1 Peter 3: Are You Suffering For Christ’s Sake?
Verse of the Day: (V17) “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.”
1. Sight Of God (V1-11)
V4 “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
The home and the church are the two institutions that Christ loves as they are precious in His eyes. Let us like Christ loves our family and church knowing that they are precious in His sight. We may not fully agree with our family and church members in everything, but we must still love them. This is especially so for the husbands, as God shall not hear their prayers, if they do not love their wives - their weaker halves and joint-heirs with Christ.
V7 “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”
2. Will Of God (V12-17)
V14 “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;”
As I write this devotion, my dearest sister, Daisy, is suffering much due to her severe illness. Though she has done nothing wrong, yet she knows that it is God’s will that she suffers, just like Christ, who also suffered much, when He died on the cross, not for His own sins, but for the sins of the whole world – yours and mine! Let us continue to endure our suffering for righteousness and Christ’s sake, and preach the gospel of Christ to all.
V15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”
3. Longsuffering Of God (V18-22)
V18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
Let us not take for granted God’s longsuffering, as during the Great Flood, He destroyed all, except the eight souls in the ark, because the rest kept refusing to repent their sins.
V20 “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that I am suffering for righteousness’ and Your sake.
1 Peter 2: Who Am I?
Verse of the Day: (V4) “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,”
1. Chosen Of God (V1-8)
V2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”
Do you know that once we confess and repent our sins, and believe and receive Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we become God’s chosen and precious people? Indeed, what a privilege and honour to be chosen by the true and living God who shall protect us from harm, and provide for all our needs. Let us as new Christians continue to desire God’s holy Word and grow to be matured Christians serving Him until His glorious return or the day He calls us home. Let us taste that the Lord is gracious and full of mercy.
V3 “If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
2. People Of God (V9-14)
V9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
Let us as Christians be holy and thankful to God, knowing that we are His chosen and precious people and have obtained His mercy, even in the midst of intense and great suffering and persecution. Let us truly trust God who call us that He is able to help and deliver us in all our troubles before He promotes us to be with Him in heaven for ever.
V10 “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
3. Servant Of God (V15-25)
V16 “As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”
There are Christians after they have tasted that the Lord is gracious become proud and take for granted God’s blessings upon them. Let us as servants of God humble ourselves knowing that we are only sinners saved by grace, even though we are bound for heaven. Let us embrace suffering for Christ’s sake even as Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that the godly and righteous shall suffer in this ungodly and evil world.
V21 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that You have chosen me to be Your people and servant.
1 Peter 1: How Is Your Faith?
Verse of the Day: (V7) “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”
1. Faith (V1-16)
V8 “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”
Faith in God is believing in God that He is the Creator and Saviour of the world, even though we cannot see or touch Him. When we believe and love God, He shall send His Spirit to dwell in us and grant us His Spirit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control in the midst of our sufferings, and eventually deliver us from our sufferings, so that our faith is tested and comes forth as precious gold.
V9 “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
2. Fear (V17-21)
V17 “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:”
Let us live by faith in God and have the fear of God in us and trust and obey Him and His Word, because our souls are redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, the Son of God. Indeed, only Jesus forgives and redeems us from our sins because only He is the perfect Son of God without sin. Whoever believes in Jesus and confess and repent his sins shall shun fiery hell, and have everlasting life with Him now and forever in glorious heaven.
V19 “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
3. Flesh (V22-25)
V24 “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:”
There are only 2 things in this world which shall endure forever – God’s Word and souls. God’s Word is none other than Jesus Christ who shall live forever. However, all man shall die in his flesh as after all he is but flesh. The vital question is where will the soul of man be after his death? If we believe in Christ, our souls shall live with Him now and forever in heaven, but if we reject Him, our souls shall suffer in fiery hell after our death.
V25 “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please increase my faith that it be praise, honour and glory to You.
James 5: Are You Righteous?
Verse of the Day: (V16) “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
1. Riches (V1-6)
V1 “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.”
There is nothing wrong to be rich and wealthy, but when we cheat or deceive others to get riches, then it is absolutely wrong in God’s eyes. Indeed, only by grace and through faith in God, and not riches and wealth, can we have true happiness and salvation in God.
V4 “Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.”
2. Righteous (V7-16)
V7 “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.”
What God truly desires from His people is not so much of our riches and wealth, but the fruit of His Spirit such as patience, faith and righteousness. We may be very rich, wealthy and famous, but without God and the fruit of His Spirit, we are never truly joyful, contented and satisfied with our lives. In fact, God only answers our prayers, and show us great and mighty things that we don’t even expect, when we have the fruit of His Spirit.
V15 “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
3. Rain (V17-20)
V17 “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”
One of the great examples of a man of the fruit of the Spirit of patience, faith and righteousness was none other than Elias. When Elias prayed, God answered him, and there was no rain on earth for three and the half years! Elias was just like you and me, sinners saved by grace, yet when he had righteousness in God, God answered him!
V18 “And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to be righteous in You so that my prayers are answered.
James 4: What Is Life?
Verse of the Day: (V14) “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
1. Lusts (V1-10)
V3 “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”
Why God does not answer our prayers? It is because we pray and ask God according to our lusts or selfish desires. We do not humble ourselves before God, and repent of our sins and turn to Him, but instead, we treat God as though He is obliged to answer all our prayers and desires. We fail to fully understand that our God is not only loving, but He is also holy, and therefore we must draw near to Him in humility and holiness, and then He shall draw near to us, and answer all our prayers and desires according to His perfect will.
V8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
2. Law (V11-12)
V11 “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.”
Why do we judge others? We judge others because we think we are more superior and righteous than others. However, God rebukes and disciplines us when we judge others, because only He is the Lawgiver, and only He has the right to judge. Indeed only God is able to save our souls from condemnation in fiery hell, and promote us to glorious heaven.
V12 “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”
3. Life (V13-17)
V15 “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”
Let us not boast of our achievements and successes, because our lives are from God, and He miraculously pumps our hearts for us to breathe and live. Our lives are like vapours that can vanish any time, and let us acknowledge God as our Creator and Saviour. Indeed, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, and whoever believes in Him shall never perish, but have everlasting lives with Him in heaven. Let us therefore do good by sharing to all that Jesus truly saves so that all may come to His saving grace.
V17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that You are my life, and I live for You and You alone.
James 3: How Is Your Tongue?
Verse of the Day: (V8) “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”
1. Tongue (V1-11)
V2 “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”
Our tongue is a small and boneless part of our body yet we find great difficulty in taming it as we speak without thinking and reflecting, and have hurt and harm many people including our loved ones. Our tongue is like a fire, when it is wrongly used, it can really destroy souls and even send many to fiery hell. Indeed, only God can truly tame our tongue because He is our Creator. Let us commit our tongue to God, and let Him use them to encourage and edify others, and to teach and preach His holy Word that all may come to His saving grace. Let us strive to be God’s perfect man by controlling our tongue!
V5 “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!”
2. Tree (V12-13)
V12 “Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.”
Since the beginning of Adam and Eve, there are many who call themselves God’s people, yet time again, they do evil and do not reflect God’s likeness. Let us who call ourselves Christians truly reflect the likeness of Christ by having the fruit of His Spirit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance in our lives, just like the fig tree that only bear figs, and the salt fountain that only yield salt water!
V13 “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.”
3. Truth (V14-18)
V14 “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.”
Let us examine our hearts to prove that we are truly God’s people because only God’s people will strive to be pure, peaceful, gentle, loving, merciful, truthful and sincere, while the people of the world are full of evil, anger, hatred, violence, pretence and hypocrisy.
V17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to use my tongue to teach and preach Your holy Word.
James 2: Are You The Friend Of God?
Verse of the Day: (V23) “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”
1. Footstool (V1-13)
V1 “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.”
James, inspired by the Holy Spirit, rebuked the church for favouring the rich and despising the poor, as the rich had seats in the church while the poor had to stand or sit on footstools. Let us who are Christians, saved by God’s grace, love and treat everyone the same, as Jesus loved and died for the sins of all, regardless of their wealth, that whoever believes in Him shall never perish in hell, but have everlasting life with Him in heaven.
V3 “And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:”
2. Faith (V14-20)
V18 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
One of the greatest sins is to be professing Christians who continue in sins and never truly repent of their sins. This was why James, inspired by the Holy Spirit, warned the people that they must show their true faith in Christ by demonstrating their works and lives of holiness and godliness. A Christian is like a sheep that when he falls into the mud of sins he will try as far as possible to get out of it, and never like a pig which will wallow and enjoy it. Let us be warned that even the devil and his demons believe in God, but they never truly repent of their sins, and eventually they shall be condemned to hell!
V19 “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
3. Friend (V21-26)
V21 “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”
Abraham was an example of a man who truly had faith in God because he demonstrated his faith by his works when he willingly obeyed God, and offered his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to God. However, God eventually provided a ram as a substitute of Isaac.
V24 “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that You are my Friend as I prove it by my faith and works.
James 1: Do You Have Wisdom?
Verse of the Day: (V5) “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
1. Wisdom (V1-16)
V2 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”
James, inspired by the Holy Spirit, encourages all Christians to ask God for wisdom and endurance as we face temptations so that we could overcome them and emerge victoriously for His glory. It is not easy when we are going through temptations yet God encourages us to ask Him for wisdom and endurance so that we can overcome them. In fact, we should count it all joy and be happy when we are going through temptations as they increase our faith in God, and love for Him, and draw us closer to Him, and one day He shall reward us with a crown of life in glorious heaven. Indeed, let us rejoice in the Lord always knowing that He is too loving to be unkind and too wise to make a mistake.
V12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
2. Wrath (V17-20)
V19 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”
When we have God’s wisdom and righteousness, we shall be swift to hear God’s Word and do what He commands us, and be slow to speak as we think of words that will please and honour Him, and edify and encourage others, and be slow to anger in the midst of pressure and provocation as we know that He is in control of all our storms and struggles.
V20 “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”
3. Word (V21-27)
V22 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
Indeed, to have God’s richest blessings upon us, and to prove that we are truly God’s people, is not just about reading His holy Word, the Bible, and hearing the teaching and preaching of His Word in church every Sunday, but actually doing and practising what we read and hear of His Word. Let us be true to God and ourselves by really obeying His Word and mindful of our speech, so that we can be a real blessing to others that they may one day come to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, because of our love, words and works.
V26 “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please grant me wisdom to obey Your Word and do Your works.
Hebrews 13: Do You Know Jesus Christ?
Verse of the Day: (V8) “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
1. Judge (V1-7)
V4 “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”
Since the beginning of Adam and Eve, and until today, God through all His prophets and preachers have warned the world of His judgment on their sins, in particular, immorality, which has caused many divorces including Christian marriages that have resulted in much pain and sorrow and even deadly diseases. Let us stay faithful to our spouse, and be contended with life, and have the blessed assurance that God is with us now and forever.
V5 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
2. Jesus (V8-16)
V9 “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.”
Man may change in their belief and value system, but God never changes as He is the same yesterday, today and forever. This is why we must trust God and His Word, and believe in His Son, Jesus, and repent of our sins, and Jesus shall save our souls by His precious blood through God’s amazing grace. Let us never put our confidence in man and his so-called religions which are man-made that shall never ever save our souls from hell.
V12 “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.”
3. Joy (V17-25)
V17 “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”
Let us submit to our pastor who watches our souls because they are accountable to God to teach and equip us through His Word to love and serve Him. It is indeed a real joy for the pastor to see his people loving and serving God and in pursuit of perfection and holiness.
V21 “Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that I know Your Son, Jesus Christ, my Saviour and Lord.
Hebrews 12: Are You Running The Race With Patience?
Verse of the Day: (V1) “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”
1. Patience (V1-11)
V2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Let us run our Christian race on this earth with patience and endurance looking to Jesus as the Author and Finisher of our faith. We may fail and falter during our race but we must endure and finish it because Jesus is our best and perfect example who endured the cross and died for our sins, and is now at the right hand of God’s throne interceding for our sins. Indeed, God shall chasten and discipline us during our race when we stray and sin against Him, because He loves us and desires that we complete the race by His grace.
V6 “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
2. Peace (V12-17)
V14 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”
God desires us to keep following peace with all men, letting go of all our bitterness, and pursuing holiness by His grace, so that we shall one day see Him in glorious heaven.
V15 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”
3. Perfect (V18-29)
V23 “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,”
When Jesus came and died for the sins of the whole world, He became the Mediator between God and man, and there is now no need for the priests or the sacrifices that Abel first offered the animal sacrifice for his sins, which was also a prophecy that Jesus, the Son of God, shall come and be the ultimate sacrifice of the sins of the world. Indeed, whosoever believes in Jesus is now made perfect because of His death and resurrection.
V24 “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to run my Christian race with patience and endurance.
