Bread For The Coming Day

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Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)
9 "This, then, is how you should pray:

" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.' ..."

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Everything comes from You Father. You provide everything that we need daily. You give, and You can definitely take away. That's why I find the importance of reminding myself daily during prayers, that it is by Your mercy and grace, that we have our daily bread.

Without your kindness, nothing will grow. Without your gifts, I wouldn't be able to work and earn to feed myself. All praises are to You Father. Nothing else can ever come close to be even compared with You.

Thank You Lord, for you bless me abundantly each day of my life.

With All My Art

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Exodus 35:30-35 (NIV)
Bezalel and Oholiab

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts - 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers - all of them master craftsmen and designers.

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Father recently I agreed to help out a friend to build his demo website, and promised myself to build a tool for a colleague to help out in his work. The motivation behind these is that I believe You gave me these talents to help people, not just to earn a living, get married, have children and then die to join You in heaven.

No, I really don't think that's the only purpose You have for me.

I want to use my talents so that it helps others, make their lives easier, and through these, reflect Your kindness and gracefulness to them. I do these not to earn praises from them, but rather, from You. By Your will Lord, guide me to do things that will bring glory and praises to You.

Imitate Me

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1 Corinthians 4:9-17 (NIV)
9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

14 I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

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For the past two weeks in my cell group, we were studying on a series called Heroes. We talked about the people who inspire us in our spiritual walk in Christ. Some people talked about biblical characters, others talked about our pastor, while another member mentions about parents being the first spiritual heroes to children.

I find myself thinking hard about who is actually my hero in my spiritual walk. I wasn't born in a Christian family, nor is there someone who's guiding me personally always.

The only one who came to my mind is You, my Lord Jesus Christ. You gave Your life to save me, to bear my sins upon Your shoulders, lived in faith according to God's mission for You on earth. You're my perfect hero, my perfect role model.

I am just a man, who falls short of the glory of God. I know that if given the right timing, I am definitely capable of sinning. Sins always knock so hard on my door that it is only possible to ignore when I think of You.

I want to imitate You Lord Jesus. I want to live a life that reflects You, and is pleasing to God.

A Little Concern

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Psalm 91:9-16 (NIV)
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling -
even the Lord, who is my refuge -
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

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As I walk with You daily Father, I know that I have no needs to worry about the future. I may plan, but if it’s not Your will, things will still not get done. I entrust my life in Your hands, and that You'll never forsake me. You will definitely guide my path.

Lord, I must confess that I will still stumble sometimes, and worry for what may come in my way. In these situations Lord, help me know You are near. Let me not worry and find rest in You. I shall have no fear or worry with You in my heart.

Thank You Father Lord for Your great promises, and I will hold on to them until I see You again.

Call Of The Chickadees

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1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 (NIV)
Final Instructions

12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil.

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

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Father I pray for a heightened sense of awareness against the temptations of the devil, that every time when sins are knocking on my door, I will know and bind them at first thought.

Lord I'm willing to listen to Your Word, and I pray that You will speak to me. Even if I do not feel Your presence in my most agony moments, I know that You're nonetheless here with me, and I'll be comforted.

In Your will I find strength.

Get In The Game

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Colossians 1:24-29 (NIV)
Paul's Labor for the Church

24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness - 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

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Father God this message seems to be telling me to start thinking about a ministry. I've yet to have the courage to commit myself fully to a ministry.

If I join the choir, I may not have the time to go for practice, because of the hours that I always have to commit to my work. Furthermore, I'm shy of the stage.

If I join Speedlight, that'll be great because the rest of my cell group members are all there! But still, that means preparing materials, performing on stage, and Sundays spent longer in church.

Recently there's a ministry that really caught my eye. It's the Flexilight, which is a sports ministry. Seems to be the best of the crowd, but then, I'm still not so sure if I’m ready yet.

The questionable thing is this: Will I ever be ready? Or should I just commit? Lord You know my heart, and you know that I love to program things and make applications. If there's such a ministry, I will definitely do it! That's the talent that You had given me.

I’m fully aware of my problem. I keep procrastinating when there’s so much ministries that I can choose from. Seems to me that I want to keep all this time to myself, do the things that I like, and not willing to give up time to You.

Father, I pray to You, that You will guide me to find an appropriate ministry that I can serve You in. I really need Your guidance Father. I’m a procrastinator when it comes to ministry and I think that’s really very bad of me.

You’re my Lord, You’re my Father, You’re my God.

Show me the way Lord.

Thanksgiving All Year

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1 Chronicles 16:8-12, 23-34 (NIV)
David's Psalm of Thanks

8 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
9 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.
12 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

...

23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
25 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy in his dwelling place.
28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength,
29 ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name.
Bring an offering and come before him;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!"
32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
33 Then the trees of the forest will sing,
they will sing for joy before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.

34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

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Father I'm reminded each day of Your goodness and kindness. Your mercy and grace runs everlasting. Your love overflows.

As You renew me on a daily basis, I look upon Your Word for guidance, and seek Your will to fulfill them.

Lord I want to thank You and praise You for all the wonderful things that You've done in my life, from the nitty gritty details, to the larger picture of my life. I'm so thankful Father, that You've and will always be here with me.