I will give you a double portion of your inheritance in exchange for your shame.

Isaiah 61:7 New International Version (NIV)

7 Instead of your shame
    you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy will be yours.

In the Hebrew tradition, the eldest son of the family would receive a double portion of the family's inheritance. So if I understand this correctly, if there were 5 heirs, then the inheritance would be divided 6 ways and the eldest son would get 2/6 of the inheritance which would be double the inheritance that his brothers and/or sisters received. 

Isaiah 61 is a prophetic declaration of freedom pointing to the day when Jesus would come to the world and be the fulfillment of all the promises made in this amazing chapter of the Bible. You can read more about this in Luke 4:14-20 if you like. Isaiah declares that the coming Messiah will bring freedom to the captives, comfort for the grieving and beauty for ashes. He also declares that we will exchange our shame for a double portion of our inheritance!

Since the double portion belongs to the eldest son, we know that this promise is referring to us sharing in the inheritance of our elder brother, Jesus Christ. No longer do we need to carry the stigma of shame! God has made us heirs of His inheritance and joint heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:15-17).

May the reality of all that is proclaimed in Isaiah 61 become a tangible benefit in your life today. Instead of shame, you will receive a double portion of your inheritance!

I will carry you in My arms just like a father carries his child.

Deuteronomy 1:31 New International Version (NIV)

31 and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”

The NIV Bible says this verse this way... "There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." (NIV) This is one of those very clear pictures in the Old Testament of God's Fatherheart for the nation of Israel. I find it interesting that from God's perspective, He saw Himself as actually carrying each Israelite just like an earthly father would carry his son.

I wonder what that would have looked like in the eyes of God? Would God have been cradling Israel in His big strong arms? Would He have been lifting Israel up over His head so that the nation could sit on top of His shoulders? Perhaps there would be many ways for God to carry Israel, depending on their situation.

When they were grieving... When they were taking new territory... When they were afraid... God was always there to hold them and carry them through each season, whether they were even aware that He was holding them or not.

The truth is that no matter how difficult life gets, it is God who is carrying us through every adversity. We might not be aware of how close He is to us, but that does not change the reality that He is holding us very close all the days of our lives. May each one of us feel the warmth of His embrace today.

All the days of your life are written in My special book.

Psalm 139:16 New International Version (NIV)

16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

I like this Bible verse best from the NIV Bible which says... "your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (NIV) What an amazing promise! Before our body was even formed, the eyes of God were fixed upon us. Before we even breathed one breath, God had created a special book that contained each day of our lives. 

In the ministry that God has called us to, we often hear that people struggle to feel like they belong in this world. If they were born out of an unplanned pregnancy, they might feel like their life was not intentionally planned. We have heard from many dear people that they have felt all of their lives that they were a mistake!

If you struggle with any of these feelings, it is my hope and prayer that this promise would settle once and for all the irrevocable truth that it was God Himself who planned your life before the foundation of the world. It was not your parents that ultimately planned your existence, but your loving Heavenly Father. 

Every one of your days was written in His special book before one of them came to be! What attention to detail! What indescribable love! You were wanted by the Creator of the heavens and the earth and He has a plan to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a bright future (Jeremiah 29:11).

My thoughts toward you outnumber the sand on the seashore.

salm 139:17-18 New International Version (NIV)

17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

Have you ever tried to count the number of grains of sand there are on a seashore? While it might be technically possible to do, I think it is very close to the realm of impossible. There is simply too much sand to be able to even begin to count.

King David makes a declaration that the thoughts of God toward him literally outnumber the grains of sand on the seashore. Basically I think what David was saying was that God is continually thinking of him! Non stop... all the time!

If we try to comprehend this promise with our human understanding, we will short circuit for sure because it does not seem possible that God would be constantly thinking of us. I am so thankful that our Heavenly Father is not limited by our own human limitations! The truth is that He can do whatever He wants, however He wants to do it. 

My prayer for each one of us today is that we would become more aware of the longing in our Papa's heart for us. He is thinking about you RIGHT NOW! And right now, and right now again! Isn't that amazing? The God of the universe cannot stop thinking about you and me! May this life-changing truth sink deep down into the depths of our heart and transform us more and more on the inside.

You can rest in My love, for I have power to save you.

Zephaniah 3:17 New International Version (NIV)

17 The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

I know that I often say that many of the promises are my most favorite, but this is really one of my favorite Old Testament Bible passages. What a picture of God's intimate heart for His kids! He says that He lives right in the midst of us, that He is mighty to save us and that He rejoices over us with great joy and singing!

This is one of those amazing images in the Bible that speaks of a Father's delight for His children. I believe that the connotation here is that God is actually not able to contain Himself with the joy that He has for us. My prayer today is that each and every one of us would be able to let this image go deeper into our hearts than it has ever gone before.

God is excited over your life! He is so happy that He sings His love songs over you and me. Part of the promise of this one Bible verse is that because God really does love us and He has power to save us, we can rest in His love. We don't have to be afraid any longer. He is big, He is strong and He is mighty to save us! All we have to do is yield to His love today and rest in His arms.

I give life and breath to all things.

Acts 17:24-25 New International Version (NIV)

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

In today's promise, we read the Scripture passage where the Apostle Paul is speaking to some Greek philosophers on a place called Mars Hill. In this place of pagan worship, they had many false gods that they erected statues and monuments to. 

Paul, being the relevant kind of guy that he was, stopped at a simple monument created for 'the unknown god'. It was there that Paul began to reveal some of the mysteries about who the 'unknown god' actually was. Paul went on to preach the good news to these philosophers and revealed that the unknown god was actually the only true God.  I love how Paul creatively shared how God does not need to be worshiped through statues and idols because He is the very One that gives life and breath to all things!

The truth is that our God is not unknown and nameless. If we want to know what He is like, all we have to do is look at His Son, Jesus Christ. In John 14:9, Jesus says that anyone who has seen Jesus has seen the Father. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father's being. 

The wonderful news about today's promise is that the God and Father of all creation (Ephesians 4:6) continues to be very involved in everything He created. He is not distant and unconcerned, for every heart beat and every breath comes from His goodness.

I spoke the universe into existence.

Genesis 1:1 New International Version (NIV)

The Beginning

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Right at the beginning of the Book of all books, the Bible says... "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." This statement alone could be enough to bring peace to any unsettled heart. God is in control.  He has always been in control. 

He is the One who spoke the entire universe into existence with just the sound of His voice. He is Almighty God. He is the All Powerful God. He is the All Knowing God. Whenever you feel that your life is spinning off its axis, be comforted in knowing that our God and Father has always been, and always will be in control. 

This is the same Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent Creator who has decided to love you with all His heart (1 John 3:1). No matter what forces oppose you today, be comforted in knowing that the God who spoke the universe into existence is in your corner!

You can look forward to the new heaven and earth that I have promised.

2 Peter 3:13 New International Version (NIV)

13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

We have something really big to look forward to! ... A new heaven and a new earth! If that is not cause for celebration, I don't know what is! All of the reminders of a fallen world will be gone and we will have the privilege of enjoying an untainted new residence for all of eternity! No matter how difficult our circumstances become, we can hold onto the promise of eternal life. 

In Jeremiah 29:11, God promises a hope and a future to all who belong to Him. The next time you turn on the television and watch the news, don't lose heart! There is a time coming when our God and Father will make a new heaven and a new earth for us! How amazing will that day be for all those who are in Christ! He is a good Father and He keeps all of His promises!

There is a special room in My house prepared just for you.

John 14:2 New International Version (NIV)

2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

This is part of Jesus' last address to His disciples before He goes to the cross. It is interesting that Jesus actually assumes that the disciples already know that they have a place in His Father's house because He says... "If it were not so, I would have told you". The verse prior to this one, Jesus says to His disciples ... "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. (NIV)

The very foundation of believing the promise that we have a place in our Father's house is trust. Jesus' heart's cry is... trust in My Father and trust in me too! It is amazing to think that each one of us, who has called on the name of the Lord, has a place already prepared in heaven. 

No matter how unstable this world system gets, we already have a home prepared for us and Jesus promises to one day receive us back unto Himself so that we can be with Him where He lives for all eternity (John 14:3). Where is this special room located in heaven? The KJV version of John 1:18 says that Jesus declared the Father right from His bosom. If we are to be where Jesus lives, I believe that each one of the rooms in our Father's house is located in the center of His heart!

What a glorious promise! We will live forever with Jesus in the very bosom of the Father! May this promise bring comfort and hope to our hearts today no matter what trials we are facing.

2019, 21 Sept - Senior Citizen Breakfast

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You can celebrate because your name is written in heaven.

Luke 10:20 New International Version (NIV)

20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

In this Scripture passage, Jesus is telling His disciples not to rejoice because the demons submit to their authority, but rather rejoice because their names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. I believe the core of what Jesus is saying in this passage is simply this... relationship supersedes authority. 

Though signs may follow us wherever we go on this side of heaven, the very reason for this demonstration of the authority that God has entrusted to us is because we belong to Him. The very fact that our names are written in heaven means that we will live with God Himself for all eternity and that is cause for lots of celebrating! 

Though we may walk in the miraculous power of God, let us never forget the very essence of why God saved us. He didn't save us to be good workers, He saved us to be His sons and daughters.  In Matthew 7:22-24 Jesus warns there will be some people who have walked in miraculous signs and wonders but never knew Him. To 'know' Jesus is to be intimate with Him and that is the very reason why we were saved. 

In John 17:3, Jesus prays to His Father these words... This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ. (WEB) The very definition of eternal life is being intimate with both God the Father and God the Son. 

So no matter what amazing works God has you do today, do not rejoice because of the works themselves, but because your name is written in the halls of heaven, where you will live with God forever!

I will anoint you with oil so your cup overflows.

Psalm 23:5 New International Version (NIV)

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.

In today's Scripture reference, King David declares that the Lord not only prepares a banquet for him in the  presence of his enemies, but God also anoints his head with oil so his cup overflows. What a picture of abundance. Right in the midst of his enemies, David says that there are overflowing blessings.

I believe that the anointing that God wants to pour out over our lives today will cause us to live a life of fullness, where others will be able to benefit from the spillover of the anointing of God in our lives. In many Christian circles, the focus is on what we can do for God. How hard we can work, how we can demonstrate our love for Him. 

While all these things can be good in themselves, if we do them to somehow earn His love, we are missing the point. In 1 John 1:19, the Apostle Johns says, "We love because He first loved us". God initiates, we receive. I believe that the key to living a life from a full cup is coming to the place where we learn to be good receivers from God. 

The more love we can receive from Him, the more love will overflow in our lives. The more anointing that He pours in us, the more it can be spilled over to others. My prayer today is that we would all learn to become better receivers of the goodness and graciousness of our God and Father so that we might live our lives from a full cup that is continually overflowing.

I will bless My righteous ones and shield them with My favor.

Psalm 5:12 New International Version (NIV)

12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
    you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

When someone has favor from the king, everyone in the kingdom knows it! Wherever they go, all of the royal subjects would recognize that this special person lives under the blessing of the king. What do you think it would feel like to be shielded with favor from a king?

The truth is that we already have that kind of favor on our lives right now! The King of kings is not only our king, but He is our elder brother too! We are part of His family and co-heirs with Him in His Father's kingdom. We are called to live a life where we look to the unseen and the eternal, not the seen and the temporal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

If we could see into the reality of the kingdom, we would see the favor that God has already placed on us, a power that encompasses us wherever we go! According to the Scriptures, angels who are ministering servants to the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14) go before us and behind us... Just because we are God's kids and part of His amazing family. 

May our God and Father open up our eyes today to begin to see into the unseen realm so that we can experience the tangible sense of His blessings and favor that surrounds us like a shield.

I will show mercy to those who are merciful to others.

Matthew 5:7 New International Version (NIV)

7 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.

Even in secular surroundings, there is an often quoted verse from Jesus that we call the 'golden rule'... Do unto others as you would like others to do unto you. Even the world recognizes that this is a universal principle. Mercy works the same way. 

There is a promise for mercy for those who are merciful to others. It is that simple. How much mercy do I need in my life? Do I need just a little, or a lot?  And of course my answer is always... "I need as much mercy as I can get!"

The way that I can walk in mercy (for myself) every day is by simply extending mercy to those around me. The person who cuts me off when I am driving, the miserable store clerk, the friend who might have offended me in some way. If I forget that I need mercy myself, I may forget that I need to extend mercy to others. 

Think of the areas that you need mercy in your own life. For your shortcomings, for your failures, etc. Do you want mercy to cover every area where you fall short? Then shower mercy on others on every occasion because mercy is receiving something we don't deserve.

We know that God's love for us is unconditional and we can't do anything to earn or deserve it. However, there is a principle in God's kingdom that is at work every time we sow something...because what we sow, we will eventually reap. I know that I need mercy today, so I pray that I will have the wisdom to sow mercy wherever I go!

I will keep you safe from the evil one.

1 John 5:18 New International Version (NIV)

18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.

I really like the second part of the NIV Bible translation for this verse - the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. The NLT translation says it this way - for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. 

When we are born of God, we are safe. We have no reason to fear because Jesus Himself is our protector. This Bible verse says that the evil one cannot touch us. What a promise! In the world we live in, there is much to be afraid of, so much uncertainty that can keep people living in a state of fear. 

But we are not of this world, we are born of God. In John 3:9, the Apostle John says that God's seed remains in us which is His very DNA. So be of good courage today because you have nothing to fear. For God has promised to keep you safe and secure in His loving embrace.

I am pleased when you share with others.

Hebrews 13:16 New International Version (NIV)

16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

When our children were younger, it always grieved my heart when they didn't get along. I didn't like having to be a referee at the dinner table or to break up arguments in the backyard. As a father, I wanted my children to love each other, to live in harmony, share nicely and be kind to one another. 

I really don't think our Heavenly Father is any different. In this passage of Scripture, the writer of Hebrews reminds us not to forget to do good and share with others, because these are the things that make God happy.

In a world with many Christian denominations, I think God's kids have a tendency to major on the minors in our Christian walk rather than focusing on the things that really touch His heart. The sacrifices in every day life that make Him smile are simply the good things we do for others. 

I want to keep this in mind today as I go about my daily routine, because I want to make my Dad smile. How about you?

Announcement

Penang Open Day 
Date: 12th Oct 2019 (Sat)
Time: 9am - 1pm
Venue: Penang Children's Home
Details: Once again, your help is needed to sell the coupons, sponsor stalls and help to run stalls. Your support and assistance is greatly appreciated. Please look for Sis Becky for the coupons. Thank you.

Pro-Tem Corp Officer
Details:  Effective 1 Oct 2019, Major Kamala will be the Pro-Tem Officer for Penang Corps.

Explore Weekend
Date: 6-8 December 2019 (Fri-Sun)
Venue: Le Grandeur Palm Resort, Johor.
Details: Kindly see Sis Becky for more information.

Your sadness may last for a night but joy will come in the morning.

Psalm 30:5 New International Version (NIV)

5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, it says that there is a season for all things. There is a time to weep and there is a time to rejoice. There are times of intense hardship and there are times of rest and peace. Today's promise from Psalm 30:5 is really speaking to those who are struggling right now. When I read this passage of Scripture, in my heart, I hear God saying "Don't give up! Keep on going! Joy is coming soon!" 

In the midst of any trials you may face today, be encouraged in knowing that they are only temporary. Joy is coming, so don't lose heart! It is in these dark times that we learn just how close God really is to us. A good friend of mine once said that the Gardener (Father God) is never closer to the branch than when He is pruning it (John 15:1-2). 

My prayer for each one of us today is that even in the midst of our trials and tribulations, we will feel close to our Papa and His promise that our sadness will be gone before we know it.  May each one of us cling to the hope that joy is indeed coming in the morning!

I will comfort you just like a mother would.

Isaiah 66:13 New International Version (NIV)

13 As a mother comforts her child,
    so will I comfort you;
    and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

We all need comfort. There are times when we need a father's reassurance and there are times when we need a mother's comfort. When our children were little, if they got hurt playing in the backyard, they would look for their mother first before they would look for me. That is because there is something in a mother's heart that provides a reassuring comfort that is quite different from a father. Fathers tend to try and fix the situation, where mothers bring comfort.

In the same way that there are many Scriptures that compare God's heart to the heart of a natural father (Psalm 103:13-14), there are also other verses that speak of a feminine expression of His love. This is one of those passages of Scripture where God is speaking to His people and telling them of His mother's heart for them. 

While we know that God is our Father, we also know that He is the complete expression of love. He does not just express masculine love, but feminine love as well for He is the very essence of all love (1 John 4:16). There are times when we need the strength and exhortation that comes from a father, and there are other times when we need comfort that comes from a mother's heart. 

God's love for you is so vast that it far surpasses every love that you have ever known. Mother. Father. Sister. Brother. Son. Daughter. Spouse. Friend. The next time that you need the comforting embrace of God, be encouraged to know that He has promised to comfort you just like a mother would... but only a millions time better!

I bind up the brokenhearted and I will comfort all who mourn.

Isaiah 61:1-2 New International Version (NIV)

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

This is the Bible passage that Jesus read in the temple that affirmed His calling at the start of His public ministry in Luke 4:14-21. When you read the whole Isaiah 61 chapter in the context of Luke 4, we can read that it was actually God the Father who sent His own Son into the world to proclaim the good news of the kingdom. 

The message of the kingdom is simply this... Good news for the poor. Healing for the brokenhearted. Freedom for the captives. Wide open spaces to those imprisoned. Comfort for the grieving. And so much more.  This is why Jesus came two thousand years ago and it is the same reason why the Holy Spirit is with us today. 

If you are hurting, just open up your heart to the Holy Spirit and let the love of God bind up your broken heart. If you are grieving, let the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort bring His everlasting comfort in your time of mourning. If you are imprisoned, let the Lion of Judah set you free from all that keeps you in chains so that you can truly live a free life.