Sunday 29/1/12

James 3:12 ESV

Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

This verse stresses the important of identifying the nature of things, which shows in all things around them. Things bear fruit according to their nature.

27/1/12

1 John 4:16 ESV

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

To know and to believe, I believe this is Paul's description of the Christian faith. We first know about God's love via reading the Bible, via the words of others, etc... Then we believe via some clues, probably some answered prayers, or sth that help us see the goodness and sovereign of God. It's an iterative process. The more we know about God, the more we see, the more we believe. The more we belive the more we study God's words and involve in God's work, the more we see. Overtime we build up our faith - our knowledge & confidence in Him

Thursday 19/1/12

John 18:37

"For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."

The best verse on vocation & life purpose. Also the best mission statement of the great commission

Wednesday 18/01/12

John 18:23 ESV

Jesus answered him, "If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?"

The verse stroke me as how I should respond to persecution. The first response is to passover the offense, even to turn the other cheek. Then we should ask them why they persecute us. If they respond, we have a chance to share & witness. If they are silent, they have think & know the answer

Tuesday 17/01/12

Proverbs 3:26 ESV

for the Lord will be your confidence

and will keep your foot from being caught.

How do we have confidence? From our wealth? Our network? Our skills & status? They are good source of confidence, but their reliability is limited, with many hidden cost. Moreover, relying on them reduces us servant to them, i.e. we need to serve & care for them for our own good. Also, confidence in them sometimes leads us to do evil because they don't differentiate, and sometimes benefitted from evil.

The Bible offers us a source of confidence, God. He is reliable every time & everywhere. He dislikes evil & love what is good. And He gives us good things in life with no hidden cost. Overall, God wants us to rely on Him. I personally find that the more we rely on Him, the more He shows himself trustworthy to us

Friday 13/01/12

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not rely on your own understanding.

Acknowledge him in all your ways,

and he will make your paths straight"

-- Proverbs 3:4-5

The verse is clear. God want us to trust Him in our walk in life rather than our limited resource. God want us to trust in His guidance rather than our knowledge of what way to take.

The problem is human prefers to walk by sight rather than by faith. Good habit needs to be built gradually. With each experience He proves Himself faithful, we will find we can walk more by faith, and less by sight. Trust God a little more, give Him chances to prove Himself :)

Tuesday 3/1/12

John 16:12-13 ASV I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come. The verse stroke me that we cannot understand many things of God, especially when we first believe. God avoids doing that because we cannot bear them. However, when we believe, He will send the Holy Spirit to be our Counsellor, who will guide us to all the truth. The verse also reminds us that God has given us a Counsellor, the Holy Spirit. We can seek His advices and rely on His guidance and teaching. We are not alone