I am God and Father over all creation.

Ephesians 4:6 New International Version (NIV)

6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

The Apostle Paul tells us in today's promise that the Fatherhood of God is the absolute foundation of all that exists in the universe. To grasp the context of this promise, let's read Ephesians 4:4-6 in the World English Bible... 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all. (WEB)

In a world where there is so much instability, it is comforting to be reassured that there is only One God and Father of us all. Our God is the source of all things. While creating is something that He does, Father is who He truly is. All life as we know it comes from His fathering heart.

The Apostle Paul says in Acts 17:28 that we are all His offspring through creation and then Paul goes on to explain how God wants us to become His children through the gift of redemption in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  When everything else in life seems to shift around, be encouraged to know that there is one God and Father over all creation and He loves for you to call Him your Abba!

Romans 8:15-17
15 For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; 17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him. (WEB)

Every word of every promise that I have made will come to pass.

1 Kings 8:56 New International Version (NIV)

56 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.

God is not a man that He should lie. Every promise that He has made will come to pass because He is faithful to do all that He has said that He will do. In a world of broken promises and disappointing authority figures, it is easy to become cynical and mistrusting. Our negative life experiences with people can cause us to mistrust God in the same way.

In today's promise, we are reminded that God keeps His promises. All of them. We may not understand His ways at times, but He is always true to His Word. Trust is a huge part of the foundation of our faith. If we struggle to trust Him, we will struggle to believe what He says is true.

My prayer today is that God will restore childlike trust to each of our hearts in increasing measure so that we will have every confidence that every promise that our Papa makes will come to pass!

An everlasting city awaits you, for I am not ashamed to be called your God.

Hebrews 11:16 New International Version (NIV)

16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Our God and Father has prepared a city for us that will last forever. He has done this because He is not ashamed to be called our God. In the last half of this verse in the Amplified Bible, it says this... For that reason God is not ashamed to be called their God [even to be surnamed their God--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob], for He has prepared a city for them. (AMP)

I love the thought that we have taken on God's surname because He is so happy that we are His children. In Ephesians 3:14-15, the Apostle Paul says that all the Father's family in heaven and earth derives its name directly from Him. We belong to Him and He is not ashamed of us! In Hebrews 2:11 the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers too!

What an amazing family that we have been called into! Because of God's great love for us, He has prepared an everlasting city for us to enjoy!

The eternal glory that is in store for you far surpasses your present troubles.

2 Corinthians 4:17 New International Version (NIV)

17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

I find it interesting that Paul refers to his own struggles as a 'light affliction'. This is a man who was stoned, shipwrecked and beaten nearly to death on a number of occasions. Yet he had the ability to see his sufferings through an eternal perspective. Because God gave him the ability to see with the eyes of faith, he could endure the hardships of life knowing what was yet to come.

In the light of eternity, our lives will be a moment, a twinkling of an eye, so to speak. In James 4:4, our lives are described this way... Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (NIV)

No matter what you are struggling with today, be encouraged that the glory of God that will be revealed in you far outweighs your present circumstances. May our God and Father give you His peace so that you can take heart in this promise today as you continue to fix your eyes on Jesus... the author and perfecter of your faith.

I will be your light and you shall reign with Me forever.

Revelation 22:5 New International Version (NIV)

5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

We live in a world that is full of darkness. Wars, rumors of wars, heartache and loss seem to abound all around us. If we focus on the darkness, we may get discouraged. However, the Bible says in Ephesians 5:8 that we do not live in darkness, but are called to live as children of light, living in the light of the Lord.

Today's Scripture focuses on the promise of eternal life and that one day, all darkness will cease. My prayer is that we all would be strengthened and encouraged with this thought. Though we still need to grapple with injustice and darkness in this fallen world, there is a time coming when there will be no need of the light of a candle or the brightness of the sun to drive out the darkness.

Today's promise tells us that God Himself will be the light in His everlasting Kingdom, and that we will rule and reign with Him in the brightness of His glory forever! May hope rise up in our hearts as we are reminded that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all!  (1 John 1:5)

I will give you beauty to replace your ashes.

Isaiah 61:3 New International Version (NIV)

3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

I love today's promise. God promises to give us a crown of beauty to replace our ashes. The Amplified version of the Bible says the first part of Isaiah 61:3 this way... To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion--to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit- (AMP)

Isaiah 61 is the passage of Scripture that Jesus read in the synagogue to announce the launch of His public ministry. This is the very reason why Jesus came to earth! He came to proclaim the good news of God's love, His desire for freedom and His promise of complete restoration to a fallen world!

No matter what you have gone through in your life, no matter how much your life feels like a heap of ashes, the promise of God is that He will replace the ashes of your life with a crown of beauty. While we will not see the complete fulfillment of this promise this side of heaven, we all can be assured that this is where we are all headed from an eternal perspective.

God's heart for you is complete restoration. Beauty for ashes. The oil of gladness instead of mourning. A garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness. May Papa God give you eyes to see this amazing truth today in spite of the circumstances that you may be facing and may hope rise up in your heart!

I will bless the poor in spirit with My kingdom.

Matthew 5:3 New International Version (NIV)

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

We live in an upside down Kingdom. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 says that God has chosen the poor of this world to shame the rich, the weak to shame the strong, the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. I am thankful that God has chosen the poor, the weak and the foolish!

In today's promise, we read that the Kingdom of God actually belongs to the poor in spirit. I believe that being poor in spirit is just acknowledging that we need God to do for us what we can't do for ourselves. Being poor in spirit is to live a life of simple dependence on God's love and His life. If we were rich (spiritually, not materially) we would not think that we had any needs at all!

Being poor in spirit keeps us dependent on the one and only true life source. Jesus speaks about such things in the book of Revelation in chapter 3:14-22 to the Laodicean church. When we think we are rich and in need of nothing, we tend to live independent, isolated and separated. God doesn't want us separate, but very close to His heart.

So if you are feeling hungry today for His presence, dependent for God to be your very life source, you are in the best place that you could possibly be! For blessed are the poor in spirit, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these!

I will come to you as certainly as the sun rises and the spring rains fall.

Hosea 6:3 New International Version (NIV)

3 Let us acknowledge the Lord;
    let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
    he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
    like the spring rains that water the earth.”

God is faithful. He is always faithful and we can count on Him in every situation. We don't have to give it a second thought. Today's promise encourages us that our God and Father will come to us as certain as the sun will rise in the morning. Even on days where the clouds cover the earth, His sun is still shining in the heavens. And when rain is needed, He showers His blessing upon the dry ground.

If you feel discouraged or disheartened today, if your circumstances are shouting loud that God is no where to be found, be encouraged! He is closer to you than you could possibly imagine. I pray that you will know that He is faithful and He will come to you as certainly as the sun rises in the morning.

I will root your heart in the depths of My love.

Ephesians 3:17 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,

1 John 4:16 says that God is love. The Triune God... Father, Son & Holy Spirit is the perfect expression of love and we are caught up in the very center of their love relationship. Paul the Apostle prays that because of the indwelling presence of Jesus in our hearts, we will be rooted and grounded in love.

The life of any plant or tree is the root system they have. If their roots are shallow or not well developed, they are at risk of being blown away or dried up. But the deeper the root system, the stronger the plant or tree is. It is amazing to see how some trees can withstand hurricane force winds just because they have a strong root system.

In the same way, the Spirit of the living God wants to root our hearts in the very depths of His love. The more that we become convinced of God's love (Romans 8:37), the more we will know that nothing can ever separate us from His love. The more we become convinced, the deeper our root system goes.

Storms won't be able to move us, trials won't be able to cause us to question His love, nothing in all the world will be able to rock this revelation of love that is rooted deep into the heart of our Father.  May today be a day where this revelation of love goes even deeper than yesterday, for our Papa's mercies are new every morning.

My children will overcome the world through their faith.

1 John 5:4 New International Version (NIV)

4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

By simply believing that God is who He says He is, and we are who He says we are, we overcome the world! Who is God? He is the Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Almighty God who happens to be our Heavenly Dad. Who are we? We are His beloved children and joint heirs with our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ.

If we truly believe this simple truth, nothing in the world can ever overcome us! We belong to God and He belongs to us. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37) If God is for us, who can be against us! (Romans 8:31)

It is His strength and His power that has already secured our victory. We just simply need to believe it and through simple childlike trust, we will overcome the world. 

Announcement

Floral Offering 2019 Template Is Out
Details: Kindly contact Br. Francis to secure your dates. Thank you.

Malaysia Children Camp 2018
Date: 5-8 Dec 2018 (Wed-Sat)
Venue: Cameron Highlands Gospel Hall 39000 Tanah Rata
Age: 7-12 years old
Details: Kindly see Corps Officer for further info and transportation arrangement. Thank you.

Penang State Christmas Open House 2018
Date: 9th Dec 2018, Sunday
Time: 6pm - 9:30pm
Venue: St. Anne Church, Bukit Mertajam.

If you love Me with all your heart, I will provide all you need.

Deuteronomy 11:13-14 New International Version (NIV)

13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. 

God's desire for us is that we would love Him with all our heart and all our soul.  Jesus reiterated this same verse in the New Testament in Matthew 22:36-38 ... 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. (WEB)

God is after relationship with us. Period. He is not after our good works, our self effort or our good intentions. He is after our love. In today's promise we read that if we fulfill His dream for us by loving Him back with the love that He first gave to us (1 John 4:19), then we will not have to worry about things like food, clothing and shelter.

In Matthew 6, Jesus encourages us to seek our Father's kingdom first and everything that we need will be added unto us. It is that simple. If we love God with all our heart and keep our eyes on Him, He will look after the rest of the details in our life. May each one of us have a deeper revelation of God's amazing love today and simply respond by loving Him back!

I will give you power over the enemy and nothing will hurt you.

Luke 10:19 New International Version (NIV)

19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Jesus is our Lord, our Savior and our friend. He is also our big brother and our protector. In today's promise, Jesus encourages us that He has given us power to trample on serpents and scorpions so that nothing will ever hurt us. I can remember when I was little, my big brother used to watch over me when we went to school to make sure no bullies would beat me up.

It was so reassuring for me to know that I was being watched over and protected by my brother. Not only does Jesus walk with us in every step we take, He lives in us and has empowered us to have victory over each onslaught from the enemy of our soul. 1 John 5:18 says... We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. (NIV)

May each one of us be so aware of the protecting, brooding, surrounding love and power of God in us and around us that we will know that nothing will ever be able to really hurt us.

I will be your safe place in difficult times.

Nahum 1:7 New International Version (NIV)

7 The Lord is good,
    a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,

The NIV Bible says Nahum 1:7 this way... The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. In Ecclesiastes it says that there is a season for all things, so there is no escaping the fact that we will all have difficult times in our life. Jesus reminded us in John 16:33 that though we will have trouble in this world, we can take heart, because He has overcome the world.

In today's promise, we are reminded that because the Lord is good, and because He cares for those who trust in Him, He will be our refuge in times of trouble. He will be our stronghold, our safe place, our haven of rest in the midst of the storm.

My prayer today is that we would be comforted by this promise and take up residence in the secret place of the Most High (Psalm 91) so that He might be our refuge in times of trouble. 

Just ask and you will receive.

Matthew 7:7 New International Version (NIV)

Ask, Seek, Knock

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Our God and Father has a way of making the very complex very simple. In today's promise, Jesus points us to His Father and simply says... Just ask and you will receive. Just seek and you will find. Just knock and the door will be opened. The next few verses Jesus goes on to tell us that God has a father's heart for us and He promises to give good gifts to those who will simply ask.

So what do you need today? Just ask! Jesus also told us that the Father knows what you need before you even ask for it. (Matthew 6:8) So ask Him! He is the Father of Lights and every good and perfect gift comes directly from His hand (James 1:17).  

Delight in Me and I will give you the longings of your heart.

Psalm 37:4 New International Version (NIV)

4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

In today's promise, King David is making the declaration that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. I have always been intrigued by this Bible verse because to me, it is saying that if I focus on and enjoy my relationship with God, that He will give me the deep longings of my heart.

I think many people struggle to even know what the deep desires of their hearts truly are. I am not talking about temporal spur-of-the-moment desires, but the deep longings that we have in the core of our being. What good works were we created to do? What gives life to the depths of our soul? If we believe that God loves us the way He made us, we will be convinced that He has placed within us desires that He wants to fulfill.

In Philippians 2:13, it says... for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (NIV) I believe this verse tells us that God actually uses the desires of our heart to fulfill His good purpose for us. St. Augustine, one of the early church fathers said it this way... “Love God and do what you will.”

I truly believe that the more we love God and enjoy His fellowship, the more we will get in touch with our heart's desires. And the more we get in touch with our heart's desires, the easier it will be to live a life flowing from our heart instead of our head.

May today be another day where we go deeper into the simple delights of being in relationship with the One who is absolute and complete love. And may today be a day where He brings into fulfillment the secret longings that He has placed in each one of our hearts. 

I will comfort you with My everlasting encouragement.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 New International Version (NIV)

16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved usand by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

The NIV Bible says 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 this way... 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 

God is our eternal encourager. He never stops pouring out His love on us and He never stops encouraging us. I love the dictionary.com definition for the word 'encouragement'. ...to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence: His coach encouraged him throughout the marathon race to keep on running.

God is our friend, our Brother, our Father, and the lover of our soul. He has no self-interest but is wholeheartedly for us in every way. In Hebrews 12:1-2, the writer says that we should keep on running the unique race that the Father has set out for us, all the while fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. The race that is referred to in this passage of Scripture is the kind of race that was run within the walls of ancient stadiums with stands packed full of people!

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are all cheering you on as you run your unique race today. You are being encouraged every day by all the resources of heaven to not give up, but to keep on going! The Triune God never tires giving us the encouragement that we need so that we might find the strength to do every good deed that is in line with our destiny.  

I will shower My Spirit and My blessings on your offspring.

Isaiah 44:3 New International Version (NIV)

3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
    and my blessing on your descendants.

In today's promise, God says that He will water the thirsty and the dry ground and pour out His Spirit and His blessing upon our offspring. As a father of three adult children, I say yes and amen to this promise and pray that His Spirit and His blessings will be poured out on more generations to come!

God loves to bless His kids. When He created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He blessed them to be fruitful and multiply and have dominion throughout the earth. His heart hasn't changed today. His desire is that our entire family would live under the fullness of all His blessings!

I wait for opportunities to show you My compassion.

Isaiah 30:18 New International Version (NIV)

18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all who wait for him!

The Amplified version of the first part of Isaiah 30:18 this way... And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. (AMP)

What a beautiful picture of the longing that God has for us. He is always in a posture of waiting for every opportunity to show us His compassion. I love the Amplified translation that says that He is expecting, looking and longing to be gracious to us.

This Bible verse reminds me of the father in the Prodigal Son story in Luke 15 who was waiting for his rebellious son to find his way home. In this story, Jesus tells us that the father saw the son when he was still a long way off and started running toward his boy.

I think in the same way, our God and Father is waiting and watching for every opportunity to run out so that He might pour out His love and mercy all over us. May we be mindful of this amazing truth and always posture our hearts to receive the outpouring of His love!

Taste and you will see that I am a good God.

Psalm 34:8 New International Version (NIV)

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

When I think of today's promise, I think of the difference between looking at a shiny red apple and tasting it. No matter how tasty the apple looks on the outside, the only way that I will truly experience its goodness is to take a big bite out of it!

It is when I sink my teeth into it, that I will be able to taste and see that it is really delicious. Looking at an apple will never sustain us. We could be surrounded by an entire orchard of apples and yet die of starvation if we don't eat the apples.

I believe that God is extending an invitation for us to not only behold His goodness from afar, but to come close and taste and see that He really is good. In some Christian circles, looking for an experience with God might be seen as undermining the importance of believing without seeing. I am not suggesting that we base our entire Christian walk on experience, but I would suggest that experience is part of any relationship that we have.

While faith (Hebrews 11:6) is still the foundation on which we relate to God, I believe that He wants us to experience Him in every facet of our being. I pray that today, each and every one of us will taste of God's goodness in a very tangible way that will give us a greater insight into our Papa's heart.