Daily Encouragement

December 13, 2009 - Hold On To Your Faith

When you face difficulties in your Christian life and struggle in your faith, the writer of Hebrews encourage you to hold on with hope, (v. 23) and do not cast away your confidence. (v. 35) You can do it because you have a perfect high priest who has offered for you a perfect sacrifice. This is a new sacrifice which replaces the old system. It sanctifies the believers, removes sin, conquers the enemies, and perfects the saints forever. Furthermore, it will put God's laws in your minds and hearts as He has promised in Jeremiah 31:33-34

Drawing from this passage let me suggest how to hold on if you have been slacking as follows:

1. Draw near to God with a trust that He can cleanse your conscience.

2. Put your mind in His hope for you.

3. Join back your Christian group to stir one another in love and good projects.

4. Get up out of your bed every Sunday to worship the Lord and get someone to call you for that if you can't get up. (v. 22-25)

Here is a serious warning for you: If you do not hold on to your faith, your judgment from God will be the worst. And do not think that you can get away with it. (v. 26-31)

That warning is from God's words. Let us take heed.

December 14, 2009 - Run With Endurance

Meditation on Hebrews 12

It is fairly easy to start something new in life. But we may discover that it is quite difficult to continue what we have started. Many people may drop out in their walk with God. Lots of people started to serve God in a new ministry but soon they discontinue. The word of God tells us that Christian life is like running a race. We must run with endurance. The word, "endure" has appeared several times in Hebrews 12. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus who endured the cross and hostility by sinners so we can endure discipline by our heavenly Father and not grow weary and lose heart.

What is the purpose of God's discipline that we must endure? It is that we may share His holiness and yield perfect fruit of righteousness. (v. 11) Moreover, our heavenly Father wants to train us to be strong and unshakable. So when He shakes the heaven and earth, we will still remain like His unshakable kingdom. For our God is a consuming fire. (v. 18-29)

May we pray and accept His grace now that we may not drop out in the Christian race.

December 15, 2009 - The Path To Maturity

Meditation on James 1

James, the brother of our Lord tells us the purpose of trial in our lives. It is to produce endurance in our character. Through endurance, we will be developed to complete maturity. (The meaning of perfect in verse 4) Therefore, we should count it all joy when we are facing trial, James encourages us.

Of course, during trial we do need wisdom to know how to deal with it. We are exhorted to pray in faith without any wavering at all. Then God will give it to us liberally. (v. 5)

Whatever condition we are in, we must realize that one's life on earth is temporal. We need to remember our status before God. If we are rich, we should be humble. If we are poor, we should rejoice in our high position in Christ. And all those who love God will be tested. After our test on earth is done, we will receive the crown of life. (v. 9-12)

Would you ask today for God's wisdom to grow through trial so that you would be mature and lacking nothing in Him?

December 16, 2009 - Our Great Salvation

Meditation on 1 Peter 1

The apostle Peter encourages us first of all to know what a great salvation we have in Christ. After the salutation, the first part of his letter shows us the plan of God's salvation for us (v. 3-9), the hidden element of this salvation (v. 10-12), and the expectation for our life from such salvation. (v. 13-22)

We can obtain such salvation of our souls through Jesus Christ who gives us new lives by His resurrection from the dead. He regenerates us through our acceptance of His incorruptible and living word which comes to us through His preaching of the gospel. (v. 3, 23-25)

Our faith would go through trials to prove whether it is genuine or not. But the result is durability to meet Christ at His revelation (v. 6-7) and we shall receive an incorruptible inheritance reserved for us. (v. 4-5)

God has given us something that is lasting and will not fade away. Let us praise Him! But if you have not received this salvation yet, ask Jesus to come into your heart today to live forever and let His blood cleanse you from all sins.

December 17, 2009 - Christians Must Be Useful And Fruitful

Meditation on 2 Peter 1

Since Christians are partakers of the divine nature, we must grow in our Christians lives. This growing process is the work of God plus the cooperation of believers. That is the description of the Apostle Peter in verses 4-7: "....applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love." (NASB)

If we are growing in those qualities, then we will not be useless and unfruitful. (v. 8) Otherwise, we are blind or shortsighted, Peter says. (v. 9)

Quite often, we pay no attention to growing as Christians is because we do not take God's coming kingdom from God's revelation seriously. But Peter has authenticated to us that what he wrote and said were eye witness accounts and personal experiences regarding the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 17:1-8) What he and the prophets wrote were moved by the Holy Spirit. Those words are forever the words of God. (v. 16-21)

As God has spoken and His kingdom is coming soon, we better obey and make every effort to grow in our Christian characters.

December 18, 2009 - A Relationship We Cannot Live Without

Meditation on 1 John 1

The first letter of John talks about relationship and love. Chapter one says that God wants us to have a true, living, and transparent relationship with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. That is called true fellowship, a Christian fellowship that is linked with life, the eternal life of Jesus Christ. Since we have the life of Jesus through believing in Him, we have living relationship with God through trusting in His Word. Consequently, all Christians have life relationship with one another also. (v. 1-4)

John then quickly reveals to us that our fellowship with God is a fellowship of light because God is light. In Him is no darkness at all. Base on this fact, we then should not sin and walk in darkness so we can maintain our fellowship with God. However all of us do sin. We cannot hide our sin from God who knows each of our condition clearly. What do we do?

John says, "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (v. 9) When we know that we sin, we should confess it right away. Then we will again have a true fellowship with God and that is without sin because Jesus' blood can cleanse us.

This kind of fellowship would give us full joy in life. A relationship with God that gives life and joy, we cannot live without it.

December 19, 2009 - Assurance For Christians

Meditation on 1 John 5

Base on our relationship with Jesus, the Son of God, the Apostle John gives Christians tremendous assurance in chapter five.

First, Christians can be sure that they can overcome the world because of their faith. (v. 1-5)

Secondly, Christians are reassured of their eternal lives in Jesus Christ because they have received Jesus into their hearts. When you have Jesus, you have His life. (v. 6-13)

Thirdly, Christians can have the confidence that their prayers will be answered. (v. 14- 17)

Fourthly, we have the assurance of protection from God against the devil. (v. 18-19)

Fifthly, God assures us that Jesus has given to us spiritual understanding, the capacity to understand God.

Therefore you (if you have received Christ as your Lord and Savior) can obey God's commandments. And His commandment is not burdensome. (v. 3)