Sunday 1 February 2015 Acts 13:52 God fills the disciples with the Holy Spirit In the face of severe persecution (Acts 13:50), God also filled the disciples with the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:52). The filling of the Holy Spirit during persecution (Acts 13:50) confirmed God’s presence with the disciples and enabled them to cope and persevere under it. The filling of the Holy Spirit is the most appropriate and most sufficient antidote to suffering. Anyone who is filled with the Holy Spirit can overcome the most severe trials or persecution. No help can compare with that of the Holy Spirit when it comes to persevering under suffering. We all need the filling of the Holy Spirit to overcome persecution (see Acts 4:5-12; Acts 1:8). We cannot do without His filling, especially under persecution and suffering. And He is ready, willing, adequate and an unfailing partner for this purpose (Acts 1:8). PRAYER: 1. Father, please fill me with the Holy Spirit 2. Holy Spirit, please be my portion in every situation Monday 2 February 2015 Ps.4:8 God provides safety According to the Psalmist, God alone provides safety (Ps. 4:8). The provision of safety can be done by Him alone (Ps. 4:8; Ps. 127:1-2). This means that there is no other reliable or safe source for safety than the Lord (Ps. 4:8; Ps. 127:1-2). Those who seek safety from someone or anyone else are not only seeking it from the wrong source but seeking in vain (Ps. 127:1-2). There can be no safety outside of the Lord (Ps. 127:1-2). All other sources or means of safety are not only illegitimate but unreliable and impotent (see 1Chron. 16:26). It is true that the Lord alone can provide safety (Ps. 4:8; Ps. 127:1-2). Anyone who seeks safety from the Lord seeks it from the right and unfailing source (Ps. 127:1-2). PRAYER: 1. Father, please give me your own safety 2. Father, enable me to depend on you alone for my safety Tuesday 3 February 2015 Gen. 21: 1-2 God keeps His word Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was barren(Gen.16:1). The Lord promised Abraham that Sarah will have a son(Gen.18:10). Both Abraham and Sarah were old, and Sarah passed the age of childbearing(Gen.18:11). In spite of their old age(Gen.18:11), God did for Sarah what He promised, at the exact time He promised it(Gen.21:12). This incident confirms that God is indeed able to do all things, and nothing is impossible or too hard for Him(LK.1:37;cf.Gen.18:14). It also confirms that the Lord keeps all His promises, and none of His promises ever failed(see Jos.23:14). Therefore, omnipotence and faithfulness are truly His attributes. We can put all our trust in Him for all our needs without being disappointed(Rom.10:11). PRAYER: 1. Father, thank you for all your promises. 2. Father, please let all you destined for me come to pass. 3. Father, please enable me to put all my trust in you for all my needs. Wednesday 4 February 2015 1Cor. 1:2 The Church must be holy According to this passage, believers are called holy (Lev. 11:44-45; Lev. 19:1-2; 1Pet. 1:15-16). Where there is holiness there is the Church. Where there is no holiness there is no Church. Holiness is the mark of the true Church. One who is holy is part of the true Church, but one who is not holy has no part in it (Heb. 12:14). This characteristic defines not only the Corinthian Church but the Church everywhere. There is no true Church where this characteristic is absent. And whoever lacks this attribute lacks a place in the true Church. PRAYER: 1. Father, please make me holy unto you. 2. Father, please take away from me whatever hinders me from being. holy Thursday 5 February 2015 Acts 14:3 God confirms His word with signs and wonders God confirmed the message preached by Paul and Barnabas by enabling them to perform signs and wonders (Acts 14:3). This is what the early believers had prayed for (Acts 4:29-30). The gospel message needed God’s confirmation, and He gave that confirmation (Acts 14:3). While the apostles preached the gospel, God was available to confirm it (Acts 14:3). Miracles are God’s and they are enabled by Him for the confirmation of His word (Acts 14:3; Jn. 20:30-31). There is no need to fake miracles or seek them from demonic sources when God is available to enable them. Our duty is to proclaim the gospel. God’s duty is to confirm our message by enabling us to perform miracles (Acts 14:3). We must depend on God to enable miracles and respect His purpose for doing so (Acts 14:3; Jn. 20:30-31). PRAYER: 1. Father, please confirm your word with signs and wonders. 2. Father, enable me to depend on you alone for signs and wonders. Friday 6 February 2015 Lam. 1:5 Sin brings exile The nation of Judah went to exile on account of its sin (Lam. 1:5). They lose their liberty. What the Lord promised came upon them (Deut. 28:36-37, 64-68). The Lord is faithful to His promises to the righteous and unrighteous (cf. Ps. 1:1-6). Sin never pays. It always destroys (Ps. 37:38; Rom. 6:23; Heb. 10:26-31). No one ever reaped well from it (cf. Matt. 7:16-20). The only way to escape its consequences is to part with and be reconciled to God (1Jn. 3:6, 9; 2Cor. 5:17-21). Ask Jesus to take your sin away and He will do so. It is His work to do so (Matt.1:21; Jn. 1:29). To remain in sin is to remain in God’s wrath (Deut. 28:15-68; Ps. 1:4-6; cf. Rom. 1:18-19). To part with sin is to come under God’s blessing, not His wrath (Deut. 28:1-15; Ps. 1:1-3). PRAYER: 1. Father, please forgive me all my sin. 2. Father, please cleanse me from all sin. 3. Father, please give me victory over all sin. Saturday 7 February 2015 Obad. 15-16 The universal nature of the day of the Lord Although Prophet Obadiah’s announcement of the coming of the day of the Lord was primarily meant for Edom, the Prophet did not exclude all the other nations as well (Obad. 15-16). When God judged Judah as announced by Prophet Jeremiah, other nations were not exempted or excluded from His judgment (see Jer. 46:1-51:64). As far as the day of the Lord is concerned, the Scripture presents it as a universal event (Acts 17:31; 2Cor. 5:10; cf. Rom. 14:10-12). Since Jesus will be the judge on that day (Acts 17:31), those who accept or receive Him as their Saviour will be justified, while those who refuse or reject Him will be condemned (Jn. 3:18, 36). Nothing will suffice for anyone on that day except faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:18, 36). PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to be ready for your judgment. 2. Father, please take away everything that hinders me from being ready for your judgment.