2018 - New Year Eve Celebration and Watch Night Service

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I will provide what you need every day.

Matthew 6:11 New International Version (NIV)

11 Give us today our daily bread.

In Matthew 6:9-14 we read the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray...9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (KJV)

Since we know that Jesus encouraged us to ask, seek & knock, with the promise that our God and Father would hear our prayers, then we can only assume that everything we pray in The Lord's Prayer will be answered by our Heavenly Dad.

In verse 11, Jesus teaches us to ask our Father to provide our daily bread. If Jesus told us to ask for daily provision, then it was because He knew that His Father would provide what we need every day.  We only need to ask and trust Him to provide because that is what good fathers do.

So don't be afraid to pray to your Heavenly Father today and say... "Give us this day our daily bread". (For a further reminder of this promise, read Matthew 6:25-34.)

If you pray to Me in secret, I will reward you openly.

Matthew 6:6 New International Version (NIV)

6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray a very special prayer beginning in Matthew 6:9 that we call the Lord's Prayer. Many people know this very popular Christian prayer off by heart as I am sure that it is the most recited prayer of all time. Jesus is very clear who we are to direct this prayer to... Our Father who art in heaven.

Just before Jesus gives His instruction on what to pray, He tells them how to pray. He tells His disciples to find a quiet spot away from the hustle and bustle of life and just spend some quality time with their Heavenly Dad.

In today's promise, Jesus tells us that if we develop a secret, intimate prayer life with our Father, then God will reward us openly. I believe that our Father absolutely loves it when His kids come to Him when we are the only ones who know about it!

I am very close to those who have a broken heart.

Psalm 34:18 New International Version (NIV)

18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

King David knew a thing or two about heartache. Whether it was being overlooked by his father when he was a shepherd boy, being chased down by a murderous father-in-law or publicly exposed for his deadly secret sins.

In the midst of his own personal pain and suffering, David discovered that God was very close and was always ready to save those with a contrite spirit. If God is indeed close to those with a broken heart as David said He was, what does that mean for us today?

With all of the horror that goes on in the world, I can only imagine that our God and Father is walking alongside every brokenhearted person on the planet whether they are aware of His presence or not. I don't think this idea is too much of a stretch because in Acts 2:17 we read that at Pentecost God poured out His own Spirit on all people. So if that is indeed the reality, God is closer that we could possibly imagine.

In some Christian circles though, we are afraid to expose our own personal brokenness for fear of being judged. Yet it is David, called 'a man after God's own heart', who wrote Psalm 34. If you read David's life story, you will know that he was not speaking in a hypothetical context, but right out of his own life experiences.

No matter what depth of despair you might be contending with in your own life today, may this promise encourage you that your Heavenly Father is very near.

You will have perfect peace if you keep focused on Me.

Isaiah 26:3 New International Version (NIV)

3 You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.

The New Living Translation Bible says Isaiah 26:3 this way... You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! I used to think that if I could fix all my thoughts on God in my mind, then I would have perfect peace. But the more I think of the whole verse, the more that I am convinced that I have been emphasizing the wrong part of the verse.

The last part of this verse is the key... because he trusts in you. If we truly trust God with all of our life, then we won't feel the need to spend all of our time thinking about how we should manage our lives ourselves. If we don't have to think about managing life because we trust God to care for us, then we will have loads of free space in our mind to simply think on God. And that allows us to continually think on all of the good things that we are encouraged to think about in Philippians 4:8.

In my many travels, I have not really found a person yet that doesn't struggle in some degree with an active thought life. My prayer for each and every one of us today is that God would show us that the key to having a mind full of peace is to first have a trusting heart. May the love of God convince us more today that He is worthy of our trust!

I am your rock and your salvation, a fortress that cannot be shaken.

Psalm 62:2 New International Version (NIV)

2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

God is the only unmovable force in this universe that cannot be shaken. In a world where global economies can come crashing down on a moment's notice, in a world where fragile peace treaties fail, it is comforting to know that our God is our only rock and our salvation.

Psalm 62:1-2 in the New Living Translation says it this way... 1 I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. 

God is our defense and He alone is a strong tower that can never ever be moved. My prayer is that we would all find great security in this promise today. He will never fail us. Ever. May we stop looking to other things to provide the safety and security that can only come from God and God alone, for He is a fortress that cannot be shaken.

I will keep you safe from trouble for I am your hiding place.

Psalm 32:7 New International Version (NIV)

7 You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

In today's promise, we are reminded that God is our hiding place. He is a refuge for us when we need to be safe from trouble. I love how the Amplified Bible translates Psalm 32:7... You are a hiding place for me; You, Lord, preserve me from trouble, You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! (AMP)

I love how David puts the word 'Selah' at the end of this verse which the Amplified Bible says it means to 'pause, and calmly think of that!' So let's all take a short 'Selah' break and think about the idea that our God and Father is our hiding place and that He surrounds us with songs and shouts of deliverance when we need to be rescued.

What challenges are facing you today that you need refuge from? God is inviting you to run to Him so that He can be a place of safety and security for you and ultimately the place where He will deliver you from all your troubles. May each one of us take time to pause (Selah) in our busy lives to calmly think of today's promise.

2018 - Christmas Service & Lunch

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When I offered up My one and only Son, I gave you the best gift I could give.

Romans 8:32 New International Version (NIV)

32 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?

Christmas marks the one day in the year where gifts are given and received around the world. I could not think of a more appropriate day to talk about the greatest gift that our Father could give. On a day that we celebrate the birth of God's only begotten Son, may we also be reminded of the reason why Jesus came to earth.

In John 3:16 we read that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son... It was the Father who gave us everything He could possibly give when He sacrificed the life of His treasured possession. In today's promise, Paul the Apostle reminds us of this incredible gift. God did not spare His Son, but delivered Him up to the most excruciating death on a cross in order that we could be born into His family.

The greatest gift that you could receive this Christmas day, is a deeper revelation of just how much our God and Father loves you. He gave up everything He loved in order to gain your love. May the revelation of His love go even deeper into your heart today and may the cross of Jesus Christ always be the ultimate symbol of our Father's greatest gift to you.

Have a blessed Christmas!

I will go before you and fight your battles.

Deuteronomy 1:30 New International Version (NIV)

30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes,

In Exodus 14:14, the Lord makes this promise to Israel... "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (NIV) Today's promise is yet another reminder that God has committed Himself to fight for you. In Romans 8:31 Paul reminds us that if God is for us, who can be against us?

We know from Ephesians 6 that our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the dark powers and rulers of this world. In Ephesians 6:10 we are called to be strong in the Lord and His mighty power and to take on the full armor of God. It is His armor, not ours.

If you are feeling overwhelmed today with the things that are opposing you, may this promise bring great comfort to your heart. My prayer is that each and every one of us would live in the safety and security that is described in Psalm 91, knowing that we live in the secret place of the Most High, and we dwell under the shadow of the Almighty.

The amazing truth of the gospel is that God is for you, not against you and He will go before you and fight your battles on your behalf.

I have made an everlasting covenant to only do good things for you.

Jeremiah 32:40 New International Version (NIV)

40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.

The NLT Bible translation of Jeremiah 32:40 says it this way...And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. 

God has made an iron-clad, rock solid covenant with us that cannot be broken. He has made a commitment to only do good things for us ...forever! If you have ever seen the paintings of God depicted as an angry old man in the sky, then this promise might come as a surprise to you. The enemy of our souls would want you to think that God is not good and that He doesn't want good things for His kids.

However, in James 1:17 the NIV Bible says... Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  God is good and every good gift comes directly from His hand. Throughout the Bible, many of its writers have declared the statement that 'God is good and His mercy endures forever!'

If you struggle to believe that God has made an everlasting covenant to only do good things for you, then ask Him for a deeper revelation of this promise as it concerns you. He is a good Father and He gives good gifts to His kids (Matthew 7:6-8). 

I lavish My great love on My children.

1 John 3:1 New International Version (NIV)

3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

The greatest display of our Father's love is that He would call us His children. There is no higher honor or more wonderful experience than to be known throughout the universe as a child of the living God. The NIV Bible ends this verse with an exclamation mark (!) just to emphasize the point.

We are God's kids!!!!! How great is the love that He has poured out on us that He would call us His children! If this thought doesn't cause us to want to jump up and shout 'Hallelujah!', then I think we should ask for a greater revelation of this promise. I believe that the more that this foundational truth becomes part of our everyday life, the less influence fear will have because perfect love casts out fear! (1 John 4:18).

God wants us to be rooted and grounded in this revelation. We belong to God. He is our Dad. This is the very reason why Jesus came to earth, so that His Father could become our Father (John 20:17). I want to end today's devotional thought with part of the prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:17 so that you and I would have a power encounter with the Spirit of God so that we might know this promise in the deepest core of our being...

Ephesians 1:15-21
15 For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints,16 don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; 18 having the eyes of your hearts  enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might 20 which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. (WEB)

My tender mercies never fail, for they are new every morning.

Lamentations 3:22-23 New International Version (NIV)

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

The NIV Bible says Lamentations 3:22-23 this way...  22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 

Not only does this promise say that God's tender mercies will never fail, but they are new every morning. Every day is a new day for God to reveal His love to us. When I think of this promise, I wonder if there is something in the heart of our God and Father that skips a beat every morning when we open up our eyes?

Every morning He renews His commitment of love to us. What an amazing thought this is to me! Paul the Apostle declared in Romans 8:38-39 that he was convinced that nothing could ever separate him from the love of God that was expressed in Jesus Christ our Lord. It sounds like Paul needed to be convinced and I think we need to be convinced too!

If that is the case, then every morning is a new opportunity for God to convince us that He really, really, really loves us and His love will never fail (1 Corinthians 13:8). My prayer for each one of us is that as we wake up every morning, we will be reminded that God's tender mercies are renewed again for us! God's love for you is unfailing and relentless and is new every morning!

I will not let you fall, for I am watching over you day and night.

Psalm 121:3 New International Version (NIV)

3 He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;

God does not sleep and He does not slumber. He watches over us day and night so that we will not stumble and fall. The image that comes to mind as I write today's devotional is that of a doting father watching over his little toddler as the child is learning to take its first steps. Wherever the little one goes, the father is following very close behind to make sure that no accidents happen.

The NLT translation of Psalm 121:3 says it this way... He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. No matter where you go, no matter what time of the day or night, God is watching over you, caring for you to make sure that you don't stumble. 

What a loving Father we have! Just as no earthly father would want to see his toddler bump his/her head on a coffee table or fall down a step, so our Heavenly Father is watching over us to make sure that we don't stumble and fall. May this simple picture of God's protecting love bring encouragement to our hearts today. 

I am the perfect Father.

Matthew 5:48 New International Version (NIV)

48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect

In the Old Testament, God was revealed through over 300 different names (ie Jehovah, El Shaddai, Adonai, etc.) but in the New Testament, Jesus reveals God through one name, and that name is 'Father'. God is all about being a Father. Father is who He is. God is referred to as Father in every book of the New Testament except for one. 

I believe the summary of New Testament revelation can be found in one Bible verse in John 20:17, after Jesus comes out of the tomb and bumps into Mary in the garden. These are His words... Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (NIV)

Jesus died so that His Father could become our Father. No matter how wonderful our earthly fathers are, we still need the love that comes from the perfect Father in heaven. If the best dad's love is a drop, our Heavenly Dad's love is the ocean!

My prayer is that we would all have a deeper revelation of the fatherhood of God today and that His amazing love would dismantle every misconception that we have of His perfect Father's heart. 

If your parents reject you, I will take you in.

Psalm 27:10 New International Version (NIV)

10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
    the Lord will receive me.

It was King David who wrote Psalm 27 and penned the words "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up" (KJV). David was called a man after God's own heart and had a revelation of God's intimate love that was greater than any mother's or father's love. 

We don't read much about David's relationship with his parents other than the fact that his father Jesse, neglected to bring David in from the field when the prophet Samuel was looking to anoint a king from one of Jesse's boys. I don't know if this was an indication of the relationship that David had with his father or not, but for whatever the reason, David knew that the Lord would always receive him whether his earthly parents did or not. 

In a generation where nearly 50% of the homes in Western nations will end up in divorce, this promise is really, really important. No matter what happens in our relationship with our own parents, our God and Father will receive us with His arms open wide. May the Holy Spirit give each one of us a deeper revelation of this truth today. 

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to My heart.

Isaiah 40:11 New International Version (NIV)

11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young.

In yesterday's promise, we talked about the benefit of having a loving Shepherd lead us and guide us. Today we want to continue that thought with an amazing illustration of God's love that comes from Isaiah 40:11. In this passage of Scripture, we see a very intimate picture of how God sees us as His little lambs.

He is the Great Shepherd who feeds us, carries us and leads us into greener pastures. If you struggle to feel God's nearness, I would encourage you to meditate on this Scripture and picture yourself as a little lamb needing to be picked up. God uses many illustrations throughout the Bible to help us comprehend how He feels about us.

A little lamb is helpless, defenseless and completely dependent on its shepherd, just like we are! I pray that God will give each one of us the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation today (Ephesians 1:17) in greater measure so that we will really know that our God and Father carries us in His arms just like a shepherd carries a little lamb. 

Announcement

1. Christmas Caroling
Date: 24th Dec 2018, Monday
Time: 6pm - 12pm
Details: For those who are interested please contact Corps Office.

2. Christmas Day Service and Lunch
Date: 25th Dec 2018, Tuesday
Time: 10am
Venue: Penang Corps, Worship Hall
Details: To those ladies that would like to contribute dessert for this special day, kindly contact Capt Fiona.
Note: There will be Christmas photo session at 10am.
Dress Code:  Christmas Vintage/ Red or Green.

3. Christmas Open House
Date: 25th Dec 2018, Tuesday
Time: 7pm - 9pm
Venue: Penang Children’s Home
All are welcome.

4. Sharing Christmas With Others
Date: 25th Dec 2018, Tuesday
Time: 9pm
Details: Food distribution to the streets. If you are interested to e part of this special programme, kindly sign up with Lieut. Daniel.

I am your God and you are the sheep of My pasture.

Psalm 100:3 New International Version (NIV)

3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

In today's promise, we are reminded that we are God's people, the sheep of His pasture. There are many references to us being sheep in the Bible. Jesus said in John 10:27 that His sheep hear His voice and will not follow a stranger. In Psalm 23 we read one of the most celebrated passages that tells us that the Lord is our shepherd.

I am not an expert on sheep, but from what I do know about these animals, they are pretty dependent upon their shepherd to lead them and to protect them. All they have to do is to listen for his voice and follow wherever he goes. They are not required to make decisions for themselves or manage their life. They simply live under the watchful care of a shepherd that they know would lay down his life for them if it came to that.

In a world system that celebrates independence and self-sufficiency at every turn, this might be a thought that offends our mind. We don't want to be led ...we want to lead! Yet in Romans 8:14, we read that those who are led by the Spirit of God are the very sons of God.

We were never created to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. We have a Great Shepherd and Lord and Savior who has already done that for us. All we have to do is listen for His voice and follow Him wherever He goes.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:14 New International Version (NIV)

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

In yesterday's promise, we talked about how God uniquely created each one of us with His own hands. I ended my devotional with the Scripture that inspired today's promise. This is a declaration from King David that he was the handiwork of the living God and that he was fearfully and wonderfully made.

Can you say the same thing about your life? Can you look in the mirror and with a joy-filled heart declare to God ... "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made!!!!!" When most people look in a mirror, they only see their imperfections. Even the most popular celebrities and professional models obsess over the smallest of flaws.

In the Great Commandment, Jesus tells us that we are to love God with all our heart, all our mind and all our strength... and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Loving ourselves from God's perspective is not narcissism but rather just agreeing with how God sees us... We are fearfully and wonderfully made!

In some Christian circles, self-hatred can be seen as a form of humility. I personally do not believe that this brings joy to our Father's heart. If He says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, who are we to disagree with the living God?

I created you with My own hands.

Psalm 119:73 New International Version (NIV)

73 Your hands made me and formed me;
    give me understanding to learn your commands.

In today's promise, the psalmist declares that God's own hands created him. What a glorious thought! It makes me think of the tender creation process when our God and Father formed Adam out of the dust of the earth. If God did indeed create each one of us the same way, then God must see each one of us as His work of art!

In Ephesians 2:10, the KJV Bible says... For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. The NLT says that we are God's masterpiece. What a blessed thought!

My prayer is that each and every one of us would know that we are all a one of a kind masterpiece that can never be replaced in the sight of our Father. May faith rise up in our hearts today as we join in the declaration of King David in Psalm 139:14 where he said... I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (NIV) 

My family in heaven and on earth is named after Me.

Ephesians 3:14-15 New International Version (NIV)

A Prayer for the Ephesians

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a]in heaven and on earth derives its name.

All fatherhood is derived from the one and only true Father God. The Amplified Bible says Ephesians 3:15 this way... For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name]. (AMP)

When God looks at you and me, He doesn't see nameless, faceless workers, He sees family. He is a loving Father who lovingly relates to His children. Not workers, not servants and not slaves... but sons and daughters.

The more that we begin to see that the Christian life is all about family, the more we will be drawn into His fathering heart. It is the most wonderful revelation when we know that our value to Him is not based on what we do but simply who we are.

My prayer today is that we would all have a deeper revelation that we belong to the family of God. Our very name comes from our heavenly Father. In John 8:35, Jesus said these words... Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. (NIV)

May we all know that we have a permanent place in our father's family where we will belong forever!