Able to choose battles by passing over unnecessary arguments.
Pride serves to make us:
· Resentful over small matters.
· Self opinionated and domineering in conversations.
· Critical of others weaknesses, and void of forgiveness.
We know that pride is bad but have we been conscious about it and applying God's word in our lives? All by Gods GRACE!
Prayer
Dear God our graceful father, we thank you for loving is even though we may have yet to know you or are starting to know you. Lord, we ask for you to grant us a spirit of humility so that we learn that we are no better then any human as all are undeserving of any good thing.
But in you, we are blessed and forgiven. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection
1) Lets think about what we have done to contribute to tension at home and whether we could have said things differently to avoid giving offence?
2) Have we allowed our pride to escalate what could have been a constructive and honest disagreement?
Eddie Lee
THE ART OF LIVING WISELY
28 July 2020
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
— Proverbs 2:6
Our daily life is highly complex requiring wisdom to make practical decisions in every area at work, family or health. Godly wisdom is critical as it tells us what real life is in every aspect and tells us what course of action to take in every situation we face. It gives us discernment between what's:
· Right and wrong
· Pride and Humility
· Risk and Calculated Risk
· Self control and Rashness
I like to akin it to an internal hunch or revelation that tells you when something is off or not. I also believe that Godly wisdom is attained based on the fear of the Lord in a good way submitting to the respect and power of God. God’s wisdom and discernment then keeps us stable and secure with a heart at rest. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heaven Father, we thank you for loving us. Lord as we go through our daily routine and responsibilities, we ask for your wisdom so that we can be guided by you. We thank you in Jesus mighty name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) How do you feel at the start of every day? Do you feel restful or anxious?
2) Have you tried asking God for wisdom with a project, issue or just at the start of the day?
Eddie Lee
THE KEY TO ENJOYING GODS PLANS IN OUR LIVES!
27 July 2020
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
— Jeremiah 29:13
Often, we are told of the blessings, wisdom, peace and help which will come our way by knowing God. However, there is a great difference between knowing God and knowing about God as there are many who know about Him but do not really know Him I believe that the measure by which we know God is determined by the measure we receive from him.
The more we receive (hear, obey, live out) His Word, the more we shall know Him and experience his blessings. God does not want us to have a hit and run encounter with him. He wants us to abide (remain and dwell) in him. He wants us to read his word not just for information but for transformation! Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us. Lord, we ask that you increase our faith so that we learn to seek you more and more learning more about you and your grace. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Reading Gods word today, have we asked for him to reveal to us what he wants us to learn?
2) Have we also asked for his grace so that we can apply his word into our lives?
Eddie Lee
GOD’S WORD IS ALIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE
25 July 2020
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
— John 1:1
We are taught to imitate believers who imitate Christ. Have we ever wondered why some believers seemed to walk the Christian walk (displaying the fruit of the spirit) better then us?
I believe the key is about developing our personal relationship with God. It works both ways with God communicating with us and us to him. The word is God because he communicates to us through the holy bible and is asking us to live our lives in close relationship with him.
To be saved, we as believers in Jesus must go on believing and believing till the end. The Bible helps us to keep on trusting in Christ above all as the word of God lives and acts in us making wonderful changes. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us and for having heard us. Lord, we ask for your grace to be upon us and to transform us with your living word! In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) How well do we know Gods nature?
2) Do we believe in Gods power through his word?
Eddie Lee
BREAKING FREE FROM OLD HABITS
24 July 2020
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
The bible teaches that we are buried with Christ through baptism into "death" and when Jesus rose, so did we rise walking in the newness of life. Our death refers to the old sin nature nailed to the cross with Christ. It points at our pride, anger, bitterness, condemnation and worldly passions.
Renewed in the heart, we now look OUTWARDLY toward Christ instead of INWARDLY toward self. Delighting in things of God and looking less at things of the world, we see it in a completely different LENS experiencing a new beauty about everything and a new level of love and compassion towards family/community.
No one reaches sinless perfection in this life, but we are sanctified (made holy) day by day, sinning less frequently as we mature in Christ empowered by the holy spirit! Praise the Lord!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, we thank you for saving us even when we did not even know you. Lord, we ask for your grace and power to be upon us everyday day so that we are constantly renewed in our hearts and mind and truly become more and more like Jesus in character! In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Let's reflect on one sin that keeps recurring in our lives? Have we been able to control and keep it restrain?
2) Have we been doing anything to get rid of it in our lives ? Have we asked for help from God by proclaiming our righteousness in Christ?
Eddie Lee
LIVING OUR BEST LIFE IN JESUS BY YIELDING TO HIM
23 July 2020
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
— Matthew 11:29-30
A yoke is a wooden crosspiece that is attached over the necks of two animals and used as a tool to restrain them for work. Although, the idea of a yoke around our necks isn’t too appealing. Truth is, we are yoked today bearing heavy burdens on our shoulders in areas of work or family. We end up weary and stressed from trying to fulfill the demands and expectations of others ourselves.
Jesus is giving us a solution to attain true rest from living life in todays broken and fallen world. However, easy does not mean no effort as we are called to bear his yoke and to learn his ways. Walking with Jesus does not mean we will not face challenges. Instead, he will be with us and manage the load for us. Taking Jesus's yoke allows him to do great things in us and through our lives! Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly father, we thank you for loving us. Lord, as we go through life being bugged down by the trials and expectations of life we ask for you to teach us your ways for they surpass the ways of man. We thank you in Jesus mighty name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) What is the one thing weighing us down today? Have we made it an idol instead by constantly thinking or trying to fix it?
2) Have we looked to Jesus for refreshment in the middle of our weariness today?
ENDURING CONFIDENCE IN CHRIST IS THE KEY TO LASTING HOPE
22 July 2020
“Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
— Hebrews 10:35-36
Satan is our enemy and sends all kinds of life-defeating, joy-stealing attacks to threaten the faith of us God's children. We have to believe deep in our hearts and know that Satan cannot separate us from the love of God as we believers are already positioned in his grace.
God’s blessings are not only manifested when he returns again but it is also demonstrated in our current life in ways of his peace and provision of life to us when we submit ourselves to his Lordship.
Satan's goal is to take us out of that position by pointing our eyes to the issues we faced instead of looking to Jesus to help us solve it and in turn causing our faith in God to become unsteady. Lets endure, stand firm in our faith and we will be conquerors facing life with assurance. The key to having CONFIDENCE in God is to first be UNCONFIDENT in ourselves!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly father, we thank you for having heard us and for always hearing us. Lord, we ask that you grant us a spirit of humility so that we place our confidence in you and not in ourselves or others. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Let's think about a problem that we are facing at the moment. Have we submitted it to God asking for his grace or have we dived deep into it trying to manage it ourselves?
2) What are 3 words that you can think of when defining Gods character? Have we tried to establish a deeper relationship with God?
Eddie Lee
RELIEVING THE STING OF DEATH
21 July 2020
“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Death be it of a loved one or ourselves is a grim topic and inevitable. Therefore, it is crucial for us to handle it based on the word of God if not we may face the danger of backsliding in faith. The bible teaches that Jesus has overcome death and that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Having said that, the hardest part of any trial for us who still live in the physical is finding comfort and death being the extreme end of a trial makes comfort the hardest to seek. God gives us friends, loved ones and relatives who expresses sympathy to heal our external wounds but the greatest healing comes internally by hanging on to Gods promises especially for families of those who have slept in death.
In memory of my mums passing, God’s word reminded me that as a believer death is the portal to eternal life in heaven and at Gods time I will meet her again. That's why our faith is also our hope as it's the assurance of things not seen and our hope in Christ reaches far beyond our mortal lives. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our loving Father, we thank you for sending your only son Jesus who is perfect to be sin for us so that we are now forever saved. Lord, as we go through life with physical fear of death please keep us strong in faith so that we learn to look to our eternal home in heaven and not be too obsessed with our physical state of death as that's not the end for us who are in Christ. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) What do you think God meant when he said that death for us is like falling asleep? Do we have this hope in an eternal life after death ?
2) No one escapes death. How are we living our life today and are we doing things that truly matter?
Eddie Lee
RIGHT CONFIDENCE IS BEING CONFIDENT IN OUR GOD
20 July 2020
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
— 1 Peter 2:9
Most of us spend our entire lives trying to earn acceptance by our parents, peers or even spouse. This human yearning drive us to strive and achieve and can end up being detrimental if we choose the wrong idol that is the world right now and it's all about performance, efforts and achievements to be accepted.
Accepting Jesus as our Lord and saviour, we have been adopted lovingly by God as his children. This is not based on our performance or effort but simply through faith. Walking amongst others, we now face every day knowing that we draw strength and peace from an almighty and loving source which is God. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our loving father, we thank you for sending us your only son Jesus so that we now walk righteous before you in Christ. Lord, even as we put in our physical efforts in our daily lives help us to lean on you for emotional, mental and spiritual strength so that your grace will be upon us sustaining us every single day. In Jesus mighty name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Is there an area of our lives that we placed our confidence in?
2) Let's reflect on how our lives should be different as followers of Christ and are we living it out practically?
Eddie Lee
NON-JUDGEMENTAL LOVE IS CRUCIAL FOR GROWTH
18 July 2020
“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye
— Matthew 7:3-4
I was convicted by my wife to be judgemental sometime back and it hit me! (Your strongest critic is your spouse). It made me realise that few people who get judged in life change. Whereas, people who get loved change for the better.
We can’t JUDGE someone and LOVE them at the same time. Christianity is never about our superiority over others. Lets learn from Jesus. He was never rude, never spoke with poison or hatred yet strong and confident. In our hostile world, a smile and a pleasant demeanour stands out. By gods grace, we can fight the good fight of faith in a Christlike manner.
Can you imagine what would happen if we believers today exuded the love, truth, grace and compassion of Jesus? I believe more people would be open to following Jesus. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us. Lord, please fill our hearts with tour grace and love so that we learn to see ourselves as undeserving just like everyone else and for our pride to be dissolved. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Have we been hypocritical by speaking something of others but in our hearts thinking of the opposite? Are we also doing the opposite?
2) What are steps we can take biblically to change that?
Eddie Lee
WHEN WE PRAY, HEAVEN FIGHTS FOR US
17 July 2020
“Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
— Proverbs 2:11
We always try our best to protect ourselves and our families from danger. All these efforts are important but they are only at best futile attempts at guarding the physical aspect. What are we doing for our souls and our families souls? Schools, media or gossips certainly do not help in teaching about soul enrichment.
Godly wisdom is key as:
· It will protect us from foolish errors, sin and all sorts of trouble, spiritual and physical.
· It will bring us peace, security, success, and happiness.
Let's start little by little learning the Word of God. The best way to do this apart from going to church is to start our own reading and prayer. The bible teaches that "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Seeking the Lord will result in our holistic spiritual, physical and mental health. Only then can we experience protection and life!
Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly father, we thank you for having heard us and for always hearing us. Lord, please always increase our faith so that we always always learn to derive wisdom from you. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Could you have prayed or give thanks more often?
2) What is the number one thing we asked or prayed for ? Have we tried to make wisdom a constant request to God?
Eddie Lee
UNBELIEF COMES BY LOVING THE PRAISE OF HUMANS
16 July 2020
“For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
— John 12:43
There are many people today finding their worth or dignity in terms of their fame—perceived or real. It is normal to want to be accepted by others. Since young, we as babies adapt by learning to read the cues from those we want to please and adjusting our behaviours accordingly.
However, when we seek most of our self-worth from the opinions of other people, we are on the wrong path. We are flirting with idolatry when we find our personal worth in anything or anyone besides God.
This ultimately stems from pride. Pride inflates our view of our own importance and blinds us to our sins and failings. To be popular, we must choose the world. But doing so means Jesus is not Lord of our lives; we are. When we choose to allow God to define our value rather than other people, we free ourselves to follow everything Jesus calls us to do. Praise the Lord!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us even before we knew you. Lord, please keep us in your grace and give us true wisdom so that we fix our eyes on you instead of the world or people around us. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Do you yearn for human recognition after a job well done or are you satisfied deep down yourself?
2) Let's reflect on how secure are we no matter what we have more or less, have we tried to find security in God yet?
Eddie Lee
JESUS OUR SOURCE OF DELIVERANCE
15 July 2020
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
— James 4:7
We're in a spiritual battle everyday with the devil. We may not see it but the enemy is there inciting anger, jealousy, envy or idolatry. When was the last time we had a bad thought in our mind, angry speech in our tongue or drawn into the ways of the world?
Did we choose to withhold that thought, word or action or did we choose to let it out of our system? Just as the devil tempted Eve to eat the fruit, so can he tempt us to follow and give in to our sins. God wants us to receive deliverance (to be rescued or set free) from sin that easily entangles with our freedom in life.
However, it has to first start by submitting to God as he will then provide to us grace to resist the devil whom will then flee from us. It is only when we submit ourselves to God will we win the battles of anger, bitterness, idolatry against the devil. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly father, we thank you for sending your son Jesus to be sin for us so that we now walk righteous before you in Christ. Lord, we ask that you impart your grace to us so that we can be delivered from the bad habits, tempers, thoughts or actions being sanctified daily by the holy spirit. In Jesus name we pray!! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Was there a time when you know in your heart how you acted or spoke was mean but did it anyway?
2) Could you have exerted self restrain but choose not to ? How did that feel to you?
Eddie Lee
JESUS OUR SOURCE OF PURPOSE, COMFORT AND STRENGTH
14 July 2020
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
— Isaiah 40:29
Often, going through the motions of life brings us much waiting and weariness from waiting for kids to grow up, business or work to improve, relationship changes, etc. Facing a difficult decision, the real key is learning to trust and be patient in Gods timing as he is the one fighting our battles not us.
Trouble comes when we choose to take control and fight our own battles because that shows that we do not believe in a power beyond ourselves. Faithful prayer is critical as it make us assume an attitude of being God reliant instead of self reliant. Then leaning on God, his energy and strength will continually REFRESH and RENEW us! Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, We thank you for having heard us and for always hearing us. Lord, as we go through life with its struggles please give us strength and peace so that we lean on you even more in the midst of our struggles. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) How do you think God wants you to spend your time so that you can connect with him more and not be weary?
2) How do our priorities need to change?
Eddie Lee
JESUS OUR SOURCE OF INTERNAL BLISS
13 July 2020
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
— Matthew 5:3
The beatitudes sermon is probably Jesus most famous teaching to us about being blissful.
He opened with this short powerful verse with 2 life changing points:
1) Contentment by Being Poor (humble) in Spirit Contentment looks beyond external circumstance, wealth or status and is an inner state of being. Jesus knows what we need even before we ask him. Hence, he wants us to seek him through a HUMBLE not HAUGHTY spirit as It is only when we are poor in spirit that we realise our lack and completely rely on God to meeting all our needs.
2) The Kingdom of Heaven Is Not Only About The Future But Now. The kingdom of heaven thats here now refers to Gods reign in our daily lives. He wants us to experience life his loving way and not the worlds harsh way. It happens by allowing him to change everything about us, our way of thinking, our attitude, our actions and most importantly our definition of life.
Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” Surrendering to Lord
Jesus and “losing our life,” we gain His abundant life and true contentment. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, We thank you for loving us. Lord, as we go through life with its worrying and burdensome days please grant us discernment so that we find our rest in you instead of the world. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Lets think for an aspect where we are constantly striving for more and more instead of being contented.
2) Let's be honest with ourselves if we are proud or humble in our hearts. Have we truly submitted ourselves to God?
Eddie Lee
ACKNOWLEDGING THE SILENT KILLERS OF LIFE
11 July 2020
“This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
— Psalm 18:30
King David wrote this on the day the LORD rescued him from his enemies and Saul who wants to kill him. In modern safe Singapore, we get consumed and destroyed not by what's VISIBLE but INVISIBLE.
We try be perfect in the very things we walk with daily, we may be:
· Hiding our flaws before others so that we may be admired or respected but at the same time losing real friends.
· Constantly focused on the next promotion or career jump so as to earn more but instead losing our health and family.
· Brewing discontentment by comparing houses, cars, children or even spouses!
When the root cause (relying on our imperfections instead of drawing from Gods perfection) is not treated, life becomes a chronic disease of pride and envy. We can treat it by surrendering to Gods way in our life through humbly learning his word.
Lets trust that God’s way is perfect, and that he alone will be our protection! Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, we thank you for having heard us and for always hearing us. Lord, please teach us to place confidence in you and not the world so that we learn to depend on you instead. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) What are we counting on to succeed in life and what could be possible distractions that is drawing us further from Jesus?
2) What comes to mind in a difficult situation? Are we asking Jesus to help us first with wisdom or do we dive deep with our own ideas?
Eddie Lee
HOW GREAT IS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER'S ❤!
10 July 2020
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
— Romans 8:32
This verse highlights the beautiful truth about God's everlasting grace and never-ending love for us. We love our children so much that we will never sacrifice them no matter what.
But, Gods love for us is so great that he:
· Chose to send his only son Jesus to save us.
· Allowed his son to go through physical abuse and ultimately a horrifying death at the cross pouring out his wrath on Jesus using him as a sacrifice to atone for our sins.
· Resurrected him from the dead as a symbol of our forgiveness from God.
Believing in our forgiveness of sins by faith, we become a new creation in Christ receiving newness of life. Looking to Christ, we stand in God healing and restoring grace trusting that he will give us all things that are for our good! Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us. Lord, please always teach and guide us so that we learn how to dwell in your love for us and in turn be renewed in our minds changing us from inside out. In Jesus might name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Let's be honest and truthful if its Jesus leading us or are we leading ourselves in our lives?
2) Were there any instance where you have blamed God for a situation that you are in?
Eddie Lee
THE MEANING OF TRUE GENUINE LOVE
9 July 2020
“This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
— 1 Corinthians 12:25-26
God wants us to live harmoniously amongst all believers and even to extend his grace to pre-believers. Especially for us Christ followers, the bible taught that in one spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews or greek, slaves or free.
This means that we are to see each other as a family in Christ and to care for one another like a brother and sister sharing each others burdens and celebrating each others victories.
Often, the world’s definition of love doesn’t always align with God’s. Many times, the world’s idea of love is selfish only loving those whom we can benefit from or those who are the nicest looking and popular breeding internal hypocrisy. Allowing Gods word to lead our family relationships, it will change us internally and in turn teach us to care and love others too.
Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, We thank you for loving us even before we knew you and for saving us even when we have failed you. Lord please impart to us a spirit of grace so that we can reflect the low of Jesus to all that we interact with. In Jesus might name we pray!
Amen!
Reflection:
1) Has it been hard for you to be caring and loving to others especially those who do not have any direct impact or benefit to your life?
2) Have we been expressing love to our family especially during conflict and disappointment?
Eddie Lee
THE KEY TO ENJOYING GODS PROVISION
8 July 2020
“For you BLESS the RIGHTEOUS, O Lord; you COVER him with FAVOR as with a SHIELD
— Psalm 5:12
This verse teaches that the righteous will experience the favor of God. How do we then become righteous before God? The good news is that there is nothing we can ever do (not our works or achievements) to earn that favor except by believing with FAITH in the saving grace of God through his son Jesus Christ.
It is a free gift of love from God to us as it was paid by Jesus Christ who is perfect and sinless.
Being righteous before God, we are now:
· Forgiven of our sins,
· Forever Loved and Accepted,
· Stand in Gods love and favor
· Able to access God directly to ask him for help.
How amazing is it for us to be able to know and experience God’s favor toward us every day of our lives.
Lets come boldly into Gods throne of grace and we will experience true life spiritually, physically, and in every area. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, We thank you for sending your all Jesus who is perfect to be sin for us so that we now walk righteous before you in Christ. Lord, we ask for you to teach and guide us so that we learn trust you and follow you. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Have we been still trying to earn our way into heaven through our effort or works?
2) How often are we coming to his throne of grace (communicating through prayer) and if not what are reasons why?
Eddie Lee
LIVING THE BLESSED LIFE
4 July 2020
“The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing JOY to the HEART. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving INSIGHT for LIVING.
— Psalm 19:8
Joy and Happiness are two different feelings. Joy is CONSISTENT and cultivated INTERNALLY from inner peace. Happiness is INCONSISTENT and cultivated EXTERNALLY based on people, things, thoughts and places.
Unfortunately, today's world around us (advertisements, movies and superficial comments) tells us that happiness comes by:
· Achieving a certain status
· Possessing certain things
· Having more financially
Looking at the divorces, drug abuse, suicide and cheating rates around the world and hollywood, it shows that this is not true. There are many who have everything yet not happy and there are also many having lesser in life yet having a deep inner joy.
Learning from the word of God gives us insight into a well informed life: - Inner Joy can happen even in difficult situations.
· Everything doesn't have to be right in your world for you to experience the feeling of being happy.
Lets keep our focus on the lord that leads to sustaining joy because the ways of man leads to fleeting happiness. Praise the Lord!
Prayer
Dear God our heaven father, we thank you for giving us your word which is so readily available today for our learning. Lord, no matter what we may face or be tempted in this superficial and material world please give us a spirit of perseverance so that we learn from you so that we may attain true internal joy. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Are we basing our everyday thoughts and actions on the word of God?
2) What would your honest response be if someone asked you to describe your life in 3 words?
Eddie Lee
MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING AND GOD WILL PROVIDE WHAT WE NEED
3 July 2020
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
— Matthew 6:24
Solomon, the richest king in the world had everything yet found it worthless and futile as it did not produce happiness or the peace his soul longed for. If a believer is constantly seeking material things, it is definitely wrong. That is not to say we cannot be blessed with more then enough provision for our enjoyment. When God blesses us, there is a duty on our part to be thankful for it and to give back (tithe, ministry, evangelise, etc) to further his kingdom.
If we do not do that, there is a high tendency to fall into the pride of life as Satan wants us to chase after MATERIALISM instead of CONTENTMENT. The more we seek for Gods glory to be done in our lives, the less we will seek our own glory! Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our Heavenly Father, We thank you for loving us. Lord, even though we have physical needs please teach us and increase our faith so that we lean towards you as the source for our everything. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Let's honestly think about what are we working for (provide for family, personal ego, etc)?
2) What is your self worth based on (financial targets, nice car, etc)?
Eddie Lee
LET JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL OF OUR SERVING TO AVOIDING BURNOUT
2 July 2020
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
— Galatians 5:13
We were all born to serve in all aspects of our lives be it:
· Parent to our children
· Spouse to Spouse
· In-law to our in-laws
· Friend to Friend
· To bosses or subordinates
· Serve at church
Service without love at the center usually leads to bad outcomes as we have a weakness to let the flesh take over instead giving into our self-gratifying and self-centered nature. With a willing heart at the beginning, we may start yearning for recognition or put in too much time and effort that we get bogged down and burnout. Jesus taught us to serve in love.
But, without the empowerment of the holy spirit, serving easily becomes grumbling and bitterness. With wisdom, patience and kindness from God, we:
· Know to not over-stress ourselves and find time to rest.
· Look past peoples imperfections and focus on their good or at least be at peace with those who really test us.
· Look at serving with a grateful and joyful perspective.
Only by continuously inviting God’s power to work in our lives can we truly serve one another in love! Hallelujah!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, we thank you for having heard us and for always hearing us. Lord as we go about our days serving our family, children, spouse and you, we ask for your strength and wisdom to be upon so that in you we will be sustained always. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) How can we practically serve with love in our lives?
2) When tested, do we first fault find ourselves or immediately shoot back at others?
Eddie Lee
LEARNING TO LOVE COMES FROM KNOWING GOD LOVES US
1 July 2020
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
— 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Friends, how are we absorbing this verse today?
Are we treating it as a:
· Standard of measure to reach up to? or
· Need to ask for Gods grace to help us with achieving?
We know God is love and he wants us to show love to others too. But continuously stacking ourselves up against that passage, we keep falling short getting frustrated, impatient and committing the total opposite of what is required of us. When we treat this verse as a reflection of Gods loving nature, we know we can rely on his strength instead of ours to help us achieve true love.
Our loving God can:
· Keep our temper with our children and spouse.
· Help us manage to be consistently respectful of others.
· Teach us to empathize even with people who may be nasty to us.
Let's not let this verse that's widely read at weddings or written on love notes lose its important message! All by Gods GRACE!
Prayer
Dear God our heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us even before we knew you. Lord please give us a spirit of humility so that we know to ask you for help to teach us how to love others just as Jesus loves us. In Jesus might name we pray! Amen!
Reflection:
1) Were there times when we were patient and kind to outsiders but yet unkind and impatient to family?
2) Are we someone who keep grudges and scorecards against a person or do we forgive and forget easily?
Eddie Lee