My Spirit will help you in your weakness.

Romans 8:26 New International Version (NIV)

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for usthrough wordless groans.

The KJV Bible says that the Spirit helps us in our infirmities when we don't know what to pray for. The NIV Bibles says that the Spirit helps us in our weakness. Today's promise brings good news to everyone who has every felt weak and uncertain of what to pray for. I find it very comforting to know that the Holy Spirit that lives inside of me, is ready, willing and able to help me in my greatest moments of weakness.

But what about the times when I feel strong? What is the role of the Spirit of the living God when I am walking in my own strength? Is He helping me then or is He just waiting for me to be reminded once again that apart from Jesus I can do nothing? (John 15:5) I believe that one of the greatest principles of the kingdom is the principle of weakness. As the Apostle Paul discovered in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, when he was weak, then he was strong because God's grace was made perfect in his weakness.

If you are feeling weak today, be encouraged! The Spirit of the living God that lives in you will help you in your greatest times of weakness and will even pray through you the words that need to be spoken to the Father when you don't have the words to pray. May each one of us receive a deeper revelation of the glorious Kingdom principle of weakness today. 

My Son took upon Himself all your sicknesses and diseases.

Matthew 8:16-17 New International Version (NIV)

16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities
    and bore our diseases.”[a]

Jesus took upon Himself every sickness and every disease that mankind has ever experienced so that we could be healed. I cannot imagine the unfathomable price that Jesus paid for today's promise to become a reality for us in our generation.

In the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus was sweating great drops of blood, He cried out to His Abba (Father) for the strength to drink from the cup that would pave the way to our redemption. It was at this crucial time in history that Jesus took upon Himself ALL our sin and exchanged ALL our brokeness for ALL of His life.

I believe that only the Holy Spirit can bring revelation to us so that we can grasp in part the incredible sacrifice that Jesus paid so that we could become heirs of His glorious inheritance.

May God give all of us the grace today to comprehend the fact that Jesus took upon Himself all of our sickness so that we could be healed. May faith rise in our hearts today so that each one of us could appropriate the finished work of the cross in every area of our body and our soul that still needs to be healed.

Thank you Jesus for saying 'yes' to your Father and drinking the terrible cup of the brokenness of humanity so that we might be made whole...spirit, soul & body. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

My Word will brighten your steps and light your path.

Psalm 119:105 New International Version (NIV)

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.

Have you ever walked on a path in the forest in the middle of the night without a flashlight? If you have and there wasn't a full moon shining, it is a pretty difficult thing to find your way around. Without a light to guide the way, you will inevitably go off the path and at the very least, bump into a tree.

I believe the psalmist in today's promise is saying the same thing about the importance of God's Word for you and me. In the grand scheme of things, we are only little boys and little girls who need all the help we can get. We do not have the navigational tools to manage our own life. We need both the written Word of God and the timely spoken Word of God to guide us through this life.

It is comforting to know that our God and Father equips us with all we need to live a godly life including lighting our path as we take one step at a time. Notice that the psalmist doesn't say that God's Word lights the path miles in front of us. He says that God's Word is a lamp unto our feet.

May each one of us rejoice in the fact that God has committed the resources of heaven to guide us on our life's journey. He has not left us in the dark to try to fend for ourselves, but has focused His Word like a huge beam of light at our feet to guide every step we take. 

My face will shine upon you all the days of your life.

Numbers 6:25 New International Version (NIV)

25 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;

We live in an area in Canada where it is very cloudy in the winter months. Sometimes we can go weeks without ever seeing the sun. When the sun does eventually come out, the feeling of exhilaration is almost indescribable. The gloomy feeling of gray skies day after day can really take its toll on a person's emotional well being.

Today's promise is taken from the priestly blessing in Numbers 6 that the Lord told Moses to pray over Israel on a daily basis. In this blessing from the Lord, Moses tells the people that the face of the Lord will shine upon them all the days of their life.  Can you imagine living every day of your life being aware of the brightness and warmth of our God and Father's countenance?

Even though clouds do come our way, we can rise above the clouds (just like we can in an airplane) and still see His face shining on us. My prayer today is that each and every one of us would feel the warmth of His love and the brightness of His face shining upon us. We are not called to walk this life alone. Our Father is watching over us every step of the way. 

I am delighted to give you My kingdom.

Luke 12:32 New International Version (NIV)

32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

Jesus makes this promise to His disciples just after He tells them not to take any thought for their life, because they have a Heavenly Father that has promised to provide for them. In this intimate conversation with His friends, Jesus encourages them to 'seek first His Father's kingdom' and all of their practical needs will be met as well.

Then Jesus wraps up His conversation by declaring today's Scripture verse... "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (ESV)  Isn't it wonderful that we don't have to be worried? Isn't it reassuring to know that we don't have to live in fear because God is absolutely delighted to give us His kingdom?

As Jesus says in today's text, we are His little flock. Little lambs can't protect themselves, they can't provide for themselves, they can't manage the cares of daily life. All they can do is live a life close to their shepherd. It is so comforting to know that Jesus is our Great Shepherd and we have no need under His watchful eye.

May each one of us be encouraged today and hear the voice of Jesus speaking deep in our hearts the words that He spoke to His disciples... "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (ESV) 

I gently formed you in your mother's womb.

Psalm 139:13 New International Version (NIV)

13 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

The New International Version Bible says Psalm 139:13 this way... For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. The New Living Translation says... You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  No matter what translation you prefer, this is a gentle picture of God's loving creation process.

You were not blasted into creation, but gently formed in your mother's womb by a loving God who took the time to delicately knit all your inward parts together. May the revelation of your creation bring a sense of well being to your soul. You were not a mistake. God planned you before the foundation of the world and He determined the exact time of your birth.

One of the greatest tragedies in this world today is the feeling that our lives were a mistake. Some people were even told that by their parents. The truth is that no life was ever a mistake. Each person ever created, was created with intention by the One who is love itself.

God gently formed you in your mother's womb and He is the One who brought you forth on the day you were born. (Psalm 71:6) There is absolutely no doubt about it!

Announcement

Senior Citizen Fellowship
Date: 18th May 2019 (Sat)
Time: 8:30am
Venue: Dim Sum Abu Siti Lane

TSA Malaysia Youth Camp
Theme: Upward Pursuit
Date: 5-8 June 2019
Venue: Highlands Chrisitians Centre, Cameron Highlands
Age: 13-18 years old

2019 - May 12 Mother's Day Celebration

Click here for more pictures

All your days are known to Me and your inheritance is secure forever.

Psalm 37:18 New International Version (NIV)

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
    and their inheritance will endure forever.

In today's Scripture verse, King David declares that all of the days of the upright are known to the Lord. In Psalm 139:16, David also says that each one of our days has been recorded in a special book before even one of them came to be.

God knows us through and through and He loves us with all His heart. His eyes are upon those whom He loves and their inheritance is secure forever. For those who have said 'yes' to Jesus, we can rest in the unshakeable and everlasting inheritance that we have in Christ. It is a hope that will never fade or lose it's value.

You are of great worth to God and He loves to watch over you. May the truth of this promise cause hope to well up in your heart today knowing that you are truly safe and secure in the big strong arms of your Heavenly Dad. 

There is no place you can go to escape My presence.

Psalm 139:7-10 New International Version (NIV)

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.

Psalm 139 is one of my favorite psalms. In today's Scripture passage, King David is declaring that there is absolutely no place he could go to escape the presence of God. If he goes to heaven, God is there. If he even descended into the earth, God is there. David goes on to say that wherever he goes, the hand of the Lord will lead him and hold him.

What an amazing promise! Wherever you go, God goes with you. The universe does not contain the Lord. The Lord contains the universe! In Acts 17:28, the Apostle Paul declares to the Greek philosophers that 'in him (God), we live and move and have our being.' The Godhead is closer to us than we could possibly imagine. For those of us who have received Christ, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God dwells within us and has established His kingdom there.

If you feel that you are alone in this world, if you struggle to sense God's presence, be encouraged in today's promise. God is with you. He is always with you, for there is no place that you can go to escape His loving presence!

My Spirit made you and My breath gives you life.

Job 33:4 New International Version (NIV)

4 The Spirit of God has made me;
    the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

In today's Scripture verse, one of Job's friends is declaring that the Spirit of God is the One who made us and His breath gives us life. When God created Adam in the Garden of Eden, He breathed the breath of life into his nostrils and Adam became a living soul. Jesus breathed on His disciples after the resurrection and they received the Holy Spirit.

Every breath that you and I take is a gift that comes from the Father of Lights. He has made us and He has promised to sustain us. Every good and perfect gift that we have comes from our Heavenly Dad. The One who created us is the One who will continue to provide all that we need, both physically and spiritually.

May each one of us be reminded of our God and Father's goodness as we draw each breath into our body. He has made us and His breath gives us life!

You can hold on to the hope that I will not change what I have promised.

Hebrews 6:17-18 New International Version (NIV)

17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.

In today's Scripture passage, the writer of Hebrews tells us that we are heirs of the promise of God. He also says that we can trust in God's unchangeable character because it is impossible for God to lie. Since God is the ultimate promise keeper, we can bank on everything that He has promised to be true. We can trust Him with all our heart and rely on everything that He has said.

The English Standard Version translation says Hebrews 6:17-18 this way... 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. (ESV)

Every promise that our God and Father has made is yes and amen in Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:20) May we all be filled with faith today to declare that God is faithful to do all that He has promised because He is a good Father who keeps His Word! ...and it is impossible for Him to lie.

My everlasting joy and gladness will drive all sorrow and mourning away.

Isaiah 51:11 New International Version (NIV)

11 Those the Lord has rescued will return.
    They will enter Zion with singing;
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

The Bible says in Nehemiah 8:10 that the joy of the Lord is our strength. In John 17:13, in His high priestly prayer to His Father, Jesus tells His Dad that He wants us to have the full measure of His joy. In Romans 14:17, Paul the Apostle writes... For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, (NIV)

There is no question that the joy of the Lord is our inheritance and today's promise tells us that God's everlasting joy will be upon our heads! While we know the culmination of this promise will be in heaven, my prayer today is that we would experience a measure of the joy of the Lord here on earth. In Isaiah 61 we read that weeping lasts for the night, but joy comes in the morning! Hallelujah for that promise!

Psalm 16:11 says... You make known to me the path of life;in your presence there is fullness of joy;at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (ESV) There is no question in my mind that God is filled with joy and He wants us to be filled with joy too! May we all experience an increased outpouring of the joy of the Lord today, and may His joy drive all sorrow and mourning away!

One day, I will wipe away every tear and take away all your pain.

Revelation 21:4 New International Version (NIV)

4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[a]or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Today's promise tells us of a day that is coming when God Himself will wipe away every tear from our eye. On that great and glorious day, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more reason for tears and no more pain.

All of the memories of the suffering of this world will vanish in the light and love of our Father's embrace. God Himself will wipe away every tear that we have cried and He promises to take away all the pain that we have suffered on this earth.

May this promise bring hope to those who are in the midst of difficult circumstances. May this promise bring comfort to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. One day, we will see Jesus face to face and we will be taken up on the lap our Heavenly Father.

May this promise bring much joy to our hearts and anticipation to living forever in the embrace of the One who loves us with an everlasting love.

My Spirit will lead you into all truth and show you what is to come.

John 16:12-13 New International Version (NIV)

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

I had an experience a few years ago where I had to speak at two churches in the same Sunday morning. They were a 15 minute drive apart and I only had 15 minutes to get from one church to the other. Both churches were in the country so my car's GPS didn't work. I had no idea how to get to the second church from the first church's location.

Needless to say, I felt a little stressed about how I was going to get there without instructions. One of the leaders of the first church saw my discomfort and volunteered to drive her car in front of mine so that she could lead me to the second church. I was so relieved that I didn't have to try and negotiate the varying speed limits, tricky turns, etc. all by myself.

It was a beautiful autumn morning and I can remember just enjoying the drive as we drove by corn fields being warmed by the bright sun. In the midst of this experience, I felt the Lord speak to my heart and say... "This is what it feels like to be led". Immediately I was aware of what the Lord was saying to me.

Because I was simply following the car in front of me, I did not have to take the responsibility of navigating to my destination. All I had to do was simply follow. When we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit of God, we can relax and simply follow where He leads. Romans 8:14 says... For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. (NIV)

Today's promise says that we don't have to chart our own course in life. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us in all truth and all we have to do is simply follow Him. Hallelujah! That is wonderful news!

Announcement

Southwest Cell Group
Date: 10 May 2019 (Fri)
Time: 8:00pm
Venue: Bro Kim Aun & Sis Jasinta's Home

TSA Malaysia Youth Camp
Date: 5-8 June 2019
Venue: Highlands Christian Centre, Cemeron Highlands
Theme: Upward Pursuit
Age:13-18 years old
Cost: RM200 (Early Bird), RM300 (after 6 May 2019)

Mother's Day Service and Celebration Lunch
Date: 12 May 2019 (Sun)
Time: 10:30am
Venue: Penang Corps Worship Hall
Details: Celebration Lunch at 12:30 noon.
All are welcome.

Seek My kingdom first and everything you need will be given to you.

Luke 12:31 New International Version (NIV)

31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Today's Bible verse is an excerpt from a larger text found in Luke 12:22-34 where Jesus is talking about some of the major things we worry about... Food, clothing, shelter. He encourages us not to worry about these things because we have a loving Father who has promised to provide for us. Jesus uses illustrations of the birds of the air and the lilies in the field to get His point across, that God provides for all that He created.

The premise of today's promise is this... Your Father in heaven knows what you need and He will be faithful to provide because that is what good fathers do for their kids. Since we do not have to carry the burden of looking after ourselves, we can be free to focus on our Heavenly Father's kingdom and be about His business.

Personally I have found this text of Scripture to be very challenging at times in my life. Jesus actually says that we do not need to give any thought for our life. I don't know about you, but I find that difficult to comprehend. Yet, Jesus told us that it is possible to live such a care-free life that we can actually live without worry.

My prayer today for all of us is that we would take God at His Word. I know if we can truly do this, the end result will be a life free from worry and anxiety to the degree which we can trust Him with our lives. When we seek Him with all our heart, He looks after all of the other details in our lives!

Even when you are weak in your faith, I will remain faithful to you.

2 Timothy 2:13 New International Version (NIV)

13 if we are faithless,
    he remains faithful,
    for he cannot disown himself.

This is an absolutely wonderful promise! What a picture of the love and kindness of God! Even when we struggle in our faith, He will remain faithful to us because we are part of Him and He can't deny himself. The New Living Translation says ... If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.

The Bible says in 1 John 4:16 that God is love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 describes the attributes of love. God will remain faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him because that is who He is. Love believes all things, hopes for the best, never gives up.  If you are struggling today with your faith, don't give up because God won't give up on you! He loves you with all His heart and He has promised to be faithful even in the times when you are not.

My prayer for each one of us today is that we would see our God and Father for who He really is. He is the complete expression of love and His desire is that we would yield to His relentless pursuit of our hearts and simply let Him love us more today than He did yesterday.

Wait patiently for Me and I will hear your cry.

Psalm 40:1 New International Version (NIV)

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.

It was King David who wrote this psalm. He was a man who knew a lot about learning to be patient in the midst of extreme hardship. As a teenage boy, he was anointed king of Israel by the prophet Samuel, only to then wait many years to see it come to pass. In between the promise and the fulfillment there was much heartache and suffering.

Not long after the promise, things were looking good for David. He slayed a giant named Goliath, married the king's daughter and was a national hero in Israel. Then for reasons outside of David's control, his father-in-law, King Saul, became jealous and decided to hunt David down to kill him.

For many years, David was on the run, hiding in caves and hanging out with some of the most disreputable men of the day. But then a series of events happened that made him king of all Israel. After much heartache and disappointment, David finally saw the fulfillment of God's promise that he would one day become king.

So when David says, I waited patiently for the Lord and He heard my cry, he knew what he was talking about. No matter what trials you are facing today, God is faithful. As we continue to look to Him to fulfill all the promises He has made to us, may we find strength and encouragement in today's promise... Wait patiently for Me and I will hear your cry.

I will give you power to know the vastness of My immeasurable love.

Ephesians 3:17-19 New International Version (NIV)

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Today's promise is part of the amazing prayer that the Apostle Paul prays for the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 3:14-21. In this prayer, Paul makes his requests known to the Father from whom His family in heaven and earth is named after (verses 14 & 15) that He might strengthen our inner man by the power of His Holy Spirit.

The whole point of this prayer is that the Holy Spirit would root us deeply in the love of God so that we would have power to be able to know (grasp, understand) the vastness of His immeasurable love that has been given to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

The love that God has for us cannot be comprehended any other way. It is far too great for us to be able to grasp in our human understanding. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to make God's love a reality to us. In Romans 5:5, Paul says that God has poured out His love into our hearts by His Spirit.

My prayer today is that each and every one of us would have a love encounter with God through the personal working of His Holy Spirit. I pray that the Spirit of God would give us power to grasp how deep, how wide, how long and how high His love is for us and that we would be filled to the full measure of God's fullness with His everlasting, unending love!

Ask Me for wisdom and I will generously give it to you.

James 1:5 New International Version (NIV)

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

God loves it when we ask Him for things we need. In Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus encourages us to keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking and our Heavenly Father will give us what we need. In today's promise, we read that we can ask God for wisdom and He is glad to give it to us.

We all need wisdom to navigate through this life. So what wisdom do you need today that you do not yet have? The New International Version Bible says James 1:5 this way... If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Simply ask your Heavenly Papa for the wisdom you need and He will generously give it to you without finding fault in your asking. God is a good Father who gives good gifts to His children. As a matter of fact, every good and perfect gift comes from Him because He is the Father of Lights (James 1:17).

My prayer is that we would all live our lives looking to our Dad for heavenly wisdom, knowing that He is ready, willing and able to generously pour out all the wisdom that we need when we need it.