Pastor's Corner to Help You in Your Daily Life.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

– 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

This is what the world needs more of. Our prayer should always be to have this kind of love. This is who we have been created to be.

Dear Lord, may you shape me to have this kind of love. Amen.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
        to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
        to let the oppressed go free,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:18-19

Jesus came to bring good news to the poor. He did not come to side with the rich and powerful, but to help those struggle and suffer. Let us also view others through God’s eyes. The poor are valuable, have much to contribute and teach us, and are precious in God’s eyes. May we too be agents of good news for the poor.

Lord, help me to see others and treat others as you would, especially those who are weak and vulnerable.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Our life calling is to discover the gifts that God has given us that will bless the world around us. God has given each of us our unique gifts for the common good. The thing is, we do not discover them ourselves. God will activate them in us as we love and serve others. Let us love and serve each other and allow God to activate our unique gifts. What a joyful journey of discovery this can be! God bless you all during a busy season with studies and exams.

Lord, all good gifts come from you. May you activate my unique gifts as I love and serve others. Amen.

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

–       Isaiah 43:1-2

Note: this post is the first weekly reflection for the Hi-C (youth) of our church. This is a new initiative for 2019 – every Wednesday, a weekly reflection will be sent out to the Hi-C to help them during the week in their spiritual journeys. May God bless this new adventure!

Boldness and Confidence

This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

(Ephesians 3:11-12)

Does it seem like you have to prove yourself over and over again? Do you have this nagging feeling that maybe you’re not measuring up? Is this the real reason why you feel stressed out about school and marks?

For some reason – we call it grace – we have access to the God who has eternal purposes for this world and for our lives. What’s even better – God has an eternal purpose for your life. Can you fathom that? You might be feeling a lot of stress or pressure with your assignments and upcoming exams. But take a moment to know that you have been called by God into this world, and that you have access to this great God simply through faith.

We can claim a part in God’s eternal purposes with boldness and confidence. May God’s strength carry you through this week and give you encouragement to keep pressing on in all that you do!

Dear God, may I find boldness and confidence through faith in you. Grant me the gift of faith. Amen.