Ask In My Name

"John 16:5-17:5

Power in the name of Jesus

Do you know how much power there is in the name of Jesus? As Jesus leaves his disciples, he says to them: ‘I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete … In that day you will ask in my name’ (John 16:23b–26a).

When we go to God in prayer we do not ask in our own names, but in the name of Jesus. On our own we have no right to ask anything. But Jesus, through the cross and resurrection, has made it possible for us to have access to God in his name.

Praying in Jesus’ name is not just about what we get though, it is also about aligning ourselves with Jesus. As we do this, our prayers harmonise with God’s broad desires for our life and we can pray that his will be done. That is also something we cannot do on our own, and for which we rely on the Holy Spirit.

Jesus tells the disciples that it is to their advantage that he is going away because, ‘Unless I go away the Counsellor [the ‘Friend’, MSG] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you’ (v.7). Jesus could only be in one place at a time. Now, by his Spirit, he can be with each of us as our friend and helper all the time, everywhere we go.

The Holy Spirit will convince the world about guilt (supremely because ‘people do not believe in’ Jesus, v.9), and ‘he will guide [us] into all truth’ (v.13a). Every time we go off track or in the wrong direction, the Holy Spirit convicts us. We sense in our spirit that what we are doing is not right.

Conviction is different from condemnation. The Holy Spirit never condemns us (Romans 8:1). He convicts us to repent and then to go in the right direction.

He guides us into all truth and truth is revealed by the Spirit of truth (John 16:13a). Among other things, he helps us to face the truth about ourselves. The truth sets us free.

Jesus promises you three things:

Joy – in the midst of mourning and grief

‘I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy’ (v.20). When Jesus rose from the dead, the disciples’ joy was so great that it completely overshadowed their grief – like a mother who has given birth to a baby and forgets the anguish of the birth (vv.21–22).

Love – in the midst of hate

Even when ‘the world hates you’ (15:18), Jesus says to you that ‘the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God’ (16:27).

Peace – in the midst of trouble

Jesus never promised you a trouble free life. Indeed, he says that in the world you will experience ‘tribulation and trials and distress and frustration’ (v.33, AMP). But he promises you ‘perfect peace and confidence in the midst of these trials’ because he has ‘overcome the world (I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you)’ (v.33, AMP).

The joy, love and peace that Jesus promises are the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ (see Galatians 5:22). As you call on Jesus’ name, his Spirit is in you, growing this fruit in your life.
The most amazing thing that you receive from the Holy Spirit is the chance to be in a relationship with God. In this prayer Jesus highlights this as the true heart and definition of ‘eternal life’ – ‘this is eternal life that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent’ (17:3).

This amazing description of eternal life is surrounded by Jesus’ prayer that God’s name would be glorified. Everything Jesus did while he was here on earth, and our relationship with the Father through Jesus, are all ultimately to the glory of God.

Lord, I can never thank you enough for the immense privilege of being able to pray in the name of Jesus. Today I pray … in your name."

1. Thank You for You, Jesus. Thank You for the Holy Spirit that does not condemn but convicts us to repent and head to the right direction.

2. Thank You for the tasty duck meal today.

3. Thank You for a good 5 km walk-jog exercise.

Smiles and Names

"At the age of 33, Barbara Clapham came to live in London. She decided she was going to look for a church. One Sunday morning she arrived at HTB. The young woman who was welcoming people at the door smiled at her and asked her name. Barbara said that because of that smile, she decided to come back the following week. When she walked in the next Sunday the same person said, ‘Hello Barbara’.

Because the person on the door remembered her name, she decided that she was going to come back every Sunday. That was in 1947. This year, on April 4th, I attended a party to celebrate her 100th birthday. She has made a huge impact on the life of HTB (including running the finances of the church for many years). I wonder whether the young woman on the door had any idea of the difference she made by remembering Barbara’s name.

There is great power in a name. I wish I were better at remembering names. Names are significant. This is true in our culture today, but it was even more so in the Hebrew culture we read about in the Bible. A Hebrew name is no mere label. It reflects character and speaks of influence and protection.

The name of the Lord reveals who he is. It is an expression of his nature and his character. The name of the Lord has great power. Jesus taught us to pray that God’s name would be honoured (Matthew 6:9).

Psalm 68:1-6

Praise the name of the Lord

David urges us to ‘sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds – his name is the Lord’ (v.4).

God reveals himself through his name. He gave his name to Moses (‘I AM WHO I AM’) when he came to liberate his people from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 3:14). Likewise, in this psalm we see that the God who bears this name has particular concern for the marginalised in our society:

God is ‘a father to the fatherless’ and ‘a defender of widows’ (Psalm 68:5).

‘God sets the lonely in families’ (v.6a). ‘God makes homes for the homeless’ (v.6a, MSG).

‘He leads forth the prisoners with singing’ (v.6b).

One of the ways to honour the name of the Lord is to love and serve the marginalised in our society: widows and orphans, the lonely, the homeless and those in prison.

Lord, I want to praise your name and bring glory to your name. May your name be honoured in my life as I love and serve the marginalised in society."

1. Thank You for being my home. Thank You that I can come to You anytime.

2. Thank You for the constant reminder to serve. It is always about You, not about me.

3. Thank You for a good walk after a break.

Tackling The Goliaths Of Life

"John 15:1-16:4

Trust in God

David was extraordinarily gifted naturally as well as supernaturally. He was handsome and in good health (16:12). He was talented musically (v.18). He was a gifted speaker (v.18). He had athletic ability (17:1û37; 18:11). He was a leader (18:13). He was successful (vv.14,30). He was famous (v.30).

Yet it was for none of these reasons that God used him. The Lord said to Samuel, "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. Human beings look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (16:7)."

David was outraged by Goliath's defiance of the living God (17:26). He was a courageous leader. He says, 'Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine [Goliath]' (v.32). What lessons can we learn from the way in which David tackled this giant?

Reject rejection

Eliab said to David, 'What are you doing here! Why aren't you minding your own business, tending that scrawny flock of sheep? I know what you're up to. You've come down here to see the sights, hoping for a ringside seat at a bloody battle!' (v.28, MSG). Yet David 'turned away' from Eliab (v.30).

The lesson we learn here is not to be put off if rejected or ill-treated. As Joyce Meyer writes, 'God is not looking for someone with ability but someone with availability - keep your heart pure by refusing to allow hatred, offense, bitterness, resentment or unforgiveness to stop us.'

Get involved

David said to Saul, 'Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him' (v.32). He volunteered his services. I am always so moved and impressed by the way in which our congregation are willing to volunteer their services: praying, serving and giving.

Trust God

Saul says to David, 'You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy' (v.33). Yet David replies, 'The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine' (v.37a). He trusts God because he knows that God is with him (see 16:18; 17:37b; 18:14).

Ultimately, the reason that David was able to tackle Goliath was that he was anointed by God. 'Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life' (16:13, MSG). The only way you will be able to tackle the giants in your life, in society and in the world, is through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, as I face the Goliaths in my own life, in my nation and across the world, I need the anointing of your Holy Spirit upon me, and your presence with me. Give me courage not to run away, not to lose heart and not to give up."

1. Amen, Lord. Give me the courage not to run away, never to lose heart, and never to give up. Thank You so much for Your message.

2. Thank You, Lord, for overwhelming blessings, with some gift-wrapped in trials but I trust You that You have a plan for me.

3. Hallelujah for my first buffet grilling experience!

Secrets To Fruitfulness

"John 15:1-16:4

Testify about Jesus

There is nothing more important and no greater privilege in life than to be a friend of Jesus. Jesus says, ‘You are my friends … I no longer call you servants … you are my friends’ (vv.14–15).

Having Jesus as your friend allows you to tackle the giants in your life, in the church and in society from a unique standpoint.

Personal

Jesus tells us that there are two secrets of Christian fruitfulness.

First, there is pruning (15:1–2). The purpose of pruning is so that you can bear even more fruit. Pain, sorrow, sickness and suffering, loss, bereavement, disappointment and frustrated ambition are some of the ways our lives are pruned.

John Stott comments, ‘To the uninitiated it looks very cruel. Sometimes only a stump is left – naked, jagged, scarred, mutilated – to face the storms and the cold of the winter. But when the spring and summer return, there is much fruit. The sharp pruning knife has after all brought a blessing.’

The second secret of fruitfulness is closeness to Jesus (v.4). We cannot take on the giants by ourselves. Jesus says, ‘When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing’ (v.5, MSG). We will only succeed in tackling the giants if we stay close to Jesus.
We need to cultivate a growing friendship (vv.14–15) with Jesus by spending time with him, and praying and listening to him through his word.

Jesus says that if you stay close to him (‘remain in him’) three things will happen in terms of fruitfulness. First, your prayers will be answered (v.7). Second, God will be glorified (v.8). Third, your joy will be complete and overflowing (v.11, AMP).

Church

There are massive giants facing the church today. The biggest giant is disunity. Disunity will only be overcome by love. Jesus said, ‘My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends … This is my command: Love each other’ (vv.12–13,17).

Society

Jesus warns us that we will face the giant of a world that hates us (vv.18–19). He says, ‘If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also’ (v.20). He says, ‘Those who kill you will think they are offering a service to God’ (16:2). There are parts of the world where this is literally true today. But Jesus warns us that, wherever we are, we should expect opposition, hatred and even persecution.

On our own we would have no answers but Jesus says, ‘When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify’ (15:26–27). The Holy Spirit enables you to testify about Jesus and to take on these giant challenges, to see our society transformed.

Lord, thank you for all your promises in this passage: that you love me; that I can be lastingly fruitful in you; that you give me joy; and that you call me your friend. Thank you that you promise to answer my prayers.

Help me to love others as you have loved me. Thank you that you have given me the Counsellor, the Spirit of Truth, to live within me."

1. Thank You for always taking my giants, for praying for me when you feel that I need you.

2. Thank You for the church. This is family.

3. Thank You for a fantastic entertainment to end the day!

Facing The Giants

"A ‘giant’ is a big, seemingly insurmountable problem or issue. Goliath was a giant. He was nine-feet tall, a champion, wearing heavy armour, standing and shouting, defying the people of God (1 Samuel 17:1–11). As well as physical giants, there are metaphorical ones. As the evangelist J John says, there are two possible attitudes when facing a giant. One is to say, ‘He is so big, there’s nothing I can do.’ The other is to say ‘He’s so big, I can’t miss!’

There are the ‘global giants’. These would include extreme poverty (as a result of which 30,000 children die each day), preventable disease (millions dying of diseases for which we have a relatively easy cure), the need for universal primary education (almost one billion people entered the twenty-first century unable to read a book or sign their name) and the need for worldwide water sanitation (which could be funded by the amount of money that Europeans spend on ice cream every year).

Then there are the giants faced in our society at a local and national level. In the UK these include knife crime, homelessness, the breakdown of marriage, family life and community, loneliness, exploding prison populations, failing schools, the decline of churches, church buildings closing and the rise of secularism and atheism. There is therefore the giant task of evangelising the country and transforming our society.

In addition, all of us, from time to time, will face giants in our own personal lives. These could include giant personal challenges in relation to your health, marriage, family, relationships or lack of relationships, job or lack of job, other work issues, or some sin or temptation or addiction or fear or loneliness or discouragement or debt.

The account of David and Goliath is obviously about tackling a giant. However, each of the passages for today tells us something about giant challenges.

Psalm 67:1-7

Think global

God loves the entire world. He wants every nation and peoples to know him, worship and love him.

The psalmist prayed for God’s blessing on his people in order that ‘your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations’ (v.2).

It is sometimes said that the people of God in the Old Testament did not have a vision beyond their own borders. However, we see in this psalm that the global vision was foreshadowed in the Old Testament.

The psalmist prays for the entire globe (vv.3–5). If we are to tackle the global giants we need a global vision. The words of this psalm are all about God. The size of your vision will be dependent on the size of your vision of God. As AW Tozer put it, ‘What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.’ 

Lord, be gracious to us and bless us. Make your face shine upon us. Make your ways known on earth and your salvation among all nations. May there be a global revival. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you."

1. May there be an internal revival, thank You for catching me every time I fall. Thank You, Lord.

2. Hallelujah for the gift of hands that we are able to use it to learn sign language.

3. Praise God for local experiences.

Being Open-minded

"Life is a learning experience and marriages must be also. We bring into marriage vastly different backgrounds; thus, our attitudes must be flexible so we can mesh our backgrounds into a compatible lifestyle. To accomplish this, we must be open-minded. That's what Jesus meant when He talked about those who were "poor in spirit."

When Jesus came, the religious leaders rejected Him because they were filled with their own ideas and traditions. But, the common people heard him gladly (Mark 12:37). Poor and hungry, they wanted what Jesus taught them. Christ said He had come to preach the Gospel to the poor (Luke 4:18). People who have their fists closed can receive nothing. On the other hand, those who have their hands open can receive what is given. Christ wants our minds and hearts to be open to think in new directions.

Being open-minded is most important in establishing our homes. If each mate insists on imposing his previous lifestyle on the marriage and refuses to learn from the other, the marriage will be severely hampered. We must be open-minded. Paul pointedly says: Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself (Philippians 2:3). Our mates have valuable contributions to make to our lives, and we would be wise to listen. To be "poor in sprit" means we are not filled with pride but open to learning from each other and making appropriate changes."

1. Thank You, Lord, for these messages that I can be prepared when the time comes, in Your timing.

2. Thank You for the longest sleep I have ever done in Vietnam.

3. Thank You for the gift of sign language. May I continue learning it.

Not To Us But To Your Name

"John 14:1-31

Honour the Lord to the end

Saul started off very well. God had given him great success. In the passage for today we can learn from Saul’s good example in the early days of his leadership.

However, he did not finish well due to disobedience and arrogance. Partial obedience is still disobedience. Not only did he disobey God, but he ‘set up a victory monument in his own honour’ (15:12, MSG). How different this is from Jesus who, as we see in today’s passage, had only one aim in life – to bring glory to his Father (John 14:13).

Samuel tells Saul, ‘When you started out in this, you were nothing – and you knew it. Then God put you at the head of Israel – made you king over Israel ... why did you not obey God? ... He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. Not doing what God tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around God is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said No to God’s command, he says No to your kingship’ (1 Samuel 15:17–23, MSG).

Power is so dangerous. Its abuse corrupts. Success can so easily lead to pride and arrogance. That in turn can lead to idolatry.

Lord, we pray with the psalmist, ‘Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory’ (Psalm 115:1). Lord, help us to avoid the disobedience and arrogance of Saul, and to follow the obedience and humility of Jesus.

Lord, come and make your home in my heart today. May the Spirit of truth lead and guide me, and give me your peace."

1. Amen! Not to me but to Your name. Thank You, all glory to You.

2. Thank You for the existence of different perspectives. They teach me more understanding.

3. Thank You for being able to appreciate great music.

The Legacy

"John 14:1-31

Trust in the legacy of Jesus

Are you troubled, distressed, agitated or afraid? Jesus does not want you to be troubled, but to have peace in your heart (vv.1,27).

Jesus knows that his life on this earth is about to finish. He is about to leave his disciples (v.27); he is going back to the Father (v.3). Yet he says to them, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled, distressed, agitated’ (v.1, AMP). ‘Peace I leave with you’ (v.27). Jesus does not leave us alone but passes on to us an amazing legacy.

Jesus has good plans for your future

Jesus says, ‘There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home ... I’m on my way to get your room ready’ (v.2, MSG). In Christ our long-term future is totally secure.

Jesus is coming back for you

The end of earthly life is not the end. Jesus told his followers, ‘I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am’ (v.3).

Jesus has opened the way for you to know God

Thomas asks, ‘How can we know the way?’ Jesus replies, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ (vv.5–6).

Jesus reveals God for you

Philip says, ‘Lord, show us the Father’ (v.8). Jesus replies, ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father’ (v.9). If you want to know what God looks like, look at Jesus.

Jesus will do even greater things through you

Jesus will do even greater miracles through his disciples than he did while he was on earth (v.12).

Jesus will continue to answer your prayers

‘From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do’ (vv.13–14, MSG).

Jesus will never leave you alone

Jesus says, ‘I will not leave you as orphans’ (v.18). He says that he’ll ‘provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth ... he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!’ (vv.16–17, MSG).

Jesus will continue to love you

‘Those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them’ (v.21b).

Jesus and the Father will make their home with you

Jesus said, ‘Those who love me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them’ (v.23).

Jesus leaves you with peace

‘Peace I leave with you … Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid’ (v.27).
How is all this possible? The way in which Jesus passes on his legacy to you is through the Holy Spirit. He will send the Holy Spirit to live in your heart. ‘The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you’ (v.26, MSG).
Jesus had thought it through very carefully and had made a great succession plan!

Lord, thank you for giving me such an amazing legacy. Thank you that you give me the Holy Spirit, to be with me forever. Thank you that you live in me. Thank you that you and the Father come and make your home with me. Thank you that you give me your peace and you promise to answer my prayers.

Thank you that you say, ‘You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it’ (v.14). "

1. Indeed, Lord, today, I ask in Your name to guard my heart and strengthen me as I face incoming trials. You are always with me and may I always listen to You.

2. Thank You, Lord, for freshly baked Banh Mi in the midst of the rain.

3. Thank You for the rain that reminds me of cleansing.

What is Righteousness?

"Proverbs 12:28-13:9

Take the long view

The writer of Proverbs encourages us to take the long view and stay in the way of ‘righteousness’ where ‘there is life; along that path is immortality’ (12:28). We need to avoid the temptation to focus just on the here and now, and act in the light of eternity.

What does a righteous life look like?

Listen to parental advice

‘A wise child heeds a parent’s instruction’ (13:1). Honouring parents is high on the list of God’s priorities. Family life and good parenting are so important. I do recommend The Parenting Book by Nicky and Sila Lee.

Guard your lips

‘Those who guard their lips guard their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin’ (v.3). It is impossible to overestimate the importance of our words and of controlling the tongue.

Work hard

‘The desires of the diligent are fully satisfied’ (v.4). Work is a blessing. Success can be hard work. It requires diligent perseverance. Winston Churchill said, ‘Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.’

Love the truth

‘The righteous hate what is false’ (v.5). We are to hate dishonesty and love the truth. Mark Twain once said, ‘If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.’

Be a person of integrity

‘Righteousness guards the person of integrity’ (v.6). Integrity does not mean being perfect. It means being honest, real and authentic (it is the opposite of hypocrisy). In his book, Integrity, the clinical psychologist Dr Henry Cloud writes that integrity ‘is the key to success. A person with integrity has the – often rare – ability to pull everything together, to make it all happen no matter how challenging the circumstances.’

Lord, help me to take the long view and to stay on the path of righteousness, life and immortality. Help me to be wise, to honour parents, to guard my lips, to work hard, to speak the truth and to live a life of integrity.

1. To live a life of truth - yes, Lord, thank You for never ever getting tired of reminding me about this.

2. Thank You for Skype, as if distance does not matter at all.

3. Thank You for the rest You give. Thank You for antibodies, too.

Finishing Well

"You can finish well. You may have had a bad start in life. You may have messed up along the way. You may have made mistakes. You may have regrets. But you can finish well and that is what matters most.

Some start well but fall. In the recession, many of the companies that Jim Collins had profiled in his international bestseller Good to Great fell. He argued that the fall of the previously great companies did not negate the principles of the earlier books. However, it showed us that even the ‘mightiest’ of companies can fall.

In his most recent book, How the Mighty Fall, he examines the path towards doom. The first stage of the process begins with ‘hubris born of success’. As with Saul in the Old Testament passage for today, it is arrogance that begins the process by which the mighty fall.

It is more important to finish well than to start well. In the New Testament, Saul (of Tarsus) started off very badly (he was a persecutor of Jesus and was complicit in murder), but he finished well (as the great apostle, Paul). On the other hand, as we see in today’s Old Testament passage, Saul (king of Israel) started very well but did not finish well.

Jesus, as always, shows us the way. His life was relatively short. He died in his early thirties, yet he finished well. He prays to the Father, ‘I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do’ (John 17:4).

This is my ambition in life. I want to complete the work God has given me to do. How can we all make sure we finish well?"

1. Yes, Lord. Cleanse and guard my heart while I am in this world. Thank You for such great examples of real people who have finished well. 

2. Thank You for Your provision that I was able to do my tasks in spite of respiratory weakness. Thank You for Your grace always.

3. Thank You for awesome Vietnamese food, I could not get enough. :)

Rushing Into Rash Decisions

"John 13:18-38

Love like God

There are times in our lives when we may feel outnumbered by problems – illness, temptation, attacks on our faith and so on – but God is able to save us, if he acts on our behalf. However much we seem to be outnumbered by our enemies, if the Lord acts on our behalf we will be saved.

We need to trust God not just when things are going well, but also in the difficult times. God is looking for men and women of faith.

Samuel said, ‘The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people’ (13:14).

God’s heart is full of love, compassion, mercy, justice and creativity. He is looking for people who are like him – like Jesus. Only the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts can make us like Jesus.

Saul failed. God had told Saul to wait until Samuel arrived. When Samuel was delayed, the people became restless. Saul cared more about what the people thought than what God thought. He became impatient and panicked (vv.6–12), just as we so often do. We need to learn to be more patient – to wait for God to act – and not panic if little things go wrong, such as Samuel being late. We must not rush into rash decisions in the heat of the moment.

Jonathan, on the other hand, trusted ultimately in God’s love. He said ‘Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few’ (14:6).

Lord, please give me a heart like yours – a heart of love. Help me to trust in your unfailing love. Thank you that your love is poured into my heart by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to me (Romans 5:5). Lord, please pour your love into my heart today."

1. Thank You for saving me despite my struggles. Come Holy Spirit.

2. Thank You Lord for home time. Thank You for weaknesses that I may realize my body needs rest too.

3. Thank You for being my strength, in everything.

Love One Another

"John 13:18-38

Nothing is more of a hindrance to the message of Jesus than a lack of love between Christians. If our nations are to be changed, if people are going to turn back to following Jesus, we must start loving one another. This means loving Christians of different churches, denominations, traditions and different views to us.

It means loving one another in the local church. Disunity destroys. Love unites. Love attracts others to the person of Jesus. Loving God and loving one another in Jesus’ name must be our overall ambition above all others. That is the kind of love that can change the world.

The author of John’s Gospel knew the love of Jesus in a very special way. Of all the disciples he was the one closest to Jesus. He was the one who ‘was reclining next to him’ (v.23). Four times in this gospel, John describes himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’: here (v.23), at the cross (19:26), at the empty tomb (20:2) and with the risen Jesus (21:20).

Perhaps, because of this unique experience of Jesus’ love, his gospel and letters speak so much about love. He records that Jesus told his disciples, ‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another’ (13:34–35).

People fail to love for different reasons. Judas betrays Jesus in spite of being so close to him: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me’ (v.18). Satan entered into him (v.27). Here we see the very opposite of love. Yet Jesus continued to love Judas.
Peter loved Jesus. But he too failed. Peter said that he would lay down his life for Jesus (v.37), but Jesus tells him, ‘You will disown me three times’ (v.38). And that is what Peter did (18:15–18,25–27). Yet Jesus continued to love Peter.

Jesus sets before us this amazing challenge: ‘As I have loved you, so you must love one another’ (13:34). Jesus loved us by laying down his life for us. He says that we are to follow his example and show self-sacrificial love for one another. This is the mark of a true Christian. ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another’ (v.35).

Love is the most effective form of evangelism. When people see real love they see God. The best way to tell people about Jesus is to love them and to love other followers of Jesus.

Generally, in the world, people get into groups with people they are naturally attracted to and who think the same way as them. The followers of Jesus are meant to be quite different. The church of Jesus Christ brings us together with a variety of people from different backgrounds, of different interests, different ages, ethnicities, races, perspectives, opinions and different views: all who love one another.

This is one of the reasons I love gatherings, such as Alpha International Week. The week gathers people from over 100 countries and numerous different churches and denominations, representing every continent, race and ethnicity. One of the features of these biennial weeks is always the extraordinary love that breaks down every barrier and unites us all in our love for Jesus and our love for one another.

Lord, help us to love one another as you have loved us. May we see a new love between Christians of all churches, denominations and traditions in the local, national and global church. May the world be changed by our love."

1. Thank You for showing what love means. May I show this love to others.

2. Praise God for allowing me to see and feel the world of the deaf once more. Thank You for this calling.

3. Thank You for the series of events for today: English class, church, dinner and coffee with new friends, and meeting hyper kiddos.

He First Loved Us

"Psalm 66:13-20

Love God

When you are in trouble do you ever bargain with God? Do you ever make a promise that if God were to answer your prayer you will do something (… or you won’t do something ever again!)? The psalmist made such a promise – and when his prayer was answered he fulfilled his promise. He wrote, ‘I will … fulfil my vows to you – vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble’ (vv.13–14).

God loves you. He does not withhold his love from you. The psalmist praises God: ‘He stayed with me, loyal in his love’ (v.20, MSG). Your love for God and others is a response to his love for you, ‘We love because he first loved us’ (1 John 4:19).

God, in his love for you, hears and answers your prayers. If you want to enjoy God’s love to the full, experience answered prayer, and show your love for him, there is one thing you need to avoid. The psalmist writes: ‘If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened’ (Psalm 66:18).

If there is sin in the past, you can confess it and repent of it and be forgiven. What really blocks our relationship with God is if we deliberately plan to sin in the future. Then we cannot come into God’s presence with a clear conscience. This blocks the experience of his love.

It is because God, in his love ‘has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer’ (v.19), that in response the psalmist wants other people to listen to him. ‘Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me’ (v.16). It is so encouraging to hear other people’s testimonies about what God has done in their lives. It inspires the rest of us and increases our faith.

Lord, thank you for your forgiveness, mercy and love. Thank you for the many times when you have listened and heard my voice in prayer (v.19). ‘Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!’ (v.20)."

1. Thank You, indeed, for your forgiveness, O, Lord. I cannot just thank You enough.

2. Thank You for continuous learning.

3. Hallelujah for a free movie ticket! =D

The Decision to Love

"In February 1977, Bishop Festo Kivengere fled Uganda in fear for his life. A few days previously he had been part of a group of church leaders who had delivered a letter of protest to the dictator, Idi Amin. They had spoken out against the beatings, arbitrary killings and unexplained disappearances taking place across Uganda at the time. The delegation had been led by Kivengere’s friend and leader, Archbishop Janani Luwum. Within twenty-four hours of delivering the letter, Luwum had been killed, and Kivengere driven into hiding and then exile.

Soon afterwards Kivengere published a book entitled I Love Idi Amin. In the book he explained the extraordinary title: ‘The Holy Spirit showed me that I was getting hard in my spirit … so I had to ask for forgiveness from the Lord, and for grace to love President Amin more … this was fresh air for my tired soul. I knew I had seen the Lord and been released: love filled my heart.’

Love is more than a feeling or an emotion. It is a decision about how we treat one another. As Bishop Stephen Neill wrote, ‘If a mathematical analysis of “love” in this sense were to be attempted, it would probably assign 10% to emotion; 20% to understanding; 70% to will.’ 

Jesus was the supreme example of love in the history of the world. He tells us to love God, to love one another (John 13:34–35), to love our neighbour as ourselves and even to love our enemies. He demonstrates all this in his own life through loving everyone (even Judas who betrayed him), and laying down his life for us all in love."

1. Thank You for enlightening this aspect of my life. Thank You for the constant reminder that it is just 10% emotion.

2. Thank You for an awesome Friday, for the cooperation from people.

3. Thank You again for another fun night with really great music and dancing. :D

Celebrating success

"John 12:37-13:17

Saul began his reign as king with a honeymoon period. The Spirit of God came upon him in power and he prophesied (10:9–13). God gave him great wisdom in dealing with opposition. He knew when to keep silent (v.27).

Saul soon had to deal with ‘troublemakers’ (v.27). God is in the business of touching human hearts (v.26). But, as always, the Bible is realistic. Troublemakers were around the corner. Wherever God is at work in power we must expect to find troublemakers as well.

When the people of God were facing appalling cruelty from a man who wanted to gouge out the right eye of every person, ‘the Spirit of God came upon [Saul] in power’ (11:6). God gave him a great victory and he had the wisdom to say afterwards, ‘No one shall be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel’ (v.13). Instead they held ‘a great celebration’ (v.15).

In Samuel’s farewell speech he spoke of how often God has given success to his people when they cried to him for help (12:8,10–11). He urged them to ‘consider what great things he has done for you’ (v.24). Many of these things came about as a result of Samuel’s prayer and he said, ‘As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you’ (v.23).

We are told to pray for one another – and yet we seldom think of not praying for others as a sin, let alone a sin against God. Yet it clearly is. It is so easy to get out of the habit of intercessory prayer by getting so bound up with our own needs and worries.

The passage for today ends with Samuel telling the people to ‘consider what great things he has done for you’ (v.24). The people of Israel were continually looking back at all the good things God had done on their behalf. Whatever else is going on in our lives, we too can look back, consider and celebrate creation, the cross and resurrection, our forgiveness, our justification, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the promise of glory and all the other great things he has done for us.

Lord, today I want to look back with thanks and celebrate all the great things you have done for me …"

1. Thank You for an amazing memory to look back and give thanks to all the great things You have done for me.

2. Thank You for surrounding me with good friends.

3. Thank You for good music and great talent!

Celebrating Jesus

"John 12:37-13:17

There are times in our lives when things go well. There are times when things go badly. But there is one thing we can always celebrate: Jesus died and rose again for us. Jesus said, ‘For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it’ (12:47). He said, ‘I have come … so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness’ (v.46).

The context of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet is set just before the Passover feast (13:1). There would have been great excitement in the air as hundreds of thousands came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. This time of celebration foreshadowed the passion of Jesus, which we now celebrate at Easter.

When he had finished washing their feet, he said to them, ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ (v.12). What was it all about? What were they to understand? We can see four pictures from the passage:

Love
The act of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet demonstrated the full extent of his love (13:1). This is a very striking contrast to what the world thinks of when people use the word ‘love’. It is far more than a feeling or an emotion: it is a decision to treat people the way that Jesus would treat them (v. 14–15).

Service
The roads of Palestine were un-surfaced and un-cleaned. In dry weather they would have been inches deep in dust. In wet weather they would have been liquid mud.

In a wealthy household, on arrival there would be a bowl at the door. The second lowest slave of the household would untie the sandals. The lowest slave would wash the feet.

Whilst the others are reclining, Jesus gets up, takes off his sleeveless tunic and strips down to a loin cloth. Like a slave he starts washing their feet.

Jesus shows us that if we love people, we will be willing to serve them and that those who serve should always be treated with the greatest respect.

Humility
Jesus uniquely combined absolute love (v.1) and absolute power: ‘The Father has put all things under his power’ (v.3a). In love he chose to act in humility and serve his disciples.  
Those who seek their own glory (like Judas, v.2) are reduced to nothing. As William Temple put it, ‘When a person stands on their dignity, they usually succeed in squashing it flat.’ Those who exalt themselves are humbled. Those who humble themselves God will exalt.

Forgiveness
The washing and cleansing he is speaking about is not just washing from dirt, but cleansing from sin. Foot-washing is a picture of what Jesus is about to do on the cross for them (v.7). Through Jesus’ death for us we are totally forgiven. Why then does Jesus teach us to pray regularly for forgiveness?

I find the most helpful analogy and picture is the one given here. When Jesus moved to wash Peter’s feet, Peter said, ‘ “No, you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” ’ (v.8). Peter replied, in effect, ‘Well, in that case, wash my whole body.’ Jesus said, ‘Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean’ (v.10).

This is a picture of forgiveness. When you put your faith in Jesus you are made totally clean and you are forgiven – everything is dealt with. You do not need to repeat this one-off act of repentance and faith that leads to total forgiveness. It is the equivalent of having a bath, which is enacted in the sacrament of baptism.

However, as we go through the world we do things that tarnish our friendship with God. Your relationship is always secure but your friendship is sullied with the dirt that you pick up on your feet. Each day pray, ‘Lord, forgive me, cleanse me from the dirt.’ You don’t need to have a bath again, Jesus has done that for you, but a measure of cleansing may be necessary every day.

Each week when we gather on the day of the resurrection (Sunday), and every year at Easter, we remember and celebrate these great events of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Furthermore, every time we receive communion we are celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus for us.

Lord, help us to follow Jesus’ example, not just in words but also in actions. Thank you that washing the disciples’ feet prefigured the crucifixion and our redemption. Thank you that you have given us so much to celebrate."

1. Thank You Jesus for dying on the cross and rising again. Thank You.

2. Thank You for loving me even if I don't deserve it. Thank You for not forsaking me.

3. Thank You for daily little lessons that You bring. May I continue to grow from them.

Refined In The Fire

"Psalm 66:1-12

Celebrating God’s goodness

Do you sometimes feel like you have been ‘to hell and back’? Have you found yourself ‘pushed to the limit’? It may be that God is training you, like silver being refined in the fire.

This psalm celebrates the fact that God had brought his people through very difficult times:

‘He trained us first,
passed us like silver through refining fires ...
pushed us to our very limit,
Road–tested us inside and out,
took us to hell and back;
Finally he brought us
to this well–watered place’ (vv.10–12, MSG).

They did not let this occasion go unmarked. They celebrated. It sounds a fairly noisy affair: ‘All together now – applause for God!’ (v.1, MSG). They sang praise: ‘How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power’ (v.3). They celebrated what God had done (v.5). They rejoiced and praised God in a way that everybody around could hear: ‘Bless our God, O peoples! Give him a thunderous welcome!’ (v.8, MSG).

This is one of the many psalms celebrating God’s goodness. This is what we do every time we come together for worship.

Lord, I celebrate your goodness. I praise you for your great power and all that you have done on my behalf. Thank you that you bring me through fire and water in order to bring me to a place of abundance."

1. Thank You that I can celebrate your goodness, the salvation, and the forgiveness.

2. Thank You for failures that they can open my eyes to the truth, to reality.

3. Thank You for awesome and affordable food for dinner!

God With Us

"John 12:12-36

Government of humans

God had planned that his people would be different from others. He planned a society in which God himself was the king. But Israel wanted to be like everyone else. A direct rule of God only works when the people are wholly devoted to God. If not, it results in the chaos we saw in Judges. It is better to have a human king than no king at all. We might list the preferences like this:

God as King: The situation God wanted – his perfect will

A human king: The situation God allowed – his permissive will

No king: The situation in Judges – chaos.

The people of God rejected his rule. The Lord says, ‘they have rejected me as their king’ (8:7). The people ask for a king. They say, ‘appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have’ (v.5).

Samuel warns them that human governments are weak and fallible. Power corrupts. Samuel warns that the king who will rule over them will take some of their families, land, possessions and employees and use them for his own benefit and that of his inner circle (vv.11–16).

In other words, he warns them about the failings and weaknesses of all human government. He also warns them about taxes and ‘extensive bureaucracy’! (v.15, MSG).
In spite of the warning, the people say, ‘We want a king over us’ (v.19). The Lord allowed ‘plan B’: he gave them a king (v.22). Saul is chosen to be the anointed leader of Israel to deliver his people (v.16). The moment Samuel sees Saul, in the blink of an eye he recognises that this was the man who was going to govern the people of God (9:17). Saul, who comes from a humble background (v.21), becomes the anointed king (10:1).  

God graciously blesses this new plan. Three remarkable things happen to Saul (which now happen to every Christian). First, when he is anointed the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him in power (v.6b). Second, he is ‘transformed’. He becomes a new person (v.6c, see 2 Corinthians 5:17). Third, Samuel tells him ‘Whatever job you’re given to do, do it. God is with you!’ (v.7, MSG).

This was true of Saul and it is true of you. However down you might feel about a circumstance, however far from God you may feel, however difficult you may find it to pray, whatever doubts you have, he is still with you.

Almighty God, give wisdom to those who serve as leaders in our nation. Grant that ‘they may lay aside all private interests and partial affections, and take counsel together for the glory of thy name, the maintenance of true religion and justice, and the welfare, peace and unity of the realm; through Jesus Christ our Lord’. (Adapted from the House of Commons Prayer)."

1. Thank You Lord for being with me however far I feel from You at times because of my failures.

2. Thank You for risks, that I may trust in You more as I face them.

3. Thank You also for having a good walk always.

Government of Jesus

"John 12:12-36

Are you troubled by something you are facing? Are you distressed by some trial in your life? If you are, you have a leader who understands. Jesus said ‘my soul is troubled and distressed’ (v.27a, AMP).

Jesus gives us a model of how to respond to suffering in our lives and to a suffering world. Then, as now, was a time of crisis. Jesus said, ‘the world is in crisis’ (v.30, MSG).

At the time of the Feast of Passover, ‘the great crowd’ came to Jerusalem (v.12). Josephus estimated that around 2.7 million people would assemble. This may well be an exaggeration. Nevertheless, it was a massive festival and there must have been a great sense of excitement and expectation.

At the time of Jesus, people were awaiting the Messiah. They were looking for a human king, in the line of David, who would free them from their oppressors. As Jesus enters Jerusalem he is seen to be that king: ‘Blessed is the King of Israel!’ (v.13b). The crowd probably saw Jesus as a military king and were hoping for an immediate liberation from Roman rule.

Then, as now, there were different attitudes to the government. The Pharisees (v.19) took the view that Roman occupation, oppressive though it might be, must be endured until God removed it. The Sadducees favoured cooperation with the government. The Zealots were the most popular with the people. They wanted a violent revolt led by a messianic king.

Jesus is indeed the King. But he did not ride into Jerusalem on a stallion. He came in humility on a donkey. He is a different type of leader: ‘See, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt’ (v.15b). He is the messianic king but not a military one. This acted parable was designed to correct the misguided expectations of the crowds and show the city of Jerusalem the way of peace.

He came as the victorious King – not by doing violence to the oppressors but by having violence done to him. He says, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified’ (v.23) – and yet he is talking about the cross. “I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die’ (vv.32–33).

We see an insight here into the inner struggle in Jesus’ heart as he faces his imminent trial, suffering and death. ‘Now my heart is troubled and what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!’ (vv.27–28a).

The victory of Jesus came not through military force but through his self-sacrificial death, which defeated the demonic powers (v.31). The death of Jesus signifies judgment on the world, the overthrow of evil, the glorification of Jesus and a drawing of all people to him.

Here, indeed, was a different kind of victorious king. Jesus not only fulfilled the prophecies about the messianic King, he also fulfilled the prophecies about the suffering servant. He brought the two lines of prophecy together.

One day Jesus will return as the triumphant King to rule and reign for all eternity. In the meantime, we are called to be light in the darkness. If you live under the leadership of Jesus ‘then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You’ll be children of light’ (36, MSG).

Lord, thank you for the example of leadership through humility and self-sacrifice. Help me to serve you in such a way that my life brings light to a dark world."

1. Lord, thank You for always instilling in my heart to bring light.

2. Praise God for keeping my busy, and a good kind of busy at that. 

3. Thank You, Lord, for short but happy moments.

Every Knee Will Bow

"Psalm 65:1-13

Government of God

Do you realise how good God is? He loves you and wants you to enjoy his blessings today in your life. This psalm is all about the goodness of God. It paints a beautiful picture of what life can look like when lived under God’s rule. It helps us to meditate on his goodness.

God hears your prayers (v.2), he forgives your sins, even in those times in your life when you may feel ‘overwhelmed by sins’ (v.3). God’s forgiveness is amazing.

‘We are filled with the good things’ (v.4) being in his presence. He gives us ‘hope’ (v.5b) and ‘joy’ (v.8b).

We see his great love in the way he treats creation (the watering of the land, the provision of corn, crops, flocks, and so on, vv.9–13).

We don’t live in a society directly governed by God, but through Christ you have a direct relationship with God in your own personal life. You can follow his rule, and experience the blessing of God’s presence. This is one of the ways in which you can experience ‘the kingdom of God’ in your life.

Thank you, Lord, for your amazing goodness. Thank you that one day your kingdom will come and every knee will bow before Jesus and he will inherit the kingdoms of the earth and will rule rightly in a ‘new creation’."

1. Thank You simply for Jesus. Thank You that I have a direct relationship with God through Jesus.

2. Hallelujah for a great trip today. Although it rained, it went smoothly.

3. Thank You for always being with me in the perfect timing.

Prayer: In His Timing

"John 11:45-12:11

Persistent prayer

God never forgets a single prayer you pray, even though you may forget. Things may have happened to you today as a result of prayers that you prayed years ago and you have forgotten all about them. But God is still working on them in his timing. Keep stacking up the prayers. Persevering prayer prevails.

Under the old covenant, the ark of God was the place where God was supremely present, and it was the location of God’s glory. Yesterday we read that, as a result of the Philistines capturing the ark, Eli’s daughter-in-law named her son Ichabod, which means ‘no glory’ for ‘the glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured’ (4:22).

We sometimes have to wait a long time for the Lord to act and answer our prayers. ‘It was a long time, twenty years in all … all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord’ (7:2). We think we have prayed for a long time if we have prayed for a year, but they prayed for twenty years for their country before God acted.

The path to deliverance from the Philistines began for the people of God with a return to the Lord with all their heart. Samuel said, ‘ “If you are truly serious about coming back to God, clean house. Get rid of the foreign gods and fertility goddesses, ground yourselves firmly in God, worship him and him alone, and he’ll save you from Philistine oppression.” They did it. They got rid of the gods and goddesses, the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and gave their exclusive attention and service to God’ (7:3–4, MSG).

The first thing we need to do in our lives when we are seeking God’s presence and help is remove anything that is drawing our attention and focus away from God.

After the return to the Lord there was a need for a period of confession and repentance, which was shown by their fasting. ‘On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” ’ (v.6).

Finally, it was Samuel’s intercession and persistence in prayer for twenty years that brought the people of God victory. Samuel said, ‘I will intercede with the Lord for you’ (v.5). They said, ‘Pray with all your might! And don’t let up! Pray to God, our God, that he’ll save us from the boot of the Philistines’ (v.8, MSG). Samuel ‘cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him’ (v.9).

They recognised it was an amazing answer to prayer. ‘Thus far has the Lord helped us’ (v.12). They were delivered from the power of the Philistines and there was peace in the land (v.13).

Lord, I commit myself to you again to serve you only. Forgive my sins and the sins of your people. I cry out to you for deliverance. May we see many people in this land putting their faith in Jesus."

1. Thank You for making me understand that things happen in Your time.

2. Thank You for taste buds that we can try different food everytime.

3. Thank You always for the grace that the day's activities have gone as expected.

What is Your Motive?

"John 11:45-12:11

Perishing plots!

God is sovereign. He uses even the very worst things for good. Supremely, we see this on the cross: the very worst plot ever – torture and murder of the innocent Son of God – was used by God to bring salvation to the entire human race.

This being the case, you can believe that God will use even the worst things that you face in life, for good (Romans 8:28).

Jesus faced evil plots. The motive appears to be envy(the religious sin). People were envious of Jesus because he had so many followers and seemed to be more ‘successful’ than the religious leaders. Out of envy, the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin (John 11:47a).

The Sanhedrin was the supreme court of the nation. It comprised 71 members including the high priest. The chief priests were the majority and the Pharisees an influential minority. They asked, ‘What are we accomplishing?’ (v.47b). It was a very good question! They were envious of the popularity of Jesus and plotted to take his life (v.53).

God uses even their evil plots for good. They meant it for evil. God meant it for good.
Caiaphas was the high priest. He held that office from AD 18 – AD 36. Ironically, Caiaphas prophesied: ‘It is better for you that one person die for the people than that the whole nation perish’ (v.50). God is able to speak through an unwitting agent.

John comments, ‘He didn’t say this of his own accord, but as Chief Priest that year he unwittingly prophesied that Jesus was about to die sacrificially for the nation, and not only for the nation but so that all God’s exile-scattered children might be gathered together into one people’ (vv.51–52, MSG).

Perhaps because he knew of the plot against him, Jesus withdrew: ‘Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly … Instead he withdrew … he stayed with his disciples’ (v.54). But this was not to be the end of the opposition Jesus faced.

Most painful of all must have been the opposition from Judas. When Mary pours the perfume on Jesus’ feet, Judas objects, ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages’ (12:5). This, on the face of it, is a perfectly good objection, but we read, ‘He did not say this because he cared about the poor’ (v.6).

This is the only place that something is said to Judas’ discredit apart from the record of his ultimate treachery. It must have been so distressing for Jesus that his friend and disciple, Judas, was stealing money from the gifts made to Jesus and his disciples by generous donors (Luke 8:2–3).

Jesus simply responds to Judas’ objection, ‘You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me’ (John 12:8).

Jesus was certainly not encouraging complacency about the poor. The fact that we will never obliterate poverty in the world does not mean that we should not try – after all, compassion for the poor was central to Jesus’ ministry. Rather, Jesus was turning the attention of his disciples to the significance of what Mary had done.

Whilst all this was going on, plans against Jesus were being formed (vv.9–11). Envy can lead to murder. Not only did they plot to take Jesus’ life (11:53), they also made plans to kill Lazarus as well, because he was leading many people to faith (12:10–11).

The extraordinary thing about this passage though is the way in which we see God’s hand at work through it all. Despite opposition and wrongdoing, God’s ultimate plan was still fulfilled. What Jesus’ opponents meant for evil, God used for good.

Lord, thank you that in everything you work for the good of those who love you and have been called according to your purpose."

1. Your grace is enough, thank You, Lord. Day by day, as trial comes, You stand by me. Thank You.

2. Thank You for being able to recharge.

3. Thank You for great food!